Noel Wreath

We're having an 'Anything Goes' theme this week at Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge. This is my project; every year at our house, we have an advent challenge - some days it's a game or puzzle, some days its a creative challenge, and this is one of them. The challenge was to buy a non christmas decoration from a charity shop, costing no more than £1, and make it into a christmas decoration. I bought the plain wreath for 50p and went to town with some grungeboard, grungepaper, dies and inks.

Thanks for looking

Blog Hop Winner

The lucky winner, picked by Random.org, of the Cards For Men draw for my hop is...........................#18, Rose. Please follow the link from the CFM blog to choose your prize Rose. Congratulations and thanks to all who left such lovely comments.

Show me the money

Our theme for the week at My Mum's Craft Shop is 'Anything Goes', so I thought I'd share a card with a bit of a bonus - cash! I've made this for my nephews birthday; I saw these mini Lynx sprays in Home Bargains and thought I could incorporate them into a card. I folded the card so that it had a spine and made a notch to hold the spray, then I covered the outside of the card to cover the notch.

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Craft Up Your Life

This is my final project as GDT member for Craft Up Your Life - I feel really honoured to have had the chance to participate. The challenge this week is a recipe - 5 pearls, 1 button, 1 flower and stitching and here is my take on the challenge.

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Time for Calendars

The theme for Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge for this week is Happy New Year or Celebration. Every year I make calenders for family and try to do something different every year (not least because my Aunt keeps them up year after year) This time I've used nesties to make an easel and kept it simple and elegant.

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Warm Wishes Edwin

The theme for us at My Mums Craft Shop this week is 'Cute and Funky' Christmas. I've gone for tracitional colours, keeping it nice and bright. I thought Edwin looked so cute in his santa suit too. Don't forget to visit MMCS and see what the rest of the DT have been creating.

Challenges Entered

Simply Magnolia - Christmas

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Accessory stamp

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An Oldie But Goodie

I'm sad to say that this is my last project as a GDT member for An Oldie But A Goodie the challenges have been fun and I've thoroughly enjoyed taking part. This time the challenge was 'Christmas Animals'

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Holly Hedgehog

We're looking at 'All Creatures Great and Small' this week at Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge - you can even include aliens! I've chosen this lovely Penny Black hedgehog - she looks like she's having a good christmas doesn't she?!

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It's Santa!

Our challenge this week at My Mums Craft Shop is 'Traditional Christmas'. Our lovely sponsor for this challenge is Amber Ink, so it's well worth entering your creations.
This is my card - I love a proper Santa, and I think this one, from Magnolia, is just perfect. I've kept the card pretty simple and I wanted plenty of the DP showing just because I like it so much.

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Snowy Tilda

It feels like it's taken ages to finish this card - in reality I only started it Friday, so not that long really, I kept doing a bit whenever I could fit it in rather than all in one go. It started with another candle box (which went much more smoothly this time, and in one go) and evolved. Again, I've used papers I've had for a while and wanted to get used. I'd like to be able to say that in using up these papers I'm clearing some of my stash, in truth new stash keeps popping up to replace it - no idea how.....honest!

Challenges Entered

TOMIC - Shaker box

Christmas Inspirations - Folds

Paper Sundaes - Red & die cuts

Simply Magnolia - Sketch

Thanks for looking

Cards For Men Blog Hop!

Another year is almost at an end and Cards For Men is celebrating two years of challenges with a blog hop. The theme is the number 2, you can interpret this in any way you'd like, and we have lots of inspiration for you on the blog.  We'll draw a random winner and top 3 as usual. You can get all the details and lots more ideas from the Design Team over at the main site. Here's what I made:

Also, we are having an Anniversary Blog Hop. You can get the full list of blogs over at Cards for Men. If you arrived here from Sandra's then you're on the right track.  If not, hop over to Cards for Men to start at the beginning. At each stop there'll be a word to collect and a candy draw. I've got a fantastic 4 images from Meljen Designs to give away.

Meljen's Designs is a lovely stamp company owned and illustrated by Melissa Jenkins. She illustrates whimsical rubber and digital images inspired by her kids and family. Meljen's Designs has new releases along with a new challenge every Thursday, freebies every Monday and a Guest Designer each month at the Meljen's Designs Blog. Please visit the Meljen's Designs line of stamps at the WHIMSY STAMPS STORE to browse and enjoy Melissa's wonderful images!

 

To be in with a chance of winning this you just need to leave a comment at the end of this post. A random winner will be drawn on 19 December 2011.

Each stop will have a word which you should collect to make a festive phrase. My word is Year. At the end of the blog hop you should have 9 words, work out the phrase and leave it in the comments back at Cards for Men. The blog hop will run until midnight on 18 December 2010 and a winner will be chosen on 19 December 2011.

Your next stop is Alan. If you lose your way you can go back to Cards for Men to get the full list. Good luck everyone.

Oh Christmas Tree

We have a photo inspiration challenge this week at Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge.

I opted for a triangle card to mimic the tree, and of course it has to be gold and sparkles!

Thanks for looking.

Christmas Angel

We have a new challenge for you at Lets Ink It Up. We want to see your Christmas creations. As an added incentive and because it's Christmas, we have two prizes up for grabs from this months sponsors -

Simon Says Stamp have kindly donated a store voucher to the value of $20

Paper Pretties have given two lovely stamp sets.

Here is my DT card - simple, but I think really pretty

Thanks for looking

Playing

This card is the result of a 'see how it goes' play session. I wanted to use some scented candles and I also wanted to use up this cardstock - I like it, but I've had it a while and it needed to go! Although the box was pretty simple, it took 3 attempts - schoolgirl errors with measuring. I'm glad to say, the cardstock is now used up, and I know the recipient, my Great Aunt will love it.

Challenges Entered 

7 Kids Challenge Blog - Christmas non traditional colours

Deep Ocean - C for - Christmas & candles

Craft Your Passion - 'Tis the Season

Dutch Magnolia Lovers - Back In Time

Just Magnolia - Anything Goes

Dutch Magnolia Chickies - Die cutting

Joanna Sheen Challenge Blog - Christmas Wishes

Magnolia Licious Highlites - not a card

Thanks for Looking 

Snuggly

We have a very apt challenge this week at My Mums Craft Shop - 'Keeping Warm'. I thought this Penny Black image fit the bill perfectly, they just look so  warm and content. With a challenge prize of a £10 voucher to spend at My Mums Craft Shop - what could be better?

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Angelic

The theme for this weeks for Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge is Borders and Flowers - I've used one of my favourite backgrounds (at the moment) some vintage sheet music I bought from a charity shop; I have a big book of the stuff and because it had no cover, I got it for peanuts!

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Fly Away

Winged Things is the theme of this weeks challenge at My Mums Craft Shop. We're sponsored by Emerald Faeries who are offering this weeks winner 2 images from their store, so show us your winged creations!

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You Rock

The new challenge for us at Cards For Men this week is 'Fancy Folds' sponsored by Whimsie Doodles, who are offering a $10 gift certificate to spend with them.

For my card, I've chosen a central stepper and of course, given the stamp theme, it had to be grunged with Distress inks!

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Secret Crafter

This week we're asking you to follow a sketch, set by Jane, over at Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge. For my card, I used a sheet of music, which I inked and scrunched and spritzed, then added a leaf stamp motif which I heat embossed.

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Play On

The theme on Challenge Up Your Life for the next couple of weeks is Music. For my card, I chose not to use DP, but instead used a page from a music book - I used the same paper for my flowers.

Challenges Entered

Just Magnolia - Ribbons

Craftyhazelnuts - Music

The Craft Garden - Christmas, no red or green

Creatalicious - Christmas with sparkles

Crafty Creations - Recycle - vintage music paper

Deep Ocean - Vintage

Thanks for Looking

White Out

I've gone quite minimal on this one, although I did have a play with a dotty Creative Expressions mask to make the background. I embossed the card using the mask, then ran a Versamark pad over the mask so I could clear emboss the dots.

Challenges Entered

Passion For Promarkers - White on White

Penny Black at Allsorts - All Creatures Great and Small

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Green & Trees

Christmas Stampin' - Photo

Winter Wonderland - What a Cutie

Crop Stop - All White

Dutch Dare - All White

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Trimming Tilda

This card is for My Mums Craft Shop, where this weeks theme is Mix and Match papers. I love this Tilda with her stocking feet and quirky hair, she looks so cute.

Challenges Entered

Creatalicious - Christmas sparkles

Magnolia Down Under - Sentimental

Cute Card Thursday - Red

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Oldie But A Goodie

This is my second card as guest DT for Oldie But A Goodie - the theme this week is 'Let It Snow'. I've had this image coloured and ready for some time, so I'm glad to have had the opportunity to  use it finally.

Challenges Entered

Sweet Stamps - Non Traditional Christmas Colours

Craft Your Passion - Let It Snow

Dutch Magnolia Chickies - Christmas Card

One Stop - Ribbon and Lace

Thanks For Looking

Guest Designer at It's a Magnolia Challenge

A few weeks ago, I won a GD spot at It's A Magnolia Challenge the theme is Buttons and Bling.

Challenges Entered

Sparkles Forum - Angels

Cute Card Thursday - Red

Crop Stop -Colours of your flag (Wales, Red, White, Green)

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Christmas Goes

Stamping Scrapping Central - Christmas

Simply Magnolia - Anything Goes

Thanks For Looking

Seeing Spots

The theme this week for Secret Crafter is Spots and Stripes, so here's my take on the challenge with another not traditional Christmas colour scheme.

Challenges entered

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes Christmas

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Christmas

Christmas Challenges - Sketch

Papertake - Christmas

Thanks for looking

Sugar and Spice

This is rather late -oops! This week, the challenge at My Mums Craft Shop is Sugar and Spice, and we got to work with images by Saturated Canary.

Challenges Entered

Saturated Canary - Autumn Colours

Crafty Catz - digi image

Dutch Dare - Punches & Dies

Cooking It Up With Katie - Fancy fold flowers

Digital Tuesday - Anything goes

Craft Your Passion - anything goes + brown

Paper Sundaes - Digital Images

Thanks For Looking

Cards For Men

This is my first card made for the design team at Cards For Men. We all struggle with men!! so a little card inspiration can really help. This card uses a digital image, from Karens Doodles, I've not really used many digi's before, but am really warming to them, I have to say the fact that they don't take up any room is a real big plus. I did intend to colour the image, but then chose my papers and decided it looked good without.

Challenges Entered

Basic Grey - Anything Goes

Penny Black at Allsorts - All Creatures Great and Small

Karen's Doodles - Black and White plus 1 other colour (grey)

Thanks For Looking

Spellbinders Storage

I thought it might be useful to share the books I make to store my Nestabilities and other thin metal dies; I've had a look around the web and it seems quite a few people store them in the original packaging, but apart from the first few I bought, the packs are heat sealed and have to be cut apart which renders the pack useless. Anyway, this is what I do.
The pages to hold the dies are made from magnetic sheets - I found magnetic dry wipe boards, first from Home Bargains, but now my branch has run out, I'm using these from The Works. Each board will make two pages with a large chunk (technical term) left over. I save the pen holders for future projects (you never know!) and my husband uses the pens for work so nothing is wasted!!

At first my plan was to just bind the magnetic sheets together as they were, but then I thought they'd be more secure if they were inside something, so I bought some CD sleeves which cost about £1.99 for 50 at Wilkinsons. To stabilise the sleeves and to provide a strong place to punch my binding holes, I use acetate - for this I use packaging acetate from boxes and such, like the dies themselves are sold in. I stick the acetate to the sleeves with extra sticky tape (the red one) I ran out today, so I've had to use regular double sided.

My covers are art board off cuts, covered with designer paper, and I bind it all together with BIA wires then add my magnetic pages and dies.  I store the books flat to reduce strain on the binding.

So far I've made 6 of these - two for Spellbinders dies, one for Nellies & xcut, one for Marianne's, a longer one for longer label dies and one to keep my coloured images ready for making into cards. It's a system that works really well for me; my dies are organised and well kept as well as being accessible.

Thanks for looking.

Flaky Friends

I was lucky enough to be asked to be a Guest Designer at Challenge Up Your Life for November and December - this week, the challenge is Friendship. How cute do these two look making their snowman?

Challenges Entered

Bah Humbug - Snowman

Cardmakin Mamas - Die Cuts

Charisma Cards - Cutesy

Crop Stop - Create a snowman

Thanks for looking

Blue For You

This is my first card for the Secret Crafter Design Team! The challenge is to use flowers, ribbons and lace. There's some great inspiration over there so why not take a look and show us your take on the challenge.

Challenges Entered

Allsorts - Anything but square

Crafty Hazelnuts - Bright colours

One Stop - Number 3 (3 flowers)

Crafty Ribbons - Bingo (buttons, ribbon, embossing)

Thanks for looking

Let's Ink It Up

We have a new challenge starting today over at Let's Ink It Up This time we want you to share your favourite technique with us. This challenge is sponsored by Simon Says Stamp, who have generously donated a $20 store voucher.

Our second sponsor for November is Technique Junkie, who have donated a 3D and Fun Folds papercraft CD.

The technique I'm sharing is making my own background papers, using distress inks and resist technique. I started with plain white cardstock, stamped and heat embossed in clear, then added more images with the distress inks, before using more inks applied with a blender tool. Finally, I sprayed my paper with Perfect Pearls mist.

Challenges Entered

Just Magnolia - Anything Goes

Dutch Magnolia Chickies - Favourite  Magnolia Stamp

Winter Wonderland - Glitter - wings

Sparkles Forum - Angels

CES - Song or Film 'There must be an Angel by Annie Lennox'

Top Tip Tuesday - Make your own background

Thanks for looking

Buttons & Bows

I was lucky enough to be asked to be Guest Designer for November/December at An Oldie But A Goodie. The theme for the next couple of weeks is Buttons & Bows and it's a great opportunity to dig out your old stamps and breathe new life into them.

Challenges Entered

Basic Grey - Anything Goes

Ribbon Carousel - Anything Goes

CES - New Beginnings

Sweet Stampin - Anything Goes

Card Makin Mamas - Cut It Out

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Thank You

The challenge this week at MMCS is a Thank You card - something we'll all need with Christmas coming up. This is my card, and you can see what the other members of the team have been up to by following the link.

Challenges Entered

Deep Ocean - Sweet

Creative Craft - Fancy Edges

Tuesday Throwdown - Thanks

Stampavie & More - Anything Goes

Papertake - Anything Goes

Thanks for looking

Get Spooked

We're getting spooky this week over at My Mums Craft Shop. I've gone with a triangle card for this one, just because the shape is a bit like a witches hat. So pop over and see what the rest of the DT have been up to -  if you dare!!!!!

My tip for Top Tip Tuesday is

 - highlight dry embossing by lightly patting embossing ink on the raised design, then add clear embossing powder to heat emboss. 

Challenges Entered

Top Tip Tuesday - Trick or Treat

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Black

Passion For Promarkers - For A Child

Addicted to Stamps - Halloween

Sentimental Sundays - Halloween

Thanks for looking

Look at the Stars

look how they shine for you- this has been in my head all week! Hopefully now the card is made I can change the record. I don't like to blow my own trumpet, but I LOVE this card - I love the image, the colours, the PATP punch, and the embellishments. The flourish and the label are brand spankin' new and only arrived this morning; I was so lucky to win $25 to spend at Simon Says Stamp from Just Magnolia so I bought 4 Memory Box dies - they are sooo lovely. The stars were a Hobby Craft bargain from years ago and are really for flower arranging, bit I removed the wires, put them away and forgot about them until I was searching for something else and re-found them.

Challenges Entered

TOMIC - Bingo (top left to bottom right -metal spacer, lace punch, leaf doohickey)

Paper Sundaes - Sparkle, Flowers & Distressing

Passion for Promarkers - Stars

Winter Wonderland - Vintage Christmas

Christmas Stampin' - Sparkly

Thanks for looking

Unwind

The restful colours of this Crate paper seemed perfect for Yoga Tilda. To continue the theme, I de-stressed (sp) the edges (get it!) and added some watch bits. The zipper rose? I made myself; I had a look on youtube for tutorials, but the ones I saw weren't quite what I had in mind, so I had a play and this is one of the results.

Challenges Entered

TOMIC - Let's Get Sporty with a Sketch

Magnolia-licious Challenges - Colour challenge

Crafts4eternity - at least 1 metal Embellishment (zipper rose)

Fab n Funky - Distressed or torn

Clear It Out - Trims

Thanks for Looking

Get Well Soon

Yesterday, I saw this brill tutorial on Stempeleinmaleins What a lovely idea? So I started thinking I'd probably throw my first attempt in the bin, but it went so well and grew into two get well projects.

Challenges Entered

Magnolia Down Under - Getting Punchy

Its A Magnolia Challenge - Gift Box/Bag

Magnolialicious Highlites - Get Well

Just Magnolia - Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

Totally Papercrafts - Layer Upon Layer

Crafty Ribbons - Ribbon & Lace

Little Darlings - Use Scor-pal

Flutterby Wednesday - Butterflies

The Sweet Stop - Sketch (left hand card)

Whimsy Stamps - Make your own flowers

Thanks for looking.