You're My Best Friend

I should probably have made another Christmas card for this weeks challenge as next week we are into December and Christmas cards will need to be written and posted - but that would have been the sensible thing to do! Instead, for this weeks challenge over at Moving Along With The Times, the theme is set as

Inspired by a Song

& my song is You're My Best Friend by Queen.  Obviously the card is not for me as it has a woof as the best friend, but I know loads of people who fall into that camp.

Papers today are Bo Bunny and Papermania I think.And the card is finished with LOTV tags, twine and another favourite of mine, that La La Land heart banner.

Challenges;
Card Mania - Use a digi
TPE - Anything Goes 278
Glitter n Sparkle - tag it - sentiment tags
Robyn's Fetish - Use a digi
Sweet Stampin - Birthday Card
Doodle Pantry - Any digi - DPDC52
Fab n Funky - Die Cuts
Simpn Says Stamp - Anything goes
Digitally Sweet - Opposite - Circles & Squares (Best friend dog - but it's actually my cat!)

Finally a tale with a happy ending...
Alan's iPad broke at the weekend, the screen went all funny - white with a grey bar across and ceased to work properly.  Despite it being out of warranty I took it back to Apple to see what they suggested, and they replaced it FREE OF CHARGE!!! You can't get better service than that so I'm super impressed and obviously Alan is mega happy. Thanks Apple, Jx

Happy 50th Birthday

Hi everyone, hope you are all cosy and crafty - I have been and am just posting this card before I head out for a spot of babysitting.  Not that my nieces are babies any more, but I'm looking after them while their Mum & Dad are on a night out. So look out for more crafty projects from them next week!

Back to today's card now and it's a special one for a close friend who is having a big birthday this coming week.  I do so love including an old photo on my card instead of a stamped image - it makes for a more personal and individual card.

Old photo's can however be quite hard to source when it's not a family member, but with much pleading and pestering I usually get there!

Once I had my image, my next problem was to get papers to match, I went through my numerous pads & sheets, but nothing suitable, the photo was quite pale and my blod papers tended to swamp the image.  Then I thought of my Ooh La La CD and it came up trumps - loads of pastel/neutral sheets to pick from!  Finally, my card has Magnolia cut flowers, a ribbon from the Papeterie, pearls and is easel style to accomodate a larger sentiment.

Femo checking it out!

Challenges;
Ooh La La - More than one fold
A Creative Romance - Something Old - Old photo
Wags & Whiskers - Add some leaves
CCEE Stampers - Photo or photography
Crafters Cafe - Anything Goes
Crafting For All Seasons - Birthdays
Papertake - So girly
Crafty Catz - Winter theme - Dressed up for winter - she was actually sat on Santa's knee in the photo till I cropped it!
The Kraft Journal - thought I'd give you a mention as it was your sketch I followed, but sadly I didn't use kraft cause in the end the image suited grey better. (But I loved your sketch!) Didn't enter challenge!

Bottoms Up!

Quick post today as I'm heading in to Aberdeen to clean Alan's flat then get him home for an appointment tomorrow morning - it's all go!

Anyway, today's card was made for my neighbour for her brother,  It uses a fab Digi Stamp Boutique digi, made nice and big, double printed and layered then finished off with glossy accents!

The tiles are Doodlebug and so is the DP.

"decoupaged layers"

Challenges;
Digi Stamp Boutique - November Challenge
Fan-tastic Tuesday - Anything goes with a male twist
Party Time Tuesday - Anything Goes
2 Cute Ink - Orange/Yellow/ Brown

Bee Happy!

Well it's Sunday morning and I'm first up, crafting away!  My card is all planned out but not stuck together, but I'm that pleased with it I thought I'd type up my post first!

So, it's a delightful PB cat - from my even more delightful friend Sam/Whisper!  I know how mad she is on PB and she knows how mad I am on cats - so we feed each others addictions! (Thanks Sam for another super cat to colour!)

My card is made using a rather lovely sketch from SSW2 - I do so love working from sketches!  Papers are Bo Bunny, Avenues Collection and colouring by Promarker.

& here is my little card!

Challenges;
SSW2 - Sketch 34 - a beauty to work with!

Papertake - 2/4 legged friends
PB@Allsorts - November - Anything Goes
Glitter n Sparkle - Cute
Robyn's Fetish - Anything with wings
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
Crafting For All Seasons - Birthdays

Let's Celebrate Kindness

Morning all, how are you today?  Hopefully well and wrapped up cosy - don't know about where you are, but it's defo cooler here abouts and soooo wet ... Winter is on it's way!

Another thing that's on it's way is the latest challenge over at Moving Along With The Times, it's set by our boss lady, Hazel, and she's looking for projcts inspired by the theme,

Let's Celebrate Kindness

It's up to you how you interpret this one, but the most obvious way is with a thank you card & I needed one of these a couple of weeks back to give to the vet who sorted out Merlot Mogs.

Now Merlot is a fun lovin, playful adventurous cat and as it's Autumn, I thought this Stampendous Fluffles image would suit him perfectly.

Fluffles himself was double stamped and set on gel to raise him above the leaves.

Papers are LOTV and colouring by Promarker.

Challenges;
Papertake - 2 or 4 legs (and an old sketch of yours too!)
My Time To Craft - Farm Yard Animals - well most farms have a cat... don't they?
Cheerful Stamp Pad - Cats/Kitties
Eureka Stamps - Four legged friends
Party Time Tuesday - Anything Goes

And for those of you who have been following Merlot and his health issues, well I'm pleased to report he is doing well.  He's back to his normal self again, up to his old tricks and it's just amazing how well he's adapted to loosing his eye.  As I was told at the onset - cats are amazingly resilient creatures! Jx

Snowmen

It's getting to that time of year again when panic sets in and the number of Christmas cards to be sent still exceeds the number made!  In order to rectify this, a quick card is needed and as it's to be posted far and wide, it must be skinny to avoid a bigger stamp.

The result is below.  The text was generated (with Colin's help using Serif Draw.)

& I've even done a sentiment inside - that doesn't happen very often!

Challenges;
Winter Wonderland - Snowmen
CHCC - Keep it flat
Crafting When We Can - Use Markers - Promarkers
Stamping Sensations - Christmas
Kraftyhands - Christmas Cheer
Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes/Stars - well there is one on top of the tree!
TPE - 276 - CAS

Tomorrow is a busy day for me as I'm off to get Spirometry training as part of my new job.  It's a technique used to assess lung capacity and function and can be used to help in the diagnosis of some lung conditions, or as in my case, for occupational health screening.  This will be the easy bit, further training and a competency test next month! Jx

"Rub Noseies"

A similar card to the last one I posted, again using a super pre-coloured Paper Shelter image.  Papers by LOTV and a few dies in action!

Challenges;
SSW2 - Another super sketch

Creative Corner - Christmas
RRR - Winter Holiday
Crafty Ribbons - Christmas Creations with Ribbon
Creative Card Crew - Christmas Joy

Till Next Year...

I'm sure I should have been doing something else today, but instead I was making cards!  I bought a couple of new Paper Shelter images at the weekend after seeing them on their challenge blog, and as they were pre-coloured I thought I'd make a quick card! (Are they ever quick?)

So the stamp is called December 26th - available here both coloured and black & white.

Santa's set upon LOTV papers, with a couple of die cut corners a a ribbon to finish.

Challenges;
Papertake - Free sketchie, but I used the one shown
The Paper Shelter - Christmas
ABC Christmas - V - A Very Merry Christmas (Thanks for the sentiment Samantha)

Come Fly With Me

Here is my final card from "Hedgehog Season", sorry it's a bit later than all the rest, but I seemed to get side tracked there before I got to the end of my little pile of hedgehog stamps!

This one is by Sugar Nellie and is available at the Funky Kits Shop here - He's called Aviator.

So he's coloured with Promarkers, accents & glamour dust have been added along with twine, tags and card candi.  Papers are by MME - Every Day Flair & ? - can't find the grey pad atm!

Challenges;
Allsorts - Masculine
Sugar Nellie - Anything Goes
SSW2 - Sketch 80 with orange twist
Passion for Promarkers - Add some sparkle - glamour dust on bee and accents on goggles
Crafting for All Seasons - Tag it - sentiment tags

Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Animals

One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes

I love Promarkers - 3 of a kind - 3x candi

We Three Mogs

I've had this stamp for a few years now, but every time I bring it out it always makes me smile!  Not that I particularly like my kitties bringing me presents, but think it's just something that cats do in the country when they are surrounded by fields!

So my card today uses this great Stampendous image, coloured with Promarkers then set on LOTV papers. A bit of sage inking was done to the white edges and the card finished off with gems.

Challenges;
Papertake - Sketch 80 - Christmas Themed
Winter Wonderland - Pick n Mix - Snowflake/Ribbon/Gems
The Ribbon Girl - Christmas Card
Stamping Sensations - Simply Christmas
Crafty Calender - It's All About Christmas
CHCC - Make it Sparkle
Jingle Belles - Christmas Card with a Creature
Holly Jolly Christmas - Bingo - Ribbon, Rhine Stones on crowns, Die Cut - Snowflake

*Susan - my fault not blogger - wrote post before I'd photoed the card - needed day light for that!

Butterfly Catcher

I'm on a roll this week, I've managed to make a few cards!  This one was quite quick though as the PB image was coloured a couple of weeks back when I was in my hedgehog phase.  I coupled it with an old Papertake sketch and gorgeous Bo Bunny papers and the result is below!

Challenges;
Papertake - Old sketch - Sketch 80
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
Diva's by Design - Anything Goes
Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

Delighted to see I won the Papertake Challenge this week and will pick up a $25 prize from Simon Says Stamp! Yipee!!!