Toppers!

Last year I bought an LOTV coloured art pad and papers to help me with Christmas card production, sadly they never saw the light of day and worse, I didn't make anything like the number of Christmas cards I needed.

So, this year, I'm back to plan "B" - make Christmas ones all year round - and cheat by using art pads!

So, for the very first time I give you a card using an art pad image.

To help me on my way, I followed the Sweet Stetch Wednesday stetch, then kept adding bits till I thought the card looked complete!

So, the image, sentiment tag and papers are from LOTV, the Bakers Twine from The Ribbon Girls, and the flower off a cracker!

Challenges;
ABC Christmas - B for Baubles
SSW2 - Stkech 2-81

CHCC - Use a sentiment
Holly Jolly - Use designer papers
Crimbo Crackers -Anything Goes

Sunflowers

I'm doing quite well this month, that's me made another card, to add to my box for Spring birthdays!  This one uses a lovely sunflower image and is off the Ooh La La Cd called Everyday Occasions.

All papers came from the CD, then the card was finished off with a pearl centred bow a border and a sentiment.

Challenges;
CD Sunday - Wild Flowers
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends- Anything Goes Jx

Embossing

Welcome everyone to another MAWTT challenge - my first one for 2016, and the first one hosted by Diane, our latest, lovely DT member.

Well today, Diane has picked one of my favourites

Embossing

So me thinks there will be lots of lovely cards this time around.

For my card, I went with New Baby, cause I needed one, CARD NOT BABY!!! (Sorry Ang and Christine, didn't mean to confuse.)  So I made a baby girl easel using a sweet Penny Black stamp and some lovely Craft Creation baby sheets.  My embossing is of baby feet but its slightly hidden under my scrummy ribbon from The Ribbon Girls - so love it, the middle section of it has a lovely velvet feel.  Oh yeah, and the doily, recognise it Sue?  It's from the pack you sent me for my Birthday, it's so sweet - sorry it took me so long to open the pack!

So here's my card, now over to you!

Challenges;
Penny Black @Allsorts - One for the girls
Stamping Senstations - Anything Goes with a die
PBSC - Anything Goes
Hiding in my Craftroom - Embossing
Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes
Crafting for All Seasons - Ribbon & Pearls Jx

In The Country

Today I'm hosting the challenge over at Ooh La La and as I stay in the country, I've chosen

In The Country

as my theme - (clearly a  lot of thought went into that one!)

So, for my card, I dipped into my Paula Oakley CD and used the file titled Winter Mist - perfect for the season although looking at the trees I think perhaps the image was painted at the back end of the year as opposed to January.

My image is combined with brown and kraft card, a PB sentiment and some lace and that's about it!

Hope you can join us over the coming fortnight, as I love it when my followers names appear on the challenge list... and I love it even more if they make Top 3!

So see you over there! Jx

Challenges;
Hiding in My Craft Room - Embossing
Polkadoodles - Winter Birthday
Wags n Whiskers - Anything Goes
The Male Room - Anything Goes

Poinsettia

It seems like ages since I've posted a card, probably cause its been ages since I made one!  But I found a bit of spare time over the weekend and managed to colour a free image that I'd spied on the A Day For Daisies blog weeks ago.

I've combined the image with the current sketch over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 - one of my favourite challenges, but one I was unable to enter last year due to time constraints.  This year however they have changed the challenge to fortnightly, so I'm hoping that once again I can become a regular participant.  So many really good sketch challenges have folded over the years, Friday Sketchers, Sketch and Stash and Christmas Challenges with Sketches - all favourites of mine and now no more... so...

Lets Save SSW2

Well I hope we do and I hope the DT are listening as I know you said you didn't want to fold either!

So now to matters in hand, my card using the current sketch, here it is, a simple design to show off the gorgeous ADFD stamp.

I've added the burlap and ribbon to add a bit of texture along with liquid pearls dots in the flower centre.

Challenges;

SSW2 - Sketch 2-80

Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes + a die - Fishtail one for sentiment.

Winterwonderland - Glitter and shine - there is gold glitter on the ribbon but perhaps not enough?

Ribbon Girls - Anything Goes

ABC Christmas - Anything Goes

I Love Promarkers - Use something new - new image and new burlap, bought in Berlin in Dec!

Girlie

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to the new challenge year.  Hope you all had a fantastic festive break and are ready to start using all your new crafty goodies in our latest challenge.  No new stuff for me on this card, but an old favourite image.  As soon as I saw the latest challenge over at Ooh La La, I knew straight away which image I was going to use.

The challenge this time is

Girlie

And for me, one girlie stands out from the crowd - here she is along with a very mindful sentiment, just love it.  She is from the Say it With Words CD, one which was released a year or so back, but which is still available here.  All papers used on the card are also off the CD, all I did was add a sentiment, button & ribbon.

Challenges;
4 Crafty Chicks - Anything goes
As You Like It - Anything Goes
CRAFT - Anything Goes
Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes
Creative Moments - Anything Goes Jx

My 5 Favourite Cards 2015

It's always nice to look back on the years makes and see what direction your crafting has taken in the previous 12 months, and it's also nice to remind ourselves on how many crafty goodies we have purchased throughout the year.

So her are my favourites from some of my favourite companies of the year,  Ooh La La, and their many fabulous CD's and All Dressed Up and Sugar Nellie for their super digital stamps.

This was one of the first cards I made off the great Ooh La La CD by Paula Oakley.

Another super image of the same CD, just love the colours on this one.

And finally a hat-trick, again Paula Oakley CD and another brilliant image.

Next it's All Dressed Up, and a cute kitty, and finally...

Another cat, this time by Sugar Nellie, for my hubby's birthday.

So that's it, my card making highlights of 2015.  Thanks to Debby for once again organising this challenge and prompting us to look back on our years production.

Happy New Year everyone, Jx

My 5 Favourite Christmas Cards 2015

Now that Christmas has past, it's time to pick my Top 5 Christmas Cards and enter Debby's Annual Challenge,

So in no particular order, here they are;

This one uses a Bugaboo bell image and I like it because it is predominately white and it uses my new big circle dies to make a round easel card.

Next, another Bugaboo image and another card relying on dies to make its mark.  

Well you all know I love Bugaboo, so you'd have been surprised if they hadn't featured! This time its snowmen on my new stepper die card base.

My fourth choice is again CAS, but this time using the cutest of Sassy Cheryl images.

And finally a card using a Sugar Nellie Penguin image, lots of layers and traditional colours.

So that's my this years choices.  Hope you all had a good Christmas and I'm now off to ponder my Top 5 other cards. Jx

Made With Love

I always have fun scheduling posts whilst on holiday, and I couldn't miss posting today, as today is Craig, my husband's birthday.  Happy Birthday Mr - not really into mushy stuff, but I'm hoping we have a lovely day together and I think the title of the post says it all, Jx

The image is one I spotted over at Funky Kits when I purchased my Christmas digi  for the previous post.
Another cutie, and it's a cat so you can see why I had to get it!

Challenges;

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes
Sugar Bowl - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Papertake - Fun Fun Fun - A Birthday in Berlin should be that...hopefully!
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes

To A Special Person At Christmas

I'm super excited today you guys cause today's the day I fly off to Berlin with my hubby for a week at the Christmas Markets.  So looking forward to our trip as it's been quite a year and we never managed to get away in the Summer.

Berlin is one of my favourite holiday destinations, been there loads of times, and if anything gets you in the mood for Christmas it has to be European Christmas Markets with all their local crafts and foods being sold on the street stalls.  Will pop some pictures up here and on FB over the coming days.

Anyway, before I fly off, I must tell you of the last MAWTT challenge this year, running into the new year, set by Carole and it's...

To A Special Person At Christmas

So I made this cutie for my husband.  It uses a gorgeous digi stamp by Funky Kits called Warm Winter Wishes and it's available here.  I coloured it using Promarkers then used LOTV papers along with an LOTV date and a computer generated sentiment.

As always there are lots of great cards to be seen on the main blog page where the other DT ladies have made some real festive beauties.  Hope you can join us this time around to make this a fabulous MAWTT challenge to close the year on.

Challenges;
Crafty Calender - Let it Snow
My Time To Craft - Christmas Animals
Sweet Stampin - Snowtime
Sugar Bowl - Anything Goes
Stamping Sensations - Stamp & Ribbon
Ribbon Girl - Dec Anything Goes
Glitter n Sparkle - Anything Goes
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes

Bugaboo Blitz

I so didn't have time to join in in the week long Christmas Chaos event over at Bugaboo - but I so made time over the weekend after Hazel egged me on!

So despite work, getting the house sorted for Christmas and going to Berlin this week, here are 3 cards for the event.  Sorry I didn't manage a full house this time but 3 is better than none at all!

So here they are collectively;

And now here they are individually linked to the daily challenges,

Day 1 Challenge - Here comes Santa Claus
ABC Christmas - 4x4
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
CHCE - Anything Goes
Deep Ocean - Santa Claus is coming to town

Day 2 Challenge - SSS

Tuesday Throwdown - Snowflates - on the embossing
Crafty Catz - Let it snow - on the embossing
Winter Wonderland - Holy & / Ivy
Holly Jolly - Anything Goes Christmas

Day 3 Challenge - Colour Theme
Passion for Promarkers - Mega Christmas Challenge -Lets Celebrate
I Love Promarkers - Winter
Simon Says Stamp - Let it Snow
Creative Knockouts - Tis the Season
Crafters Cafe - Diecuts or Punches - Dies - card shape and branches
Sweet Stampin - Snowtime

I'm disappointed that I don't have time to do more to complete the challenge week, but time is not on my side just now.  Thanks Bugaboo for another fantastic event and hopefully by next year I'll have a bit more time to do the full 7 makes.

Jx

Tags

Just made a selection of tags after a friends daughter told me about the Santa ones on Pinterest using drinks can tabs!

Here they all are;

And the best bit about all these is that they were made using the scraps in my card box!

Challenges;
City Crafter - 123 Tags
Papertake - Anything Goes
Shopping Our Stash - No stamping - All dies
Allsorts - CAS
Poppy Stamps - Tempting Tags
Jx

Catie's 21st

Another 21st card today, this time for one of my best friends daughter.  Catie was born a month after Alan and as toddlers they had loads of adventures together before we moved house and away from the Glasgow area.  Think you can tell by my photo choice they were besties - before besties were even invented!!!

So it's another easel, with lots of die cuts to decorate along with that meshy stuff, card candi and a pearl from Hobby House.

Challenges:
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes
Creative Moments - Anything Goes
Jx

Let It Snow

I know the title of this post is let it snow - but please don't.  A few years back it did start snowing in Nov - and the ground remained white till the following March - what a nightmare so no thank you! We did have a covering of the stuff this weekend too, but luckily it hasn't hung about.

It is however acceptable to feature snow on cards, as that is what Debs is after as she picked the challenge theme of

Let it Snow

over at Ooh La La.

The image I've used this time is not off an Ooh La La CD but is infact printed from the digital download section of the Ooh La La site - there are other sheets too, so if you haven't checked them out, it's worth a visit.  Last time I used this image I just used the topper, but this time I asked at HQ if there were papers to match... so Wendy made me some! (Thanks Wendy, what a star!)

So here is my latest offering...

I printed the image twice, layered up the candle inset, then added sparkle to it by clear embossing the oval. Tags are LOTV and the twine and pearls are from a favourite of mine, The Ribbon Girl, and were infact part of a prize a month or so back, so thanks Mary & Andrea for my goodies.

Challenges;
Alphabet Challenge - t  - Tis the Season
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz - Shades of Blue
Papertake - Let it Snow
Creative Craft Cottage - 52 - Christmas
Winter Wonderland - 1,2,3 - 1 image, 2 papers and 3 embs - pearls
CD Sunday - Sprinkle of snowflakes
My Time To Craft - Let it snow

Finally I'd just like to say this is the last Ooh La La challenge of the year as we all take a well earned Christmas break.  Look out for us back again next year when our new challenges starts back on Mon  4th Jan.

and finally finally I just want to thank all the ladies over at Ooh La La for a great year on their DT, I really have enjoyed it, love the CD's and can't wait for the new releases next year.  Happy Christmas Teamies! Jx

Tree Trimmers

As Christmas is fast approaching I thought I better put a bit more effort into making some cards, so today I set about a batch of thin colourful CAS cards ideal for posting.

The image is a new one to me, by Sassy Cheryl - I paid full price for it a few weeks back, but if you're quick you may be able to snap up a bargain as it's on special just now!

Colouring as always is by Promarker and my sentiment added directly to the card front using Serif Draw, (thanks Colin for the lesson!)  Finally the card is finished with my festive favoutites, glossy accents and glamour dust.

Challenges;
CHCC - Red & Green
Brown Sugar - No DP's
Christmas Stampin All Year Long - Anything Goes
Crafting by Designs - Frosty Snowmen
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Christmas Trees
Sparkles Forum Christmas - Christmas Decorations
Cutie Pies - CAS/Cute/Christmas
Christmas at Sweet Stampin - Stars
Jx

My Favourite Things

Well this one will either sink or swim, and I'm so hoping swim, as it's Mrs Duck's theme over at MAWTT and she has really excelled in picking

My Favourite Things

as our latest challenge theme - BUT read on my friends - Mrs Duck never does things by halves - don't follow the theme literally instead think of Mary Poppins and the song...

"These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things"

the lyrics are on the MAWTT blog and they are the theme - how creative is that! (I'm lovin this one - aren't you???)

So sing along as I did till you reach your favourite thing and surprisingly... I went with... "whiskers on kittens!"

I rummaged through all my cat stamps - and quite a few are whiskerless, but then as luck would have it, a challenge win and the chance to gather more Bugaboo images and low and behold, this little Christmas number appeared!  Isn't he gorgeous - even if a tad grumpy!  He's called Crabby Cat Christmas and is available here.

So, colouring was by Promarker, papers by First Edition - Festive Treat and tags by LOTV and there we have it!

Challenges;
CHCE - Anything Goes
A Gem of a Challenge - Christmas Critters
Catch The Bug - Anything Goes
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Kitties - Wasn't sure if this cat believed in gifting ...his face says it all!
Brown Sugar - Tag Your it - sentiment tags
ABC Christmas - W - Wild Thing - well my cat is!!!
Crafty Catz - Winter
Christmas Card Challenges - Anything goes
Come & Get It - Lots of sparkle - hat as glamour dust & glossy accents
The Glory of Christmas - Glitter or shine - glamour dust & accents
Papertake - Christmas Critters
Jx

Pearls & Lace

Morning all and welcome to the latest challenge over at Ooh La La - chosen by Avril and it's

Pearls & Lace

A lovely feminine theme and perfect for the decoration of the card I made to celebrate my son's, girlfriend's 21st!

So, in a change from the norm, I did not use an Ooh La La image, instead I used a family photo then co-ordinated it with papers off 2 Ooh La La CD's. ( The Shawn Jenkins Collection and The Paula Oakley Collection to be precise available here.)

I love making cards using old photos, but it can often be the hardest bit getting papers to match, that's why it was so handy having so many CD's to hand.

My card also encorporates lots of die cuts for the embellishments and obviously the compulsary pearls and lace.  Then to finish off the birthday set, I made a little gift bag to hold a Nomination charm.(Tutorial Link Here)

So that was my take, the DT ladies have some beauties on the main blog page so do check them out too.

Challenges;
Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
Creative Moments - Anything Goes
Fab n Funky - Die cuts and/or punches - die cuts
Papertake - Anything Goes
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
Creative Craft Cottage - Challenge 51 - Anything Goes
The Ribbon Girls - Nov - Anything Goes - with lace

...and just for completeness, here is a photo of the birthday girl at her 21st party;

Alan's Scrapbook

Once Upon A Time...

Baby Days

Brothers

Sun, Sand & ...Snow!

School Days

Happy Days

Sports Man

Action Man, Birthdays & Christmas

Dressing Up

Happy Holidays

So that was my bit, then it's over to Alan's girlfriend who was going to complete the book with pages from school & Uni. Jx

Happy 21st Birthday Alan

Today's post is all about Alan, our first son, born on the evening of 27/10/1994, and today he turns 21 and we are off out for an Indian meal with him tonight along with Colin, Christy & Chloe - so more photos of that later.

First, a pic of action man on a card, this time play surfing at Banff beach.

and next, 3 studio pics of him at the milestones of 3, 6 and 12 months.

Sorry picture quality isn't the best - it's photos of photos - never the best!  Later this week, I'll share some more pics with you as I upload scrapbook/photo album pages I laid out for him.