Madonna with Child for Christmas

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How has your week been? We have a a trip to meet up with  my sister to discuss family matters. The trouble is in the end she wasn't well enough to join us. So instead we saw some nice National Trust properties and had some lovely walks in the woods. It is good to be home now. 

Here is another Christmas card. I am very behind on my Christmas card making this year. I have made a lot of Christmas cards but most of them have gone off as samples. 

On this card I used two types of Claritystamp Designer paper. The die is the Madonna Window Aperture Clarity Freshcut die. This is a good die for paper piecing. For the wording I used the Christmas Words Stickers from Claritystamp. 

I was very pleased with how this card worked out. I might just make a few more of them. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Challenge #552 at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge

Challenge #99 at the Holly and the Ivy Christmas Challenge blog

Challenge #36 at the Merry Little Christmas Challenge blog

Have a good weekend. 

Happy crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Claritystamp inspired Birthday Card

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How is your week going? We went to the theatre yesterday. We saw the Murder Mystery Looking Good Dead. It was so nice to be back in the theatre again. The performance was a socially distanced event. Today I have a crafty friend coming and we are going to make a special card for her daughter's birthday. There are definitely more things going on. 

I have been busy making bits and bobs that I can't share yet. I was looking back through my files and I came across this card that I made for my cousin. 

I took inspiration from the design sheet that came with the club die. As I just treated myself to the Presscut Stitch-Dot nested circle dies this design worked well. I had wanted some nested oval dies for a while. I did some paper piecing and I added glitter. 

Have a great day. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Diamond Point Birthday Card

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How was your weekend? We had a busy day on Saturday and a more chilled day on Sunday. We did manage to get our for a walk before the rain started. Then there was time to craft. This week is going to be busy too. On Thursday we are due to get our second vaccine. I hope we don't get any reactions this time. 

I have been seeing lots of Diamond Point cards around Facebook. Well being me I had to have a go. John Lockwood did demonstrate this style of card on the Craft Store when he was demonstrating the limited edition kit earlier in the month. 

This one was made with all Claritystamp products including the card blank. There are tutorials for this style of card if you check on the internet. I used one of my Designer paper pads. 

The flower square was a club die with a different sentiment. In one of the Claritystamp  offers I treated myself to some corner dies that came with other sentiments one of which was Happy Birthday. 

I made this one for my crafty friend's birthday. As it could be hand delivered the care could be a little bigger. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Challenge #149 at the Make My Monday Challenge blog

Have a good week. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Left over Designer Paper Thank You Card

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How was your weekend? We had a quiet one. The weather was good for crafting. We did get out for a couple of walks between the showers and we did a little gardening. Today restrictions are lifted a bit more. We won't be rushing to do anything. There is plenty of time. It does mean that the walking group my husband attends on a Monday won't have to restrict their numbers to six. 

When you have a birthday you need thank you cards. So on Sunday when it was raining and that is what I was doing. I managed to make seven. I was trying out the Diamond Point card design. I did make a few which I will share with you later.  I was left with lots of off cuts. So being me they just had to be made into card. 

Apart from the Glitter card just about everything in this card was made from left over bits and pieces. The background was made with bits of Claritystamp Designer papers laid over each other. All the papers I used were from the Antarctica pad.  

This is one of the Claritystamp club dies. I have used if for thank you cards  before. I like it a lot. 

That's the cards made now they need writing and some will be posted and some will be hand delivered. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 403

Have a good week. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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What do you do with your leftover Designer Paper?

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How has your weekend been? Some people are lucky and have an extra bank holiday day off today. Being retired this doesn't make so much difference to us. Though we are probably less likely to go out as things will be busier. We had a nice time on Saturday visiting our daughter and meeting their dog again. This visit was more successful and the dog didn't bark at us once. Next weekend they will be visiting us as it will be my birthday. I do hope the weather is good. 

I have been using the Claritystamp Designer Paper in a lot of my cards lately and this means that there are bits and pieces of the paper leftover. The paper is far to good to waste so this is what I came up with. 

Can you see all the different papers I used to make the background. I think it looks a bit like a quilt. 

This is one of the Claritystamp club dies I received last year. I am working my way through my club dies to make sure that I use them. All the black card came from my stash of bits and bobs. 

I still have some bits and pieces of Designer paper left I might have another go at this design. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Pixies's Snippets Playground - Challenge 402 - Ruby's Memory 

Have a good week

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Snowdrops and Designer Papers

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How is your week going? We had a walk yesterday and we discovered a woodland walk that is not far from where we live. When our daughter and son-in-law come to visit with their dog we will be able to take them there. 

My friend asked me to make a birthday card for one of our mutual friends. When I had finished I had some nice bits of card and Designer papers that I just had to use. Here is the result.

This Designer paper is from the Rainbow River 12" x 12" paper pad from Claritystamp. 

This the Art Nouveau Snowdrops Aperture Freshcut die. I cut the die from a piece of black card that I put onto some Designer paper that had been covered with a double sided sticky sheet. I cut the die again in white and green and put the pieces I needed into place. The residual stickiness was covered with a transparent glitter. 

This will be another card that will be going to the Hampshire Open Studios event at the end of August. I have found that cards without sentiments do well at this event. 

Enjoy the rest of the week

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Plants on a Windowsill - Fresh Cut dies

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors 

I hope you have had a good week. The weather has been kind to us and we have been able to meet with some people in their gardens. 

I joined the Claritystamp Die Club just after the start of lockdown last year. I have received some gorgeous dies but I haven't got round to using a lot of them. So I need to resolve this as I have signed up for another year. 

Here is my first attempt. 

I used some of the Antarctica Designer papers for this card.  

I cut the die in black and then cut it in different colours so that I could paper piece it. 

I used one of the Clarity sentiment stickers. 

I think this will be another card that is going to the sale in August. I am now committed to having a small table. I have a few special cards I need to make soon. Have a great Easter. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Thank You Cards - Fresh Cut Dies and Designer Papers - Claritystamp

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How is you week going? We have some lovely weather and we have been able to meet up with friends and family. We have seen our daughter and son-in-law for the first time in ages. The nice weather certainly helps. 

We have been given a few Easter gifts. I decided I needed some thank you cards. I had just received a thank you die from Claritystamp and it seemed like a good time to try it out. 

I started with a black die cut. I found a pale designer paper to go behind the die cut. Then I cut the die again in silver to get the stars. I found a different designer paper and some card stock to finish off the card.   

Here is a purple version made in much the same way. 

I kept looking the waste leftover from cutting the stars from the silver die cut. I realised that the sentiment could we cut from the waste. Here it is laid over the purple die cut. 

Here are all four of them together. I think I might make a few more. 

Enjoy the rest of the week. We have a busy few days coming up. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Yellow Roses of Friendship

Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How was your weekend? The weather was nice for our walk on Saturday. Today we are meeting friends at Mottisfont a National Trust property with a lovely garden near where we live. Later in the week we are meeting with our daughter and son-in-law and having a walk with them and their dog. It is going to be a busy week. 

I have been using the  Clarity Stamp Fresh Cut die the Art Nouveau Eden Roses Aperture die again. 

I do love the Claritystamp Designer papers. They do seem to work very well with the dies. 

This die is gorgeous. It cuts into the card so you can make the frame any size you want. I put some a double sided sticky sheet onto some Designer paper. The black die cut was attached. Then I cu the die a few more times so I could paper piece the design. The remaining sticky was covered with Microbeads. I feel they add to the stained glass look of the card. 

Here are some of the blooms on our Magnolia tree which is out now in all its glory. 

This is the whole tree. We have lived in our house for over twenty years. This year we found out that you can eat the petals. Who knew? To be honest we haven't tried. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Challenge 90 at Crafting Happiness Challenges

Have a good week. Stay safe and take care. 

Happy crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Panoramic Vista Aperture - Clarity Fresh Cut die

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How is your week going? We popped out to a local National Trust property yesterday. It is so lovely to have somewhere different to walk. We even had time for a take away coffee. On the matter of crafting I am working on something that will be revealed later in the year. I have never done anything like it before it is rather exciting. 

Last Friday I had a good day making cards. Here is another one that I made with Fresh Cut dies and Designer paper all from Claritystamp. 

What more do you need a gorgeous die and some designer paper. 

This die is called Panoramic Vista Aperture die. 

This will be another card for the sale in August. 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

The March 2021 Challenge at the Country View Crafts' Challenge blog

Enjoy the rest of the week.  

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Art Nouveau Eden Roses - from Clarity Fresh Cut dies

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors 

I hope that you had a good day yesterday. I know it is a day that will not have been easy for some for lots of different reasons. This year more than most more of us will have been separated from the ones we love. I must admit I cried when I received a beautiful bunch of flowers from our daughter. Then on the day itself we spent two and half hours on the phone. We really do miss seeing each other. But if we keep being sensible and getting our vaccines there maybe a way out of this. 

On Friday I made a few cards. Here is one of them. 

All this card needed was the Art Nouveau Eden Roses Aperture Clarity Fresh Cut die and some Clarity Designer paper. 

This die is gorgeous and easy to paper piece. I took a piece of pale designer paper and put a double sided sticky sheet over it. I cut a piece of black card to cut the die and leave a frame around in. Once cut I placed the die cut over the sticky sheet. Then I cut the die again in red white and green and stuck the pieces I wanted to the sticky sheet. The rest of the sticky was covered with micro beads. 

I am trying to make a few cards that I think might sell at the Open Studios event in August. Also I don't like buying things that I don't use. This is the first outing for this die. I want to make a card with yellow roses on it. 

Have  a good week. We have a trip to a National Trust property booked which should be nice. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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My Special Cards from 2020

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How has your week been? There is something special about today for us. We are allowed out again we can go for walks  and do our food shopping. The self-isolation ended at midnight last night. It has been very strange not to be able to go out for walks. 

I usually do some sort of round up at the end of the year. I do like to look through my cards and see what I have made. 

January 2020

Here is one of the thank you cards I made. The original post is HERE. 

February 2020

In February I went to the Farnborough Craft Show. We stayed overnight and then I did a workshop with John Next Door and my hubby visited his  parents while I was there. I am so glad we did those things. There was really no clue what was coming. These are the cards I made at the workshop. 

March 2020

This is the card I made for our friends once we had gone into lockdown. The original post for this card is HERE. 

April 2020

Who could forget Captain Tom Moore and all the money he raised for the NHS. This is the birthday card that I sent along with many other people. The original post for this card is HERE. 

May 2020

Here is a Get Well card I made with an image from Bugaboo stamps. I started following Barbara Gray's Shac Shack in March and I learnt to colour with pencils. The original post for this card is HERE 

June 2020

Here is the Father's Day card that I made for my hubby. I had also joined the Claritystamp Fresh Cut dies Club. I used one of the dies to make this card. The original post for this card is HERE. 

July 2020

This is the waterfall card I made for my father-in-law's 96th birthday. He likes a nautical themed card and if there is a bit of movement that is good too. The original post for this card is HERE. 

August 2020

In August I was invited to sell some of my cards at a Hampshire Open Studios event. It was held in my friend's garden and house. All precautions were taken. I did sell quite a few cards. This one is made with a Claritystamps Fresh Cut die. The original post for this card is HERE. 

September 2020

In September we went to a wedding. It as a lovely day. It was such a privilege to be there with only 30 guests allowed. Our daughter drew the image and the roses frame. I added lots of dies from the John Next Door range. This was the first of some collaborations between me and our daughter. I don't think I ever blogged this card. 

October 2020

On 23rd October 2020 our daughter and son-in-law moved to their new home. I drew this image for them. I is based on one of the doodles from Barbara Gray's Shac Shack. I missed a trick as I should have drawn their house which I did for their Christmas card. This is the blog post where this card is featured. 

November 2020

On the very last day of November my husband retired. He had been working at home since March. Then in June his job changed and he became unhappy. The chance of voluntary severance came up he applied and got it. This is the card I made for him. The original post for this card is HERE. 

Also in November I was asked to be a Guest Angel for the John Next Door design team. I was sent the Shutter card die set to use. This is one of the cards I made. I have a little secret and I am sure not many people will read this far. I am now a permanent John Next Door Angel. I already have my next set of dies to use. The original post this card was in is HERE. 

December 2020

Here is my own doodle used for a Christmas card. I do so love doodling. I have learnt so much from Barbara Gray. This is one of the really positive things that has come out of 2020 for me. The year everything change, when we could no longer take things for granted. The original post for this card is HERE. 

Wishing you a Happy 2021

Who knows what will be ahead of us this year?

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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Snowdrop Congratulations Card

 Hello My Crafty Blog Friends and Visitors

How has your weekend been. We have managed to go for some nice walks. At the beginning of lockdown we started doing virtual Murder Mysteries. There is a team of actors and we get emails and clues. There are YouTube films to watch and towards the end there is a Zoom meeting interrogation. We completed the latest one this weekend. We have another booked for the period of time between Christmas and New Year. It is just something a bit different to do. 

Just recently our daughter received a promotion. I wanted to make her a card to celebrate. 

I used Designer papers from Clarity Stamp. 

This the Fresh Cut Die Art Nouveau Snowdrop Aperture die. I cut it from Designer paper which I stuck to a paler Designer Paper with a double sided sticky sheet. I was then able to paper piece the die cut. I used Micro Beads to cover the remaining sticky. 

I used  one of the stickers from the Word Sticker Collection. There was left over sticky sheet and designer paper to mount the sentiment. 

I do like this die. I think is is out of stock at the moment. There are others in the same series. I might just treat myself to another one. 

Have a good week. 

Happy Crafting

Hugs Jackie

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