Show me a Snowman

Hi everyone, welcome to my blog.

It being the beginning of the month over at Sparkles Chrismas Challenges

it is time for our new monthly challenge. It was my time to choose,

I so love snowmen, stamps, images and even in real life so, no surprise

Show Me A Snowman

is the challenge for October. Please pop and check out the wonderful

inspirational creations by the Design Team.

For my card, rather than stamping a card as I normally do, I decided to

create my card using a CD, to hopefully encourage newbies or 

experienced card makers who like to use CDs. Many of us do.

So for my card - all the papers and decouaged images were

printed from a La Pashe CD - The Best of 2012.

Additional elements are labels stamped with LOTV Christmas Tags.

Die Cut of Merry Christmas - a freebie with a magazine. 

Card Candi - and of course a Glue pen and lots of glitter. 

A Shaped Christmas Card

Hi, welcome to my blog, I hope you enjoy your visit.

Today is the beginning of the monthly Christmas challenge blog

Sparkles Christmas.

Helen has chosen for us 

A Shaped Christmas Card. 

There are some amazing creations from the team, please pop

over to the blog to check them out. 

I chose a bought shaped card, I added layers of silver mirri paper

with some beautiful snowflake and Christmas greeting papers from a CD -

Dreamees - Simply Christmas.

The image is The Perfect Snowman - from LOTV. 

Coloured with Promarkers. Lots of silvery glitter added 

The greeting labels are also from LOTV. 

*************

An Easel Card

Starting today over on Cardz 4 Guyz for one week the challenge is An Easel Card. For athose not sure on how to make one, there is a link to a tutorial on You tube or alternatively you could search for Pinterest and find a tutorial on there. They really are easy to make and make such a different type of card. Please pop over to the blog to check out the amazing inspiration from the Design Team,  for two of them this was a first attempt, so well done ladies. Accepting challenges is what challenge blogs are all about.  For my card, I was challenged by a member of my class with a stamp she had recently bought and needed ideas on how to make a card - result is my card for this challenge.  This card will be perfect for my 18 yr old grandson, I think it says a lot!! The papers are from a Dovecraft pack - The 12 Days of Christmas - the stamp, apologies I forgot to get the details, I believe it is an American stamp. Have fun, I hope you find inspiration to give it a go. 

Santa

The Christmas cards are appearing everywhere now, we are hoping to see a lot more this week at

My Time To Craft because our theme is Santa, yes, the wonderful guy who visits our children of all ages, once a year. I greatly enjoy Zentangling, so this stamp from Woodware with the word Santa was the perfect choice and excuse for me to play. Zentangling is not difficult, best described as 'doodling for adults'. The background card is stamped with Ho Ho Ho from the same stamp set. Glitter has been added to the hat. Hope you enjoy the challenge, I'm looking forward to seeing lots of Santas over the next week. Have fun. 

R is for Round or Rectangle

Alphabet Challenge's theme this week was chosen by me, so I hope you enjoy it. For the letter R - I have chosen Round or Rectangle, easy one isn't it?    Why don't you pop over to the main blog and see my team buddies wonderful creations.  I was inspired by a crafting friend Viv Howe with her card, to Zentangle  into this Woodware Snow stamp. The best description of Zentangling I have heard is ' doodling for grown -ups'. It is so relaxing, nothing is regimental or required, you have the freedom to do what you will. I stamped the background card with a small snowflake stamp.  I added glitter onto the snowflakes and around the edges of the Snow panel, I'm hoping it will show when you click for a close up. Have fun and enjoy playing with either a Round or Rectangle project. 

For a Child

Here we are at the beginning of another month and time for the monthly challenge
Sparkles Christmas Challenges. For October we challenge you to make a project For A Child. Please pop over to the main blog where he team have produced some fabulous inspiration for you. My card is made up of layers of Papermania Christmas papers, the main image is a stamp from Walter and Winnie Designs, coloured with Promarkers. A little glitter added for the snow, can't have a Christmas card without a little glitter can we? I hope this card is bright and cheerful for any child to enjoy.

We are delighted to be sponsored by 

with a great prize of either 1 stamp & 1 die or 2 dies for 1 lucky winner

White on White -Christmas Card

Hello again, this week at My Time To Craft we are challenging you to make a Christmas card, which must be White on White, your image can be coloured, but please check out the blog to see the requirements and the inspirational projects from the Design Team. I was inspired myself from a similar card I saw on Pinterest, this being my own design. The card is 6 x 4 inches, the banner is silver mirri card, matted with a strip of embossed card, I used an embossing folder called Christmas Vines. I heat embossed onto vellum with Versamark and Stampendous detail White powder, using a beautiful new set of flowers from Honey Doo Designs, the branch of leaves from Chloe Stamps. Have fun and be happy. 

Christmas In July

Hello again, my second posting today. This will be my 40th Christmas card ready for this year. For the next month we at Sparkles Monthly would like to see you create 'Christmas in July'.  For my card, I decided on a  Clean and Simple style. Main body of card, is a bought scalloped card.  First layer is mirri silver card.
Second layer is a sheet from a Papaermania pack of Chritmas papers. Third layer white card - Decorated - Inigigo Blu stamp - Frosted Baubles and Paperartsy greeting stamp from Egg and Nog #3 set - both stamped with Versamark, embossed with Silver Bells Wow Powder. A light dusting of Festive Berries DI from TH. Sakura Glaze pens to colour the baubles, leaves and berries. I am looking forward to visiting you during the 'Christmas in July' during the next month. We are again delighted to be sponsored  by Marianne Designs.

Prize to be either 2 Dies or 1 Die and 1 stamp.

Good Luck. 

A Winter Scene

Hello everyone, this is my first month as a member of the Design Team at  Sparkles Christmas Challenges monthly challenges, I am thrilled to be here. I totally love Christmas, it has always been a very special time of the year for me. It all happens far too quickly, but it is so nice to be able to enjoy the slow exciting build up throughout the year, with the Sparkle Christmas challenges. I am so much looking forward to lots of happy , thrilling months ahead.  This months challenge is A Winter's Scene, I have used a digi image from 'The Best of Just Inklined 2012' CD  from La Pashe. I die cut the image with a Go Kreate die to form the frame. Coloured with Promarkers and a little watercolouring here and there. Glamour Dust glitter was sprinkled over all of the snow areas.  Background papers and sentiment tags are from LOTV, the rose and holly leaves are from old stash. I will enjoy visiting your entries over the next month, have fun everyone, just think you will have one more card marked off your Christmas list,  after this challenge. You may also be the lucky one to win the prize offered by our sponsor for the winning entry. Thanks go to

Prize on offer from our sponsor is

2 dies or 1 die and 1 stamp.

Entered into Crazy Hazelnut's Christmas Monthly Extra - Anything Goes

The Squirrel and the Fox - Christmas in July

Christmas in June

I know, Christmas in June,  I hear you say. Then again why not? So here we go at My Time To Craft  for the next two weeks, yes for the summer we are going fortnightly, our theme is Chistmas in June. Please pop over to the blog to see the wonderful inspiration from the Design Team.  Have fun everyone and go on, dig out the Christmas Card making box. For my card, I used paper from Papermania Festive Spots and Stripes pack. A Doily, ivy leaves, paper roses, white lace and green ribbon with a diamante ribbon slider. Greetings labels from LOTV  - Set 32 Christmas Sentiment Tags, I love them, I guess they will be on every Christmas card I make this year. The image is of course LOTV - A Christmas Dance, coloured with Promarkers, a Quickie  glue pen, with Glamour Dust sprinkled for her fur trims and the snow. I am looking forward to visiting you to see your early Christmas cards. Have fun and stay well. 

Christmas - Sketch

I was thrilled to have been awarded an Honourable Mention recently at 52 (Christmas) Throwdown, so here I am back again, with another of thier challenges. This one is for a sketch, I find sketches very inspirational, more so, because they guide me to create in ways I wouldn't normally, and that is what I need now and again, to be thrown out of my comfort zone. Here is there sketch but I advice you pop over to their blog to see the fabulous DT inspirations.

Materials I used....

Papers from a Fizzy Moon Christmas Papers Pad 

LOTV - Stamp - Delivering Presents- Christmas Tags - Set 32 

Merry Christmas  Stamp - Paperartsy.  - Blue and white twine.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges and thank the Design Teams for their inspiration.

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge #180 - For a Child

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes

Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes - Christmas

Scribble and Scrap - Anything Goes
Sentimental Sundays - Anything Goes

Christmas Shopping

Over at Winter Wonderland they are looking for projects entitled ' Christmas Shopping' , a perfect opportunity to use my newest Christmas stamp, I tell myself every January, 'I don't NEED to  EVER buy another Christmas stamp!' Then along comes another stamp you simply MUST have, no matter how many you have, you NEED this one. From LOTV , during my visit to their 10th birthday celebration, Penguin Present somehow fell into my basket. Isn't he just adorable?

 ( Not as far as I planned, in my mission to make at least two Christmas cards a week, this being # 32)

Materials used

LOTV Frosty Christmas Papers  - Penguin Presents stamp - greetings and labels

Promarkers to colour A dash of Dovecraft glitter glue 

Fancy bobble ribbon from stash. 

I am also entering my card into

 Christmas Stampin All Year Round - Anything Goes.

52 (Christmas) Throwdown Cards - Stash Challenge - Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue.

Something Old - The Bobble ribbon - Something New - Penguin Presents stamp, Borrowed - the round LOTV greeting from a friend, and blue, Light application and edging all round the paper pieces of blue. 

Scribble and Scrap - Anything Goes
Sparkles Christmas Challenges - Hat,  Scarf and Mittens - only managed the scarf, but he is so cute.

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenges Extra - Anything (Christmas) goes every month.

White on White for Christmas

At My Time To Craft this week is for the last minute cards you may be needing. White on White - Christmas except for the main image which may be   coloured. . I made a landscape C6 card that is in the UK a 6 inches wide by 4 inches deep, I know this size varies a lot in the US. 

Dry Embossed Snowflakes from Papermania - Background

Marianne Die - Flourish and Rolled up flowers

Dreamees - Sentiment Stamp

Main Image - From my stash - unsure of make. 

Punches and or Dies

At Fan-Tastic Challenges where you must be Square, we are this week challenging you to Anything Goes but you need to use some punches or dies or both. I just love this stamp from Crafty Sentiments, I so think she looks like a lady who appears regularly on Create and Craft. I greatly enjoyed watching the programme with Lynda from Crafting Creative World (Cupcake Designs) with the new CD Here Come the Girls, which is now at the top of my wish list (please Santa drop a few money notes down my chimney pot). 

Stamp - Crafty Sentiments - Jasmin  - Cheers

Distress Ink Fire Brick Red

Papers from Fizzy Moon Christmas Pad

Marianne Dies

Woodware Flower Punch

Dreamees Sentiment Stamp

Anything but a Card

Can't believe it is the 15th of the month already and here we are Sparkles Monthly back again with another challenge for you. Of course we are still all in the throngs of Christmas preparations or if well planned which I am not, everything is ready waiting for the big day. Our challenge is Anything BUT a Card, there is so much we can make, the design team have some wonderful ideas, please do pop over to see them. At a recent class we again decorated candles, the ladies do enjoy this technique. Please click on the picture, it will enlarge for more a more detailed close up. The stamps used above are
Left LOTV - Ornaments    Centre - I believe from Chocolate Baroque  - Right - Stamps Away
All gently coloured onto tissue paper with Promarkers. Melted onto the candle.
Sorry about the dirty mark on the left side, it is a shadow, the candle is actually clean (thanks goodness).

Christmas Birds

It's getting so close to Christmas, you've probably sent all of your cards out so hopefully you took some pics before they all went in the post,  for at My Time to Craft this week we are challenging you to make a project with Christmas Birds, basically any birds will do as long as they are Christmas orientated with a Christmas design. I used background paper from a Fizzy Moon paper pad. The stamp - Owls Christmas is from Crafter's Companions Mulberry Woods Designs. The sentiment is from LOTV.  Have fun everyone, looking forward to visiting your blog. 

Add Some Sparkle

This week at Fan-Tastic Tuesday we are being challenged to ~Add Some Sparkle, a nice choice for a few weeks left to Christmas, here is another of my Christmas cards with Tulip and friends from Papermania/Do Crafts. I added lots of crystal Glamour Dust to the cake and holly, I am hoping you will see it if you enlarge the image. have fun everyone, remember our one and only main rule is ' It must be square - for it is Hip to be Square'. 

Cute and Cuddly Christmas (Animals)

Time already for My Time To Craft the challenge this week is Cute and Cuddly Christmas with Animals.

I know a Teddy bear isn't exactly politically correct, it not being an animal but who is going to slap my wrists for this faux par? I simply couldn't resist the cuteness of the image along with the papers from La Pashe The Best of 2012 CD. I added some embossed mirri card and red jewels to embellish. The lower sentiment is from LOTV. Have fun with the challenge, looking forward to visiting your blogs. 

V is for Vellum

Here we are at Alphabet Challenge up to letter V. Avril has chosen Vellum. The piece of Vellum I have used is from a pack I bought forever ago from QVC when they used to do craft well. I only have pieces left now, but I know I will use them one day. I also stamped three baubles from a Paperartsy stamp set, embossed with silver embossing powder. Strung them on silver thread. I made the added  bows. The vellum is positioned on the card with two punch holes at the side tied through with the ribbon and under the baubles with 3D foam which doesn't show. Have fun playing with your Vellum, there are so many ways it can be used. Looking forward to popping onto your blogs. 

CAS at Fan-Tastic Challenges

At Fan-Tastic  Tuesday Challenges where it is Hip to be Square - we are going Clean and Simple. I have used a Dreamees stamp of a Christmas Tree. I was so pleased to see the mother and daughter duo on Create and Craft last week and have just read they will be on again during the first week in December. I stamped onto green card with Versamark and heat embossed with gold powder. Added a few red gems to decorate. I am sorry about the lack of light, this was taken early one morning but the light is not good at this time of the year. I look forward to seeing your CAS - Clean and Simple works of art- remember they must be Square.