Cold as Ice at Allsorts

 With Christmas just a couple of days away I think it's unlikely that we will have temperatures anything like the optional challenge at Allsorts this next fortnight

Cold as Ice chosen by Lorraine

A fabulous bundle of prizes from AALL and Create and Craft Stash

Here's my inspiration for you

I've been ever so good again and used another buried stamp. I've rediscovered quite a few Woodware stamps, this being one of them. I stamped it on to various icy coloured papers and even a sheet of sparkly sticky stuff, that took days to dry!! However, it all worked out in the end and I paper pieced SNOW together. I also used a very old Marianne Designs snowflake die to cut holographic card to make the pretty snowflakes and finished the icy scene with a gorgeous Chloes Creative Cards glitter. Another card to start the pile for next year!!

Whatever you are up to on Christmas Day I wish you peace and happiness xx

Wreath

 I have a simple wreath to share with you today as the optional challenge theme at Allsorts this week is, 

a lovely one chosen by Mervi....Christmas florals or Wreaths

Here is mine...

I used Inkydoodles Stamp set Warm Winter Wishes and heat embossed the wreath with copper embossing powder. I coloured the hearts with a shimmery red pen and coloured the stamped holly with Promarkers then went crazy with the glamor dust glitter and glossy accents. Once more, I had so much fun that I made three more using different coloured embossing powders and cut out icons from the same set.

Prizes from: Aldridge Crafts, Stampendous and AALL and Create

It would be lovely if you can find the time to join us this week.

Whatever you are up to this weekend, I hope it's a good one xx

Anything Goes at AYLI

 It's a free for all at the AYLI party this time and I have made a paper decoration using a lovely tutorial from Created the Ottaway, where you can find lots of inspiration.

I confess, the construction had me scratching my head for a while, but after a roast chicken lunch and a glass of white I had another go and, I think, the wine just helped a little!!

One thing I would say, if you are tempted to have a go, is that it works better with fairly thin paper. My first attempt was using double sided scrapbook paper and folding it was tricky. I used single sided papers from an inexpensive paper pack which actually worked much better.

Thank you for dropping in today and I hope you have been inspired to come to our Anything Goes party.

See you on Saturday xx

Cute, Cute, Cute!!

 Hello everyone and welcome to my blog today. I hope you are all well and getting into the swing of Christmas prep. 

It's a two in one visit from me as both of the new Cutie Pie Challenges are launching today

The theme is CUTE and CUDDLY CHRISTMAS

for which I have coloured yet another adorable image from Amanda Jayne Designs, Christmas Crackers

It is the card I made for Jackson's First Christmas. The penguin was coloured, using Promarkers, to compliment the Doodlebug Designs paper pad (Frosty Friends, I think, it's very old and treasured!!). The sentiment was done in word and trimmed with silver mirri.

Over at our sister challenge

we are CUTE & CHRISTMASSY

Here I used a super cute decoupage that was a magazine freebie many moons ago. I paired it with some gorgeous glittery card that I die cut with another old item from my stash, the Let it Snow cut out die which, I think, might be Memory Box.

If you are a fan of cute you can enter both!! Looking forward to seeing what you make.

See you later in the week, until then take care xx 

Something beginning with B

Hello friends. 

The big day is drawing ever nearer and with that in mind I have made more christmas cards for my DT pieces for the optional theme at Allsorts Challenge this week.

"Something beginning with B" and my B is BAUBLES 

 I have used a Crafters Companion die set and cut plain or mirror pieces, and stuck them together. I used a gold or silver marker for the hanging strings and added a bow

I got rather carried away and actually made ten in all so will be ahead of the game for next year!!

Prizes from: Aldridge Crafts, Stampendous, AALL and Create

I wish you all a lovely weekend. More rain for us, if the forecast is right, and no plans to go anywhere today so I think it might be time to get the Christmas tree trimmed.

See you on Monday xx

Allsorts Stitching

 Another weekend rolls around and my Saturday post to share my DT piece for Allsorts challenge where Liz is hosting. Her fabulous optional theme is STITCHING - real or faux.

Here is what I made

I would normally have inked faux stitching with black fine liner or white pen but Martin managed to tear the cuff on one of his shirts so the sewing machine was required for a fix. A perfect opportunity to sew my papers together!! 

The adorable Barry was coloured with Promarkers and I made the tree bucket and bauble storage a little bit snazzy with metallic and shimmery pens.

Prizes this week come from AALL and Create who still have some fabulous bargains to be had, lots of stamps and stencils are half price or less but you need to be quick as the sale will be over very soon.

Thank you for your continued support and lovely comments. See you soon xx

AYLI

 Hello Friends. I hope you are well today.

There is a festive theme for you at

Your Favourite Person to make for at Christmas.

My long term friends will know that I favour all things cute so when it comes to Christmas the perfect person to craft for is Mollie who shares my love of cute. I haven't forgotten Jackson, (who will be enjoying his first Christmas) but his card is scheduled to be shared at a later date!!

Here is what I made for Mollie Rose.

It was the first inking of a very large Woodware stamp that I bought a long time ago. I haven't used it before now because I didn't have anything large enough to stamp with and my attempts of laying the card down  on top of the stamp had failed. When I was tidying under my desk I found a clear stacking storage tray that I used as a stamping block!! Yay!! anyway rudolph was coloured with Promarkers and I simply matted him on some gold. The sentiment was done in Word. Job done.

Being a nosey devil, I am looking forward to seeing your favourite person to craft for at Christmas and hope that you will pay a visit to my team mates who are sharing some lovely goodies!!

See you on Saturday xx

Christmas Cuties with a die cut

 Didn't I say I would be back on Monday with another card?! Well here I am with my inspiration for

where our just for fun theme this month is

Something (CUTE) with Die Cuts and this is what I did.

The whole card was made using a die cut/stamp set from Crafters Companion. I frosted the "Snow" with Glamour dust and coloured the sweet snowman with Promarkers. The snowy backing paper was a scrap and it's only as I am typing that I've realised I've not added the die cut snowflake that I glittered also...hang on a mo!!

There you go, that's better!!

It's the little things that make all the difference!!

Rightio that's another one for the pile. I really can't believe that in four weeks' time Christmas will be here once more....Can't wait!!

Looking forward to seeing what you bring to our Christmas party xx

Colours of Winter at Allsorts

Happy weekend everyone. I am hosting at

                 so am entirely responsible for the optional theme of

Colours of Winter ( Anything Goes is also an option if you choose not to be challenged!!)

I found a colour swatch as my inspiration and coloured my cute image, and used an old LOTV paper pad to match. 

I really did try not to make a cute Christmas card but my attempts at a stamped and inked card ended in disaster (and a few sweary words) so I quickly changed my mind!! I decided to share the best of the failed attempts anyway!! (you can't see the blobby embossing and ink smudges too well).

I hope you will be tempted by my theme but in any case your makes will be most welcome.

Prizes this week come from AALL and Create who still have some fabulous bargain to be had, lots of stamps and stencils are half price or less but you need to be quick as the sale will be over very soon.

See you on Monday with, you've guessed it, another Christmas card.

 Until then have a lovely weekend xx

Christmas Time at Allsorts

 Another Christmas card from me today. 

Christmas Time is the optional theme at

Here is my card

I have a familiar tale that I know it will strike a chord with many of you!! 

While looking for something else entirely, I found a pile of decoupage sheets so could not resist layering one up for my make. Honestly I really should catalogue my craft stash!! It looked wrong atop the backing paper alone so I matted it on mirri board and cut "wishes" at the same time. That's better. Another lost item was the twinkly snowflake that finished it off perfectly.

I hope you will join in. If you do and are lucky then one of these Prizes from Stampendous , Oakwood Direct or WOWVOW could be yours at the end of the month.

I wish you a lovely weekend xx

Festive Critters

 Hello, hello. Hope you are all well.

At As You Like It this time we would like you to share your favourite festive critters with us, together with a little explantion why.

For me, Christmas just isn't the same unless I have stamped a "James" rubber stamp. 

I mean....just look at him!! I've kept it clean and simple by using a snowy paper background, some torn paper snow and a statement sentiment. He was, of course, coloured with Promarkers. Stickles added a little bit of icy frosting.

Thank you for stopping by xx

Cute Digis and Die Cuts

Hello Friends.

I am sharing my DT piece today for our new challenge at 

Out theme is Digis and Die Cuts, cute, of course!!

I have gone down the LOTV route this time and printed off  one of their lovely large statement sentiments from Sketchy Wishes and the sweet, Thinking of You, bear in the envelope. The die cut elements were made using Tonic oval die set. The ditsy paper is from a pad that came from The Range.

 

I really enjoyed making this cutie, but now it's back to Christmas cards!!

 I hope that you will join us.

See you later in the week xx

Friendship

 Morning All. I hope this post finds you all well and looking forward to a nice weekend. 

I have reverted back to normal with a cute card today and I hope it will inspire you to join in at

Allsorts Challenge where the optional theme is Friendship, chosen by Lynn.

For my card I used a super cute Pure Innocence (from MFT) stamp and die set. I love these stamps. So easy to colour and the sentiments are always lovely too. My die cutting was a bit "off" but I'm sure you won't tell!! The paper pad was missing its' cover but I though the check was a little bit table cloth-ish.

That's all for now. Take Care xx

The Great Outdoors

Ellie is our host at Allsorts this week and she has chosen a lovely theme for you

The Great Outdoors. You can, of course, go for Anything Goes.

Another lovely prize up for grabs, in the end of month draw, from one of our lovely sponsors.

Prizes from Stampendous and Oakwood Direct and WOWVOW

I really embraced this theme and made a couple of Christmas tags using a die set that I found in my die box. I don't remember buying it but suppose it must have been one of those "must haves"!! Oops!!

So, here they are...

...one white on kraft and the other kraft on white. I also found some tubes of light modelling paste that I think I picked up in Lidl some time ago. Anyhow, it came in really handy for a bit of snowy texture. 

The shaped tags were cut with a Daisy Mae Designs arch nested die set that I can't actually find but there are similar here.

Whether these will end up being used as tags or on a card blank I'm not sure, but I had a lot of  fun making them.

Given the theme I thought I would share a bit of great outdoors at home. Storm Ciaran certainly made his presence felt down here on Thursday, the village became marooned and we now have our very own lake!! 

Bowie and Bumble, in the left of the pic, weren't too sure!!

I, on the other hand, got right in!! 

I hope that you will have time to join in this week.

See you soon xx

Modern or Traditional colours?

 I am hosting the new challenge over at

so it would be lovely to see your Christmas cards featuring traditional or modern colourways and a little explanation too.

You will know by now that I mostly tend to favour cute and whimsical images which lend themselves very well to the more modern Christmas colours.

My two DT cards feature adorable images from our Sponsor Amanda Jayne Designs' Christmas Crackers Bundle. Both were coloured with Promarkers to compliment the patterned papers. The first was an old Echo Park pad and the second an equally old Bo Bunny pad.

If you've not discovered our Sponsors shop please do go and take a look, her images are delightful and so easy to colour.

Looking forward to seeing your makes.

See you on Saturday xx

Embossing

 Hello, Don't Saturdays roll around quickly!!? I hope last week was kind to you.

Dena has chosen the theme at Allsorts this week and we are embossing.

It was the perfect opportunity to share my new purchase that Julie made me buy after showcasing the most recent release at Uniko!!

 I could not resist buying  one of the stamp sets. It's called Framed Snowflakes and cried out to be heat embossed because of the incredible detail.

I used an embossing folder for the card base to fully embrace the Embossing theme!!

Prizes for the next four weeks are from Stampendous and Oakwood Direct and WOWVOW

Thank you for your visit today and we look forward to seeing what you make and share with us.

Have a good weekend xx

Something NOT a card

 I hope that by now you will have a nice pile of christmas cards ready for posting when the time comes. This month at

we want to see anything but a card for Christmas, cute of course!!

I have made an adorable little gift box using the delightful Clementine from the fabulous shop that was The Stamp Fairy. Once again, Sam Calcott came to the rescue with something a little bit different. A really easy make that I found here.

I coloured Clementine and her Christmas lights with Promarkers.

The front flap is fastened with a hook and loop dot and inside is deceptively spacious for sweeties or a tissue wrapped gift.

i hope that I have inspired you to share a project with us.

See you later in the week xx

Autumn Colours

 Happy Weekend friends!! We have had more autumnal temperatures in the UK this week and the landscape is beginning to look more seasonal. I have been leaf collecting from our drive on a daily basis and the dogs are coming back from walks with muddy trousers!!

This leads nicely to the optional theme this week at

which is Autumn Colours. 

I am proud to be showcasing an image from one of our wonderful sponsors

Ruth Hamilton Design. I chose Pop of colour Spray and coloured it with Promarkers.

I took inspiration for the colours from a Julie Hickey Designs paper pad.

It goes without saying that we have fabulous sponsors who continue to offer support and fabulous prizes month on month. 

Prizes from: Stamp Addicts, Oakwood, Highlight Crafts, Ruth Hamilton Design, AALL and Create and Craft Stash

Snowman or Santa?!

Hello friends thank you for dropping by today. I am here to tempt you to join in at 

where we ask you to make a choice and share your make based on it, with your reason too.

This time it's Snowman or Santa!!

I have chosen snowmen.

Mainly because there are just too many super duper snowman stamps and digis out there, but also I do find some Santa stamps or images a bit creepy!! I chose to colour up a fun stamp from a MFT set

Christmas sELFies. I coloured the cheeky chappies with Promarkers, stuck them on some old Little Claire ombre snow paper and popped them in a Marianne Designs polaroid frame.

Another one to add to the pile.

Looking forward to see what choice you make!! See you soon xx

 

Add Texture

Hello and welcome. Lorraine has chosen the theme at

 this week and it's a great one...TEXTURE.

I am still in autumn mode and continued with the rich colours of the season on this one.

I stamped the background for a previous make that I didn't use so that was my starting point. I heat embossed it with clear powder. The left side was cut away from an embossing folder panel. A gorgeous detailed one from the Textures range from Craft Stash. The mesh came from my stash. The banner was cut with an incredibly old MFT set and the message heat embossed. Finally the little fox from a Daisy Mae Stamp set looked just right sitting on the branch.

Here's a better shot of the textures.

I hope you will join us. 

See you soon