Poppies on a Birthday Card

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How is your week going?  This week most of my time is taken up with invigilating at our local secondary school. That means there isn't a lot of time to craft but I have managed to grab a bit of time so far. The weather has been amazing hasn't it. I have quite enjoyed walking to work.

Yesterday I managed to finish this card. When I was a the Newbury Craft show I bought a pack of Izink dye ink pads and some daubers for colouring poppies. My idea was to try them with my Creative Expressions Exquisite Poppy dies to see if they worked.

I found a doily in my stash. There is some patterned paper in the background. The Happy Birthday was cut from a pad. 

When I had a play day with my crafty friends last week I took along the poppy dies and the ink pads. This is the result. I was rather pleased and I couldn't resist making the poppies into a card. I added Laurel leave cut with Creative Expressions dies. 

I hope the rest of the week is kind to you. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Christmas card made from Left Overs

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

I hope you had a good weekend. The weather was certainly kind. I had a lovely time at the Farnborough Craft show of course I spent way too much money. It was also nice to meet up with Littlelamb who kindly comments on my blog. The visits with our parents went as well as could be expected. Then on Sunday we had a nice time with our daughter and son-in-law when they took their hamster back. This week I will be mostly invigilating.

I do enjoy making Christmas cards all year round and it is good to find challenges to enter. This is my entry for the Rudolph Days Challenge that starts on 25th of each month and runs to the end of the month. 

When I got near to the end of making Christmas cards last year. I had lots of bits left over like where I had cut too many things  for a project or the circles from an aperture I had cut. These are the bits I used on these cards. The mats were cut with the Double Pierced Square dies set. The paper in the background came from a magazine. 

The deer from the Deer Family had been cut for another project and not used. The circles were cut with the Double Pierced Circle dies and were left over after cutting an aperture for another card. I added a glitter card line of snow and added some trees cut with the Winter Trees dies set. All the sets I have mentioned are from Creative Expressions. 

I think this design worked quite well considering all the bits were leftovers. I do hate things going to waste. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

The February Rudolph Days Challenge. 

The February Challenge at Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge 

Challenge 178 at the Crimbo Crackers Challenge blog

Challenge 426 at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog

Have a great week

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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An Anniversary Card

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

I hope you have had a good week. It has been a busy one for me. The weekend ahead is going to be busy too. I am very lucky that my lovely hubby is taking me to the Farnborough Craft show on Saturday. Then we are visiting our parents that live up that way. On Sunday we are taking back the hamster we have been looking after for our daughter and son-in-law. I hope we get to share a meal with them as well.

As some of you know I help my very talented friend at her felting workshops. She keeps a box of scraps and I found a lovely piece of felt that must have been trimmed from a bigger project.. I asked if I could keep it to make a card and she kindly agreed.

I hung onto to the piece of felt for a while and I finally decided to make it into a card for our anniversary which is at the beginning of April. I do like to be ahead with my makes. You never know what might happen.

The backing paper came from some packaging. The card is scored so the flap doesn't reach the other side. I can't remember what this style of card is called. I did put some paper on the inside so that I can write a message. 

So the background piece is the original piece of felt and I needle felted a little boat onto it. I created the mats and layers with my guillotine. 

I added some Washi tape to the design. The sentiment was cut with some Britannia Dies.  

I think you can see how the card is folded from this picture. It is okay for me to share this card as my hubby doesn't look at my blog or Facebook Page. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Challenge 48 at the Crafting with Attitude Challenge blog

Challenge 31 at the Love to Create Challenge blog

Challenge 57 at the Crafty Addicts Challenge blog

Challenge 158 at the Creative Finger Challenge blog

The Oh Man! Challenge at the Daring Cardmakers Challenge blog

Challenge 336 at the QKR Stampede Challenge blog

Have a great weekend. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Another Christmas Design using Snippets

Hi My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How is your week going? It is half term round here so everything is a bit busier than usual. But is does mean that I can meet up with some of my working friends. Today I am off for another craft session with my lovely friend and one of our friends that works will be  joining us. We are going to be making flowers. Tomorrow my husband and I are meeting friends in town of a meal and then we are all going to visit the Festival of Light in Southampton. We also have a trip to London to plan with them.

I have been making Christmas cards again. This year I kept back a couple of handmade cards that I liked for inspiration. This is another one of the designs I wanted to have a go at.

The background is made from Snippets of patterned paper cut with the Stitched flags dies from Creative Expressions. There is a layer of inked patterned paper underneath the design., 

This is the Noel word die from Lil' Inker Designs, I was so lucky that I won this in the Christmas competition at Pixie's Snippets Playground. 

Because of the antlers on the Noel die I decided to add a Stag cut from a small piece of Kraft card he was inked with Distress ink. He comes from the Winter Wonderland Collection from Sizzix. I am so glad I bought that die set last year. The shop where I bought this die set had another 20% off day recently and I treated myself to another Sizzix die set. I am sure I will be using this soon. 

I am pleased with how this card turned out. I did make two other cards like this at the same time. This is the one I like the most. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Challenge 346 at Pixie's Snippets Playground

The February Challenge at Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge

Challenge 425 at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge

Challenge 44 at the Holly and the Ivy Challenge blog

Challenge 7 at the Merry Little Christmas Challenge blog

Challenge 178 at the Crimbo Crackers Challenge blog

Challenge 108 at Scrapy Land Challenges

Challenge 428 at Fab 'n' Funky Challenges

Enjoy the rest of the week. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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First Play with Fresh Cut dies from Claritystamps

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

I hope you had a great weekend. My shoulder finally seems to be on the mend which is brilliant. I don't want to over do things as I don't want to hurt it again, which I think would be far too easy.

I have a lovely crafty friend who lives near by. Recently she has been poorly and for one reason or another we have not seen each other since  just before Christmas. Last week I went round to her house for lunch.  Being a big Claritystamp fan and she has many of their products. Very kindly she let me have a play with some  and bring away what I had made. When I got home I decorated a card and a canvas.

For the card I picked up the colours for the mats and layers from the paper I had used from the gorgeous Shenandoah paper pad. 

This is the  Birds in a Tree Aperture die. I found some paper in made stash that I thought would make a good background. I cut a piece to go under the die cut and I covered it with a double sided sticky sheet. Then I covered it with a translucent glitter. 

 My plan had been to make the canvas all inky and try to match the beautiful papers. When I made the card I decided that I rather liked the clean and simple look. 

This is the centre panel of the canvas and this is what we actually made first. The die cut for the card was carefully removed from the die leaving the waste in place. The die was covered with a sticky sheet and it was rubbed all over to make sure the bits stuck. The sticky sheet was removed slowly so you could make sure all the bits were attached. Once it was fully removed the  whole thing was dusted with talcum powder to stop in being sticky. It was then stuck to a small canvas board. It did look rather like a coaster. Isn't it just amazing that you can do this with the waste. 

Here are my two makes together. I think I am going to have to gift them to someone as a set. 

I would like to enter the following challenges: 

Challenge 237 at the Crafting from the Heart Challenge blog

Challenge 13 at the Creative Crafter's Challenge blog

Have a great week. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Moving Along with the Times (Moving Along with the Times) Challenge blog - theme A Little Shabby Chic

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How is your week going? My shoulder has been playing up and I am finding it difficult to craft. Strangely I have more requests to make cards this week than for a long time.

Today the new challenge starts at the Moving Along with the Times (MAWTT) Challenge blog and this time the theme is A Little Shabby Chic. Now this is not a style I usually embrace.

I had a set of beautiful papers and matching sentiments in my stash and I decided to used these to make a birthday card for a friend. I used scissors to rough the edges of the paper and Distress ink to add colour. The small piece of lace was in my stash. 

Why not come and join in with our challenge click on the logo and you will be taken there. 

I used the Sophia die set from Creative Expressions to cut the frame for the sentiment. 

I used the Passion Flower die set from Creative Expressions to make the flower and the leaves. 

Since I made this card I had a request for a 80th Birthday card. So I adapted this card to suit. I will have to make another one for my friend. I do think it is a good idea to make cards without sentiments and then to add them later when you know how they are going to be used. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Enjoy the rest of the week. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Not Just Cards Challenge blog - February Challenge

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How was your weekend?  Our daughter and son-in-law came to dinner on Sunday. They are going to Washington DC soon and we are looking after their hamster. My shoulder is still hurting me and I am finding hard to sit at the computer for long spells. I will try to keep up with my comments.

As it is the 11th of the month the new challenge starts on the Not Just Cards Challenge blog. The theme is truly always Anything Goes.

I made this card at the request of a friend. The brief was that the card was intended for someone who loves their garden. In the background I used the corner dies from the Sandwich Box die set from John Next Door. I put this over some gingham patterned paper. 

Our challenges are always Anything Goes if you click on the logo you will be taken there to join in. 

This topper was ideal and came from a Hunkydory kit that came free with a magazine sometime ago. I cut a mat for the image with the Double Pierced Circle dies from Creative Expressions. 

I added a 70 in the corner using a mixture so dies to complete it. 

Around the image I placed leaves cut with the Star Flower leaves around the image  I added small Star Flowers and tiny Dragonflies all cut with dies from John Next Door. 

The lady in question received this card some time ago and I know she was very pleased with it. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

The February Challenge at Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge blog

Challenge 441 at Krafty Chicks Challenge Blog

Challenge 14 at the Crafter's Castle Challenge blog

The February Challenge at the Crafting by Designs Challenge blog

Challenge 236 at the Crafting from the Hear Challenge blog

Challenge 57 at the Crafting with Attitude Challenge blog

Challenge 162 at the Creative Moments Challenge blog

Have a great week. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Snippets Thank You Card

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How has your week been? I have been quite busy. Unfortunately I have hurt my shoulder and this has meant that even with some free time this week  it has been hard to craft. So I am a bit behind where I wanted to be with my makes.

I made a thank you card to send to a very special lady who runs the challenge at Pixie's Snippets Playground. I have been lucky and won a few of the prizes that have been on offer over the years. I have a endless supply of Snippets and I am on a mission to use as many of them as possible. I really enjoy joining in with the challenge. Di often makes me smile with her posts and I am enjoy finding out about what Dudley is getting up to. It is such an achievement to have been running the blog for so long.

Here is the card I made using lots of Snippets of course.

I made the background with strips of patterned papers. It is worth keeping all those Snippets to make the strips. I added stars to the design made with Snippets of silver mirror. 

The thank you die is from Crafter's Companion and I used the Refined Rectangle Frame die set to create an interesting mat for the sentiment. 

I do love making those backgrounds with the patterned papers. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Challenge 345 at Pixie's Snippets Playground

The Thank You Blog Hop at Darnell's Blog

The February Challenge at Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge 

Challenge 157 at the Creative Fingers Challenge blog

Challenge 48 at the Crafting with Attitude Challenge blog

Challenge 162 at the Creative Moments Challenge blog

Challenge 107 at the Scrapy Land Challenge

Have a great weekend. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Woodware Tatty Daises and Distress Oxides.

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How is your week going? I am glad the snow has gone. In fact our snow had disappeared by Friday evening. On Sunday we got to meet our four month old great niece. She is a little sweetie and we did get a few cuddles. It is so nice to have a baby in the family.

Sometime ago I made a panel using Distress Oxides and the Tatty Daisies stamp from Woodware. It has been lying around on my craft desk for ages. I have finally made it into a card. It is amazing what you find when you have a tidy up.

I know the background is made with blended Distress Oxides that was then flicked with water to make the spots. 

I can't remember if I stamped and embossed before I added the Distress Oxides to the paper or after. I did use water to remove some of the colour from the flowers and then I painted them with Pixie Powers made into a paint with water. 

The sentiment came from one of my sets of images from Beccy's Place. I had printed it and die cut it some time ago. 

This will be a nice flat card for posting. I really am trying not to make so many dimensional cards this year. The postage costs are prohibitive. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Enjoy the rest of the week. 

Happy Crafting 

Hugs Jackie

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Winter Wonderland Challenge blog - Tribute Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

As promised I am back.

The new challenge starts at the Winter Wonderland Challenge blog. This one is a special challenge as it is a tribute to Eileen who was the former owner and Design Team Coordinator who sadly passed away two years ago. The theme of the challenge is Anything Christmas Goes and the sponsor is Dr Digi's House of Stamps.

I knew I had the red snowflake paper on my computer so when I printed the image I printed some to go with him. I added a strip at the bottom so Santa didn't look like he was floating. 

There are many wonderful images in the store if you click on the logo you will be taken there. 

This is Eileen she is sadly missed. 

This is the Simply Santa image and he is available HERE. He was printed onto Neenah card and coloured with Promarkers. I cut him out by hand. 

I used the Happy Snowflakes die set from John Next Door. Not only for the sentiment but I added snowflakes all over the card. 

I am quite pleased with the design of this card. It is still nice and flat for posting. I may well make some more cards like this. The Santa is very jolly. 

I would like to enter the following Challenges:

Challenge 422 at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog

The February Challenge at Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge 

Challenge 7 at the Merry Little Christmas Challenge blog

Challenge 177 at the Crimbo Crackers Challenge blog

Have a great weekend. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog - February Challenge - Anything Goes

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

I hope you have had a good week and are ready for the weekend ahead. Today I am helping at a Felting Workshop we will be making pots. I just love making 3d objects with felt. On Sunday we might be able to meet our great niece for the first time. I do hope it works out, it would be lovely to see her while she is still a baby, they grow up so fast.

This the first of two posts from me today. I am only on four design teams and for the next two months two of them go live on the same day.

The new challenge starts today at the Crafts Galore Encore Challenge blog the theme is Anything Goes and this time the sponsor is the fabulous Morgan's Artworld. The Design Team had some fabulous images to use this time.

So this started life as a tatty pine frame from a charity shop. I started off with a couple of coats of Gesso and then I mixed some acrylic paint to cover the Gesso. 

There are many wonderful images in the shop which is run through a Facebook page. Click on the logo and you will be taken there. 

The prize is the three fabulous images the Design Team used as showcased here. 

I used Cameo 14 she is available HERE.   She was printed onto Neenah Card Stock and coloured with Promarkers. I cut the image out by hand. The background came from the back of my Crafter's Companion Advent Calendar. She is behind glass in the frame. 

I used the Ivy Spray and the Small Butterflies dies sets from John Next Door to decorate the frame once the paint was dry. 

This is the frame hanging on the wall in our lounge. It does look very good on the wall. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Challenge 376 at the I ❤ Promarkers Challenge blog

The week of 29th January at the TTCRD challenge blog

Challenge 2 at Morgan's Artworld Open Challenge 

Challenge 31 at the Love to Craft Challenge blog

Challenge 79 at the Crafting with Friends Challenge blog

Challenge 4 at the Colour Crazy Challenge blog

The February Challenge at the Color it Create it Show it Off Challenge blog

Challenge 85 at the A Bit More Time to Craft Challenge blog

Challenge 2 at the Perfect Time to Craft Challenge blog

Have a great weekend

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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