Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Merry Christmas!!!

Just popped on to wish everyone who visits my blog 'A very Merry Christmas!' and a big thank-you for all the lovely comments you leave :) they are really appreciated x


I think I'm ready for Christmas although yesterday nearly put all plans out of action! as I had no hot/cold water for 12 hours eeek!!! The mains pipe had frozen coming into the house, I think it dropped to -13c Monday night! but luckily some very kind workmen came out in their holidays and managed to defrost it, not before cutting holes in my downstairs cloakroom floor!! and airing cupboard to reach it! but at least I have water, thank goodness!!!



The snow is still falling steadily infact it's a white-out right now! I have'nt even cleared the path today as it just keeps falling :0)
Here are a few pictures especially for Sharon, my blogging friend in South Africa :) who would love to see some snowy pictures and twinkly Christmas trees :)

These are for you Sharon :) have a wonderful warm Christmas!!
Top photo is our Christmas tree!


This is the view from the top of the slope in the park just round the corner from our house and right behind my son's school :)



My son Jacob climbing up the slope to go sledging after school on Monday :)


Jacob posing for the camera :0) You can just see Ben Aigen with snow on it's flat top in the far distance on the right hand side! (click to make the photo larger!) Not quite Table Top mountain!! but very pretty scenery all the same :) Hope you like my little part of Scotland Sharon!

All the best everyone, see you after Christmas xx































Friday, December 18, 2009

Last of the Christmas cards!



The last of my Christmas cards!! I think :)
For the top card I have used this week's sketch #30 from PaperTakeWeekly. I have turned the sketch upside down so I could use the round sentiment! I decided to use a different colour combo for this card of purple & green, the cute Hanglar image is coloured with promarkers and I embossed the panel behind her with a Quickcutz embossing folder. The papers are Trimcraft?
The bottom card is the lovely Penny Black Christmas Swing stamp coloured more traditionally this time in reds & greens :) The papers are a mix of DCWV and Trimcraft and I added the little red gems to finish. I am entering this into the Totally Gorjuss 'Free and Easy' challenge, my 2nd entry!!
I hope to share one more card with you all before the Christmas holidays start and it's a spring card! so pastel colours, flowers & butterflies! I just need to get it finished :) Seems strange making a spring card when it's snowing outside :)
Thanks for looking as always x

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Hedgehog Post!!


Another Christmas card!! I will share something different soon :0) I have used this week's sketch #82 from Friday Sketchers for the layout although I have stretched it a bit!! This very cute image is Penny Black which I have coloured with promarkers and all the papers are from an old Doodlebug kit.
I am also entering this into this week's 'Free & Easy' challenge over at Totally Gorjuss, I was very lucky to win last week's prize of a voucher for Joanna Sheen!! so I am looking forward to a little spending spree :) Thank you Totally Gorjuss x

Thanks for looking xx

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Vintage Penny Black....


My card for this week's Penny Black Saturday challenge #79 of 'Red & Gold'. I have used this gorgeous PB image I received from Tammi x I love the vintage look to these older Penny Black stamps and the challenge colours lend themselves well :)

I have coloured the image with promarkers, making the little bird into a Christmas robin! and adding stickles for the frosty ground and tree. The patterned paper is DCWV and all the cardstock is SU. I have finished with the 'Happy Holidays' stamp also stamped for me by Tammi!

I hope to share a non Christmas card later this week!! I'm busy making a 'spring' card for a challenge over on the Docrafts forum :)

Thanks for looking xx




Monday, December 14, 2009

Ski-ing Cats!


Just a quick post from me today :) Thought I'd share a card I made last week for the Docrafts Penny Black challenge. The theme was 'America' so I went for red, white & blue and made a card for my cat mad Sister-in-Law :) I used this fabulous PB cat image I received in my candy from Nat and coloured with promarkers. No patterned papers just embossed white card and I used a sparkly blue gemstone coredinations cardstock and plain red.

Hope to do a couple of challenges this week :) so check back!

Thanks for looking xx


Thursday, December 10, 2009

Totally Gorjuss challenge...


I have been wanting to join in this new challenge blog - Totally Gorjuss for a while now but never got round to it! I noticed this week is a sketch challenge :) which is very handy as it's a fab layout and perfect to get another Christmas card ticked off my list! So I had to join in :0)

I have used Foxy Gorjuss girl coloured with promarkers and the papers are DCWV and Bo Bunny. The oval mat is cut with Nellies Multi frame dies and I have handmade the flower using retro flower punches and a little black rose in the middle.

Cant believe I've managed to post on my blog 4 times in a row this week!! All the different challenge blogs have really helped me get some Christmas cards completed!!

Thanks for looking xx

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Forever Friends Hot Choc!


This is the last of the cards I made on Monday :) They are all posted now! this one is for my niece.
I have used this week's sketch from Sketch Saturday for the layout. The Forever Friends image is coloured with promarkers and the papers are DCWV again!

I'm getting there with the Christmas preparations now, the tree and decorations are up so the living room looks lovely and cosy now :) I do love having the Christmas tree up!

I've made another card today for the Totally Gorjuss challenge blog but it was too dark to photo! so I will share tomorrow x

Thanks for looking x

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Sweet Snowman....


Another card I made yesterday :) This time for the Friday Sketchers challenge. I love the patchwork square design of this sketch, it's a layout I've used a few times. I have inked up this sweet snowman image from Penny Black, it's one of the new Slapstick range, great size, still rubber not clear and easy to store too!
Image coloured with promarkers and stickled and cut out with nesties. The sentiment is from blogging friend Tammi, thanks Tammi x The papers are DCWV and the twinkly snowflake was in my PB candy win from Nat :)
I have just 3 Christmas cards left to do! So I'm nearly there!!

Back soon with my Sketch Saturday challenge card!

Thanks for looking xx


Monday, December 7, 2009

'We wish you a Merry Christmas'...


I'm still busy finishing off my Christmas cards!! and thank goodness for challenges :) I have made 3 cards this morning for different challenges! I will share them all during the week :)

Today's card combines many challenges!

A Spoonfull of Sugar #80 - non traditional colours for Christmas
Allsorts #30 - colour of advent 'Purple'
Penny Black Saturday #78 - Christmas for the girls! - this card is for my niece :)
Cupcake Craft Challenges #69 - 'Sing a Christmas Carol' - mine is 'we wish you a Merry Christmas'

I have used these cute Penny Black hedgies coloured with promarkers and a little stickles and all the papers are from a DCWV stack. I have kept the layout simple with not too many layers and embellishments as it needs to be posted!

Only 4 more cards to go and that will be me finished!!! I dont send hand-made to everyone, there's just too many people on my list! but I do like to make them for family and my crafty friends :)

Thanks for looking xx

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Christmas Carols....


I was very lucky to win Nat's Penny Black Blog candy from the recent 'Christmas Countdown' PB blog hop and my goodies arrived yesterday. Thanks Nat :)

Nat sent me a beautiful Christmas card along with some fabulous images, twinkly snowflakes (I LOVE these!) and lots of buttons, ribbon and gems. I have put them to good use today and made a card using this week's sketch by Beth for Penny Black Saturday.

I have used this very cute 'Carolling Mice' image sent by Nat and coloured it with promarkers and then used SU Heat & Stick powder to cover the image in glitter!! (I hope you can see this! click on the image for a better view!) The papers are from a DCWV stack and I've finished with one of the gorgeous twinkly snowflakes Nat sent :)

I am also entering this in the Docrafts Penny Black challenge this week of 'glitter & sparkle'.

Thanks very much again Nat for the wonderful candy and thanks for looking xx


Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Forever Friends Christmas...


Another Christmas card from me today!! I have followed 3 different challenges for this card -

Allsorts challenge of 'buttons'
Cupcake Crafts challenge of 'red & green'
Docrafts Forum - Forever Friends challenge of stripy paper, ribbon and buttons.

I have used this gorgeous FF image I received from my blogging friend Tammi and coloured with promarkers. The papers are a DCWV Christmas stack and I added the sentiment and buttons to finish! A quick Christmas card ready for the pile ;0)


And just a quick photo to show you all the 48 (all the same design) Christmas cards I made for an order :) No stamping and colouring, just matting, embossing and sticking!! Still took ages to do!! The lady was really pleased with them though so it made it all worthwhile :)

Thanks for looking xx