White Christmas at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Hi All,

Hopefully you are reading this and I am on my way to the sunshine in Sharm-el-Sheik!

The challenge this week over at Fashionable Stamping is 'White Christmas', that can be white cards, snow or snowflakes or or anything Christmassy! interpret it anyway you like, the choice is yours!
The girls on the Design Team have made some fabulous Christmas cards for inspiration, so please pop over and have a look, and of course we have our permanent Sponsor Marina of Cottage Crafts donating this weeks prize.

For my card I have used Gilding Flakes, and an IndigoBlu stamp.  I added a little glitter to the baubles, matted onto red and then a white card base.  It was a bit difficult to take a photo of, either too much glare and you couldn't see the detail of the stamp, or I lost the sparkle, which is really quite pretty.  The sentiment is HeroArts.

I would just like to say 'hello' to my new followers, thank you so much, I am really thrilled that you like my 'makes' enough to follow, and a BIG 'thank you' to everyone of you.

Thanks for looking,
Avril xx

Less Is More is Gold!

Hi All,

I am having such a busy week!   Made this card on Sunday, thought it would suit LIM as the theme is Leaves this week,   but haven't had a chance to upload until now and even now I'm dashing - off to help my Son move home!
I recently bought some Gilding flakes and Flitter Glu - and this was my first (almost - I'm not showing that one).  The Leafy Tree is an old one from Elisive Images (now Chocolate Baroque), and I have stamped using the Flakes.  The sentiment is Hero Arts. 

This will probably  be my last post, apart from my (hopefully) scheduled post for FSC on Sunday,   as we are off on holiday on Sunday for a couple of weeks of sunshine. I am not much of a sun worshiper as I hate to be too hot, but I do enjoy winter sunshine.

Thats it for now, but pleas pop back on Sunday for the new Challenge at FSC.

Thanks for looking

Avril xx

Late Again!!

Hello All,

Just a quick one - because I am late again with my card for LIM.  I played around with inks and stamps 'creating' various  masterpieces (who am I kidding), but just wasn't happy with them.  Then the light bulb went on and I thought of this very old Dolly Mama's stamp, there's a whole set of them  with various sayings, and we bought them when we first started crafting, I have 2 and my friend Diane has 2, and which one did I want to use,  yes - Diane's!!
So this was made tonight in our 'craft & natter' - took ages to colour with Promarkers, but its Red and Orange to fit the challenge at LIM.  The sentiment is from Rivercity Rubberworks, which just arrived in a little parcel today!

That's it for now, its almost past my bedtime.

Take care

Avril xx

Another Chrstmas Card to Share

Hi All,
Just a quick post tonight to show another of the 'batch' Christmas Cards.  I made something similar for a LIM challenge a few weeks ago, but just used the CI stamp. (kept it simple for LIM).  For this one I inked the background and matted onto silver. I stamped The Night Before Christmas text from Inkylicious, and inked again with DI, and lots of Stickles around the distressed edge.  The Jingle Bells stamp on the bottom was a 'freebie' from CI with my last order. The Snowflake is a Marianne die borrowed from my crafty friend Diane.
I am going to enter this card in:
  Papertake Weekly - First Christmas
  My Time to Craft - Sun ,Moon or Stars
  Partytime Tuesdays - Bling it On - anything Sparkly
  Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Christmas
  Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Just before I go, I would like to mention that  Dot  a very talented DT member from FSC is giving away her fabulous card from this weeks challenge, Dot is trying to get to 50 Followers, she is almost there, and if you pop by her blog, I am sure you will want to visit regularly, prepare to be inspired.

That's it for now,

Take card

Avril xx

Altered Poppy card

Hello All,
Thanks for all your well wishes and I'm pleased to say they worked - woke up Monday feeling OK, so I think the horrible cold for the day must have been the reaction from the Flu jab.
Is been a really dark and miserable day today, and although apart from lack of natural light, perfect to stay indoors and craft, I decided I had better tidy up my rather messy craft room - (spare bedroom) and do a bit of re-organising.  (That's because I couldn't find anything since finishing the Christmas cards).

So tonight, in a nice tidy room, I thought I would share this card, it started off as my DT piece for FSC 'Coffee & Cream' with coffee coloured poppy heads, BUT -  DH said 'Poppies have to be RED'.  So it was put aside for a couple of days, and as I liked the idea of the printed background, kept to the original idea but paper pieced the poppy heads after stamping in black and heat embossing with clear powder, and added a bow.  I also cut the card down and matted on to a red card base.
The poppies are Hero Arts and the text is the sentiment from Inkylicious.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
  Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes PLUS Brown
  Heart Song Inspirations - Anything Goes
  The Crafty Pad - Paper Piecing
  2 Sisters - Ribbon
  Allsorts - Anything but Square
  Challenge Up Your Life - Friendship
  Our craft Lounge - Distressed and Stressed
  Rainbow Lady's challenge - Remember with Poppies

Well, thats it for now, been on here too long. I'm still having poblems with my neck, but the weekly physio sessions are definitely helping, I'm not getting the pins & needles in my arms now and can move my neck more. One good thing from it, I don't do any lifting of shopping!!

Take care

Avril xx

Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Times Gone By

Its time for another Challenge at Fashionable Stamping, this time we would like you to think of 'Times Gone By',  there is some fabulous inspiration from the Design Team, so please pop over and take a look, you won't be disappointed.  There is also a gorgeous stamp to be won!

For my card I went with  Fashion  from Times Gone By.  I used a Crafty Individuals stamp, coloured with Promarkers, and  DI Spiced Marmalade for the followers and shading on the image. The tag is also from CI.l
The clock, ticket  and stamped corner Flowers were 'freebies' with my last order, that's one of the great things about ordering direct from CI, you get a little packet of 'freebies', I can't wait to ink them up and see what they are!  The DP is MME Lost & Found, there are some gorgeous papers in this pack.

I am also entering this card in the following challenges:
  Addicted to Stamps - Shabby/Chic/Vintage
  Dream Valley - Anything Goes

Just a quick post tonight, I had the Flu injection on Monday and just haven't felt great since and today I have started with the cold from h............!   hopefully it won't last.

I would like to say 'hello' to Stephanie my new follower, thanks for following.

Avril xx

Time to Share

Hi All,  now that I have finished making the Christmas cards, I must start and show them.  This is one of the last ones I made, it is probably a 'one off' - due to the fact that I stuck the matted image on the card upside down!!  So... it couldn't be wasted, hence the Easel card, inspired by the challenge at AllSorts this week which is Christmas Easel card.  The image is a new stamp, bought at the Purely Papercrafts show a couple of weeks ago, it is by IndigoBlu,  I heat embossed with Stamp-N-Stuff EP in Jeweled Gold, it really does have a great sparkle.  The snowflake corners are Clarity, the sentiment is an old one from Anitas.
Found a couple of other challenges for this card:

  4 Crafty Chicks - Die Cuts - its a Nesti scalloped oblong under the sentiment.
  For Your Inspiration - Photo - Black & Gold
  Stamp & Doodle - Embossing
  Always Something Creative - Must Sparkle
  The Craft Garden - Christmas - No Red or Green
  HeartSong Inspirations - Embossing/and or 3 layers
  One Stitch at a Time - Christmas
  Stamp, Scrap & Doodle - Monochromatic

Before I go I would just like to say 'Hello' to Monica - my new follower, its lovely to see you, and thanks for following me.

I hope you all have a good weekend, weather forecast isn't too good, but it just might be perfect crafting weather!

Take care

Avril xx

Wishing on a Star!

                                        

Doesn't this make a change -   It's only Tuesday and my card is ready for LIM!!
The challenge this week is 'Stars' and I have used  Lavinia fairy and stars stamps that I am ashamed to say I bought at Harrogate in September and this is the first time they have seen ink!!  The sentiment is from an Inkylicious set.  All stamped in Black Memento with just a dash of Glamour Dust.

I am also entering this card in the following challenges:
  Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
  Bows & Berries  - CAS
  Make It Monday - Always Anything Goes
  Dream Valley Challenge - Anything Goes

I had problems with my internet connection again last week, and its surprising how much time you make for crafting when there are no other diversions - I only have 3 more Christmas cards to make!!!  I have been in 'factory mode' at least 6 of each design, but they are done, in envelopes and the address labels on - just need stamps (big sigh), so it must be true - every grey cloud has a silver lining!

Thanks for looking, and I hope to catch up and visit soon.

Avril xx