Just a little note...

 Good morning, I'm not quite sure how this happened but it's Friday...again! It's almost February already- probably my most unfavourite month of the year- at least it's a short one- and then March, lighter longer days and hopes of spring :)

There is a new challenge starting today over at Crafty Catz , lovely Tilly (aka Christine) is our host and her optional twist to our anything Goes theme is 'add some flowers'.

                                                               Our sponsor this week is 

                                                    Jan’s Digital Stamps

and the team were given some beautiful floral images to work with.

I used  a black and white image from the Southern Bouquet set .

I printed the image twice, coloured with Copic markers then die cut a circle from one image, matted it onto a slightly larger circle of white cardstock. The second image was die cut using a wonky stitch square die. I then layered the circle on top of the other image using foam pads to add dimension. The sentiment is stamped.

Please do hop over to Crafty Catz to see what the rest of the ladies have created with these lovely images, then why not join in? You could be the lucky person who wins a voucher to choose a set of these gorgeous digis for yourself.

Thanks for visiting today- have a great weekend

Chris

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Challenge entries:

kraftychicks #596

digichoosday #4

crafterscafe #281

jansdigistamps january challenge

A Christmas card

Good afternoon,  here's a Christmas card I made using some Card-io stamps I bought back in November.

A simple, stamped design using stamps from more than one set and some distress inks. I coloured the snowman's scarf with a watercolour marker and added some little pearls to the wreath.  I'm quite pleased with this one as the wreath looks reasonably circular...unlike umpteen previous attempts...it looked so easy when the lady at the craft stall did it! 

Thanks for visiting and have a pleasant evening

Chris

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Challenge entries:

Rudolph Days- January Challenge

hollyandivy #108

mmmchallenge #166

creatalicious #227

papercraft #77

pinspirational #285

peaceonearth #8

So many books- so little time...

 

Good morning,  it's time for this week's challenge at Crafty Catz...my turn to pick the optional theme and I've chosen one very dear to my heart- books and/or bookprint. It's been almost 10 years now since I retired but the librarian in me is still alive and kicking! I have never lost my love of books and reading.... I hope I never will! I enjoy crafting but my first choice would always be reading...ever since I was 4 years old and first started to read I've been a bookworm- and proud of it! 

Our sponsor this week is Heather Valentin - Colour of Love  and this image leapt out at me, Adele City Girl, it's me, at work in the library (many years ago!) a bit of poetic licence with the takeaway coffee  ( the head librarian would have shot me if I'd dared to have a coffee cup near the books!!!) but that was  my hairstyle and I even had the beret and scarf...and freckles! Always a book in front of my face too! I made this card for a dear friend's birthday- we worked together for many years and she recognised 'me' straight away! 

Image coloured with Copic markers, masked and bookprint stamp added to background. The books in the background are stamps from a magazine, also coloured with copics. 

I hope you like the theme- but remember it IS optional, Crafty Catz is an 'Anything Goes' Challenge, so please join in if you can- there is plenty of inspiration from the rest of the team over at the Challenge blog- just click here if you want to take a look!

Thanks for joining me in my trip down Memory Lane

Chris

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Challenge entries:

aperfecttimetocraft #1-2022

digidoodlestudios #45 Books make me happy :)

sheepski #58

creativecrafters #48

asyoulikeit # My favourite colouring medium is alcohol markers- easy to blend, lots of colours and I'm comfortable with them!

CRAFT #624

How old?

 Good morning, I hope you're having a good week so far, it's been pretty uneventful here, nice and peaceful after last week's decorating, time to read and craft and relax. The weather has been good too, no rain for a change, crisp and cold with some lovely winter sunshine. It's been possible to Marvin out without him getting soaked and covered in mud (not that he cares!)

Our new challenge for this fortnight begins today over at Fab'n'Funky, lovely N-Eva has chosen the theme of 

Two or more patterned papers

 a lovely easy one this time!

To make my card I have used a fun stamp from Art Impressions, coloured with copic markers.The papers are left over scraps from a Polkadoodles pad die cut into sqares, the sentiments are from the same set of stamps as the image.

I hope you can find the time to join in with this challenge, please hop over to F'n'F for inspiration from my lovely teamies.

Thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Anniversaries and a birthday

Good morning (just!) I'm a bit late today, still trying to get straight after decorating the kitchen and bedroom this week- well hubby did the decorating- I supervised :))) It all looks clean and fresh now but heaven knows why we have so much stuff, moving it all out and then back into place seems to take forever but I've been ruthless and sent loads to the local charity shop.

Anyway back to the cards- this fortnight our challenge theme at Sweet Stampin' is Anniversaries.

Both my daughter and my son chose to get married in December- bless them! My daughter in Mauritius and my son in Canterbury, so very different weddings but both wonderful happy  days. As December is so busy I cheated and made 2 versions of the same card just changing the colours. The stamps are Lavinia and the  heart stencil is a home made one using a die cut.

Please take a look at the Challenge Blog to see what my lovely teamies have created this fortnight, we'd love to see your anniversary makes too, please remember to stamp something!

It's Marvin's first birthday today- he's celebrated with a long walk (including chasing a fox and several squirrels), a sausage with his breakfast, and has a new toy to chew up play with later today after his second walk- it's a dog's life!

Thanks for visiting

Chris

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Challenge entries :

allsorts #659

audsentiments#290

timeout #205

 

Crafty Catz #578- Anything goes -optional twist of checks/plaid

 Good morning, once again it's time for a new challenge at Crafty Catz, this week Billie has chosen the optional twist of Checks/plaids.

 Our sponsor for this challenge is 

DR DIGI'S HOUSE OF STAMPS

The DT were given some fun images to play with, I have used Sharesies. I'm not a cat owner but I've never had a dog who doesn't want to share...my food that is- not theirs!  

I've used copic markers to colour and couldn't resist adding a few 'drool drips' with a touch of glossy accent. The papers are Polkadoodles, die cut Happy Birthday' and computer generated sentiment.

There's plenty of inspiration using these fun images over at Crafty Catz so do hop over for a visit- while you're there please check out the DT call and contact Auntie Sue if you're interested. 

Thanks for stopping by

have a good weekend

Chris

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Challenge entries:

lilredwagon #636

cardz4guyz #287

shoppingourstash #461 S for sandwhich, spots, stripes and slobber!

unicorn #72

craftyanimals#57

polkadoodle.#3

Udderly fantastic!

 Good afternoon, I hope everyone is having a good week so far. 

I don't make New Year resolutions- don't make 'em- can't break 'em! Maybe a negative approach- but it works for me! however I am going to try harder to find time to create cards just because I want to not just for DT projects.  I have so many stamps and digis that I 'needed' and have never or rarely used, it's just not good enough! This card is made using a stamp set from Art Impressions that I treated myself to in December and some balloon dies that I bought back in the summer and hadn't even opened. Sadly I messed up the clouds (don't look at that bit) but otherwise I like it- it's already been bagged by my daughter.  so obviously she does too!  The crazy cow is coloured with copic markers and I've paperpieced one of her balloons and her skirt, stencilled the clouds using distress ink. The sentiment is part of the same stamp set. 

Thanks for visiting and have a lovely evening,

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

craftinghappiness #119

dreamvalley #261 - NEW (to me) stamps and dies 

passion for markers #623

stamping sensations- atg + use a die

allsorts #588

crittercrazy #58

Double D - party balloons

January Challenge at Crafty Calendar

Good morning, it's time for our first challenge of the year at Crafty Calendar, our lovely sponsor for this month is 

All Dressed Up

the challenge theme is

 ANYTHING GOES.

My card was inspired by my youngest granddaughter and her glittery pink wellies- this cute Play Day image reminds me of her- so cool in her pink shades! 

I've used Copic Markers and pink glitter to colour the little girl. The papers are Kaisercraft, I've added a stamped sentiment and a doodled border. 

Please do come and join us this month,  there are some fabulous cards from my lovely teamies to inspire you over on the challenge blog.

Thanks for visiting

enjoy the weekend

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

alldressedup #124

classicdesign #1

polkadoodle #1

MAWTT #138

lilpatchofcraftyfriends #173

First Challenge of 2022 at Crafty Catz

 Good morning, Crafty Catz challenge is back today,  our lovely Aunty Sue is hosting and kicking off the new year with a lovely optional theme- CAS

 and a fabulous sponsor. 

SheepSkiDesigns

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SheepSkiDesigns?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Challenge blog

https://sheepski-designs-challenges.blogspot.com/

 Prize 3 images from the shop

Crafty Catz is an anything Goes Challenge, there is no need to follow the theme -all crafts are welcome!

For my card I used a beautful sponsor image, Wild Roses, which I've colourd with Copic Markers.

As always there are plenty of beautiful creations from the rest of the team to enjoy- so please hop over and take a look- then it's your turn to get creating, add your link and inspire us!

thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

kraftychicks #593

watercooler #332

digichoosday #1

avenue613 #202201

mirtillamente #5

Keep it simple at Fab'n' Funky

 Good morning and Happy New Year!

I hope those of you who celebrate had a wonderful festive season without too much disruption from the dreaded virus! Sadly I know that a lot of people had to alter or abandon their plans because of illness or infection, there doesn't seem to be an end to it in sight. My Christmas was quiet and family oriented but so much happier than the previous year as we were able to be with our children and grandchildren- fortunately all healthy and Covid free over the long weekend- we were some of the lucky ones!

  The good news is Fab' n' Funky challenges are back with a brand new challenge for you, the theme this fortnight is 'Keep it Simple'.

I made this card a while ago using distress inks, masking and some Lavinia stamps and thought it fitted the bill for this challenge. It started life as a one layer card but had a slight mishap in that it got mauled by our resident  kleptomaniac aka  Marvin... I managed to rescue it from the jaws of death and luckily only the back of the card was damaged so I salvaged the stamped image...no one will ever know! 

There are some fabulous creations from the rest of the team to inspire you so please do hop over for a visit - we'd love  you to play along too- the more the merrier!

Thanks for visiting, have a happy day

Chris

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Challenge entries:

Stamping Sensations Jan. ATG

welovestamping Jan. ATG option wings

creativecrafters #47

worldwideopendt #12

thefairyandtheunicorn January