My Favourite Cards of 2017

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends

I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas. Ours went like this we sang in the Choir again on Christmas Eve and our daughter and son-in-law came to the service to see us and share a meal after. Then on Christmas Day we went to Newbury to share the day with our daughter, our son-in-law and our new in-laws. We had a lovely time together. On Boxing Day we visited my husband's parents in Aldershot they were having a drop in. It was lovely to see them and lots of other members of the family. Things are a bit calmer for us  now in between Christmas and New Year. I am hoping that we will see the new Star Wars film at some point.

I was thinking of doing a Top Five cards of the Year but is it so hard to choose so I have decided to do a card for each month.

January 

February

March

April 

May 

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

There you have it. This has been the year that our daughter got married. I retired. My colouring has improved. I purchased a stamping platform and that has improved my stamping. I have won a few challenges and been published in magazines a few times. We had some nice trips away. All in all it has been a good year for us. I wonder what next year will bring. 

Happy New Year to you and your families. 

Take care. 

Hugs Jackie

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Moving Along with the Times (MAWTT) - Anything but a Card

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends

How is your week going. I hope keeping on top of all that you need to do. There always seems so much at this time of year. Tomorrow we are off to Brighton to see the Bootleg Beatles in their Christmas concert. This will be the third year we have done this it is such good fun.

The new challenge starts on the Moving Along with the Times (MAWTT) challenge blog and both teams have joined together for this one. It runs until Wednesday 3rd January 2018 at 6 pm.  This challenge is a bit different  we would like to see  Anything BUT a Card so let your  imagination run away with you.

A Box, Bag, Frame, Knitting, Crochet, Book etc. etc. etc.

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 There are some wonderful prizes on offer  for  randomly chosen entrants providing they fit the theme.

You will have one week to email me once the winners have been announced.

You know when you go to a store and you see something and you know you can make it. Well this is how this frame started I was in a shop with our daughter, it was actually the day of her husband's stag do, she spotted a frame like this and I uttered the immortal phrase. So then I had to follow through. 

I bought the frame first it came from the Range and was the colour our daughter wanted for the house. I made the background with Pixie Powders and Brushos. I used masks to create the clouds I cut them with some dies I have. I didn't want hard edges on the clouds so I removed the masks and spritzed again with water. 

I cut a sheep's body and covered it with Pom Poms. I used gel glue and I laid a book on them to hold them in place. The legs were cut with palm tree die from the Crafter's Companion Nativity die set. That is where the grass came from too. 

I have a few Alphabet die sets this one is by Tonic it seemed to be about the right size for the project.

Our daughter and her husband liked the frame which is good it doesn't look much like the original. 

This will be my last post before Christmas. I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for supporting my blog. 

I would like to enter challenge 447 at the CRAFT Challenge Blog, challenge 102 at the Creative Craft Cottage Challenge blog and challenge 273 at the Brown Sugar Challenge blog. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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John Next Door inspired Christmas card

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends

How are you all? I hope you are well. My plan to share all my Christmas cards before the big day was scuppered yesterday as I was asked, at short notice, to make some more. Which I have done. I
 don't like to let anyone down.

I wonder if you can guess who I made this card for? It went in a parcel with some Jelly Babies and special Maltesers. It should have been received by now.

I started by cutting a circle from some read core card. I then embossed it with the Snowflake Circle Embossing Folder from the John Next Door range. I sanded the card so the snowflakes stood out more. 

I used the Christmas Scene Stamp set also from John Next Door to create the background I used the circle media plate. The stamps were all lined up on my Tim Holtz stamping platform. 

The ribbon came from a gift bag and the pearls were left over from making wedding flowers. I hate to waste anything. 

I was pleased with how this card turned out. You know I have got no idea how many Christmas cards I have made this year. That isn't going to help with planning next year. 

Enjoy your day. 

I would like to enter the Anything Goes Challenge at the Cuttlebug Mania Challenge blog ,challenge 48 at the Merry Christmas Challenge blog and challenge 357 at Crafty Creations Challenges. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Penguin Christmas Card

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends

I hope you are having a good day. The sun is shining here at last but it is still cold. I said the posts would be shorter and this one will be.

This is the Christmas card I made for our daughter and son-in-law. It will be their first Christmas as a married couple.

I used the Falling Snow Embossing folder in the background. I used the snowflakes from the Winter Stamp set from John Next Door. The trees and the slope were cut with a die that came free with a magazine. 

The penguins were stamped and cut out with a matching stamp and die set from Sizzix. 

The sentiment is in the same set with its own die. 

I used these penguins on their place cards at the wedding. 

Have you heard about the next issue of Quick Cards Made Easy being their last one? It is very sad I have enjoyed that magazine. 

I would like to enter the challenge starting on 19th December at the TTCRD challenge blog and Challenge 508 at the Cute Card Thursday Challenge blog.  

Enjoy the rest of the day. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Cute Kitten Christmas Card.

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends

I hope you had a great weekend. This time of year is so busy. On Friday evening our daughter and son-in-law dropped in for a meal and I made my first roast dinner in my new oven. On Saturday we had a whole mornings practice for the service at church the next day we were singing in the choir. After that we came home and starting writing and sorting out our cards. On Sunday we had to be back at church for 8:30am for a sound check. Our church has a proper coffee shop and we were able to go there as a group for a nice coffee before the service once we were no longer needed. The service went well is was so lovely to be involved. Once home we got all the cards finished for posting. We popped out to Whiteley for some last minute shopping. This morning I went out early and all the cards went in the post.  I had made just enough cards. We just have a few last bits to do to be ready for the weekend.

I have a few Christmas cards that I have made but not shared. So this week I am going to do some quick posts to show them off and that will give me a clean slate for next year.

First up a card I made for a friend who loves her cat.

This card really did use up lots of lovely bits of papers. 

This image came from an old copy of the Christmas issue of Making Cards Magazine. 

I love this Sizzix stamp with its matching die. 

I know that the lady who received this was thrilled. 

Enjoy the rest of the week. I hope you get done all you need to get done. 

I would like to enter challenge 188 at the Crafting from the Heart Challenge blog. 

Happy Crafting 

Hugs Jackie

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Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge blog - Anything Goes - with the optional twist of Santa Claus is coming to Town

Hello my Crafty Blog Friends

How is has your week been?  I hope you have something nice planned for the weekend. Tomorrow we are going to a Christmas choir rehearsal in the morning. Then there will be some things to sort out for Christmas. On Sunday the choir will be singing in the Sunday Service. We will be doing four songs. It should be good our choir master is very talented.

This is the last challenge of 2017 for the Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge Blog.  This is challenge is number 397 the theme is Anything Goes and the optional twist is Santa Clause is coming to Town.  There is also a Guest Design Team call for January. The sponsor this time is Digital Paper Craft. The Design Team used their own images for this challenge.

This is a tiny A6 card. I wanted to make  some more small cards. Because I made a rosette with my Hougie Board it is a bit dimensional for posting. My husband gave them to people at work when they were at their Christmas meal last Monday. 

There are lots of exciting things in the store if you click on the logo you will be taken there. 

The Santa from the Christmas Cookie-Cutter stamp set was stamped with Archival ink onto Neenah card and coloured with Promakers. He was cut out with the matching punch. 

The sentiment comes from the same set. 

I made four cards like this and they have all been given out. I do like that cute Santa. 

The Crafty Catz next challenge starts on January 5th 2018. 

Enjoy your weekend. 

I would like to enter challenge 99 at the Sparkles Monthly Challenge blog . challenge 57 at the Crafting with Friends Challenge Blog , challenge 58 at the A Bit More Time to Craft Challenge blog , challenge 47 at the Merry Christmas Challenge Blog and the Christmas Challenge at Moo Mania & More. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Needle Felted Santa

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends

How is your week going? It has been very cold here, near Southampton, but we have had no snow. Not like some other parts of the country. Today I am off to my hairdresser she is based in the next village. I am going to get the bus there and walk back. I did phone today to say I might be a bit late.

You probably know that I have been helping at Felting Workshops at Seadrift studio. Recently there were a couple of Christmas workshops. Over the two I made two things. I don't make as much as the ladies who attend the workshops as I am there to help.

He is about 5 inches tall. He reminds me of the Norwegian gnomes we saw when we were on holiday there.  You start by making a cone shape of core wool this is courser and felts more quickly. Once you have a basic shape you can cover it with the colour wool fibres that you want. I made the whole cone red.  I do like this darker red I have used it a lot this year. His nose and bobble  were made separately and attached by needle felting. His beard was made with a different type of wool. He even has a moustache. 

Here is a picture of me needle felting away. I was making a brooch when the photo was taken. I know everyone had fun making the different Christmas items. 

This is the back of Santa. He can stand on his own. 

He now has pride of place under our tree. I did enjoy making him.  I won't be helping at any workshops until February  the lady I help will become a Grandma in January and she wants to be available to help her daughter, that is so lovely.  

Enjoy the rest of the week. I hope you get done all the things that need to be done. 

I would like to enter challenge 21 at the Holly and the Ivy Challenge blog. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Twisted Easel Christmas Card

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends

I hope you had a good weekend and got done all the things you needed to do. We caught up with jobs on Saturday and on Sunday we went to see both sets of parents. We have dropped off their presents and cards. My parents are off to stay with my sister soon and we will see my husband's parents on Boxing Day.

I have been looking through my files and I found a Christmas card I had made but not shared.

I do like twisted easel cards. I made the background with white heat embossed snowflakes. Then I used Distress ink to colour the card. Around the edge I ran Ice Stickles to give a glittery appearance. 

I cut the Winter Trees from Creative Expressions from a white glitter cards. The Deer family also from Creative Expressions were cut from black card and I put some black card behind them to make them solid. 

This is the Snowflake tag from the Snowflake Border, Corner Tag set from Creative Expressions. The stamp is from Indigo Blu. I heat embossed the whole tag with a clear sparkly powder. 

I hope you are getting on well with your Christmas prep. The time really does seem to be dashing by. 

Have a great week. 

I would like to enter challenge 187 at the Crafting from the Heart Challenge blog, challenge 269 at the Glitter 'N' Sparkle Challenge blog , Pixie's Snippets Playground Weeks 311 and 312  and the December Challenge at A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge blog. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge Blog - Anything Goes with the optional twist of use white and one other colour

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends

How has your week been? Our son-in-law had his operation on Tuesday and is now at home recovering. The operation went well and it shouldn't be too long before he gets back to work. Doing things to help them has taken most of the week. Well that is what parents are for.

Being Friday the new challenge starts on the Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge blog the theme is Anything Goes with the optional twist of using white and one other colour. I did find that a challenge. The sponsor this time is Star Stampz.

Here is my card. I chose to use white and blue. The top white layer was embossed with the Falling Snow embossing folder. I used the Snow Globe die set from Creative Expressions and one of their Treat Cups to make the shaker part of the card. I added small white beads to make the snow. 

The kind sponsor this time is Star Stampz if you click on the image you will be taken to the store. 

This image is called Santa's Letter and it is available HERE. She was printed on to Neenah card and coloured with Promarkers. 

I only had room for a small sentiment. This one is from Tattered Lace it was one of my bargain 50p dies. 

I was very pleased with how this card turned out. I might try this with some other colours. 

Have a great weekend. 

I would like to enter challenge 49 at the Digi Choosday Crafting Challenge blog ,challenge 46 at the Merry Christmas Challenge blog, challenge 109 at  Aloha Friday Challenge blog at /kitty Bee Designs , challenge 273 at the QKR Stampede Challenge blog , Week 424 at the Passion for Promarkers Challenge blog, the Anything Goes Christmas Challenge at the Winter Wonderland Challenge blog , challenge 507 at the Cute Card Thursday Challenge blog and challenge 43 at the Crafty Addicts Challenge blog. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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I made a Felted Scarf

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends

How is your week going. I am off to help with a Felting Workshop this morning. It is a Christmas needle felting workshop. I wonder if I will get to make something. I have learnt a lot.

My friend has been asked to run workshops where people can make a felted scarf. So a couple of weeks ago I helped her by  doing  a trial workshop.

This is the finished scarf laying out on the lounge floor. 

You start with a piece of muslin bigger than you want the finished scarf. Under the muslin was some bubble wrap bubbles up. 

You lay the wool fibres over the edge of the muslin.  

I created a pattern in the middle with the fibres. I even added some Angelina for a bit of shine. That has to be covered with some of the wool fibres as it doesn't felt on its own. 

Then you lay some net over the design. It helps to have two of you do this so the fibres don't float away. You spray to make the wool wet with  a weak solution of washing up liquid and warm water. You role up the bubble wrap, the scarf and the net over a rolling pin (pipe lagging cut to size) and roll backwards and forwards for about 60 times. Then you unwrap and remove the netting. You roll up again and there is lots more rolling. You can tell when the felting is done as the fibres don't pick away. The other side is done in the same way. I made the design simpler and with no sparkle. You do fold the edge fibres over to make the edge neat. As the fibres mat together they shrink and this causes puckers in the fabric. This adds nicely to the design. 

This is the finished damp scarf. I took it home and dried it flat and then ironed it through a damp tea towel. It is recommended to hand wash the scarf and to dry it flat. If you machine wash it the scarf with shrink as the matting will continue. 

Here  is me wearing the scarf it is very warm. I am so pleased with how it turned out. This was my first time doing a really large felting project. 

Enjoy the rest of the week. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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