Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my friends in blogland.
I am completely sorted & relaxed, waiting for the big day now. I hope that Santa brings everyone what they wanted & that a good day is had by all.
I also want to wish you all a very Happy New Year as I am off on 26th to Cyprus, so will spend New Year there.
May 2012 bring you health, wealth & happiness.
With love
Dawn xx

Tilda is on a journey

I found out recently that my sister who emigrated to New Zealand 8 years ago is coming to the UK in March & furthermore is flying out to Cyprus with me to spend a week together there with our baby sister. I am so excited I cannot tell you as I have not seen her apart from webcam in all that time. She is coming without hubby & family, so we can have some girlie time.
Anyway it is her birthday in January & I thought this was perfect for her. I started off with paper from stash, I think the top one was Lifes Journey by K & Co. The corners I cut out using my Craft Robo (using a template from UKScrappers) & gilded with gilding flakes.

I am quite pleased with how they turned out. All papers have been distressed with Distress Ink Peeled Paint. The word travel I cut out again on the Robo & distressed them to match the colours/tone already used.

The flowers again were distressed too & a metal charm saying journey was added.
Lastly the stamps used were Airplane in the clouds. Suitcase with signpost. Sitting Tilda, all from BonVoyage 2010. I have coloured with a mixture of Distress Inks & Prisma pencils.
You can just see the flourishes that I cut out using Cuttlebug  (Sissix Die)
Entered into the following challenges
Craft Your Passion Things with wings (aeroplane)
Fashionable Stamping Travelling around the world
Emerald Faeries Flourishes/Swirls

UPDATE I won a spotlight place in the Fashionable Challenges for this card

Divas Christmas Challenge

Its time for the Divas last challenge of the year & this theme is Christmas & will run for 4 weeks, so plenty of time to create amongst the hustle & bustle of Christmas.
I am flying off to Cyprus on 26th, so hope the weather will be warmer than here in the UK.
This challenge is sponsored by both

Here is my card

I have used a Stitchy image called Sweet Santa & he is coloured with Promarkers. The BP are Papermania Noel set. The sentiments are my own & made on computer. I used a Nestie to mount my image onto but turned it around to create the diamond effect. Pointsettia & Reindeer from stash as is fringe. Santa sentiment was a freebie collected at some point, can't remember where. This is my last Christmas card, all mine have been written & sent/delivered, so feeling quite smug now.
Entering into the following challenges
Crafty Boots Xmas
Hooked On Craft Xmas
Pollycraft Xmas Fun
Come & Get It Red, Green & Your Choice (Brown)
OSAAT Use a digi

Dream Valley Challenge

Here is my first Dream Valley Challenge as a new member of their DT & this challenge will run from 11th December to 8th January 2012, so plenty of time to get crafting. Its a Christmas challenge & is sponsored by One Stop Crafts

At One Stop Card Crafts we have a big range of ever changing discount making and card making craft supplies.

We are always adding to our range of craft supplies which are ideal for making handmade greeting cards, do-it-yourself invitations scrapbook pages, altered items and much more.
Our card making craft supplies include free UK postage, our popular discount scheme and quick service means our customers keep coming back for more.
Our prices are very competitive and this & makes us an ideal place to buy your card making supplies online. Some of our new products include Petaloo flower layers, Ranger Glitter Glue and Martha Stewart Punches.http://onestopcraftchallenge.blogspot.com/

Prize - £10.00 voucher for their store

Since posting this, there are more sponsors, details of which can be found here

More Molly Bloom stamps, using the Postbox & Santa. The paper is from Papermania Noel set & I have created an irregular frame around the postbox image & raised it up with foam pads. Both images are coloured with Promarkers & the sentiment is Magnolia. I have also added Pinflair Snow Dust to the bottom of the postbox for snow

Don't forget to pop over & see what the other teamies have done & I look forward to seeing your entries.

Entering into the following challenges
I Did It Creations Santas getting Ready
Lets Ink It Up Xmas
Paper Sundaes Anything Xmas
Crafts & Me Winter, snow.snowflakes

Ice Skating

This is another scene I made up a few weeks ago. The background is Make It Crafty which has been coloured with Promarkers & Glamour Dust. The lake has a coating of Glossy Accents on it, which makes it look like water. I tore around the edge of the image & liberally coated it with Glamour Dust. I have then placed Tilda & Edwin ice skating on top with foam pads. They have been coloured with Promarkers as well.

The snowflake was out of my Duck Pond Craft kit & I have covered it with lilac glitter.

The trees have Liquid Pearl on them for snow.
Sentiment from stash, I kept this card quite simple as I wanted the image not to be lost in embellishments.
Entering into the following challenges
Delightful Inspiration Let It Snow
One Stop Craft Let It Snow
Sweet Stampin Snow
Card Making Fairy Winter Wonderland

New DT post

OMG I have been chosen to become one of the Dream Valley Challenges DT, I even had to click on the link over at the site to make sure it was me...lol.
I look forward to working with the team & creating some great cards.

Santas job is done!

More Molly Bloom stamps this time. I have used the postcard & Santa on his chair. Both coloured with Promarkers & the postcard is distressed with Distress Ink Walnut Stain. The green BP is from the Papermania Noel set & the other one out of my scrap drawer. Handwritten sentiment on the postcard & a computer generated Job Done. The gorgeous poinsettia was in my monthly subscription from Duck Pond Crafts
Little bit of faux sewing around the edges too.
Entering into the following challenges
City Crafter Santa Claus is Coming
Everybody-Art Santa Claus
Going Grey with Scrap Creations Xmas
Craft Your Passion Tis The Season
Addicted To Stamps Xmas
Stamptacular Sunday Anything Christmas

UPDATE I won a spotlight  (Top 5) over at City Crafter for this card

Divas By Design Anything Goes

Its time for another challenge over at Divas & this time its an Anything Goes theme, so lots of scope to create & I look forward to seeing the entries.

I have 2 close  friends & 1 of them was going to New Zealand for Christmas & New Year, so we had an early Xmas lunch last week & I gave both of them a tissue box I had made for them. I didn't want it to be just a Christmas gift but something for all year round, so I decided to make each side a different season

Here is the Winter scene. A Magnolia Tilda & lamp, coloured with Promarkers & snowflakes covered with Pinflair Snow Dust. paper from Papermania Noel set. Magnolia die used to create the lacy effect at the top & the season created in Word. Every edge is distressed with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

The next one is Spring, again with a Magnolia Tilda with Apples. Flowers from stash,as is the paper,the image coloured with Promarkers, everything the same as before.

Then we have summer, a Magnolia Tilda & Surfboard, coloured again with Promarkers. Paper from stash. The sun I made by cutting out a circle & some elongated diamond shapes. Palm trees from a set that I found buried in a drawer that I have had for years by Impex Creative Crafts.

Lastly we have autumn, Magnolia Tilda & leaves. Paper from stash & everything else the same as before.

Finally the top where I wound raffia around the top of the side of the box & added the flowers as seen from stash. The leaves are a punch, no idea of make as unmarked.
These were a labour of love as it took me 2 evenings to colour the images, then another 2 evenings to create & decorate, but they were very well received, so well worth it for 2 of my closest friends.
This challenge was sponsored by Crafty Pad

Entering into the following challenges
Creative Craft Challenges Free For All
Scrap-Creations Xmas
Party Time Tuesdays Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion Tis The Season
The Crafty Bloggers Network Other Than A Card (3d)
CraftyBoots Anything Goes
Dutch Magnolia Lovers Use a Magnolia stamp before 2011 collections (all of mine are)

Monochromatic

Whilst reading my dashboard, I saw that Paulette from Create with TLC was asking if anyone could help her out by making a card for her blog hop, so I emailed her offering to do it & here is the card. She gave me the image to work with & I decided to leave it B&W & go for the monchrome look.

 

I created a frame around the image & ran it through the Cuttlebug using a snowflake folder. Added some sparkly black ribbon to top & bottom, together with a white organza bow. Used a little Pinflair Snow Dust on the  bird table roof, tree & snowflake. Snowflake charm from stash. Lastly several jewels in black & silver highlighting the frame a little.
I hope Paulette is happy with it, she has said so...lol.
There is a blog hop going on over at Create With TLC so go on over & have a look at whats on offer.
Entering into these challenges
Digital Tuesday Sparkle & Shine
Creative Card Crew Monochromatic

Tilda & Tree

Another Xmas card made...phew! This one is Tilda & Xmas Tree, coloured with Promarkers. A little Pinflair Snow Dust was added to the tree & the snowflake, as well as beneath Tilda.

Tilda is mounted onto Nesties & placed onto BP Magnolia Holly Christmas Song. I distressed the edges of the  BP. The lace I coloured with Promarkers to get the same colours as my image. The flowers, wire decoration & candy were all from the last 2 kits I got from Duck Pond Crafts in my monthly subscription kits. I embossed the greeting onto a magnolia Tag die, which is hard to photograph but it does say Yuletide Greetings clearly I promise..lol.

Right, thats another card finished. So far I have 50 made & I will spend today writing my cards, so I know how many more I need to make.
Entering into the following challenges
Gingerloft Xmas& Winter
Paper Creations Xmas
Everybody Art Xmas
ILovePromarkers Anything Goes
Just Magnolia Pink, White or Red
Magnolia Down Under Let It Snow

Kenny K

Kenny K are having a DT call, so I thought I would have a bash at joining. Someone has to get the chance to play with his fab images, but I am sure it wont be me...lol.
Anyway here is my card, which I made yesterday amidst all the glitter & bling needed for Xmas cards.

I used Tug Of War which was a freebie from Kenny K & flipped it to look like the boys are playing against each other. Coloured with Promarkers & Glossy Accents on the sweat...lol. I distressed the edge of the card with Broken China Distress Ink. The paper was Toucan Scraps City Street which I was lucky enough to get whilst on the OSAAT DT . I changed the hue to match my card colours.
The tag was distressed using the same colour, with raffia tied around the card, together with a metal embellishment saying Team, which I thought was quite apt for the card. A few matching candy buttons & there we have a male card!
Entering into the following challenges
Kenny K Kids Rule
Cupcake Craft Teenage Boys
Paper Crafting Journey Anything Goes
Rainbow Lady Cards For Men
Crafty Sentiments Metal

Molly Bloom Xmas scene

After our visit to Sir Stamp A Lot recently, we all bought several Molly Bloom stamps which I have used to create this scene. There is the Santa, Xmas Tree, Xmas stocking, Bed, Little Girl, Night Window
We did several classes whilst we were away & this was one of them. A side stepper card using Molly Bloom stamps.
Coloured with Promarkers. Papers were from stash. I added the snowflake which was a punch (maker KARS) & little jewels to the Xmas tree.
I do have a Magnolia round stamp that says Santa is coming to town which I will add to the front of the card before posting.

I just love the dimension in this little scene.
Entering this card into the following challenges
OSAAT Anything Goes
I Love Promarkers Anything Goes
Crazy Challenges Shaped Cards
Pollycraft Xmas Fun
Lollipop Crafts Anything Goes
Everybody Art Xmas card
Top Tip Tuesday More Than One Fold
Stampavie Anything But Square

Magnolia Xmas Tree

On our way up to York last weekend, 6 of us visited Sir Stamp A Lot which is our local craft shop & all spent loads of money buying up the shop. Janice gave us tea & biscuits & we spent 2 hours in there & that was before we even started the journey north. One of my purchases was the new Magnolia Ink magazine as I just love these & in it is a card made by Mindy on the DT which I wanted to recreate.

The tree was made using a Magnolia edge die laid on top of each other & then cut at the edges. A little ribbon & silver thread, together with small jewels finish the tree.
Placed onto an easel card covered with Papermania Noel papers. The parcels are little boxes I made up & covered using the same paper pack & decorated.

Tilda as Santas Little Helper (2009) & Edwin on Christmas Eve (2011) were coloured with Promarkers. Doily from stash.
Its not exactly the same as Mindys & I have used different characters too, but the idea is hers & I can't say otherwise. Anyway I am sure hers is better..lol.

Entered into the following challenges
I Love Promarkers Xmas Trees
Magnolia Stamp Lover Xmas
Pile It On Traditional Xmas
My Craft Spot Easel Card
Cupcake Craft Twos Company (2 characters)
Stampavie  Anything But Square
Wags & Whiskers Xmas

UPDATE I have won Top 3 over at I Love Promarkers & My Craft Spot for this card.

MIC Elves

Another MIC image which I got from Zoe & quite a simple card. Coloured the elves in with Promarkers, mounted onto red card. Paper I had had for yonks & laid some of it horizontal underneath the image. Wanted to keep this quite plain & funky. A few candy buttons & a sentiment. Easy!
Entered into I Did It Creations as a Xmas or Winter card.
I am going away tomorrow to Yorkshire for 5 days with some crafting friends. We have a cottage just outside York. My bags are almost packed & I am sure I have more craft stuff going with me than clothes!!!
No internet for me until Wednesday when I am back, so be good.

MIC & Maggie

Once again I have been playing with Make It Crafty backgrounds & this one is Home Sweet Home. I have combined it with Tilda & Bauble & coloured with Promarkers. Now the room was not particularly Christmassy, so I have added red tinsel to the stair rails by adding glitter as well as to Tildas bauble.

I have a MS vine punch which also looks like Christmas lights (well does to me...lol), so I coloured & glittered strips to lay upon the card to give dimension & bling. The photo does not really show but they stand slightly proud of the card. I couldnt take any more photos as I have left my camera charger in Cyprus so I am going to have to rely on my phone for any new photos.

Hopefully this looks quite Christmassy now.
Entered into the following challenges
Mami Doodles Xmas
Winter Wonderland Challenge Card Sparkle
Paper Crafting Journey Use digi stamp, paper etc
Delightful Sketches A Very Sparkly Xmas
Crafty Purple Frog Sparkle

Edwins Glitterfest

I think I am slowly getting my mojo back after a long absence. So many things have happened & not all good unfortunately. Anyway here is a card I made yesterday.

I absolutely love Zoes images over at Make It Crafty & bought several yesterday to try & kick start me into my craft room. I merged Ice Skating Lake & Simple Winter Scene together using My Craft Studio. Coloured with Promarkers & liberally glittered to give the snow effect. The lake I have covered in Glossy Accents to give a mirror finish

Added Edwin & Sleigh & a sentiment from my Xmas box & stitching around the edges & there you have it.
Entered into the following challenges
OSAAT Xmas
Pollycraft Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Anything Goes & Bling
Top Tip Tuesday Make Your Own Background
The Paper Shelter Xmas Fun
I Love Promarkers Glitter & Glitz
Just Magnolia Merry Xmas

UPDATE I WON TOP 3 WITH THIS CARD OVER AT I LOVE PROMARKERS

Use Metal Divas By Design

This week over at Divas the challenge is to Use Metal & the prize is a Divas prize box. So lets see you all participating & I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to pop over & see what great work my fellow teamies have done too.

 This is my card. The backing paper is a digital freebie from Bearly Mine, onto which I added ribbon from stash to make a frame effect. The image is a digi by Sassy Cheryl which I have coloured with Prisma pencils.

The flower is layered & a metal wire added for dimension. The silver sentiment is a die cut that I accquired ages ago, origin unknown. Lastly I added a cute little metal reindeer on top right corner & a couple of candy buttons.

Entered into the following challenges
One Stitch At A Time Xmas
Die Cut Dreams So Charming (Use a charm)
Lexis Creations Charms
Paper Crafting Journey Use a digi (paper & image)

Tilda & Key

Here is my birthday card for my sons girlfriend who turns 21 at the end of October. I am afraid the papers are from my stash, so no idea who or what they came from. A MS Daisy punch was used to edge the top paper.
My doily I coloured with a Promarker to match the colour scheme, which was laid on top of some lilac sparkly ribbon, although you can hardly see it now. The image (Tilda & Key) is coloured with Promarkers once more & edged with the same. A Magnolia tag die placed on top  & I used my Cuttlebug alphabet to cut out the 21. Hat pin added. Flowers are a combination of Wild Orchid Crafts & stash.
I then placed it into a box, which I have kept quite simple.

Just a big ribbon & some dew drops & theres the card. I now need to go & buy the present which is a Pandora bead, as her parents are buying her the bracelet.

I know it has been ages since I posted a card, but I was away on holiday for 3 weeks & have only been back since last Sunday & this week has been manic. I promise to get around to my favourites blogs soon, I am still here....honest lol.

Entering this card into the following challenges
Lollipop Crafts At least 3 Embellies
Creative Craft Fancy Edges
The Paper Shelter Anything Goes
Inky Impressions Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes
Sew Many Challenges Background Papers
I Love Promarkers Tags
Rubys Rainbow Use Metal

Button Up

Its time once again for another challenge over at Divas & this week its Button Up & therefore we want to see buttons on your creations. This week is sponsored by Crafty Emmas.

I used a Cuttlebug flower folder, which I had never used before to make the flower, I then ran it through the Cuttlebug again, using a Swiss Dot folder this time, onto which I stuck 2 buttons to make the centre. I also used a Cuttlebug border & stuck that along the bottom edge, onto which I stuck more buttons.
Paper is from stash, as are the flowers & ribbon & brad. The leaves are a Sissiz die, coloured with Promarkers. Sentiment is a freebie from blogland somewhere.

I am looking forward to seeing what you can create using buttons & don't forget to pop over to the Divas blog & see what my fellow DT have made this week.

I am away on holiday at the moment, & whilst I have internet, its very slow, so please bear with me if I am not getting around blogland as usual & commenting on my favourite blogs.

Entered into the following challenges
Totally Stampalicious Embossing
Anything Goes Die Cuts/ Punches
The Poodles Parlour Buttons/ Brads

Twisted Santa!!

I wanted to have a go at the twisted easel cards that I had seen in blogland & decided to have a go.. Over at Come & Get It Challenges I had won a top pick for my Back To School card & they asked me to be a GDT for this week using an easel card as a technique, so it was perfect to combine the two.
The image is from Make It Crafty which I coloured with Prisma pencils.

Papers I bought last year & cannot remember who or what they are, but they are glittered as is most of this card...lol.  Ribbon, Dew Drops & Pointsettias all from stash. I have a Christmas bag with all my embellies etc in & each year I completely forget whats in there!

Copious amounts of glitter glue used around the edges of the card & I also got out embossing powder to make the sentiment which was a wooden stamp (unmarked) I have owned for years.
Voila, a twisted easel card which I am very pleased with, however I note that I have not been featured in the above challenge!! Hopefully an oversight.
Entered into the following challenges
Fussy & FancyTtry new technique (Twisted easel)
One Stop Cards Easel Cards
Victorine Stamps Easel Cards
Bows n Berries Glitter

Xmas Robin

After a very busy weekend, I managed to make this card  on Sunday evening. BP are from Bearly Mine Christmas Sparkle collection. The image is Pink Gem which was a freebie last year. It was & still is one of my favourites, so I coloured him up with Promarkers & used My Craft Studio to colour the card to match the bluey backing paper & mounted him following the sketch over at A Gem of a Challenge. Flowers are a combination of stash & Wild Orchid Crafts. Ribbon which has been made into a double bow is from stash & the sentiment is from a See D bought from QVC years ago.
Entered into these challenges
Pink Gem Sketch
Cutie Sunday Xmas
Little Miss Muffet Things with Wings

Fishy Tail

This is an image that I got when I was a member of the OSAAT DT, unfortunately the drawer of the stamp is no longer with OSAAT, so I cannot give a link.
I coloured with Promarkers & then gilded it, using my neglected Gilding Flakes. It looks splotchy in the photo, but it doesnt in real life, promise...lol

I framed the image with 3d foam & using papers from Bearly Mine, although these were a freebie from last year I think & cut out the oval with my Nesties. Backing paper is also Bearly Mine, from the same freebie set.

Added flowers & ribbon from my stash & from my monthly subscription to DuckPond Crafts ,as is the stick pin. I also gilded the leaves & a little flourish on the frame, as well as the sentiment & followed the sketch over at Sketch & Stash

Sentiment from a QVC kit purchased years ago & a little fish charm added to finish off.
I am entering this into the following challenges
Sketch & Stash Using the above sketch. Neglected stash Gilding Flakes & New stash flowers, ribbon & pin
Sir Stamp A Lot Frames
Pile It On Lots of layers
Die Cut Dreams Flower Power (at least 5 flowers, I have 8 on there)
I Love Promarkers Metal charm/embellishment