Christmas and Autumn

Saturday means a new challenge at Allsorts and this week it's yours truly's turn to host the challenge and I have come up with a Christmas colour theme - Gold and Cream with a hint of red.

I used so many stamps and embellis on this one that I'm not even going to start to list them, but I really did enjoy making this one. As you might imagine it's quite large, like 12 inches square so I have passed it along to Stampalot as a sample card as I think it's a bit big for general Christmas giving. This creation is also for the following challenges:

Glitterbabes - Anything goes

Fussy and Fancy - Winter Wonderland

Stampavie - Christmas

Totally Papercrafts - Bling it on

My great teamie Fliss has chosen the theme of Autumn at Polkadoodles this week so of course I loved making this one. I used the yummy Autumn section of the new Sundae of Seasons CD - I think all the DT are in love with this CD - acorns and leaves all re-sized and cut out to decoupage, a frame made with a Nesite using papers from the same collection and flower the same paper using my tattered floral die and liberally spritzed with glimmer mist. This card is also for the following challenge:

Crafty Creations - Halloween or Autumn

Puppies at last.........

Dainty Lily left, Daisy the hunk right

Happy Thursday all....................just updated to add a couple of pictures I manages to snap of the girls just now...............a rare moment with them both sitting still and together.

Another week seems to be whizzing by, but at least I am all ready for Saturday and have finished my NEC samples and they are safely delivered and off my desk.

Two shares today. The first one using yet another new Molly Harrison fairy stamps from Crafts and Me called Wonderland and a matching envibox which you can but from ??? (link on my sidebar). The My Minds Eye DP is really old but beautifully glittery and I used that as the colour source of my card. I stamped the image with Memento black and masked, then brayered with Big and Juicy spice.....the colours not too good, I think I am due a new one, but not bad going, I must have had it two years and it gets well used. I coloured the image with the same ink pad and Copics, glittered the wings and flowers, a border punched with Martha Stewart cornice edger, flowers and some punched leaves. I stamp the envibox with Inkadinkado 98702 and coloured with the same inks and Copics. This card is for the following challenges:

ABC - G for Glitter

Simon Says - Punch Em

Charizma Cardz - Match Master

My second card uses Magenta 42047M Floral Silhouette as the main images, stamped with versafine imperial purple and embossed with detail clear. I stamped this onto a block created by masking and spritzing with Glimmer Mist fully purple, lilac fields and pearl. The sentiment is a Hero one, but no code I'm afraid. This card is for the following challenges:

Fab and Funky - Clean and Simple

Creative Cottage - Dry or wet Embossing

CRAFT - Monotone

Winners.........

Good Morning peeps, I've just done the draw for my candy and am so pleased to announce that Mr Random Org has selected:

Lynda

Plus..................................... a couple of little extra prize go to:

Boryana

(update 2/11/10 this winner did not make contact so re-drawn)

Hazeyj

Congratulations to you all , please mail me brenda@ibas.co.uk with your full postal addy's so I can get you goodies off to you.

I have another super prize that I will be posting later today and this time you even get to choose what you win, so watch this space.

The NEC looms and Molly Blooms

A day off work to get some last minute NEC samples finished and final preps for an all day class at Sir Stampalot on Saturday, so an early post before I get stuck in.

I can't share any of that work yet, but I do have a some shares. My first card uses three of the super Molly Blooms stamps available from Stampalot. This little fellow always reminds me of Billy Bunter who I have vague recollections of from my childhood....showing my age here. I Stamped and masked the little boy, then stamped the wall with versafine black and embossed with detail clear, then coloured with Copics. I cut some green bazzil to make a grass border and decoupaged some stamped and coloured toadstools. This card is for the following challenges:

Midnight Madness - Sketch

Cards for men - Anything Goes (male of course)

The second another really quick and simple card using Penny Black 3074K Hello Sunshine inked with Tim Holtz barn door and olive and spritzed with water before stamping onto a piece of grid pattern Basic Grey DP. I highlighted some of the image with a versamark pen and embossed with detail gold. The torn edges are also embossed with the same powder. I stamped the leading edge of the card with Penny Black 2410K Penmanship and added some lace and cord. This card is for the following challenges:

Everybody Art - Photo Inspiration

Craft your Passion - Glitter and Sparkle (the ribbon is really glittery and the flowers are highlighted with gold, but hard to show on photo)

Papertake Weekly - Sparkly and Bright (as above)

My last share is an easel card created with a Marianne stencil and circles cut from K&Co DP with Nesties. I stamped the background of the main piece with Hero Arts H2365 Old French Writing using Tim Holtz sage, then inked Hero F5075 Sparkle Poinsettia with TH fired brick and spritzed with water before stamping. I added gold liquid pearls to the flower stamens and a sentiment to the base. Again, a nice quick card and ideal if you have a bundle to make. This is for the following challenges:

The Crafty Pad - Christmas
A Spoonful of Sugar - Lets get punchy

Creative Card Crew - Lets punch it

Going spotty

We are going all dotty and stripey at Allsorts this week where Debs is hosting the theme.

I have used this sweet little girl Penny Black 40-027 Warmest Wishes, coloured with Aquamarkers and decoupaged with three layers. The sentiment is Penny Black 4116H, the DP My Minds Eye and the swirls are a Marianne die. This card is also for the following challenge:

Lots to Do - Easel or shaped card

Challenge up your Life - Easel card

Enfys would like us to welcome a new baby at Polkadoodles this week, so another opportunity to use another of the elements from the great new CD Sundae of Seasons. I love this cute little bear which I printed our several time to decoupage. Papers from the same CD, Martha Stewart punched border and corner and sentiment again from the CD. This card is also for the following challenge:

Paper Sundaes - For someone little

And my final share of the day uses one of the new stamps from Sweet Pea The Silentness. I stamped her with Memento black, masked her then brayered..........it occurred to me that I mask moons and suns so often, why not add a few stars as well, so this is what I did on this one using Big and Juicy hydrangea. I coloured the image with Copics, glittered the fairy wings and stars, added some swirls cut on a TH big die, a flower made from the same Daisy Bucket DP and pearls and ribbon to embellish. This card is for the following challenges:

Sweet Pea - Easel card

Colour Create - Purple, aqua and white

Flutterby Wednesdays - Open them (with wings of course)

Secret Crafter - Manga style (Is this Manga style ? - Hands up, I'm not sure girls)

Quick and easy Christmas

Hello everyone.

Is it cold your way ? We had frost the last two nights and it suddenly feels like winters close. I guess as November is only ten days away it is almost winter, I just like to hand on to the idea that we might still get some decent Autumnal days and all those gorgeous colours that seems to be evading us around here.

A really quick couple of shares. The first card above following a really great sketch, one I will definitely use again........in fact I made it up in two colourways, but can't share the other for a bit yet. The DP is Cosmo Cricket, nicely roughed up round the edges and a main image using Penny Black 3768K Christmas Montage, inked with TH inks and Marvy pens and spritzed with water before stamping and gems added to embellish. This card is for the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Sketch (loved it)

Charisma Cards - Vintage

Delightful Challenges - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Crafty Creations - Red, brown and green (the DP is brown, although it does not show too well in the picture)

My second card uses a stamp I've had ages but probably only used once or twice. It's Art Impression G273 stamped with stayzon sepia and coloured with Aquamarkers. The DP is My Minds Eye, some lace and punched and glittered snowflakes. really easy peasy and quick. This card is for the following challenges:

Scrapbook Sisters - Pets galore

For Fun - Red, brown and cream

Pear Tree Designs - Free for all

Tuesday Throwndown - Anything goes

Butterflies all around

Somethings stealing my time !!

I just can't believe it's Tuesday afternoon and I seem to have achieved nothing for days. It did not help that the weekend was dedicated to setting mu my new Mac, at least that was the plan. A whole weekend of faffing, disconnected from the Internet as my old machine had to be removed from my craft room to make way for the Mac and still no further forward.

I had to wait almost a fortnight for delivery as I needed a vital piece of software.......well that's what I was told and suffering techno phobia I took them at their word.....which was out of stock. It's apparently necessary to convert all my files on my old system to a Mac compatible format. After two days of messing about, dozens of call to John Lewis and the Mac help desk, seems the software is faulty and your got it..............it's out of stock again.

So my old system has been re-installed and the Mac sits in hubby's office where he has discovered a chess game which he appears addicted to.........a pretty expensive game machine if you ask me.

Very little crafting took place over the last few days, even less blog hopping, so not a lot to share. But here is what I do have........

An easel card using a stamp I won last year from the US Stampabilities KR1042 Jack and Jill stamped with versafine sepia, embossed with detail clear and coloured with Copics. The DP is October Afternoon, some lace, punched butterflies, chippies and ribbon to embellish. This is for the following challenges:

Midnight Madness - Sketch

Everybody Art Challenges - Blue, green and brown
Tuesday Taggers - Nursery Rhymes
The Crafts Pad - Distressed edges

My second card is a pretty plain and simple Christmas card. I stamped a piece of vellum with versamark and a mixture of snowflake stamps, then embossed with detail silver. The sentiment is one I love and use it time and again at Christmas Hero Arts C2604 Winters Butterfly. I embossed the edges of some lilac flowers with silver, glittered some punched leaves, a border using Martha Stewart cornice punch, a butterfly stamped onto vellum with Penny Black 3819D and a stick pin threaded with matching beads. This card is for the following challenges:

Wild Orchid - Pastels

Christmas Cards - Add a Butterfly

An Oldie But Goodie - Add a Butterfly

And one final share which I have been meaning to post for days, it's one of the gorgeous dahlias that we have in flower in the garden at the moment. They are really late this year, but just look at the size of the blooms.

New Molly Blooms and The Witching Hour

Good Morning, hope everyone is ready for the weekend, whatever you have planned. Lets hope the weather is kind.

I picked up a couple of new stamps at Sir Stampalot this week........well more than a couple if I am honest, needs must and all that and I do have an upcoming class and demo day to consider.........

I fell instantly in love with this lovey scene forest scene CRR 123 from Stampendous which I stamped onto gloss cardstock using stayzon, then used a versamak pen and clear embossing powder to highlight the tree trunks, houses and tiny trees. I added a little watercolour to the roofs and small trees then brayered using the lights end of Big and Juicy soothing sunset. The embossed areas resisted so I could buff up to make them show through the brayered colours.

The image is Molly Blooms MB00341, one of the new Christmas range recently released by Sir Stampalot. She is coloured with the same B&J inks and decoupaged. The frame is a Nestie and the DP My Minds Eye. This card is for the following challenges:

A pocket full of posies - Autumn leaves
Stamplaing for the Weekend - Halloween or Fall

Crazy4 Challenges - Fall

At Allsorts this week Helene would like us to play Bingo. This is a new theme to me but it has been great fun to work with.

Two cards from me, the first following the 'flowers, lace and tag' row on the Bingo board and using what I think is an Inkadinako stamp......no codes anywhere.....which is stamped and coloured with Aquamarkers and Copics. The DP is Cosmo Cricket and the poinsettias are made with punched from red vellum.

My second card follows the 'flowers, pearls and ribbon' row. The image is Rachael Anne Miller, coloured with Copics and cut our on Nesties. The paper was provided to the DT by this weeks sponsor Robyns Fetish. This card is also for the following challenges:

Totally Papercrafts - Autumn

Something Completely Different - Orange and Black

This week at Polkadoodles, Ruth has given us the theme "Something Spoooooky". I so hoped someone would come up with this one as I love the Halloween section on the new CD Sundaes of Seasons. I'm not big on Halloween usually, but this CD changed all of that, thanks Nikky.

Don't you just love the witch ? I enlarged and printed out some spooky trees onto an A4 piece of cardstock, then decoupaged the witch, toadstools and leaves to make a scene. Created an arched window from acetate and added a couple of dangling spiders. This card is for the following challenges:

Everybody Art - Halloween

Creative Craft - Trick or Treat

Cute Card Thursday - What's Buggin' you (spiders)

Fairies from the bottom of my garden

So how's everyone today ?

It's a little bit chilly to my mind today and the central heatings definitely kicking into gear here now. My hopes of a bit of sunshine to take photos yesterday were false ones and today's just as gloomy so I decided I'd better get on with it and take some before the best of the daylight disappears.

I had delivery from Julie at Love2Papercraft at the weekend with some more of their fabulous Envoboxes like the one I shared last week. I really can't recommend these enough, they come in various sizes and are absolutely brilliant for cards with a bit of dimension as they are gusseted, yet light enough that cards still sit within the large letter category.

I also had another order from Theresa at Crafts and Me with the latest arrivals of her beautiful fairy stamps created from the artwork of Molly Harrison. If you are a fairy fan like me and have not seen these yet, you don't know what you are missing.

Enough babble, I'd better show you what I made with my new goodies. First up a card using Orchid of the Night, isn't she devine ? I stamped the image onto gloss cardstock, then masked her and brayered the whole piece with Big and Juicy Happy Birthday. I then coloured the image with the same ink pad and added glitter to her wings. The DP is My Minds Eye and I made three roses from plain brown paper. The mats are one of the new Nestie label sets (17), I love the shape of these and they are a little larger that some of the original sets. Quite a quick and easy card, but I think quite effective. This card is for the following challenges:

Midnight Madness - Sketch

Papertake Weekly - 3 of a Kind

ABC - F for Flowers

Flutterby Wednesdays - Open Wings

Scrapbook Sisters - Flower Power

My second card used exactly the same technique as above, but this fairy is called Wonderland. Again a pretty quick and simple card, the DO is from Stash, Doodlebug I think, but not certain. The punch is Martha Stewart cornice, the flower and leaves were made using the Cuttlebug quilled daisy set and the swirls are cut with one of the new Tim Holtz dies. This card is for the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew - Fairy Tales

Pollycraft - Fairytale

And on final share of a little tag book I made back in August but not blogged before using acetate, Magnolia DP's, Sizzix swirls and ribbons. This is for the following challenges:

Tuesday Taggers - More than 2 legs

Anything Goes - Ribbons

Autumnal flowers and reminders

Happy Monday everyone, hope you all had a good weekend.

A quick reminder that there are Autumn themes on to go at both Sir Stampalot and Penny Black at Allsorts Challenges and there some great prizes up for grabs so do pop over and take a peek.

Two shares today, the first one an Anniversary card made for an order. I stamped Hero Arts S5316 Silhouette Grass using Tim Holtz frayed burlap in the background, then overstamped with Penny Black 4042K Daisy Fields inked with Tim Holtz wild honey and sage and misted with water before stamping. The DP is My Minds Eye which I also used to make the flower using TH tattered floral die and spritzing liberally with Glimmer Mist pearl before giving a good scrunch. I distressed the edges of the main piece with wild honey and added some lace, punched leaves and butterfly and pearls. This card is for the following challenges:

Our Creative Corner - Sketch

Secret Crafter - Distressing

Paper Playtime - Main Colour Orange

My second card had a background created with masking tape and Brilliance inks, spritzed with Glimmer Mist dazzling diamonds. After removing the masking tape I stamped Penny Black 3932K Japanese Maple with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear. I stamped Penny Black 3857H Footnote down the spine side of the card and a sentiment Hero Arts C4406 and added some eyelets and cord. This is for the following challenges:

Cards for Men - Happy Birthday
Crazy 4 Challenges - Happy Birthday
Lets Ink it Up - Halloween Colours
Paper Sundaes - Change of Season (Autumn)
Penny Black Saturday - 2 or more PB images
Lots to Do - Oriental (not sure if the Japanese Maple is pushing it too far, count me out if it is girls, I won't have a hissy fit !!)

Yummy candy

Note 20/10/10 - I'm going to let this run a few more days as I am still in the middle of changing computer systems and posting's a bit hit and miss until I am sorted and over to the Mac. I will still do a post with the winners and there will be new candy on 1st November.

A second post today, you could be forgiven for thinking I'm right back up to speed, but the cogs still move slowly and I'm finding being back at work after more than two months, that crafty things still have to take a backseat some days.

So for my wonderful followers who I really do appreciate, a little more candy. A surprise package, but I can tell you that the newly released Tilda's makes an appearance.......I know I don't do Tilda, but it's clear that a good number of you do so what better to offer you. And there are some Molly Blooms as well, for those of you who have not met Molly and George yet, where have you been ? Check them out here. Plus some of the gorgeous new Maglolia DP's and of course some essential bling, other embellies and cardstock.

As usual the only rules are that you are a follower and that you add a link to my candy on your blog sidebar to help spread the word. Note: In fairness to the vast majority of you who I know follow the two simple rules, when I do the draw I will discount any entries that have not done so.

Please add your name to Mr Linky below and Random Org., will select a winner, or maybe two on 20th October........please see note at the top of this post about draw date................

Our house in the middle of our street........

...............by Madness and my take of Amanda's great theme at Allsorts this week - Take Inspiration from a Song Title. So a perfect opportunity to share a card a made recently for a demo day at Sir Stampalot.

Before I tell you about my creations, a reminder that Penny Black at Allsorts has lots of prizes to give away this month. The theme is Autumn, a nice easy one so please pop over and join in the fun.

This card was sheer indulgence to make and I won't even start to list the stamps I used beyond the little houses which are one of the Christmas 2010 sets from Hero Arts CL464. Some shrinky, some masking, decoupage, diamond glaze and so on, but if anyone wants details of anything specific please drop me a mail. This card fits the following challenges I hope:

Anything Goes - Christmas Has Come Early

For Fun - Never Used (the little dogs - had the stamp years)

My second share, well two actually is for Polkadoodles, where Lou would wants us to make our own embellishments.

I already had the angel card loaded, but when I saw the new CD just had to do another. I don't usually 'do' Halloween, but the images and elements in the new ????? CD changed all that and I really love all of them. The haunted house is pre coloured and I enlarged it and used acetate to create a window, cut out the vampired who is also pre coloured, then cut leaves and pumpkins to embellish, adding diamond glaze to give then a sheen. This card is also for the following challenges:

Simon Says - Halloween

By the Cute and Girly - Spooky

The Stampman - Autumn

Charisma Cardz - Autumn/Halloween

The angel is one of the new Christmas Doodle stamps, decoupaged and coloured with Copics. The papers are from Paper Boutique Creative Christmas CD, Martha Stewart arch lattice punch and some lace. This card is for the following challenge:

Stamp Something - Something Punchy

Moonlight madness

When I saw the new challenge at Scrapbook Sisters Card this week it was a must............you know me.......any opportunity to incorporate a moon somewhere into my work. So two for the price of one, a full moon and a crescent moon.

But before I move on to how I made my cards I want to say "La ringrazio molto" to Sadia and "Thank you" to Sandra for passing awards on to me this week. You all know I've got a rotten track record passing them on so I would like to say it's for all my lovely blog friends, please accept with my love.........I'm sure this is not what the rules say........but when did I ever follow rules ?

Both are stamped with Stayzon onto masked and brayered backgrounds, the fairy one using the centre colours of Big and Juicy Happy Birthday and the Santa one using Adirondack eggplant.

The fairy Sweet Pea Midnight Waiting has been coloured with the same B&J ink pad and Aquamarkers and the wings liberally glittered......as all good fairy should be. The DP is October Afternoon, flowers from stash and the sentiment computer generated. This cards is for the following challenges:

Scrapbook Sisters - Full Moon

Flutterby Wednesdays - Open

Creative Inspirations - Birthday theme

Everybody Art - Sketch

The house stamp on the Santa scene is Art Impressions V1562 which has been lightly coloured with Tim Holtz inks and the rooftops glittered with Judikins snow glitter. Santa is Magenta 02045-6 stamped with Adirondack eggplant and some punched snowflakes to decorate. This card is for the following challenges:

Anything Goes - Christmas has come early
Glitterbabes - Anything goes

And one final share using a favourite Penny Black stamp............well yes I know, I love them all........Penny Black 4078K Reach for the Starts and the matching sentiment 4057F. The image is coloured with Copics and decoupaged, the DP is Magnolia, the border Martha Steward doily lace trim and a rose made from the same DP with punched leaves. This card is for the following challenges:

CRAFT - Shaped card
Cute Card Thursday - Make your own

Chocolate wonders

How's every one's day going ?

These are a couple of pictures I've been meaning to share since we came back from holiday in August. They are all chocolate and featured on the dessert tables at brunch. I never actually got to try either as I was always totally stuffed by the time they were cut.

Been oh so busy at work which means not much crafting which is just typical with Christmas orders piling up and another wedding.....not my favourite pastime if I'm honest, I don't enjoy the monotony of repetitive crafting, but needs must. So just a couple of shares today.

The first one is following a lovely sketch at Midnight Madness......if you have never entered go check them out as they have some brilliant sketches. I used some gorgeous glittery My Minds Eye DP for both the base of the card and for the decoupages flowers. The backgrond was created using Tim Holtz sage and linen and Glimmer Mist gold, overstamped with Hero Arts H2356 old French writing using the TH sage, them stamping Hero Arts S5362 dogwood. I coloured the leaves with Copics, then spritzed the cut our flowers with Glimmer Mist pearl and shaped whilst still wet. I added crystals to the centres of the flowers, some ribbon and a couple of slides. This card is for the following challenges:

Midnight Madness - Sketch

Spoonful of Sugar - Sparkle and Shine

Scrapbook Sisters - Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend

My second card uses Penny Black 40-024 rain or shine as the main image, coloured with Copics and decoupaged with three layers. The DP is Nitwits, some swirls cut from Sizziz dies and flowers from stash. This card is for the following challenges:

Stamp With Fun - Rain

Papertake Weekly - Birthday Blog hop and choose any theme from previous challenges - I went for 'Check it Out'

And finally a little box or rather tin, coloured with alcohol inks, overstamped with various Magenta stamps and embossed with detail gold. Inside a little collection of pictures from around the world held together with ribbon. This is for the following challenge:

Tuesday Taggers - Pandora's Box

Pollycraft - No DP