Friday 28 December 2012

Sunday Stamper: PS I love you.

Seasonal jollys dear fellow bloggers and I do hope you all had a good one! We all enjoyed ourselves here as our dearest daughters shared it with us and of course we had our grandson and son-in-law too, so much to eat and drink and share!
I also had an extra lovely gift in the post as  I was lucky enough to win this lovely book and tag from Hels and it came just before Christmas so I can have some projects planned for the New Year! Thank you so much Hels, I have made you a thank you card as my contribution for this weeks Sunday Stamper challenge, incorporating a heart and a sentiment that is really apt for you as the joy you give us with your blog really should come back to you in bucket loads dear friend!
 
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I used my new Stampotique friend, Tangled, and layered him up with sticky fixers after colouring him in with distress markers, then added the sentiment with coffee archival, the thank you from layered letters and a wooden heart and a little red gingham bow. Thank you once again dear Hels, and PS I love you and your art!
I thought I would just add some photo's of the white grotto that I changed my dining area into. I made old fashioned paper garlands from copier paper and threw snowballs and snowflakes over them. Dear Hubby put round the lights and we also had a white tree. My dear grandson loved it! Also put away my blue and white china and got out the Christmas Tree set that I have been saving for about 20 years,-  no I'm not rich, they are all second quality that I find on Ebay and at outlet shops, but the girls and I love it coming out!
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Only a few more days and it will all have to be packed away until next year, so must make the most of it.
May I wish all of you a very happy remainder of the holiday. Not quite the New Year yet! xx

Wednesday 19 December 2012

A Christmas Bauble!

I had stopped putting my Tag Tuesday offerings on this blog, but this week Carolyn challenged us to decorate a Christmas Bauble, so in the spirit of the festive season I thought I would pop it on here too! My Christmas tree is mainly decorated with red and gold and so I made this to match.

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I die cut three of Tims large bauble shapes from the protective layer from a box of chocolates that I was then FORCED to eat! (The chocolates I mean!) Then I cut a piece from red music paper and finally from red glitter but added the Joy shape first. They were duly adhered and a piece of red music paper in the reverse colouring put on the back. Tims' winter garland supplied the little holly leaves with red gems for berries. My dear friend Sally had given me a pile of lovely Marianne die cut fir tree branches and these are the last ones, I stamped them with a little music stamp I have with barn Door distress and finished it off with a little gold bow.
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It has turned out surprisingly sturdy but light weight, I could imagine a little tree covered with these!
If you have not visited Tag Tuesday before I recommend you press here as everyone comes up with such a delightful variety to each weeks theme! Hope all is going well with your preparations! Hugs x

Monday 17 December 2012

Sunday Stampers: Holly

I still haven't made all my Christmas cards! How shocking is that when I have lovely stamps and dies and papers! Here is one in which I incorporated Holly for Hels challenge at the Sunday Stamper for this week.
 
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I took a plain white card and edged it with festive berries distress ink. Then I tore a piece of green Christmas paper and went round the edge with forest moss. The holly leaves are die cut with Tims' die and coloured and stamped with the same forest moss. The little tag was stamped with festive berries and attached to some burlap with a snowflake brad. The berries are some little gems and the two wooden snowflakes were inked and covered with rock candy distress glitter, I love that stuff as it has big and small particles of glitter and doesn't overbling the card. The small tinsel strand was attached to the bottom and there we are, another one made! I must away now and keep plodding on. What I want to know is where did my good intentions go? I was intending to  have Christmas all wrapped up by the end of November!! Never mind, I guess all this rushing round will make it feel very exciting, as long as I don't fall asleep during Christmas dinner. Hope you are all coping well with getting everything ready. X

Thursday 13 December 2012

Sunday Stamper: Noel

Oh my goodness Christmas is catching up with me. I haven't got all my presents, not wrapped a thing and haven't posted my cards let alone made them all! I'm sorry - this is a very simples tag before I rush off to work, and will be made into a card for a friend. 'Killing two with one...' so to speak, but I so wanted to do this challenge as I love the Noel die from Tim and treated myself to it last year.
 
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My fav. technique of the moment, swirling a tag onto distress ink and the new metallic stains, this is pewter with forest moss and mowed lawn. Noel was cut from that lovely shiny mirror card, holly leaves from Tim's die and the 25 from some lovely paper I had in my stash. The background to the tag was a beautiful spray of holly stamp I have had a while in black archival. It is going on a plain card that I have stamped with the holly when I can find it under the pile of things to do! Hope you are all doing better than me with getting ready for Christmas! Love to you all, be back soon I hope! x

Friday 7 December 2012

Tim's December Tags

This is lovely, I have been able to spend some time in the craftroom and finish Tim's Tags for December as well as make another Christmas card, and visit my Dad and do the shopping and put some washing on and fly round with the Dyson! Hows about that then! Productive or what?
Without further ado here are my two tags:

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This month I had nearly all the right stash but had to use a wooden snowflake on the first one and on the second I stamped a journal ticket from my Wendy Vecchi set and used a spellbinder poinsettia die. Tim's tattered one is on my Christmas wish list, hope Santa is listening!
I enjoyed these tags so much I had a go at doing a card using elements of each:
 
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I used the soldier blueprint stamp again (I love him) and layered him up as per Tim's instructions, then added some of my new pot of Rockcandy glitter to the two painted snowflakes and added a tattered red gingham bow to the ticket. Think I may go on a roll with these designs, just wish the metallic stains would show more when I photograph them. It's the light, very difficult to get it right at this time of year!

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Sunday Stamper: Tags

What a lovely crisp morning this is! Just the weather to put on my walking boots and go out and admire the countryside. I thought I would celebrate the season by doing a 'tag with tags' for Hels challenge over at the Sunday Stamper.

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I made the background to the large stamp with Forest Moss stain and Metallic Pewter stain by sloshing them on the craft mat and drying off in layers. The sheen from the metallic doesn't show up well in the photo. Then I stamped in Forest Moss the different fir tree stamps I have from Tim and then die cut the branches with a Marianne die and added the Tim fir cone die. The snowflakes were on a ribbon and I love the holographic shine to them. 'Winter Trees' was added at the bottom with crystal stickies to add to the winter sparkle.
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The tag's tag's (!) were die cut from a sizzix die I have had from the start of my die cutting adventures, coloured in the same way as the large one and then a little piece of burlap added to each one. The holly, Ivy and mistletoe dies were from Marianne and Tim dies that I coloured in with Forest Moss distress marker and then made a little label and added snowflakes.
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That was fun to make. I have also managed three Christmas cards which is not at all enough, so I will off to make a few more and have a show and tell later. I'm getting properly in the spirit of things now! Good excuse for a nice lot of bling. I love Hel's poinsettia she has made over on her blog, methinks I must get the melt pot out! Have a lovely day everyone. x