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

Whatever!...

I think our topic at Bah! Humbug! this week may cause some groans as we are asking our wonderful participants to think about ...

Teenagers!

Eeek!  Yes, even the word can strike terror into parents who have bin there, done that and talked to the hand on far too many occasions.

After much thought I decided to go for that magic ingredient that is sure to be a success with most if not all teenagers ...

Money!

Last week I bought the old red Sizzix die that cuts pockets with the intention of using it on real denim and seeing as there was an old pair of jeans waiting to be thrown out I didn't waste any time giving it a try.  Positioning the die on the hem line meant that my faux pocket was already hemmed and all I needed to do was stitch it on to white card. I would have loved to have used a bright red thread, but as it's so long since I've done any sewing I had to make do with the thread that was already in the machine.  On the pocket corner I attached two red brads to resemble the rivets you might get on a real pocket.

Inside the pocket just peeking out is Santa who was stamped, coloured using Promarkers and cut out before being glued to the inside of the pocket with his naughty or nice list.

The card had to be a large size 8.5 x 8.5 to give enough space for both the pocket and Santa's hat, but that also gave the opportunity to use a designer paper with teenagers in mind as if you get up close and read the text it's just full of kisses and candy.  What more could any teen ask for?  Quite a lot probably knowing what they are like, but this will do for starters. 

I added a sprig of holly cut using a Marianne die to just add a touch of zing to the pocket.  Hope you like the finished result.  I'm looking forward to seeing everyone else's ideas for teenage cards too.

My card is also for the following challenges...

•  Crafts and Me - Stamp Something - oooooooooh what a lovely easy challenge - thank you - thank you - thank you!
• Oldie but Goldie - Lots of layers and an old stamp - my Santa is quite old.  Think the last time he played out was on this post.
• Creative Stamping Friends - a gift package
• Blog-o-doodle - use more than one die cut (holly and denim pocket)

Off to work now but will be back later to see what everyone is creating.

Don't forget to pop over to Bah! Humbug! to see what Max and our brilliant guest designers have come up with.

Have a great day.

Ann xxx

A simple birthday card...

Recently I picked up this fabulous Hero Art clear stamp set full of elephants at a bargain price.  Here is my first card made using the set.  I used the elephant stamp that has a bold outline and stamped it on to floral paper so that I could paper piece the design.

Challenges...

• Sketch and Stash - I used their fab sketch (new stash stamps - old stash Marianne die)
• Corrosive Challenge - Summer Colours
• Charismas Cardz Challenges - Something that flies (Dumbo)
• Cupcake Challenges - things with tails

Have a good week everyone and today's top tip is 'If you lend a large can of black outdoor metal paint to anyone and they give it back to you in a carrier bag do not trust them to have replaced the lid tightly'.  I speak from experience when I say a carrier bag full of black paint is not easy to sort out without getting covered and my finger nails may never recover from this latest disaster.

Ann xxx

Strathpeffer...

Oh, I am so enjoying using Serif's Craft Artist although I must admit it did some naughty things on me while I was creating these two pages (like crashing and then later printing the same page twice), but it's so good that I can live with little misdemeanors along the way.

First page is one of me sat in the little square drinking coffee (yes coffee Max you heard correctly) accompanied by the biggest cherry muffin you have ever seen, while page number two shows some photos of other buildings in the town.

I've added my own die cut flower and swirl and brads to give a bit more depth to the page.  I'm also tending to mat and layer the printed piece on to card too.

I'm entering my pages into the following challenges:

• Crafts and Me - Swirls (only a small one but it is there with the flower - honest!)

• ABC Challenge - Two or more images hope scrap booking counts)

• Top Tip Tuesday - Open Challenge

At this rate I might even finish a whole album before the next holiday.  Have a good day all.  I'm back at work today so crafting is going to be tricky over the next week, but hopefully I'll sneak some in somehow.

Hugs and smiles.

Ann xxx

Happy Birthday ...

 

Another card for Laura's birthday tomorrow.  This is the one I've made for Grandma to give her.  Again Sweet Pea Stamps and this image actually has an amazing sentiment included with it which I intended to put on the front of the card, but there just wasn't enough space so it's had to go on the inner.  It reads...

' May the wings of a butterfly kiss the sun.

 And find your shoulders to light on.

 To bring you luck, happiness and riches .

 Today, tomorrow and beyond.'

Note yet more cast off jewelry being used.  When Laura first showed me her butterfly necklace a year or so ago I must admit my eyes lit up at the sight of the 20 or so butterflies dangling down from it.  She knows me so well and said at the time 'You're not having it yet!'  I laughed and said it looked quite fragile and would get tangled in her hair.  Naturally this comment was met with a huge scowl and I fell quite low in the 'yummy mummy' league for a while.  Anyway a year later and it finally bit the dust and was relegated to the craft collection - yeah - how cool are these butterflies? 

I must admit that Laura added the chain from the necklace to a scrapbook page she was working on last week so that makes me feel a little less guilty.

Additional materials:

• Promarkers of course and a touch of chalk
• Marianne circular frame die and nestie circle
• Beautiful shimmery butterfly paper by Sei
• Blue ribbon - oh the joy of ribbon sorted on to cards (see this post)
• Happy Birthday sentiment
• Gems and Spray and Sparkle (silver) to add oomph
• Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder

Challenges:

• In a Sweet Pea Dream - Anything Goes (hope it's okay to enter again)
• Sweet Pea Stampers - Recycling - the butterfly - again second entry hope that is okay.
• Passion for Promarkers - Fit for a princess (think it fits as all granddaughters are Princesses in their Grandma's eyes)
• Try it on Tuesday - Something old (the butterfly) - something new (the stamp)
• Sketch and Stamp - original sketch used was from there, but I must come clean and say I lost a couple of the elements from it.  Sorry!

Well cards done and dusted now on to the gift bags.  Have a great day everyone.

Ann xxx

EEEEEEEEEEK it's Saturday!...

Just got back from a fantastic five day break in Scotland and I'm afraid my scheduled Bah! Humbug! post just didn't happen!  Think I'm to blame not Mr Blogger, but no worries as I can post my cards now and with all the celebrations that were going on yesterday I doubt very much if anyone even noticed my lack of posting.

Our challenge this week is 'Pleats and Ruffles' and luckily while doing my mass ribbon sort out recently I found this amazing ribbon with a cord running through it that could be pulled to scrunch up the whole ribbon eventually forming a sort of circular rosette.  I attached a gemstone brad to the centre and kept the whole card fairly simple so that the focus is on the ribbon.  I had intended this to be the sort of card to have in your card box that could be used for any celebration near Christmas, but my daughter (alias chief critic and top advisor in these matters) says it's much better as a Christmas card.

My second sample is another gift bag.  This time I pleated a 12 inch strip of Christmas designer paper to create a ruffle and attached this to the a tag for the bag.  A snowflake brad attached with pinflair glue finishes the tag off. 

Additional Challenges:

• Crafty Ann's - Fancy Folds - my fancy folds are on the rosette tag on my bag

Have a great weekend everyone.

Ann xxx

Christmas again...

Last week I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that I had won a Guest DT spot at the Die Cut Dreams Christmas Challenge blog.  What an honour and complete surprise that really made my day.  I really do love making Christmas cards and it doesn't matter how many stamps I have I just can't resist buying more.  However, the stamp I've used to make this card and matching gift tag is so old that I can barely see the design on the wood mount.  It still stamps okay though and that's what really matters.

As you may have already guessed Die Cut Dreams are asking everyone to create a card and matching gift tag.  I must admit I do like to do this for special people so it's nice to have one ready in my box for next Christmas.  Eeek it's only February!

Materials used...

•  Snowflake ornament stamp by All Night Media 926J
•  Marianne die cut circular frame
• CD - yes behind the frame is a CD.  I really like the effect.  It reminds me of the little mirrors they used to sew on clothing.  (in the days of my hippy youth)
• gorgeous black and white snowflakes swirl patterned card by Kanban
• black, red and silver mirri card
• Swiss dots embossing folder 
• black organza ribbon
• large Sizzix tag die
• Black sentiment peel off

Additional Challenges...

• Winter Wonderland - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (well it is on my blog anyway!)
• Bah! Humbug! - Use a CD
• Stamp Something - something funky - hmmmmm think having a CD on is funky and the lettering is so reckon I can enter this.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.  I'm scheduling this to post in the morning and right now I'm off to watch a soppy DVD - 'Letters to Juliet'.  I've seen so many trailers for this - hope it's as good as it looks.

Ann xxx

Special Card for a very Special Friend...

Yeah as well as being Valentine's day Monday was also my fab friend Max's birthday.  Ooooooooooh the stress of creating a card for someone who is not only special, but a talented crafter too.  You wouldn't believe how many false starts and changes of mind I had when doing this card.  I must admit that when finished I was proud of my work though ( a rare occurence as I usually think something is not quite right) and as Max loved it too all is well.  It was definitely not a card that would fall off the mantleshelf in the slightest breeze.

Materials used...

• elegant lady rubber stamp from a grab bag collection bought many years ago from Frantic Stamper.
• silver mirri die cut frame by Marianne topped with extra swirl using a Spellbinder die
• pink and silver mirri patterned tartan by Kanban with matching pink card
• silver mirri die cut corners by Spellbinder
• black card and silver mirri card
• black organza ribbon and tiny black gems for the lady's jewels
• Promarkers to colour
• 8.5 x 8.5 square gatefold card base

I even did the inside - eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!

The verse is from Hallmark Card Studio and the silver mirri trimmed border was made using an Xcut border die.

My special card is also for the following challenges...

• The Cuttlebug Spot - Gatefold cards (no cuttlebug folders used but the die cut frame and corners are embossed)
• Pollycraft - Special Birthdays

Off to work on my Bah! Humbug! project now as it's very nearly Friday again.

Love and hugs

Ann xxx

Bah! Humbug! Day ... Doilies...

Hmmmmmmmmm Doilies are the theme this week at Bah! Humbug! and when a certain crafter went to the cupboard in search of traditional paper doilies she found none.  Poundland weren't their usual helpful selves either.  Not to worry after quite a bit of head scratching and a little bit of thinking outside of the box I improvised and came up with two designs which I hope fit the bill.

For my first card I used a Marianne die and nesties to create what I hoped would give a doilie look behind the mat and layered image.  

Materials used...

• LOTV angels and baby Jesus stamp coloured with Promarkers and glittered
• Nestie scalloped and plain circles (one circle cut on Cricut at 3.25 inches to get the finest of borders around the central image), Marianne scalloped circle die - oh I love these Marianne dies - just bought the rectangle one too.
• Dovecraft patterned paper 
• silver ribbon layed in stripes across patterned paper and used for bow
• tags cut using Cuttlebug tag die
• blue card and silver mirri 

Additional challenges...

• Crafty Creations - Three Little Words - mine are Love Peace and Joy on the tag.
• Kaboodles Doodles - Break out the ribbon
• Ooh La La Creations - for someone special - this is a 8.5 by 8.5 card and is intended to be for Gran to send my daughter next Christmas - oh boy am I organised or what?
• Woodware USA Challenge - Use ribbon

My second card with the main theme of Doilies was made using a real lace doilie bought as part of a very cheap set from Poundland some time ago.  I originally had the intention of using them on some vintage style birthday cards, but like so many other things just didn't get round to it.  Actually I now wish I had bought more as they are very light and work perfectly as a mat on a card.

Additional materials...

• Santa tag image and backing paper from one of vintage Christmas CDs by Joanna Sheen (not sure which one as this one was from a sheet printed out some time ago - yeah only another 6 images to use now - so pleased I no longer print the whole sheet when I want an image)
• Martha Stewart lace doilie punch
• green card and gold mirri card
• gold eyelet and cream organza ribbon
• gold corner peel offs

Challenges...

• Die Cut Dreams Christmas Club Challenge - The Gift of Love
• Charisma Cardz Challenge - mythical/fantasy - hmmmm not sure whether Santa qualifies here as my voice is one of the loudest shouting 'I believe' when 'Miracle on 34th Street' is shown each Christmas.

Have a great weekend 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

Bah! Humbug! Day ... seeing Stars...

 

Yeah it's Friday and that means a new challenge at Bah! Humbug! This week we want to see stars!  Think I had better rephrase that before tempting fate as none of the team want to see the kind of stars you get after a head bump, but we do want see them on Christmas projects.  I got quite carried away with this theme and made two cards.

My first card uses that adorable Woodware clear stamp set that I've been using on and off all week.  I just think this polar bear and baby looking up at the star is just so magical.  I can't believe it's took me so long to get round to using it.  Perhaps I buy too many stamps - eeeeeeeeek - no it can't possibly be that!

The misty tree paper is from a Christmas pack by Dovecraft and perhaps not so obvious in the photo is the frosty acetate that I've embossed with Swiss Dots to add texture and even more mistyness without hiding the trees too much.

Additional materials...

• riboon and gems from stash
• Marianne snowflake die
• Blue/green card
• 6.5" square card from Square card set by QVC 

Additional challenges...

• Sketch and Stash - sketch (new stash snowflake die - old stash - polar bear stamp set)
• Charisma Cardz - anything goes
• The Pink Elephant - aqua - designer paper and an embellishment
• ABC Christmas Challenge - trees

Here comes card number 2 also with the theme of stars.  This time I used a new Marianne die bought special for the theme and to be truthful now I'm not so sure whether I like the die or not, but oh well love the fir branch that came in the same pack.

The sentiment is computer generated and I found it on the verses section on the Imag-e-nation site.  The designer paper was some in a magazine I bought at the NEC earlier this year.  

This card is for the following challenges...

• Sweet Sketch Wednesday - the sketch (had to miss out the embellishment at top right as it just wouldn't gel)
• Fab n Funky - use a quote or long sentiment as focal point
• Ooh la la Creations - use a sentiment as focal point

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.  I'm going to my local craft shop's birthday party tomorrow so that should be good plus I have to pass Poundland on the way there.  Eek that always costs me a fortune!  Do pop over to Bah! Humbug! to check out Max and Irene's creations and Anne, our guest designer's work too.

Ann xxx