Dutchdare Card Challenge #68

This week's challenge is a Joy Fold card ... and once you get going it is a really easy style of card to make.

For my card I decided to use some Penny Black Stickeroos and some of last year's Christmas papers ... so it's a Christmas card LOL!!

Here is a photo of it open ... the part with the Christmas trees on covers the navy blue flap and is held shut by the snowflake.
So closed it looks like this (but doesn't stand up!).
And as it is a really easy style of card to make, and a great on for production line crafting ... I made 5, just to use up the old stash!!
Do check out the other DT's take on this style of card, and have a go yourself.
Recipe:
Stamp(s): None
Colouring Media: None
Papers: DCWV
Embellishments: PB stickeroos

Just for a friend - no challenges!!

I have made this keepsake/jewellry box for the mum of one of the children I mind ... she is a friend more than a parent who leaves her daughter with me everyday ... and she has loved the little gift boxes i have made.
I used matchboxes (the child that i married had fun setting light to the matches in the back garden!!0
and sprayed them white and then used dp to cover the fronts and sides. I used an easel card template for the top ... orignially I had planned to use a photo of the gorgeous dsughter, but ended up using a flower as the centrepiece. I do love these BG papers. and proma flowers.
I used hemp twine to open the drawers.
I decided to keep it as one layer high so 8 drawers - 4 at the front and two down each side.

hope she likes it!!

i do!!!

ABC Christmas Challenge - A is for

This is the ABC Christmas Challenge's 1st challenge, and we have an easy one for you ...

A is for
Angel

We would also like to see charms or beads on your creations, and we have a fab sponsor for the first challenge ...Sue from charmsupplies.co.uk. She is offering to our 1st prize winner a £10 voucher & free delivery for either of her shops - charm supplies or Occasions Emporium.

Here is my card ... I am trying to keep my cards flat this year to keep the postage down LOL!!

I used Magnolia's Angel Tilda and masked the snowflake behind her and embossed it using snowflake tinsel embossing powder. I watercoloured tilda and created my own background using faded jeans distress inks and Frosted and dewdrop glimmer mists. Whilst Tilda was masked for that bit, a little has run into her hair - she looks like she's had a blue rinse!! I kept the layout simple and punched and embossed my snowflakes before adding gems to the centre. I used a snowflake charm to finish it off.

Here's a closer look at the background ... it really shimmers in real life.
And here is a closer look at those snowflakes.
Do take a peek at the other DT members creations, and join in if you can, you have until 12th January to take part.

And the winer of my blog candy is .....

numero 47 ....

Ali!!

Congratulations!!!

As I have used my favourite medium, distress inks, both to colour my image and create the background I am entering my card in this week's Roses on paper challenge.
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia Angel Tilda, snowflake
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: MME Christmas Glitter Stack
Embellishments: ribbon, gems and charm from stash, punched snowflakes

ABC Christmas Challenge Blog Hop

Today is our big Blog Hop.

I am 5th on the hop, and you should have arrived here from Jane's blog. If you haven't come from Jane's please go back to the beginning so you are in with a chance of wining the main blog hop prize.

Please leave me a comment on this post if you would like to be in with a chance of winning my candy.

You also have a chance to win the Main ABC Christmas candy but you have to complete the hop and collect all the missing letters. When you arrive back at the main Chrismas ABC blog add your name to mr linky and Email us on the blog email the secret words.

For my project I have made this.
Can you guess what my letter might be?

I made a sleeve for a couple candles using cardstock, dp, ribbon and glitter flowers.

Need another clue as to the letter?
Here is a tag I made to go with the candles. Isn't Christmas Eve Tilda gorgeous with her candle?

Need another clue?
Here is the tag and candle together.
And as it will be sent to a fabby friend for Christmas.
So have you guess the letter yet? Yes it is C. You need to remember that letter for the final part of the blog hop, and add it into the letters already there to spell out the phrase.

Now head on over to Samantha's blog to see her project and another chance to win!

The deadline for entry into any on the candy's is midnight on the 29th.

Good luck and enjoy the hop!

New Year party card!

I have finally got into my craft room having spent alot of time playing with the girls and taking off all those annoying tags that hold toys in place in the packaging!!
I have combined a few challenges with this easel card ...
Simon Say Stamp - party! (well it will be given at a party!)
Cute Card Thursday - New Year
Stampavie and More - New Year
Stampin' for the Weekend - calendar
Create4fun - sketch
Stamp with fun - New Year

I made an easel card so I could use a calndar tab on the bottom part. Tilda is masked onto the bow ... and then cut out so there are no hearts. I added a bow and some gorgeous tea roses.
Here's a close up of the sketch.

And a close up of Tilda - I do like some of these new Tildas ... but a couple are a bit on the dodgy side for me!! She is masked onto the spoon (I think its a spoon!) and the hearts cut off.
Off to watch the girls open more presents ... last lot thank goodness!!!
Catch up with you later.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Tilda (Winter coollection); sentiment Hero Arts
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Blush
Embellishments: ribbon and flowers from stash

Exciting News

Are you running yourself ragged trying to get everything made for Christmas? Have you promised yourself to be more organised and not leave everything to the last minute next year? Then you need the ABC Christmas Challenge!

The challenges will run fortnightly in between our regular ABC Challenges on this blog...working through the alphabet helping you to get ahead with preparations for next Christmas. There will be plenty of inspiration from some of our regular ABC design team, plus lots of guests...and prizes too!

To celebrate the launch of the new ABC Christmas Challenge blog, there will be a blog hop on Christmas Eve...with lots of fabby prizes on offer!

Please Add our Badge to your blog
and tell everyone about our blog and blog hop.

A couple of baby cards

A couple of friends are expecting babies in the new year, so I have made their cards, and it was great using none Christmassy colours!! One knows that she is expecting a girl, and the other is unknown!
As both are new baby cards I am entering them into this week's Cupcake Challenge, time for celebration.

I used Willow for the first, and lavender and green as it will fit for either a girl or a boy. The layout is from this week's WOJ challenge.
I watercoloured Willow using distress inks and then used nesties to cut the mats and shapes. I added some ricrac and glimmered flowers, a couple of pearls and a charm. I didn't add a sentiment as I had used text papers.

The next card is for the baby girl, and I used the sketch from Just Magnolia, and the Magnolia Down Under challenge to use your Christmas stamps for another purpose.
Tilda is coloured using distressinks, and as I had my nesties out I used a shaped square for the sketch. The flowers are glimmered and I added lace and a WOJ sentiment.
Off to look after the children ... no outdoor play today, the garden is like a skating rink.

Secret crafter Saturday challenge #63

This week's challenge is last minute gifts and has been set by Mandy.
I have made a keepsake box for one of my wonderful friends. I have made a few of these boxes and after having had a few requests for how I made the last on I put on my blog I have done a quick tutorial.

The box is made using match boxes (good job Mum has an open fire!!) and is similar to the advent calendar drawers you may have seen, just not as big!!

Here's how I did it:

1. I primed all the boxes and insides using white primer.

2. I let Ellie loose with 2 colours of glimmer mists on the insides of the boxes.
3. Make the panels for the sides and cover the chipboard for the top and bottom of the box. I used 4x4 bind it all covers for the top and bottom of the box.

4. Decorate the sides of the boxes and arrange and stick the boxes like this. You can ink them up or paint them a contrasting colour if you want so your panels don't need to go right to the edges.

Once decorated it should look like this:

5. use a brad and ribbon to act as the knob for the drawer. You can decorate the fronts of the drawers of you want.

Finally decorate the top of the box.

So it looks like this finished.
While it looks a bit complex it is really easy to make, the longest bit is waiting for the boxes to dry, but if you measure things up before you paint them, you can be getting on with preparing the panels and decorating the top and bottom while they are drying.

Do check out the other DT members last minute gifts.

As the Allsorts challenge this week is Anything but a card I am entrying this into that too.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): None
Colouring Media: None
Papers: K and Co Chartlotte
Embellishments: flowers, tulle, ricrac and brads from stash

Flower Power

Hurrah no more Christmas cards ... until January when I am going to try to make two a week so November and December are not such a mad rush on red and green!!!

I have made this card using the following challenges:
Colour Create - pink, burgundy, ivory, optional roses
Cute Card Thursday - aperature card
Charisma Cardz - Anything but Christmas
Totally Gorguss - Anything goes

I haven't used this image for ages, so I stamped her up, watercoloured her and cut her out. I used the sketch from Whiff of Joy (would like to show that one too, but I had an incident with the cat, stickles and an interesting pattern of glitter!!) and rotated it so I could make the oval an aperature. I added flowers and some ribbon and braid and a feather thingy I have had for ages. Inside i stamped a corner floral pattern using burgundy ink.
Here's the inside.
Today I am making Christmas cards with the children so my house will be sparkling with sequins and glitter!!

Recipe:t
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Flower Power
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Eva
Embellishments: flowers and ribbon from stash

DDCC #67

This week's Dutchdare Challenge is Make it happen. We want you to make your own embellishments for your cards.
I made my own flowers.
I watercoloured this fab Penny Black hedgie and cut him and the mat out using my nesties. The papers are a digi freebie - Shabby Princess I think, and I used a past Friday Sketcher sketch as my layout. I added some punched leaves and lace to my flowers and some lace to the card. Nice and spring like!

Here's how I made the flowers.

1. Cut 3 sizes of circles out.
I used my nesties, but you can use punches or cut them free hand.
2. I stamped over them using a floral stamp I have and faded jeans distress ink.
You can emboss them at this stage if you want.
3. I distressed the edges, cut into them (but not right into the middle!!) to create petals, and distressed the petal edges. I have also inked the edges.
4. I use a cocktail stick to curl the petals. I curl one edge of each petal forward, and the other backwards.
So they should look like this now. I add my centre to the smallest flowers at this stage.
5. I now use an embossing tool to make the petals curl upwards.

6. Now to assemble the flowers. I use silicone glue and add it to the back of the middle sized flower and then put it inside the largest flower. Be careful not to flatten the petals out.
7. I repeat the process with the smallest flower.
And there you have it ... one handmade flower.

You can see some more hand made flowers here.

Do take a peek at the other DT's embellishments.