My Fav 5 of 2011

Good morning

Hope you are all well and had a lovely Christmas. Did you have any crafty gifts under your tree?  I got 2 gorgeous paper packs, flowers and ribbons from Marianne and Lynsey and Chris got me some vouchers for my local craft shop so looking forward to spending them in the new year.  

We had a wonderful time but sadly it was all over too quickly and I have been back to work since Wednesday.  However, I am now off until Thurs 5th so am looking forward to spending some family time with Chris and the children before they go back to work and school.  I also have some DT cards to make for a new range Crafter's Companion are launching on 6th January ... if you check back in the next day or so I will have some sneak peeks to share :-)

Anyway today I am once again joining the lovely Debby but this time with my 5 favourite cards from 2011.  So in no particular here they are ...

First up is the adorable Teddy Bea ... I ♥ this image and pretty pink colours.

Next is the Mother's Day card I sent my mum ... how adorable is this LOTV image.

Another Mother's Day card ... this time for my lovely Nan.  I love the colour combo and sweet little SWALK girl.

I ♥ Tatty Teddy so when my daughter asked if I would make a card using this image for her birthday I was happy to oblige.

And finally this one ... Such a cute image and gorgeous papers (both available from Pink Gem Designs).

I am now off to have my hair cut and then we are planning to head off to the coast for a walk on the beach followed by a nice pub lunch or maybe some fish & chips!  We are staying at home tonight so hoperfully I will stay awake to see in the new year ... most years I fall asleep on the sofa lol!

Hope you all have a wonderful New Year's Eve whether you are out partying or, like me, staying at home to see in 2012!

My 5 Favourite Christmas Cards from 2011!

Woohoo it's Christmas Eve so that means it's only one more sleep until the big fat fella comes down your chimney and brings you presents and drinks your beer!

Tonight I am joining in the fun with the lovely Debby and sharing my 5 favourite Christmas cards from 2011!  I intended to post this earlier but we have been out all day delivering presents and I also went to my dad's and grandparents graves to lay Christmas wreaths. 

To be honest I haven't made that many Christmas cards this year so it didn't take long to have a look through to find my favourites. 

So in no particular order here are my 5! 

I love the traditional xmas colours and this adorable image from Pink Gem Designs.

Another adorable image from Pink Gem Designs and I love the pretty lilac colours.

Such a sweet LOTV image and I ♥ the papers.  This is the card I made for my daughter and i'm pleased to say she loves it!

This sweet LOTV image is one of my favs and I love the pretty pink colours.

I love this cute LOTV bear and gorgeous Magnolia papers.


That's all from me ... I'm now on my second glass of wine so think I better sort out the presents otherwise I might fall asleep on the sofa and Santa might see me lol!



Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and hope Santa leaves something crafty under your tree ;-)

Love You ♥

Good morning

It's still a bit chilly here today but at least it's dry and sunny!  No work for me until Friday now so going to be busy this week buying the last few presents, wrapping, food shopping and watching Christmas films with  Chloe and Jamie. 

Today I am sharing my last Christmas card for the year which is for Chris ... I bought a cute Fizzy Moon stamp especially for Chris' card but at the last minute changed my mind and decided to use 'Love You' from the SWALK Winter Cheer collection which is available at Crafter's Companion.

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ Swalk 'Love You'

Papers ~ Echo Park 'Winter Park' and ? red piece as it's from my scrap box

Sentiment ~ LOTV

Snowflakes ~ Woodware punch

Brads & Ric Rac ribbon ~ Stash

* Challenges *

Totally Gorjuss ~ For Someone Special

Hooked on Crafts ~ Christmas

Dream Valley ~ Christmas

Paper Cutz ~ Hearts Come Home for Christmas

Crafting for all Seasons ~ Christmas

Divas by Design ~ Merry Christmas

Papertake Weekly ~ Last Christmas Card of the Year

I doubt I will have time to make any cards before Christmas but will be joining the lovely Debby on Christmas Eve with 'My Favourite Five Christmas Cards of 2011' 

Now going to make myself a cuppa and then do some more wrapping!

Winter Fun!

Hi Everyone

Brrr it's a bit chilly this morning!!!

It's time for a new Pink Gem Challenge and our host is Rebekah with a super sketch.  Just to let you know the lovely Janet is giving the design team a break over the Christmas period so this will be the last challenge of 2011 and will run for a month.

I have made this card for my son ... hope he likes it!

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ Andy on Sledge

Papers ~ Echo Park 'Winter Park'

Sentiment ~ Crafty Sentiments

Snowflakes ~ Woodware punch

Pearls ~ Stash

* Challenges *

Winter Wonderland ~ Let It Snow

SFTW ~ Christmas

Crafty Catz ~ Anything Goes

Totally Gorjuss ~ Let It Snow

Card Makin Mamas ~ Christmas

Now going to do a little bit of housework and then i'm meeting up with Lynsey and Marianne for lunch :-)

Hope you have a great weekend!

Believe in the Magic!

Hi Everyone

Hope you are all well.  It's so windy here today ... we have had a couple of powercuts but luckily it came back on after a few minutes.  I have been busy the last few days so no time for crafting.  I went Christmas shopping with Chris on Monday and we managed to get most of the presents but still got a few to get!  I have had a crafty day today and managed to make Chloe and Jamie's cards so just need to make one for Chris and then the cards will be finished.  Still got loads to do though ... cards to write, presents to wrap, decorations to put up, food to buy!  I feel worn out just thinking about it lol!

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ LOTV Twinkling Star

Papers ~ Sharon's Past Times CD

Sentiment ~ Crafty Sentiments

Metal Corner ~ Ebay

Pearls ~ Stash

* Challenges *

Sketch Saturday ~ Sketch

Papertake ~ Anything Goes

Bunny Zoe's ~ Anything Christmas with Pearls

Crafty Hazelnut's ~ Mainly Monochromatic Christmas

Joanna Sheen ~ Christmas Wishes

ABC Christmas ~ Anything Christmas

Crafty Calendar ~ Cold & Frosty

That's all from me!  Lasagne is cooked and it smells delish ... hope it tastes as good as it smells!

Crafter's Companion December Challenge

Good Evening

Hope you are all well and looking forward to the weekend. 

Sorry I am a day late posting my DT card for the Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge but I was at work yesterday and in the evening we were invited to a surprise birthday celebration for Megan's 18th!  We had a great night and it was lovely to catch up friends & family :-)

The challenge for December is New Beginnings ... New Baby, Weddings, New Home etc.  Once again the lovely Sara has kindly donated a £30 voucher to spend on the Crafter's Companion website.

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ Humphrey die cut decoupage

Papers ~ Craft Creation

Sentiment ~ Crafty Sentiments

Ribbon/Bow ~ Papermania Capsule Collection

Pearls ~ Stash

That's all from me ... bed is calling!

 

Megan's 18th and PC problems

Good evening

Both schools were closed today because of the strikes so I've had a lovely day shopping with Chloe and Jamie.  I managed to get a few Christmas presents and we also had lunch out.  Well I wouldn't say I would class Chloe's as lunch because she opted for Chocolate Cake and Hot Chocolate!!  I wouldn't normally let her have this for lunch but decided to let them have a treat today.  Jamie doesn't like cake so had a Sausage Roll and Diet Coke.  I'm back on my diet after putting on a few pounds at Craftaganza so was very healthy and had a Jacket Potato & Chilli.


I started making this card last night and managed to finish it off when we got home this afternoon.  It's for Megan who is celebrating her 18th birthday tomorrow.  Megan is Chris' cousin's daughter ... not sure what relation that makes her to us!!

                                                                

* Card Recipe *

 

 

Image ~ Ladybug Crafts Shopping Nikki

Papers ~ Dovecraft 'Princess Fairytale'

Sentiment ~ Pink Gem Designs

Flowers ~ Prima

Pearls ~ Stash

* Challenges *

 

 

Sketch & Stash ~ Sketch (new stash - papers)
Fab & Funky ~ Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp ~ Anything Goes


For the last few weeks we have been having a few problems with the PC and yesterday it finally decided to stop working.  It has gone off to be repaired so I am having to use the laptop which doesn't have my photo editing software and watermark on it so I apologise for the quality of the picture.

That's all from me ... work tomorrow and Friday and on Saturday we are helping my Mum decorate my Nan's lounge so don't think I'll get a chance to get crafty for a few days.

A Gem of a Challenge #35 and Craftaganza

Good morning

Hope you are all well on this chilly November morning.  I can't believe it' been 2 weeks since my last post!!  The reason for my lack of posts is that I have been busy at home so no time for crafting and also because I have been away since Wednesday night for Craftaganza.

* Craftaganza is a 3 day crafting event in Darlington organised by the fabulous Crafter's Companion *

I had a fantastic time and it was great to be able to meet some of my CC design team buddies, CC staff and lots of lovely crafters.  We made a variety a fantastic projects which I hope to have time to share with you in the next few days.

Anyway today I am sharing my Pink Gem DT card because it's time for a new A Gem of a Challenge.  The lovely Christine is hosting again and the challenge is Monochromatic cards with a sentiment but not Christmas. 

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ Chloe & Kitten

Papers ~ Craft Creation & Papermania Capsule Collection

Sentiment ~ Craftwork Cards

Flowers ~ Wild Orchid Crafts

Pearls ~ Stash

* Challenges *

Sweet Stampin ~ Punches & Dies
Divas by Design ~ Monochromatic
Fab 'n' Funky ~ Happy Birthday
Creative Card Crew ~ Monochromatic

That's all from me ... I have a busy day ahead food shopping and housework and then i'm back to work tomorrow. I hope to be able to get time for some blog hopping tonight so I can catch up with you all.

I ♥ Mince Pies

Good afternoon

We had a great day at the Top Gear Live show yesterday but are all feeling tired today because we didn't get home until late.  I didn't feel like doing any housework this morning so while the roast chicken was cooking I decided to make a card using this cute image and papers from the new SWALK Winter Cheer Collection. 

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ SWALK Mince Pies

Papers ~ Winter Cheer CD

Sentiment ~ Cat's Life Press

Pearls/Poinsettia ~ Stash

Holly ~ X-Cut punch

* Challenges *

Sweet Stampin' ~ Gingham

Totally Gorjuss ~ Christmas Traditions

Samuel Taylor's ~ Christmas

That's all from me!  I'm now going to make some custard to go with the sticky treacle pudding :-)  X-Factor and I'm a Celeb tonight ... that's me sorted for the evening!

Hope you're all having a lovely Sunday :-)

A Gem of a Challenge #34 ... Sketch with a Twist

Good morning

It's time for a new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge and our host is the lovely Christine with a sketch but there is a twist because you also need to include stitching and a sentiment.  The stitching can be real or faux.

Now i'm useless with a sewing machine and my hand drawn stitching is ... well the less said about that the better lol! so I cheated and used a patchwork paper with printed stitching.

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ Postbox Ellie

Papers ~ Bearly Mine Designs (patchwork) and Papermania 'At Christmas Time'

Sentiment ~ Sentiments 4 You

Flowers/Leaves ~ Prima/Petaloo 

Bird embellishment ~ Local craft shop

Pearls/Brad ~ Stash

* Challenges *

Crafty Calendar ~ November Wardrobe

Anything Goes ~ Stitching (Real or Faux)

Papertake ~ Christmas

Ooh La La ~ Stitching (Real or Faux)

Top Tip Tuesday ~ Anything Christmas

Cute Card Thursday ~ Red for Remembrance

Well that's all from me as this is a scheduled post and by the time it publishes we will be heading up the motorway to the NEC for the Top Gear Live show.  We are all Top Gear fans and went to the show last year and absolutely loved it!  We booked tickets for this year's show a few weeks ago but haven't told Chloe and Jamie so it's going to be a surprise.  We've told them I am going to watch a craft demonstration and they are dropping me off ... to say they are not impressed is an understatement lol!  Can't wait to see their faces when we tell them.

Hope you all have a great weekend :-)

Sparkly & Bright ... Shine a Light!

Hi Everyone

Hope you are all well.  I can't believe it's been over a week since my last blog post.  I haven't been feeling too great the last couple of weeks (cold, sore throat etc) but I have also been catching up with a few jobs that have been on my 'To Do' list for some time.  I do, however, have a card to share with you today which I have made with a few challenges in mind.  I coloured this sweet LOTV image a couple of weeks ago so it was only a matter of choosing my papers etc and putting it together.

Whilst looking through my papers I came across a 6 x 6 pack of Webster's Pages.  Now I bought these last year but couldn't bring myself to cut into them so they have sat in a drawer ever since ... does this sound familiar with any of you lol!  Anyway I decided to use one of the sheets on today's card!

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ LOTV 'Shine a Light'

Papers ~ Webster's Pages 'Waiting for Santa' and Memory Box 'Yuletide'

Sentiment ~ LOTV

Ribbon/Gems ~ Stash

* Challenges *

Sketch & Stash ~ Vicky's Sketch

LOTV ~ Bright & Sparkly

Christmas Stampin' ~ Favourite Sketch

Simon Says Stamp ~ Photo Inspiration

Winter Wonderland ~ Sparkle

Crafty Ribbons ~ Bingo Board ... Glitter, Flowers (on paper) & Gems

Now off to tidy up ... can't believe how much mess I have made from making one card lol!

CC Monthly Challenge ~ Let it Snow!

Hi Everyone

It's the 1st of the month so that means a new challenge has been set at Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge.  Nice and easy ths month ... Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!  I am sure over the next month most of you will make a snowy card which fits this theme :-)  As always the lovely Sara has kindly donated a £30 voucher for the Crafter's Companion website.

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ SWALK 'Kisses from Heaven'

Papers ~ The Snowman CD-ROM

Sentiment ~ LOTV

Snowflakes ~ Woodware punch

Pearls ~ Stash

* Challenges *

Sweet Stampin' ~ Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion ~ Bingo

(Punch, Sentiment, Bling)

Papertake ~ Anything Goes + Bling (optional)
By The Cute and Girly ~ Christmas Girls


I woke up with a really bad sore throat so i'm not feeling too great today :-(  Now going to heat myself up some soup for lunch.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

We took the kids out Trick or Treating so they are happy because they've come home with a bag full of goodies!

I've been at work so no crafting for me today but thought I would post another card I made on Saturday ... this time for a family friend who celebrated his 80th Birthday at the weekend.  Once again I have used a LOTV die cut image.

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ LOTV die cut

Papers ~ Dovecraft 'Masculine'

Sentiment ~ Craftwork Cards

* Challenges *

MAWTT ~ No Girls Allowed

Cards for Men ~ Animals

That's all from me!  Just heard a knock at the door ... wonder who it could be lol!

Romantic Times

Good Evening

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend and enjoyed an extra hour in bed this morning !

Today's card is for a lovely couple who are celebrating their 30th Wedding Anniversary today.  I was a bit short of time when I made a start on this card yesterday afternoon so decided to use this sweet LOTV die cut .... not sure if this design is still available because this is one of the sheets I bought last year.  In fact it would probably have been quicker to colour an image because it took me ages to find papers to match.  I ended up using 3 different designs (Magnolia, Craft Creations and Henbury Lane).

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ LOTV die cut

Papers ~ Magnolia, Craft Creations & Henbury Lane

Sentiment ~ Sentiments 4 You

Seam Binding ~ Wild Orchid Crafts

Pearls/Lace ~ Stash

* Challenges *

LOTV ~ Sketch

Dream Valley ~ Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew ~ Fallin' in Love

That's all from me ... now off to sort something out for tea and do some ironing before X-Factor! 



A Gem of a Challenge #33 ... Cold & Frosty

Good morning

It's time for a new Pink Gem Challenge and our lovely boss Janet is hosting again with the theme of Cold & Frosty.  The prize for one lucky winner is 6 digi stamps from Pink Gem Designs.

I decided to use this sweet Snowflake Chloe image ... I bet she is feeling a little chilly holding that frosty snowflake!  I have added lots of Star Dust Stickles and Crystal Glamour Dust to make it extra sparkly! 

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ Snowflake Chloe

Papers ~  Beatrix Potter 'A Winter's Tale' CD

Sentiment ~ LOTV

Doily ~ Craft show

Pearls & Button ~ Stash

Snowflake/Snowflake border ~ MS punches

* Challenges *

Totally Papercrafts ~ Glitter It!

Simon Says Stamp ~ Anything Goes

Charisma Cardz ~ Anything Goes

Crafty Purple Frog ~ Sparkle

Crimbo Crackers ~ Anything Goes

Hanna & Friends ~ Glitter

Now off to take Jamie to football so will link up the challenges when I  get back. 

Don't forget to check to see if you were one of my candy winners ... see post below.

Hope you all have a great weekend :-)

Candy Winners!

Hi Everyone

Thank you to everyone who entered my candy and left me birthday messages.  There were 56 entries and 7 entries from some lovely members of the Crafter's Companion Facebook Group who don't have blogs so that made a total of 63 entries. 


So the winners as chosen by Random.Org are ...........


56 Debbie (2 x Lili of the Valley Stamps)

43 Pink Dandelion (3 x SWALK or Humphrey Stamps from Crafter's Companion)

18 Pamela (2 stamps or 6 digi stamps from Pink Gem Designs)


Congratulations Ladies :-)  Please email me at christopherthompson622@btinternet.com with your stamp choices and address.


 I had an early start this morning because I had to be in at work at 8:00 for mandatory training which lasted most of the day ... thank goodness that's over for another year! I stopped off at Sainsburys on my way home for pizza and wine ... not good for my diet but think I deserve a treat today :-)


That's all from me ... see you all in the morning with my Pink Gem DT card!

Birthday Candy!

This Candy is now closed ... winner to be announced shortly!


Happy Birthday to Me!

 I have had a great day and was spoilt with lots of lovely cards and presents from my family and friends.  Really looking forward to the weekend because we are going out for family meal tomorrow evening and on Sunday I am meeting up with my mum for lunch and maybe a little bit of craft shopping :-)

To celebrate I have Birthday Candy! Rather than putting together a selection of goodies I have decided to let 3 lucky winners choose their own prizes from the following stores.

1)  2 single stamps of the winner's choice from Lili of the Valley

2)  3 SWALK or Humphrey stamps of the winner's choice from Crafter's Companion

3)  2 single stamps OR 6 digi stamps of the winner's choice from Pink Gem Designs

So for the chance to win one of the above prizes all you need to do is:

1)  Leave a link to your blog

2)  Post the above picture in your sidebar linking back to my blog

3)  It is not necessary to be a follower of my blog to enter but if you would like to that would be great :-)

4)  No 'Candy Only' blogs please

This candy will run until 6:30 pm next Friday 28th October.  The 3 winners will be picked using Random.Org and announced the following day

Thanks for entering and Good luck!

Twinkling Star

Hi Everyone

Hope you are all well and had a good start to the week ... because it's half term I am doing my hours over 2 days instead of 3 this week so didn't have to go in to work today :-) 

As I mentioned yesterday, I had planned to move some of my less used craft stash into a storage cupboard in the garage but I just wasn't in the mood for it this morning so I made a card instead and after lunch we took Jake for a walk so it still isn't done!

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ LOTV Twinking Star

Papers ~ Dovecraft 'Jolly Happy Christmas'

Sentiments ~ Cat's Life Press

Flowers/Leaves ~ Prima

Metal Corner ~ Ebay

Seam Binding/Pearls/Brad ~ Stash

* Challenges *

LOTV ~ Bingo (Gems, Flowers, Ribbon/Lace)

Secret Crafter ~ Wrap Up Warm

Crafts 4 Eternity ~ Metal Embellishments

Colour Create ~ Burgandy, Gold, Green & Cream

ABC Christmas ~ Unused Stash (New Stamp and Metal Corner)

Don't forget you still have time to enter my Birthday Candy :-)

Happy Birthday Crafter's Companion

Good evening

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend.  Mine has been brilliant ... had a lovely meal last night and a great day with my mum today :-)  Sadly that's my birthday celebrations over for another year.

However, the birthday celebrations continue because Crafter's Companion are celebrating their 6th birthday this week with some great special offers, competitions, exclusive new products, freebies, prizes and much much more ... check out the website to find out more.  Sara has lots of shows coming up this week on Create & Craft so the Crafter's Companion DT have been super busy making samples.

One of the new products is a Reddy Flower Fairies Die-Cut Decoupage collection and below are just a few of the cards I made using these beautiful fairies.  The papers were printed from the Flower Fairies of the Garden CD's

 

The Cornflower Fairy 

The Stitchwort FairyThe Chicory Fairy

I am going to be busy tomorrow moving some of my craft stash  into a storage cupboard in the garage.  This is the second cupboard we have bought this year because my stash keeps outgrowing my craft area ... don't know how this happens - think it must multipy overnight lol!  It's half term so I have my two helpers to assist me ... that will keep us busy for a few hours!

That's all from me ... now going to settle down to watch X-Factor :-)

 

A Gem of a Challenge #32 ... Janet's Sketch

Good morning

Hope you are all well and looking forward to the weekend.  It's a beautiful sunny morning here which is good news for me because Jamie is starting football club today.  He loves football but has been reluctant to join any teams until now so fingers crossed he likes it!  If he does you know where i'm going to be every Saturday morning from now on ... think I need to invest in some extra warm clothing for the upcoming winter months!!

It's time for a new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge and this fortnight our lovely boss Janet is hosting with a sketch!  The prize is 6 digi images of the winner's choice from Pink Gem Designs.

I decided to use Nativity Philip which is a digi and is available as a line art drawing for you to colour or pre-coloured.  I was feeling a bit lazy when I made my card so opted for the pre-coloured one!  The papers are a mixture from my 'bits box'.  Sentiment is from Sentiments 4 You.  Finished off with a couple of punched snowflakes, pearls and die cut corners.

Right now off to get my little 'Beckham' kitted out! 

Hope you have a great weekend and manage to squeeze in some craft time :-) 

SWALK Winter Cheer Blog Hop

This post will stay at the top until launch day on Friday 14th ... please scroll down for new posts.

Welcome to the Crafter's Companion Blog Hop to celebrate the release of the SWALK Winter Cheer stamp range and papercrafting CD-ROM.

If you have landed her from Wendy's Blog then you are hopping in the right direction. If not then you need to pop over to the Crafter's Companion News Blog to begin.

The DT have had a great time creating with the stunning new SWALK 'Winter Cheer' collection and to celebrate the launch on Friday 14th October we have decided to give you the chance to see some Sneak Peeks and also the chance of winning a fabulous prize:

All 12 new SWALK stamps and the co-ordinating papercrafting CD-ROM!

All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning this great prize is visit each blog in order and then go back to the Crafter's Companion News Blog to leave your name with Mr Linky.  ALong the way you will notice that each blog will give you a letter - make a note of these as they will make a word which we will ask you for if your number is drawn by Random.Org on the morning of Friday 14th.

My letter is: L

From here, you need to hop to Leann's Blog

PLEASE DO NOT TELL US WHAT THE WORD IS ON THE CRAFTER'S COMPANION NEWS BLOG, WE WILL EMAIL YOU FOR THE ANSWER IF YOUR MR LINKY NUMBER IS DRAWN.

Hope you like my first sneak peek :-)

Happy Hopping!!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Good morning

Well after a wet start the sun is now trying to come out so hopefully it might turn into a nice sunny autumn day :-)

Just sharing another SWALK card before I get on with some housework.  Only 2 more sleeps until the new Winter Cheer collection is launched as POTW!

This little cutie is from the 'Let it Snow' stamp plate.  The papers and sentiment have been printed from the CD.  I finished it off with some ribbon and punched snowflakes.  I love this red & blue colour combo for Christmas cards ... think I will be making more in the coming weeks.

* Challenges *

CES ~ Seeing Red

Wild Rose Blog Hop ~ Christmas

 Hope you have a great day (hopefully a crafty one) but unfortunately for me I need to crack on with the housework! 

Another SWALK 'Winter Cheer' Sneak Peek!

Good evening

Hope you are all well and haven't been blown away in this wind!!  We had a power cut when I got home from work this afternoon but luckily it came on again after an hour or so but believe it had been off since midday ... trouble with overhead cables!  Anyway thought I would post another SWALK sneak peek while i'm waiting for the tea to cook.

Aww how sweet is this little cutie cuddling her dog ... definitely one of my favs from the new SWALK 'Winter Cheer' collection but saying that IMO they are all adorable :-) 

The image has been coloured with Spectrum Noirs.  The papers and sentiment have been printed from the Winter Cheer CD.

* Challenges *

Papertake ~ Anything Goes (+ something punched option)

Christmas Stampin ~ Purple Passion

Totally Papercrafts ~ Animals

Before I go just want to remind you about the SWALK Winter Cheer Blog Hop where you have the chance of winning all 12 stamps and CD-ROM ... see here for details.

Pretty in Pink

Good afternoon

Hope you are all having a relaxing Sunday ... just thought I would share a card I made this morning before I make a start on the ironing! 

I love this adorable image ... she has been coloured with Spectrum Noirs and Star Dust Stickles have been added to her wings and fur trims to make her extra sparkly :-)  I was going to add a few punched snowflakes but decided not to because I didn't want to cover up the gorgeous backing paper.

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ Sugar Nellie 'Crystal Flakes'

Papers ~ Dream Street 'Wonderland Sparkle'

Sentiment ~ Let it Snow Sentiment Set

Gems ~ Stash

* Challenges *

The Sugar Bowl ~ Sketch

Jingle Belles ~ Pink Christmas

Flutterby Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Bah Humbug ~ Glitter & Glitz

Secret Crafter ~ Anything Goes as long as it sparkles

I will be back in the morning with another sneak peek from the SWALK 'Winter Cheer' collection :-)  I loved making my DT sample cards with this collection .... the stamps are sooo cute and the CD is jam packed with gorgeous papers, inserts and much much more!

That's all from me ... ironing is calling!

Crafter's Companion - Santa's Little Helper

I'm back again with my DT card for the Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge which is a colour challenge ... Pink & Green :-)  Last month we had a few problems with Mr Linky going AWOL and it didn't seem fair to pick a winner so this month the lovely Sara hs donated 2 x £30 vouchers to spend at Crafter's Companion.

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ Humphrey's Corner 1st Christmas stamp set

Papers ~ Magazine freebie

Sentiment ~ Above stamp set

Flowers ~ Flora Doodles

* Challenges *

Cute Card Thursday ~ Animal Crackers

My Mum's Craft Shop ~ Dress Up

Some Odd Girl ~ Colour inspiration


Hope you have a great weekend!

A Gem of a Challenge #31 ... With Love at Christmas

Good morning

Hope you are all enjoying the gorgeous weather we are having in the UK :-)  Shame we couldn't have had it in the summer ... oh well better late than never!

It's time for a new Pink Gem Challenge and once again the lovely Jenny is our host and has chosen 'With Love at Christmas' (a Christmas card with a heart/hearts included somewhere).

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ Ice Skating Chloe

Papers ~ Penguin Frolics

Sentiment ~ Let it Snow A7 sentiment set

Pearls ~ available here

* Challenges *

Papertake ~ Sketch

Simon Says Stamp ~ Anything Goes

Paper Play ~ White + 1

Penny's ~ Anything Goes

Whimsical Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

I have been busy the last few weeks with DT work so I have decided to have a break from crafting for a few days.  Chris is working today so I am off shopping with Chloe and Jamie this morning.  MIL is coming over later so Chris and I can go out for a meal together this evening :-)  Hoping we might go to the coast tomorrow.

I will be back later with my card for the Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge.

Garden Visit

Good morning

Just a quick post before I get ready for work!

Today I am sharing a thank you card I made for my friend Marianne and her hubby Graham who kindly took me to Ally Pally on Saturday (I know it has been received so it's okay to blog it).  I had to have a good look through my stamps to find an image which would be suitable for both of them ... didn't think Graham would appreciate a cute girly image lol!

* Card Recipe *

Image ~ Penny Black 'Garden Visit'

Papers ~ Dovecraft 'Sugar & Spice'

Sentiment ~ Cudlly Buddly

Flowers ~ Prima

Pearls ~ Stash


According to the Met Office it's going to be another scorcher here today ... such a shame it's a work/school day!

A Rockin' and a Shakin' Snowman!

Good morning

It's another beautiful sunny morning here in Norfolk ... such a shame the children are back to school because it would have been a perfect day to go to the beach for a picnic. 

I have another Snowman card to share with you today.  Hope you are not getting bored of Snowman cards but I haven't got anything else to show at the moment because I am making cards for an upcoming Crafter's Companion launch.

This is a rocker card which again has been printed from the new 'Walking in the Air' CD.  There are several different rocker card designs and all you need to do is print, cut and assemble so they are perfect for quick Christmas cards.  I decided to make a shaker card so this did take a little longer to assemble but still very easy to do.  All I have done is made a frame for the image using my nesties, backed it with acetate and filled it with fake snow (the stuff you put on Christmas trees).  Think I might have put a little bit too much in because the Snowman looks like he is standing in a drift lol! 

That's all from me ... I had a busy day catching up with shopping and housework yesterday so am hoping to squeeze some crafting time in today after I have tackled the ironing pile!

The Snowman

Good morning

I can't believe it's Monday already ... this weekend has just flown by! 

Thought I would share another card I made using the 'Walking in the Air' The Snowman CD which was launched as part of the POTW by Crafter's Companion on Friday.  The POTW sold out within a couple of days but I believe all the items are still available just not part of the original POTW offer.

I have printed one of the card blanks and cut it in half and used the front for the inside.  I have matted the remaining piece onto a piece of silver card, stuck it to the front and cut out a circle.  I have finished it off with the snowman and a couple of punched snowflakes. 

* Challenges *

CD Sunday ~ Winter Wonderland

Jingle Belles ~ Here comes Suzy Snowflake

Now off to get ready for work!

Ally Pally Goodies and Snowman Card!

Good morning

Hope you are all well and enjoying the weekend.  It's a beautiful sunny morning here in Norfolk ... oh I love sunny autumn days :-)  I had a wonderful day yesterday with Marianne and Lynsey at Ally Pally yesterday.  Lots of craft shopping and chatting and we also met up some lovely blogging friends ... waving at Vicky, Jacqui and Heidi :-) 

I have recently been sorting through my craft stash and have found lots of unused stamps, paper pads etc so I didn't buy a huge amount but am really pleased with what I came home with ... i'm sure this will keep me busy for a little while :-)

The new Crafter's Companion Snowman collection was launched on Friday as Pick of the Week on Create and Craft.  The POTW contains a bumper cardmaking kit and a special edition CD-ROM.  The cardmaking kit is £24.99 and features card blanks, rub-ons, die-cut decoupage, flocked snowflakes, stickers and much, much more!  It even comes in a special keepsake Snowman folder. 

You can make over 48 cards with the kit alone so it's great value for money!

Also included for FREE is the special edition CD-ROM.  This CD is different to the previous one because it also contains templates and designs to enable you to make lots of different shaped cards.

Here is one of the cards I made using the CD-ROM.  I have printed various elements and made an acetate front card.  I printed one of the card blanks and cut it down to create the scene behind the snowman and sprayed it with iridescent Spray & Sparkle.  Unfortunately you can't see from the photograph but IRL this is really sparkly.  I have then decoupaged one of the Snowman images and placed it on the scene.  Just finished it off with some punched borders, ribbon and pearls. 

Show Times

Fri - 12 pm, 3 pm, 7 pm

Sat - 8 am, 1 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm

Sun - 11 am, 4 pm, 6 pm

Mon - 1 pm, 5 pm

Tues - 8 am, 12 pm

Thurs - 11 am, 4 pm, 6 pm

That's all from me ... Hope you enjoy what's left of the weekend!