Top 5 Christmas Cards of 2015

The lovely Debby is again hosting  Favourite five Christmas cards. Here are mine, although with making them throughout the year I had to search for them this year! First up is one of the snowy scenes like I made last year, using inkylicious stamps. I don't know about you, but I am pining for a bit of snow or frost. All these warm wet days are depressing!

This next one represents all the cards I made using white ink on Kraft, as I couldn't choose a favourite. It was so lovely to see this new Technique from Deby at Inkylicious.

The next represents my re-found love of colouring, especially this beautiful digi from Teri at Delicious Doodles, and using my wonderful Be Creative Markers

My fourth card was made with a stamp from Honey Doo Crafts, a company I was introduced to this year and I now own quite a few of their stamps, lol (Thanks Lesley!)

Finally a card made with a stencil, something I will be doing a bit of more of next year, as I have loved experimenting using different media recently.
Thanks for looking, and do pop over to Debby's blog and take a look at her beautiful cards too.

Krafty Christmas Cards and Merry Christmas!

 Here are my last few Christmas cards using the white ink on Kraft card technique, that Deby from Inkylicious has perfected.

I used the Inkylicious snowflake stencil and winter cabin stamp for the first two.

This next one was made with snippets using the Snowy trees stamps from Inkylicious. I used their fluffy puffy stuff for the snow.

This card is a single layer with a border of gilding flake.

Finally we have Meg's Christmas card. The deer, snowy trees and buzzard stamps are all from Inkylicious as is the fluffy puffy stuff.
Well, I am going to have a day of baking, so this will be my last post before boxing day is over. I'd like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you for all of you who follow, comment and keep me inspired with your gorgeous creations. I hope Christmas brings you everything you wish for and 2016 is full of peace, love and happiness for you and yours x

A winter(?) walk

It is over a week since my last post, in fact it is closer to two! Sorry I haven't been around much. I had a couple of migraines and had heaps to finish before the end of term. We broke up on Friday and Meg arrived home that afternoon too. It meant she could come to Karate Class on Friday evening and attend the Christmas Karate seminar on Saturday. With some improvement in the weather on Sunday we grabbed the opportunity to pull on our boots and go for a walk in the woods.

There was autumn-like sunshine, crunching leaves,

 leaves that were just beginning to turn,

 bare trees....

clear skies...

 spring catkins...

 We even saw blackberries in flower! It may have been confusing, but it was a very enjoyable stroll!

 We managed to get almost all the way to the car before that cloud rained on us too.

Thanks for looking! I hope to be back in the next couple of days with some last minute Christmas cards to share.

Creative Stamping Magazine

 

The latest issue of Creative Stamping Magazine is now on sale.  Here are some cards that I made for it using Be creative papers, markers, buttons and gems. If you want to know how I made them there are step by step instructions in the magazine.

 The paper pad is called Time flies, and is perfect for New Year wishes.

Stamping Sensations December Challenge

Good Morning! I hope you are safe, well and not too badly affected by the latest winter storm. It is the first sunday of the month and time for Stamping Sensations last challenge of 2015. This month our theme is Anything goes with a stamp and a ribbon. For my card this month I used a Woodware clear singles stamp, coloured with Be Creative alcohol markers. The papers, border and gems are from Be Creative too. That gorgeous green ribbon is from our sponsors this month, Crafty Ribbons. Take a look at the wonderful prize they have provided!
                           
What a lovely lot of Ribbons and embellishments! There is also a pair of Tickets for the Manchester Hobbycraft Show in  February. 
My  talented teamies have produced some real beauties for the challenge this month, some lovely inspiration for all occasions. Do pop over to the challenge blog and take a look.
Thanks for looking!

The last Rudolf days of 2015!

Well, that sneaked up on me! What a shock to realise that I have forgotten to sort out my post for the last Rudolf days of 2015! It was only when Sensei said there was only a month to Christmas that I twigged! I have been a bit busy doing work related stuff this week and will be next week too, so I'd better get it sorted now!

First are a couple of cards using a technique I saw Deby from Inkylicious demo at Doncaster in October. It involves dusting Kraft card with Memento Luxe white ink through a stencil. All stamps and stencils are from Inkylicious. Deby has a new blog up and running  and you can find it here. There are step by step instructions on there for this technique.
Next are some cards I made using Be creative Alcohol based markers. The first uses a woodware stamp...

The second was a freebie digi from Cuddly Buddly many moons ago, backed on Be Creative Winterland papers...

The third is another made with Teri Sherman's wonderful holly and rosehip wreath from Delicious Doodles.

The fourth is non-traditional colours, another of Teri's images, and a background made with another woodware stamp and Be creative glitter glue

Do pop over to Scrappy Mo's and take a look at the fabulous Christmas creations and join in if you can. Thanks, Mo for a fabulous year of getting me organised with my Christmas cards!
Thanks for looking!

A snippet make and Buster the Squirrel!

Hi There! I realise that it has been over a week since my last post, but I am working on a few things that I will share with you in due course. I thought I would pop on and share a snippet Christmas card and some photos.

 My card has a snippet of vellum and a snippet of green card that have been in my stash forever! The bauble stamp is a very old one from Stampourium (no longer available). I coloured it using be creative markers, then applied some flake and glitter using the be creative glue wand. Here is a close up.

 I'm taking it to Miss Di's snippet playground. Do pop over and join in the fun if you can. I am also entering this into the current challenge at Penny Black and More, which is Anything Christmas.
Now to introduce you to Buster. This may be Cyril, but I renamed him, due to the fact he is pigging out on my bird peanuts and is now enormous!

 As you can see he fills the bird house!

Thanks for looking!

A snippet make

It has been a couple of weeks since I last made it to Miss Di's snippet playground. I seem to be generating more snippets than I am using with DT projects at present! I was putting together some samples for a workshop and decided to try making some faux patchwork with my snippets. these are all from the be creative winterland pad, which is 8x8" and I tend to make 6x6" or 5x7" like this one. The blue card is also a snippet. I am not sure of the make of the stamp as it is on loan and it is cling mounted. It belonged to the lovely Robert from Once upon a Stamp. I feel very honoured to be using it. I coloured it with be Creative alcohol based markers.
I hope everyone enjoyed the playground bonfire party, and are now recovered ;) I'd really love it if there is bonfire toffee left in the treehouse.
Before I go, if there is anyone who is in reach of junction 29 of the M1 and can make it to the Be Creative warehouse on 21st November, I am holding a Christmas colouring workshop 10.30-12.30. It will be a very relaxing session of colouring and creative fun! More details can be found on the Be creative facebook page about price and booking.
Here is a little taster of some of my sample cards

Hoping to encourage some more snippet usage!
I will leave you with a picture of my lovely Grandad. He volunteered for WWII and made it back from Dunkirk after sleeping in a hen house for 3 nights! He carried one of his comrades a couple of miles to the boats too. I like to remember him at this time of year, as much for the lovely wild fruit picking walks we shared as for his heroism.

  Thanks for looking!

Christmas foliage and some autumn photos

Here is a very quick card I made whilst experimenting! I was wondering if I could use the Be Creative glitter glue through a stencil, and look! It worked. I used a cheap and cheerful card blank, and when I try this again I will use something a bit more substantial! However, I did discover that the glitter glue will stand heat, as I ironed it to get it flat again! The Die is a frantic stamper one, and the border and gems are also from Be Creative. This would be a great card to enter into the challenge at Stamping Sensations this month and win the wonderful prize below! It is such a shame I can't enter! Remember you can enter anything Christmassy with a flower/ foliage/ holly/ pine branch/ wreath etc!

I took my Camera when I drove up to Dad's today and stopped for a few minutes on the northern edge of Sherwood forest. There were lovely Autumn colours...

Then I saw this cloud passing over...

 so headed back to the car...

just as it's shadow reached me! By the time I had started the engine, the wipers needed to be on!
Hope you have managed to stay dry today!
Thanks for looking!

A wreath for Christmas

I have been playing with my Be Creative alcohol based markers and a Digi stamp from Delicious Doodles. I love colouring Teri's images, and there is nothing better to colour with than these markers!

 After colouring the image I went round the edge with the Scarlet pen and then mounted onto a 6x6 card. I added a few spots of glitter and then put glossy accents onto the berries...

 Here is a close up. The colouring was done with just nine pens (43, 46, 48, 49, 3, 13, 131, 146 and 182)
When I turned it over to put the glue on I just had to take a photo of the reverse side - sometimes they are just as beautiful as the front! Be Creative products will be at the NEC on stand F15 from tomorrow!

I am entering this into the current challenge at Allsorts where the theme is Christmas. It would be ideal for the current theme at Stamping sensations where there is a wonderful prize on offer - shame I am on the DT, lol!
Thanks for looking!