Rudolf Day for October

I can't believe it is time  for another Rudolf day already, and there will be only one more before the big day itself! Since Justin and Gordon asked me to join the Be Creative design team I have been having lots of fun playing with the Be Creative Winterland paper pad. This weekend, I have been using up some of the snippets left over from other cards and teaming them up with some snowmen I coloured whilst enjoying a short break in Wales with Steve last week.

For my first card I used a Pink Gem stamp that I have had for many years. I coloured it using Be Creative Alcohol based markers, warm grey 2 and 4, mint blue 143 and Frost blue 182. I added Be Creative diamond glitter glue to the snowman, then used the glue wand and fine iridescent glitter to add some sparkle to the snowflake . I accented the nose, eyes and buttons with glossy accents. Finally I used the glue wand to add some Inkylicious crystal snow by the base of the snowman (Shhh! This is wonderful for covering up smudges on snow scenes!!!) The holographic stick on border is also from Be Creative.

My second card features another snowman - this time a Dinkie stamp from Little Claire. The paper pad and the pens used are the same. The border this time is a self adhesive lace one that comes on a roll from Be Creative. The sentiment is a Frantic stampers die. The glitter glue is not as obvious on this one but it is the same as the previous card.
Do pop over to Scrappy Mo's and have a look at hers and Linby's cards for this month. They are both absolutely gorgeous! Rudolf day Challenge comes highly recommended from me as it gets me well organised and  prepared before December arrives! I am also taking this into Miss Di's snippet playground, where there might be an apple bobbing contest going on...that is if Parsnip hasn't used them all for making scrumpy!
I will leave you with a few photos from our holiday. The Autumn colours were absolutely gorgeous!

This is Llanymynech Nature reserve which is part in Wales and part in England,

 

Pystill Rhaeadr Waterfall,

and the bench with the best view in the world! Also at Llanymynech.

And finally, here I am being a bit daft at the top of Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall, trying to ignore the fact that there is a very big drop behind me!
Thanks for looking!

Some challenges I've been meaning to enter

I've finally got round to doing something creative that doesn't involve food! I've made a little photo album for a friend and I'm going to print some photos out to put in it later. The stamp is by Pink Gem and coloured with promarkers in the colours shown.
I'm entering it for Passion for promarkers (anything but a card on a Christmas or New Year theme) and Tuesday Taggers (let it snow). I'm guessing it is too late for Allsorts (anything but a card). Not sure if they are having a fortnight on this challenge as it would've been due on boxing day, so I'll pop it on anyway! I now need to go and think about the film theme on Cute and Girly...I'm drawing a complete blank so far!

More cute ones!

I'm still making Christmas cards, although I haven't got the brain power or inspiration to do anything other than cute, I'm afraid. Panto is over and I have had what was probably the most important meeting of my career. The Head has been off sick for two and a half weeks so I've been really acting up ;o) !!! I thought I would be able to relax a bit after Tuesday's meeting and Wednesday's Nativity and Carols, but no. I won't say any more other than I will really enjoy Karate on Friday night!
Anyway, onto my cards. The reindeer is a Pink Gem stamp and the mouse is from Digistamp boutique. They are both coloured with promarkers. The blue paper is from Dovecraft and the tartan paper is from Funky Fairies. The mouse one brought back memories of a dress I had when I was a little girl. It was red tartan, with bodice that had two lines of lace down it, and a sash that tied at the back. Crickey, I'm really rambling now! Maybe I'm cracking up... or hallucinating on promarker fumes!!!

Allsorts Challenge - Purple advent

There's a bit of a theme going on here, principally because back in September I bought a pack of these purple Christmas sentiments (Craftwork cards) and then discovered a pack of papermania 12 x12 papers that I bought thinking they would be pink and purple only to find they were more like pink and grey!
I saw the theme on Allsorts and coloured these over the weekend. The first is a Mo Manning Digistamp and the second and third are Pink gem design stamps. I used promarkers, cos I've got the whole set now thanks to Brenda's husband! If I had to choose one for Allsorts, it would be the last one (even though it is a bad photo). That snowman is so jolly!
Thanks for looking - I hope you're Christmas preparations are going well!

Allsorts Challenge: For a child

Here is my card for this weeks Allsorts challenge which is a card for a child. The stamp is from Pink Gem and I fell in love with it when I saw it. I almost put googly eyes and a pompom for the nose, but opted for glaze as my googly eyes were a bit large! I used my promarkers to colour him and added a bit of diamond stickles. The papers have been in my stash for ages and the sentiment is from Craftwork cards.

While I was tidying my table I found this lovely image that I had coloured with promarkers ages ago. It is a free download from here. I quickly made it up into a card and I'm rather pleased with the result. Very summery and warm! I also found half a bar of Galaxy which put me in an even better mood!!! The weekend has got better and better as I have bought Brenda's promarkers from her and arranged to meet up with her on 5th December at Sir Stampalot's open day. We had a lovely chat on the phone  - it feels like I've known her for years! It's just like Christmas already!!!

Been busy!

Of all the cards I listed at the weekend, I have made most of them in a mad few days. The first is a wedding card for a colleague getting married in early August. her dress has a red train and the flowers are going to be red and ivory roses, so this is what I came up with. The oval frame was stamped with DI in antique linen using two crafty individuals stamps. the rose bud outline is from Stamp to your Art's Content. the backing paper was from my artylicious floral fantasy cd. The main rose and the small heart are from the Elusive Images Harlequin Rose Plate from Graphicus.
That first card was to prove I can still stamp, because I seem to be using a lot of digistamps at the moment! This owl one was from Digistamp boutique and goes by the name of Bernard! I coloured him with promarkers.

This cow is a stamp from Pink Gem designs, and again I coloured it with promarkers. Finally the leaving card is for a colleague who got a new job on Friday and will be relocating to near Birmingham very soon. The stamp is by Penny Black and I love the fresh simpicity of it.

Passion for promarkers challenge #3- pumpkin and cinnamon

'Pumpkin and Cinnamon for a baby card?' I hear you cry! Well I did use a fair bit of blender pen in a bid to make it peachy! Here is my entry for the passion for promarkers latest challenge. I also used cool aqua, canary, pastel pink, Saffron, satin and dusky pink. The stamp is from Pink Gem Designs. The background papers were from my stash, and they were on a pad, but the cover was missing, so I'm not sure who they are by - hope you like it!

Distressed Cute!

I stamped a couple more cute images onto watercolour paper and then painted with distress inks. The first stamp was from Pink Gem designs. I didn't need it, but it was in the sale and I was ordering other stuff... I must stop doing that. However, if I sell two of these I will have got the money back, so it isn't the end of the world.
The second is Willow with Cookies from Whiff of Joy. The colours reminded me of a dress I had in the late 70s, as does the backing paper! Least said the better really! Having said I don't do much cute, I have been doing rather a lot recently. Cute is definitely growing on me.

Still More Babies!

A good friend and workmate is on maternity leave and was due at the weekend. I prepared four images ready for putting on cards (2 boys and 2 girls), not knowing what she was going to have. Last night I stayed up too late, knowing her waters had broken and she had gone in to the hospital. This was the card I was going to circulate at work if she had a boy. However, contrary to what she thought, she had a beautiful little girl, 7lb 5oz late last night. They have called her Anna, and this is the card we are sending to her. I'll probably make another just from me, but not tonight. I need to get to bed earlier!

The stamps are from Pink Gem Designs coloured with promarkers and mounted on a variety of 'cuttlebugged', 'nestied' shapes. The sentiment is a See-Dees stamp and the 'baby girl' is a sizzix sizzlet. The peachy paper is from canon creative park (free download).

More babies!

One of my workmates has lots of twins in her family, and another set are due very soon. She knows they are girls, so asked me to make a card. I used my new Pink Gem stamp, Girl Bundle on shrink plastic, colouring after shrinking with Pro markers. I used clear shrink plastic so I could reverse the image on one side. I stuck some plain white card that had been through the Xyron to the back and attached to the card with double sided tape. I normally use clear glaze to attach shrink plastic, but it makes the colour from pro markers run. Pro marker ink also makes stazon run, so colouring the images on the reverse is a good plan, and this is easy on clear shrink plastic.

This second card uses the Pink Gem boy bundle. I decided I would go for something different to the traditional pink and blue and opted for this lovely pale green. My stamped image was coloured with Pro markers. I think this could be quickly adapted into a girl card with a few flowers.

More and less

Knowing that several people at work have said they will be needing baby cards soon I decided to buy some stamps (I know, any excuse!) The stamp is from Pink Gem designs, and I bought four baby stamps - a boy and a girl bundle, and a boy and a girl in prams. They are very reasonably priced and stamp beautifully. I know this is a bit fussy for me, but I had someone in mind who likes bright colours and retro flowers.

After my last post I was thinking what to do with this Dahlia (Crafty Individuals), when Lynne of Creative Lynks popped over with some blog candy goodies for me. Among the papers was this - Tan Floral tapestry from Paper Pazazz. It went beautifully, so I added a horizontal and vertical ribbon, a skeleton leaf and a sentiment (Innovative Stamp Creations). Less is definitely more!