Rosette flowers

 This is a quick post as the hubby has taken the girls out for an hour so I can get their presents sorted and wrapped ... if I can find the sellotape!!

This was really quick, well quick-ish to make!  I stamped the music stamp along a peice of kraft cardstock and then ran it througfh my CB and TH rosette flower die.  A bit of concertina-ing, a circle and button later, 2 flowers made.  I used my CB birthday folder for the background ... very simples.

Challenges:
Less is More - music
Allosrts - blue and brown

Frosty the snowman

And there I was thinking that I had finished making Christmas cards!!!

This PB stamp is fab for those last minute makes ... minimal colouring!  I coloured him using my promarkers nad them distressed the edges of the image.  I kept the background really simple, just distressing the edges, embossing a section and then scoring a couple of section, a bit of gingham and some pearls.  The silvery glitter is extreme glitter acyrlic paint from Artifolk .. i love this stuff!!


Challenges:
Crafty Creations - embossing and glitter
Everybody Art Challenge - blue and white
ABC challenge - F is for Frosty
I love promarkers - blue and white
Simon Says Stamp - sketch
Colour create - blue, white, silver
Do you Stack up - winter
Dutchdare - tictactoe - pearls, embossing, distressing
Alphabet - W for white Christmas
Just Add Ink - sparkle
Simply Create - embossing
Fuss n Fancy  - monochromatic and Sparkle

Sweet Stampin' Challenge

This week's Sweet Stampin' challenge is  

Glitter, Sparkle or Bling!

Our sponsor this week is Di's digis.....

...who are offering one lucky winner a $10 gift certificate.

 

I used this cutie penguin and coloured it using my promarkers, before adding a good smattering of stickles and some pearls.  I rubbed stickles all over the kraft cardstock and then embossed it when it was dry (you can't see the embossing, but its fab in real life!.  I added some acrylic whilte paint to the edges and eubbed a bit of it off.  Some gingham and a few more pearls and that was it!

Challenges:

Cupcake Craft - Don't look at the light

Crafts and Me - Christmas

Divas by Design - Merry Christmas

For Fun - Christmas

Stampavie and More - red

Charisma Cardz - last minute Christmas makes

Paperplay - Christmas

Crafty Catz - Santa's hat

Sugar Bowl #74

Maria has set the sketch over at the Sugar Bowl challenge this week, and the optional extra is no shop dought dp or digi papers (eekkkk!!!).

One lucky winner of this challenge will have their choice of 4 stamps (or 6 stamps, if we reach 100+ entries) either from the new release or any stamps from the Sugar Nellie range at

 Here's the sketch you need to follow ...

And my card ...

I used one of the latest Simply Adorable digi images, Victoria, and printed her out on kraft cardstock.  I coloured her in using my promarkers.  I made my own design paper using distress inks, glimmer mists and a Martha Stewart punch.  I inked over the cardstock using Victorian Velvet ink, and then created a mask using the punch.  I placed it over the centre of the cardstock and spritzed over the cardstock using tattered leather glimmer mist.  Being impatient, I used my heat gun to dry the mist off and then lifted the mask off ... a really cheap way to create your own masks!!  I inked round the dp with some vintage phot ink and and added some gingham, a double loop bow and a flower and swirl arrangement.  Finally some teeny flat backed pearls to finish.

WOYWW

Is it only Wednesday???  I have got a stinking cold and feel rotten .. .but children need looking after so I am dosing myself up with cold remedies and hoping for the best!!!

Wednesdays mean the regular trot across the crafting desks of blogland, led by the amazingly talented Julia ... so what is on my workdesk???

 I admit to being totally Christmased out!! Having done all 12 Tag courtesy of Mr T!m Holtz nad made what feels like thousands of Christmas cards, I am felling the need to do something else ... so I have my SMASH stash on my craft desk.  I confess to owning 3 of these books and the mini folio.  Love them and each has a different focus. 
This year I have been more organised and have stored my 12 tags in a journal with the key techniques .. .now need to go back over previous years' and add them!  So you can see my day 12 tag there ... I will hopefully get round to blogging it later.

I have been very taerdy announcing the winner of my candy ... Ellie chose number 62 ... Annie ... please contact me sweetie nad i will get your candy off to you.

 Right off to get ready for the children, hopefully they will be gentle... catch up with your desks tonight!

T!m'a 12 days, day 10 and 11

 Here are my interpretation of Tim's tags for days 10 and 11.

I really enjoyed doing this tag ... a bit of adapting went on but I love the vintage feel to it.

Tag 11 was probably the most difficult for me ... didn't really have anything that Tim did ...

 I am really proud of the leaves ... cut of out shrinking, covered in embossing powder and shtrunk so they are all glossy ... definitely a technique I am gonig to use again!!

 Challenges:
Make it Monday
Craft you Passion - Tag you're it
Creative Stamp friends - Christmas
Ohlala Creations - ANything but a card
2 Sisters - Christmas
Crazy4challenges - Santa

A Tag, and a bit of snow

 Here is my interpretation of T!m's tag from yesterday ...

 Crafting Time have a page for you to show off your TH tags ... you can find the page and details here.  And there will be a prize for one lucky person.

And another quick Christmas card ... 0nly 2 left to make I think!

 I used a Penny Black stamp, stamped it directly onto navy carstock and embossed it with tinsel embossing powder.  I added an embossed panel using a TH embossing strip.  Very simples really and quick!

Challenges:
Totally Gorguss - let it snow
Less is More - Snow (OLC week)
Allsorts - It takes two (2 colours)

 Right we are off to get our Christmas tree ... wellies at the ready and umbrellas!!  And i will be back later with my candy winner ... now Ellie's birthday celebrations are over she can pick a number!

Basic Grey Challenge

 Its our last Basic Grey challenge of 2011, we will be taking a bit of bresk, returning with an ew challenge on 7th january 2012.

Its a nice easty challegne for you this time ...

 Anything Goes

 Just remember you need to include at least 1 item from Basic Grey and tell us what it is in order to be eligble for the prize.

This is the type of card I love to make, but don't often blog ... vintagey, maybe a bit grungey, the kind of card where my hands get VERY sink stained!!   I used a collage stamp from Hero Arts, stamped it in sepia and cut it up ... it is HUGE!!  I coloured the butterflies using DIs and then distressed all the edges using vintage photo ink.  Whilst the ink was wet on the image I threw some gold embossing powder over it, just to get that aged look to it, and heated it.  Finally I added some seam binding, a bow and button, TH adage ticket, duly distressed, and another of the butterflies fom the stamp.  The dp is Basic Grey Periphery .. I love the dark colours in this range, and the swirls and scroll on it.


Challenges:
Do you stack up - something old/vintagey
Dutchdare Challenge - Winged things
Little Miss Muffet - buttons and bows
Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes

Totally Papercrafts Challenge

Its Friday ... Woohoooooo!!!  And time for this week's Totally papercrafts Challenge.   Are you getting a bit fed up with making Christmas cards ... well this week our theme is ANYTHING BUT CHRISTMAS!!

So I went for something TOTALLY different ... I made the background for my card using glimmer mists (tattered rose, old olive, frost and hydragenea) and then stamped various TH Artistic Stamper stamps onto it.  I used Stazon ink as it dries quickly on the pearlised surface.  And to be honest that was it!!  Lots of playing and fun was had!

More tags

 I've been playing catch up with my Tim Holtz 12 days of Tags ...

 Now Day 6 had me in a sweat ... I really didn't know what to with this one.  I had all the ingredients but lacked the nerve to do it ... until today.  WOW is all I can say, I absolutely LOVE this tag and its a great technique.  Really vintagey and shiny.

 Day 4 catch up ...It all got started and never completed.  Love the very frosty snowman, and had never tried the acrylic paint and DI to create the background... love the marbling nad texture it gives.  I stamped the number in stazon, and like that cracked look to it.

 Finally today's tag ... I don;t have much steampunk stuff so I mixed it up with a bit of vintage Christmas.  Have to say I quite like the effect.  I did the clock so the hands are approaching midnight.

 So I am finally up to date with my tags :)  Will be making Tag 9 on Saturday as I start work tomorrow at 7.30 and Ellie has her birthday party tomorrow evening.