Crackers!

I made these quickly on Christmas Eve, took about an hour in total.  The template is from Crafts U Print which I printed onto some Neenah card.  The cutting out is a pain but was easy enough (even easier with a new blade in your craft knife - I think changing my blade is one thing I will do on a regular basis next year!).  I used a bottle of glue to help keep the shape of the cracker whilst I stuck it together with some strong double sided tape.  I filled them with some lottery scratchcards and chocolates and tied them with raffia ribbon.

I didn't have any snaps but they're fine without.

The scratch cards by the way netted us £120 on Christmas Day- result!

Crafts U Print Quick Cards

As is always the way at this time of year, I was in need of some cards in a hurry (thanks mainly to a husband who thinks last minute is the way forward in life).  I printed a topper sheet from Crafts U Print onto watercolour card, added polar white flowersoft (for snow) and glitter highlights (falling snow, fur trims), cut them out, put them onto mirri card and then on to card blanks with a peel off greeting.  Voila - 4 very quick cards (I did it twice so I had 8!).  I think the longest part was waiting for the glitter to dry.

Halloween Makes

 

 Okay, I know we're just getting over Christmas but I wanted to show my Halloween makes for this year (we're still in 2013, right?).

The card is a stepper card and I used an embossing folder on some core'dinations Black Magic card which I sanded back to reveal the orange beneath the black.  The ghosts were stickers that I attached using some Papermania mini springs.

The gift bag was a plain kraft one from Hobbycraft that I attached Halloween paper and a topper from the Hunkydory Little Horrors kit.  I filled the bag with some sweets before sending it off to some friends children (although I was tempted to keep it!).  It's the first gift bag I've made like this and I was pleased with the result.

Two Hunkydory Foxes

When I first saw the Fall for Autumn kit by Hunkydory, the sheets with this fox image on were my least favourite and yet they are ones that I have used first!  The top card is for my nephew and the lower cards is for a work colleague.  I think the image has grown on me!

Both cards are very simple designs, the card stock has been matted and layered onto card blanks and a topper and sentiment added.  I also popped some black gems on the bottom one for a finishing touch.

Forever Friends Kraft Notes

I'm sure by now most of my 'regulars' will be aware of my love of these little fellas!  This latest collection (and the corresponding Christmas collection) quickly became favourites so I shall try not to post too many variations on a theme!  This card is also for Nicola (Auntie Nicola in this instance) - again I needed something to let her know that no matter how hard life is there are little people in her life who love her to bits and have plenty of spare hugs whenever they're required.

Hunkydory birthday card

I made this card up from the new Hunkydory Fall for Autumn collection.  It's an 8x8 card blank and I simply used a piece of one of the cardstock sheets and a piece of the corresponding foiled card.  I used some velvet rick rack ribbon to disguise the join and added a sentiment from the topper sheet.  The flower centres and bee's wings have been highlighted with glitter glue.  This card is for my sister in law, Nicola who was Alison's step-mum.  It's going to be a tough day for her so I needed to keep the card 'peaceful'.

Time for Something Christmassy!

I think I've held out long enough - it's nearly blooming Christmas and I'm a tad behind (as usual!).  I did have a bit of session at the weekend and was pleased with the outcome.

These cards all use papers and images from the Forever Friends Kraft Notes collection and I used some kraft card blanks.  I used a mixture of plain kraft and some corrugated kraft cards that I bought when we were in Florida in August. 

I was on such a roll that I even 'bothered' to make pretty inserts!

It feels so much better knowing that I've made a proper start for the festive season - just hope the mojo holds out for a few more weeks.

A Random Assortment

Apologies for putting up such a random mix of cards - these are some that I've made since September, a mix of birthday cards (both adult and child), wedding anniversary and a couple of general 'hello' cards.  Just wanted to show you that I have been a little bit creative, even if I haven't always remembered to show it. 

Mulberry Wood

This card was a first for me!  I used a CD to print the images.  I've been having a little play with CD's for a while but the images don't usually make it as far as a card.

I made this for my sister's birthday back in June and it's from the Crafter's Companion Mulberry Wood everyday collection.  I printed the images onto Centura Pearl cardstock (which is why they probably don't look very clear - in real life it gives a beautiful effect).  I embossed some pale yellow pealescent card  with some swirls and mounted on to a DL card blank.  The tags were stuck down using some double sided tape and then I used some glitter brads in corresponding colours at the top of each tag.

A brief explanation....

OK - I've been absent for a wee while.  I'd like to say it was because I'd been way too busy crafting or living the good life but sadly that's not the case.  My dear niece Alison passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly in June.  She was just 31 years old and, naturally, the whole family has been left devastated.   As well as my niece, Alison was  godmother to my son and so holds a special place within my own little family.  It takes a long time to pick up the threads of life and make the effort to carry on when every part of you aches for a beautiful young woman who touched so many lives during her own short life.  She will be forever remembered as the life and soul of any party; she was one of those very rare and special people that manage to light up a room just by entering it.

Pretty in Pink

I made this card using the Mulberry Wood Everyday collection by Crafter's Companion.  The images in this collection are just so cute that I love working with them.  The toppers already have the gold foiled border and the pink background card comes with the striped corner so I feel a bit of a cheat as there's not much actual crafting but sometimes you just need something quick.

Spring Is Coming (honest!)

Sadly I was a bit too late to enter these into the I Love Promarkers Four Legged Friends challenge, but I can add them to my blog anyway!  I've been doing a bit of Promarker practice recently and am beginning to fall in love with them all over again.  Not sure why I stopped stamping and colouring in the first place as it really is a very relaxing thing to do.

I made 2 cards virtually the same so that I had 1 to use and 1 to pop into my spares box (the spare one has now been sent out so it didn't last long!).

I used some yellow Core'dinations embossed spotty card for the background.  I received a huge 12x12 pad of this card not last Christmas but the one before, so I get a tick for using up something old.  The message ovals are by Craftwork Cards and again are something that I've had 'forever' (and to be honest wouldn't be without as they are so handy).

February Rudolph Day

Continuing my theme of 'use it up' I found this really old Kanban kit in a drawer when I was having a bit of a tidy up (and I'm talking circa 2009, so not just old but really old!).

There are a couple of reasons I haven't used it previously - for one it's just too lovely to use and send and secondly it came with some really strange spacer things that made no sense (and the 20+ reviews on QVC at the time confirmed it wasn't just me).  Anyhow, today I bit the bullet and just went my own way with it.  I decoupaged some elements onto the A5 pre-printed card blank that came in the kit and then used the remaining layers to create and 5.5 inch square card.  Got another 9 nine sheets to use but I shall crack on with them and get it all used up.

I'm entering this in Stamping For Pleasure's February Rudolph challenge and, as usual, I've made it by the skin of my teeth!

Purple Birthday

So carrying on with my theme of using up stash that I've had for ages I found a lovely set of LOTV squares.  I used some Docrafts paper from 6x6 stack along with some purple Centura Pearl card.  I found the little flowers in a bag (can't be sure where they came from) and added a Craftwork cards oval sentitment.  I've got another 19 of these squares from the same set to use....

Tulips!

After the last couple of weeks of dismal weather it is so nice to be able to look forward to Spring.  We're starting to get the odd glimpse of sunshine down in Hampshire!  I made this card for a birthday and the image is from a 2012 calendar which I simpley matted onto purple and then yellow card.  I used some purple and yellow organza ribbon to 'tie' it all together(!)  I'm beginning to enjoy this recycling game!

With Sympathy

The kind of card we all need to make sometimes, but no-one enjoys.  I wouldn't normally show this type of card but I wanted to show my colouring.  It's been a long time since I got my Promarkers out but recently I've been rediscovering a love of colouring and I was particularly pleased with how this came out.  The stamp is a gorgeous lily from a 'Just To Say' set by Docrafts/Papermania and the sentiment is from the same set.  The card blank was bought with the decorative edge and I used a Spellbinders Lacy Square Nestability to echo the card edge.  The green backing paper is from my 'big box' but I believe it is by K&Company.

My first card for 2013

Yes, I realise I'm going about things in the wrong order but I'm playing catch up!  I made this card right at the end of 2012 for my friend's birthday which is the day after mine (hers is January 1st).  Ages ago we were complaining to each other that it really isn't a good time of year to have a birthday so we always make sure we send each other a card.

I used a Kanban kit and added some Card Candi (still don't like it spelt with an 'i') and a little lilac bow.  I'm on a mission to use at least some of my older stash this year (and I think I probably have enough stuff to last until the next decade!),

Rudolph Day - January

A bit late - but just in time (that will probably be my mantra for 2013!  This is a Humphrey's Corner card that I made using a kit that came with a magazine last year.  I used the decoupage and paper from the kit and added some red card and some star shaped gems.  This is the first Christmas card that I've made for 2013 and it also falls within the promise I made to myself to actually use up some of the stash that I've been hoarding for the past 5 years!  I've entered this card into Sarn's Rudolph Day challenge over on Stamping For Pleasure