Poinsettias for Christmas Card Club

 It's unbelievable how quickly these two weeks pass. It's time for another challenge and this time it is to use poinsettias on our cards.

My Card

Like my card last time this again is slightly smaller than A5. I used the frame from John Next Door's "Jane's Tree". The poinsettias and ivy leaves are also from JND. the sentiment die and the embossed centre are from Creative Expressions.  It came together very quickly but looks fine although difficult to photograph because of the silver mirror card. 

I hope those of you in the UK have enjoyed the few last days of summer we had. Yesterday it rained quite a lot here but I don't mind- it helps to keep my well and water butts topped up. However today was again warm and sunny but I think that might be the last of summer.

Take care and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

 

The Holly and the Ivy

Good morning.  Good morning and I hope you are all well.  I have to admit to feeling not so good this week because I was  diagnosed with shingles at the beginning of the week.  Fortunately I was able to have anti viral medication and am feeling much better than I was but not totally well.  Still, shouldn't be long hopefully.

Recently I spent a week at my nephew's house in north Yorkshire, near Richmond, dog sitting whilst they went off on holiday.  The weather was lovely and so it was a holiday for me too.  Originally John was coming with me but then he got engrossed in an engineering project so I decided I would go on my own.  In fact it meant I could go off and do my own thing without wondering if John would rather be doing something else.  I was able to visit and spend some time with  my brothers too.

I also visited the Crafter's Companion store in Newton Aycliffe and they had John Lockwood's Christmas collection in stock.  It would have been rude not to buy some of them wouldn't it? I hadn't intended to spend much time in the shop because I had Molly in the car and there wasn't much shade.  However, I hadn't realised they are a pet friendly store and encouraged me to bring Molly inside.  She absolutely loved it!  A huge space for her to wander and sniff (as dogs do!)  and everybody, both customers and staff, made a huge fuss of her.  She's a pretty little Yorkshire terrier who was actually my late sister's dog but Darren "adopted" her after his mum passed away last year. She was in her element and quite reluctant to leave.

My Card

Recipe

A5 base card -  green cardstock from stash
white cardstock - Anna Marie Designs
gold mirri card - Crafter's Companion
gold glitter card - Crafter's Companion
Poinsettia - JND stamps and die set.
Holly Ivy and frame - JND
Falling snow e/f - Creative Expressions

Very easily put together. Inked through the die and then added a little ink to to the leaves in the sentiment die. Unfortunately the photograph is not very good and none of the embossing shows up well.The small ivy sprays are very useful and don't overpower the card.  I have since changed the pearly centres of the poinsettias for larger ones which look much better.

We were hoping for more rain yesterday so that we could test out the new rainwater harvesting system John installed over the summer ( the project I talked about earlier) and check that all the pipes and valves were working okay and not leaking.  As soon as we know that it's okay the insulation can be added and it can be covered over ready for winter. Forecast was for rain, but we had about ten minutes of very light drizzly rain and that was it.

Well I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Take care.

Carol Singing for the Christmas Card Club

Good morning.  These two weeks soon come around.  This time Margaret has chosen our theme which is Christmas Choir or Carol Singing.

My Card

Recipe

5" x 7" base card 

blue cardstock - Limetree Craft

image - In The Lamplight LOTV

Falling Snow e/f - Creative Expressions

Lacey Circles dies - Spellbinders

Sentiment stamp - Little Claire

Another simple card.  This year, except for the special cards for family and friends, I am trying to keep my cards simple - and flat as far as possible, although I did raise the topper with foam pads this time.

This Simply Print image from LOTV is one of my favourites. It always reminds me of my sister and I when we were children.  I always had long hair whereas Jeanie's was short and mine was  much fairer than hers. And we were always singing, both together and in a choir. Alas, memories are all I have now sadly, but they cannot be taken away.

This card is not due until tomorrow but as usual I am posting early to avoid clashing with a DT card on Sunday.  

Well we finally had some rain yesterday evening - all three drops of it ... lol ! 😀 😁  It's like the Sahara Desert.  I'm sure it will come eventually - I've been doing my rain dance every day but not worked so far.

We had a lovely day out yesterday with WI when we went to Marlow and Henley on Thames. We decided on a boat trip on the Thames at Henley assuming it would be cooler on the river but not so. But it was a great day all round with lots of laughs.

Well that's it for today.  Enjoy your weekend.

Take care.

Christmas Gifts at Winter Wonderland

Good morning.  Time for a new challenge at Winter Wonderland.  The theme this time was chosen by Hazel and she wants to see a gift or gifts on your project.

We are sponsored by LeAnns World 101. The prize on offer is two digi images so why not pop across to the blog and see what the other members of the Snowflakes Team have made and you may be inspired to join in our challenge.

Don't forget that we are Christmas challenge only so your card, or other project, needs to be associated with the festive season.

My Card

 outside of card

 inside card

card when opened

Recipe

white card stock - Anna Marie Designs

patterned card - Special Delivery by Helz Cuppleditch

green card - Hunkdory

sponsor's digi image - Santa's Helper

sentiment stamp - Little Claire Designs
Falling Snow e/f - Creative Expressions

Petite scalloped circles - Spellbinders

Promarkers to colour

I have been playing around with some new card folds this week and this is the first one which is called a double fold triangle and I found it on Split Coast Stampers.  Not the easiest to photograph I'm afraid but I think you'll get the idea.

You start off with a piece of cardstock 8.5" x 11" and you can get two cards from this one piece. The finished card is 5.5" x 4.5" but I think sometimes it is nice to have some smaller cards.

Just a quick post today but I hope everybody is well and still enjoying this fine spell of weather.

Take care.

Christmas Card Club - Fairies or Angels

Good morning.  Just a very quick post from this morning. I totally forgot that this weekend was the  time for the girls in our little club to produce another card in the quest for less panic nearer to Christmas itself. Instead I had a spot of panic in February ... lol! However, I managed to quickly put something together this morning.  This time GranMargaret is our host and therefore the choice of theme is hers too.

My Card

Sorry for the bad picture but it is snowing quite hard here and the light is awful.  The flash has produced a pinkish tinge somehow.  If it brightens up later then I might try again.

This is a 6" square card using some bits out of my box.  The fairy was already mounted onto the Spellbinders die, the sentiment was again already mounted and the ivy spray was there too so I just added some glitter to the image and used Creative Expressions "Falling Snow" embossing folder for matting.

Hope you are all well and keeping warm and dry.

Take care.

Entered into:
Crafty Calendar Challenge

Sentiment as Focus for CCC

Good morning.  Well, it's actually extremely chilly here and we have had frost the past two mornings. Our property is quite high and we get more frost and snow than the villages around us. It's a wee bit early for this as far as I'm concerned!  I hope you all remembered to turn back your clocks at 2 o'clock this morning.  I don't want to find out any of you cheated and did it before you went to bed ... lol!

These two weeks just zoom by so quickly and it's time for a challenge in our Christmas Card Club. Sylvie has asked us to use the sentiment as the focal point of our cards this time.   This suits me down to the ground because that is my favourite form of card.  I'd be quite happy to never use images on my cards and just settle for sentiments, quotes, poems etc.

My Card

 

Recipe

white cardstock - Hobbycraft

glitter card - stash

Sparkles Flakes e/f - Creative Expressions

labels 10 - Spellbinders

snowflakes - Marianne and Spellbinders

sentiment - Pink Petticoat (closed down)

 



This is a lovely embossing folder but quite an unusual size. The folder measures 19 cms x 145 cms, which is approximately 5.75 ins x just less than 7.75 ins. I trimmed it slightly to make my finished card  6" x 7.75". Very odd size.

 

Well that's it from me today.

 

Take care.

 

 

Entered into: Rudolf Days Challenge

 

Non Traditional Colours.

Good morning.  Time again for our Christmas Card Club.  Two weeks certainly shoot round!  Today Carol is hosting the challenge and she wants to see non traditional colours. I rarely use pink at Christmas so I decided that was the colour to use this time.

My Card 

 

 

Recipe

62 square white base card - Rymans

Pink card stock - old stash

Pierced Noble square dies - Sue Wilson

Stitched Flags - Sue Wilson

Snowflake tree die - Britannia

Falling Snow e/f - Sue Wilson

pearls - The Hobby House

Sentiment - computer generated

 

 

A very CAS and almost flat card. I added the sentiment flag with foam pads to give just a little dimension and that was it.  Job done.



The weather has been quite good this week and the weekend is set to be good too in most places.    I'm sorry if you are in the areas that are due for hurricane-type conditions.  And poor Cumbria is taking a battering with the rain again. I have managed to get quite a bit of walking done this week. I've gone with the walking instead of my usual cycling because I have a problem with my left thumb and it is causing a lot of pain when trying to change gear. Sometimes it is so painful that I can't change back up when I have been in a low gear.  Hopefully by resting it for a few weeks it will improve.  The joys of arthritis ... lol.

 

Enjoy the weekend and I will be back again tomorrow.

 

Take care.

 

 Entering :
Think Pink
 

 



Penguins and Glitter For CCC

Good morning to you all.  It's time for a card for the Christmas Card Club.  Kate has chosen our theme and she wants to see penguins and lots of glitter!

My Cards

 

 

Recipe

5" x 7"  base card - Papermania

white card stock - Hobbycraft

blue card stock - Jelly Bean Crafts

Falling Snow e/f - Creative Expressions

Snowflake die - Spellbinders Create a Flake

Image - Greeting Cards Factory

Sentiment - computer generated

Diamond Dust glitter

 

 

 

Recipe

5" x 7" base card - Papermania

blue glitter card

blue cardstock - Rymans

white cardstock - Rymans

image - Greetings Card Factory

silver glitter snowflakes - X Cut punch

 

Sorry about the glare on the glitter card. Thanks for a great challenge Kate and that's two more cards ticked off the list now.  Christmas is creeping ever nearer ... lol!  If you would like to see what the rest of the group have made you will find their details in my sidebar.

 

Take care and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

 

 





Recycling

Good morning. Yes I'm back again - three days in a row.  This time it's my DT card for International Art and Soul.  We are a "Just For Fun" challenge, but we do have some lovely badges for the winner and the Top 3. The challenge this time was to recycle. Every year after Christmas I put to one side those cards which are just too nice to just dump and I vow I will do something with them yet rarely do.  Anyway, this time I have! The large snowflake with it's little metal charm dangling in the centre came up trumps!

My Card

Recipe

7" square basecard - Anna Marie Designs

silver card - from stash

Snowflake Lattice e/f - Sue Wilson

snowflake punch - Woodware

I decided to keep it CAS and it worked well. I managed to stop myself adding things!  It's so easy to think I'll just put this on, then something else and on it goes....!  The snowflake is so sparkly that I punched the snowflakes from silver glitter card.

Please pop over to the blog to see what the rest of the DT have come up with and maybe you will be inspired to join in.

Take care and enjoy what remains of the weekend!

Entered into :

http://12monthsofchristmaslinkup.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/challenge-26-optional-themeholiday.html

MAWTT - Anything Goes With Christmas

Good morning from a very blustery wet Oxfordshire.  It is time for another challenge at Moving Along With The Times.  It was my turn to choose the theme so I made it an extremely easy one as you can see.

Before I go any further we are looking for two new members to join our design teams. You would have to create a card once a month and make comments for two weeks.  If you are interested please contact Wendy - you will find her contact details in the sidebar of the MAWTT blog.

My Card

Recipe

6" square base card - Dovecraft

white cardstock - Rymans

 Snowflake Corner die - Memory Box

Falling Snow e/f  - Creative Expressions

image - a Ruth Moorehead topper

Sorry I have been absent so much lately but I have been very busy with WI stuff.  This evening we are holding a Craft Fayre in the village hall. We are having a WI produce stall selling cake, jams etc, and I am having a stall but we have also booked another 20 + stalls so this afternoon is going to be very busy getting the hall set up etc. Also serving tea, coffee and mince pies.  I think I will be very glad to get home tonight.  Probably need a large G&T!!

We are also off to the Victorian Christmas Market in Worcester tomorrow so that should be fun.

Well that's it for me today.  Take care and keep warm!

Baubles For Christmas Card Club

Good morning.  I am a couple of days late with my Christmas Card Club entry this week, and usually I am a day early.  My excuse, well it's a reason not an excuse, is that my nephew and his children were here for five days and I did no crafting while they were here.  But we did have a super time.

This time Margaret has asked us to use baubles on our cards - very Christmas-y.

My Cards

Recipe

5 x 7" base card

green card stock from stash

Frosty Swirls embossing folder - Creative Expressions

Noble Double Pierced Rectangles - Creative Expressions

Baubles image - LOTV

Sentiment stamp - not sure which company

Recipe

5 x 7" base card

red and silver card from stash

Snowflake Lattice embossing folder - Creative Expressions

Precious Ornaments dies - Memory Box

Baubles brass stencil - Sweet Poppy

sentiment - computer generated

red gems - Hobbycraft

Both cards very easy to put together. I hadn't planned on two cards but after making the first one I found the silver glittered stencils in my snippets box already mounted on silver mirri so I decided to have a go at another card.  Not a roaring success but not too bad.

Hope all is well with you. Take care.

Snow Angel

Good morning.  It's time for another challenge at Winter Wonderland and the theme, chosen by Anet, is "Snow Much Fun - things to do in the snow". The alternate theme is to add three embellishments.  That means you can use either theme, or even combine the two.  Mine actually combines the two - although if I'm honest that was by chance rather than design.  When I had finished my card I realised that I had added pearls, a snowflake and a row of icicles.  Anyway, I'm sure you will be able to make a card to fit - but remember Christmas Cards Only. 

My Card

Recipe

6" square base card - cardstock from the Range

 Papers - LOTV "Snow Princess"

purple pearl card - Hunkydory Adorable Scorable

Embossing folder - Snowflake Lattice Creative Expressions

Image - "Snow Angel" from The Paper Shelter

Icicle die - Joy!Crafts

Sentimetn - computer generated

Pearls - Hobby House

Snowflake - was already die cut in my box so not sure which it is

Promarkers to colour

 We are sponsored this time by Crafts U Love who are offering £10 to spend instore.

Hope this finds you all well. This post is sceduled because I am off to the NEC today  I was given a complimentary ticket so I thought I would go and see what this new show is like. The emphasis is on Stitching and Sewing I think.  None of the usual papercraft/stamping companies.

Well that's all from me so take care.

Get Creative Challenges - Holidays

Good morning.  I'm here with my DT card for Get Creative where the theme is Holidays.  Our sponsor is Sami Stamps and the image I have used is "Waiting For Santa."  At least this is one house where Santa will arrive safely since the fireplace is totally empty ... lol!

My Card

Recipe

5" x 7" card base made from Hobbycraft card stock

Red cardstock for matting - Rymans

Snowflake lattice embossing folder - Sue Wilson

Poinsettias - Wild Orchid Crafts

Pearls from Stash

Sentiment - Polkadoodles

Promarkers to colour,

Another practically flat card for posting which is always a bonus.  Please pop across to the challenge blog and check out the cards made by the rest of the DT.

Well that's it from me for today.  Take care.

I am entering this card into Rudolph Days

MAWTT - My Favourite Things

Good morning to you all and I hope this finds you well.

Mrs Duck is the host for  MAWTT  this week and her challenge is to use something from a song from one of my favourite films of all times.  Have you guessed that the song she has chosen is:

"My Favourite Things"?  

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,

Brown paper packages tied up with string

These are a few of my favourite things.

Cream coloured ponies and crisp apple streudles,

Doorbells and sleighbells and shnitzel with noodles,

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wing

These are a few of my favourite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes,

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,

Silver white winters that melt into spring,

These are a few of my favourite things.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings,

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favourite things

And then I don't feel so bad.!

Now I can hear you all singing along with me and there is so much choice that we would love you to play along with us. I am so far behind with my Christmas cards that I just had to choose "Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes". A tad boring I admit but needs must I'm afraid.!

My Card

Recipe

5" x 7" white base card

Red card stock - Rymans

White card stock - Hobbycraft

LOTV topper

Snowflake lattice embossing folder - Creative Expressions

Snowflake dies - Spellbinders Create a Flake Five

Sentiment stamp - Dreemies

Pearls from stash

And of course it wouldn't be a Christmas card without glitter!

Well that's it from me but I'll be back at the weekend.

Take care and have a good day.

Christmas Card Club # 10 - Village Scene

Good morning to all my friends and anybody who has just dropped by. Hope everybody is keeping well.  It is more like April than May we are having so many heavy showers.

Another two weeks have passed and  it is Rita's turn to choose our topic for the Christmas Card Club, which is to depict a Village Scene.  When I first started card making, seems so long ago, I bought two Christmas stamps and this is one of them.  I really love them both.  They were made by an American company called PSX which no longer exists.  I have a number of other PSX stamps and they are fabulous - so detailed and deeply etched rubber.

My Card

inside card

Recipe

Blue Sapphire pearlescent card - Brothersleep

Village rubber stamp - PSX

Sentiment rubber stamp - Stampendous (also very old)

Snowflake Lattice e/f - Sue Wilson

Auvergne & Provence dies - Sue Wilson

I cut my base card and folded it to 5" x 7".  I inserted the front into the embossing folder and then inserted the inside and embossed it so that I would get the embossed side on both parts, rather than a de-bossed inner. After stamping the image in French Navy Fabrico ink I used lashings of Twinklets Diamond Dust to make it very icy. All it needed than was die cutting some of the blue and white card to frame the image.  I added some pearlescent snowflake peel offs for a little more sparkle. Well, it's Christmas!!!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, particularly those of you who are still at work - these days are so precious!

Take care!