A Christmas Creature

How is everyone getting on with the latest version of Blogger?

I couldn't believe what I was seeing the first time I came across it and felt totally at sea. I'm sure it's supposed to be 'New' and 'Improved', but so far I don't see any advantages and am having difficulty finding my way around. It seems totally unintuitive.

This  is my DT card for the latest challenge at Christmas Craft Creations where the theme is Animals.

For my card I used a Penny Black image coloured with alcohol pens and using a computer generated sentiment, as I fancied the reindeer saying this and didn't have a rubber stamp with those words... plus I could choose a cool font (Are you Serious)

To me the present version of Blogger, particularly in the Design part, looks like a draft version and rather unpolished/unfinished. Maybe it's just me!

Will I get around to liking this new version of Blogger?  .... I'm not holding my breath!

 

About time for a challenge

It seems that I haven't designed a card specifically for some of my favourite challenges for quite some time, so I thought I should remedy that.

Here is a card which fulfils three four challenges.

I took the sketch from Clean and Simple 

 ...the colours from Dynamic Duos,

Simon Says Stamp  Autumn Leaves (2nd entry)

                                      and finally the use of Kraft from Casual Fridays 

The designated colours were applied to the SU French Foliage stamps using SU Marker pens and the squares were all die-cut with Nesties.

If left to my own devices, I probably wouldn't have added the twine, but in adhering to the sketch, I must admit that it does add something to the finished effect.

My thoughts go to the folks living on the east coast of the USA, I do hope you all stay safe through the threatened hurricane. DO take care.

Clean and Simple Craft Room

I saw a card the other day, which I just loved. However, I now can't remember where I saw it or whose blog it was on... but I'm sure I'll be able to find it sometime soon.
I have just found it.... it's from Laurie's blog here.
It gave me the inspiration for this one. This almost looks as though it has been masked, but is in fact simply a flourish from Stampin' Up's Joie set, which has been stamped onto red paper and embossed with WOW Sparkling Snow EP. A section was then punched using the Stampin' Up heart punch.
The manuscript stamp is from Hero Arts, stamped in Stazon, with the heart simply stuck over the top. The paper and card are a pretty good colour match however.
Easy Peasy!
Craft Room Challenge - Clean and Simple

CAS-ual Friday

There's a new blog on the block called CAS-ual Friday, a challenge for Clean and Simple Cards... a bit like "Less is More" ...couldn't possibly be just like it, now could it, we are rather unique, don't you think?
If I understand the challenge correctly it should have some text on it somewhere fairly prominently!
Here I have two hearts punched with a Stampin' Up heart punch and using the heart stamp from the Sale-a-Bration  Punch Bunch set.
One, I overstamped on top the computer generated sentiment and the other is plain, but both are covered with text.
The card is simplicity itself with just a little dry embossing behind the sentiment panel.
Stamps and fun - Hearts
Crafty Creations - Anniversary
Creative Inspirations - Embossing

Candy Stripes

I'm just waiting for my friend to arrive before setting off for Salisbury, where we will be singing in a concert in the cathedral on Saturday night. There's a rehearsal this evening, so we thought we'd go and make a weekend of it... a little shopping might just occur somewhere along the line.
We will be singing Beethoven's Missa Solemnis... and I have to say that there are some quite tricky passages in it.... you could tell he was deaf when he wrote it!
I was just testing to see if I had set up my printer driver correctly, so I printed off this stripy paper (Pink Petticoat) and then thought I would do a couple of challenges using the paper.
SU stamps and border punch, Cuddly Buddly yellow spotty paper.
Just add Ink - Picture Inspiration
Clean and Simple 135 Sketch

Trying times!

Last week I had a crisis when my laptop refused to connect to the internet. Despite various attempts to reinstall various bit and pieces (under the instruction of a techy guy on the end of the phone), the prognosis was that the wireless card was broken and my machine had to go back to Sony for repair!
They repaired it reasonably quickly all things considered, however upon its return I discovered that it had been totally reset and all my programs and files etc were no longer there. It was like a brand new computer!
Today I have spent nearly all my time adding essential programs like virus protection, printer drivers email details... my 'LIM' email address is still elusively keeping away from my Windows  Mail... it just doesn't want to join in the fun! I can't work out how to add it. I did it once before, but now I can't remember what I did exactly.
Anyway enough of my woes... well almost, I cant remember how I made my watermark either, so I'll have to do without until I manage to sort that little lot out too!
Hey Ho!
Here is a card made from the sketch at Clean and Simple, I feel quite pleased that I've managed to get it onto my blog at all!
I'm off to do a little more sorting out now!
Allsorts - Blooming Blossoms

Guest Designer for March Simply Stampin'

This is the second week of my term as Guest Designer for Simply Stampin' and the theme this week is your Favourite Movie!
This one, in case you hadn't guessed, is PS. I love you!
Simplicity itself,  a stamped script image covered by a cut out envelope image (Penny Black) and an added computer generated sentiment.

More Hearts

Here is another card made with my Hero Arts 'knitted'  background stamp and SU Hearts. This time the background is in Basic Grey ink and one heart has been coloured with Copics.
A simple sentiment has been added and heat embossed in silver and the square popped up on dimensional pads.
The Stamp Man - Hearts

Sweet love

I came across this little Hero Arts background stamp the other day and fancied using it again! I heat embossed it with silver and die cut it with a Nestie. The SU hearts were embossed and punched out..
I embossed the front of the card with a Nestie and mounted the topper with dimensional pads.
I didn't add a sentiment but thought that it would be fine for engagements, weddings etc.
Crafty Calendar - Love
Challenge Up Your Life - Monochrome
Crazy 4 Challenges - Use dies
2 Sisters Challenge - Embossing

Off at a tangent

Do you ever start something and then kinda stray away?
This card started with the sketch from Clean and Simple, and I decided to use the colours from Colour Create. That was the beginning of the straying...
The cardstock is white and one of the colours from Colour Create is cream, so I thought I'd triple emboss the image once I'd stamped and die-cut it to make it a creamier colour. Then of course it didn't match the cardstock any more and so I decided to add some DP with a creamy background. The one I chose to go with the colour scheme was this harlequin pattern from Pink Petticoat... which kinda strays from the clean and simple element... Hey Ho, I like it anyway and it's only a card after all so why worry!
Clean and Simple 127
Colour Create - Chocolate, Strawberry and Cream
Pals Paper Arts - Vintage

Around the World Tour

The theme this week at My Time to Craft is 'Around the World Tour', which should give you plenty of scope... it had me puzzled for a while however, as I wasn't sure how I was going to interpret it. Finally I  decided to use this freebie stamp from a past issue of  Craft Stamper magazine. I'm not sure what the message on it says, hence I haven't added a sentiment, so as not to conflict with whatever it says! (that's my excuse anyway)
It's coloured with Copics and the beautiful die-cut is from a Cuttlebug die. I don't use this particular one terribly often, but when I do I feel that it has great impact.
DO join in with the challenge, we'd love to see your creations!

Winter trees

I'm so grateful to the lovely Julia in her Stamping Ground for introducing me to the fabulous clear stamp set from Artemio from which this tree image originates. Here I've used it for the sketch challenge 119  from Clean and Simple.
I sponged Stampin' Up inks in Bashful Blue, Mellow Moss and Almost Amethyst for the background and then stamped the trees in 3 shades of green. Mellow Moss for the distance, then Bundled Sage Distress ink and finally first and second impressions using Stazon Olive Green for the foreground.
The buckle is from a Spellbinder die using dull silver card further distressed with Stazon Stone Grey ink.

Raise the bar - Trees

Secret Crafter - Christmas

Alphabet Challenge - F Foliage

Ooh La La - Christmas Song inspiration - O Tannenbaum (Oh Christmas Tree)

Speaking of winter trees, here's mine.
It has come out for the 35th year, having been used every year since my husband arrived home with it on the top of the car when we were living in Virginia in 1976. I think that's probably quite ecologically 'green'.

For some years I have been collecting Christmas decorations from various places around the world which also come out each Christmas and remind us of the wonderful holidays we have spent. I try to write the place and year of their purchase somewhere on them as my memory isn't as good as it might be.
Here's an angel from Barbados in 2008...

and some snowshoes from Quebec City in Canada in 2006.
Our latest acquisition is this cut-out wooden candle from New Zealand, made from from Kauri Wood which had been  buried for 45,000 years. We bought this one on our trip earlier this year.
Pretty amazing!

We have heaps more, but I won't bore you with them now. I just find it really nostalgic when I get out the tree each year... and remember!

One Layer Wednesday 30

The challenge at One Layer Wednesday this week is to take inspiration from this site. The card I chose to emulate is this one.

I used a clear stamp from Papermania, which had a little sentiment underneath, which I decided to cut off and used a different sentiment (but also Papermania) instead.
Three reindeer, simply stamped with Olive Green Stazon.

We are going to see my BIL today and then on to see our son, who will be singing in a concert with his new choir this weekend. Should be fun!
I'd better get ready.

We Three

This is the type of card which leaves me feeling most satisfied after completion. Clean cut and simple! I love the images which are a mix of Darkroom Door and Artemio (left hand image). They were stamped whilst the card was still in the die after embossing, so that the blank border was retained. The sentiment is from a Personal Impressions clear set... first inking since purchase at the NEC... reduced from £5.99 to £2.99... what a bargain!
I took the inspiration for this card from Susan on her Simplicity blog and cased this card from hers.
We are having a progressive supper this evening, starting at our house for drinks and the first course, then moving across the road for the main course and then on to the next door house for dessert and cheese!
It works really well. As neighbours we get on well and it means we have a super meal, only having to prepare one course apiece!
Just Us Girls - Colour Challenge Dark Red, White, Black and Yellow
Daring Cardmakers - We Three

Remembrance

When I saw the challenge at Daring Cardmakers, I just had to make a card for it.. I don't suppose it will be sent to anyone, but I think my husband and I will display it ourselves to remember all the brave men and women who have given their lives in the service of their country, that we might be free.

Rustic Rooster

At my choir I was asked for more cards for men. It's always the same isn't it... we never have enough. I thought that this rooster was a great image for chaps. Here I have used my choir colours (I don't know if that was a sub-conscious choice), the ladies wear red and the chaps wear black and white plus a red cummerbund. I mounted the piece of vellum onto a white backing and attached the two with brads. I'm using my new deckle dies which I bought at the NEC and I love them!

Here is a second card using the same set of images! Finding a sentiment to match in with the script on this little background stamp was tricky. I settled for a computer generated one in the end and this is the closest I could find in my font file!
Dutch Dare - Clean and Simple
Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes

Snowman

Yet another clean and simple card, this time a little snowman from Hampton Art Stamps. It is coloured with Copics and mounted on a Cuttlebug embossed square, with a very simple greeting added.
When I  went to the NEC last week I bought something very fundamental... a set of Spellbinders small square dies, to complement the large ones which were probably my first Nestie purchase... now I wonder how I did without them for all this time.
I don't think I understood all the descriptions... large, small, petite, classic, big, mega, grand, standard.... you need an O level in understanding the descriptive terms!
The Paper Players - Snowman
ABC Christmas Challenge - White
Christmas Card Challenge #49 - Picture inspiration

Grasses

I made this card with a selection of stamps from  Penny Black clear set, which I bought really cheaply at my local Paper Mill shop last weekend.
I used a variety of shades of ink for stamping, beginning with the lightest shade for the distance and finishing with the strongest shade in the foreground.
I find it rather pleasing.
I've had one of those days today, where every bright idea I had didn't quite come off which has left me feeling rather frustrated... maybe something will go right soon!
Dutch Dare - Clean & Simple
Crazy 4 Challenges - Square cards
Our Creative Corner - Attitude of Gratitude
Little Red Wagon - Use the colour red

Clean & Simple Christmas

I'm still wondering what design to make for our personal Christmas Cards this year. It's going to have to be something not too thick, so as not to incur additional postal charges and something readily copyable. I like to send all the same design to all our friends and family each year, and as yet haven't come up with a winning formula, however, I think that this one may be a contender.
I won the image as part of my prize from Jane's Doodles in the Keep It Simple blog challenge and I really love its simplicity. I added the baubles after colouring some tiny white pearls with a Copic Marker. I'm very fond of manuscript as a background and this piece is perfect for this image.
The sentiment is from Stampin' Up and I love the clean lines of that too.
Digi Doodle - Anything Goes

This one uses a sketch from a Stamp TV sketch challenge and is simplicity itself. I used all Stampin' Up products apart from the ribbon, which I believe is one of those pieces from inside a jumper which is used to keep it from falling off the hanger. I always cut them out as they tend to creep out on show and I can't bear that!
I did add a little twinkle which is not incredibly obvious from this picture.
As the meercat would say... Simples!

Non Crafty?

This was a real challenge!!
To use a digi image, but to add something to the card which is not considered to be a crafty item.
I wandered around the house looking at this and that and finally fell upon this old sim card, so I punched a hole in it to make it into a tag and added it to this clean and simple card.
The image is a bit of clip art and I made the sentiment on the computer in a font similar to those on mobile phones.
The challenge is from Digital Tuesday and really was a challenge for me!
I'm off to Bath very soon to look after my granddaughter for a couple of days, so no card making for me 'til Friday.