60th Scrapbooking

I finally got around to photographing more pages of Hubby's Birthday book, my brief to be CAS is not working out that well!
Since its my birthday I thought it was only right to show the pages I did for my birthday in Spain the same time of Hubby's 60th. Not sure I've mentioned this but Hubby's birthday is the day after mine, we are both Librans and both indecisive its a wonder anything gets done in our house.

I quite like gummy sweets and my BIL and Sister thought it would be entertaining for me to have a sweet cake for my Birthday.

Now a couple of pages of some of our favourite places we ate at. It was quite late in the season so some restaurant had already closed for winter.

Still loads to do, once done I shall only have the Harry Potter's Tour to do and 2013 will be finished with and onto 2014.

Christmas Mice

I've recently brought some Penny Black clear stamps and they are not a bad size for layering so I've been trying them out. Last week was the cute robin this week its mice.

I've been inspired from an amazing crafter Brigit if you haven't discovered this incredible talented card maker I recommend you check out her blog.

They are both almost the same except one I have used a Music stamp from MFT and stamped the sentiment directly to paper.
Short and sweet blog post but I shall be no doubt be getting ready for my cooked breakfast and days worth of scrapbooking.

Invitation

With the new Simon Says Stamp Create Joy release there's a stamp set called Make an Invitation and thats precisely what it is.
Now my excuse for my simple card is that I've been busy making cards to put in my drafts for bad days and lets be honest if you have a lot of invitations to make you don't want them too busy.

I used the Simon Says Stamps Stitched Rectangles and Bundle of Stitched Shapes for the actual card and some gold mats behind them. I used the Stitched Daisies to give the card a focus.

Bags are packed and we are leaving early because there's always a traffic jam on part of the journey.

Stars and Snow

Well yesterday was the day that Simon Says Stamp released a new set of Exclusives and I was lucky to receive some in the post.

These Simon Says Stamp SketchTrees are going to be very handy when I find my mojo or even an original thought but I'm sure the talented Shop DT will have loads of ideas I can steal.

I used Simon Says Stamps Bundle of Shapes although not an A5 card it does fit in a C6 envelope if you don't make it too bulky.
I also used Simon Says Stamp Slopes and Hills well you do have to have something for the trees to stand on. After several attempts of water colouring just where I plan the trees to be, this one was the best.

 I don't recommend to put the card together with glue then decide to use embossing powder. But I decided to use the sentiment from Be Joyful, also the snow. Can't work out where I got the stars it was a Simon Says Stamp set that had some odd stars. When I added heat to set the powder everything lifted off and the card had to spend the night under some heavy dies to make sure it restuck and laid flat!

Winter Blog Hop

It's a Winter Blog Hop at Mo's Dream Team can't wait to check out what the team have made meanwhile here's my creation.

I have used Mo's Waiting for Snow with some LOTV papers I think all my favourite sheets have been used up now so maybe I should be looking for some more.

Once I cut out the image mat using a circle die and added my favourite MFT crochet border die I was a bit lost what to do next. I was having a bit of sort out of my desk and put something away and rediscoved the edge die I think its possible Marianne or Cheery Lyn die but I decided to thread the ribbon through the links.

I then added the snowflakes using a lawn fawn mini snowflakes but I cut them in fun foam so I didn't have to layer them to give dimension. Added some La La Land corners to give a bit of colour from all the white.

Now you should of arrived to me from my good friend Julie and now you need to HOP SKIP and JUMP over to Lou's blog.  If you get lost on your way the full list is at the Dream Team Blog.

I shall be packing my bags trying not pack the whole of my craftroom to The Scrap Cafe retreat, you can't have a better event for my Birthday. Posts will be schedule providing I don't have yet another senior moment!

Halloween Simon

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
Thank you for joining us for the Clean and Simple Christmas Challenge and we hope you will all join us again this week too.
This week the challenge is

COLOR INSPIRATION

and here is a fabulous inspiration board, created by the lovely Jenn Shurkus, to help us!

We are showcasing STAMPENDOUS PRODUCTS this week. You don't have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used

As always Simon Says Stamp will be giving away $50 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store

I find Stampendous mice a bit hard to layer but I knew I could happily layer the Monica Butterfly. I used a page out of the Lawn Fawn Lets Polka in the dark which I used the Simon Says Stamp Bundle of Stitched Shapes on to give my main mat.

I also used the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles on my image mat. I added the sentiment and spider from the Simon Says Stamp Not so Spooky stamp set.

Then I set about distressing my image mat using Indigoblu Ink Splats. I have to confess the long stamp with small coffee stain shape stamp in the set I cut just after those stains giving me two stamps and more scope for a mixture of both on my card.

I stamped an extra spider on another bit of scrap card and cut out his body then added googly eyes well it is Halloween soon.

So now it's YOUR turn.  Happy Crafting

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #ssswchallenge 

There are fabulous Give Aways and inspiration from fabulous designers on a daily basis over on the Simon Says Stamp Blog , if you haven't subscribed by email you may want to so you don't miss out

 

You have until Wed  8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in

No backlinking allowed, Only 5 new creations will be eligible in the prize draw

Flowers

Here's the other Birthday card I had to make fairly quickly possibly a Saturated Canary image probably wasn't the quickest to layer. Once I had done I knew it would work for the Everybody Art Challenge this week of Flowers, my punched flowers ticked that box.

The papers are are LOTV and the swirl is MFT, the birthday sentiment is a die from Simon Says Stamp as is the stamped wishes came from Its Your Birthday stamp set.

The scallop rectangle is from Avery Elle but cut to fit card, gives it a nice finish.

Do pop over to check out the creations the team have made and hope you can join us this month.

Clearly Christmas

I found this in my drafts which is just has well I have only DT work photographed, I do have other cards but they are waiting for some glossy accents to dry before adding some Flower Soft/ Fun Flock mixture.

This card I made simply because I got my hands on the Clearly Besotted Christmas sentiment and Memory Box stitched Holly had arrived in my craftroom.

Add the Simon Says Stamp Bundle of Stitched Shapes for my main mat and the job is done. Only wish fun foam came in a decent red but the only ones I can find have a touch of pink.

I had a great day on Saturday and there's a lovely group of ladies who make cards, I'm tempted to steal some of their ideas there was some lovely Christmas cards going on there. But crop days are Scrapbooking days in my book but I think I will have to take Hubby's Birthday book still need to finish even though I made four pages 8 by 8 layouts.

Christmas Robins

I coloured several robins yet only made two cards but at least they cute. The first one is using a Marianne die well I think it is but it had to be trimmed to fit my card but I think I managed to centre it OK.

The sentiment, one of my favourites is a wooden Penny Black one but not sure if its still available. The robins are from a Transparent set called Jolly Friends. The wooden panel I'm not sure whose make it is.

Somewhere in my craftroom is my old cuttlebug snow falling embossing folder where it is I've no idea but rather than spend the rest of the day trying to find it, I used the Simon Says Stamps Falling Snow stencil. I even remember the plate sandwich first time.

I also used Simon says Stamp Stitched Circles to help emphasis my robin. The dotty paper is Lawn Fawn Lets Polka in the dark. Even though they are Halloween papers the red and green are suitable for Christmas.

I actually used a sketch for this last card from Splitcoast Stampers SC560.

Giggling Good Birthday

Another Birthday card for a special friend, I decided to use this Art Impressions stamps because one we will meet up again and I believe this will be us chatting and laughing.

The papers are Simple Stories but it one that has just a few odd pages left but enough to use Avery Elle scallops frames, well the scallop oval die fitted inside the scallop page die.

Since I need to make the card quite quickly I used my favourite EK success retro punch to make my flowers from the dotty paper. The sentiment I printed on my PC and the punch is from Stamping up but added the paper pricking to match the main oval.

Christmas card making seems to have slowed down to snail pace but I do have a card for my Penny Black Saturday and I can tick all the DT work for next week. Off to a crop tomorrow although in hindsight I should of be thinking of not overdoing it because the week after I'm scrapbooking all weekend at a retreat.

Time for Tea

I needed some Birthday cards for this week and decided the easiest way to mak them was to use my favourite things including the cute image from Mo Manning Three for Tea.

The papers are old Echo Park why I always leave the nice papers till the end I've no idea but I do. I used My Favourite Things Crochet Border die simply because there is nothing new that has been able to replace it.

It just so happened that I had made some Teacup Cards using the Clearly Besotted Warm Solutions seemed only right to use them on my card too.

In the end I decided to use the La La Land fancy corner and I found the dotty ribbon to match the colours. For quickness I used a Craftwork sentiment and the Stampin Up punches that work with them.

As soon as the silicone glue was dry it was popped immediately in the post and I know it has arrived at it desination.

At the moment I still trying to make Conveyor Belt Christmas cards and failing miserably so I give up and make my more usual cards.

Crazy Christmas

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
Thank you for joining us for the Anything Goes Challenge and we hope you will all join us again this week too.
We will be back soon with the name of the lucky winner of the $50 Voucher
This week the challenge is

CLEAN AND SIMPLE CHRISTMAS  

Christmas is only    days away so if you haven't made a start on your preparations then maybe now is the time to think about getting all of your holiday craft products out of mothballs and making a start! Keeping your cards CAS should cut down on the time it takes to make them, you can mass produce and it also keeps the postage costs down too, a definite winner!

We are showcasing MEMORY BOX PRODUCTS this week. You don't have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used

As always Simon Says Stamp will be giving away $50 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store

First of all my Memory Box Snowy Merry Christmas is straight but the wonky photographer was at it again. I was disappointed with my card because it wasn't very original but I do love how well it turned out.

I cut the sentiment die twice in white and stuck together, then I cut out the red to go in the white outline. Of course you recognised the Crazy Bird from Tim Holtz and Santa hat from the Accessories. I don't have the dies so they were fussy cut.  I used inkpads to blend the colours rather than used pens or pencils.

I stamped the bird direct to paper this gave me the legs rather than having to cut them out and once everything was dry I added the Flower soft and Fun Flock. I have a little pot with a mixture of both and I think it gives a better coverage.

So now it's YOUR turn.  Happy Crafting

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #ssswchallenge 

There are fabulous Give Aways and inspiration from fabulous designers on a daily basis over on the Simon Says Stamp Blog , if you haven't subscribed by email you may want to so you don't miss out

 

You have until Wed  8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in

No backlinking allowed, Only 5 new creations will be eligible in the prize draw

Crazy Birthday

New challenge on Everybody Art this week is a Card for a Man and we all know how we love these.
Has you can see Tim Holtz Crazy Bird helped this weeks card.

I have the brick die from Elizabeth Crafts for a while and didn't realise how long tall it was which it why I have made a tall card.

Yes I decided to get the Crazy Birds accessories, when I finally decided I wanted them they had all sold out but they do keep returning and managed to get a set before they sold out again. Thats where the stamps for the balloons cames from.

My sentiment is made up with letters left over when I cut them out for Scrapbooking, I keep them all in a pot but it does take time for find the right colours.

Do pop over and check out the team also hope you can join us this week.

No time yesterday to get into my craft room was distracted with genealogy and time just flew by this won't get those Christmas Cards done.

 

Cup of Tea Part Two

Like I said last week I stamped and die cut several cups and used nearly all of them, these are the last two.
I found the cloud paper but can't remember the pad but I used Simon says Stamps Bundle of Shapes, cut out using the large die and cut across to where I wanted the it to finish with the Stitched Strip that came with the set. The finished card shows three blue teacups so that was the reason I didn't have any blue ones left.

I saw a sketch on Pinterest with the two strips both of which are from Doodlbug Sunkissed and added the cups and sentiment. This was the first card I made with the cups and saucers and it spurred me on to make the others.

I would imagine you feed up with me moaning that I'm under the weather, I know I am and since I don't see things changing soon. I'm going to try and not mention it anymore and I will have to accept I can't blog every day when I feel pants.
Most of the problem is the travelling to MIL since we are now going nearly every month so it will mean it will take several days to get over it and its time I just accept it for what it is. So no more moaning and I will be a good blog hopper one day again.

Embossing

Gosh its the first Saturday in October and it means a new challenge on Penny Black Saturday Challenge this month its for embossing.

I decided to use embossing folders first I used the a cuttlebug one of falling snow over my image since I am layering my image it doesn't matter that snow embossed on the image.
I then used a sizzix one with diagonal stripes and used some ink to show it up more. The patterned paper is Doodlebug but some old ones that I have scraps of.

My card needed some new snowflakes not that I didn't have any but these were quite small and my cuttlebug ones looks worse for wear, the new set is from Lawn Fawn and they had dinky size ones that I used for the centres.

I finding time is in short supply at the moment with emphasis on Christmas Cards and I still have a load of Craftwork cards printed sentiments so its time they got used. Don't forget to to check out the team and join us this month.

I was impressed yesterday that I got two birthday cards done and sat in the sun for a bit catching the last warm sunshine rays, looks like the good weather we've had for a couple weeks breaks down soon.

snowflakes

Here's my one and only card I made when I wanted conveyor belt Christmas card more went in the bin than was made. I want to have a go at ombre card with white snowflakes but my snowflakes were being temperamental basically the stamper (me) was have a job stamping in versamark.

So my snowflakes are suppose to be ombre and then my blending but because I'm too heavy handed and was being more conservative in my blending I didn't get the effect but it still looks a decent card.

The snowflakes are Simon Says Stamps Lots of Snowflakes and I used the matching Simon says Stamp Alexis snowflake die. The let is snow is a penny black die both the snowflake and words I used funky foam so no layering.

Winifred

You can't say I didn't warn you that I have my Christmas Hat on, total failure on the Conveyor Belt Christmas Cards on Tuesday, I made one!
But I've coloured quite a few Penny Black images so hope they will get me back on track although I've discovered I've quite a few Birthday Cards to make and I gave all my made cards to my niece for her Macmillian Coffee Afternoon.
Back to my card which is of course is Winifred from Mo Manning lets be honest Christmas wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't use her at least once.
I used my Avery Elle Scallop die it doesn't quite fit our A5 cards and it doesn't work that well with Square Cards but this is a combination of both sizes and will have to go in my square envelopes. (Yes I do have envelope maker maybe I will have to blow the dust off it).
The papers are last year Simple Stories and this is the first time this Christmas I used Frantage and may be the last time it makes an awful mess.
To decorate Martha Stewart Holly Punch but I punch an extra one to make a three leaf holly. I had to sprinkle some gold glamour dust to hide some random marks.