Favourite Five Cards 2025

As has become traditional on New Year's Eve, I'm sharing my favourite five cards of this year. As I look back through my blog posts, I always find it interesting to see if any themes have emerged in my cardmaking over the course of the year. Whilst there are still plenty of cute critter cards, I used more die cuts this year, and my cards have become increasingly clean and simple.

All of the photos are linked to the original blog post, so please click through for more information.

My first card is from February, and features (unusually for me) die cuts as the main focus. I love the modern shape of these floral dies...and they're great for using up little snippets of card & paper!

My second card is from May, and features several things that I love (and usually make it onto at least one of my favourite cards each year) - Distress inks, gold embossing and the big butterfly stamp!

My next card is actually a bookmark...I'm an avid reader, and always like to have plenty of bookmarks handy...and they're a great way to use up offcuts of card! This one features a favourite floral stamp, and Cosmic Shimmers that I've used many times this year.

Of course, there's a Penny Black image amongst my favourites, and the next card, from August, features a 'new to me' stamp called 'Surprise!' I also love the colour in these floral papers.

My final card is from November, and although I've made a lot of one layer cards this year, I love the effect the added layer gives on this CAS card.

I'm going to link up this post over at Ellie's I Spy With My Little Eye - Favourite Creations of the Year.

I posted my Favourite Five Christmas Cards here last week, if you'd like to take a look.

Finally, thanks to everyone who has visited and taken the time to comment on my blog this year - I wish you all the very best for the New Year!

Favourite Five Christmas Cards 2025

Today, as has become traditional, I'm sharing my favourite five Christmas cards of the year. I made slightly more cards this year - 88, compared to 81 last year. Each photo is linked to the original blog post, so if you would like any more details, please click through.

The first card is from February, and uses a 'new to me' time (the lovely large Penny Black 'Joy' die) that I've used several times this year. I particularly like using the central aperture for a scene/sentiment.

Penny Black critters continue to be my most used stamps, and this chicken, used on this card from March, always makes me smile!

I made several cards using this technique on black card - I love the way the mica pigments show up when used as a watercolour paint, this card from August also makes use of one of my many charity shop crafty finds this year!

Coming a close second to the Penny Black critters, are the Anita Jeram animal stamps, like the bunny stamp used on this card from October. I also love making embossed backgrounds, and used a layout similar to this on many cards this year.

My final card is a recent one from earlier this month, and again features some Penny Black critters, and lots of lovely papers!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Favourite Five Cards of 2024

As it's New Year's Eve, I'm sharing my favourite five cards of the last year. Each of the photos is linked to the original blog post, so please click through if you'd like any more details.

The first card is one I made for my Dad after his hip replacement surgery earlier this year...I do love this Lili of the Valley image, but thankfully, I don't have many occasions to use him!

The second card features a floral stamp that has been a regular in my favourite cards of the year posts...doesn't matter what colours I use, I always love it!

The third card was made for the same occasion as the previous one, but I had to include this for the Penny Black critters.

The fourth card features another favourite floral stamp, and a favourite technique of mine...watercolour stamping.

I chose the final card just because it makes me smile...and I had to include a CAS card in my favourites.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Favourite Five Christmas Cards 2024

Today, as has become traditional, I'm sharing my favourite five Christmas cards of the year. I made fewer cards this year (81, compared to 101 last year), but still had more than enough for my Mum and I to send. Each photo is linked to the original blog post, so if you would like any more details, please click through.

The first card is from January, and is one of the few that has no stamping on it. I love this snowflake embossing folder...even if it is an awkward size!

The second card features a relatively new favourite of mine...Anita Jeram stamps - I just all the critters in their Christmas hats!

The third cards are from August...I love the combination of fun coloured papers on these ones.

The fourth card is from October, and is representative of a style and layout I used for several cards this year...a cute critter against a snowy background stamped directly on a kraft card blank.

The final card is from November...I love the watercolour effect on this one, and I had to include at least one card with some mica pigment sparkle!

Before I go, here's this year's Christmas cake...the robins from 2016 have returned, but this year they've formed a choir!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Favourite Five Cards of 2023

As it's New Year's Eve, I'm sharing my favourite five cards of the last year. Each of the five photos is linked to the original blog post, so please click through for more details.

The first card was made for a Golden Wedding anniversary...I don't do a lot of dry embossing, but I love the way it looks behind these cute Penny Black critters.

I picked this next card to remind myself that I should use this Stamping Bella stamp more often...I also like the combination of colours and papers on this one.

I made a few cards this year using these fabulous Katzelkraft dog stamps...I just love their expressions!

This gorgeous Simon Says Stamp floral stamp makes it into my favourite cards most years...I love to heat emboss it on kraft card and colour with watercolour pencils - the colours really pop!

The final card features another long-time favourite stamp ('Big Butterfly' by Inkadinkado) and a favourite combination of heat embossing and watercolouring.

Happy New Year everyone!

Favourite Christmas Cards 2023

As has become traditional, today I'm sharing my favourite five Christmas cards of this year...according to my Christmas Card Tally, I made 101 this year...so it took me some time to look through them all! For more details on any of the cards, please click the photo to go to the original blog post.

My first pick was made back in March, and features a cute Penny Black snowman:

The next card also features some Penny Black images, but pups this time:

The next card features one of my favourite techniques of the last year...watercolouring with metallic watercolour paints and mica migments and a Simon Says Stamp background stamp:

The next card is actually a set of four cards made using a set of Penny Black stamps I got for my birthday...they're not like anything else I have in my collection:

My final pick features another Simon Says Stamp background stamp, but this time some watercolouring with Distress Inks:

And before I go, here's the Christmas cake I made...it's dusted with lots of silver glitter, and very sparkly in real life:

Merry Christmas everyone!

Favourite Five Cards of 2022

As it's New Year's Eve, I'm sharing my favourite five cards of the year. Each of the photos is linked to the original blog post, so please click through for more details.

The first card was the one I made my Mum for Mother's Day back in March. I've done an awful lot of colouring on kraft card this year, and I love how it looks with the gold embossing on this one.

My second card was made for my Dad's birthday...the stamp was a charity shop find, and as well as the cute critters, it's the cool colours of the papers and faux stitching that I love on this one.

The next card features a favourite floral stamp...I love how effective the simple watercolour colour stamping looks on this one.

I had to choose a card with plenty of pretty papers, and this Penny Black cow one made me smile.

And for my final card, I'm back to colouring on kraft...though this one features some cute little critters.

Happy New Year everyone!

Favourite Five Christmas Cards 2022

As has become traditional on Christmas Eve, I'm sharing my favourite five Christmas cards of the year. I made a total of 86 Christmas cards this year, so it took me a little while to look through them all! For more details on any of the cards, please click the photos to go to the original post.

My first card is a simple heat embossed one...I love the elegance of the white on kraft. 

I had to feature a card with some Penny Black images...and this one showcases three adorable little snowmen.

I made a few black Christmas cards this year...not a traditional festive colour, but it does allow metallic embossing and watercolouring to really 'pop'!

Any regular visitors to my blog will know of my love of patterned papers...so I had to choose one with plenty of those...love the fun combination of colours on this one.

My final card was a bit of an experiment, but I love the way it turned out!

Merry Christmas everyone!