In the shed!

I've made this easel card calendar for my Dad...and the image I chose to use is 'In the shed' by Lili of the Valley...as my Dad is rather fond of his shed! I coloured the image with watercolour pencils, and added '2011' to the little sign. The papers are all from the 'Max & Whiskers' pad by BasicGrey...and I distressed the edges with my distressing tool, before adding some faux stitching with my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The calendar tab is by Anita's.

Here's a better view of the 'easel card' shape:

And one showing the front:

Challenges for this card:

• Crafts & Me - Anything Goes
• Creative Craft - Anything Gooes
• Digi Doodles - Anything Goes
• Moving Along with the Times - Anything Goes (NO Christmas Cards)
• Scrapbook Sisters - It's a Man's World
• Stamp Fairy - Anything Goes
• Stamp with Fun - Sketch
• Totally Stampalicious - It's all faux fun! (I've used faux stitching)

All wrapped up!

Phew...I've finally finished making all my Christmas presents...woo-hoo!!! I do have photos of some of them to show you, but today it's all about the wrapping. I like to wrap my presents in ordinary brown paper...and I use kraft bags & tags to match. The bags were bought on form a seller on Ebay, and the tags are from WHSmith. I decorated the bags with a few snowflakes cut using Cuttlebug & Marianne Creatables dies. The tags were simply stamped with a Lili of the Valley sentiment, and decorated with a piece of My Mind's Eye 'Wonderful Winter' or 'Colourful Christmas' paper, and the images are a mixture of Penny Black (from the 'Christmas Critters' & 'Holly Jolly' sets) and there's also a Stamp Fairy snowman. I didn't bother to photograph them separately, but you should be able to get a better view by clicking on the photo.

I'm going to enter these into the following challenges:

• Pink Elephant - Tags
• Prairie Fairy - Use Kraft Card
• Stamp Something - Something with a Tag or Pocket
• The Stamp Man - Anything Goes Tags
• Winter Wonderland - Wrapping

Rudolph Noses

It's not a card today...but a quick and easy last minute gift idea. I bought these little glass jars from Ikea ages ago...can't remember what I thought I'd put in them...but I decided to fill them with little chocolates for a little gift. I made the tags using a Sizzix die, then added a scrap of My Mind's Eye 'Wonderful Winter' paper, and a mat cut using my 'Lacey Circles' Nesties, with computer generated wording.

And on the top, I've used a Penny Black stamp 'Deer in Skates'...although I had to cut him up to fit on the top...he's coloured with watercolour pencils, and (although it doesn't really show up in the photo) I added some Glossy Accents to his nose.

Challenges for these:

• Fab'n'Funky - Quick & Easy
• Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
• Simon Says - Anything Goes
• Stampavie & More - Red

Xmas Pilgrims

This is the card I've made for me to give to my Dad...I was inspired to used this fabby stamp ('Xmas Pilgrims' by Penny Black) by my lovely ABC Christmas Challenge DT buddy Lols...who sent a gorgeous Christmas card with it on. I coloured the image with watercolour pencils to match the 'Wonderful Winter' papers by My Mind's Eye. The sentiment stamps are from a Lili of the Valley set, the snowflakes are a mixture of Mariane Creatables, and Cuttlebug, and the card candy (originally white, but dyed with inks to match the papers) is by Craftwork Cards.

Challenges for this card:

• Creative Stamp Friends - Traditional Christmas Colours
• Critter - Anything Christmas
• For Fun - Merry Christmas
• Sweet Stampin' - Celebrations

Puppy Post!

This card is for my Dad...though it's from my Mum, not me...I'll show you the one I'll be giving him another day. I've used 'Puppy Post' by Lili of the Valley, colouring him with watercolour pencils, and adding some Polar White Flowersoft for 'snow'. The papers are Bo Bunny 'Tis the Season', and I distressed the edges with inks and my distressing tool. The snowflakes are a mixture of Marianne Designs Creatables, and Cuttlebug, and the sentiment is a Cuddly Buddly stamp.

 Here's a better view of the Flowersoft 'snow':

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Your choice (I chose challenge #45 - Animals)
• Fussy & Fancy - Show us some snow
• Lili of the Valley - Sketch
• Moving Along with the Times - Let it snow
• Sew Many - Winter
• Totally Gorjuss - For someone special

Elegant Christmas

Today's card is a little bit different for me...no cute image...no colouring...and lots of pearlised card. This is the Christmas card I've made for my Mum...look away now Mum if you're reading this! She has a bit of a thing for Christmas trees, so I thought I'd use this rather elegant 'Swirl Tree' by Hero Arts...as I haven't used it at all this year! I embossed it with silver powder on white pearlised card, and did the same with the Paper Makeup sentiment. For the background I embossed more of the same card with my 'Snowflakes' Cuttlebug folder. I matted everything on to pearl blue card, and added a few snowflakes cut with Marrianne Designs Creatables, and Cuttlebug dies, and an organza ribbon bow.

Here's a view from the side which shows the embossing a little clearer:

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Crafty Ann's - Anything Goes
• Critter - No patterned paper
• Creative Inspirations (Sundays) - Anything Christmas
• Simon Says - Silver, Blue & White
• Stampin' for the Weekend - Christmas
• Stamptacular Sunday - TREEmendous

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - In the Farmyard

This week's Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge is set by Wendy, and she has chosen the theme of:

'In the Farmyard'

This is our last challenge of 2010, and will run for 2 weeks, and we are using images from our December sponsor Stitchy Bear Stamps on our cards this week. The image I'm using is called 'Under the weather'...and the way I feel today, I think I should probably send this card to myself! I coloured him with watercolour pencils to match the My Mind's Eye 'Ooh La La (for him)' papers, and cut out the image and mat using Nesties (available here at the Secret Crafter). The sentiment is from the CCSR set by Papermania, and the flowers are by Prima.

I'm also going to enter this card into the following challnges:

• Corrosive - Sketch
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

For more inspiration please check out the fabulous creations by my lovely Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge DT buddies.

Brown paper packages...tied up with string...

 ...well actually they're tied up with ribbon...but you know what I mean.

So...what's inside???

They're post-it note covers...just a little something for some special crafty friends, to go with their Christmas cards. I've used Penny Black images on them all from various clear sets...the smaller stamps are just perfect for this kind of thing, and the spotty papers are all from the 'Wild Asparagus' collection by My Mind's Eye. I cut the images out using Nesties, and then inked around the edges using chalk inkpads. I always wrap my presents with brown paper...I prefer to 'pretty them up' with ribbon or tags...that way everything coordinates and you don't need different papers for different occasions...the ribbons I've used on these are a mixture from Tescos, Dovecraft, Poppicrafts & Anita's.

I'm going to enter these into the following challenges:

• CES - Anything but a Christmas card
• Craft Your Days Away - Puches & Dies
• Paperplay - Anything but a card
• Stampavie & More - Make a gift

ABC Christmas Challenge - Z is for...

Wow...I can't believe it's been a whole year since my lovely friend Samantha came up with the mad idea of the ABC Christmas Challenge...but you know what they say...and it's true...time really does fly when you're having fun...and we've certainly had lots of that over the course of the last 25 challenges! But...we've been saving the best 'til last...not only do we have a fabulous challenge for you as your get all your final preparations done for the big day...with two fabulous sponsors...but we're having a blog hop with some special guests and candy hidden along the way!

So...you should have reached my blog from the lovely Dorte's blog...if not...you might want to go back to the ABC Christmas Challenge and follow the hop to make sure you don't miss out on any of the letters or hidden candies.

Who, but Samantha could host this very special challenge? She's feeling very generous this week, and the theme she has chosen is:

'Z is for Zero Time Left'

We know that time is tight, and even the best organised amongst us still have masses to do before Christmas, so we're giving you free reign to use any of the themes from our previous challenges this year...you can use one...or two...or combine as many as you can...it's up to you! You can find a full list of this year's challenge themes is the sidebar on the ABC Christmas Challenge blog.

We are sponsored for this challenge by:

 
Their prize is a $15 shopping spree in their fabby store.

and

They have very generously donated prizes for 3 lucky winners:
1st - 3 images
2nd - 2 images
3rd - 1 image

Ok...on to my projects...I've revisited a few of our challenges, and made several items. The first two are gifts...a snowglobe and a photo frame:

The snowglobe is from Hobbycraft...but instead of putting photos inside, I added a stamped Penny Black image (from the 'Christmas Critters' set) and a sentiment (from a set by Paper Makeup):

Challenges for the snowglobe: D for Decoration, O for Ornaments & U for Under the Tree.

I also bought the photo frame in Hobbycraft (sorry...I forgot to take a photo of it 'naked')...and I painted it with bronze paint, then added pieces of bronze metal, embossed with various Cuttlebug folders ('Floral Fatasy', 'Victoria' & 'Kassie's Brocade'):

Challenges for the Photo Frame: U for Under the Tree.

For my final project...I've used a cute little snowman digi image from our lovely sponsor the Stamp Fairy to make a couple of little gift tags for when I wrap these presents. I coloured the wee chap with watercolour pencils, and added some 'Crystal' Stickles to the snow. The blank tags are from WHSmiths, and the sentiment is a Lili of the Valley stamp:

Challenges for the tags: F for Frosty & X for Xmas.

I'm also going to enter some of these items into some other challenges:

• Allsorts - Last minute Christmas
• Charisma Cardz - Christmas Gifts
• Cupcake Craft - Non-traditional Christmas Colours (the tags)
• Everybody Art - Handmade Gifts
• Incy Wincy - Non-traditional Christmas Colours (the tags)
• Paperplay - Holiday Tag
• Paper Sundaes - Anything but square or rectangular (the tags & snowglobe)
• Penny Black Saturday - The Holly & the Ivy (the snowglobe)
• Scrapbook Sisters - Non-traditional Christmas Colours (the tags)
• Stamp Fairy - Use glitter or Stickles (on the tags)
• Stamp Something - December Digi Day (the tags)
• Stamp with Fun - Christmas
• Top Tip Tuesday - Christmas Inspired
• Totally Stampalicious - Clean & Simple (the tags)

Ok...the letter you need to collect from my blog is M...so now it's time for you to 'hop' on over to the next blog...which is one of our lovely sponsors...The Stamp Fairy...but don't forget to leave me a comment before you go...I may have some hidden candy!

Cuttlebug Spot - Happy New Year!

Today sees the final Cuttlebug Spot Challenge of the year...with a theme of:

'Happy New Year!'

We want to see projects that celebrate the New Year.

I've made an easel card style 2011 calendar - I'll be making a few more of these to give as Christmas gifts. The image is 'Bunny Bath' by Penny Black, the papers are from the 'Wild Asparagus' collection by My Mind's Eye, the flowers are Prima, the buttons Making Memories, the pearls from Wild Orchid Crafts and the calendar tabs are by Anita's. So where did I use my Cuttlebug??? On the strip across the middle...it's the 'Victoria' folder...one of my favourites. I cut the image out using one of my deckled rectangle Nesties, and then distressed all of the edges and over the raised areas of the embossing with a brown chalk inkpad.

Here's a view showing the easel card shape:

And a close up of the front:

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my Cuttlebug Spot DT buddies.

Oh...and make sure you stop by tomorrow for an exciting ABC Christmas Challenge & Blog Hop!

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Lime, Blue & Pink

It's Tracie's turn to set the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge this week...and she has chosen a colour combo of:

'Lime, Blue & Pink

I've used it to make...surprise, surprise...a Christmas card! The image is 'Presents for Two' by Lili of the Valley, coloured with watercolour pencils. The papers are all from a Heidi Grace pad (sorry it doesn't have a name on it), and I distressed all of the edges before adding some faux stitching. You may notice that I've used a couple of new bits'n'pieces on this card...had a little spend of a Secret Crafter gift voucher I got for my birthday...yes I know that was months ago...but it's taken me ages to decide what to get! lol Anyway, as always, Wendy got my goodies to me quickly, and I just had to use them right away! I used one of my new 'Lacey Circles' Nesties behind the image, and cut lots of snowflakes with my new Marianne Designs Creatables Snowflakes. The other snowflakes were cut using my trusty Cuttlebug die. The sentiment stamp is by Cuddly Buddly, the spotty ribbon (just seen) is from Poppicrafts, and I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' border punch on the green paper.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Crafty Calendar - Sketch & Optional Extra of 'Christmas'
• Crafty Creations - A Beary Project
• Little Red Wagon - Use a Die Cut
• Scrapbook Sisters - Snowflakes
• Stampavie & More - Christmas
• The Stampman - Christmas with Three Colours

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous creations by my lovely Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge DT buddies.

Clean & Simple Christmas

I've been meaning to use this stamp that my Mum found in a charity shop for ages...it's called 'Lines of Pines' by Penny Black. I stamped it (and the Lili of the Valley sentiment) using Versamark, then heat embossed it with opaque white powder. In keeping with the simplicity of the image, I've gone for a clean & simple style of card...a bit different from my usual style! They are A6 sized cards, with the fold at the top...been ages since I made a card in a shape other than square! lol I used my 'Swiss Dots' Cuttlebug folder to emboss above and below the sentiment, and then added some pom pom trim from Tescos.

Challenges for these cards:

• Clean & Simple Stamping - Sketch
• Corrosive - Red & White for Christmas (obviously just the card on the left...)
• Crafts & Me - Moody Blues (just the card on the right...)
• Creative Fridays - Chistmas Songs (Mine's 'Oh Christmas Tree')
• Die Cut Dreams - Seeing Triple
• Papertake Weekly  - Christmas but with NO Red or Green (obviously just the blue card...lol)
• Penny Black Saturday - Stamp on anything other than white card
• Raise the Bar - Trees
• Simon Says - Christmas but with NO Red or Green (obviously just the blue card...lol) 
• Stamptacular Sunday - Blue Christmas (just the card on the right) 
• Your Next Stamp - CAS Christmas

Present Pile!

The adorable image I've used on this card is 'Present Pile' by Lili of the Valley...I just love James the bear! I coloured him with watercolour pencils, and added some 'Crystal' Stickles to the fur trim on his hat and for some 'snow' under his feet. The snowman paper is from the 'Wonderful Winter' pad by My Mind's Eye...my all time favourite Christmas papers. I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the border, and the ribbon is from Poppicrafts.

Challenges for this card:

• Card Patterns - Sketch
• Cards for Men - Christmas Card
• Lili of the Valley - My Favourite Things (James the Bear, My Mind's Eye papers, Christmas!)
• Spoon Full of Sugar - Christmas Card
• Stamp Something - Christmas Colour Combo (Red & Green)
• Teddy Stampers - Christmas Teddies

Cuttlebug Spot - Christmas with your favourite embossing technique

The Cuttlebug Spot is back today after an extended Thanksgiving break...and the theme of our challenge this week is:

'Christmas with your favourite embossing technique'

A nice easy one to help you get your Christmas cards finished? NO! It took me ages to decide what my favourite embossing technique is...as I just love embossing with my 'Bug! I eventually settled for embossing on plain white card...I just love how such a simple technique can give such effective results. The image I've used is 'Wishes for Kisses' by Penny Black...another of my favourite things. For the background I've used my 'Snowflakes', 'Ice Crystals' and 'Swiss DOts' Cuttlebug folders on plain white card, distressing the edges slightly to add some definition to the layers. The snowflakes were cut using Cuttlebug dies, then coated with 'Crystal' Stickles.

For more inspiration, please check out the samples by my lovely Cuttlebug Spot DT buddies.

Pile It On! Challenge - It's all about the wrapping!

This is our final Pile It On! Challenge for the year...and this week:

'It's all about the wrapping!'

We'd like to see your tags, bags, boxes & gift wrap.

Our sponsor for this challenge is Stitchy Bear Stamps...who have also generously provided the DT with some fabby digi stamps and papers to use.

I chose 'Annie's Christmas Digital Gift Tags', and printed them on white card, before colouring them with watercolour pencils, and cutting them out. I tied them to kraft paper gift bags, that I'd decorated with snowflakes (from a set from Lakeland), stamped in white Stazon.

Here are the challenges that I've Piled On!:

• Pile It On! - It's all in the wrapping
• Creative Card Crew - Boxes & Bags
• Creative Stamp Friends - Packages
• Our Creative Corner - Alternate Christmas Colour (the bag on the right)
• Paper Sundaes - Gift It!
• Pink Elephant - Blue, Green & Red (the middle bag)
• Ribbon Girls - Lilac, Pink & White (the bag on the left)
• Sew Many Challenges - Snowflakes
• Stampavie & More - Snow/Snowflakes
• Sundays with Chrissy - Christmas is coming
• Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes
• Wags'n'Whiskers - Snowflakes

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely Pile It On! DT buddies.

Just Cute Bears & Friends - Anything but a card

Today sees the last Just Cute Bears & Friends Challenge of 2010...but have no fear, we'll be back again with lots of lovely challenges in the new year. The theme is:

'Anything but a card'

Perfect for those of you making your Christmas gifts this year.

I've decorated a snowglobe that I bought in Hobbycraft. It's designed to hold two photographs, but I've used stamped images. On one side I've got a cute Penny Black hedgie stamp (from the 'Holly-Jolly' set):

And on the other side, are some sweet little mice, also by Penny Black (from the 'Christmas Critters' set):

This was so simple to do...embarassingly so, but really effective I think...I can't resist giving it  shake every time I walk past! lol

I'm also entering this into the following challenges:

• Creative Inspirations (Sundays) - Christmas Gifts
• Creative Inspirations (Wednesdays) - Christmas Decorations
• Digi Doodles - Let It Snow
• Fussy & Fancy - Anything but a card
• Penny Black @ Allsorts - Beauty is in the eye of the neholder

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous creations by my lovely Just Cute Bears & Friends DT buddies.

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Christmas

This week's Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge has been set by Suzie...and the theme she has chosen is:

'Christmas'

I decided to take a break from making Christmas cards, and made some little gift tags instead. I cut the tags from Kraft card using a Sissix die, and stamped a sentiment (from Lili of the Valley) before adding a strip of torn white paper, embossed using my Cuttlebug 'Ice Crystals' folder (available here at the Secret Crafter). The cute little puppy is 'Winter Pup' by Hero Arts...I don't think I've used him all year...shame on me!

I'm also going to enter these into the following challenges:

• Creative Craft - Tag It!
• Dutch Dare - Christmas Card/Tag/Ornament
• Little Red Wagon - Christmas Tag or Bag

For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous creations by my lovely Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge DT buddies.