Christmas Easel Card - Mistletoe & Mice

Evening folks

Just thought I'd share the Christmas card I made for my wonderful hubby, which I've only just got around to photographing.  I promise this will be my final Christmas card for 2009.  This is only the second easel card that I've made, and I found it really tricky to get a picture of.  I really enjoyed making it though, so I guess I'm likely to make more of them, and with any luck the pics will get better. 

The stamp is Mistletoe and Mice by Gillian Roberts, and is on sale with 20% off at the moment at Quixotic Paperie.  The paper is MME from the Colorful Christmas range.  The mistletoe embellishments I drew and cut out, as I didn't have a die to use.  It was a bit fiddly, but I've already ordered a die ready to use with this stamp for next year.  Mistletoe berries were made with my usual method of waxing the back of a piece of card, punching out a circle, and then embossing it in circular movements from the back.  Colouring, was of course done with Copics, and the sentiments were computer generated.

Paul was really pleased with the card, and laughed out loud at the added sentiment at the bottom - well, you have to make these things personal, don't you, lol.

That's it for tonight, thanks for looking

Judi xx

Dapper Dan

Hi there peeps,

hope you had a great Christmas, and got lots of lovely pressies. 

I'm showing you one of my last minute cards today, made for my eldest granddaughter, who is 8 (going on 18, bless her).  I was really pleased with the way this one came out, and Abi obviously felt the same way, as she was over the moon with it.  The stamp is 'Dapper Dan', from High Hopes.  He was a late, pre-Christmas purchase, and when he arrived, he was so cute I just had to make Abi's card with him.

My darling hubby spoilt me with new crafting goodies, one of which was a set of the new Martha Stewart, border and edge punches  - Rings -  I had a play with it today, (my back wasn't playing ball yesterday and I had to spend the afternoon in bed), and I absolutely LOVE it!  It is SO EASY to use, and match up, so I think you might be seeing it in quite a few of my upcoming cards.  Today I just used it to repair a Christmas card that I messed up - it'll do for next year now, lol. 

I also had some more COPICS - Yipee!  And a couple of sets of nesties that I'd been craving, not to mention a laminator, which I've been hoping for, so I think you can safely say I have plenty of new toys to keep me busy.

Thanks for checking out my blog

Judi xx

Kai in the Snow - PINK version

Hi there,

Thanks for visiting my blog today.  The card above was made as part of a Christmas order, and I'm REALLY pleased with it.  The only thing is, it didn't photograph as well as I would have liked, and the mirri card at the back looks gold, as opposed to the silver that it actually is. 

I don't think I'll be posting much now for a week or two, as I've had a tremendous response to my daughters taking my cards in to work, and dance, and am busy making up orders for about 40 cards, which might be pushing it a bit, if my back doesn't play ball.  I've roped my hubby in to help, and he's spent quite a bit of his day off learning to make envelopes - bless him, he really is a treasure!

Will post again when I've got the orders out of the way. 

Hugs

Judi xx

Hello again,

Today I'd like to show you a card made with my very first digital stamp.  It's called 'Kai in the snow', and was drawn by Mo Manning at http://digitalpenciltoo.com/ .   I've been admiring this stamp for ages, but not having any babies around at the moment, couldn't justify buying it.  However, my daughter said that her friend might be looking to buy a card for her baby nephew's first Christmas, so I thought it was a good excuse to get it, and give it a try.  It was an absolute joy to colour (with Copics, of course!).  The background paper is from a free download that I've used before, from http://thecrafttable.blogspot.com/  (thanks again, Martine).  However, when I was first printing these papers off, I had a problem with the printer, and for some reason the little centres of the snowflakes came out yellow on this sheet, instead of red!!  Still, waste not, want not, as they say!

I mounted Kai on a piece of mirri card, and then framed him with a couple of squares cut out with Nesties, and placed to look like diamonds.  The sentiment is computer generated, and cut out with Nesties labels die.  To finish off I've added a Nesties snowflake which has been covered with Glamour dust, and topped with a flower spacer, and blue gem.   Ribbon from stash.

And the GREAT news is:

My daughter's friend has already ordered not one, but two of this design - one for a boy, and one for a girl (in pink, of course!)

Must away now - Eastenders is on!!

Judi xx

Miss Anya - Pink Christmas

Evening friends,

Thought I'd share my latest Miss Anya 'Snow' card with you today.  The background papers are some more of the set I bought from Papercrafts 4 You, the other day.  The Snowflake charm is from The Hobby House.  Once again I've used my Martha Stewart icicle punch (just love this tool), on the pink card,and although it doesn't show up very well in this picture, I've created a shadow effect to the icicles with another layer done in silver mirri card.  The sentiment is another one of the set from Just Rite Stampers, and I've added a few little triangles of pink card, to just tart it up a bit. Ribbon from stash.

Hope you like it.

Judi xx

Blog Candy on Martines site - Ends 30th November

Hi Peeps

Just thought I'd draw your attention to the fantastic blog candy that Martine has on offer on her blog at the moment.  All you have to do is tell her your favourite Magnolia stamp, or stamps, (hmm!  maybe not SO easy!!) and post a note about the candy on your blog. 

Why not have a go, you never know you might be the lucky winner, on the other hand of course, it might just be ME!!  Here's hoping!

Judi xx

Magnolia - Father Christmas

Afternoon people

This is something a bit different for me, as I don't often make cards with a complete scene, but I just thought Father Christmas by the fire place was the best possible setting.

I used Whitewash C'ordinations for the background, embossed it with the new Cuttlebug holly embossing folder, and then lightly sanded it to bring out the colour in the holly.  The carpet is the same card, lightly embossed with lines, and then sanded again.  The fireplace and Father Christmas stamps are by Magnolia, and the Merry Christmas sentiment is a stamp from HOTP.  Parcels hand made by yours truly, and trimmed with peel off strips.

Gorjuss Girl with Fox

Hi again,

I made this card a couple of days ago, and am really pleased with it.  I think it's the colour scheme that I like best about it, although the ribbon is gorjuss!! 

I'm afraid I'm not sure who makes the papers, I picked them up at Papercraft 4 You, in Farlington when I  recently visited with my new Docrafting buddy - Yvonne, and liked them so much I bought the set in 4 different colourways, so you'll probably being seeing them appear time and again over the next few weeks.  The sentiment is one of the new 'Just Rite' set  that I got from Once Upon A Stamp, and has been cut out and framed with Nesties.   The little embellishements are made up from a Nesties snowflake, topped with another snowflake cut with an Xcut punch and then I popped a self adhesive crystal on just to give that added bit of sparkle.

Judi xx

Tasha's Birthday Card - Party Girl

Hi peeps

Here is my latest offering. It's a birthday card for my lovely emailing buddy - Tasha. Hope you have a lovely day Tasha! The card is made with some fabulous papers that I picked up in Yorkshire. They're from Black Market Paper Society - Lucky 'n Love Collection. I think it may be an old set, as they're marked with 2008, but they are lovely to work with, and double sided into the bargain, so plenty of options for mixing and matching. I can't say I'd part with them for any old body, so consider yourself honoured, Tash!!

The stamp is 'Party Girl' from Wild Rose Studio. Computer generated sentiment, cut out with Nesties, and the flower is made with various punches from my ever growing collection.

That's it for today folks.

Judi xx

Forever Friends - FREEBIE Stamp - Creativity Magazine Issue 18

Hi there folks

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, I've been up to Yorkshire for a little break in a really lovely, 'olde worlde' cottage. Of course in amongst doing the usual touristy things, like visiting the village where Heartbeat was filmed, I made plenty of time to pop into the local craft shops, not to mention the ones we found enroute, lol.

While I was away I picked up a copy of Creativity Magazine, I don't usually buy it these days as I find there is an awful lot of advertising, but the fact that my friend Alex's work was featured inside, AND on the cover, together with this lovely little freebie stamp, was just the incentive I needed.

As usual, the colouring has been done with Copics.  The papers are Dovecraft I think, from Christmas 2008, and the snowflakes have been cut with Nesties, and stacked.  The 'Merry Christmas' tag was also cut using a Nestabilities die, and then the sentiment was stamped on.  The 'ribbon' is a strip of gold mirri card, put through a crimping tool.

Have a great weekend.

Judi xx

Ian - Again!

Today I've used the other one of my Ian stamps.  I think I prefer this one, as there is a bit more to colour and he looks like the 'boy next door', if you know what I mean.

The papers are My Mind's Eye, and has been matted with card came from my stash.  Once again I've made my own, what I believe is called 'card candy' - the little green circles.  The sentiment is a stamp from Cats Life Press, and is framed with a pinking circles nestability.  A really simple card, but I think that guys prefer a 'less is more' approach.

That's it for a few days now, as we're off up to Yorkshire for a week or so, let's hope the weather is kind to us, although I am of course taking some images and my copics with me, lol.

Ian - Anya's boyfriend!

Afternoon folks

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days. but I've been busy making a card box / carrier, so that my daughter can take my cards out and show her friends - hopefully selling some along the way!!   I don't actually make my cards with a view to selling them, just for my own enjoyment really, but if anyone likes them enough to buy, that's lovely.

Anyway, I've finally gotten around to playing with one of my new Ian stamps, from The Greeting Farm.  (For anyone who isn't in the know, he's Anya's boyfriend).  I've had the checked paper for quite some time, and thought it a good colour combo for a 'male' card, but didn't have anything to go with it, apart from the matching plain green, so thinking cap on, and suddenly I had it!!  A nice brown ink, used with a splodgy patterned rollargraph stamp, and I was away.  I treated myself to the rollergraph guide a couple of weeks ago, and while it seemed expensive at the time, it has made it SO easy to line up the patterns and make my own background designs.  I can see it's going to get a LOT of use!!

As usual, Ian was coloured with copics.  The 'Hey dude' sentiment was computer generated, and the 'Happy Birthday' was a stamp from Claire Curd's sentiments collection.

Hope you like the card

Judi xx

Crystal Snow Lady - High Hopes

Evening friends.  Hope you're not getting too cheesed off with the autumnal weather we're having.  I know that if I didn't have my crafting, these grey days would drive me CRAZY!!

Today I've finished off this card, featuring the Crystal Snow Lady stamp, from High Hopes.  These really are great quality stamps.  In my opinion, some of the best I've ever bought.    The sentiment is one of of the 'A Merry Little Christmas' set, available from Once Upon A Stamp.  They're made to fit Nestabilities, by a company an American company called Just Rite.  The papers were a free download from http://thecrafttable.blogspot.com/, thanks so much Martine.  Icicles border made using Martha Stewart border punch, then covered in Glamour Dust.  Snowflake - small Xcut punch.

Thanks for looking

Judi xx

Popcorn the Bear - All Wrapped Up

O.K. well you're probably getting bored with Popcorn now, so I'll use something different after this one, at least for a few days, hee! hee! 

Again, I struggled a bit with this card, getting to grips with the bigger stamps is more difficult than I thought, but I'm quite pleased with the end result.  I used a technique I've been meaning to try for ages on this one, which is the embossed and sanded background.  If I'd realised just how easy it is, I'd have done it long since, so you'll probably find I'll be using it on quite a few cards from now on, or at least until I discover something else to try!  I've also used some snowflakes made of acetate, and covered with Twinklets glass glitter.  The smaller one's don't show up that well on the picture, but you can see the larger one, and it really does look pretty when the light shines and sparkles off of it.

Stuck in bed now, as my back's giving me serious grief this morning, so I don't know when my next card will appear.  Keep watching, and have a great weekend.

Judi xx

Popcorn the Bear - Snow Buddies

O.K., I told you yesterday I went mad on buying the Popcorn Bear Christmas stamps, so did you really expect my next card to be a Gorjuss Girl??? 

Again, I wanted to keep the background fairly simple, as the bears really do  need to take centre stage, so I just did a lot of matting and layering, and not much else.  The pinky bits are actually holographic card, and look a lot better in the flesh, so to speak. The white and pink backing paper I made myself, using a rollagraph stamper, and the little things that look like brads, I again made myself, simply cut out some circles of the holographic card with my normal old paper punch, then turned them over, rubbed a candle over the surface to make them slippy, and with a large embossing tool made lots of circular movements until the card raised up at the edges.  I seem to be using a lot of these at the moment, I know you can buy them ready made, as I saw them at the Newbury show, but they're so easy to make, and you can easily match to your colour scheme, so why bother to buy them?

Popcorn the Bear - Poinsettia

I went a bit crazy last week and ordered FOUR sets of the Christmas Popcorn Bear stamps.  Trouble is, they're just SO cute, I couldn't decide which ones to get!!! I had a bit of trouble with this one though, as the image is so much larger than the stamps I usually work with, so I wanted to keep the bachground fairly plain.  However, because I was crafting on a day when my back was really bad, and I should have been in bed, I made a right pig's ear of it, and ended up chucking the first version in the bin!!  I bet I'm not the only one who does that, am I???

Christening card for George

This one's something a bit out of my comfort zone, anyone who saw my post the other day on the Docraft forum will now know that I've NEVER been to a christening, other than my own!!  Anyway, my daughter asked me to make a christening card for her, and this is what I've come up with, I just hope it's O.K.!!!

If you happen to drop by, do please leave a comment, as I would love to know what you think.

Have a great weekend, what's left of it.

Judi

GOLD STAR AWARDS for service!

Hi folks,

No card to show you today as I've been busy playing with the new goodies I received in the post this morning.  I'm really chuffed, as I placed an order with http://www.cardcraft-uk.co.uk/ on Monday for 4 sets of the new Popcorn Bear Christmas stamps, and they arrived today.  In the meantime, CardCraft kept me well informed by email as to the stages of my  order, and gave FREE P&P into the bargain!!! 

I would also like to praise Tracy at Dies to Die For as I ordered the new 'Ian' stamps from The Greeting Farm, (Anya's grown up boyfriend), which she only put on the website yesterday afternoon, and they arrived this morning. What FANTASTIC service is that???

Hopefully if you saw my post last week about the crappy service / attitude of Docrafts, you will now realise that as well as having a moan when it's justified, I also like to give praise where it's due, and hope that if you don't already use the above companies that you might on the strength of my recommendation give them a try.

Thats it for today peeps.

Judi xx

Gorjuss Girl - Good Luck Card

I've made this card for my daughter who is starting back to work next week after having nearly 9 years off, which she's spent getting her 3 children off to a good start - she's a great Mum!  Hope she likes it, and doesn't finally get around to checking out my blog before I give it to her.

Copics:  Y21, YR04, R07, YR20, E00, E50, E31, R11 & 0 - blender pen.

Paper:  MME - Bloom & Grow

Ribbon & brads from stash

Just Magnolia Challenge - Week 25 - Home made flowers

Hi folks

I've made this one for the Just Magnolia Blog Challenge, which this time is to use home made flowers.  I do like using ready made flowers, but it's great making your own, as you can make them in colours to match your work.  The image is a Tilda which was kindly provided by my friend Tasha (thanks Tasha).  Sadly the water colour pencils that I used don't show up in their true colours, her hair is actually brown, and the t-shirt etc, matches the papers far better than it appears in the pic.  The papers are Doodlebug pink lemonade, and strawberry blossoms.  Heart border - Martha Stewart punch.  Sentiment computer generated.

My husband says ......

Please DO NOT call me HUN!  He hates the expression, and gets really annoyed when my lovely crafting friends call me it, so PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE refrain, or he'll have a heart attack due to high blood pressure!!

Thanks Judi

Miss Anya but NOT for the challenge!!!

Hi folks, I thought I would upload this one today, as I've just finished it, and particularly like the flower that I made.  The card was originally intended for the 'Anyone for Anya' challenge, but I kind of lost my way a bit, so I don't think it will qualify, but hey, ho, that's the way the cookie crumbles!

The papers are from Papermania - The Big One.  Stamp is obviously 'Miss Anya' herself, and as usual, the colouring has been done with copics, although I forgot to make a note of which ones I used - whoops!

I'm FURIOUS with Docrafts!!!

Sorry folks, but I have to vent somewhere, and I am furious with Docrafts who are the suppliers of 'Stick It' double sided tape.  Here is the story:

I bought two rolls of  'Stick It' double sided tape from The Range a week ago.  I got through about half a roll very quickly, and so checked to see how much came on the roll.  It turned out that there was 18 metres, which was 50% more than I got for the same price on a Dovecraft roll.  So having realised that it would be the decent thing to point out to other crafters that they should check the amount they get for their money, I  put a post on the Docrafts forum.  In response to this, I got ten replies, and to my concern, two of them criticised the 'Stick It' tape, saying that it didn't stick, which is of course the whole purpose of the stuff!!  The next day I checked the 3 cards I'd made using this stuff, and sure enough, they were starting to come apart!!!  I was pretty annoyed I can tell you, as trying to restick them when you've put other embellishments on top which have been secured with silicone etc, is never going to be satisfactory.  I checked the Docrafts site and it said to return faulty goods to the store where you purchased them, which I did, and got a refund.  However The Range said that compensation for the inconvenience, wasted time and other products, would be down to Docrafts / Design Objectives.  I had, in the interim, already contacted Design Objectives, telling them about this problem, giving them the link to the forum where other people complained about the tape, and asking for compensation.  Upon my return from The Range, I found an email in response telling me to return the goods to them.  NOT what they said on their website!!  I therefore emailed and told them I had taken it back to the store, and received a refund.  I received a reply today, saying that in their opinion this matter was a one off, and as I'd returned the product to the store, thus preventing them from testing it to check the fault, there was nothing further they could do!!!  Talk about bloomin' contrary!! 

I've now sent them a strongly worded email, pointing out that had they sent me some small item as recompense for my wasted products, and as a token of goodwill, it would have improved their reputation, where the high handed attitude they had taken against me, THE CUSTOMER, the one who pays their wages (and yes, I DID say that), would only result in BAD publicity.  So here is the start of it!!

Phew!  Having got that off my chest I feel better.  I'm just hoping now that lots of people will come read this message and see how little Docrafts really appreciate us, the customers!!

Thanks for reading.

Judi

Just Magnolia Challenge - Pink, Grey & Black (optional)

Afternoon people.  This is a card that I've made for the Just Magnolia Challenge, which this week is to make something in pink, and grey, with black as an optional extra.  Although on my moniter the mats all look light pink, they're actually silver mirri (my favourite), so hopefully it will be acceptable for the challenge.  If not, hey, ho, I'm quite pleased with it, so nothing lost. 

The papers I've used are from Papermania - The Big One - Claire Curds Signature range

Pink border cut with a Martha Stewart punch, which I've partially covered to just give a looped effect.

Tilda was coloured with my Copic Ciao pens  ( what else is there, lol). 

Colours:  C1, C3, C5, C7. RV21, RV23,E00, and blender pen.

Sentiment generated on computer, and cut out with oval Nestabilities.  Octagon also cut with Nesties, and finally the felt flowers came as a free gift from a back issue of Papercraft Inspirations Magazine, and are topped with metal flower spacers from The Hobby House, and a tiny silver brad.

HIPPO BIRTHDAY

Today I've done something a bit different, with a new stamp called 'Hippo Birthday', by Nancy Hain of LeLo Design.  I got it in the sale at Crafts U Love. The paper is printed from my computer in a colour to blend with the hippo's Tshirt, which I coloured with Copic Ciao pens.  The patterned paper I made myself by stamping with a small stamp I got free with a magazine recently, as is the sentiment.  All matted on silver mirri card - where would I be without it???

Sugarbowl Blog Challenge

A card made before I had a blog!

I made this card a few weeks ago to enter the Sugarbowl Blog Challenge http://sugarbowlblog.blogspot.com/

I didn't win, but I enjoyed seeing my card on the internet, and it was the spur I needed to set up my blog.

Sarah Kay - Rust & Green

Hi there folks, this is my card for the day.  I recently bought these lovely Papermania - Home for Christmas papers, and thought it was time they had an airing, particularly as I was dying to try out this lovely Sarah Kay stamp that only arrived yesterday, it's called Noel - Joy.  The green and rust are not colours that I would normally work with, but I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out. The sentiment stamp is from http://www.catslifepress.com/, they have a great range, although if you're shopping with them from the UK, remember the limit on imports is £18.00 INCLUDING postage!!! 

Miss Anya - Black & White Christmas

Hi there

I know I meant to upload some of my older stuff today, but I finished off this Miss Anya Christmas card, and was REALLY pleased with it, so thought I'd put it online for others to see.  I love the Martha Stewart icicle border punch that I've used, and although it's not really clear in the picture, I added some Glamour Dust to it which really makes it sparkle in the light.  The snowflakes were all made using Cuttlebug dies, the larger one is the single snowflake die, cut down a bit to fit the card.  The papers are from Papermania, (I think!!!) and all matted on plain black paper and silver mirri.

This is one of my first Christmas cards of the year, made with my new Snosjes stamp. Isn't she cute? Unfortunately the colours look a little faded in the picture, it's actually a really lovely blue/mauve paper with silver mirri backing.

WOW!

WOW! I've finally set up my own blog!!

I found the whole process rather confusing, but hope to use the blog to show my hand made cards to anyone who is interested.

Over the next few days I hope to add a few pictures of things that I've made previously to give you an idea of the sort of stuff I enjoy making, so watch this space!