More Christmas cards

I love the snowman images I bought from Pccrafter of the snowmen, so sweet. I sprinkled glamour dust over their noses to give the card a little sparkle. I made 16 of these for my card swappers in the US




The second card - sort of easel style made a change with brown and gold, not a Christmas colour combo but I like it. I'm most definitely a card candy freak now, so much easier than brads.

Christmas Card

Its ages since I made a post so here's the first picture of one of my Christmas cards. I do like to take photo's in natural light but the daylight is awful at the moment so flat on my work top will have to do. I didn't have a great deal of ribbon left so made this knot by winding riboon around two fingers of OH's hand, tying a double knot, sliding off and cutting the loop at an angle.

Birthday Card

After seeing the gorgeous book that Mary on MSE made a little while ago I thought I would investigate the Joanna Sheen's CD 'Dancing with Shadows'. I had a very small windfall and bought it from her site. (Free postage!)I made this very quick card and used a Pink Petticoat background. In to the postbox for my friend in the US on Monday. It's a silver mat but I think the camera has picked up my orange t-shirt in the reflection.

Crafty Place Challenges & Swaps

Time to show a few more cards from our challenges on CP



Its't this a brilliant card I received from Rusty, I totally failed on this challenge and made a card with a girl on swing.


This is Padster's gorgeous card and Gemma's ATC with the sweet cat in the bath with its glass of champers. The ATC came with its own lovely little card too.

Halloween and Autumn Cards from the USA

The top picture is of the October card swap I'm in with other Red Hatters in the States. I'm the only one left from the UK now but it is such a brilliant way to get to know people. The one underneath is for the theme of Giving Thanks, I'm pleased with it and images are from Pccrafter. Inside is a lovely poem I found about making pies. Yum!

Cards for Alicia

I'm sending these off to MSE's Craftygranny to help raise funds for Alicia (please see the side button) I've had these Kanban kits for ages and every so often I'll have a dip in and make one up. I've used Pink Petticoat backgrounds on each one so I suppose I could call it my Stripe Collection!

October Crafty Place Swap

I'm saying farewell to my little pink bow and sending it off as part of the Crafty Place card swap for October.

Dorry's card

Dorry is the Red Hat Society Queen of the Bardwell Batty Bees and she's just had an operation. She was missed at our recent convention by us all. A little get well card for her.

US Card Swap

Our theme this month was autumn and I loved this Pccrafter image of a bird and berries. I've highlighted the berries with some red Stickles. I found a lovely lady on Pccrafter called Nan Sexton who has a fab website for poems and she had written one called 'Picking Blackberries' and I've copied it for my inner. I've changed the picture as, yet again, there seemed to be something missing, so I've printed the 'autumn' sentiment and used a couple of SU punches.

More Halloween cards

I've really enjoyed making these cards for my three UK grandaughters.
The Eerie papers have been fantastic to work with and all the images have been by Pink Petticoat. Thanks again to Jo & Simon Says Stamp. I think Sock Monkey agrees, he looks scared!

I've been a long time making this!

So, it's a bow I hear you say! At least two or three years ago I bought a bow tying gismo from ebay that cost a pound or two. Two dowling rods and a piece of wood with different holes bored out.
For the life of me I couldn't work out the instructions until yesterday. I was looking on youtube at the 'bow easy' tutorial and then had a light bulb moment. With the help of the video and a couple of attempts I made this little bow and I'm chuffed to bits with it and saved a couple of pounds in not buying the bow easy.

Three of my gorgeous grandchildren are now living in Canada and Halloween is celebrated in a big way where they live. Here's the three I've just sent and huge thanks to Jo and Simon Says Stamp for the Eerie goodies

My daughter's birthday card

Just put this together but to me there's something not quite right. I hate it when you look at some thing you've made and it just doesn't sit right. Should the flower be elsewhere, is the ribbon in the right place, should I do a better sentiment tomorrow?

Ive placed some gems on and this feels a little better

The new boy has settled in very well, still not eating that much but he seems very happy. Chased his first bunny this week and seemed quite pleased with himself even though he hasn't got a hope of ever catching one.

Another grandaughter's card, Romani is the eldest of the five girls and is mad on horse riding. I had a go at colouring this lovely image from Pink Gem with lots of help from Janet on her blog

The top picture is of the Sock Monkey that Stardrops made for me over on MSE forums. We haven't named our monkey yet but she was due to travel to stay with a good friend in the States but OH has fallen for her charms and wants to keep her

In the second picture I've made this card for one of my grandaughters who live in Canada, she loved Hannah Montana at Christmas time last year, I hope she still likes her! I love the paper which is BG Two Scoops. The ribbons and fibres are from Crafty Ribbons, I was amazed at the gorgeous ribbons I received.

ATC Swap on MSE

Here's Padster's ATC, a super Padster bear and a gorgeous card to go with it, I love this image, so dreamy and romantic.

A birthday Card

I made this card for one of our Red Hat chapter members, I originally forgot to post in time for her birthday and I had also forgotten to take photo of it. I then forgot to take it with me Friday night when we all met for dinner and then I forgot to post it on Saturday. Basic Grey papers but I forget which one. Forgetful or what! Mutter ... mutter ... mutter! Who am I today?

Basic Grey Blog Candy from Jo

Look at this absolutely gorgeous blog candy I won on Jo's blog, Rambling Boots. The picture doesn't show how vibrant the colours are. I am looking forward to making cards for my grandchildren over in Canada where Halloween is celebrated in a big way and now I've got some fantastic stash to make them with. A huge thanks goes out to Jo.

The New Boy on the Block

Well, he has arrived and what a handsome chap he is. I know it's early days but this is definitely a 'man's' dog. I think I have been relegated to 'zeta-female' as he is quite aloof with me, he doesn't shrink away but tends to ignore me but OH gets an entirely different reception. Being a rescue dog means that you don't get the full story of his background and I don't think he had that many walks although his foster carer has really looked after him well. I will be happy when he chases the hundreds of bunnies we have in our fields. Catch 'em, not a chance but good fun trying.

He's arriving on Tuesday!

The new addition is arriving on Tuesday and I am so looking forward to having him to stay. We've had dogs around us for nearly thirty years, most of them German Shepherds like Ben, we said farewell to our last dog, Mr Bubbs, over five years ago, so it will be good to hear the pitter patter of dog's paws again

Red Hatters Card Swap

I've just finished my cards for our Red Hatters card swap, I swap about 12 cards a month with Red Hat friends in the States. Our theme this month was 'our favourite author or book' I wrote inside about one of my favourite series of books about the 'Earth Children' by Jean M Auel. I've read and reread them several times over the last 15 - 20 years. As its turning to autumn I had a look through my Pccrafter images and found this one of a library added a touch of SU's pumpkin pie ribbon. Nice & easy.

Our Wedding Anniversary

The idea for the card I'm posting had been wandering around my head for a while. It's turned out nothing like I expected but I think I'm pleased. We've been married now for thirty one years (both second marriages). I've made this card to put away as we were married just before Christmas and we both have often forgotten the date several times in the past with all the Christmas preparations.

Another Man Card

Another 'man' card, I am not getting any inspiration for cards at the moment, too many other things to think about with a new furry addition on four legs to our home. I just had to do this one but it was pretty difficult not being inspired and my SIL is one heck of a guy. I like how the fleur de lys turned out but that's about all but it's done and dusted and in the post.

Funky Fairy's Challenge no: 33

I ran all the way over to post my last minute entry for the Funky Fairy's challenge No. 33. I don't like the false light at this time of night, nearly midnight, so I'm not very pleased with the photo but I am pleased with the funky fairy's funky Christmas papers, great stuff!

A card for Ida in Norway

While happily hopping about during the 'Promarkers Blog Hop', in an effort to win those fabulous set of Promarkers, I landed on Ida's blog. Ida is one of the DT members and lives in Norway. For the chance to win one of her blog candy offers we had to send her a card by snail mail. Here's the one I sent her, a little different from my usual stylee but I like it.

One Stop Card Challenge

I was having a sort out of scrapbook papers looking for Christmassy things and I came across these gorgeous papers from Daisy D's. The angel image fitted perfectly into the largest circle Nestie. (Phew! My cutting out is atrocious) and I had bought a sheet of matching paper too. I'm not sure even when I bought them but I loved the vintage image. I'm entering this in the One Stop Card Challenge, their theme is 'Let It Snow'.

Man card

Cards for men are difficult but I wanted to make one for my dear OH. I love it when he wears green or blue, it makes his eyes sparkle!

So here's his birthday card.

More cards for our troops.

A few more cards for the troops, have to send these off on Monday so still time to do a few more.

PS Just made the top four with the Christmas colours

ATC Swap

Wow! Look at this gorgeous creation from Marg over on MSE, isn't it sweet. The photo doesn't do it justice as the pearlescence on the mini card isn't showing. Thank you, Marg and yummy choc too!

Last but by no means least!

I created this card for a friend of ours who has recently retired, a huge thanks to saveapenny on MSE for help with the decoupage. I never thought I had the patience to do all that cutting out. The inside is filled with photo's of a recent holiday that my OH and friends had in Majorca.

Card for my sister-in-law

I so lucky to have two fabby sister in laws and this is Sue's card for her birthday. I think black and white may be her favourite colour combo at the moment so I'm glad I picked correctly. One of my favourite images and sprinkled with a little glamour dust, funky fairy's backgroud paper

Next is my cards for our troops, this is such a worthwhile cause and I shall be making some more to send. Pink Petticoat background in mocha tones well with the Santa image from Hand Making Cards

Catching up with the blog

Lots of photo's to post, first of all my trifold card to npsmama who was another part of the three way swap. I really love the flower stamp and the sentiment is from SU's range.

A Trifold card from Gemma

I received this gorgeous little girl from Gemma as part of a three-way tri-fold swap. She is so sweet, Gemm, thank you.

Basic Grey Blog Candy

A huge thanks to Melissa over on the MSE forum for posting up that I had won the Basic Grey blog candy on Jo's Rambling Boots blog here

Thank you very much, Jo, I am so happy, will be doing a happy dance ALL day!

Mel's birthday

It was our Red Hat chapter Queen's birthday on Monday and I couldn't post this until I knew it was safely with her.

Brilliant News!

My smashing SIL has landed the job she's been looking for and I've made a card for her. I can't remember where the image came from but it's gorgeous and I wanted to do it justice. I know Helen will like it. If you know who the artist is, get in touch. Pink Petticoat papers in stone and printed on ivory card has made the background very soft. I am pleased with it,

Jaw Droppingly Gorgeous

Well, my chin hit the floor with a loud thud when I opened this card from MSE's little princess Kaitlyn. Isn't it gorgeous! It is so ME with all that bling. There's nothing more that a Red Hatter loves is really going to town with all the bling and feathers. Big, big hugs, Kaitlyn. You're very precious and so is this card.

Three birthdays this weekend, MIL and friends. I've used the wheelbarrow from one of Pink Petticoat's new kits and I managed to emboss it with my favourite Copper Kettle powder for my MIL and did a similar one for a friend. Thanks to Rusty on MSE for getting her mojo back, I lifted her design and changed it a little.