Christmas Card Club Challenge - Cards 17-20/2022 - Sentiment as the Main Focus

Hello Everyone,

Apologies for being late with my cards this week, especially as I got to choose the theme. I'd actually got my cards made in advance but, because I became ill, I hadn't managed to take photos. Yesterday, when I was feeling much better, I did set up the lightbox, still learning, and took the photos so here are the four cards I made. 

No. 17

No. 18

No. 19

No. 20

Each card base was made from cardstock that I've had in my stash for years, purchased from Create and Craft. 

The plaid patterned paper is from a Stampin' Up's Plaid Tidings 6x6 pad. 

The blue/white check patterned paper, labels and sentiment stickers from three scrapbook collections - Vicki Boutin's Warm Wishes, Carta Bella's Home For Christmas & Photoplay's Frostival.

Gems also from old stash. 

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

Christmas Card Club Challenge - Cards 9-16/2022 - Clean and Simple

Hello Everyone,

Surprise, surprise! It's been a wee while since the last time. Weeks actually. But today, while Alan is resting, I've found time to make a few cards. Eight cards actually. 

So here they are, in no particular order. 

9)

10)

11)

12)

13)

14)

15)

16)

Thank's to Gwen for her theme of 'clean and simple' today. It made it so much easier for me to 'bash' so many out. Many of the toppers are recycled from cards preciously received - only the snowman and the trio of birds are my very own work! 

Recently I treated myself to a light box to help with the photographing of cards. I haven't mastered it completely yet, as can be seen from the quality of the above pics. I think baby steps are what's called for. I will improve with practice. 

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.

Christmas Card Club Challenge - Cards 4-6/2022 - Anything Goes

 Hello Everyone,

Happy Sunday to you all. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend.

I'm back for the second Christmas Card Club Challenge of the year. Christine has chosen 'the true meaning of Christmas' as her theme and, as always, there's the alternative of 'anything goes'. Because I've been recycling some of the beautiful cards received for Christmasses past again, I've chosen to go with the second option today.

Apologies for the poor quality of the photos - the lighting here is dire today. To make the cards I just dug into my boxes of cardstock and paper scraps and chose pieces that matched the toppers. The shape and size of each card was dictated by how big or small the toppers were when they were cut from the original cards. Two dies from a rectangle set was used to cut out the topper and silver mat on the third card. I wish I could claim ownership of the very pretty die used to cut the vellum topper on the second card but sadly not - it belongs to the sender of the original card! 

That's it for today. I hope 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

Christmas Card Club Challenge - Cards 1-3/2022 - Black & Gold

Hello Everyone,

Happy New Year to all the Christmas Card Club members. I hope I find you well. I've been poorly, nothing very dramatic, but I woke up feeling better today. Well enough, in fact, to spend the afternoon making cards for the first Christmas Card Club Challenge of the year. Black and gold is Kate's challenge and I really enjoyed searching through my boxes of scraps and dies to make the following three three cards. 

The background on the first card is one of my experiments with the gelli plate and a chevron patterned stencil on a scrap piece of white card. I don't know why I kept it because I wasn't altogether happy with the result then but I'm glad I did now. 

The other two cards have embossed gold card backgrounds. It's been a while, a couple of years actually, but whenever I got a new folder I'd always try them out on some bits from my leftover box. That box can come in very handy for cardmaking.

The greetings in the first and second cards are actually gold peel-offs on black card. 

Stencil, Embossing Folders and Dies used:

Chevrons stencil - Creative Expressions That Special Touch

Kassie's Brocade folder - Cuttlebug

Sun Rays folder - Craft Concepts

Poinsettia - Spellbinders

Trailing Ivy & Rectangle die set - sources forgotten

Merry Christmas Wreath - Sara Davies Signature Collection

That's it for today - it's my bedtime. I hope 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

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. 

Sunday Scraps & Rudolph Day - Christmas Cards 34-37

 Hello and Happy Sunday to you all,

I hope you are all safe and dry. I see from the TV News that many on the East Coast of the UK have suffered badly during the recent storm and now it's snowing. I can only wish any of you that live in the affected areas well. 

I have been making some scrap pages for the Scrap Backwards, a FaceBook group, challenge this week - the aim of which is to use up old scrapping materials, particularly stickers but including other supplies we've had lingering in our stash for some time. One page I made helped me use up quite a bit of an old, 2011, Graphic 45 8x8 pad, Christmas Emporium but, as is always the case, there was a lot of scrappy leftovers. Some scraps were used up for the Christmas Card Club this week but I didn't stop there so here's another four. 

Apologies for the quality of the photos - the lighting, like the weather, has been very poor this week. With the exception of the ribbons, all the materials used were either scraps or leftovers - e.g. the beads were just the last few on a sheet. The stamps and embossing folders are from very old collections - the stamp sets are Docrafts Papermania Noel Christmas Wishes and Marianne Vintage Christmas, the embossing folder is from a Sizzix Christmas set. 

Frankly, almost everything in my craft room is not new. I'm happy with the embossing folders and stamp sets I have and only give in to temptation now if I think I will really make good use of them. I admit to still finding it hard to resist new patterned paper so treat myself to a kit from Mind the Scrap on a monthly basis. Otherwise, the only craft stuff on my shopping list are the necessities such as adhesives, scrap albums & plastic inserts - all those scrap pages have to go somewhere - card blanks & envelopes That sort of thing. In truth, I think I have enough stash at my age to keep me going until I leave this mortal coil. 

It's been a long while but I'm submitting these cards to the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #417 - Ruby's Memory - where anything goes as long as there's scraps used.

ScrappyMo's November Rudolph Days Challenge - a bit late but I think it's okay to enter to the end of the month.

CHNC Challenge 570 - where anything goes as long as it's Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper November 2021 challenge - a challenge that is always about using patterned paper or patterned cardstock

It's not quite 4pm here on the South West Coast of Scotland and the sun is going down already and just because I can't resist it here's the view from my window right now. 

So that just leaves me to wish you all a very good week and as my late mother would have said, look after yourselves and be good :)

Bye for now, 

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday - Week 651

Hello Everyone,

I'm writing this on Tuesday evening in the hope of being able to post early to the Stamping Ground for Julia's WOYWW weekly meme on Wednesday morning, just for a nice change. With my abysmal track record this could be a small miracle. 

This was what was on my desk late Tuesday afternoon and with the exception of the card, now finished, nothing has changed. (Check out the previous post to see the card.)

The papers are leftovers from the scrap page finished recently - a page that only took me four years to finish! There's only a few sheets, some cut-aparts and lots of scraps left so, rather than put it all away I decided to make a few Christmas cards with it. The collection is an ancient Graphic 45 one, 'Christmas Emporium', from 2011. 

Elsewhere on the desk are the necessities of cardmaking - ribbon, twine, stamp block with stamp, adhesive tape runner, pencil, scissors, and the usual dish full of bits and bobs ... the kind of thing that needs to be returned to its rightful place if only I had time. 

And now, here's the kitten pic of the week.

On the table, and she knows she shouldn't be there so she's giving me the, 'you know if I look at you with my big kitten eyes you can't be mad at me', treatment. 

And finally, the funnies.

Just the two today, and neither anything to do with cats too. 

I don't believe it, it's still Tuesday night and that's the post written, ready to publish early tomorrow. Which means I will have all day to visit as many desks as possible. I'm pleased to report that I did get round everyone from last week and, with the exception of one, left comments too. Things are looking up. 

Take care everyone and have a very happy WOYWW. 

Bye for now ... 

Elizabeth

Christmas Card Club - Angels or Fairies in Memory of Shaz - Cards 31-33

Hello Everyone,

This week the Christmas Card Club is asking for Angels or Fairies - a theme chosen by the lovely Shaz who, sadly, is no longer with us. I count myself as one of the privileged to have met Shaz, and her equally lovely husband Doug. Without doubt she is very much missed by all of us in the Christmas Card Club. 

I searched, and searched, through my stamps, dies and even readymade toppers and, sad to say, I don't have one angel or fairy. However, I did find this angel in my box of Christmas cards received in a previous year. I trimmed it down to size, matted it on to a scrap of textured green card before fixing it to a white card base. The greeting was stamped on one of the trimmings from the original card front, matted on to a snippet of the green card before being attached to the topper. 

Cards 2 & 3 were made using toppers and scraps from a very old (2011) Graphic 45 collection 'Christmas Emporium' which I've been hoarding but even I have to admit that after 10 years it's time it was used up!

Cream satin ribbon and a stamped greeting, from an old Polka Doodles stamp set, were added to the patterned paper and matching topper for card 2. 

For card 3 the patterned paper and topper has been matted on to teal blue textured cardstock before being adhered to the white card base. Three adhesive pearls, the last I had in just the right shade of aqua, provide the embellishments. 

I've been reminded just this week that it's about time I made sure I've made enough cards made ready for the annual card writing marathon! It's not been my main priority this year but I think I've not done too badly. 

So that's it from me. I hope you are all well. I hope, too, you will pop over to see what my teammates have created for this fortnight's challenge. You'll find a list of their names and links on my right sidebar - as always their work is so much more creative than mine.

Bye for now ...

Elizabeth

Christmas Card Club Challenge - Cards 29 & 30

Hello Everyone,

Only a day late! I've spent the weekend reorganizing and cleaning the craftroom and somehow Saturday and Sunday just whooshed by.

It all started with my monitor. It's been malfunctioning for some time - it's just been going dead periodically throughout summer. It was easy enough fixed by unplugging, leaving for a few seconds and then plugging it in again. But there had to be more to it than that. And there was. It was the sun streaming in through the window overheating the back of the screen where the plug is situated. Yes, you read that right! The SUN! In Scotland! Proof, if any more was needed, of global warming. 

The answer was to turn my desk round so that the monitor is no longer in front of the window. Quicker said than done as everything under and around the desk had to be moved too. And, of course, all that upheaval led to the need to hoover and dust where nobody but the kitten had for many months dared to go. 

Now, that was a long-winded explanation for me posting these two cards today and not yesterday. Christine set a challenge for Christmas Wreaths this time. I'm still recycling cards received for Christmases past. You may need a magnifying glass to spot the wreaths but they are there. 

So that's it from me. I hope you are all well. I hope, too, you will pop over to see what my teammates have created for this fortnight's challenge. You'll find a list of their names and links on my right sidebar - as always their work is so much more creative than mine.

Christmas Card Club Challenge - Cards 27 & 28

Hello Everyone

Its been another long time since I joined in with my friends in the Christmas Card Challenge. It seems I was a bit  previous when I thought I'd have more time to get back into the swing of things. So I won't make any promises but will try to participate any time, like today, I'm able.

Today the challenge is for 'Santa's little helpers' but much to my surprise, and after an extensive search through stamps, etc., I can find nothing at all suitable. So I thought that if I couldn't produce his little helpers, I'd settle for the man in the big red suit himself with these two cards made from toppers recycled from those received in previous years.

And that's it from me. Short and sweet because I'm up to my eyes trying to somehow catch up. This craft room is a disgrace. I should organise myself and tidy away the mess that's cluttering up the place. And I would if I didn't keep getting sick. This last week it was the winter vomiting virus ... like I needed another virus after this last 18 months!!! 

There is good news. Alan has been pronounced well enough to no longer need home visits from his Cardiac Nurse. She's very pleased with his progress, lungs clear, water retention under control, weight and appetite good and he's walking better - not perfect, but better! He's never going to be as fit as he once was but he's a lot better than when he came home from hospital. We have much to be grateful for. 

I hope you are all well. I hope, too, you will pop over to see what my teammates have created for this fortnight's challenge. You'll find a list of their names and links on my right sidebar - as always their work is so much more creative than mine.

Christmas Card Club Challenge - Cards 22-26

Hello Everyone,

Its been a long time since I joined in with my friends in the Christmas Card Challenge but, as my hubby's health, not to mention my own, is slowly improving, I'm finding a wee bit more time in my craftroom. Today the challenge is for 'candles' but I'm reverting to the fallback of 'anything goes' with this collection of cards recycled from those received in previous years. 

All these cards were quick and easy to make. Of course, it all depends on the amount of extras used to create the cards but I've held back on layering and embellishments for two reasons: one, mailing costs - the fewer layers and furbelows, the better; two, speed - when time is at a premium, quick is good. 

Hopefully, and I am increasingly hopeful, the days will come when I have more time in the craftroom and then I'll be able to concentrate on the actual challenges instead of going for 'anything goes'. In the meantime, I'm happy to keep on recycling. 

I hope you are all well. I hope, too, you will pop over to see what my teammates have created for this fortnight's challenge. 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.

Take care everyone,