New Christmas challenge at CCW

Good morning!

 

I hope by now those of you dealing with the terrible snow storms are over the worst of it.

We've been very fortunate here with just a little sprinkling of snow.

 

I'm back today to tell you about a new monthly challenge over at Creative Craft World.

For those of you who want to get a head start on your Christmas cards this will be perfect for you.

The challenge is called BtCR (Beat the Christmas Rush) and the idea is to create some Christmas cards each month and add them to the linky HERE.

By the time 25th November comes round you could have all your cards ready in time for posting in December!

 

This is a card I made as a Christmas thank you.

The image is a digi stamp from Tiddly Inks.

 

I coloured it with Copics and tied some twine around the centre to look like a present.

I stamped the sentiment (Stampin' Up) and punched it out with the Tiny Tags punch.

To add a little sparkle I outlined parts of the image with Stickles glitter glue.

 

Thank you so much for visiting today.

And to all my followers thank you for sticking with me.

I haven't been able to blog lately with my health playing up and other things having to take priority

but I hope to be back soon when everything settles down.

 

Hope you have a lovely day,

Take care.

Sarah xx

Sparkle with LIM

Hello everyone,

I've been trying to get time since Saturday to play in the Less Is More

challenge this week and I finally managed it this morning :)

Chrissie & Jen are looking to see Glamour & Glitz!

 

I love glitter and all sorts of sparkly things so I couldn't miss this one :)

I have made a quick little Christmas card.

I love using kraft card for Christmas cards and this one is 12x12cms.

I stamped a little Elzybells robin, coloured him with copics and added Glamour dust underneath him

and a few dots of it around him. I also added white dots (inkessentials pen) around the frame.

The stamp is from a little clear set by Hampton Art.

-------------

 

Keeping with the Christmas theme, we are down to our last few projects over at

Creative Craft World....November has flown by!

Today Lou has a bottle tag and gift carton to share.

Here's a little peek and you can find out how to make them here.

 

Thanks for popping in today

and I'll be back tomorrow with a link to Sue's project.

I have a couple of birthday cards to share soon but I have to wait in case they see them on my blog!

Take care,

Sarah xx

Christmas Mini Envelope Book Tutorial

Hello everyone,

 

I hope your weekend went well, mine went far too quickly!

Well today is day 26 of the Christmas Countdown at Creative Craft World

and it's a special day for me as it's my birthday :)

 

I have a tutorial today for a little mini album made with envelopes.

I haven't it fully decorated inside but maybe it's just as well as this post

has a lot of photos already.

 

 

 

 I used 3 DL size envelopes and I like to use PaperMill Direct ones but any good quality ones will do.

To start you score each envelope down the middle.

 

Then fold in half (with the flap to the inside)with a bone folder to get a good crease line.

 

 Take a piece of scrap card and trace the outline of the flap.

This will make a template for cutting patterned paper for the flap as you decorate.

 

 Take one envelope for the front cover and lay it flap side down.

Add a strip of double sided tape from left to right approximately halfway down.

Take approx. 1m of ribbon, find the centre and adhere to the tape.

This is your ribbon closure.

 

Now you can decorate the back and front of the envelopes.

 

The paper I used for the front and back cover is Jillibean soup.

I inked all the edges of each envelope with 'Barn Door' distress ink.

 

Measure 1.5 cms in from the spine and 2.5cms from the top and bottom

and mark with a pencil.

Using the large hole in the cropadile punch through the folded envelope.

Using this envelope as a guide, mark the holes in the other 2 envelopes and punch. 

 

Layer the envelopes together and tie ribbon through the holes.

I left one end longer so I can loosen the ribbon if the book becomes a little bulky after decorating.

You can dab some wet glue on the ends to stop the ribbon from fraying. 

 

Before I decorate a book I always gather up as many matching embellishments as I can.

(A great chance to use up that hoarded stash...)

It really does make decorating a book a lot quicker if everything is at hand.

 

This is the first page of the book, I have tags to make for journaling on the left hand side

and I'll probably add more bits and pieces as I go along :) 

 

The second page is a pic of the family (except me...) enjoying the first snowfall one winter.

I still have to complete the journaling on the left hand side.

You can use the flap of the envelope for tucking in tags and little bits and pieces inside. 

 

When I get the book completely finished I'll post all the photos of the inside

so you will have a better idea of how it all comes together.

 

If you made it to the end of this very long post

THANK YOU!

I hope I have inspired you to have a go at your own little book

and if you do, please post a link in the comments section below - I'd love to see it :)

 

Don't forget to pop back tomorrow for a link to Susi's blog

where she has made some handwarmers.

These are great little things, I've made some for the craft fair coming up

and I've had to hide them because all the family want one :)

 

Take care,

Sarah xx

Edited to add: Rene from Simply Cute has used my tutorial to make a fabulous calendar.  You really must check it out!!!

Click HERE to see it. 

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

MIM ~ linky party

Challenges 4 Everybody #8 ~ anything goes

Corrosive Challenges ~ anything goes

CI Paints ~ anything goes

The Squirrel & The Fox ~ anything goes 

4 cards using CCW's November Mini kit

Hello again!

I just remembered last night that I had to post these cards for the new mini challenge at

Creative Craft World today!

We've been so involved with the Christmas Countdown that the regular challenges have been a bit forgotten about.

We'd love you to take a moment and enter your projects.

 

Lou very kindly sent me this month's mini kit to have a play with and with the gorgeous mix of colours, I was able to make a male card as well as more feminine cards.

 

 This cute little mouse is from The Paper Shelter, the sentiment is a Daisy Bucket stamp and the brad is K&Co.

 

 The sentiment on this card is computer generated using 'LoosieScript' and the oval is cut with Nestabilities.

 I 'm sorry I can't remember the make of this stamp.  To save on space I removed all my stamps from their wooden blocks and I never made a note of the names!

It's coloured with Koh-i-Noor woodless pencils.

The button is by Fancy Pants and I tied twine through it. 

The brads were stuck on with pinflair glue gel after I removed the pins from the back of them.

I find that if I'm placing brads close together on card it can be hard to get them in a straight line.

Also the card crinkles when I pierce holes closely together so I find gluing them on gives a neater finish :)

The sentiment is computer generated using 'PhontPhreak's Handwriting'.

 

The flower stamp on this card is by Elzybells and the button is American Crafts.

Everything else is from the kit.

 

Thank you for reading both my posts today,

I'm a little behind in my commenting but I will be round to visit you soon :)

I  hope you have a lovely day

and if you pop back tomorrow, I'll have a link to Sue's project.

 

Take care,

Sarah xx

I'd like to enter some of these in the following challenges:

Loves Rubberstamps ~ fun with ribbons

Oldie But A Goodie ~ anything but Christmas (Sailing card...stamp, brads, button, twine, more than 6 months old)

Incy Wincy ~ hip to be square (Sailing card)

Crafty Cardmakers ~ more than 1 punch/die cut (Flowers/butterfly card...2 die cut circles, 2 punched butterflies)

Whoopsi Daisy ~ die cuts and punches (Get well soon card... die cut oval, punched flowers & Flowers/butterfly card...2 die cut circles, 2 punched butterflies)

 

Jingle Bells, clean & simple Christmas card

Good morning everyone!

That's another weekend over...I hope you had a good one :)

 

We are continuing with the Christmas Countdown at Creative Craft World

(the DT have made festive projects for every day of November)

and it's my turn today.

 

I have made a clean & simple Christmas card which is based on the theme at Less is More this week.

It's to use 'hardware' on your card.

 

 

 

I bought the little bells from Meiflower at the craft show on Thursday and couldn't resist using them on my card today.

I cut and scored a white card blank and then cut another piece of white card and embossed it with snow dots embossing folder (not sure of the proper name but it's by Cuttlebug!)

Then I pierced holes on each side of this card for the brads.

 

 

I made jump rings from silver wire, put them on the bells and threaded them on the beaded string.

I tied the 'string' around the brads and then inserted them in the holes securing at the back.

The sentiment is computer generated using MTF Sweet Cheeks font, which I cut into a tag and tied a bow at the top.

I then layered it all on the base card with foam pads.

 

I hope you're enjoying our festive projects and I hope you'll come back tomorrow

when I'll have the link to Lou's blog for her project.

 

Thanks so much for popping in!

I hope you have a lovely Monday :)

Take care,

Sarah xx

Edited to add: I'm over the moon that the super talented Lisa M has chosen this project as her pick of the week at MIM!! I love my cabinet and it's nice that someone else does too :)

Edited to add again: I've just discovered that Lalkygirl has chosen this project as her pick of the week!! Do check out her beautiful cards and projects here :)

I am so happy today :)

 

I'd like to enter this card in MIM ~ linky party

 

Altered cabinet with drawers.

Hello again!
I'm back much later than I expected with this post....
 

 It's an altered cabinet that I made last summer at Crafter's & Co in Coleraine.
I didn't get it finished at the class but I enjoyed decorating it at home :)

I started by painting the cabinet with brown paint and then covering it with crackle glaze.

Once that was dry I painted over it with beige paint and it was brilliant to see the cracks appear as it dried.

 



 

The inside is decorated with various papers and the edges inked with distress inks.

 



The drawers are just perfect for storing metal bits and pieces, mini spools, antique buttons and some  fabric tapes.

 



I added rub-ons to the inside of the doors and some of the drawers.

The roses were made by tearing cream card in a spiral shape, inking with distress ink and rolling in a rose shape. I then added leaves, lace and buttons.

This is the cabinet before I started and it's made by Rayher hobby.



That's it from me...there are a lot of photos, but I hope you enjoyed them :)


I'd just like to remind you of the Christmas Coundown at CCW and Lou
has made some gorgeous tags here.
A wee sneak peek.

Thank you for visiting today,
I hope your weekend is going well!
Mine looks like it's going to be busy...I'd love a lie in, but I'm sure I won't get it..... lol
Take care,
Sarah xx

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Craft Punked ~ anything goes

Paper Crafting Journey ~ anything goes

Simply Create ~ linky party

MIM ~ linky party



Pink Christmas Card

Back with my 2nd post today and I have a pink Christmas card.

A while ago I won a voucher to spend in The Paper Shelter and I've had great fun spending it.

There are so many digis to choose from, I hardly knew which ones to pick!

 

This is the one I've used for my card today.

 

It's a precoloured image but it also comes with just the outline for you to colour yourself.

My crafting time is limited at the minute so the precoloured image is very handy!

I inked around the edges of the image with Versamark and embossed with WOW embossing powder.

I also heat embossed a strip of pink card and then cut the snowflake with a Tim Holtz die.

It's really sparkly in real life!

I added Stickles to the snow on the log and around her feet.

Then I layered it on pink card, tied twine around and finished with a pink button.

Then layered it all on a pink card blank with foam pads.

 

Thank you for stopping by my blog today,

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for Trish's Christmas planner!

Enjoy the rest of your day :)

 

Take care

Sarah xx

 

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

In The Pink ~ pink CAS (I hope it's CAS enough!)

Bearly Mine ~ pink Christmas

Crafty Sentiments ~ Christmas

Hooked on Craft ~ Christmas no red/green

Christmas card with Barry Bear

Hello again!

This is my second post this morning and here's the Christmas card

I said I would share when I got a photo of it :)

 

 

 I love kraft and white together for Christmas along with traditional red and green.

So for this card I stamped white dots on the base card and added strips of patterned paper then tied satin ribbon around the top and finished with a snowflake button.

 

This little teddy is a digi from The Stamp Fairy and he is actually standing beside a birdhouse but for this card I cut it off.  I love this wee image so much you'll be seeing more cards with him soon!

He is coloured with Copics and raised with foam pads.

I added Stickles 'star dust' to his hat and bobble on the top.

 

 

It's a beautiful morning here today and my Mum

very kindly came over to help me with the housework

and then took away a big basket of ironing to do, just so I can get my DT projects finished.

Isn't she lovely!

 

That's it for me today, it's been lovely to have you vist :)

See you tomorrow

Take care,

Sarah xx

 

Supplies used

Bazzill kraft card
DP ~ Three Bugs in a Rug 'Let it Snow'

Digi image ~ The Stamp Fairy
Sentiment ~ Playtime font

Background stamp ~ Unity
White Ink ~ Elzybells pigment ink

Stickles 'Star Dust'

Snowflake button ~ Dress it up

Satin ribbon
Copics ~ C1,3,5...E53,31,33...R00,20,32,35,46,37

 

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Ready Teddy Go ~ don't be square

Whimsy Stamps ~ traditional Christmas colours

Bearly Mine ~ anything goes

Just keep on creating ~ anything goes Christmas
Oldie but a Goodie ~ spots & stripes (DP, ribbon & button all older than 6 months)
Sweet Stampin ~All that glitters

Scrapbook challenge at CCW

Hello again!

 

It's time for a new scrapbook challenge at Creative Craft World

and we have a lovely sketch from Sue.

 

This is my take on it using Cosmo Cricket 'Happy Trails' paper.

I layered it on brown Bazzill card and zig zag stitched around the edge of the green paper.

I also stitched the strips of paper at the top and bottom with messy straight stitched lines.

Regular readers of my blog will know that we got a new puppy in June just as the children were finishing school for the summer holidays.

So.... 6 months on, I thought it was about time I did a scrapbook page about him.

My friends were shocked that I agreed to the children having a dog

(I was definitely not a dog lover) but this wee rascal has stolen my heart :)

 

I must tell you the story about how he came to us.

I was looking on Gumtree for a small puppy and I came across an ad for a little Lhasa Apso/Yorkie pup who was ready to be homed.  I contacted the owner who had another buyer interested so we had to wait to see if he would be available to us or not.

After a couple of days we got a phone call to say the puppy was ours and she could bring him to us that evening.

  When she arrived, she brought in a little bundle of fur and we were smitten.

While we were talking I was convinced I had seen her somewhere before.

After going through different places we might have met, nothing rang a bell.

She showed us a picture of her wee son and I knew I had seen him somewhere before.

Somehow the conversation turned to crafting and she said, "my mum teaches craft classes"

She said her mum was Linda Walker, and then the penny dropped.

I am a follower of her mum's blog and her mum had posted wedding pictures and that's how I recognised her and her son!

It's a small world.....

 

 

To make the page I used the Silhouette Cameo

and here's a screen shot of how I did it. 

I like to crop my photos using the Studio software and arrange them on the page.

That way I know exactly what size they will be and then I can fiddle about with the arrangement.

Then I will just print them out and cut them with the guillotine if there are straight edges and other times I will cut them out with the Cameo.

 

 I used print and cut for the journaling printing it on matching patterned paper.

Then I inked the edges with 'Tea Dye' distress ink.

I love the little bone paper clip that I found in my stash - I knew I'd find a use for it one day!

 

 I cut the title from brown card and added a little paw print brad at the top of the photo.

 

Instead of tying thread through my buttons

I cut a sliver of paper, threaded it through and taped it at the back.

Quick and easy!!

 

We'd love to see what you do with the sketch so why not link up your scrapbook page HERE.

You'll find all the details of the challenge there too.

 

I'm afraid that was a long post today!

Thank you for visiting and if you come back tomorrow I will have the link

Sue's blog where she has made some reindeer noses for the Christmas countdown.

 

I'm off now to nurse my poor wee daughter Phoebe.

Yesterday morning she erupted in lots of spots - chickenpox!
Thanks goodness for Calamine cream Doublebase gel :)

 

Take care and have a lovely weekend.

Sarah xx

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Make it Monday ~ anything goes

Anything goes ~ anything goes

Raise the Bar ~ anything goes

Die Cuttin Diva's ~ anything goes

MAWTT ~ stitching
The Happy Scrappers ~ autumn

Mini kit projects

Happy weekend everyone!

 

Today I have some projects I made using the October mini kit from Creative Craft World that

Lou very kindly sent me.

It is a mix of beautiful turquoise and orange from the Teresa Collins 'Tell your story' collection
~ you can see (and buy) the kit HERE.

 

 

All four projects and I still have lots left over to make more!

 

In the kit there are lots of beautiful die cut flowers.  I took the largest of them and sewed messy stitches around the petals with my sewing machine.

The image is a stamp from Crafter's Companion which I coloured with Copics and I took another of the large flowers and paper pieced her dress with it. The pearls are also included in the kit and the ribbon is from my stash.

The sentiment is stamped and was a freebie with a magazine(from last year I think).

 

close up of the layers on the card

 

 This card is very simple to make. I embossed the bottom of the card with a Cuttlebug 'swirls' embossing folder and added a strip of paper and a strip of glitter card from the kit.

I shaped the die cut flowers, layered them together and adhered them to the card with foam pads.

The sentiment is by Papermania and is stamped with a Stampin' Up marker.

 

 This mini carton was cut out with the Cameo and covered with paper from the kit. I then added stickers and gems which are also included in the kit.

I haven't put anything in the box yet but it would make a lovely little treat box filled with sweets or a scented candle.

 

...and lastly I made a tag, which I cut out with the Cameo.

I added a layer of patterned paper and a hexagon sticker (from the sticker sheet also in the kit) and a clear adhesive gem.

 

To enter the challenge, all you have to do is make a project with bling on it and make it smaller than 12x12".

The winner will be chosen by the Design Team and the prize is a fab mini kit, a generous discount at

Creative Craft World and a Guest Design Team spot.

So why not get creating!

 

Thanks so much for joining me today

and I'll be back soon with more.

Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Sarah xx

 

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Make it Monday ~ anything goes

Stampavie #179 ~ stitches (1st card)

Perfect Sentiments ~ happy birthday/anniversary (1st card)

Lady Anne's challenges ~ anything goes (1st card)

Inky Impressions ~ anything but a card (Mini carton)