Catch The Bug GDT: Photo Challenge

Hey,

Happy Saturday to you!

I actually thought this was going to be my last post for the Catch The Bug team, but they have asked me to join their team full-time - yay!! 

Details tbc, as I am traveling from Monday for 2 weeks, but YAY!!

Today I am still with the Catch The Bug team for their Saturday challenge. 

This week we have a photo inspiration -

But as the CTB team have been doing Christmas in July this week, I decided to use the Santa from yesterday's challenge and stick with the Christmas theme, along side the photo..

The image is Tropical Santa Buried - isn't he awesome?

I went all out here and used a background paper that I had created using an embossing folder and a diffuser plate - see the plain circle in the middle - that's one of the handy things you can do with a diffuser plate.

I die-cut the palm trees using my Silhouette Portrait and added the fun sentiment by Newton's Nook.

I LOVE this card, I might actually cut a bunch of palm trees and make a few of these for my actual Christmas cards.

Hope you will be playing along too. Can't wait to see which image you choose to use.

Upload your makes at the Catch The Bug blog and check out the rest of the DT makes.

Cx

Christmas Card 2017: Joyeux Noel...

Hey,

Happy Monday.

I am back from the Margatecraftathon with JT, but this is a scheduled post, so you'll have to wait until Weds to hear all about it :)

As I start making my Christmas cards so early, the first batch usually has a few elaborate makes.

Today's card might not look elaborate, but trust me there was a fair amount of work involved!

Both the tree and Joyeux Noel dies are by Simon Says Stamp and I bought from Cheiron in her big destash.

Once I had die-cut the tree and the sentiment, I thought they would look nice on my fave mini kraft cards, but how to affix them, without a traumatic glue adventure?

I decided to go with mini staples. Cue much fiddling around trying to place the tree and the sentiment and hold them with one hand, whilst using the stapler..

Totally worth the effort, but I don't feel like there needs to be more than 2 of them!

I added some new fuzzy dots for a bit more interest.

Today I am going to Lunch with a friend and then hitting the pub for a big old reunion with my people.

Cx

Moving Along With The Times..Leaves and Trees

Hey,

Time for another great challenge from the Moving Along With The Times Team B.

Today our hostess is one of my best friends in the whole wide world JT and she is also my fave craft buddy. Her theme is Leaves and Trees.

I thought this was the perfect time to break out a stamp and die set by Sizzix that I bought way back in 2013 and I think I have only used it once, I've struggled to get it to work for me!

I stamped, coloured and die-cut the tree. The colours I used to colour the tree informed the background I created.

I used Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Picked Raspberry distress inks to create the blended background, then I overlaid a Tim Holtz mini stencil onto it and spritzed it with water. A superb technique that JT and I learnt earlier this year when we went to Jenn Shurkus' Loft Art Retreat.

I added a freebie sentiment by Clearly Besotted that I got from a magazine eons ago and mounted it all onto a kraft card blank.

What will you make? Go to MAWTT and check out all the creations from the rest of Team B.

Challenge ends on October 26th at 6pm GMT. Remember you can enter a maximum of 3 times.

Cx

Loves Rubber Stamps Challenge Blog DT Call

One of the things I would like to do the most is be part of a DT for a Challenge blog...

Loves Rubber Stamps are looking for new members for their DT and so today's post is me applying for one of the positions and explaining why I would like to be part of the team.

I love to make things - especially cards, over the last year or so I have become more adept at using stamps both rubber and digital.

I get a lot of joy out of making beautiful things for people and it is most rewarding when I send something to a friend or family member and they contact me to say how delighted they are with the item.

Moving to NYC this year means that I don't have as many friends and I no longer sell cards, so I have all this lovely spare craft time on my hands..what a perfect time to be part of a DT!

Also my beloved Craft Buddy JT, gave me a great pep talk and made me realise that I should try, even if I don't get picked.

My 3 favourite projects are -

• The Union Jack quilt I made for my friend in the Greek Cypriot flag colours to celebrate the Mother's heritage - not a card, but still a project..

Union Jack Quilt

• This card with stamped Foxes, such a fun stamp..so many possibilities and it has such a contemporary expensive feel to it, that it made me proud of me! 

Foxy Card

• The strange and wonderful Hello Tree! Stamping can bring to life all of my crazy doodles...

Hello Tree

I hope I make the team, but if not, it's been fun looking through all my projects and choosing my fave things.

Cx

Alternative Christmas?

I have been out waaay too much during the festive season and tonight is my 2nd to last outing. It is totally time to sit down, eat some Turkey and relax for a few days.

Today's main photo is from Country Living, I think this is a great idea and I've noticed this year that there are lots of alternatives to the 'normal' Christmas tree.

The idea of not having a Christmas tree saddens me, but unfortunately that is where we are at due to furchild no.2 being unable to not scale the tree, pee on the tree (real or plastic), chew the Christmas decorations, strangle herself on the tinsel and shock herself by chewing lights...

So once again I have no tree. Seeing all these great ideas have inspired me, so next year I will have a tree of sorts!

Here are some of my favourite alternative Christmas Trees (most of them came from this great blog)

It's wooden, so I'll paint it with silver glitter paint and add a fabric star!

OMG, if only I was allowed to do this...

I'm not convinced this would fare any better than a regular tree..

Cx