Non-traditional Christmas Card

Those birdies had better get wearing their protective gear as I am back to killing them two at a time again as I double up or even treble up on challenges!!

The monthly card challenge at the Scrapology blog is to make an unconventional Christmas Card and Enfys's challenge on Going Buggy is to make a Christmas Card in non-traditional colours.

I recently purchased the Tim Holtz Limited Edition Summer set of distress inks and thought they would be great to use for both of these challenges - you don't often see raspberry, turquoise blue and lime green on Christmas cards.  I used a Kanban stamp, stamping it it with Versamark ink and embossing with clear powder before sponging over the three colours randomly.  I then cut out the centre panel and mounted the greeting using Pinflair gel in the middle.  I finished it off with some hot pink organza ribbon and pearls.

I am also entering this card into Penny Black & More at Allsorts, their September challenge is Early Christmas Makes and this is also my card for week 25 of the 52 cards challenge using this sketch.

Amethyst & Pearl Bracelet - September's Monthly Make

Sorry I haven't been doing many blog posts recently - I am a bit bogged down with getting ready for my first fundraiser of the year for Children with Cancer Fund next Monday.  So very little crafting has been happening here apart from making stuff to sell on the stall. 

I did last week take a little break from the fundraiser stuff to make something for the Monthly Make Challenge.  I had a couple of broken amethyst chip bracelets that have been languishing in the bottom of a jewellery box for years.  I decided to give them a new lease of life by turning them into a memory wire bracelet and a pair of earrings - I just needed to add some seed beads and freshwater pearls.

I just love it when you can breathe new life into something old - these are currently my favourite bracelet and earrings at the moment.  And now to think of what to make for October - I might just surprise you all and do something other than jewellery!!

Amanda - Anita's September Class

As always Anita had a really lovely page for our monthly class - this one involved making net flowers, setting light to organza for flowers, misting a doily and using acrylic paint with UTEE.  You can see Anita's class page here and this is my version of it - I left off the rosebuds as I didn't want my page too bulky.

I think the patterned paper used is My Mind's Eye and I used some Cheery Lynn dies for the butterflies.  The title was cut using the BigShot.  Once everything was in place, liberal doses of pink dovecraft glitter glue was added!!

Some close ups of the embellishments -

Thank you Anita for another beautiful class xx

Penny Black Minis

Last weekend the Penny Black blog had a challenge to make mini cards, I quite enjoy working in a smaller size and these are what I made.

I used the Tim Holtz Summer distress inks and Penny Black Social Butterfly, the sentiment is by Personal Impressions.  I am still getting the hang of using these inks.

I also made a quick Christmas card too as I am woefully behind with my cards at the moment.

Happy 49th Wedding Anniversary Mum & Dad

The card challenge for August over at the Scrapology blog is Two's Company - use images of couples, doubles or pairs.  This fitted perfectly with the card that I wanted to make for my parents for their wedding anniversary today.

I used an image from Penny Black T for Transparent set - Touch of Love.  The card was cut with a Go Kreate die and the centre circle was embossed with a Crafts Too heart folder.  The ribbon is seam binding from The Ribbon Girl and the roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

This card is also my week 28 card for the 52 card challenge -the theme was Extravagance.

I coloured the images with Promarkers and added some Glossy Accents to the hearts.

Wonderful Windmill

There are still a couple of days left to take part in My Creative Sketches August challenge.

This was the sketch

And this is my version

I have a bit of a thing about windmills so I was in 7th heaven at the Open Air Museum in Arnhem, as there were loads there - this one was my favourite.  I used Sarah's Cards April kit - Lily Bee 'Buttercup'.

Other supplies -

EK Success double flower punch
Martha Stewart large medallion punch
Cheery Lynn swirl die
Doodlebug alphabet
Sarah's Cards adhesive gemstones

Ribbon Girl Giveaway

Over on The Ribbon Girl Blog they have a wonderful giveaway of some of their new products.

Head over there to find out how you could have a chance to win these lovely goodies

The Husband Creche

Last month Jo gave this sketch to the Sketchy Scrappers on UKS to use for their monthly challenge.

I flipped the sketch over and did this layout -

The girls at the crop came up with the title of The Husband Creche as the photos are of DH who retreated with his laptop to the mezzanine floor at Meadow Barn whilst us ladies crafted downstairs in the main part of the barn.

Supplies used -

Pink Paislee 'Prairie Hill'
Sizzix framelit Star dies and EK Success star border punch
Title - mixture of Lily Bee and Basic Grey alphabet stickers

Buttons and Bows

The challenge this month at Penny Black Saturday Challenge is Buttons and Bows.

This is my first entry for this month and is also my card for Week 32 of the 52 cards challenge, which was a sketch challenge.

And is based on this sketch -

Supplies -

Paper from scraps bag - think it was a magazine freebie
Punch - Martha Stewart border punch
Butterfly punch - Docrafts
Sentiment - Pink Petticoat

Image watercoloured with Derwent watercolour pencils

My month in numbers - August 2012

A bit of a late dash in with my numbers for August - if you don't know what I am rabbiting on about then check out Julie Kirk's My Month in Numbers.

I will start off with the most important numbers for the month which is my countdown to the Marillion convention in the Netherlands next March - only 184 days to go!!!!

And more importantly there are only 5 sleeps left till I see them in Cardiff can you tell that I am so excited!!!!!!!!

My main numbers for August relate to the Olympics - we went Olympic mad in our household and watched hours and hours of the tv coverage - I lost count towards the end but have guestimated that including the opening and closing ceremonies I clocked up over 200 hours of viewing.

We finished 3rd on the medal table with 29 Gold, 17 Silver and 19 Bronze medals - a total of 65.

Just a few photos of some of my many favourite moments

Another busy month of crafting - 7 layouts, 6 bracelets, 19 pairs of earrings, 8 cards, 2 Christmas cards and 6 post it note pad holders.

Once the Olympics were finished I spent 4 nights relaxing at Champney Springs with these 4 lovely ladies

It was a blissful 4 days and after 6 pampering treatments I felt really rejuvenated

So that is a round up of my August - now to start noting down September's numbers.

Dressed to the nines

I'm flying in by the seat of my pants with my entry for August's Scrapology challenge which was N is for Netting.

As always there was a sketch to use -

And this is my take on the sketch -

I used a Sarah's Cards kit - December 2011 Webster's Pages 'All About Me'.  The butterflies were die cut with Cheery Lynn dies and the flowers punched with an EK Success punch.  The journalling boxes were stamped with a Prima stamp and the lace is from The Ribbon Girl.

Photograph is of my parents with my niece Milly on the cruise they did last year on the Black Watch.

Now to get on and start work on this month's challenge - H is for hexagons

52 cards catch up Part 2

Still playing catch up with Natalie's 52 cards challenge, here are a couple more -

Week 30 - Numbers

Stamp - Penny Black
Paper - Basic Grey 'Cupcake'
Sentiment - Woodware
AC Thickers

Week 33 - digital element

Digital stamp - Digistamp Boutique
Paper - Wild Rose Studio
Stampin' Up oval punches
Personal Impressions sentiment

Only another 8 cards to get caught up!!!