Well that's that ....

.... for another year!!  Can you believe it's 2012 already?!!  I hope you have all been having a happy and peaceful Christmas time, are rested, relaxing and raring to go this New Year!

I am a bit shame-faced that I haven't posted since the 15th of December - I did make a few more Christmas gift bags, and a card for a 5 year old whose birthday is so perilously close to Christmas that this is the first time I've actually got it together enough to make him a birthday card!!!  I did intend to post those projects whilst it was still December, but didn't, and now it's January there's no point really!

So, on with the new - remember that nephew's birthday card I've been mentioning in every post for the last month and a half?  I .... em .... made it .... yesterday!!!  Here it is:

 I'm entering this into the following challenges: Passion for Promarkers ("Celebrations"), and Kenny K Krafty Girlz, Basic Grey Challenges, Crafts and Me, Simon Says Stamp, Stampin' for the Weekend and Creative Inspirations, who all have "Anything Goes" challenges.

The aforementioned nephew is a drummer in a heavy-metal band, so this Kenny K image couldn't have been more perfect.  I coloured it with pro-markers for a strong and cartoon-like effect - here's a closer look:

I continued the metal theme with lots of copper embossing powder and also with the Spellbinders gears and sprockets.  I got this set back in the NEC in early November as part of an early birthday present from my stepmother, but had to hand it over to her to add to the rest of the gift and wait till my birthday to get it for real!  I cut the gears out of plain old cardboard, but "metalised" them using some fab metallic stuff that you just rub on with your finger.  Here's a side-shot of the dimension and all:

Recipe:

Image: "Metal Drummer" by Kenny K

Colouring Medium: Pro-markers

Papers: Basic Grey "Skate Shoppe"

Other: Doodlebug brads, Stampendous Copper e.p., Spellbinders Sprightly Sprockets, metallic rub-on

Wishing you all a wonderful 2012 - here's to lots more crafting (a definite resolution on my part, anyway!!!).

Thanks for looking!

The countdown ....

.... is on.  Cards all made, 2/3 of them written and posted, almost all gifts bought, none yet wrapped - no probs!!

It's our final challenge for 2011 on PaperPlay today, and the theme is, you'll never guess - Christmas!!!  Thank heavens, 'cos I've made nothing but Christmas cards for the last fortnight.  Here's my finished design:

As usual, it's pretty simple, due to having to mass produce.  I wish I had had time to stitch some red stitching - it would have been sooooo pretty, but I would have had to start the darn things in August to achieve that.  Here's a shot of a bunch all done (tried more but I kept knocking them over like a house of cards!):

The paper is a gorgeous BG "Nordic Holiday" one, I adore the colours - so rich and festive - and the stamp is also from the same line.  Cute.  I added a lot of stickles to the roofs of the houses and to the paper to make it even more festive.  Here's a close-up of a house:

I'm entering this into quite a few challenges, all with Christmassy themes.  They are: ABC Challenge, Crafts and Me, Creative Card Crew, Papertake Weekly, Paper Sundaes, Totally Gorjuss, and Stampin' for the Weekend.
Thanks for looking!

Ever left everything ....

.... until the last minute? That's me this Christmas - I still haven't started the Christmas shopping, the house is a tip, the days are definitely ticking away faster than they should be!! Eeek!!

On the plus side, my card from a few posts ago here has been picked as one of the Top 3 on CES Challenges (yayy - a blinkie!!).

I had time between batches of Christmas cards to do a commission. One of my colleagues asked me to do a graduation card, I hmmed and hawed because I didn't think I would have time, but then she told me the name of the graduate - and she was such a lovely child when she was at our school a million years ago that I had to say yes. So I was in the craftroom most of the weekend between Christmas cards and this:

I used the sketch from this week's Sketch Saturday, and I'm also entering it into quite a few challenges that it fits, namely: The Crafty Pad ("Give it a Punch"), Charisma Cardz ("Spots"), Cute Card Thursday ("It's just a number"), Crafts and Me ("Pearls and Swirls"), Simon Says Stamp ("Anything Goes") - and, this might be a bit cheeky, Mo's Digital Challenge ("Great Outdoors" - it does say the topic is broad - Mo's DT - can we say this girl has just ran outside waving her degree and throwing her mortarboard in the air? If not, I completely understand!).

I used this lovely image from Mo - that robe was hard to colour in black, really it's ended up faded grey but I hadn't time to go over it again. I decided to match it with black/cream papers and add a few touches of bling to make it nice and celebratory. Here's a close-up of the image:

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Circa 1934"

Image: Mo Manning "Grad Girl"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Fiskars "Threading Water" punch, Hero Arts Smooth Gems, Prima swirl, needle + thread

After I finished, we went into town to meet friends for a coffee, Grafton Street looked gorgeous all lit up and festive in the dark. Here's a pic I found on the internet - not a great shot but you get the idea:

Thanks for looking!

Still. Haven't. Made ....

.... that bloomin' nephew's card, even though I said I would! That's because Christmas is galloping nearer every day, and this week's PaperPlay Challenge is upon us too. Our challenge is "Tags and Wrapping", and our sponsor is Simon Says Stamp

My teamies have made some absolutely stunning gift sets - it really wouldn't matter what was inside 'cos the wrapping is so beautiful.  Pop over and have a look!

I've just finished knitting a scarf as a Christmas gift for my son's teacher, it turned out really nicely and I decided to package it nicely too.  So here's how it turned out:

We've had yuck weather the past few days, it's currently lashing rain with accompanying howling gale, so the pics are atrocious.  Sorry!!  This does look very festive in real life, lovely BG red papers, with kraft bag and black cardstock, accessorised with starry red ribbon and sparkly snowflakes.

I forgot to take a pic of the scarf itself, and now that it's safely tied into the packaging, I'm not going to risk taking it out again.  You can see a peep of it through that round acetate window, though.

Thanks for looking - now, I've got a teenage nephew card to do (deja vu, anyone?!!).

Only one more ....

.... man card to do now I've finished this one.  Phew!  We were out last night at a friend's surprise 40th party - I made his card in a rush in the afternoon, photographed in horrid light before tucking it in my bag, went out, had a great night, came home - and d'oh, realised the card was still in my bag!!  Oh well, at least that meant I got to re-take the pics in daylight (albeit winter daylight)!  Here's what I made:

Update 3rd Dec: This card was picked as a Top 3 on CES Challenges  - thank you!

I used the sketch from this week's Sketch Saturday, and I'm also entering this into Basic Grey Challenges ("Lost and Found" - reuse something found around the house - I've used the corrugated packaging cardboard and the burgundy string which was from a clothes label) and CES Challenges ("Special Milestone Birthdays").

As I was tight for time on this, it's a variation of the 60th card I did a few weeks back. Used the delicious BG Oxford paper again - soooo good for male cards, and yes, more rosettes - I love making them so much.  Here's a side-shot of the rosettes and dimension of the card:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Oxford"

Sentiment: Computer generated

Other: Doodlebug brads, needle + thread, corrugated cardboard, string from stash, BG "Bittersweet" buttons

Now just have to do a belated birthday card for another nephew that has been put on the long finger again and again - those poor guys always get left 'till last, and then it's full steam ahead on the Christmas cards and whatever else Christmassy I get around to!

Thanks for looking!

That mention ....

.... of churning out cards on my last post had the immediate effect of making me screech to a complete creative halt.  I mustn't use such dynamic verbs in future!!

I had a commissioned deadline to meet this morning, so having huffed and puffed about it all week, I got down to it yesterday afternoon and made a card.  It's for a friend's relative, Auntie Bina, who is 90 today.  I haven't met her but she sounds like a fun and fiesty lady, so I decided to avoid any little old lady pastel shades and go for vivid colours.  Here's the end result:

Recipe:

Papers: October Afternoon "Modern Homemaker"

Image: Pure Innocence "Hello Cupcake"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Diamond Stickles, ribbon from stash, glossy accents, needle + thread

I used the sketch from this week's Stamp with Fun, and I'm also entering this into Moving Along with the Times ("Ribbons and Bows"), Dutch Dare (recipe - I've got image, papers, layers and ribbon), ABC Challenge ("Dazzle") and Crafty Cardmakers ("Recycle" - my red ribbons and bow were kept from Christmas crackers).

I finally ordered my Christmas card stuff, and it arrived during the week.  I'm slightly freaked out by the lateness, so my design is quite simple (even though I wish I could add stitching, just don't have time).  Have a few other birthday cards to make and then the production line begins.

Thanks for looking!

Churning out ....

.... the male cards!!  November is a month for male birthdays in my family, nothing like adding that pressure to that of the upcoming Christmas season!!  My husband is first, then his nephew, then a two-week gap before some more.  Gah!!!  Anyway, here's what I made for my husband this year:

I'm entering this into the following challenges: Basic Grey Challenges ("Anything Goes" - second time this week!), CES Challenges ("Entertain Us - Song or Film" - of course, mine is "The Italian Job"!), Totally Papercrafts ("Stitch It"), The Shabby Tea Room ("Homespun Fall" - a gorgeous inspiration pic that I've taken the colours from) and Our Creative Corner ("Masculine - using non-traditional colours").

Another pinwheel (or are they called rosettes?) - anyway, I love making them.  They are the perfect way to use those strips that are cut off the edge of a piece of 6" x 6" paper to make the background layer for my cards, those strips I can never bear to throw away.  I have oodles of them and at last can put them to some use!!!

I've been teasing my husband because he's getting to that stage where he's doing that stretchy arm thing when he's reading - needs to get the eyes tested, etc., and he is in complete denial.  When he looked at this card, he said "There's only one "L" in Paul", to which I replied "There's only one "L" plus an exclamation mark on your card - you need to get your eyes tested!".  Hee hee, got 'im!!!

I had to make the Mini bit three times - I had decided to try out the cracked glass technique, used about half a pot of e.p. building up the thickness I wanted, cracked OK, then my son came to see what I was doing and asked was the Mini supposed to look like it had crashed!  Oh dear, not quite the look I was going for.  The second one I forgot to distress the edges before putting one layer of e.p. on and it looked bland.  This is the third!

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Wander"

Stamp: "Mini" by Blade Rubber Stamps

Sentiment: Computer Generated

Other: Distress Inks, ribbon from stash, Doodlebug brads, needle + thread

Now on to nephew's card - eek!  He's turning 20 so no longer a teenager, but that doesn't make it any easier!!

Thanks for looking!