Santa's Coming to Town at Crafty Catz

Good morning, it's finally Friday again!!  What a busy week I've had, and a busy weekend to come as I'm attempting to get some Christmas stuff done, visiting the Christmas market and having friends round to dinner...phew!

Well on to today's challenge which has been chosen by our lovely Nick is 'Santa's Coming To Town', this means your card must have at least one Santa on it, pretty easy at this time of year right?

Well unless you're me, I'm really not a Santa on your card kind of girl, so I didn't have a single Santa stamp :P

I was going to use an image printed on some lovely design paper I had, but then I stumbled across this stamp by Sugar Nellie which was available in digi, it was so sweet I decided to buy it....so I had my Santa....still couldn't bring myself to go with the traditional Santa colours though, as you can see on the card I made.

The papers are by Inkadoo, they're old ones I got a while back now you can get them on sale here at Dies to Die For.  I edged them with Walnut Stain DI and then stitched them by hand as usual.

The image is a Sugar Nellie digi called Little Helpers. I coloured it with Copics and used a Polychromos pencil for some texture on his outfit.  I've added some liquid applique to make the fur and some glamour dust to make the snow sparkle.

The Snowflake die I used for the corner is from Memory Box, it's called Frostyville Corner

I've glittered the Wild Orchid Craft flowers with Diamond Dust for that frost effect and used some pom pom trim, not really my usual style, but I found it in my stash and thought it worked well with the card.

I found this ribbon in my stash and the colours matched my card perfectly.  I finished off with a sparkly button and some twine and glued on the little stocking charm.

I hope you like my card, do pop over to Crafty Catz and show the rest of the DT  some love for their wonderful creations and join in with our challenge, we have a fab prize from our sponsor 

Don't forget to check out my Candy before you go.

Enjoy the rest of your Friday! :) xx

Tilda Under Mistletoe

Good afternoon peeps! If you're looking for my Candy you can find it here 

I'm here with a scheduled post, (another 2 hours till I can head home from work) for my DT card for Marvelous Magnolia.

As we're on 2 week mode for the run up to Christmas, I'm here with a mid-challenge reminder.

We're currently making our challenges Anything Goes for a bit, to help you all out as we know how busy you all get during this time of year. I'd made my card before we changed to 2 week mode and Anything Goes, so it's a Shabby Chic Christmas Card.

Papers are Pion Design - Silent Night - Snowflakes I've distressed them and inked them with DI in Walnut Stain, sewn then by hand and then distressed a little more with some white acrylic paint.  I've used some cheesecloth over my bottom layer, the base shape is cut with a Go Kreate die.

The image is Tilda Under Mistletoe, isn't she a cutie? I love her as a redhead. I've added some little dots of glamour dust to her pinafore dress to look like sequins, but you can only just see it here.  The Trees are a Magnolia Doo Hicky Die, I've frantaged them in Shabby White and then added some liquid applique.

Flowers and ribbon are from The Ribbon Girl and the pearl trim, berries and pine cone are from Live and Love Crafts.  The leaf die behind the flowers is 

Magnolia Doohickey Die - Leaf and Swirl

I did put some lace on, but as usual it's almost completely hidden by everything I've added lol. Finally I've given the flowers and berries a splash of white acrylic.

Do pop along to Marvelous Magnolia and take a peek at the fabulous creations the rest of the DT have made, and there's still time to enter our challenge, Anything Goes, so it's super easy.

Thanks for dropping by and enjoy the rest of your day :) xx

Steampunk Marci at DTDF

Good morning!! Spare a thought for me as you read this as I'll be shivering in the cold waiting for my bus to work.  Yup it's another scheduled post from me, sharing my first ever DT card for Dies to Die for.

I've taken a break from Christmas today to share a Steampunk inspired card with you, I have a little bit of a secret love for Steampunk, but with this stamp you can have Steampunk and cute in one package!

Papers are Maja Design Autumn Basics, all distressed, inked with DI in Walnut Stain and hand sewn.

The super cute image is Steampunk Marci by La La Land Crafts, she's coloured in my usual Copics.  I added a little crackle paint in Rock Candy to the lenses of her goggles which looks fab in the flesh, but sadly I just couldn't get it to photograph well.

All those gears are from a Cheery Lyn Die set.

The clock is also by Cheery Lyn and the tickets are made with a Whimsy stamp set and matching die.

You can find all the details of theses products here with a link to the items in the store for ease of finding.

I hope you enjoyed my share today, don't forget to visit this post if you haven't already, for details of my Candy, a £15 DTDF gift voucher to spend on whatever you want from the store.

Enjoy the rest of your day folks, don't forget to drop by on Thursday for my Marvelous Magnolia DT card :) xx

Entered for the following challenges:

Colour Me Creative - Anything Goes
Inkspirational - Anything Goes
Hobby House Challenge - Pearls
Brown Sugar Challenge - Anything Goes
Totally Papercrafts - Add a Bow

Candy Winners

Good evening folks, finally made it home safely.  It's been a hellish day both at work and the journey home in the awful weather, but in the warm now and thawing out.

Well it's the last day for my Candy, I drew a name on hitting 50 followers and another on 31st October as promised.  The 2nd draw was claimed, sent and received, but I never did hear anything from the winner of the first draw and I was going to re-draw after the final draw tonight, but luckily she contacted me today and explained that she hadn't been able to get in contact due to ill health...just in the nick of time!  So she's getting a nice get well present in the form of a prize.  She's chosen the Promarkers, so that just leaves the paper collection left to be drawn.  So without further chit chat and dilly dallying I'll get on and draw the winner with Mr Random.Org

That's you

Dianne!  

Just let me know where you want it sent and I'll try and get it posted out to you by the weekend :) xx

Congrats to all 3 of my candy winners....and to those of you who didn't win......well, I've recently had some very good news which I'm not at liberty to share with you yet BUT, when I do, there will be bit of additional celebratory candy.  I haven't decided what yet, it could be a couple of stamps, or a gift voucher, so you'll just have to wait and see.  Enjoy the rest of your evening, I hope you're snuggled up in the warm, and I'll see you soon :) xx

A Joyful Tilda & Five Weeks Till Christmas? Eeek!

Good evening, I hope you had a great start to your week.  This weekend it hit me hard....Christmas is just around the corner...I need to get my finger out and start getting prepared lol cos I've barely given it a thought.  I kind of like Christmas to feel special so I don't like to start too early...but then again I don't want to be left panicking at the last minute lol.   Anyway, I decided to try and get into the spirit and spent most of my weekend making Christmas cards and I thought I'd share one today.

So I'm not a big fan of traditional Christmas colours in the main.  My tree (always real) is about the only thing in the house at Christmas that is, how it's decorated....not :P  Anyway I decided to go with a Pink Christmas, though it's a violet pink.  The paper is by Maja, not a Christmas collection but this covered it's not like anyone will notice lol.

All papers have been stitched and inked with DI in Vintage photo, I've used some cheesecloth behind the image.

I love, love, love this stamp.  It's A Joyful Tilda, one of the latest collection, love her outfit and she looks so adorable playing in the snow so I used some shabby white frantage to make it look like the snow was flying around.  She's coloured with Copics, my usual skin tones plus RV63, 66 & 69 & E40, 42, 44 for her clothing. I've used some liquid applique and sprinkled it with Glamour Dust for the snow she's standing on.

I've used a few dies here (me using dies?  no big suprise there huh?)  The ones to shape the card are from Go Kreate .  I've also used some Spellbinders Fancy Framed Tags ,  Some Marianne Design Creatables Snowflakes Dies and one of the  La La Land Crafts Stitched Tags, you can find all 3 die sets at Dies to Die For and I've added the links so you can just click on them to find them easily.

I've decorated the inside with the same papers as on the front and added some of the same snowflake stamps, this is an old stamp set of mine from Wild Rose Studios, I think they still make it though. 

Well that's all from me today, though I'll no doubt be sharing more Christmas cards in the following weeks.

I'll be entering this card in the following challenges:

Time for Magnolia -Christmas in non traditional colours

Tilda's Town Favourite Tilda or Edwin

Simply Magnolia Over the Edge

Magnolia-licious Winter Themed

Magnolia Down Under Jingle Bells

Deep Ocean Challenge Favourite Colour Combo

Copic Marker Europe Everything About Christmas

DT Crafty Catz - Anything Not Square

Good morning all and happy Friday, well it'll be happy for me once it's finished, this is a scheduled post as usual because I'm hard at work and looking forward to the weekend. It's been audit week at work so it's been manic, so needing some rest, relaxation and some crafting to chill me out.  This is my 3rd post this week....get me!, must be getting the hang of this malarky lol

Anyhoo, on with today's post, it's my DT post for this week's challenge at Crafty Catz  and it's Christine (who keeps everyone in the DT laughing with her comments in DT chat) who's chosen and she chose Anything but Square.

I thought I'd have a change from cards and step right out of my comfort zone for this eeek!  Well I do like to challenge myself sometime.  I'd seen something similar to this done on a blog I visited, it's really worth looking around people's blogs if you admire their work, you can find some fab inspiration.  Anyhoo, I spotted this and I thought it was a fab idea and really wanted to try my hand at making something like it. Oh and check out some of the other non-card things that Tracy has made recently, they are truly amazing.  I also looked at this.  I was going to make a gift box to go with it but I ran out of time so will do that later.  

Here's my version

I used Magnolia paper I bought on sale from Dies to Die for, a bunch of flowers and beads from Wild Orchid Crafts, a styrofoam ball I bought from Hobbycraft, ribbon from The Ribbon Girl a few self adhesive pearls to look like sprinkles, a stick pin, some Tim Holtz trinket pins and the ticket stamps and die used to cut them are by Whimsy Stamps.

It really is a LOT easier than it looks, getting the 'case' to sit right and evenly was actually the hardest bit lol, it was sooooo much fun to make and really quick.  They'd be lovely to make for table decorations for a wedding or christening etc.

Do pop over to Crafty Catzand check out the rest of the DT's creations, they really have excelled themselves this week.  Why not have a go at our challenge this week, you can make a card if you prefer, or like me, something a little different, as long is it's not square!

That's all from me today, I'll try and pop in on you at the weekend, have fun! :) xx

Give Thanks! Marvelous Magnolia 1st DT Card

Good afternoon to all my lovely followers and visitors, it's another scheduled post from me today,  another 2 hours till I'm done with work today.

As you know on Monday I shared a card as GDT for Marvelous Magnolias, well imagine how delighted I was when the lovely Rina asked me to join as a permanent DT member?!  I was over the moon, I do so admire the work of all the ladies there.  They have given me a fantastically warm welcome and as I have joined the 'Dreamy' team and it's our turn to post this week, I beavered away at the weekend to produce something special for them.

The theme this week is Give Thanks, so we'd love to see your thank you cards or cards to celebrate Thanksgiving.  We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK unlike our American cousins, so my card is a simple (well ok, maybe not so 'simple' lol),  thank you card, here's what I made.

I love this yellow colour for a thank you card, the gorgeous paper is Pion Design, For Mother collection.

I've distressed it lightly and inked with Vintage Photo DI, then hand stiched with yellow top stich thread.

This little cutie is Pink Ribbon Tilda (though obviously she's Yellow Ribbon Tilda here lol)

I've coloured her as usual with my Copics:

Hair: W7, 5, 3, 2

Clothing & Ribbon: YR 24, 23, 21, W2, 0

Shoes: E44, 42, 40

I've used just a touch of frantage in Shabby White around the image.

Flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. Pearl pins, lace, ribbon, button, twine and bling from The Ribbon Girl.

I've decorated the inside of my card with matching paper to complement the front.

Dies used were: 

 La La Land Crafts Heart Tree

Spellbinders Labels 4 and Gold Labels 4

Whimsy Noteables 4

The sentiment is from the Whimsy Everyday Sayings Noteables 4 set.

The butterflies were cut with an X Cut punch.

I'll be popping this into my 

 

Store tonight.

Do pop over and check out the rest of the Dreamy Team's creations, they really are fab, and join in with our challenge, there's a fab prize to be won from our sponsor so come join in the fun! :) xx

I've entered this card to the following:

Midweek Magnolias - Giving Thanks
Simply Magnolia - Anything Goes
The Alphabet Challenge - T is for Twine

GDT - Marvelous Magnolia Birthday Bash

Good morning to all my wonderful followers and visitors.  I bet your surprised to see a post from me on a Monday no?  Obviously this post is scheduled as I shall be beavering away at work when this goes live.

What's the reason for posting on a Monday I hear you cry, well it's simple, I was recently asked by the fabulous Rina, to guest and make a card Marvelous Magnolia for their Big Birthday Bash, of course I said yes!  If you're not familiar with Marvelous Magnolia, they're an awesome Magnolia only challenge blog that runs new challenges weekly with fab prizes.  Currently for their birthday bash they're having a special celebration, not only are they holding their usual challenge (running for 2 weeks this time), but also all the DT ladies are offering their own creations (and really they are amazing) as special prizes, not content with that they've been having a guest designer every day for 10 days and if you leave a comment on the GDT post you have a chance of winning a prize from that sponsor!

This is the card I made.

I decided to make an oval easel card, using some large Spellbinders dies.  Papers are by Bildmalarna. All are inked with DI in Pumice Stone and stitched with white Top Stitch thread. The hot air ballon is made with a La La Land Crafts die, I've added a little frantage in Shabby Pink.

This little cutie is Celebration Tilda, isn't she gorgeous?  I've coloured her with my Copics and added a little Glamour dust for sparkle. She's sitting on a die-cut made with La La Land Craft's String of Hearts Die.

The tag is Magnolia DooHickey So Wrapped Lovely. I've added pink seam binding and rolled ribbon roses from The Ribbon Girl.  You can just see the Heart Doily Border also from LLLC peeking out behind the tag and flowers.

The rest of the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

The inside is decorated with matching papers.  The stamps and die used to make the tickets are from Whimsy and the little heart scrabble tiles are also from a Whimsy stamp set.  The whole card has been finished off with some hand coloured pearls and some Prima pearl flourishes.

I do hope you like my card for the Big Birthday Bash at Marvelous Magnolia, don't forget to pop across and leave a comment on the post there, you have a chance if winning a prize from 

I'll be popping this card into my

store later this evening once I'm home form work.

Enjoy the rest of your day! :) xx

Entered in the following challenges:

Simply Magnolia - Anything Goes

Lovely hAnglar or Sweet Magnolia - #82 Shabby Chic or Vintage

7 Kids #86 Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps #69 Punches & Dies

Hanna & Friends #184 Glitter

DT A Creative Romance - Winter Blues

Happy happy Friday people!  This is my 2nd post today (haven't I been busy? :P ) and my very first post as a DT member for A Creative Romance....sooo exciting!

Our theme this week is an easy one and perfect for this time of year it's 

Winter Blues

Simple right?  I decided that I wouldn't go with an obvious Christmas Card, though you could use this for one it's also very suitable for a winter wedding (I saw one at the Ice Hotel a few years ago that was just fab!) or a winter anniversary or engagement.

I used a Go Kreate die to create the shape. The papers are Wintertime in Swedish Lapland by Pion Design.  They've been lightly distressed with DI in Chipped Sapphire and sewn with a mixture of light and dark blue top stitch thread.

The image is from Tiddly Inks Victorian Couple, this is a Digi but yu can get it in clear rubber also.

The ticket stamp and matching die are from Whimsy.

Velvet ribbon, seam binding , bead trim and lace are from The Ribbon Girl

The snowflake die are from La La Land Crafts and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, they've been coated in Twinklets Diamond Dust to give a frosty feel to them.

I do hope you like it, please pop over to the A Creative Romance blog and check out the rest of the Elegant Artisan's creations, they really are stunning.  If you have the time we'd love for you to join in with our challenge, it's a nice easy one and we'd love to see what works of art you create.

Enjoy the rest of your day, it's nearly the weekend!! :)xx

This card will go into my Etsy store at the weekend along with a couple of my other recent cards.

I'm entering this into these challenges:

Tiddly Inks #121 Anything Goes
Wild Orchid Challenge #89 Ribbons and Lace

DT Crafty Catz - Inspirational Photo

Happy Friday! That means the weekend is approaching and even better it's time for a new challenge at Crafty Catz.

It's my first time hosting the challenge for Crafty Catz and I'm trying my best not to klutz it up lol. Anyway this week it's been Guy Fawkes night in the UK (November 5th) and that means lots of celebrations with Fireworks, (for those of you who don't know about Guy Fawkes do google him, it's quite bizarre in a way that we celebrate this and how), and so I thought I'd make this week's challenge to use a photo of fireworks to inspire you. So this week's challenge is an

INSPIRATIONAL PHOTO

Now don't run away screaming lol, it's not hard we just want you to take some inspiration from this picture and use it to make your card, that could be the colours, the theme, the picture, the sparkle, the celebration....the list is endless and limited only by your own imagination.

We have an absolutely fabulous sponsor this week, the oh so talented Krista Smith from

Is offering 2 images of their own choice to the winner!!

How cool is that? I lurve her images and so was delighted that she also very kindly provided us with images for the design team to use...'drool'.

So from the photo I toll inspiration from the colours, the glitz and sparkle and the whole wow factor of fireworks and I came up with this

The image I chose is Starla, I thought she was perfect for this, isn't she wonderfully over the top?

She's coloured with my Copics as usual, there are just too many colours here for me to list lol.

I used some gold stickles on the centre of the daisy to bling it up a bit.

Papers have been edged with DI in Chipped Sapphire and sewn with top stitch thread in blue.

The background scene is a digi from Make it Crafty.

Papers - Bildmalarna, Welcome - Red Stripes from Dies to Die For

Stamps used are from Whimsy as well as the matching dies.

Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts

Film Strip Ribbon from L&LC

All other embellishments from stash.

I hope you like it, do come check out what the DT have made, they have really rocked out this theme, and then have a go yourself, we would love to see yur creations :) xx

I'm entering this card for the following challenges:

Saturated Canary #56- Sketch

613 Avenue Create #44- Anything Goes

7 Kids #86

Bunny Zoe's Crafts #October -Ribbon

Creative Corner Challenges #Sing a Song