First one ....

.... of 2013, and it's a last-minuter!!

This is my DT sample for PaperPlay - sadly it's our last challenge for a while.  Sandie has decided to close the challenge blog for a while, to hopefully reopen some time.  This week's challenge, ironically, is called "Celebration".  I had to make a card for a teacher at school who has just moved into a new home, after a difficult few years, so it's certainly a move to celebrate.  Here's what I made:

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructed Sketch, and I'm also entering the following challenges: My Time to Craft ("All about the new"),Stampin' for the Weekend and Papertake Weekly ("Anything Goes"), Simon Says Stamp ("New Something") and Cute Card Thursday ("Something New").

I used some very old papers from Cosmo Cricket called "Mr. Campy" - I love that line, but have only scraps left at this stage.  I made the little scene using a couple of different Hero Arts stamps and cutting a little grassy knoll!  Here's a closer look:

 

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Mr. Campy"

Stamps: Hero Arts "Design Block Clouds Background" and "From our House to Yours"

Colouring Medium: Sky - Hero Arts Hues, house and trees Prismacolor pencils

Font: computer generated

Other: buttons from stash, hairy string, glossy accents

 

 

Thanks for looking - and a very happy 2013 to everyone!

 



Second and ....

.... last Christmas card.  I made another one, my daughter was dropping a box of Roses around to the place she worked last summer, and she wanted a card to go with it.  So I had to pull out all the stops (hee hee!) and make one.  Here's what I made:

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructing Sketches, and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Basic Grey Challenges ("Anything Goes"), Totally Gorjuss ("Easy Does It"), Sentimental Sundays ("Focus on the Sentiment") and Card Crafters' Circle ("It's Christmas").

I bought some jingle bells (all the way from Hong Kong!) to use on a few hand-crafted presents (will post after the big day, when all have received them) and then last week was picking up some stuff in the local hardware store when what did I see but some discounted jingle bell ornaments.  So I got them and now they are being used everywhere, including on this card (makes it a bit hard to fit in the envelope, though!).  Here's a side shot:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Nordic Holiday"

Other: Ribbon from stash, red mesh from bouquet of flowers, baker's twine, jingle bells!

So are we all ready for Christmas?  I was very late getting started this year, but a few highly focused shopping sessions the week before last sorted almost everything.  I cycled down to the shopping centre early this morning to pick up a couple of final items and the place was mobbed - it was like the day before the Apocalypse or something.  Don't you love being one of the ones who's not in a panic in the midst of all that - it's a lovely smug feeling!!!

Best wishes to one and all for a lovely and peaceful holiday!

Too close to ....

.... Christmas for non-Christmas crafting!  My friend's son has his 6th birthday today, and I am ashamed to say that today is only the second time I've managed to make a birthday card for him (last year being the first!).  Most of his relatives combine birthday and Christmas pressies, so I was determined to make a separate birthday fuss of him!!  Here's what I made:

I do think some red stitching around the outside of that lovely teal spotty paper would have been lovely, but no time.   I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructing Sketches and I'm also entering this into Totally Gorjuss ("For someone special").

Here's a side view of the layers - see the googly eyes I added to the orange sticker?  I love googly eyes!

Recipe:

Papers and sticker: Cosmo Cricket "Lil Man"

Number: Pink Paislee

Other: American Crafts eyelet, googly eyes, baker's twine

Thanks for looking!

Ahem, 'tis me ....

.... slinking back after yet another long break!!  Grim ongoing family stuff, no crafting, what can I say.  Not sure that I'll be doing much over the next few weeks either, but in the meantime, today is PaperPlay day!!  Our challenge this week is called "You're a Star", and we're sponsored by Stamp Fairy. 

I haven't made Christmas cards this year, first time in 7 years.  I was trying to get organised over Hallowe'en to order stuff, when I had a lucky escape.  The PTA at my son's school declared that the children would be designing their own cards and having them printed.  So our Christmas cards this year feature my son's 10-year old boy sense of humour (i.e. odd!), but have been printed all nice and glossy and his name is on the back which is the most important thing!! 

When it came to doing a gift for his teacher, though, I thought she might appreciate a different card, so this is the sole Christmas card I have made this year, and it's my DT entry for PaperPlay too:

I used last week's Mojo Monday sketch, too late to enter, though.  But I'm entering this into the following challenges: Basic Grey Challenges ("It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"), The Shabby Tea Room ("Shabby Chic" with colour scheme: pink, aqua, silver + glitter), Creative Card Crew ("Star"), My Time to Craft ("Non-Traditional Christmas colours"), Simon Says Stamp ("What's your Favourite" - mine is paper, always!) and Creative Inspirations ("Contemporary Christmas Colours").

I used a Hero Arts snowflakes/star background stamp and heat embossed in white on the plain background paper.  I've stayed away from the stitching and images again this time, but added lots of layering and distressing - still really enjoying this style.  Here's a side view of the layering:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Jovial" and "Marrakech"

Stamp: Hero Arts "Stunning Snowflakes"

Dies and Punches: Nestabilities "Labels 4" and MS "Aspen Snowflake"

Other: Bakers Twine, Hero Arts gems, Stickles glitter glue.

Thanks for looking!

I would love if this ....

.... was the last birthday card I'll have to make for this nephew!!  I've moaned and groaned before about my husband's nephews and how difficult it is to make their cards.  Husband was wondering aloud the other day if we're done with marking the oldest guy's birthday now he's hit 21?  Could I be that lucky?  Probably not!! 

Last year's card was a corker, I used an image of a heavy-metal drummer and he just loved it.  This year, I couldn't get into it at all.  Coloured up another image and hate, hate, hated what I was doing, was as close as I've been in years to actually ..... eeeek ..... buying a card! In the end, I dumped the image and made this:

I used the sketch from this weeks' Deconstructing Sketches (loving these!) and I'm also entering this into Crafty Cardmakers ("More than one punch/die cut").  Here's a side-shot of the dimension on this card:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Skate Shoppe"

Other: MM letter stickers, Doodlebug brads, crackle accents

Thanks for looking!

No stitching ....

.... on a card?  Haven't done that in a long, long time.  I've been really inspired lately by some new challenges and some new blogs.  One crafter whose work I'm absolutely loving is Amy Sheffer - I adore her shabby, layered yet not over-embellished style.  I was sitting down to make my husband's birthday card, and I was inspired by the layout on one of Amy's recent creations.  Here's what I ended up with:

I'm entering this into the following challenges: Papertake Weekly and Basic Grey Challenges both have "Anything Goes", Shopping our Stash ("Best Deal Ever" - mine is the hairy string, my husband "rescued" a huge ball of it from his work - it was being thrown out - I reckon free has to be the best deal of all!), Crafts and Me ("Reds"), Crafty Creations ("No flowers"), Cupcake Craft Challenges ("Get Krafty") and Cutie Pie Challenge ("Distress your cards").

I love the papers I used.  The BG "Little Black Dress" line has a great combination of lacy feminine designs and the lovely masculine patterned papers I've used on this card. 

I know there are punches and die cuts for doing pennant banners all in one go.  I don't have one, so I made the red pennant banner by chopping some cardstock into sections, using a square punch to do the pennant bits, and then sticking the hidden ends equidistant on a slim bit of cardstock.  That's me, if there's a fiddly and time-consuming way to do something, I'm there!!  I added some scrabble letters that I've had in my stash for ages, some shiny red circles and lots of BG buttons.  Here's a side-shot of the layers:

 

Recipe:



Papers: Basic Grey "Little Black Dress" and "Granola"

Sentiment: Computer-generated

Other: Basic Grey "Ambrosia", scrabble letters from stash, hairy string

 

Thanks for looking!

 

More adventures ....

.... with boxes.  Those of you who've been reading my blog for a while will remember my son's self-made costume, "box-head", from last Hallowe'en!!  Well, this year, the box went upmarket with a coat of gold spraypaint.  Jed, ever the innovator with his obscure ideas for costumes, declared that he was going to be "the gold robot head dancing guy from the video for Party Rock Anthem"!  Riiiiiiiiiggght - we all know that guy, don't we?!!! 

Having decided that "the guy's" gold lamé tracksuit wasn't necessary for the finished look (phew, I dodged a bullet there!), here he is about to head off out trick or treating:

I've had a bad back for the last week or so, hence no crafting, but I'm glad it had improved enough to be able to tackle the pumpkins, as I love carving them. Here's what we did this year.  Jed made the "Scream" movie character, and I did an oozing skull.  Here they are finished and ready for display and the following pics are them lit up:

My back is definitely on the mend, so with husband's birthday coming up shortly, I hope to get up to the craftroom very soon.

Thanks for looking!