Hot Chocolate Anyone?

Firstly I hope everyone has had a fabulous Christmas & Santa brought lots of crafting goodies. I got a new die cutter X Cut Express & some more Flexmarkers. I also want to wish everyone a very Happy & prosperous New Year!.
Both my DT have come to an end now, so I am DT less & will be making cards as & when, without any deadlines, which for a while will be a good thing lol, but I asm sure I will be looking for a new DT soon.
I recently found Deviantart & Jade Dragonne images, which I love & you can colour them as long as you are not using them for commercial use & as this is going to my sister, there is no problem. Its called Hot Cocoa & is coloured with Pro/Flexmarkers.
The paper is Bo Bunny Ambrosia collection.
The orange die is from the new Magnolia Vol 3 die collection, again coloured with Promarkers.
Both lace & flowers, came from Thailand. The image mount is a Spellbinders die & the sentiment ticket is once again Magnolia. The feather is Spellbinders & the organza ribbon came from Cyprus.
I have been busy recently making Save the Dates for my son & fiance & will be starting the invites soon.
I have also made a calendar based on a project posted on Graphic 45 blog, which I will show you soon.
Entering the following challenges
Thats Crafty Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday Anything Goes
Crafts 4 Eternity Hot Chocolate

Last Ever Bearly Mine posting

Well here is my last ever posting for Bearly Mine as its my turn for an inspirational post today. Due to the new EU laws coming into play from 1st Jan, Donna has decided its no longer viable to continue selling her papers & consequently no more challenges or the need for a DT.
The papers I have used are Lacy Vintage Dreams

& Mixed Media 2

Donna currently has a 50% sale going on over on her site, so pop over & grab yourself some bargains before they disappear for good.
The image I have used is by Paper Nest Dolls & is coloured with Flexmarkers & Prismas.
The doves, the heart strip & the heart die are all from Magnolia Vol 3 die set & the flowers are from Thailand.

Last ever Divas By Design Challenge

 Today is the last ever Divas By Design Challenge, it is a sad day as I have been with the Divas since inception & unfortunately life has become too hectic for Rebekah to continue running the blog. The theme is an easy one, its Anything Goes & there will be a surprise for the winner.
I recently went to a class at Sir Stamp A lot (my fav craft shop) & we made this Christmas album. Warning loads of photos lol!!

 The papers are Graphic 45 & are just so gorgeous.

 The punch was a Martha Stewart.

 Every component was from the Graphic 45 papers.

 Apart from the tags inserted into some of the pages.

A Bind It All was used to assemble it all together.

Everything was edged with Walnut Stain DI. A beautiful album to put Christmas photos in.
Please pop over to the Divas blog & leave some love to all my fellow DT members. It has been a blast!
Entering the following challenges
Deep Ocean Challenges Christmas is all Around
Scrap Creations Anything Goes
Holly Jolly Christmas Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown Christmas
All Crafts Challenge Anything but a Card
Card Mania Christmas

Stampendous Orange Blossom

I saw this stamp whilst away on my crafting long weekend & loved it, so it dropped into my basket lol. It is called Orange Blossom & is coloured with Flexmarkers & Promarkers.
The papers are Graphic 45. The die that you can just see underneath the stamp (a greeny colour) is Spellbinders Nestabilities Opulent Ovals, as is the yellow die attached to the green ribbon. The actual card shape is a Couture Spring Garden die set from Create & Craft. The organza ribbon I bought in Cyprus & tied a double bow. The flowers all came from Thailand. The feather die is also Spellbinbdres Shapeabilities Feathers, onto which I stamped a Magnolia stamp to match the actual stamp. All the edges were coloured with Mustard Seed DI.
Entering the following challenges
Inspiration Destination Anything Goes
Mod Squad Challenge Use 2 or more Die Cuts ( 4 used)
Pennys Paper Crafty Anything But Christmas
Party Time Tuesdays Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes
Passion for Promarkers Bingo..... I used a diagonal line from top left. Ribbon. Free & Blooms

Colouring

Not made this into a card yet, but wanted to show it off anyway, as before I started taking the classes over at Kit & Clowder, I would never have had the guts to attempt to colour such an image.
The image is by Jade Dragonne & is on Devianart. She does have a Facebook page too.
I have coloured it with mostly Flexmarkers & some Promarkers. The ice has been covered with Glossy Accents to give a shine to it & the fur has had Glamour Dust treatment. Apart from that, its just my colouring.
Entering the following challenges
Come & Get It Merry Christmas
Opus Gluei Let It Snow
Sir Stamp A Lot Winter Wonderland

Closing Down Sale

Sadly Donna over at Bearly Mine Design has decided to close her shop, due to the new EU directive that dictates that VAT on digital products must now be charged at the rate of the buyer & not the seller, which is a logistical nightmare & too expensive for small business. I think there will be more people deciding to close in the coming months ( I know of two more).
Anyway she has a sale on as above, so go over & grab her wonderful papers before its too late.

Last Christmas card.................hopefully!

This is hopefully the last Christmas card I make this year!! I have one or two I will show on blog, but they are already made.
On this one I have used Dovecraft Twelve Days of Christmas paper & edged it with Festive Berries DI. The image is Hobby House & is part of a Ready to Colour Art Book & I have coloured with Flexmarkers.

I used Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Two for the mount & smaller versions for the green paper which was from scrap & the little sentiment, which came free with a Making Cards magazine.
I remembered that last year, I bought Molly Blooms Christmas magazine set & there was a set of stamps with it, two of which matched the image perfectly, so I coloured them also with Flexmarkers. I added Glossy Accents to the jar, to look like glass.
The ribbon I bought in Cyprus & the wreath charm came from Hobby House. All the flowers are from my stash, most of which has been brought back from Thailand.
No glitter in sight & certainly a lot of colour lol!.
Entering the following challenges
Noor Design UK Merry Christmas
7 Kids College Fund Anything Goes
Crafting By Designs Anything Goes for Christmas
Fresh Brewed Designs Christmas Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Christmas/Holidays
ABC Challenge Yuletide

Feeling Festive

Divas By Design new challenge starting today is Feeling Festive, so anything Christmas & is sponsored by Craft Bag. I have been playing again with my new Spellbinder Nestabilities dies Opulent Ovals. I had some glittered vellum by Papermania Holly Flourish left from last year & covered a 7x5 card with it. I then used 2 of the dies & mounted them onto the vellum. I made the wreath using Martha Stewart Fern punch. The holly & berries I borrowed from a friend ( they were a part of a die set she bought, but I cant remember any details). They were the perfect size for my wreath. The ribbon slider is also part of the Spellbinder set I bought, with a little organza ribbon. Its years since I made a 7x5 card, it seemed so big lol.
Entering the following challenges
City Crafter Challenges A Wreath for this Season & some silver (in vellum)
Papertake Weekly Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes
Incy Wincy  Non Traditional Xmas Colours (no red & green)

Last Bearly Mine Challenge EVER!

This is the last post I will make on behalf of Bearly Mine Challenges as its the last one sadly. Donna has made the difficult decision to close her shop & therefore her challenges as the new EU directive on digital images has made it non viable to continue.
Anyway this challenge is Anything But A Card or a Christmas Decoration & I chose to make a tag. I have used paper from the Christmas Memories set

I edged it with acrylic paint, the ribbon came from Hobby House & the gold ribbon is from stash. The pointsettia came with the Vol 2 Magnolia Die Club & I added Stampendous Champagne Crushed Glass Glitter & added a pearl in the middle.
I have 1 last inspirational post to make on 21st & after that no more Bearly Mine! So very sad.
Entering the following challenges
Classy Cards n Such Xmas Tag
Crafty Catz Weekly Anything Goes

Nice & Simple

Here is a nice & easy card I made today. I embossed the card using a Die'sire embossing folder. I then used Spellbinders Opulent Ovals Nestabilities die, onto which I stamped a sentiment from Just Rite stamps called Coffee Cup, which I bought whilst away on my crafting weekend last week. The tea cup from the same stamp set was coloured with Flexmarkers & Promarkers & raised on foam pads to give depth. Added ribbon from Thailand & jewels from stash. I think this stamp is lovely, so didnt want to put much else on to detract from the stamp.
Entering the following challenges
Crafty Creations Embossing
Fab n Funky Die Cuts
Pennys Paper Crafty Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments Use Die Cuts
Through The Craft Room Door Anything Goes

Noor Design Team Call

I have just been away on my annual crafting long weekend with friends & this has kick started my mojo back into shape. I bought loads of new goodies to play with & managed to make 20 Christmas cards whilst I was away too.
I had noticed that Tracy Payne over at Noor Design is having a Design Team Call for her new shop here. Tracy is a tutor over at Kit & Clowder for the distress ink class which I have completed & I have loved her cards for years.
This card has several Noor Design/Joy Crafts dies on it. The papers are First Edition Gilded Winter. The lace was a present from a friend. The image is from Making Cards Christmas Special 2014 & is mounted onto corrugated card from stash.
The Snowflakes are Noor Design/Joy Crafts, as is the leaf die too.

I have also used another Noor Design/Joy Crafts die here & glittered it with Glamour Dust & attached it to the image.

The sentiment is from the latest Crafters Companion inspiration  magazine, mounted onto a new die  by Sweet Dixie Butterfly & Floral Diamond. Now thats the card part out of the way, and as part of The DT call, I have to tell you a little about myself.
I am 53 years old & no longer work, due to health issues, so I have loads of time to play in my craft room. I live in Cambridgeshire in UK. I currently belong to 2 Design Teams, but for different reasons, both are closing down at the end of the year, so I will be without a DT team, which will be the first time in years.
I have a FB account, I also use Pinterest & am a lover of dies & have an ever growing collection.
My blog has been quiet lately because of my dress making & knitting & a lack of mojo, but it has fired up & I am rearing to go again with loads of ideas in my head. I also need to complete the skin & hair class over at Kit & Clowder lol.
Anyway thanks for reading this, there are some gorgeous entries over at the DT call, so fingers crossed eh? If you dont enter, you cant be considered, so here goes.
Entering this card into the following challenges
Craft Your Passion Baby Its Cold Outside
Get Creative Anything Goes with optional glitter
Pink Elephant Anything Goes
Come & Get It Winter Theme
Sugar Creek Hollow Vintage Christmas Cards with non Traditional Colours
Noor Design DT Call

Bearly Mine inspirational post

I am struggling to get any motivation to make cards at the moment, I have so many Christmas cards still to make & may even end up buying some, which will be a first for me! Anyway, sorry if I have not been around to visit my favourite blogs, but I have been busy knitting & dress making instead, to fill my time. I will get back into my cards though, I am sure, just needed a break.
Its my turn for an inspirational post over at Bearly Mine today & I quickly made this. The papers are from Donna's Christmas Ice set, which can be bought here

I used an image from Making Cards magazine & mounted it onto corrugated card, cut out a Magnolia tag die & stamped onto it, using the stamps that came with the Crafters Companion Christmas magazine. Added ribbon from HobbyHouse & some pearls that were bought in Thailand, made into a bow & stuck to the card. Quick & easy & show off the papers, which is of course the brief!.

Willie the Penguin

Divas By Design have a new challenge starting today with a theme of Let It Snow & is sponsored by Crafty Ribbons.
This cute little penguin is being given away free as part of a challenge over at Scrappers Delights & you had to make a tag with him, so thats what I did lol. Im still struggling with card making at the moment, but I coloured him up with Flexmarkers & Promarkers. I made the tag myself & covered it with paper from The Paper Company Snowflake Snowmen. I ran it through the Cuttlebug using Crafters Companion Vintage snowflake die. The tree is Magnolia & part of their volume 2 die club kit. Added some vintage seam binding & some Aleene Glitter Snow & there you have it.

Proposal by Paper Nest Dolls

At last I can publish this card. It was made for my son & girlfriend who got engaged last week. I searched the internet looking for a stamp I liked & found this image & contacted Christine at Paper Nest Dolls & she explained that the stamp had been her first stamp & that it had been retired, but she was happy to let me buy it. I have coloured it with Prisma pencils & the papers are Bo Bunny Timepiece & Smoochable. The banner die is La La land. The edges are a Spellbinder die set. Office Supplies. Ribbon & flowers are all from stash.The sentiment is made using Dovecraft mini letter stamps.
Entering the following challenges
Crafty Sentiments Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesday Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes

Graphic 45 at Divas

Divas By Design have a new challenge starting today & the theme is Autumnal colours, so lets see your browns, oranges etc. It is sponsored by Crafty Devils.
Last year on my annual crafting weekend in Lincolnshire, my friends bought me this box/basket/trug, which was of course plain, but I never took a photo of it bare. I set about making it into something more attractive & covered it in Graphic 45 Bon Appetit papers from their French Country collection.

I then covered the whole thing in copper gilding wax & added some orange ribbon on the handle.

On the edges I used a Magnolia lace die cut, again covered in gilding wax & lastly painted the whole thing with Modge Podge.

It now sits in my craft room & although I say it myself, its so pretty.
Entering the following challenges
7 Kids College Fund Anything Goes
Fresh Brewed Designs Fall Colours
Inspiration Destination Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Anything Goes

Christmas Kisses

As its the 1st of the month, its time for another challenge over at Bearly Mine Challenges & the theme is Christmas cards, so a nice easy one for this time of year. It is sponsored by both Marianne Designs, who are providing a surprise package & also Donna herself at Bearly Mine with a £15.00 voucher to spend in the store.
I chose to make a comical  card for a change. I am still trying to keep my Christmas cards flatish this year, so I can put them into envelopes, rather than make upteen boxes.
These papers are from Donna's new Christmas set called Christmas Traditions 2.

I love red & green as a colour combo for Christmas, so these were perfect to use.
The image is from Just Inklined & is called Maude Merry Christmas, she is coloured with Promarkers. The pointsettia die & pine needles dies are from Magnolia Die Club Vol 2. The die I used to mount Maude is a Marianne set. A few pearls from Thailand complete the card.
Entering the following challenges
Crafty Calendar Its All About Christmas
Sister Act Christmas

Caroling Luka

It seems an age since I sat down & made a card just because I want to, rather than for DT work. I am trying to complete the skin & hair class over at Kit & Clowder & do some dress making as well, so it was nice to sit in my craft room with music & just create.
I used Caroling Luka from La La Land Crafts, but I see from the store, he has now been retired, I did buy him several years ago & not sure if I have even used him before!!
He is coloured with Distress Inks, having completed that class lol.
The papers are Dovecraft 12 Days of Christmas & the top one is edged with Weathered Wood DI. The mount is a Marianne die. The holly leaves, snowflake & snowflake border are all from the Magnolia Die Club Vol 2. The ribbon is from Hobbycraft. Flowers & jewel from Thailand.
Entering the following challenges
Top Tip Tuesday Chevrons (bottom paper is a chevron design)
Crafty Cardmakers Die Cuts & Punches
Make It Monday Shabby Chic
Christmas Card Challenges Anything Goes
Allsorts Christmas
Hiding in my Craft Room Any Holiday

Festive Florals

Divas By Design has a new challenge starting today & the theme is Festive Florals & is sponsored by Live & Love Crafts. I have chosen to make an all white card. I started by embossing the card with the Snowflake embossing folder & hide the join by adding white lace from stash. (Bought in Turkey). Then added a Merry Christmas sentiment, which came from the free stamps etc on Quick Cards magazine & is from Tiddly Inks. Lastly I added a Tim Holtz poinsettia die & deliberately kept that plain. All in all, I am pleased with the effect & its a little different from my usual cards.
Entering the following challenges
Craft Room Challenge Make Your Own Background
Crafty Sentiments Use a Sentiment
My Perfect Life Christmas
Allsorts Embossing
Hiding in my Craft Room Embossing
Christmas Stampin All Year Long Anything Goes/Use Your Imagination
Moving Along with the Times Christmas White on White

Tiddly Inks

Its my turn for this months Inspirational Post over at Bearly Mine  & I have chosen to use a Tiddly Ink image, which came with the magazine that everyone has been coveting.  Quick Cards, I thought it had sold out everywhere & just happened to be in Morrison's & there is was, well it just had to go into my trolley lol. The image is coloured with Promarkers & the paper is of course Bearly Mine & was a freebie back in Nov 2012 & can be found here. The lamp post die is Magnolia, the image is mounted onto a Nestie. The ribbon from stash, as are all the flowers, most of which came from Thailand. The scroll is a La La Land die & the sentiment from an old QVC kit.
Entering the following challenges
Inky Chicks Christmas
Party Time Tuesdays Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes
Crafting From the Heart Always Anything Goes
My Craft Creations Anything Goes

Snowman by Sugar Nellie

This image was given to us over at Kit and Clowder FB page by Sugar Nellie & I have coloured it with Promarkers. The papers are The Paper Studio. The banner is made from a die which came with Vol 1 of the Magnolia DooHickey die club and I threaded them onto embroidery thread. The snowflake is a Joy Crafts die & the little snowman is from a local garden centre, maker unknown.
I am sunning myself in Cyprus right now, so will look for challenges if I can tear myself away from the sunshine.

Orange & Black

Divas By Design have a new challenge, being sponsored by Craft Bag starting today & the theme is Orange & Black, obviously as its near Halloween, then these colours are perfect. I didnt want to make a Halloween card, as it would never get used, so chose this image which was free from Karens Doodles years ago, I have had a look in her store, but cannot find it, I know it was given out as a freebie.
I have coloured it with Promarkers. The paper is Bo Bunny. The leaf die is Joy Crafts. The flowers came from Thailand & the ribbon from Cyprus. The heart die is Magnolia So Wrapped Lovely. The jewels are from stash & the butterfly is also from Cyprus.  I made this ages ago, so its hard to remember what I used lol.
I am away on holiday when this is published, so will look for challenges as & when I can.

Halloween

Bearly Mine have a new monthly challenge starting today & the theme is Halloween. Now here in the UK, we don't really do Halloween, like those of you in the States, so to be honest, didnt want to make a card that would quite frankly never be used, so kept this quite simple. Donna over at Bearly Mine has designed a fab set of papers called Halloween Fantasy, which can be bought here
I found a freebie image on my computer of a spiders web from Tiddly Inks. Sadly I cant find it in their store & I know I have had it yonks. All I did was lay the digi stamp over the paper & print out. Simple!!!
I am on holiday as this is published, so will enter challenges as I can.

Aurora Wings

Divas By Design have a new challenge starting today & the theme is All That Glitters & is sponsored by my favourite craft shop Sir Stamp A Lot.
I am very slowly working through a skin & hair class over at Kit & Clowder & whilst I was waiting for some feedback, I decided to challenge myself & see what I could colour. Now I would not even have tried to colour an image like this a few weeks ago. I know the hair is pants, but had not moved onto hair before doing this lol. Really pleased with the flowers & the skin is not bad either. You cant see a lot of the glitter, but I promise it is there, on the bubbles, dotted all over the image. All coloured with Promarkers, using the fine nibs as well.
The corner dies areCheery Lynn Lace Corner Deco, apart from that, there is nothing else on the image.
Entering the following challenges
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes
Crafting From the Heart Anything Goes
Crafty Boots Anything Goes
Love to Scrap Anything Goes

Another Christmas card

Its the 21st again, so my turn to make an inspiration post for you to showcase Donna's lovely digi papers, at Bearly Mine, which can be found over here.
I am slowly making my Christmas cards & this year trying to keep them in envelopes, as I had to make so many boxes last year & do not want a repeat lol.
This was a free image from years ago that I picked up, I'm sorry, I have no idea whom to give credit to. I coloured it with Promarkers. Its a simple card, the papers are of course from Bearly Mine Designs & this is from a set called Christmas Sparkle & all I did was cut out the frame & placed my image in there.

 I printed the paper off twice & decoupaged the bow & star. Added 3 pearls & a snowflake die from Joy Crafts. The sentiment is from a QVC kit from years ago. A simple Christmas card.
Entering the following challenges
Crafting at the Weekend Anything Goes
Alphabet Challenge P for Pearls
Southern Girls Winter Blues
Digi Choosday Xmas in Blues and Purples

Shabby Chic

I received my Magnolia DooHickey Vol 2 die set from  Sir Stamp A Lot today & whilst I was disapppointed in the 1st one, this one is lovely, its a Christmas theme & has loads of dies.

There is pointsettia flowers, mistletoe leaves, santas head, little basket, apron, snowflake border. It really is a great set.
I had a play this afternoon & was not in the mood to colour, so produced this instead.
The papers are Bo Bunny Timepiece. K & Co Life's Journey. I Googled free vintage printables & found this one, cant give credit as the blog is no longer being used, but they were all free from the original blog description.
I edged all the papers with acrylic paint to give an aged look.
I also wanted to try the chalkboard effect, so cut out a Nestie labels die from black card, took an anti static pad & dabbed it onto the card, to look like previous rubbing out & then stamped direct onto the card with Magnolia Postcard set in Cloud White Brilliance ink pad. When the ink was dry, just ran the anti static over again. Added a few pearls to the edge of the Nestie, oh & hid a doily coloured with a Promarker, so its just peeking out on the side.
Added a ribbon & the little basket from the above set & flowers from Thailand. Ribbon from stash.

There you have a vintage shabby chic look, which is not like my usual style, but I enjoyed it & no colouring!!!
Entering the following challenges
A Creative Romance  Anything Goes
Alphabet Challenge P for Pearls
Card making Mamas Vintage Elements or Shabby Chic
Stamp & Create with Magnolia Ribbons & Pearls
Charisma Cardz Lace & Pearls
MilkCoffee Challenge Colours of Autumn

Bearly Mine Sale

Donna is having a sale over at Bearly Mine papers which ends on Monday, popover & look, she really does have some of the best digital papers around.

Scrappers Delights

 There is a Facebook page over at Donna-Marie's Cards & Promarker Tutorials which I belong to & she hosts a monthly challenge & asked for people on her design team, well I only got picked didn't I? It will sure give me more practice in colouring with these pens, as I am certainly scared of them lol. Donna also has a book that she has produced which tells you everything about Promarkers, colour combinations, tutorials, it really is a great book. Its 174 pages long & the cost (£12) goes to a homeless charity. To date she has raised £600!
I was given this image from Scrappers Delights Crafty Honeys Scissors to colour.
Promarkers used
Hair..................Burnt Sienna. Terracotta. Gold. Buttercup
Skin.............Spice. Coral. Sunkissed Pink. Satin. Almond & Pastel Pink for Blush
Top............Bright Orange. Amber. Sunflower
Trousers............Aegean. Cyan. Sky Blue
Heart & Paper..........Purple. Amethyst. Lavender
Floor & Scissors........ Ice Grey 1. 3. & 4
The papers used are both Bo Bunny Ambrosia & Alora. The jewels are from stash. (No makers name on them). All flowers came from Thailand. I have decorated inside

The heart banner is La La land & the torn pad die is Spellbinders Shapeabilities Office Supplies The riibon is also from stash & bought in Cyprus, as were the flat backed pearls.
Entering the following challenges
4KraftyGirlz Anything Goes
My Heart Pieces Use a Digi Stamp
Passion for Promarkers Make it Digital
Through The Craft Room Door Anything Goes
Doodle Pantry Any Digi Goes
Crafting From The Heart Anything Goes