A card round-up

Good evening blogland,

Back again now all the festivities are over - I truly hope all those of you who celebrate Christmas had a lovely day and those of you who don't had the best day possible and to those of you who (like me) just get through it I really do truly wish that you got over rough ground as lightly as possible.

Ours was, as always, a very quiet time - we went over friends house Christmas eve evening and then we three spent the day very quietly at home.

Some very happy gift exchanging happened and I've spent the last couple of days transferring data / files / etc from old phone and lap-top to new phone and lap-top.  I think I'm there and all gadgets appear to be working ok.  I also got a new pen case to accommodate my ever growing Copic pen collection and a very professional looking light-box so hopefully I'll no longer have to chase the light around the house when taking pictures of my cards.

Talking of cards, here are the last few that I made - wonder if you can guess which are mine and hubby's to TTT?? Oh, and the card I made for TTT's boyfriend is in the mix as well.

I won't do individual 'this is what I did' as it will make for an extremely long blog post (even longer than I've already made it!) so just listing relevant products used.

Whimsy Stamps - Penguins decorate the tree

Paper - First Edition : Artic Wonder

Various dies

Copic colouring following My Creative Scoop lessons

Random sentiment stamp

Lili of The Valley - Jasmine Christmas Presents

Sweet November Stamps - for the sentiment

Distress Inks and Mica Spray for the background

All Dressed Up - Christmas Couple

Random Christmas sentiment stamp

Snowflake punch

All Dressed Up - Christmas Baubles

Random sentiment

Glitter

Pretty Pink Posh die

I believe, apart from the odd card made with a die, that's all my Christmas cards blogged. Now I will put that behind me and move onto other occasions.

See you soon,

Signing off,

Sarah

A challenge or two:

All Dressed Up: December Challenge #124 (Christmas Couple)

Christmas with The Cuties: Challenge#56 - Challenge before Christmas - Entering the last card and I picked challenge #54 In The Pink at Christmas

AAA Cards: CAS Game #205 - Christmas (+optional twist slimline) - Entering the last card, but not following the twist

Christmas, anyone?

 Hello blogland,

After saying that I can't stand making Christmas cards - I've now made a shed-load! That's the joy of having a TTT who thinks you do nothing while she is at school and have loads of time to sit around making intricate cards for all of her friends! And, deep breath!!! 

I'm all done now, and, in all honesty it's nice that she wants me to make her cards, for many years before she only wanted shop brought ones. It does mean a lot of colouring though!

I think there are too many to share, unless I do one a day right up to Christmas, and I don't know if any of you want to be bombarded with all those cards. If I get enough requests, I'll do it but otherwise I'll not overwhelm you.

Here's one from the selection I made for her:

More colouring from Mindy Baxter (My Creative Scoop) lessons - the bear and penguin is a digi image - everything else is hand-drawn and coloured with Copics while following along with the lessons.  The image is exclusive to the lessons so I can't even point you to it!

The only extra thing I used was a very old sentiment stamp, an un-branded rectangle stitched die to die-cut out the image and a piece of card to matt it onto (well other than the card blanks - obviously!).

I hope everyone is having a stress-free and safe run up to Christmas.  We were supposed to be in London for a Dickensian Christmas themed evening, but cancelled due to the huge Covid numbers. So a quiet week at home is now the plan!

And that's about it from me,
See you soon,
Signing off,
Sarah

Challenge/s:

Gem of a Craft Challenge: Challenge 26 - Anything Goes

The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog: Challenge #166 - Cute and Cuddly Christmas - I think both the little characters are super cuddly, tho I don't know that I would necessarily try and cuddle a Polar Bear in real life!! ;-)

As You Like it Challenge: Favourite Christmas Sentiment (and why) - well now as I'm not a massive fan of Christmas I have the grand total of 10 Christmas sentiments! I do like a 'Merry Christmas' personally and have used that stamp - and I've used a 'Seasons Greetings' or 'Winter Wishes' for my non-religious cards.  Personally though, I go for longer sayings, whether sentimental or jokey, as my absolute favourites. This one is rather nice and does have 'Christmas' in there, which generally I do prefer to have on cards somewhere.  

Birthday kisses!

 Good morning blogland

I'm here today with my first official post as Guest Design Team member for Colour Crazy Craft Challenges! In case it's not obvious from the name of the challenge it's a challenge for people who like to colour when crafting - it doesn't matter what you colour in or what you colour with but there must be a hand-coloured element to your project. So I'm a happy bunny - colouring and stamping is my main crafting pastime!

The theme of the challenges are always Anything Goes, but there has to be something that's been coloured in.  The sponsor this week is Polkadoodles and the DT were very kindly given some images to use.

So without further ado here's my card for this week's challenge:

Supplies Used:

Digital Stamp:

Polkadoodles -  Snowmen Frosty Hugs Too Cute 

coloured with Copics.

The sentiment is from an etsy seller who was selling 'digital word art'

Dies:

Un-branded rectangular stitched dies

Anything else:

Red card

bakers twine

white gel pen

What I did?

To make my card I printed the image and sentiment onto Copic friendly paper, coloured with my Copics and then added snow with the white gel pen.

I then die-cut it out with the stitched rectangle die.

I added a turn of bakers of twine, mounted the image onto a red card matt (also die cut with a stitched rectangle from the same set) and mounted it all onto my card blank with 3d foam.

It's 'Winter birthday' card as I thought it might nice to show what's thought of as Christmas associated images don't just have to be for Christmas, so I made a winter birthday card. It might be Hubby's card (his birthday is in between Christmas and the New Year) but I'm not sure as he also has a turn of the decade birthday and this card might be to cute for that occasion!

So, in other news, the blog has been quiet again - this is because I'm working away on (gulp!) Christmas cards! Not my first choice for relaxing crafting but, like I said in a previous post, TTT asked so she's getting.  Nearly done now and then there will be a rash of Christmas cards to share.  I will be glad when it's all done and I can get back to my normal images!

Hope everyone is having a stress-free and relatively peaceful run up to Christmas.  Fingers crossed the new Covid-19 variant isn't affecting anyone too adversely. 

Signing off and hoping to see you again soon,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

Watercooler Wednesday: WWC331 - Anything Goes

Digi Chooseday Crafting Challenge: Wk 50 - Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #590 - CAS

Addicted to Stamps and More: Challenge #420 - Die-cuts and/or stencils - die-cuts for me

Winter Wishes

 Good morning Blogland,

Can hardly believe it's been a week since I last posted - doesn't time fly! No one major life thing kept me away from the blog, more a combination of minor things that add up to eating into my crafting time.

Although one big crafty thing keeping me busy is that TTT has asked for Christmas cards for her friends this year.  As I had just tried Mindy Baxter's (at My Creative Scoop) Winter Background classes and TTT liked the cards that I made from those classes I decided to also sign up for Snowy Scenes.  I know, it's mean blaming spending money on my hobby on the Teenager - but it's gotta be blamed on someone that's not me! ;-)

As each colouring session seems to be taking me around 6 hours (or so) and TTT wants five cards - you can tell why I've been left with little time for much else, including blogging.  How can I blog a half-made card, unless I give you very boring progress pictures.

This card is the second one I made from Winter Backgrounds - the others will probably follow in due course:

Supplies Used:

Digital Stamp:

Lee Holland Designs - Snowman and Penguin

coloured with my Copics

and white paint pen

Rubber Stamp:

Catherine Pooler - All Around Wishes

Die:

Un-branded rectangle

What I did:

I re-sized and printed the digi stamp onto Copic friendly paper and then, following the class at My Creative Scoop, coloured it in with my Copics and added details with a white paint pen. Then stamped the sentiment onto the image.

Used the die to cut the coloured panel out; used the next size up die to cut the matt; glued the two together and finally mounted it all, with 3d foam squares, onto a card blank.

et voila (after hours colouring), job done!

Hope everyone in Blogland is doing OK and, if you're interested, I'm hoping to be back again before the end of the week, but you never know - it might be longer!  Depends on how the colouring goes!!

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

Passion for Markers: Week 621 - Mega Christmas challenge: Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday: WWC 330 - Heidi's Challenge: All About Occasions

Crafty Catz: #576 - Anything Goes - Optional Twist: Christmas Celebrations

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #582 - Week 2: Christmas

Christmas Take Two

 Hello again Blogland

As promised (or threatened?) you're getting my waffle twice this morning - and this is your second helping!

It's the first Saturday of the month and so it's time for a new challenge over at Crafty Calendar Challenge, this month as, if you hadn't noticed, it's December and Christmas is creeping up on us the challenge is: 'Christmas'. 

We are sponsored for this challenge by the wonderful Lili of the Valley and the lucky winner of the challenge gets to pick two images.  You lucky person!! Also the Design Team were very kindly given images to use and this is my make with my choice.

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

Lili of the Valley - A Little Gift

coloured with my Copics

Dies:

Creative Expressions - Noble Collection: Double Stitched Squares

Anything else:

Cosmic Shimmer spritzed background paper

Red dotty ribbon

Hobby House flat backed pearls

Craftwork Cards - pre-printed sentiment

What I did:

Re-sized and printed the digi stamp onto Copic friendly paper and coloured in.

Spritzed some white card with Ocean Sparkle and Silver Moondust Cosmic Shimmer spray, then cut the card down to fit my card blank.

Wrapped the ribbon around that piece of card and glued it to the card blank.

Die-cut out the digi image and attached it to the card with 3d foam.

Added pearls to opposite corners of the digi image panel.

Added 3d foam to the sentiment and half-mounted it onto the digi image panel and half off.

et voila, job done!

As I haven't done much in the last hour and half - apart from get a sourdough loaf in the oven and head over to do weights in my 'gym' - I'm not going to waffle on about nothing!

Instead I'll say see you all again soon,

but not this soon!!

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge /s:

Allsorts Challenge: Week 653 - Use a die

Gem of Challenge: Challenge 25 - Anything Goes

Polkadoodles Craft Challenge: Week 49 - Anything Goes

Alphabet Challenge: 'R' for red

Winter Wonderland Challenge: End of Year Anything Goes

Christmas Take One

Good morning Blogworld,

You're going to see me twice today - two Challenges have coincided and so I'm here now and will be back again in a couple of hours.

For Challenge number one, it's all hands on deck for the new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' as this is an extended month long challenge to allow time for all those Christmas related things that get in the way of our hobbies!

The theme is Anything Christmas Goes - so Christmas cards, wrapping paper, papercraft gifts / decorations - basically anything that you can stamp on!!  This is my contribution and is, predictably, a card! 

I took advantage of a Thanksgiving / Black Friday sale on Copic colouring classes over at My Creative Scoop and this image is the result.  I had fun colouring it, even though I made a couple of silly mistakes - which I'm not going to point out but you can look for if you fancy!! ;-)

Supplies used:

Digital image:

Lee Holland Designs - Piglet Skating

Rubber stamp sentiment:

An extremely old Humphrey's Corner freebie from a magazine (and used for the first time! - shocker!)

Patterned paper:

First Edition - Artic Wonder

Random piece of red plaid paper

What I did:

Printed digital stamp onto Copic friendly paper and followed the class to colour in with my Copics. Stamped the sentiment along the bottom of the image.

Rounded the edges with my very old Woodware punch and mounted onto a piece of lavender card.

Took a piece of patterned paper and covered the front of the 5x5 card base.

Took another piece of patterned paper mounted it onto a piece of black card and attached it the card.

Added 3d foam to the image and attached it to the centre of the card.

et voila, job done!

All that's left to say is, I hope you have time to pop over to Sweet Stampin' have a peek at the fab cards my Teamies have created and I'm looking forward to seeing all your fabulous Christmas creations as well!

See you again in a very short time, or next year for the next Sweet Stampin' Challenge!

Sarah

Challenge / s:

Passion for Markers: Week 620 - Christmas Critters

Fab 'n' Funky Challenges: Anything Christmas

Di's Digi Challenge: Use a digi

Critter Crazy Challenges: Challenge #57Anything Goes

Hey, hot stuff!

 Good morning blogland,

Well it's an early start for me today as I have exciting news! Not only was I recently picked as a Top 3 over at Colour Crazy Craft Challenge (which in itself is absolutely brilliant) but I was also invited, along with the winner and other Top 3, to be a Guest Design Team member for three months! 

Now, how could I say no when the challenge is all about one of my most absolute top favourite things to do (other than stamping!) colouring. So, of course I said yes and here I am!

I'm not officially supposed to start my GDT for another couple of weeks, but when I saw the digis the Team had been very kindly supplied by the Sponsor for this week's challenge, I was allowed to jump straight in!

The Sponsor is Doctor Digi's House of Stamps and they have a great prize for the winner. The challenge theme is always Anything Goes but please remember it is a colouring challenge and so hand coloured images only. 

And this is my card I made with one of the images:

Supplies used:

Digital Image:

Doctor Digi - Knitty Nora

coloured with Copics

Rubber sentiment stamp / die :

Taylored Expressions 

Sentiment stamp: Simple Strips - Birthday

Die: Simple Strips - Well Rounded

Anything else:

Scrap of Patterned Paper

Doodlebug Design Inc - Paper frills

What I did:

Printed out the digital stamp and coloured her in with my Copics, then fussy cut her out.

Took a scrap of patterned paper (no idea whose) glued it to the bottom third of my card blank and ran a strip of paper frill over the top join.

Added some 3d foam to the digi stamp and popped her onto the card.

Added 3d foam to the stamped then die-cut sentiment and popped it onto the bottom of the card blank.

et voila, job done!

Why not pop over to Colour Crazy and see what my awesome new teamies have created and you could even join in at the same time!  I'm sure you know I love seeing what all you colourists out there can do and I'm sooo looking forward to going around everyone's blogs who enter into Colour Crazy Challenge!

I'm off now to have a quiet lie-down and get over the excitement of being asked to GDT! (Ha, I re-read this and thought I was off to have a G&T! Not at 8am in the morning, missus!!!).

Signing off now,

See you soon,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

Watercooler Wednesday: WWC330 - Heidi's Challenge : All About Occasions

Crafty Catz: #575 - Anything Goes (optional twist - fancy folds) I just did the Anything Goes

Kafty Chicks Challenge: #588 - Week 1 (Stamp Act)

Seize the Birthday: #228 Hobbies and Pastimes

A hearty card

 Good afternoon blogland,

So, after I said a few posts ago about my Clean and Simple cards being mostly colourless - I found myself trying to make something a bit more colourful.

Now, you're going to have to bear with me on this one, as I used a card blank size I'm not used to working with. I was going for CaS and so wasn't happy layering up the card base too much, which I felt this die would need if working with my normal top fold (17.5 x 12.5 cm). 

I then dug around and found some very old, very small C6 card blanks (5 3/4 x 4 inches or 14.75 x 10.5 cm). The die fits the blank perfectly but to me - used to bigger card blanks - this is a very small size to be working with.  I think I was using this size about 20 years ago when it was all 'let's use stickers' to make cards and I swiftly moved away once I discovered stamping and colouring.

Anyway, I persevered and it doesn't look too bad but, next time I use the die, it will not be such a CaS, it'll go on one of my usual card blanks and I'll layer it up a bit more.

Anyways, here's the card so y'all can decide:

Supplies used:

Rubber stamp:

Taylored Expressions: Simple Strips - Background

Dies:

Taylored Expressions: Simple Strips - Well Rounded

Time for Tea - Lots of Love Cover Plate (Vertical)

Anything else:

Piece of rainbow printed paper

small card base (!)

What I did:

Die-cut out the hearts cover plate and then cut a piece of rainbow paper to fit behind the die. Stuck the two together, added 3d foam and mounted it on the card blank.

Stamped and die-cut out the sentiment, added 3d foam to that and added it to die / paper.

et, voila, job done!

My apologies, folks, as well for the mixed measurements - I'm neither a metric nor imperial person (I was taught both at school and picked up neither) and measurements don't mean much to me!

So ends another long post from me - hope everyone is doing well and I'll be back soon with a distinctly bigger card! ;-)

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge /s:

Addicted to CAS: Challenge #211 - Colourful