The last ones

Yes folks these are last of my Christmas cards for 2010. Yipee!

Art from the Heart

 Websters pages from 3djean

 Nitwits digi kit

 Crafty individuals

So now I'm off for a nice glass of wine, cheers

I've gone digital!!!

With alot of help from my friend Andrea I have ventured into the digital world.She makes amazing cards using fabulous digi kits. So carefully following my notes I bought a lovely kit from Nitwits and made these pop up cards.

 I don't know why I haven't tried them before. Seeing as I had an order for 5 of the same card being able to print out all the elements was simple. 

I need to have a play about with the sizing but overall I was impressed with the outcome.
 But I don't think it will stop me stamping and inking it's too clean for me!
Nice of you to pop by.

Shine a light

Weeks before the big snow in I went to a fab class with Jean at Crafty Individuals. We made these delightful  lights. It involved stippling a backgorund onto the parchment shades using Distress inks and then over stamping with a CI image. I used the Christmas tree. It was finished off with a lovely crystal trim. I've used one of those battery tea lights to show off the images.

So I bought a couple to try at home. But this time I used a dark ink to stamp the image and I didn't like the result so I embossed the parchment with white embossing powder to calm it down. Much happier with the result.

I'm going to use these as Christmas presents.

The best dressed mints in town

Thanks to an idea on Helen's blog I'll be serving the best dressed mints in town this Christmas.

This was so easy, just punch two scallop circles big enough to cover your mints, stick to either side of the said mint (leave the mints wrapped doh) and top with an appropriate circle stamp. These are from LOTV. You could thread ribbon between the scallops and hang them from your tree.

These would be nice for a special birthday or a wedding favour.
Thanks Helen

Awash with Christmas cards

Why is that because people know you make cards that you feel under presure to produce an all singing dancing card with at least half a dozen techniques. So this year I called a halt and decided to go back to my roots with some simple backgrounds and clean simple stamping. I really enjoyed making these. I chose 5 different colour backgrounds that I made using my favourite distress inks and a stipple brush. I over stamped the image with versamark smokey grey as this gave a lovely soft look. 

  

I used a selection of Crafty Individuals stamps

 This one's a creative expresions stamp. I've blinged them up with a touch of stickles here and there.

Now all I have to do is write them out!

Hanging around?

Ok so what have you been up to whilst confirned to the craft room? Well I have been hanging around, not literally, but working on a couple of wreaths. This one is made using a mitten die from sizzix.

I've used Crate Paper, Snow Day and a Martha Stewart button punch .

 I've used faux stitching to outline the mittens.

 On the wreath below I've used Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers and Leaves dies. The paper was some ghastly sheets I got in a pack. It was pictures of huge ribbon gift bows but now it has been cut down you can barely see the pattern. Which just goes to show you can just about use anything in crafting.

 I've also used my cuttlebug embossing folder, swiss dots to add texture to the leaves.

The sentiments are from one of my favourite sets by Purple Onion which I got from 3djean. Twine is from my favourite Ribbon Girl.
So what have you been creating whilst hanging around?
Thanks for popping by

Guest appearance

My friend Gill who I have known for a very very long time has always been crafty and in the past has sent me many a beautiful handmade item. Unfortunately she doesn't have a blog so I thought I would show you a couple of things I got recently.

 This is my birthday card, it's so delicate and it was accompanied by this delightful notebook.

 She has a particular interest in halloween and I get some gorgeous cards.

I'm lucky to have a very talented friend whose ideas I can" borrow" from time to time.
Now I just need to convince her to start her own blog and then we could all share her work.

We three birds.......

I popped round to Gail's for a cuppa with Jean and this is what we made. Aren't they cute, same pattern all different. I think bcause we hadn't planned to make anything it was so much fun, especially as I got to root round Gail's "bit" box (eat your heart out Julie!).

Christmas Stars

Here's a selection of Christmas stars we made at our crafty weekend at Skipton. as you can see they are all different even though we started with the same shape.

The star below was the original one given to me in my goody bag at our last Marchmas craft weekend. It was made by the seriously talented Ribbon Girl 

Thanks for dropping by

WOOWDFSSM

Ok I'm sure you're all familiar with the Wedneday snoop around other peoples work areas. As yet I've never been organised brave enough to expose you all to my mess! However I've been away on a crafty weekend in Skipton with a bevy of crafters including the design team from Scattered Scarlett , The Ribbon Girl, Jane , Hannah and last but not least Sid. Unfortunately Jean couldn't make it as she had to work but hey don't feel sorry for her. Work included a once in a lifetime trip to JAPAN yes Japan. the rest of us would get a trip to Newcastle. But she was there in spirit and we were grateful for all her preparation, including fab things to make and delicious food to eat. 

So I thought I would share with you the mess creativity we got up to for four days. Here's the table after we had finished. So this is What's On Our Workdesk Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

We made a variety of stuff and if you blog hop you will get to see all this lovelyness in detail.

Finally I want to leave you with this photo. The perfect eyewear for crafting don't you think!

Thanks for popping by

Christmas Plaque

Continuing with the Christmas theme I made this little hangy thing. I borrowed a sizzix die from my friend the Queen of Sizzix aka Gail

The stamp is an old favourite from Crafty Indiviuals and the papers are Mistletoe from Memory Box

She's so cute I think I might make a few of these as gifts.

Another finished UFO

Yes the titles correct another FINISHED UFO has gone from my shelf. This was a three week project we did at Crafty Individuals. I think Jean was expecting us to do it over 2 weeks but we had other ideas. Anyway I set to during the school half term and finished it.   

The frame is made from foam board which we covered with a structured gel medium and stamped into it to get the texture. Once dry we sponged on inks/paints to get the desired effect.

Whilst we were waiting for the paint/ to dry we covered the square with a range of images, papers/card, charms etc to make up the square. Squeezing those squares back into the frame was quite a challenge!

The tree and swirls were painted with crackle paint and when dry I used a pearly ink to add a bit of twinkle.

Finally I edged the plaque with white german scrap and a row of beading.

I've hung my picture with ribbon.

I love making these as anything goes and you can make a mistake and nobody knows! (wow that rhymes)

Thanks for dropping by

Let's go camping

No I don't mean it! Instead I thought I'd show you a tent card that I made for a friends birthday. I got the design from Splitcoaststampers click here for instructions. It's a nice easy card and looks so special.

I just love the colour combo of brown and blue.

Remember this

Sometime in the summer (do you remember summer) I went along to a sewing day with some friends. I started with this and now it's........................

Finished!

A start on the countdown

Yes folks it's almost that time again, where did the last 12 months go? This half term I've been playing around with some ideas for Christmas decorations. This one came from my friend Gail who introduced this little birdie a few weeks ago. Now my Robin ready for the festive season. I've decorated the pegs and turned him into an advent calendar. Isn't he cute.

 I've used Crate papers from 3djean which are gorgeous and that yummy green ribbon is from The Ribbon Girl. 

Now that I've covered all the pegs I think these little packets also from The Ribbon Girl will hold a little treat to see me through to Christmas day.

Thanks for dropping by