May Your Christmas Be Merry And Bright

Hello, I hope your day is going well.

I decided in January that I was going to start making my Christmas cards much earlier this year. As a family we send approx. 150 Christmas cards! There is no way everyone is going to receive a handcrafted card, but I do send quite a few. Also I make Christmas cards to sell for my fundraising, so an early start is a sensible idea. So far I'm not doing very well!

Anyway, I also decided I was going to enter some challenges this year. I sometimes struggle getting started with cards, so I find challenges very useful for giving me a starting point.

This card is going to be entered in the following challenge:

Winter Wonderland :Snowflakes

And here it is!

The image is from the Jayne Nestorenko Adorables range, available from Crafters Companion, the sentiment came on the same stamp plate. I stamped her onto Crafters Companions watercolour card, and coloured her using my Lyra's. I wasn't really a big fan of glitter, until I was introduced to sparkling snow glitter which is available from Joanna Sheen. I added this to her hat and coat using pinflair glitter glue and I think it looks really lovely.

I die cut the rectangles onto pearlescent card using a Nellie's die and applied her using glue gel for some dimension. I cut round her hand using a craft knife so I could slot in the present she is carrying. I couldn't resist adding some pinflair snow dust around her feet and onto her shoes.

The backing paper is printed from the Adorables cd-rom onto Centrua pearl paper, and matted onto some silver mirror board. The corners are a Marianne die, cut out of white glitter paper with a few pearls added. The sentiment was heat embossed using silver fine detail embossing powder.

Thanks for sticking with me through this long post and thanks to everyone who leaves a comment.

Jo

Less Is More - Pastel

Good Morning

I spent many hours this weekend working on a competition card, which will be ready to go in the post this evening, when I'm happy all the glue has properly set!!!

When that was all finished I gave some thought to this weeks 'Less Is more' challenge. Full details of the challenge can be found here

After a lot of thought and test stamping this is what I finally came up with.

It does look better in real life! My photography skills aren't that great!

The image is one of the Bella panels available from Debbi Moore, which I stamped using a light blue ink. I then applied some blue chalk over the ink to add a bit of sparkle. I still wasn't happy (this was my 6th attempt at this image) so decided to try one of my favourite techniques, triple embossing, to give the image a 'tile effect'.

I embossed some blue and pale yellow card which I layer onto my white card base, cut a tag using a spellbinders die, and added some peel offs. I chose the words 'Just for You' as I think this card is suitable for a number of occasions.

If you're not familiar with this new challenge blog, why not pop across and have a look. Everyone there is very friendly. And on that note, I would like to thank everyone for visiting my blog and leaving me comments, it's a really lovely community to be a part of.

Thanks for your visit today. I'm off to have a look at some of the other entries.

Jo

Cream and Gold

Good Morning

Today's card is a birthday card for one of my eldest daughter's friends. She asked me to make a 'cream and gold' card. To start with I had a complete mental block!!! After a lot of thought and a good old rummage, I decided to use one of the Bella Panel stamps which are available from Debbi Moore designs. This is one of the first stamp sets I bought, and you get four panels in the set together with some additional accent and word stamps.

I chose the panel with the butterflies so I could tie it in with a cuttlebug embossing folder. I embossed some matt gold card, and then embossed some cream pearlescent card using a swirls embossing folder. The image was stamped onto cream pearlescent card and then heat embossed using a gold detail embossing powder.

I made a double bow using gorgeous cream organza ribbon from my stash and placed little pearls on the end of the 'twirly bits' (that's a technical term!). The label was cut using a spellbinders die and the Happy Birthday is gold peel offs, again from my stash.

I'm going to try and get a couple of challenge cards completed today - we'll see :0)

Jo

Floral Stitching

Good Afternoon

My card today is made using one of my favourite techniques, paper embroidery.

The design is stitched onto pearlescent card, then matted onto some vintage gold paper. The corners are punched using a Martha Stewart punch. The bow is made using organza ribbon from my stash.

Emma went into school today dressed as Mr Gum for World Book Day. She was delighted with her finished costume and here she is all dressed up and ready to go!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Jo

Less Is More - Take Two!!

Hello Again

Well I did say I wasn't happy with my card and couldn't work out why!! Thanks to a couple of comments, my brain kicked in!!! This is more like my original plan, but I couldn't fit it on a DL card. Why on earth I didn't just think to use a bigger card has me baffled, that's what comes of crafting late into the night :0)

I am much happier with this, and hope it still meets the CAS requirements? You must despair of me??? It'll click one day honest.

If you fancy having a go at the challenge full details can be found here. Everyone is very welcoming and supportive.

Jo

Less Is More - Three Squares

Good Morning

Well the beard is made, and the rest of the costume all together ready for tomorrow. Emma is very excited!

Today's card is for this weeks' Less Is More Challenge, which is 'Three Squares'. I'm really struggling with CAS cards at the moment. I've got so used to using lots of layers and embellishments on cards, it's difficult not to do that and be happy with what you make. I'm not particularly happy with my card, but can't put my finger on why not!

I used some stamps from Sheena Douglass, which I stamped three times. I used mica powders to colour these, mixed with water and used as a paint. I matted these onto some matt gold card. I couldn't decide which colour ribbon to use, so decided to plait all three together!

I'm sorry about the quality of the photo, I took 15 photos of this card and this is the best I can do!

Thanks for visiting today.

Jo

Going Round In Circles

Good Morning

The sun is shining here, although it's bitterley cold, but still a much better start to the day than depressing rain!

I ended up spending most of the weekend in bed with a migraine! They're such horrible things and really floor me. I think it's gone away again now, so I'm playing catch up!!!

It's World Book Day this Thursday, and so pupils are invited to go into school dressed as there favourite character from a book. Well Emma is a huge Mr Gum fan so that is who she is going to dress as. Today's challenge is to create her a beard and moustache :0). I'll show you then end result.

Anyway, todays card is my entry into the LOTV challenge which this week is Circles.

For this card I used one of their cute squares, I love this image. I cut a circle of silver linen cardstock to layer the image onto. I printed off a couple of the papers from one of the SWALK cd-roms, which I then ran through my big shot with a Marianne Doily die. The flowers were made from the same paper, again using a Marianne die, and then little gems added to the centre. The leaves were made using a x-cut embossing punch.

Details of the challenge can be found here.

Have a good day - I'm off to make a beard :-D

Jo

Anyone For A Donut?

Good Morning

A very quick post for me today.

Thank you very much to everyone who commented on my Clean & Simple card, and also on Grace's cards. Your comments mean a great deal. Thank you :0)

Today I'm posting a House Mouse Easel card I've made for a friend.

This is made using the fabulous decoupage from Joanna Sheen, and I added a little shaker window, filled with hundreds and thousands. The punched border along the top edge is made using a Martha Stewart punch, the first one I bought, and still one of my favourites.

Thanks for you visit today, enjoy your Friday.

Jo

A Crafty Companion

I've had a lovely day today. My sister, nieces and nephew came to visit along with my Dad. Mum was due to come too, but wasn't very well so had to stay at home.

You may remember the birthday card Grace made for me, which is now on permanent display on my craft room shelves. Well today Grace wanted to make some cards, and we had a lovely time sat at my craft table whilst Grace created the following gorgeous cards.

As you can see, one she made as a get well card for Grandma. Grace cut all this decoupage out by herself, built up the card using foam pads and then attached the stickers and peel offs. The only bit I helped with was attaching the ribbon. Grace then wrote out the card in beautiful handwriting, and the card is being delivered to Grandma this evening.

The second card she has made in readiness for a friends birthday. Again Grace did all the decoupage by herself and we then had a play with a few punches to make the embellishments.

I'm not sure which of us enjoyed out crafty session the most. Well done Grace, you did a brilliant job and I'm sure Grandma will feel much better when she gets your lovely card :0)

Jo

Clean and Simple

Good Afternoon

I've been following the new Less is More Challenge blog and decided this week to be brave and have a go!!! I'm not sure I'm getting it right though!!

This week it's a theme challenge and the theme is 'Spring'. So I took a sheet of plain white card and turned it into a card blank. I then took a Dimension Fourth corner stamp from one of their monthly project clubs, and stamped directly onto my card blank four times to create a circle. I then chose 3 spring colours and coloured in the design using brushmarkers. Finally, I took a small accent stamp and stamped a tulip in each of the corners.

Now I was thinking no layers, 2 stamps, 3 colours would produce the right sort of card, but now it's done I'm not sure if it's too 'busy' for the challenge. But, you live and learn and so I decided now it's made I may as well enter it and see.

I'd love to know what you think.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Jo

Out Of Africa

Good Evening

I was recently asked to make a card for someone who is very into Africa. There were no words required anywhere on the card. I immediately thought of giraffes and zebra's, so went straight to my Jayne Netley Mayhew cd's from Joanna Sheen.

I'm a bit uncertain about this card, and really hoping it will be ok. The base card is the pearlescent card from PaperMill. The backing paper I created using an image of zebra stripes. I chose a pink and yellowy orange card for matting and layering, thinking along the lines of a soothing sunset, along with a matt gold card. I decoupaged one of the zebra's just to add a bit of interest.

The border on the front of the card is created using the paper embroidery technique and is stitched in pink and orange metallic threads, unfortunately the camera hasn't picked up the colours too well. I thought this made a nice change from a punched border.

On the inside of the card I added an image of a giraffe, from the same cd, matted onto the same card as before. This was made to accommodate a bookmark, which once again was from the cd, which I laminated and then added a tassel.

The insert was made using one of the inserts from the same cd, which I took into a graphics programme to resize, so that the images of the animals is a bit like a watermark.

Fingers crossed this fits the bill.

I'm happy to report that I am still sticking to my stash diet. I know there's going to be lots more temptation this weekend, but all these items will still be available next month, so I'm confident now that I can stick to it for February at least.

Thanks for your visit today. If you've time, please leave a comment so I know you've visited, I really enjoy reading them all.

Enjoy your Friday evening.

Jo

An Elegant Fan

Good Morning

I hope you're getting some glimpses of the sun today. It keeps making a brief appearance here and it really gives you a boost!

Todays card is my entry into a couple of challenges.

The CD Sunday Challenge

Top Tip Tuesday

This card is created using Joanna Sheen's Elegant Fans cd-rom, and a beautiful cd it is too! You get a choice of a small or large fan in this design, and I have gone with the small fan. The backing paper is printed from the cd also.

I decided to make an easel card, because this displays the fan so well. I used paper embroidery for my stitching and used this for the 'stopper' as, again, I think it displays the stitching very well.

Two different sizes of pearls were applied to the card, these were from my stash, as were the ribbons. The card used for the 'stopper' is a beautiful pearlescent card from PaperMill, and the photo doesn't do it justice, it's a sage green with gold throughout and looks stunning when it catches the light. The stitching was done in a gold metallic thread.

I decided against adding a sentiment to the card, as I think it could be used for all different occasions.

On Monday, Emma asked if we could make a teddy for her to give to her valentine. Emma drew the teddy, then I cut him out. My sewing machine decided not to work, so he was stitched by hand. The stuffing was done between us, and then I embroidered his face. We then made a box between us, which Emma decorated. And here he is ....

He has now gone to his new home and Emma's valentine loves him.

Thanks for visiting today, enjoy the rest of your day.

Jo