Christmas is coming...

Good morning on this last day of November! Christmas is coming and it's coming very fast! Although I've been much more organised this year and made some of my cards well in advance there still seems to be a lot to make! I'm sure many of you are in the same boat so come on over and join us at Fab N Funky this week. As usual, on the last Wednesday of the month, the theme is 'Christmas'. We are sponsored by Live and Love Crafts...you might want to pop over and check out their closing down sale too!
This card was quick to make as I coloured in the image ages ago...and it disappeared into the crafty mess abyss, found it when I was looking for something else....Anyway I made it into a circle easel card, just added a few die cuts!
Thanks for visiting today, hope you come and play with us.
Chris
x

Challenges entered:
craftycreations #329 Christmas
deepocean #143 Santa is coming to town
thepapershelter #275 Christmas card
allsorts #391 Anything Christmas

Christmas angel

Good evening, a quick post from me with a 'just because' card. Life has been quite hectic lately and I've struggled to keep up with DT commitments, let alone make anything extra. However I've finally caught up and even had time to make some Christmas cards :) This one is using a cute image I was lucky enough to win some time ago...Hug me, from QKR Stampede, she looks so cute and cuddly! coloured her with copics and a gold sparkle pen for her wings...haven't a clue why her boots look purple in the photo...they're actually dark red...The papers are First Edition, Jingle All The Way, I added die cuts, Nuvo drop berries and a button.
Thanks for looking
Chris
x

Challenges entered:
useyourstuff. Christmas
onestitchatatime ~276 buttons and bows
imaginethat #10
qkrstampede angels

Sweet Stampin' Challenges...got the blues

Happy Saturday! This week over at Sweet Stampin' Challenges our theme is 'got the blues'.
I made a Christmas card using a fabulous stamp from Inkylicious, it's a kind of negative stamp as it stamps the background and leaves the image white. I stamped it using distress inks, I love the 'snowy feel' this gives. Simple design too ( so nice and quick!. Just added a bow (recycled ribbon from some packaging) and a die cut sentiment.
I made some more cards too, using the same stamp....

Thanks for taking the time to visit today, much appreciated at this busy time of year!  I hope you can spare a few minutes to hop over here and see what the Sweeties have been up to this week. It would be lovely to see what you make for this theme too...there's a fabulous prize on offer from Live and Love Crafts, don't miss out on their closing down sale!
Have a great weekend
Chris
x

Challenges entered:
alphabetchallenge T for trees
4craftychicks #326 Winter Wonderland
craftrocket #29 wintertime
MAWTT Anything Christmas
addicted-to-stamps #136
Rudolph Day November Challenge

Christmas candles

Good morning, another fortnight has flown past and I'm here with my DT card for the new challenge at Creative Moments.  I used a beautiful image from Digistamps4joy, one of fabulous sponsors for this challenge. I coloured these lovely festive candles with my copics and a touch of sparkle pen , die cut into a circle and mounted onto gold card. I created a tag shaped card and covered it with red dp embossed the edges with gold embossing powder. I added some die cuts, a few pearls and attached a gold bow with a little tree brad..

Apologies for the photos, had to use a flash and it reflected from the red paper which has a lovely sheen to it.

As I'm desperately adding to my Christmas card stash I made another card using the same image and papers 

This fortnight there's no optional twist to the challenge...anything goes...so why not go for it! Click here to see what my teamies have been up to...and to add your own  beautiful creation.
Our sponsors for this challenge are : Digistamps4joy
                                                           Di's Digistamps
                                                           The East Wind
Thanks for calling by, hope your week is going well!
Chris
x

Challenges entered:
digistamps4joy #130
Double D Traditional Christmas colours

Happy Birthday Sweet Stampin'

Yayyy!! It's our birthday today! Sweet Stampin' is 7 years old! Our theme this week is birthdays and we're sponsored by Crafts and Me.

I used a Stamping Bella Tiny Townies stamp to make my card, I chose this because of the cake...oh how we love cake at Sweet Stampin' !!

I followed a sketch from Fairy Tale Challenge Blog

 Thanks for visiting, there's loads of yummy inspiration to be seen over at Sweet Stampin' today, so come on over and join the party!

Have a great weekend
Chris
x

Challenges entered:
pattiescreations birthdays
audsentiments #168
creativeknockouts lots of layers
fairytale- sketch
houseofcards lots of layers

Fab 'n' Funky...digi girls and hats

Good morning, here's my card for this week's challenge at Fab N Funky  ... this week the theme is Digi Girls...use a digital image of a girl (easy peasy!) and/ or a hat or someone wearing a hat...
We're sponsored by the lovely Julia Spiri who kindly gave the DT some beautiful images to  use. I chose this little sweetie, available here, so cute...check out her eyelash embellishment! She's coloured with copics, the papers are Teresa Collins and the lower die is Crealies.
It would be lovely if you have the time to hop over to the Challenge Blog to admire the fab creations from my teamies...and even better if you choose to join us this week.
Thanks for visiting
Have a lovely day
Chris
x

challenges entered:
crafts galore encore Nov Challenge
cardsundmore #171
getcreativechallenges #52 birthday

Photo Inspiration at Sweet Stampin'

This week at Sweet Stampin' we have a Photo Inspiration Challenge for you....this lovely picture brings back fun memories for me of when my children were small! Dressing them up in their 'wet gear' on a chilly rainy day and letting them run wild in the huge puddles in our local park. We got some strange looks from passers by as they'd be soaking wet (on the outside!) and covered in mud, but once the splash suits and wellies were off they'd be clean (ish) and dry , back in the warm car ready to go home. We had such fun...they loved a wet day in the park. After all that's what puddles are for! 

Anyway, here's my card

I'm not very pleased with how it's photographed...the yellow background card is a much nicer colour IRL but his is the best I could get!  The little girl stamp is Whipper Snapper and the raindrops stamp is from a collection of rubber background stamps -Designs by Ryn.

Thanks for visiting, please stop by the Challenge Blog to see what my lovely teamies have made and we'd love to have you join the fun this week, just remember to include some stamping in your creation!

Have a fabulous weekend

Chris

x

Challenges entered;
craftforthecraic                                         2 colours
creativeknockouts. outdoor fun
MAWTT Numbers or letters

Anything goes with the Southern Girls

Good morning, late again with this post, I've been struggling to catch up all week! This card is for the current challenge at Southern Girls....better late than never! The theme this fortnight is the favourite...Anything Goes. We're sponsored for this by Polkadoodles and Crafts and Me, both these companies were very generous in providing images for the DT to use, so thanks for that :)
My image is from Polkadoodles -called Octavia-Moonfly unicorn. I loved colouring this magical image, I chose soft blues, purples and aqua with plenty of added glitter. There is so much detail in this image that I kept the card design simple, just adding some die cuts a pretty sparkly ribbon and a few pearls. Thanks for visiting today, although my card is a tad late there is still plenty of time for you to join us this challenge...just click here to hop over to Southern Girls Challenges and see what Team Trace have made to inspire you!
Must rush, still loads to do this morning, then I'm meeting my daughter for lunch!
Have a good day
Chris
x

Challenges entered:
createsandmakes #5
deepocean #141
digichoosday #45
sunnyday #22
craft-deebowz November Challenge
LPOCF  #45
ribbongirls #nov Challenge

Creative Moments - thanks!

Good morning, I'm running a little late but here's my DT make for this fortnight's challenge at Creative Moments. The optional theme this time is 'thanks/give thanks' and we have 4 great sponsors;- Angie's Digi stamps                      Rick St Dennis
                Melonheadz                                    Polkadoodles
  so plenty of chances to win a lovely prize !
I was given a lovely bundle of images from Melonheadz to play with, I chose the black/white version so I could choose my own colours. There are loads of these cute kid images in this bundle and  I chose  to use the three that reminded me most of my little granddaughters to make a batch of thank you cards to put in their Christmas stockings. I kept the design very simple, just changing the colours of DP to match the images, which are coloured with copics.  I was hoping to make some little boxes or folders to put them in but time ran out, something to be getting on with next week! I love that their Mums think it's important to encourage them to  thank people properly for the gifts they've received, it's too often forgotten these days!  
Thanks for visiting
Chris
x

Challenge entered:
addictedtostamps #219
modsquad Thankful
words2craftby #35
cardsundmore #171
melonheadzfriends add a sentiment
crazychallenge #235

Anything goes at Christmas at Sweet Stampin'

Happy Wednesday! Over at Christmas at Sweet Stampin' it's time for the penultimate challenge of 2016....how scary is that! Only 46 sleeps to go....
The theme this month is 'Anything goes' - as long as it's Christmas related of course. I chose to decorate an MDF wooden stand up word that I bought at a craft fair over a year ago.
I covered the letters in some DP which looked too bright for the effect I wanted, so I painted over it with some white chalk paint, rubbed it about a bit with some sandpaper and painted the edges with red chalk paint, sanded that too until it had a more 'aged' appearance. The base is covered in  Snow Tex paint. I knitted the little Santa hat, and made a tiny sack from a scrap of hessian...kinitting and sewing in one project...unheard of for me! To finish I threaded some tiny bells on a piece of twine and added a couple of wooden snowflakes.
I was trying to decide which of granddaughters to give this to when my sister came to visit and  gleefully made off with it....problem solved :))
We have a wonderful sponsor this month, Marianne Designs, so be sure to create something Christmassy and play along! Just click here to enjoy some lovely inspiration from my fellow CaSSettes, and to add your own fabulous creations.
Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day
Chris
x

Challenges entered:
welove2create #23
creatalicious  #102
craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge #306
imaginethat  #10 Christmas is coming
craftycatz add snowflakes
pdelinkyparty anything goes
frillyandfunkie what a mesh!

Crafty Calendar November Challenge- Autumn Colours

Good morning, a quick post from me as I'm sooo busy this weekend! It's our annual non-firework-rent- a -noisy- crowd-party tonight! We invite a load of friends round to distract Mathilda from the horrible bangs and crashes of the fireworks! Have to admit she is nowhere near as frightened as her predecessor- our beloved Maisie was absolutely petrified and I spent many a bonfire night under the table...encased in a blanket...with a trembling and horrified Great Dane! Mathilda is made of sterner stuff, we encourage her to bark and get excited rather than to be frightened, and having a crowd around really seems to help! I feel so sorry for the animals this time of year especially when some of the fireworks are so loud...makes me jump, goodness knows how they feel! Thank goodness for understanding friends!
Anyway...back to the card....this month's challenge at Crafty Calendar is sponsored by Crafty Ribbons and Lawn Fawn, the theme is Autumn Colours. The image I used is from Digistamps Atelier. Colouring medium is Copics. the leaves are stamped and die cut using a magazine freebie, papers were a freebie too (different magazine!)and again colored with Copics, stamped sentiment is Lawn Fawn. Hope you'll find the time to play along with us this month, just click here to see what my lovely teamies have created to inspire you, and to add your own beautiful creation.
Have a fabulous weekend, and for those of you celebrating Guy Fawkes night in the UK...stay safe and look after your pets!
xx

Challenges entered
abitmoretimetocraft #31
die-cut-divas Be thankful, give thanks
open-mindedcraftingfun Thanks
crafty-girls #29
throughthepurplehaze #112
Double D Give Thanks
lilredwagon Autumn

Smile

Good morning, hope your week is going well so far! Halloween's over, bonfire night's almost here and it'll be Christmas before we know it...this year has just flown by! Once again it's time for a new challenge at Fab N Funky, this week we're sponsored by A Day for Daisies and it's Ginny's turn to host, she's picked the lovely theme of 'animals'.
The DT were allowed to pick an image each, very generous!, it took me ages (there are loads!) but eventually I decided on this adorable little chap, he's called Little man giraffe and he's available here.
I coloured him with copics, fussy cut him and added a ribbon bow over his own. A simple L/O with some added faux stitching. I bought a spiky wheel thingy to make the holes for the 'stitching' but had a spot of trouble controlling it, so it looks a bit wobbly...but my real stitching is like that anyway...gives the card a more authentic look :))
Thanks for visiting, just click here to see what my lovely teamies have made this week...and to add your own lovely creation of course.
Have a lovely day
Chris
x

Challenges entered:
craftingfromtheheart #134
/craftyourpassion #336
lilpatchofcraftyfriends #44
inspirationdestination #110
craftyfriends #43
crafting-with-friends #30
craftycatz #344