A balancing Act

Hi Folks!

It's a beautiful crisp, bright but very chilly afternoon here in Hampshire - no sign of snow!! Just dashing on to share my entry  for the monthly progressive challenge over at Gerda Steiner Designs - should make it with an hour to spare!!

How cute is this mouse balancing on a bauble!!

I fell in love with this little chap as soon as he arrived in my inbox but life has been a bit hectic lately and although he was coloured quite quickly, it has taken a while to get him on a card! I hope you can see the glossy accents all over the bauble and fluff on the hat:

I'm looking forward to seeing what image Gerda sends out for December, so far they have all been super cute and fun to colour. I was the lucky winner last month and added some fun digi's to my collection which I hope to play with soon!

Thanks for visiting today and for any comments you leave xx

I'd also like to join the challenges at:

Sketch Saturday - Using this  fab sketch

Penguins do use Umbrellas!

Morning Folks!

It's Tuesday again (already!!) which means we are starting a new challenge over at Passion for Promarkers. Karen has choosen a nice easy theme:

USE YOUR FAVE COLOUR  

so we are hoping for lots of entries. We are sponsored by Lemon Shortbread who gave the DT some images to work with, this one is called Penguin Umbrella. I've made another Christmas card in shades of lilac which is my current favourite colour (it does change depending on my mood / time of year!!). The papers are from Crafter's Companion Contemporary Collection which I bought a while ago. The die cuts are by Memory Box, Xcut and Die'sire cut with the cuttlebug. Finished with a few pearls and a piece of sheer ribbon.

This was so much fun to colour!

The sentiment is from DigiStamp Boutique here.

Don't forget to pop over to

 to see what the rest of the design team have made!

Get creating with your Letraset / Winsor & Newton markers and join us!! Remember you can enter any type of creation, it doesn't have to be a card.

As I mentioned this week we are generously sponsored by Lemon Shortbread

who are offering 3 digis to our lucky winner!

Thanks for visiting today xx

I'd also like to enter the challenges at:
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes
Digi Stamp Boutique - November Customer Competition - I used a sentiment
As you like it - Favourite Christmas colour - I love purple / lilac at anytime but especially at Christmas because they give a frosty feel
Crafty Catz - Anything goes opt winter colours
A Gem of a challenge - Animals in the Snow
CHNC - Anything Christmas
The Ribbon Girl - November Any Image Challenge
Crafty Sentiments - Anything goes
Cuttlebug Mania - Let It Snow
Everybody Art - Anything goes
Lemon Shortbread - Anything goes

An Autumn Bouquet

Afternoon Folks!

This is a very rare event - 3 posts in 3 days! 

Just thought I would share a card I made this week using a very cute Penny Black Kitty stamp called You're the Bestest. I think this is probably my last autumnal card of the year, I really should be getting on with a few more Christmas cards, but I wanted a change from snow!! This also tidied up a few more scraps of paper that were left on my desk from previous projects. The papers are MME freebies from a magazine published about 7 years ago - they finally made it on to a card! The sentiment is a rub on, at one time they were in every craft shop but they seem to have gone out of fashion. I love them because they are perfect for adding after you have coloured the image - I am the disorganised crafter who doesn't always plan which sentiment to use in advance. These are far less risky than trying to stamp a sentiment!

The flowers are by Prima and the ribbon is from poundland with a ready made bow from my stash coloured to match it with a promarker. Here's a closer look:

Thank you for visiting and as usual I'd like to join in with a few challenges:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Thank you

A Gem of a Challenge - Buttons and / or ribbon

Allsorts - The Colours of Autumn

Penny Black and More - Flower Power

Let's craft and create - A/G option Fall colours

Pearly Sparkles Challenges - Autumn colours

Crafty Calendar Challenges - Autumn colours

Dream Valley Challenges - Add a sentiment

Cute Card Thursday - Birds / Animals

EDITED TO ADD:

And

And

Sketchy Snowman

Morning Folks! 

A quick post from me to let you know that the new theme has just been announced over Sparkles Monthly Challenges, it is 

WHITE CHRISTMAS

I recently treated myself to some new images from DigiStamp Boutique, this is the first outing for Sketchy Snow person which you can find here in the shop. I do love a nice traditional snowman on a Crimbo card! I found this sentiment in my odds and ends box and it was the perfect size to go with the image, I think it looks a little bit like a snowglobe! The card is quite sparkly in real life, the background white sparkly paper, which is not showing up too well, has been embossed with a Bebunni Folder. 

I had fun adding a good dusting of glitter and lots of liquid pearl snowflakes.

Please visit the main blog

to see the inspiration from the rest of the design team!

Thank you so much for visiting today and for any comments you're kind enough to leave xx

I'd also like to enter the challenges at:

DigiStamp Boutique - November Customer Competition

CHNCC - Anything Christmas goes

CHNCExtra - Anything Christmas goes

The Merry Christmas Challenge - Anything goes + Christmas 

Crafty Catz - No patterned paper

Cute Card Thursday - Sparkles

ABC Christmas Challenge - W is for white and X marks the spot

Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes

EDITED TO ADD - Lucky winner at

A Snowy Birdhouse

Morning Folks!

This week it's my turn to choose the new challenge theme over at Passion for Promarkers, I've gone for 

LET IT SNOW  

Not that I want to see the white stuff falling too soon, I just thought this would be a good theme for those making Christmas cards. I still have several to get finished, how about you? 

Here's my latest card using Snowman Bird House from our sponsors Bugaboo, isn't he sweet! Also had fun with an assortment of snowflake die cuts and the glamour dust!

I couldn't resist turning the little bird into a robin:

Don't forget to pop over to

 to see what the rest of the design team have made!

Get creating with your Letraset / Winsor & Newton markers and join us!! Remember you can enter any type of creation, it doesn't have to be a card.

As I mentioned, this week we are generously sponsored by

who are giving a $12 voucher to our winner!

Thanks for visiting today! 

I'd also like to enter a few challenges:

Colour Crazy Challenge - Anything goes

A Gem of a Challenge - Buttons and / or Ribbon

Catch The Bug - November Theme Challenge - Home Sweet Home

CHNPP - Anything goes with patterned paper

CHNXmas - Anything Christmas

Weekly Christmas Card Challenges - Anything Christmas 

Glitter and Sparkle - Anything goes

The Holly and The Ivy - Anything Christmas

A Doggy Bag

Afternoon Folks!

Hope you're all OK?

Gosh, I'm not liking it being almost dark at 5 o'clock in the evening, but I guess the longer evenings do mean a bit more time to hide out in the craft room! I just popped by to share a project which I finished last night, two surprises here - it's not a card or a DT project. It's a gift bag using one of my all time favourite PB images called Ice dance. I was in The Works at the weekend and ended up bringing these cute gift bags (£1 for 3) and snowflake border die (£3) home with me ... I don't understand it but I can't seem to leave the shop empty handed lately!!! Does anyone else have the same problem?? Still I did put them straight to use:   

 A closer look to show off the new border die which I extended by adding another snowflake so it covers the whole panel:

 Here's a closer look, coloured with promarkers and pencil with a paper pieced scarf:

The papers are very old, possibly Dovecraft, from the bottom of my Christmas paper collection! 

Thanks for visiting today and for any comments you leave xx

I'd also like to enter the challenges at:

I love Promarkers - Sparkle 

Word Art Wednesdays - Anything goes

The Merry Christmas Challenge - Anything goes + Christmas

Crafty Creations - Anything goes

Allsorts - Blue and Brown

Dream Valley - Add a sentiment

Crafting by Designs - Winter Sparkle

CHNCC - Anything Christmas

CHNCExtra - Anything Christmas

Colour Crazy Challenge - A/Goes

As you like it - Christmas or Non Christmas - For me it's Christmas, I need an excuse for buying all the Christmas stamps / stash in my collection!! 

Going Crackers

Morning Folks!

Wow, November is here and before you know it, we'll be into December and Christmas will be just around the corner - try not to panic! 

If you are being organised, you might like to join the new challenge starting today over at SPARKLES CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE. This time we would like to see your creations 

USING MORE THAN ONE FOLD

Here's my inspiration for this month:

I've made quite a few Christmas cards lately so I fancied making something different. A quick look around Pinterest led me to this fab video tutorial for making crackers. I blew the thick dust off the envelope punch board and started out. This is where we get to confession time - this is my second attempt. The first cracker was looking great, in a pale blue colour with sparkly snowflakes on it, until it came to adding the ribbon bows. I was trying to pull the folds in quite tightly but got a bit carried away and tore right through the paper, leaving the cracker in 2 bits. After several rude words, I found some more cardstock and started again!! You do need a decent thickness of cardstock for these otherwise they are a bit flimsy but you can't use super thick card because the punch on the board has to get through 2 layers. I'd also recommend using a double sided design so the inside looks interesting too. I think these would make great place settings or as holders for small tree gifts. I definitely think I'll be making more!!  

In case you're wondering the finished length is about 9 inches or 23.5cm.

Please click the piccy to visit the main blog

and see the inspiration from the rest of the design team! You have a whole month to join us, we'd love to see what you make! 

Thank you so much for visiting today and for any comments you're kind enough to leave xx

I'd also like to enter the challenges at:

Winter Wonderland - Fun Folds

Not just cards - Anything goes

A Snowflakes promise - Anything goes

Make my Monday - Anything but a card

CHNC - Anything Christmas goes

Crimbo crackers - Quick and Easy

The Merry Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas goes