Christmas Card Club Challenge - Cards 7&8/2022 - Festive Gifts & Gift Bags

Hello Everyone,

Whoops! Almost forgot what today was - indeed, if it wasn't for Rita posting on FB, I wouldn't be here now - it's Christmas Card Club day and the theme, set by Lorraine, this Sunday is 'Festive Gifts and Gift Bags'. 

As luck would have I had these two cards already made. 

Both were made from what was left of a very old Docraft's Papermania kit. The toppers are decoupaged, so perhaps they have too much dimension to be anything other than hand delivered given the ever- rising postal rates these days. 

That's me for today. I hope you're having a lovely weekend. I hope also that you will pop over to see what my teammates have created this week. You'll find a list of their names and links on my right sidebar - as always they are so much more creative than I will ever be

Elizabeth

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 655

Happy Christmas Everyone

From Alan, myself and, of course, Silver. We're all joining in with WOYWW over on Julia's Stamping Ground, the last before Christmas. 

Silver is very taken with the decorations and like any typical kitten couldn't resist the tree. So much so, that we've been forced to take it down. We worried that she would do herself an injury, or worse make herself ill eating the fake snow. She's of the age, rather like human babies, when everything has to be tested with her mouth. Hopefully, next year she'll be old enough to resist. 

There's not a lot on my desk today. Just the page finished yesterday with the scraps of leftover paper, pens, ink pads and my tiny, but oh so handy, die-cutting machine that were used and now need to be cleared away. 

There's also the only magazine I have delivered monthly. With the ever increasing prices of magazines, I've cut back to just this one. Every issue has a word that is the theme of the month. January's word is 'rest'. Well, I'm happy to go along with that. Christmas and New Year is such a hectic time that it's not a bad idea to take some time to rest afterwards. 

Many thanks for all the lovely cards we've received. They are just about the only decorations that are kitten-proof! And they look fabulous strung up around the fireplace. 

And now, the funnies. I was spoiled for choice this week so I've limited it to four of my favourites.

And finally, 

Facebook threw this photo from 2017, in better times when Christmas was a whole lot more freer than it's going to be, given the restrictions, this year. Despite all that, I hope that whatever you're doing this weekend you will enjoy yourself and have lots of tun. 

Take care, stay safe and have a very Merry Christmas. 

Christmas Day - WOYWW 551

Merry Christmas

&

Season's Greetings 

I'm not showing my desk today - for sure, you really don't want to see the mess and there's nothing craft related to show anyway.  The fact is, I'm scheduling this post, so here's a shot of our tree, looking festive with the lights on. Because I couldn't let this very special Wednesday go by without wishing you all a wonderful day. We will be spending the day with family but whatever you are doing, and however you are spending today, I hope it's a good one. Now, it's Christmas Eve so I'm off to put my feet up and relax - Happy Christmas Everyone. 

Friday Smiles

Hello Everyone

This first week of December has been a busy and fun one despite our very changeable weather and we have had lots of smiles to share over at Annie's at A Stitch In Time.

On the first of the month we went along to a Christmas Fair at the Conservatory in Belleisle Park, organised by three students from the local secondary school who are working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award.

The Conservatory has recently been restored and made a beautiful venue for the Christmas Fair. The girls choir from the school performed several of their favourite numbers. They have the voices of angels.

Monday we decided to take a trip up to Largs. It was a bright, sunny but bitterly cold day. The ferry was just coming in from Cumbrae when we arrived.

This is the Viking Boat at the Ferry Terminal. Largs celebrates it's associations with Vikings with a festival every year.

Spotted this sign and the gable end of the ice-cream shop and it did make us smile.

Finally, the trees and decorations are going up now. Here's Callum helping to hang the baubles on his tree.

Every year I treat our tree to a new bauble - this is the one I chose for 2018.

And had to get this shot of the EM struggling, as he does every year, to put up the bunting.

That's my smiles for the week. I'm off to the opticians soon so I'll catch up with your smiles later.

Hope you have a wonderful week with plenty to smile about too.

Pennant Card for CHNC Challenge

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are having a super Saturday.

Here's the card I've made for Hazel's CHNC challenge 412 today. We have a choice of theme: 'either anything goes as long as it's Christmas' or something beginning with 'H'. I've opted for anything goes.

I have to admit that this is an unapologetic lift of an original design by Wanda Cullen of Cullen-ary Creations. I was struck by Wanda's card a few years ago, remembered it - and that is nothing short of a miracle at my age - thinking it was the perfect design to use up scraps of leftover papers.

Supplies used:

• white cardstock trimmed to 11½" x 4½" folded in half to create a tent style card base
• scraps of patterned paper from an old Memory Box 6x6 pack - possibly Christmas First Edition - trimmed to various widths and lengths, with ends trimmed into fishtails to create the pennants
• another scrap for the topper, with greeting stamped in black - Memories Dye Inkpad- and cut with a label die - Spellbinders Petite Labels S3-205
• scrap of smooth red cardstock, also cut with a label die from the Spellbinders set. This was used to mat the greeting onto, creating the topper
• two small metal brads for the the topper
• green satin ribbon to tie around the top of card
• adhesives - the pennants are attached with a flat double-sided adhesive tape and the topper is attached with foam dimensional tape

For much more inspiration do check out Wanda's blog - her creations are lovely.

Sunday Scraps - Winter Fox Card

Hello Everyone,

I trust you are all enjoying your Sunday. I've been busy in the craft room because it's mean outside, icy cold and squally rain showers. Despite the showers the sun is shining ... truly autumn weather. Happily, it's given me good reason to stay indoors and do something with the scraps leftover from yesterday's card.

Even though I was fairly sure I knew what a fox looked like, I struggled with colouring the image, so much so I ended up Googling for photos. Guess what, they are all different, just like us! Result, this is the best I could come up with.

This is a pic of the scraps and stamp set I used. I'd rejected the trees for yesterday's car - wrong shade of green, Ink It Up's Kelly Green ink pad, but decided I'd use a couple today.

I'm submitting the card to Di's challenge over at Pixie's Snippet Playground where the newest, most adorable, addition to the Playground staff can be found. Sorry Parsnip, you remain the most adorable Playground bear!

Happy last day of September to you all.

Rudolph Day Card for June

Hello Everyone,

It's last minute but I just found some time this afternoon to make this little card for ScrappyMo's Rudolph Day Card Challenge for this month.

The background is another one of the pieces I made a few weeks ago using Brusho powder paints. The colour is Brilliant Red. The stamp set is an old one that I think came free with a magazine a couple of years ago - I particularly like the leaping deer.

Materials used:

• a white card base cut to measure 4¼" x 4¾" - I know that's an odd size but I wanted the topper to be centred.
• a scrap of red cardstock for matting the topper
• the piece of Brusho spattered card
• the Magical Christmas stamp set
• Stazon Jet Black ink pad
• Nuvo Crystal Drops Red Berry
• black & white cord which came in a pack of three from WH Smith at Christmas

I think Maureen's Mister Linky is still open so I'm off to add this card to the list.

I wish you all a lovely weekend.

Christmas gift tags

Morning Everyone,

Yet again I've been so busy, visiting family, that I've found no time for blogging ... sigh. I thought I'd try to make up for my absence with a very quick share today.

These gift tags were made, very quickly, to attach to each of the books in the 'week of book's I gave to my great-grandchildren as a countdown to Christmas.

To make them I simply cut down some white card bases, they'd been in my stash forever so really should be used up, to a suitable size, attached a Papermania Noel die-cut, another item from old stash, to each one and stamped the date to be opened inside. They were finished with a punched hole, top left corner, and threaded with some glittery cord (from Meiflower).

Right, that's me for now. I'm off again over to my sister's this morning - she has a few jobs needing doing around the house. She tells us her heating is not working so we are to come well wrapped up.

Hope you are all well and enjoying the new year so far.

Take care and stay safe,

Cardmaking - Pond Skaters and Winter Lighthouse

Hello Everyone

I hope you are having a great Saturday. It began cold and bright this morning but now, 3pm as I'm writing, we have just had a shower of hailstones! The first of the year. Just the weather to stay indoors and craft.

Every year we receive many lovely cards that are just too nice to throw away so I save them. Result - I have a drawer full of old but beautiful cards! Occasionally, for fun, I go through the drawer and pull out a couple to recycle into new cards. Today I have two of them to share.

This scene of skaters on the frozen pond brought back happy memories from my childhood. There was a pond in the park near where I lived in Edinburgh that occasionally froze over. When it did it always brought the skaters out for a bit of fun.

To make it, I trimmed the front down and matted it on to a piece of aqua cardstock before adhering it to a Kraft card base. The only embellishment is the turquoise and white baker's twine.

The second one I liked because it is a beautiful depiction of a lighthouse on a wintry night,it's light beaming to warn sailors and keep them safe.

To make it, all I did was trim the topper down to fit a white card base leaving a margin showing all round. I then wrapped a piece of red ribbon around the topper and tied a knot. I had a rummage in a little stock of greetings I keep tucked away and found one that was just the right shade of red - how lucky was that!

I'm submitting my cards to the following challenges:

CHNC challenge 308 - cute or anything goes as long as it's Christmas - I think the first card is cute :)
CHNC challenge extra for November 2016 - anything goes as long as it's Christmas

Cardmaking - Christmas Candle

Hello Everyone,

Hope you've as fine a day as we have had here where we have had clear skies, bright sunshine and no rain! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to visit my blog and leave a comment. I really enjoy reading every one of them.

I have another quick made Christmas card to share.

I was sorting through a box of photographs (looking for something else entirely) when I found this one that I took of a Christmas tree I spotted in a garden centre a few years ago. I immediately thought it would make a lovely card.

There was so little to the making of it that I won't go through all the steps, instead here's a list of supplies.

• cardstock - a sheet A5 (48x21cm) white textured cardstock (Papermania) folded in half to create the card base; scraps of green printed cardstock (Hunkydory) for front of card and holly leaves; dark red - to mat the photo on; gold mirri for greeting words
• embossing folder - Sizzix Hero Arts Dots for the red photo mat
• dies -  holly leaves and greeting words from Tattered Lace mini die set 
• embellishments - gold edged red ribbon and red flat backed pearls from stash

I used so many leftovers in this card, even the ribbon was an off-cut left from a previous project, that it was almost a card for nothing!

I'd like to submit this card to the following challenges:

CHNC challenge extra for November 2016

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper November 2016 challenge

Weekly Christmas Card Challenges - #48

Must fly - time for an hour on the sofa with a cuppa - Gareth Malone will be choosing another choir i so I'm off to watch the programme.

What's On Your Workdesks Wednesday - WOYWW Week 387

Hello WOYWWers and All,

Greetings from a very cold, only 1°C this morning, but bright and sunny day here in Ayrshire. A perfect day for staying cosy indoors and just admiring the fabulous autumnal colour in the trees that can be seen from my craft room window. Which brings me to the point of this blog - my desk and our weekly visit to the Stamping Ground, to link up with our Head Desker, Julia; taking the opportunity to see what both she and a whole lot of other crafters have on their desks to today.

And here's the desk. It's all Christmas themed. A pile of new stash bought at the show at the SECC on Saturday has galvanized me into action ... there's nothing more stimulating than new stash, don't you think? There's the trees in the background, behind the mountain of card scraps. In front of that is a pile of card waiting to be used, well some of it anyway, in cards. 

Here's another view ... one that shows all the stuff I keep on my desk most of the time.That's a bunch of toppers made using stencils, inks, waxes, and glitter paste. Messy, really messy, but an awful lot of fun!

That's the desk this week, only the one - the sewing table is little changed from last week. 

I teased earlier with a mention of new stash and I'm sure you would want to see it so here's a few photos.

Templates, Embossing Folders and Palette Knives

Sewing related goodies - the white stuff is wash away web for machine embroidery

Our fellow desker, Annie, aka Wipso, of a Stitch In Time makes the most beautiful memory bears so when I spotted the pattern I was delighted and just had to buy it. I vowed that I wouldn't buy any more fabric but I just could not resist the pink floral - at only £2 it was a bargain. My daughter, charged to keep me on track, joked that she would let me off this time :)

Apologies to Julia but here's a few more photos from the SECC. 

A Christmas cushion that took my eye - as did all those lovely fat quarters behind.

Teeny weeny guitars based on those played by just about every guitarist you can name.

 

A beautiful silk painted panel created by the Scottish Branch , Guild of Silk Painters to - apologies that the photo isn't the best, there's a good close-up on the Guild's website.

This brightly illustrated van actually driven into the hall - saves transporting a huge stock of pens from the car park!

 And finally, the Wincher's Stance, found inside the Buchanan Street bus station terminal buiding in Glasgow on the way to the SECC. The name of this bronze sculpture comes from the local slang word for kissing or courting, “winching.” It shows a very touching scene of two young lovers meeting again after being apart for some time and separated by many miles. The aptly named sculptor is John Clinch.

There's even a tear of joy rolling down the young woman’s cheek.

Once again I apologise to Julia for such a photo heavy post. I hope I'm forgiven this week. I'll try to be good next week.

Take care everyone and have a very happy WOY.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 383

Hello Everyone,

Oh my, where did last week go! It seems like only yesterday I was linking up with Julia at Stamping Ground to join in with Week 382 of her blog hop. Famous the world over, it's a favourite weekly stop for nosy interested folks like myself who look forward to seeing what's other crafters are up to and what is on their desks.

And here's what's on my desk today. After seeing a wonderful card made by Cornelia at Stempel Spass yesterday I was inspired to get out card, stamps, embossing powder, and gold paint. Truth is my stamps have been tucked away in drawers, forgotten and neglected, for months so it was about time they saw light of day again. I've concentrated on airing my favourite wooden-mounted stamps - there's plenty enough to keep me stamping for quite some time. Just as well too, because I haven't really begun making Christmas cards yet and if I leave it any longer I'll start to panic. What am I saying? I'm already panicking!!!

That's me for today. Nicely brief ... just as Julia prefers.

Happy WOYWW,

Sunday Snippets - Winter Birthday

Hello Everyone,

Another Sunday and another Snippet Card to share over at Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 203. The materials strewn all over, and around, my workdesk at the moment are Christmas themed but it came to me that some of them could be put to a different use. This winter birthday card is the result.

Although the paper was included in a festive themed pack the colour and plaid pattern isn't obviously Christmassy and I'd say the same for the poinsettia topper.

How I made the card:

• First, a white A6 card blank was covered with the patterned paper from Cosy Christmas from Quick Cards and then a ribbon strip from a sheet of Penny Black Stickeroos Winter Fantasy was added.
• Next, the topper, from the same sheet of Stickeroos, was matted on to a snippet of smooth white cardstock and attached to the front of the card.
• Birthday Wishes, from Sweet Roses Embossing Folder and Stamp Set, was stamped on to another snippet of white cardstock, using a Memento Love Letter ink pad, and matted on to yet another scrap of card, this time a co-ordinating shade of teal.
• Papermania iridescent gems in shades of green and pink were sprinkled around two corners to finish the front.
• Finally, leftover strips of the paper were used to decorate the inside and back of the card.

There we are! An easy birthday card quickly made on a dark and dismal Sunday afternoon. I think I've earned a lovely hot cup of tea now.

Edit Note: Once again, it has taken someone else, this time Sally H, to remind me that this card fits with Stamping Sensations challenge for Festive Flowers and Foliage  this month - thanks for that Sally H, so I'm submitting it as suggested:

Stamping Sensations November challenge

Take care everyone and Happy Crafting,