Let's Go With Another Christmas Card

Hello again.  Where did the weekend go....at this rate it will soon be Christmas!  Don't panic....just step outside and feel the heat...you will know there's still a long time to go.  Hopefully you are enjoying your summer....whether rain or shine, as it is sure to pass quickly!

So, once again a Christmas card, using the pretty Christmas Cottage image from Just Inklined.  Coloured with copics, I've added lots of glamour dust for sparkle, and for the black die-cut frame I've used some black glitter paper and a Nellie Snellen die.  The papers are from the Melissa Frances - Home for the Holidays collection, and with a little distress ink around the edges they provide a lovely vintage look.  Some gold peel-off borders, a gold ribbon bow and some red gems finish it off.

Here's a close up, which provides a little more detail.

 

Now for some challenges, many of which have a Christmas theme:

 

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge - #143 All That Glitters

2 Sisters Challenge - #102 Christmas In July

Sweet Stampin - Christmas in July

Cutie Pie Challenge - #23 Christmas in July

Lexi's Creations - #70 Christmas in July

Creatalicious Challenges - #36 Christmas in July

Clear It Out Challenge -Christmas in July

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge - #83 Tie a Ribbon

From my little visitor...

Good morning everyone!   We've had a lovely visitor this weekend, my oldest granddaughter, Martina,  who has just turned 13.....wow, is she ever growing up!  She loves to craft with me, especially colouring the images.  Of course, she's made three cards to my one...but then she doesn't have my awful sinus headache.  I bought some allergy meds today, and hopefully they help, as Tylenol isn't doing much.  She gets to spend time with Grandpa too, which is so good for the both of them.

These are her cards, and I'm sure she'd love to read your comments if you have the time.

An image from Sassy Studio...all ready for Christmas.  Entered into the challenge at Holly Jolly Christmas  using Non-Traditional Colours.

Here's something Clean and Simple...for this week's challenge at Card Crafter's Circle.

And finally, a card for a friend of her Mom's that is expecting.  We'll enter it into this week's challenge at Do You Stack Up.  Once again, she used a Sassy Studio image and this time she cut it all out. 

Martina thanks you for visiting and your lovely comments.  Have a wonderful day!

Holiday Fun

Hi there.  I thought I might squeeze in a quick post.  It's been a mite busy lately, but we are getting through it.  Another hospital appointment today, but hopefully things will go well.

I am trying really hard to use some items that I've had buried away!.  This is a lovely CC Designs stamp that I won some time back from Lacey at Stamp and Create, in her weekly draw.  This image brings to mind my granddaughter....she had a growth spurt this year, and her legs seem so long in those little short shorts.  Oh, to be young again!

I've coloured with copics, adding some background for a scene.  The DP is from my stash, but I've added some white flourish stamping and edging.  I decided the pretty organza bow would look even better with a few tiny gems. (found these ages ago....actually they are for hair!)

Lots of fun challenges for this card...be sure to check them out!

Inky Impressions - Photo Inspiration

Cupcake Craft Challenges - The Ocean

Love to Create - #25 Spots N Dots

Fussy and Fancy - #67 Photo Inspiration

Crafty Ribbons - #24 Beach

Dream Valley - #37 Summer

The Crazy Challenge - #125 Under the sea/ Beside the sea

By the Cute and Girly - A Day at....the beach

Forever Friends - Summer Holidays

The Stampman Challenges - Anything Goes/Summer Colours

Everybody-Art-Challenge - #201 Summer

Crafts and Me Challenges - #93 Ribbon and a Bow

Crafts 4 Eternity - #81 Crazy Circles

Little Baby in Blue...

A little baby is so adorable, especially when asleep....as this sweet image depicts.  You can find it here, at Just Inklined, and it was so nice and easy to colour!  I've used my copics...soft blues and light grey with some clear stickles added to the lace.  Distress inks have been brayered over the embossed card blank, and sponged on the image edge and the lace panel...made from some mulberry paper and Spellbinders Classic Petal Edgeabilities die.  You'll see a tiny bit of silver glitter paper peeking from behind the image, for a little added sparkle.  Just a matching ribbon and bow and a few dew drops to finish it off.

I do hope you are all having a fabulous weekend....meaning wonderful weather and time to relax!  Thanks for visiting.

Some fun challenges:

Divas by Design - #44 Anything Goes

Love to Create - #24 Use 3 of something

Digital Tuesday Challenge - #169 All tied up

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge - Monochromatic

The Squirrel and the Fox - #22 Kids or Babies

Tuesday Throwdown - #107 clear elements

Favourite Animal Challenge

Are you ready for the next challenge at Charisma?  We're looking for something with your Favourite Animal this week.  So put your feet up and have a browse, then find a nice cool spot to have a go with your creation.

I thought this week would be good for another of the little bags made using a brown paper lunch bag.  Very handy for a little gift, and reusable too!   A number of different techniques came into play....heat embossing of the image, dry embossing for the backing mat, lots of distressing and inking around the edges and I even crumpled and inked the DP on the front.

The back is almost as fancy, using DP from the same collection, plus a new sentiment stamp and coordinating die....part of my winnings from a very generous challenge sponsor....Stamp and Create!  

Products used

Prima Papers - from the Printery Collection

Martha Stewart - 3 Dot punch

Spellbinders - Labels Eight and Deckled Rectangles dies

Whimsy - Dainty Notables 4 die and Everyday Saying stamp

Tim Holtz stamp - Birdsong

Also, embossing folder, distress inks, and clear embossing powder

So, I do hope you can join us this week with your Favourite Animal.  Once again, a great thank you to our wonderful sponsors, and this week they are:

Crafty Ribbons
(details to follow)

and

(offering a £10 voucher and free p&p worldwide!)

Now, for some challenges that I will be entering..

Totally Papercrafts  - #125 Lots of Layers

Sentimental Sundays - #111 Rough Around the Edges

Card Makin' Mamas - #49 BUSTING OUT THE RUBBER

Dream Valley - #36 ANYTHING BUT SQUARE

J and C Creations - #3 Anything Goes

Fashionable Stamping - #26 Let's Get Messy & Inky

Simon Says stamp and Show - No Rules

One Stitch at a Time - #122 Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations Wednesday Challenge - #172 Altered Art / Anything But A Card

A Fine Feathered Friend

Hi therel!  Hope all is well with you, this fine weekend.   My hubby's doing pretty good at the moment, so we are able to get out and about a bit.  Yesterday, we did lunch with my brother Paul and his wife, and then later we went to my brother Ken's place for BBQ.  We have a couple of visits planned for next week too....so hopefully everything stays good!

My card today, uses the lovely Gatepost Robin image from Just Inklined.  This little guy has found a nice cool spot, this hot summer day....but it's definitely not around here!  I've again used my copics, adding some glossy accents to the berries, and sparkly glamour dust for the snow.   I've cut it all out, attaching with foam tabs for some dimension, which also lets more of the DP to show.  You will see lots of DI, plus some stamping with a pearl paint dabber on the checkerboard DP.  This is really nice and shimmery in the right light, and I even pulled out my heat gun and embossing powders to make the sentiment!

Products used:

Papers from Melisa Frances - Home for the Holidays 6x6 pad

Spellbinder die - Romantic Rectangles
 and the corner die is from Whimsy

Stamps from the Inkadinkado Foliage Trails set

Hopefully I've put you in the mood to make some Christmas cards, while you try to stay cool!

Some fun challenges for this card:

Little Red Wagon - #141 Christmas In July

Divas by Design - #43 Christmas in July

Card Crafter's Circle - #31 Christmas In July

Totally Gorjuss - #140 Its Christmas

2 Sisters Challenge - #100 Christmas In July

Creatalicious Challenges - #36 Christmas in July

Christmas Stampin' - #19 No Inky yet

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round - Christmas Flowers/Holly

A Special Digi

Hello there everyone!  We're having a family visit today, with one of my daughters and two of her little ones.  Always nice to see their smiling (and mischievous) little faces, sure to brighten any day!  Hopefully your day is sunny too...

Have any of you come across the challenge blog, Copic Marker Europe?  It was a new one for me, but right now it's their Birthday Celebration and there's an ongoing challenge using one of two free digis.   This one is by Sylvia Zet of Wee Stamps, isn't she sweet!  I've coloured her up with copics (of course), adding some liquid applique for the icing and some glamour dust for sparkle.  She's mounted on a Cheery Lynn French Pasty doily die, but first.....just a tiny hint of silver to frame the circle.  This was a nice simple card to make, with just a couple of bows, a few gems and a bit of doodling to finish it off.

And now for the fun challenges I'll be entering:

Copic Marker Europe - Blog hop challenge

Saturday Challenge - #193 Use Pastel Colours

Crafty Ribbons - #23 Photo Inspiration

Joanna Sheen - Going round in Circles

Stamp and Create - Hands full of Love

Cutie Pie Challenge - #22 Glitter and Bling

Crafty Creations Challenge - #178 Free for All

Cheery Lynn Designs - #36 Silver and/or Gold

Hurrah to the Winner!

This was my month to give away a spot prize for the Just Inklined blog hop!

Congratulation go out to my lucky winner...... Doreen, who will win the image that I used....Wedding Purse.  Please contact me, and I'll send it out right away!

Christmas in July....

There are so many challenges out there with this theme....I think everyone must be looking for a change in the weather!  We had a break today, and I actually have all the windows open and the AC off.  That will likely change come bedtime....that is if I want to sleep tonight.  If it's too hot, I don't sleep well, and then I'm grumpy and tired the next day....go figure!    But enough of that....

Well, I finally got around to inking up this adorable little stamp, Little Santa Claws, by Chrissy Armstrong.  I've coloured with copics, and tried to give the fur some texture with blender ink....but I think I need more practice.  The DP all came from my collection of scraps, and all edges are finished with DI and gold metallic pen.  The Romantic Rectangles die has been used to cut out the image, and Lacey Ovals for the sentiment (both from Spellbinders).  I had a bit of fun doodling too, along the bottom edge and on the swirl, again with gold to go with the ribbon and paper candy bits.

It is definitely more relaxing, making a Christmas card in July.....maybe I'll go ahead and make a few more.  So, Merry Christmas....it will be here before you know it!  Have a great day!

Some challenges....with lots more inspiration:
Whimsy Stamps - #46 Anything Goes

Copic Oz - Blender Challenge

Do You Stack Up - #79 Red

The Pink Elephant  - #156 Christmas in July

The Squirrel and the Fox - #21 Christmas in July

Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT - Christmas in July

The Crazy Challenge - #124 Christmas in July

Forever Friends - #40 Christmas in July

Crafter's Companion - #26 Ho Ho Ho Christmas

Lollipop Crafts - #84 Christmas in July

Hooked on Craft - #22 Christmas in July

Through the Craftroom Door - #28 Christmas in July

Country Loving

Hope you are having a good weekend, coping with some of the strange weather that most of us have been having!  Luckily for us, we had some much needed rain this morning, and that has helped bring some relief from the scorching heat.  Funny weather all around, this year.  Some of you have the heat, and others have the floods....where's the happy medium?

For today's card, I've gone with a summer theme and this adorable Love Cows image from Just Inklined.  We live in the country, and the neighbouring farms had cows when we first moved here.  When vacationing last summer, in Cornwall (England), we could see cows from our back window....so peaceful and serene, but not once was I able to catch them in this pose! (lol)

Supplies used:

Paper from Basic Grey - Out of Print 6x6 pad

Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts

Dies - Spellbinders Inverted Scalloped Circles,  

Magnolia Lovely Fence 

and Cheery Lynn Exotic Butterfly

A few challenges that I'll enter:

Totally Papercrafts - Here Comes Summer

Basic Grey Challenges - Fun in the Sun

Wild Orchid Challenge - Punch It Out

Time for a Sketch

Good morning, on this hot day in July!  It's time for a new challenge at Charisma, and this time we are going with a sketch.  So hopefully you can find yourselves somewhere cool and comfy to play along....

 

Following a sketch is always a challenge for me, as I tend to just wing it....each card being a surprise when finished, (lol)...but today's sketch is a nice easy one, thank goodness!

As you can see, I still had to do my own thing...going with a rectangle card rather than square.

Supplies used:
Image from Make It Crafty -  Lizzie with Gift
Coloured with copics and pencil
Background stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms
Papers from Basic Grey - Sweet Threads 6x6 pad
Spellbinders dies - Inverted Scalloped Cirles and Edgeabilities Classic Petal
Gold peel-offs
Ribbon from Sew Sweet

This week we have two wonderful sponsors with some lovely prizes for our winners.


(with a $20 voucher)
 and
(winner gets 5 Digi's of their choice) 

Thanks for dropping in, and be sure to check out the rest of the team's projects too, where you will find plenty of inspiration!


Now for some fun challenges for my card:

Little Miss Muffet Challenges - #38 Sparkle

A & T Emerald Faeries Challenge - #27 Birthdays

One Stitch at a Time - #120 Use a Digi

The Ribbon Girl - #21 Girlie Card

Digital Tuesday Challenge - #167 Kids

Sassy Cheryl's - #122 Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - #70 Anything Goes

Basic Grey Challenges - Favourite Colour Combo

Victorine Challenge - #37 Birthday/Happy Everything

Chocolate Coffee & Cards - #16 Anything Goes

Monochromatic at Just Inklined

Are you ready?  It's time for another blog hop at Just Inklined!  This month, our lovely hostess is Jane, and she has chosen a Monochromatic theme.  You should have arrived here from Jane's blog, and if so.....just keep hopping along.  Remember to leave comments along the way, for your chance to win one of the spotlight prizes!

I've played with this beautiful Wedding Purse image, colouring with shades of black and grey and some clear stickles.  You'll see lots of polka dots here, and a fancy die cut frame around the image.  I've never done a black and white card before, but it does give it an elegant look.  It was also my first time for monochromatic....so much easier than I thought it would be!

Supplies used:
Nellie Snellen die - Oval Frame die set
Martha Stewart punch - 3 Dot Around the Page
Whimsy sentiment stamp - Magical Mini Letter Seals
Papermania - buttons and bow

Now, off you go to visit Jak, and have a peek at what she has been up to.  I'm listing the rest of the hop too, just in case you get lost along the way.  Have yourselves a fun time, and thanks for visiting.

Blog hop order

Jane, Joyce (that's me), Jak, Tammy, Lori, Karen

Some challenges I'll be entering:

Creative Inspirations Wednesday Challenge - #169 Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenge - #176 Embellish It

Totally Papercrafts - Can you digi it

Pan Pastel - #25 Use a Digi ABC Challenge - S for Surprise