Friday ... Bah! Humbug! time...

This week we are focussing on die cuts as our main theme for Christmas cards.  Check out Max's design and our fab guest designers here at Humbug Hall. 

Stunning eh?

For my card I used a Cuttlebug dove die and embossing folder that I have had for ages and not got round to using.  Don't know why because I really like it especially with the added pearls.  I also used some die cut swirls created using one of the many fabulous Marianne dies available.  The base card is called Ice Gold due to the gold shimmer running through it which you can just about see in the photo.

My card is also for the challenges at...

• Charisma Cards - Anything Goes
• Dutch Dare - Pearls and Swirls
• Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - No designer paper

Have a fabulous weekend everyone.  I'm working most of it so no crafting time unfortunately, but maybe next week.

Ann xxx

Bah! Humbug! ... Recycling Week...

Thinking about how much broken jewelry I have used on cards this week it will probably come as no surprise to you all that our new theme at Bah! Humbug! is Recycling!  There are just so many things that can be reclaimed and used on cards or perhaps recycling to you means reclaiming something old and giving it a new lease of life.  As I had already worked on a couple of cards with recycled items on them I decided to go on a hunt for something to revamp.

I was over the moon to find this black material jewelry box in our local Help the Aged shop.  At 99p I think I got an absolute bargain with the thrown in pleasure of helping a charity at the same time.

As it's quite a small container I knew it wouldn't be big enough to store all my selection of brads, but thought it would be perfect to store my Christmas themed ones.  I'm still working on finding a storage place for each and every item in my craft room.  It's marathon, but I guess it will be worth it in the end. 

As the box is covered in a black woven fabric I didn't want to start using any type of glue that might soak into the material and spoil it so I decided to use gold holographic sticky backed plastic with a Cuttlebug die of a Christmas street scene.  I cut the strip of houses three times and linked them together around the base of the box.  Sadly Mickey Mouse on his sleigh (from the same die) wouldn't fit so I had to be content with just the moon in the sky.

This is the inside of the box complete with brads.  

As you can see in the next photo the top section lifts out to reveal more space below.  Just enough space to fit everything in and maybe now they are all in one place I'll use them more instead of always reaching for either a plain gold or silver circular brad each time.

Hope you'll have time to join us at Bah! Humbug! this week.  I can't wait to see what items are given a new lease of life or find their way on to cards.

If you do join us this week you might want to join this challenge at Creative Craft Challenges where they are also thinking about recycling.

My altered jewelry/brad container is also for the challenges at..

• Charismas Cardz Challenge - No cards allowed.
• Divas by Design - Anything Goes
• Craft your Passion - Anything Goes

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Ann xxx

Bah! Humbug! Day.,..Things that fly...

Well, okay normally when you think of Christmas cards and the subject of things that fly you might think of doves or angels or something along those lines, but no, normal things like that didn't enter my head.  I think in my case it's not a case of thinking outside the box, but more a question of living outside it!!!

Hmm, yes my card for our theme of 'Things that Fly' at Bah! Humbug! this week involves PLUTO!  He is flying - well it was that year that Father Christmas had flu and Mickey Mouse had to stand in at the last minute - you must remember that.  Laura (of 'it would be better in pink' fame) came into the craft room as I began working on this card.  Can you see the influence?  She insisted on black glitter card and really bright pink - eeeeeeeeeeeeeek - she has already requested this card to be saved to send to one of her friends.

Materials used...

• Cuttlebug Mickey Mouse die
• black glitter card, silver mirri card and pink pearlescent
• tiny stars - Nellie Snellen die
• black gems and black organza ribbon
• cuttlebug embossing folder - basket weave?
• silver peel off sentiment
• 8.5 x 8.5 card base

Additional Challenges

• Creative Card Crew - Fantasy
• KB Cute Monday Challenge - use glitter 
• Ooh La La Creations - Pink, pink and more pink
• Crazy 4 Challenges - Use dies

My second card for the Bah! Humbug! Challenge  of things that fly requires people to be really observant.  Yes it's a post box and yes it's a snowy scene, but check out the top of the post box.  Two ROBINS and they fly don't they? Oh my goodness by now you are probably thinking who let her on the Design Team?  LOL - I know that everyone of our fantastic participants at Bah! Humbug! will do a 100% better job than me.  I can't wait to see their cards, but maybe they will forgive me for my dippy entries this week.  Fingers crossed!  

Materials used...

• Cuttlebug embossing folder (basket weave?) 
• image and sentiment taken from magazine freebie from way back
• white, red and dark blue card
• silver ribbon and silver corner peel offs

Additional challenges...

• Two Sisters - Embossing
• Party Time Tuesday - Anything goes

Have a great Friday everyone and if you have time do pop over to Bah! Humbug! to check out the challenge.

Ann xxx

Tea's brewed...

Here's a card using one of the gorgeous LOTV stamps that my dear friend Irene bought me for Christmas.  Isn't it a real cutie of a stamp?  Having said that are there any LOTV stamps that aren't just adorable?  I don't think so!

Other materials used...

• Papers from one the many craft mags I bought cheaply at the NEC
• Cuttlebug button embossing border
• 'with love' sentiment' sticker from stash
• mock brads made using Japenese hole punch
• Promarkers for colouring, Sakura white glaze on teacup and dots on teapot plus a touch of glitter on tablecloth.

Challenges...

• The Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge - fantastic sketch with embossing twist.  Had to leave some of the detail from the sketch out as my design just didn't work with the flowers on.
• Stamp Something - stamp something (anything goes)
• Secret Crafter - with love

Hope everyone is having a good week.  Take care and if you happen to be having an operation on your wrist tomorrow remember to get some sleep tonight.  Then remember Rest followed by even more Rest is essential if you want to get fit fast.  Nurse Laura says so!

You know who you are!!!

Hedgie Thank you card...

The sketch at the Sketch and Stash Challenge blog this time is such an inspiring one (and easy which is always good) that I just had to give it a go.  It also gave me the chance to use my new gadget bought with the last of my Christmas present cash - a Xyron Design Runner, which I used to print the sentiment on this card.

Initially I was a bit miffed that it doesn't actually do the things they said it could when it was being aired as Pick of the Day on Create and Craft.  I was so excited about it printing on acetate and was gutted to find that like any printer it won't unless you use the special printable acetate.  However, having played lots I do like what it can do and don't regret buying it.

Additional materials...

• Penny Black Hedgie stamp - from a T for Transparent set - I was very naughty and cut some of the flowers off the main image so that I could stamp them where I wanted them in the circle.  
• Flower punch and matching embossing punch
• Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder
• Pearl gem stones
• Embossed purple card and matching designer paper - unknown make
• Scalloped and matching circle nestability dies
• Lace

Challenges.,.

• Sketch and Stash - sketch - new stash = Design Runner - neglected stash = flower punch not used for ages
• Crazy 4 Challenges - a thank you sentiment
• Penny Black Challenge - Choose 4 items from a card buffet (really brill idea for a challenge - I chose patterned paper, 3 flowers, 3 gems and ribbon - please use your imagination for the ribbon.  Imagine it on the embossed band on the card.  Somebody around here forgot to stick it on - whoops!)
• Crafty Ann's Challenge - Ring in the new, but don't ring out the old.  See above.

Whoops, nearly forgot to say if you pop over to Bah! Humbug! today there is a Top Tip Tuesday all about economising on paper and card.
Double whoops - no wonder I forgot the ribbon -check out the date on the photo - 18th Jan and I'm still putting 2010 on my cards.  Sheesh what am I like?

Have a good day everyone.

Love and hugs.

Ann xxx

Feeling Blue...

It's not just the awful cold that I came down with the other day that's causing the blues.  This week sees our very last challenge at Bah! Humbug! till the New Year.  Yep, we Bah! Humbuggers! are taking a break and as it is our last challenge it seemed appropriate to have the theme of 'Feeling Blue'.

Even though I was so snuffly I wanted to just curl up under the duvet I really, really couldn't miss the last challenge so out came my favourite glitter card and a gorgeous snowflake die from a set by Marianne.  The snowflake is set behind the circular aperture cut into embossed white card.  A really simple card to make, but a useful one to send out.

My card is for the challenges at...

• Cute Card Thursday - Blast from the Past (Week 91 aperture's)
• Crafts and Me - cards with snowflakes on
• Pollycraft - anything blue
• Incy Wincy Designs - blue and white. 
• Fussy and Fancy - Christmas with no red or green

While I was in my blue phase I had a little play using a Kaleidoscope ink pad I have that has loads of shades of blue in it. Using art card and ink dusters I shaded the whole of the card with the lightest blue in the middle and getting darker and darker towards the edge.

Then using a Hero Arts sentiment stamp that I've had for years I stamped the word 'Joy' in the bottom corner.  I must admit that I was intending to add white embossed snowflakes to the tag at this stage, but while I was searching for snowflake stamps I found this wonderful Stampendous branch that hasn't seen the light of day for years.  Eeek too many stamps - NO never!  Having stamped the branches I felt the need to add a bauble and decided to use my Sizzix die again.  This die cuts the circle and tag part separately so I cut the outer tag ring in blue and the inner circle in white art card.  Then using the Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder I put the circle over one of the snowflakes and embossed.  To make the bauble match the rest of the tag I dusted it with ink and for a bit of glitz added a gem stone to the centre and a touch of glitter to the branches.

As well as some of the challenges listed above my tag is also perfect for the challenge at...

• Oldie but Goldie - glitter (really must enter this challenge more often and get some of my old stamps used.  The Stampendous branch is a design from 1992 and there was I swooning over the new Waltzing Mouse stamps when I had this in my collection already.)

I hope you will have chance to pop over to Bah! Humbug! to see the work of the rest of the team and maybe join in.  Next week, although there will be no challenge, we will be announcing the winner and runner up in our loyalty club so that's something exciting enough to banish the blues for quite a while.

Have a great day everyone.

Ann xxx

Oh Baby...

Yeah, this week I'm one of the Guest Designers at the Raise the Bar Challenge and the theme is the fun title 'oh baby'.  New Baby, Christening or maybe baby's first Christmas were all ideas that came to mind, but as I had bought the full sheet of LOTV stamps that features this cute baby at the NEC last week I decided to do a new baby card for a boy.  Already got a couple of baby girl cards in my box so now I'm covered for all eventualities - well maybe not twins!

As I was putting the card together I was thinking about how fab the Cuttlebug embossing folders that feature words are and how it's such a shame that so many of the words get covered up when we add our images and other papers and embellishments.  This line of thought got me thinking about cutting the image out and mounting it on the embossing, but that wasn't quite the look I wanted.  After quite a bit of head scratching it dawned on me that if I mounted the image on acetate and then framed the acetate in the blue card the embossed writing would still be visible and the frame would mean that there was still an eye catching focal point.

As you can see in the close up picture although the frame covers some of the words you can still see enough of the writing to get a sense of the meaning.  I think I'm going to give this a try out with some of my other word folders as I really like the effect.  The frame was made using a Spellbinder die.

My baby card is also for the challenges at...

• One Stop Craft Challenge - embossing (think I may have entered this already, but this card features embossing more so I'm entering it - hope I don't get 'done'!
• Anything Goes Challenge - embossing
• Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
• Lili of the Valley - anything goes

Have a fab Friday everyone and do pop back later as it's Bah! Humbug! day too so I'll be adding my latest Christmas card.

Ann xxx

Two cards today - and maybe more to come - oh my! ...

My first cards to show today are for the new challenge over at Bah! Humbug!  where this week the theme is Less is More!  Oh my goodness a tricky one for me as I like to put lots on a card and find 'white space' quite unnerving, but hey I did my best!

Little need for explanation on this card.  It was so easy - just a Cuttlebug embossed border mounted on turquoise glitter card and then attached to card.  Then a Cuttlebug die glitter snowflake with gemstone centre was added to the border.  A silver peel off greeting finishes the card.  Very, very easy to make and I suppose if I wanted to make a batch of cards this one would be ideal.

My second card features Santa again.  I eventually found the wall background paper by Kanban that I really wanted to use for last week's challenge.  As I had some stamped and coloured images left I decided to make the card anyway.  Think it still counts as a 'Less is more' card as there are very few extras on it.  The 'Santa was here' stamp was part of a Studio G set that I've had ages and it seemed like the perfect sentiment to stamp on the wall.  Naughty Santa spraying graffiti like that - he'll find himself on the Naughty list!

I wanted a little extra sparkle around the sentiment so added some Stickles which for some reason looks green - strange I must treat myself to some more colours.  I've heard a rumour today that you can get black stickles oooooooooh wow that is definitely on the wish list.

When making both my cards I also had the following challenges in mind...

• Die Cut Dreams Christmas Club - Arctic Winter
• Daring Card Makers - Ice and Snow (ends today but I might just make it)
• Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge - Christmas in July

I will be back later with exciting news and my card as Guest Designer at Crafty Ann's where there is a great challenge starting today.  Have to rush out now to my mum's as she is having a new boiler fitted.  Oh I am not looking forward to this at all it will confuse her completely.  Got to be done though as the old one has given up the ghost.
Hope you all have a fun day.
Ann xxx

Bah! Humbug! day... Silhouettes...

Friday again and of course it's Bah! Humbug! day, which goes perfectly with my new Blog name 'Just for Fun'.  Bah! Humbug! is definitely fun to be a part of and as an added bonus I get to hop around blog land looking at gorgeous entries from all our members.  Just so much talent out there it's unbelievable.  I wonder what fabbie creations everyone will enter for this week's challenge which is 'silhouettes'.

The card I've created for our silhouette theme has an image of a 1930s (?) couple choosing a Christmas tree at the edge of the forest.  I love this stamp - it's an oldie, but goldie.  I can't actually remember where it came from.
Ingredients and method...

• image stamped on to photo card using Archival black ink pad.  Glitter added to give a touch of frost effect.
• black embossed frame created using Cuttlebug embossing folder with central section cut out.  The frame was then mounted on to silver mirri card (also with apperture already cut out) before being attached with foam tape on top of image.  Clear diamond gems added to each corner snowflake.
• Black plain card for base and black ribbed card to add texture to the background for the framed image.
• Black organza ribbon and black peel offs along black central border
• Tags cut using Cuttlebug tiny tags die with silver sentiment peel off added.

Additional Challenges...

• Sketch and Stash - I started with their fantastic sketch, but kinda ran out of space for the snowflake corners - sorry guys! (new stash is Archival ink pad and unused is my stamp)
• Crafty Creations - Favourite stamp (hmmmmm this has got to be one of my favourites as I must have had it ages and still love it.
• Tanda Teaser - Extra Large - my card is 8" x 8"
• The ABC challenge - Vintage - my image is a vintage one so hope this counts
• Magical Crafts - Black, white and one more (my extra is silver)

Have a fabulous weekend everyone.  Do pop over to Bah! Humbug! to see what Max, Irene and our Guest Designer Steph have been up to and hopefully join in our challenge too.  We'd love to see your work.

Rainy Monday Mornings...

are a bit sad, but never mind surely soon we will have some spring sunshine and Penny Black hedgie stamps always give me a large dose of the feel good factor.  So cute!  This particular stamp and the sentiment 'a teeny, tiny wish' are from one of the clear stamp sets available.  Love these sets as you get such a lot for your money and they are great to store.

I made my card using this brilliant sketch from the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  One of my all time favourite challenges and this week sees them celebrating Week 100 so there is plenty of fun going on over there.   Do check it out.

The papers I've used are from a Making Memories 6"x6" pad and all the other items are from my stash.  

Additional challenges...

• Pile it on - Cute and Cuddly (hmm maybe not so cuddly in real life but on paper yeah super cute)
• Crafty Calender Challenges - The Great Outdoors
• Flutter By Wednesday - open theme
• Lilly of the Valley - Summer

Hope the sun is shining where you are any you're having a great day.  I'm going to get busy on some more challenges and cards I need and maybe some house work, but maybe not!

Dreamy Fairy...

I have had this gorgeous image for quite some time and I really can't understand why it ended up being unused for so long as the fairy is so delicate and beautiful.  It is actually just one from a sheet of amazing fairies by Valerie Wade at Fairy Song Art Stamps.  I must get into action and use the others on the sheet too.
Other Materials used...

• DCWV paper 
• Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder and tag die
• Nellie Snellen flower punches
• Nestie scalloped circles and plain
• Xcut border die
• organza ribbon and gems from stash

Challenges...

• Flutter By Wednesday -open theme but with a fairy, angel or butterfly
• Fab n Funky - a neglected stamp ( fairies bought last summer and uninked till now!)
• Sketch and Stash - amazing sketch as always
• Sir Stampalot - Fantasy
• Creatalicious Challenges - Flowers and Wings

Hope everyone is having a great day.
Ann xxx

Bah! Humbug Day ... Embossing

Wow Friday again! Can't believe how quickly these weeks go by and also how wonderfully the pile of Christmas cards is growing, especially as for this week's challenge of 'embossing' I have 3 cards to share!  Think it was such a joy to have a whole day off work that I got quite carried away with my self.

My first card features some embossing using a Cuttlebug Christmas folder in my Wizard machine.  The Christmas paper and sentiment are from a brilliant bargain magazine I picked up at the NEC.

Card number two uses the same folder and again Core'rdinations cardstock and a sanding block to make the trees pop.  However, this time I decided to use a green Sakura Glaze pen to add colour to the trees. Then before the glaze was completely dry I added glitter too.  The glitter card the image is mounted on and the ribbon were both coloured with Promarker pens.

Card number three is totally different and was so much fun to make except for the glitter that seemed to get everywhere.  To create this card I used a Dreamweaver brass star stencil and embossing paste.  I saw this demoed at the NEC and although I have done this technique in the past I had forgotten how much fun and how effective it can be.  In real life the glitter is really stunning - honest!

After a whole week of not having chance to enter any challenges my cards, as well as being for the Bah! Humbug! challenge, are also for...

• Fab's Big Christmas Card Challenge - Tone on tone - Green - Card no. 2
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes - all three cards
• Simon Says - Distressing - sanding on embossing on cards 1 and 2
• ABC Christmas Challenge - Glitzy - Card 3

Have a fabulous Easter weekend everyone and see you on Monday for the new Pink Elephant Challenge.

Pink Elephant Day...

This week at The Pink Elephant our theme is Spring and we are featuring one of my very favourite stamp companies C.C. Designs at All That Scraps.  Each month brings a new collection of stamps in both digi and rubber format which to me is just fantastic as you can choose which you like best.  The digi stamp I was given to use is Bride Emma from the Sugarplum Spring Kids set and isn't she just so gorgeous?

I must admit I went all round the houses and back again when making this card and did a lot of playing with different effects on her dress - stamped with Versamark and brushed with Perfect Pearls glitter white looked stunning.  

In the end I went for a plain look with just a touch of clear Sakura Stardust, because I wanted to use this fabby spring floral paper by Kanban.

Then of course one thing led to another and the pattern on the paper made me think of little girls being bridesmaids in super pretty dresses so I decided to make a thank you card for a bride to send her bridesmaid.  I don't know anyone who is getting married - Laura has just split up with her long term boyfriend so there is no chance of the card being used by her, but I so enjoyed making it so who cares!

Materials used...

• C.C. Designs Stamp Bride Emma from Sugarplum Spring Kids collection
• Kanban DT paper
• blue/lilac pearlescent card and silver mirri board
• Cuttlebug embossing folder Swiss Dots and scalloped border
• CircleNesties
• Silver peel offs and heart shaped gem from stash
• Promarkers

Additional Challenges...

• The Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge - great sketch - thank you
• My Time to Craft - a card for a kid
• Tanda Teaser - Simply Spring
• Pile it on - Pastel Colours

Have a great day all and do check out The Pink Elephant to see the fab cards created by my team mates.

Bah! Humbug! day - Stitching...

Ooooooooooooooh stitching - enough to make the blood run cold!  I see stitching on everyone else's cards and it always looks amazing, but I am such a scaredy cat (plus the sewing machine is in the very deep dark recesses of a very overpacked cupboard).  However, no worries at Bah! Humbug! because any stitching counts - faux - stamped - drawn - embossed - any kind of stitching so even wooses (is that spelt right?) like me can join in.

The stitching on my card is faux blanket stitch created using a set of Elusive Images rubber stamps that are all Christmas images with a stitch effect on.  The other blanket stitch effect on the pink squares was created using one of the stitched square embossing folders by Cuttlebug and then sanding to make them pop.  The pink and blue papers are from an amazing paper pad by HOTP that Max gave me in York.  

Other challenges...

• Fab's Big Christmas Card Challenge - different technique (faux stitching using embossing folders and sanding - hope that counts)
• The Secret Crafter - Stitching

Back from holidays and it's Bah! Humbug! time...

Wow, I've just had an amazing holiday in York with my two wonderful crafting buddies, Max and Irene.  Oh what a week we have had!!!  So much fun - so much crafting and so much spending!  The best time ever and now it's Friday again and time for a new challenge at Bah! Humbug!  

This week our theme is

Trees...

I wasn't able to schedule my posting about the new challenge as just before I went away my modem decided to be ill and wouldn't let me on line.  How stressful is that?  No internet access - eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!  Not good at all!  However, a new modem has been installed now and I'm back.  Phew - how many minutes can a girl take with no internet connection - not many in my case that's for sure. 
My card for our challenge has Cuttlebug cut and embossed trees mounted on a background created using strips of torn white card.  The trees and snow were given the bling treatment with gems and glitter and then framed with a great spellbinder frame die.
The purple paper is really glittery in real life, but it's not showing up that well in the photo.  I used the amazing sketch from the challenge at Truly Scrumptious which gave me a chance to use two of the thousands of eyelets that I seem to have collected over the years, but rarely use.  I think I'm going to use them far more in the future though as I love the way you can use them in this way to add ribbon.

My card is also for the challenges at ...

• SophistiCat Challenges - embossing 
• My Time to Craft - In the Frame
• C.R.A.F.T. - ribbons and sparkle
• Raise the bar - Threes company (three die cut trees)

Now I need to go and check out what everyone else has been up to while I've been away and maybe face the hundreds of Papercraft Planet emails (really must get that sorted out). Have a great weekend everyone.

Pink Elephant Day - a mushy gushy Valentine Card...

Today is a day of lurve at The Pink Elephant!  It's time to bring out the hearts and roses and anything romantic you can find in your stash.

I used the amazing sketch at A Spoonful of Sugar, but I'm really cross with myself, because I don't think I've done the sketch justice at all.  I may try again with different colours and stamps. 

All three stamps - the border squiggle, the open letter and the larger rose design are from a romantic set by Penny Black.  I stamped onto cream card and coloured the rose and leaves with Promarkers.  The large image was also stamped on to vellum and then the letter and rose was matted on top using foam pads to give depth.

My card is also for the challenges at...

• Creative Card Crew - Valentines
• Tanda Teaser - for a loved one
• C.R.A.F.T. - Valentines
• Fussy and Fancy - Hearts
• Raise the Bar - Hearts
• Stamp Something - love somethings
• Pile it on - Love is in the air.

Phew I think love is definitely in the air looking at how many challenges have a love theme at the moment.  Thank you everyone for looking and leaving such amazing comments that always make my day.

Tomorrow at The Pink Elephant we are celebrating our first birthday as a challenge blog and to mark the occasion there's a rather special blog hop happening so hope you'll be able to join us at TPE tomorrow.

Elegant Lady...

Yeah it's not a Christmas card! Although I do think it rather thoughtless of people to have birthdays this week when I am no where near completely my Christmas cards - however seeing as it Shelley's boyfriend's mum I'll let her off.

To create the card at top speed (in order to get back to those Christmas cards) I've used an image and backing paper from Joanna Sheen's Fashion Boutique CD. The images on this are just beautiful and I particularly like the backing paper that matches this image. To add oomph I've added feather embellishments to echo the ones on the image and backing paper.

Couldn't decide whether to go for a black or white bow so did something I've never done before and tied the two together - think I like the effect and may do it again in the future.

I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday and tweaked it a little to fit my embellishments. My card is also for the challenge Crafty Ann's , where the theme is to add texture.

Have a great day.

Ann xxx

Wedded Bliss...

Another large 8" x 8" card stamped with Lofty and his bride from the Joanna Sheen Lofty Celebrations stamp set.

I had a great time combining loads of different stamps and elements to make up this card. My daughter thinks it would be perfect for a couple getting married on a tropical beach or even better a beach in Kenya so if you know anyone that is this could be the card for you!

Materials used:

• Just Married Lofty stamp set - this set includes the wedding couple and the two different heart motives.
• Planter is from Art Impressions
• Trellising was trellis border die by Cuttlebug and then built up to form an archway
• leaves are punched and tiny paper flowers are from stash
• purple card, silver mirri, white organza ribbon and peel offs are also from stash

Challenges:

• Die Cut Dreams - Wedded Bliss
• Passion for Promarkers - any colours but include an animal

Have a great weekend everyone and thank you for all the fantastic comments that you have left this week.

Pink Elephant Day and an abundance of challenges...

Yeah, Monday again and time for a new challenge at The Pink Elephant. This week it's a recipe from Ella's kitchen and her ingredients are black, (could be black stamping, black card or maybe black embellishments), distressing and hardware (brads, clips, eyelets, etc).

I decided to have a go at some super simple Halloween treat bags made mainly by using my scalloped and plain circle nesties. The black part of the recipe is pretty easy to spot and on my 'You're driving me batty' bag I distressed the embossing and ripped the sentiment on the tag too. My hardware is the brad holding the tag in place and a some cool paper clips to hold the bag closed.

The circular images - bat - witch's hat and cat are all digis by my super talented friend, Robin, at The Pink Elephant and if you like the look of them pop over HERE and pick them up for free. Thank you so much for these Robin - they are just great.


Now as I am a great believer in combining challenges my treat bags are also for the challenges at...

• Everybody's Art - Halloween
• My Time to Craft - Halloween Colours
• Digital Tuesday - Things with Wings (bats)
• Crafty Creations - All Hallow's Eve
• Creative Inspirations - Halloween
• Rainbow Lady - Halloween
• Cute Card Thursday - Candy Corns
• Stampin for the Weekend - A Haunting Good Time
• Dare You to Digi - No squares allowed
• Stamp Something - Halloween Somethings
• Daring Card Makers - at least FIVE of your favourite things on your project - mine are gems, gem brads, swiss dots cuttlebug embossing, tags, and scalloped nesties. Oh and those jellies are pretty good too, but they don't usually feature in my craft work.
  
• Bubbly Scrumptious - Ghosts, Ghoulies and long legged beasties.

Oh my goodness think that could be taking challenge combining to the next level - phew think I will take the rest of the week off, but then again I need to play with all the fantasitic ideas I picked up at the Sheena Douglas workshop.

Wow Sheena is just so inspirational - Saturday really was a day to remember - so many good ideas and so much craft shopping too. I will be showing my makes, but having said that I don't want to spoil the course for anyone else going so maybe it might be better kept secret.

Oh forgot to add to this post - a little puzzle! For those who follow my blog regularly can you spot the bag of goodies for Laura?

Yep I know it's just tooooooooooooo easy - have a good week everyone.

Flying in...

with a very quick card made using the sketch 129 at CPS. The stamp is one from a clear set by Inkadinkado and after stamping onto white I cut the image into 3 sections and mounted on black. There are gems on the bird and the flower, but they are not showing up too well in the photo.

I like the sketch, but my card is not blowing me away - it's not even rustle my feathers so I think I'm going to have another go. Watch this space!

My card is also for the challenge at One Stop Craft where this week's theme is to use the colours pink and black.