The Incredible Shrinking Card...

Has anyone else ever done this? You start out with what seems like a good idea for a card and something doesn't look right so you change it and the card gets smaller as you chop bits off and mess around.

Well that's what happened to me this morning - I started out with good intentions for the challenge at http://quickutzchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ but things just didn't gel. However, I did manage to end up with a small (4" x 4") acetate card and a gift tag so all was not lost.

I must be getting better at card making as in the past the whole lot would have ended up in the bin.

Something tells me (cards to neighbours not posted - presents not wrapped - food not bought) it may be time to take a break from blogging and get ready for Christmas!!

So if anyone is still finding time to check out my blog I wish you and your family a very, very...

Merry Christmas

and a

Happy New Year

Hope you will come back and visit me again after the festivities.

Ann xxx

Criss Cross Cards...

The challenge this week at http://cuttlebugchallenge.blogspot.com/ was to make a criss cross card using a tutorial available at http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials.

I completed two criss cross cards as I needed two special cards to put money in for my daughters. One card is in green and gold using the fabulous Cuttlebug Christmas tree die and embossing folder. The other is in pink using the snowflake folder and a Sizzix snowflake die (my cuttlebug die has still not arrived). I do wonder if this is a good time to name and shame the company who have still not delivered my cuttlebug folders ordered at least 6 weeks ago. I can't even remember what I ordered properly now.

Seeing as it's Christmas I will say no more on that!!




I decided not to do the band that can be used around these cards and kept my cards fairly simple.

One of the diagonal flaps opens and the other is fastened securely at the lower edge to create a pocket.


I used eyelets and threaded ribbon through to make the loop to pull out the tag.

I kept the inside very simple using a peel off message on both tags.

I haven't fully decided yet whether to clip the money gift to the right hand corner or make a kind of voucher on the computer. I think I will probably go with the voucher and make a couple of different ones along the lines of 'One meal out' etc. We'll see!!!

The Cuttlebug challenge blogspot is totally inspiring and the design team come up with some new and really inpiring projects each week. Do take a look - it really is worthwhile.

Christmas Notebooks...

Both my daughters love special notebooks and quite a while ago I bought two plain note books with the intention of altering them into something a little bit special as stocking fillers for Christmas.

My intentions are good, in that I bought them ages ago, but only today actually got round to changing them. I used fairy stamps by Joanna Sheen stamped on to white card and then embellished the images with gems from my stash.

I love silhouettes and these fairy ones are especially nice as they lend themselves to having gems or glitter added so easily.

I used ribbons to make page markers and added fairy charms to the ends to give the ribbon weight to hold it in place. As the challenge at http://www.dutchdare-cardchallenges.blogspot.com/ is to use a charm I am entering my books for that challenge.

The inner page of each book is stamped with a quote from a clear set of stamps by Cloud Nine designs...

As anyone with grown up daughters will know it's a very true saying!

Having said that there are times when I so wish they were back in their frilly dresses!!!