Christmas Catchup (Part 2)

The rest of the cards that I have a  picture of and the boxes made for Christmas Day.

These three cards were made for my three granddaughter in Yorkshire.  The main images form part of a digi kit from DAISIE Designs.  I love the colours in this kit and will feature in the January card swap with my Red Hat friends in the US.  I've used silver mirror card with a Spellbinders Lace Doily Motif die as a mount for the image.

The following boxes were filled with Malteaser Cake for relatives on Christmas Day.  Malteaser Cake is so gorgeous and I used a recipe from a Red Hatter from our chapter.  These boxes were easily made with a Spellbinders box die.

Christmas Catchup (part 1)

Phew!  Christmas has passed with and the New Year is fast approaching.  These are some of the cards and boxes I made and some just never made it for photographing, they were on their way before the glue had dried.  Counting them all up I made at least 70 Christmas cards, a wedding card, a birthday card for my son, about 20 boxes and labels and tags for my granddaughters to give to their teachers gifts.  I'm still trying to find somewhere in the house where the light is good enough for taking photos so I apologise in advance for the dark images.

First of all, the wedding card for my daughters friend who had a lovely Christmas wedding.  The wedding toast glasses is from Pink Petticoat and it's embellished with Marianne die cuts, pearls and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts as is the pin.  The messy bow I made on the Bowdabra with seam binding.

 The next three were for my two granddaughters and grandson in Canada and a birthday card for my son

The images are bith from LOTV with bits and pieces from the ever growing stash.  My grandson's card was a bit different from the girls, the main stamped image is from a set by Stampin' Up from a couple of years ago and I used it a great deal this year.

My son's birthday card is an attempt at steam punk, not sure if I've got it right but I was happy with it, bits and pieces from a kit by Hunkydory and the postage stamps are saved for a horse charity I support.

Christmas is a-coming!

It was our annual Christmas meal with the Summer Wine Gang at the weekend.  OH belongs to a group of retired and semi-retired fella's that cycle.  I've got to know the other  wives very well and the subject of conversation is usually about Strictly Come Dancing, the dancers, celebs and the dresses.  Great fun!  I've been making tiny gifts of after-dinner choccies for a couple of years and this year I've used the gorgeous Spellbinders Hexagonal Pinwheel Top Box.  I made them in shades of blue for the fellas and gold for us wives to match the Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crisps inside.  They are extremely tempting!

Cards too!

I made some cards to take with me on the Saturday and for some reason or other I stuck everything on the back of a card blank.  So stupid but the old chesticles have been giving me gyp this week so I'm blaming on the infection I now have, first one this winter so not too bad and I'll be over it for Christmas.  This is the back-to-front card cut up and place on a bigger card.  The tree stamp is from SU from a couple of years ago and and I used the Tim Holtz extra fine embossing powder and I was so pleased with it that I have bought some more from Cuddly Buddlys .  I also used the embossing powder with the Penny Black wreath stamp.

I would like to enter the following Challenges,

Crafty Cardmakers #57 Heat Embossing
Incy Wincy Designs #123 Non Traditional Christmas Colours
Lawnscaping Challenge #23 Tags or Treat Bags
Make It Monday #66 Anything Goes
My Craft Spot: Monday Challenge #36 Christmas Treat
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge #107 Heat Embossing

Miss Bea's Birthday

It's my youngest granddaughter's birthday today the 20th.  I've sent her this girly pink and blue card and she loved it when we spoke this evening.

 Just managed to take a picture as the wind dropped enough for the card to stand up.

All the die cuts are by Spellbinders.

I would like to enter this card into the following:-

Fun with Shapes and More ~ Challenge #96 Make 3

CCEE Stampers ~ CCEE1146 2 Die cuts - Punches 

Desert Islands Crafts Challenge #20 using 1,2,3,9

A Birthday Card for Paul

It's my treasured eldest son's birthday on the 18th.  I can post it here because I know he won't visit my blog!!  I'm keeping my fingers toes and eyes crossed as Paul has a scan on Thursday to see if this bout of RT has helped.

I lifted the idea for this card from the Hunkydory magazine as they were featuring the set that it came from.  I gave lots of pieces from this kit to my grandson who will, hopefully, one day  make himself a grungebook.

The card is from SU and the kit from Hunkydory is called 'Bygone Times'. I save postage stamps for a horse sanctuary in Lincoln called 'Bransby Home of Rest for Horses and I shuffled through the saved stamps and found a few with the colour tones of the card. Load of Antique Linen Distress Ink too  I'm sure he's going to find it a bit different from the usual.

I would like to enter this card into the following:

2 Sisters Challenge Blog # 65 Anything Goes

Creations By Gill M Challenge #19 Mens Monochrome

I Brake for Challenges #13 I Brake for White Out

Deep Oceans Challenge Blog # 12 - Vintage

Countdown to Christmas at Creative Craft World - Day 7

Here's my offering for Day 7 on the Creative Craft World Blog


Christmas Chocs ( to be filled with your choice of choccies)

Douw Egberts empty and clean coffee jar (200gr)
8.5cm wide piece of 12 x 12 card or paper.

2 dies of choice,  I've used Spellbinders Labels 23)

1 piece of matching/toning card or paper for the larger die

1 piece pale card for the greeting.

strong double sided tape

Ribbon and embellishments of your choice

Chocs!! Lots of!    2 paperbacks (you'll see!)

The colours I've chosen for my jar match the Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crisps inside. I've used a Douw Egberts coffee jar as the labels come off quite easily and the 12” strip fits without any cutting. Any left over strips of 12" x 12" card or paper can be used, it's good way to use up those spare pieces. 

 Don't worry too much about getting every bit of glue off from the label as a small amount will act as an anchor for the wraparound, if you keep the glue at front it will be hidden by the label or your decoration.

Step 1

Place the two paperbacks down on your workspace to hold the jar in place to stop it rolling around. Wrap the 8.5 cm card/paper around the jar and you will find that it almost meets. Secure in place with strong double sided tape. Don't worry if it is a tiny bit short, the join can be hidden with peel-offs.

Step 2 
Attached your largest die cut to the front with tape and a slick of glue stick so that it can be positioned perfectly. Print off a sentiment of your choice, I've used a free font called Paris Match Bright free from Fontspace. Die cut the sentiment and place on top of the larger die cut as before. I have tried before to lay everything flat and place the die cuts on the band but they have pinged off when placed on the jar. (techie term there!).

Step 3

Run a small piece of narrow tape onto the lid of the jar to hold the ribbon in place and tie a bow at the front or make a bow and attach.  I'v tied a bow on the Bow-Easy and glued it on top of a hand tied bow

Embellish to your hearts content.

Any chocolates will look gorgeous in these jars and even the 100gr DE coffee jar can be used for smaller gifts and sweets.

Christmas Blog Look

Given the blog a little dab of paint and hung up some deccies

Where Has the Time Gone??

It was No 2 granddaughter's birthday recently and the time since she was tiny has gone so quickly.  This the card I made for her.

Another lovely image from LOTV, flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. The DP is from First Edition but I can't remember which one. I was really pleased with it.  It sits on her fairy shelf. Aw!

Heaps of stuff!

Shock! Horror! Gasp!! I haven't posted on the blog for nearly 5 weeks or so, family life happenings.

A few cards to post but most precious are the Halloween cards made for my grandchildren whom I adore.  The images are from Stitchy Bear Stamps and my grandson from a freebie scrapbook digi set.  The spider ribbon is from Sharons Stamp Simply Store.  If you visit, be warned, she has the most beautiful things and there's a sale on.

and for my grandson, who I don't think would have appreciated the above style, something a bit different.

Parchment Challenge

Our smashing MSE friend, Jenny (aka Dragonllew) is one of the first people to usually leave a lovely comment on my posts.  I follow her blog too and noticed that she had made a card with parchment as part of her role on the DT of C.R.A.F.T. Challenges 

After seeing Jenny's beautiful card I thought I'd have a go.  Well, it didn't turn out too well so I'm not showing that and then I had one of those light bulb moments and used a die called Anemone Flower Topper from Spellbinders. I used an embossing tool on the inner petal to make the flower more opaque.  It reminds me of a waterlily.

 

I hope they like it. It turned out to be just the sort of card a good friend likes, clean and simple.   Rotten light, sorry!

I'd like to enter this card into the following

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #121 Using Parchment,

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #19 Black & White and One Other Colour (which is in my brad/pearls)

Party Time Tuesdays PTT#35 Anything Goes

Squigglefly  Challenge SFC #117 Floral Fantasy

Thank You.

I've just posted this card off to my son, Paul.  He is undergoing radiotherapy to treat a lung tumour and rid his head of any little seedlings from a brain tumour he had removed in July.  This is the second bout of cancer he has had in the last six years and we are hoping and praying that he will come through.

This card is for his radiotherapy team at the Kent Oncology Centre in Maidstone.

I've used some SU paper that's a couple of years old and Nestabilities Label Four.

Last Days of Summer Light

Its a beautiful warm and sunny day here in the backwaters of Essex and I love taking photos in natural light.   It won't be long before I won't be able to take picture for my blog in the garden anymore, such a shame!

I love these papers called Summer Breeze from First Edition and they fit perfectly for the current challenge called 'Colour Combo' on the Craft Your Days Away challenge blog.  The sweet image is from Lily of the Valley and I shaped it with a Spellbinders Labels 22 die and used dies from Carnation Creation and Anemone Flower Topper set for the flowers.

I'd like to enter this card into the following:-

Craft Your Days Away Challenge 29 ~ Colour Combo
Card Cupids Challenge 29 ~ Anything Goes
The Corrosive Challenge Blog #133 ~ Punches and/or Dies
The Squirrel & The Fox ~1 ~ Anything Goes
Creatalicious Challenges - Challenge #26 ~ Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday Challenge # 182 ~ Anything Goes

By the seaside, beside the sea!

My talented chum Choccy asked me to be a guest teamie over at Creative Craft World on the latest challenge for creating something 'New'.  Well, as I live near the water and can see the beach huts at West Mersea (on a clear day and a strong telescope!) I just had to try and do justice to this fab digi image from the sponsor, The Crafty Pad Designs.

The background paper is from the Nitwit Collections ~ Sandcastles Collection and coloured with Promarkers  and Flexmarkers.  Do you like the flip-flops instead of slippers?????

I'd like to enter this card in the following:
Digi Designs Challenge Blog ~ Anything Goes 
Catch The Bug Challenge Blog ~ Let's Create a Scene
I Did It Creations Challenge #73 ~ Beach

A re-jig of an old card

I made a similar card for my lovely mother-in-law for her birthday last year but I do love the colours of these Ella Blue papers and also the vintagy feel of this image.  Challenge 28 over on the Craft Your Days Away blog is Hand-Made Flowers.  I couldn't resist! The image is a stamp from Clarity Stamps and is one of my all-time favourites. I've die cut the stamp with Spellbinders Labels Four and mounted that onto paper from Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby pad.  I used the Spellbinders Rose Creation dies to cut the flowers and leaves from the same Tim Holtz paper stack.  The organza frilly edge ribbon is from Create and Craft TV.  Another favourite Marianne die was used for the flourish.

I would like to enter this card into the following:
Craft Your Days Away Challenge #28 Make Your Own Flowers
Anything Goes Challenge Blog ~ Vintage/Shabby Chic
Ribbon Carousel Challenge RCC19 Anything Goes with Danielle Daws
Craft Your Passion Challenge #74 ~ Flowers
Crafty Boots Challenges ~ Anything Goes
Incy Wincy Designs: Challenge 110 ~ Make Your Own Flowers
Woodware USA Clear Stamps Challenge #42 ~ Anything Goes
Mariannes's Design Divas ~ Anything Marianne Goes

Fairy Wings

Our challenge, set by the fab Padster on the MSE was to create something that moves.  Well, I'm quite sure this beautiful Garden Fairy from LOTV would if only she got off the toadstool! Seriously though, these fairy pre-printed images are gorgeous and being an Aquarian I loved my birthstone amethyst colours in her wings

These beautiful pink and green papers are from the gorgeous First Edition Spring Feast pad. The guipure lace was given to me by my gorgeous sis-in-law, I wonder how many lovely wedding dresses this lace has adorned.  All the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the flourishes are from my favourite Marianne die. The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and the ribbon is from my ever expanding ribbon box.



I would like to enter this card in the following:
The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge - Flower Power 
The Shabby Tea Room Week # 77 Birthstones
Bearly-Mine Challenge 18 Flowers, flowers, flowers
The Creative Card Crew: Anything Goes
My Time To Craft Challenge 155 ~ In Full Bloom
Party Time Tuesdays ~ Anything Goes
Heart Song Inspiration HSI # 13 Anything Goes/Favourite Colour Combo
Hooked On Craft Challenge 6 ~ Things with Wings
Mariannes's Design Divas ~ Anything Marianne Goes

Cupcakes! Yum!

Over at the Craft Your Days Away blog the challenge this week is 'Cupcakes'  Well.... there's a challenge I knew I would enjoy.  I had just finished taking some photo when My OH piped up and said that he loved the card, usually I get a "Oh! Nice!".

 The card is covered with a Pink Petticoat paper from the Sweet Sundaes kit and the cupcake has been cut with a Marianne die as is the flourish.  The sentiment is one of Liz's from Pink Petticoat too.  Flowers, pearls and ribbon from my ever expanding stash.  Nesties for the ovals.


I would like to enter this card in the following:

Craft Your Days Away Challenge 27 ~ Cupcakes
Karens Crafty Doodles ~ Punch It Out
Stamps R Us ~ Anything Goes

MIL's Birthday

I'm dead lucky as I have a smashing mother-in-law and in keeping with her firm statement that she would never speak to me again if I ever sent her shop card, I've made her birthday card.   I wanted to do something totally different, no LOTV on this one.  I love the Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles and this striking image came from Debbie Moore's CD '100 Art Nouveau and Art Deco Images'  I've used a paper from Pink Petticoat's Tiny Little Leopardskin kit in mocha. I've mounted the image onto some SU brown card stock called Cake Crumb.  Flowers and ribbon really didn't work for this image so I've used a piece of bronze colour foil from Hunkydory I've had for ages.  The flourish is one of Marianne  Designs and I haven't  stuck it right down as I wanted it to float, sort of thing.  The sentiment is computer generated and glued onto a die cut from Spellbinders Parisien Accents.

I've decorated the inside with another piece of the Tiny Little Leopardskin kit and computer generated a birthday verse.  The font is called Parisien.

I'd like to enter this card into the following:

 A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge 162 ~ Happy Birthday
OSAAT Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown #61  ~ Birthday

Queenie's Birthday 2011

It's my lovely friend and Queen of our Red Hat Society chapter, Mel's birthday this week.  I adore the colours on this fairy image from LOTV. So, in keeping with the scheme I found some real zingy lemon/lime paper that I've had since I started card making. See, a girl needs stash! I put glitter over her wings and slippers and any where else I could.  The green, yellow and white flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the bow is made from real silk ribbon, the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.  A little flourish from Marianne dies and some pearls to finish.

I've double mounted one of the tiny images for inside the card with a computer generated birthday greeting.  This must be one of my all time favourite colour schemes.

I'd like to enter this card into the following:

Anything Goes Challenge 47 ~ Happy Birthday / Celebration

The Pixie Cottage Challenge 82 ~ Say It with Flowers 

Stampavie and More ~ Challenge 149 Card for a Girl

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge 43 ~ Use a Lot

My Time to Craft Challenge 152 ~ Fairy Tales

Wags 'n Whiskers Stamps Challenge 60 ~ Sparkly

Craft Your Days Away Challenge #26 ~ Birthdays

The Crafty Pad Challenge # 134 ~ Cute 'n Girly

August Birthdays 2011

A lovely busy card making month for me for Red Hat friends and my family too.  I love these LOTV images and can't/won't stop using them.

It's Frances's birthday and the theme for her is always easy as she loves brown and all shades of.  The Lily of the Valley 'Girly Afternoon' images are great as they are all wearing their hats.  The actual card is from the Range multibuy of 50 cards and envelopes for just about £6.00, a bargain! Card stock and ribbon from stash and flowers from Mulberry Paper Flowers.

I've decorated the inside of the card with a smaller image.  I'm sure it takes longer to write about these cards than to make them

What a Busy Month July Has Been (Part Four)

Other people's kindness and their giving of their precious time never ceases to amaze me and what a caring and very talented group of cardmakers are to be found on the MSE Forum here.

The fabulous Tams aka Rusty organised a card shower for me as I had decided lie low for a while as things were getting scary with the health of my eldest son, Paul.  These are the cards that the forum members made for me.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone of you and I can tell you that a lot of tears were shed over these.  I know that everyone who visits will agree, you all are so very thoughtful in the cards you have sent.

Jenny, Tams and Anda.

 Karen, Sarah and Claire.

 

Niki, Jan and Margaret.

That elephant snuck in again, Sarah! Vicki and Sarah.

Toni and Jo.

Dawn and Debbie

Ali B, Lisa and Melissa.

What a Busy Month July Has Been (Part Three)

My OH and I decided we would travel back to south west France this year for our holiday.  We stayed in Les Sables D'olonne about 30 years ago and had a fabulous time. We weren't disappointed this time around.  We  found a tenth floor apartment overlooking the sea and it was great to just relax and read and totally chill out.  We went walking around the town, visited a few bars (where I got legless after two beers!) and just found a restaurant when we were hungry.  It was fun trying the rusty French again.  These are the views from the apartment.

While we wre in France I had the best of news that my eldest son had received the outcome of the recent scans.  They could find nothing in the head scan where the brain tumour had been removed and a shadow on his lung.  This, apparently, is manageable but not curable. He will have radiotherapy for anything lurking still in his head and some chemo for the shadow. I cried. 

What a Busy Month July Has Been (Part Two)

My grandson Joe has just turned thirteen so I thought we could do some 'grunge' stuff.  Sadly, the Tim Holtz bits and pieces I had ordered didn't turn up in time so I found the 'Metal Magic' powders I bought from Debbie Moore's website.  Joe made some embellishments for his future grunge book with some chipboard shapes and this is how they turned out.  Some of them look like they have just been found in the sea.   Great fun and especially for mens cards.

What a Busy Month July Has Been (Part One)

What a busy month it has been at Boz Towers.  My grandchildren and DIL came over from Canada and visitied all the rellies.  We had the pleasure of their company for nearly a week so I planned lots of crafting for the girls, Ellie and Lucy and something diiferent for Joe.

The girls wanted to make a little memory book for their mum and dad and a card for their other nan and grandad.  They each had their own ideas about what to make and we had great fun selecting all the embellishments too.  Lucy and Ellie also decorated a box each to keep the memory books safe.

Here's two of their memory books and even their daddy's was decorated with plenty of pearls.

LUCY'S CARD

On Lucy's card for her grandad she chose a paper from Tim Holtz Vintage paper pack and an image from Doolicraft from my stash as are the buttons and ribbons.  She inked up the edges with some Antique Linen distress ink.  The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and Lucy used an SU scallop oval punch with it.

ELLIE'S CARD

On Ellie's card she was quite specific in having  her grandad's age so we cut the numbers on the Cricut. The sentiment is computer generated and we cut this with a Spellbinders Grommet Tags die.

The girls found a couple of LOTV images and made their cards for their nan and used papers from stash and decorated them both with flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts and ribbon from stash too. Lucy added a Marianne die cut too.  Ellie chose to make a paper flower using the Spellbinders Rose Creations.

Their grandparents were delighted and want to frame them.  Clever girls!!!

I would like to enter Lucy's card in the following:

Cards for men: Challenge 14 Cleen and Simple