Paper Shelter Blog hop - spot prize winner

Good evening all

Just a quick post to let you know who won the spot prize on my blog for 

The Paper Shelter Blog Hop comments

Thank you so much to everyone who took part in the hop and left all of the lovely comments
It really is much appreciated and helped make our hop a great success

Selected by my (very random!!) son 

Its you EVA!! - evaspysselsida.blogspot.co.uk/

Please go over to the Paper Shelter to claim your prize
There are instructions on there that will tell you exactly what you will need to do

Congratulations and enjoy your prize

Hugs 

Judith 

A lovely colour challenge at MAWTT this week

Good morning all

Hope you are all nice and cozy and warm where you are!  I've had to schedule this post as I'm out for the day - so that I can be cozy and warm too!!  We are having a power cut for the whole of today because there are faults on the overhead lines and they are repairing it - I suppose its better done now than no electricity in the power surge on Christmas day.  But I had really wanted a day at home just to organise things - I only just finished work for the holidays and was looking forward to a nice quiet day in - never mind!

Anyway I won't be around much over the next couple of days while this is going on - but I'll try to do some visiting tomorrow evening.

This week we have a pretty colour challenge at 

Moving along with the Times

 I was determined to make a Christmas card for this card and it caused me a bit of a headache deciding what to do as its definitely non traditional Christmas colours and I just couldn't get my head round it at all

I used a LOTV precoloured image that I had left over from last year

- it was supposed to be a quick and easy card - not that it turned out that way - my cards are never quick ....or easy - I'm too much of a faffer - a northern England  word perhaps but says it all !!

Sorry about the odd unbalanced photo - but how else was I going to get that bow in!!

Heres what I did....

Image LOTV precoloured - fur cones
Papers - MME Santa Claus, and lost and found -Christmas found
Distress ink - TH dust rose
Mistletoe and pine cone dies - Marianne
Square die - spellbinders
corner dies - dienamics
Kraft card - MFT
Diamond stickles
Sentiment tags - LOTV
Ribbon - Sam Pooles Creative studios

It's the last challenge of the year at MAWTT and you have until 31st December to enter - we'd love to see these pretty colours in your cards this week

Challenges I'm entering with this card

ABC Christmas challenge - make your own embellies

Hugs
Judith xx

Anything goes at The Paper Shelter

Good morning all

Its a late post from me this morning - and the reason being ....Christmas - what else - I've totally lost track of just about everything including what day I post for my challenges!  I'm sure this Christmas thing causes temporary insanity - well I hope it's temporary or there's no hope for any of us really lol.

Today's challenge over at
 The Paper Shelter Challenge blog
 is the last one for this year 

and the theme is an easy peasy....

Anything Goes

I used one of the very newest stamps that was just released

and I just fell in love with this pretty image and the absolutely gorgeous papers that come with her

This is The Music Practice and is available here

I loved the papers just as much as the pretty image and even thought about making a card using just the papers - it would make a very pretty card with just a sentiment mounted on the centre frame - but I just didn't have the heart to leave this pretty girl out!  I printed the paper out twice on paper for the inside and outside of the card then cropped the centre frame part and printed it onto card so that I could add dimension.  It was then curved and elevated at the centre with foam pads.  Lastly I fussy cut the image and stuck her onto the frame, the butterflies and flower embellishments were added - because she deserved to be pretty!  It's quite  a while since I made a card with flowers and "fussy" embellies, I definitely favour a more CAS style these days, but some images suit this style so well and I thought that this was definitely one of them.  I just love the effect of this paper - the doily looks so dimensional - but its all printed onto the one piece of paper

Hope we see you at The Paper Shelter Challenge
- as always there's a great prize up for grabs

This is what I did....

Image and papers -The music Practice from The Paper Shelter

Coloured with copics and prismacolor pencils

Flowers - WOC

Butterfly -Prima

Gems - from my stash

Sentiment - LOTV

Leaf punch - Martha Stewart
Kraft card - MFT (still haven't recovered from my visit to this fab shop!!)

Challenges I'm entering with this card

Everybody art -no christmas cards
Fantastic Tuesday challenge - punches and dies
Twisted Tuesdays - fussy cut and fancy corners
Crafty sentiments -Birthdays
Bunny Zoes - wings
The crafty bloggers network - girly
The kraft journal - something new (new release digi and new kraft card)

See you again tomorrow!

hugs
Judith xx

Snowman Country cute - yes he certainly is!

Good Morning all

I hope today finds you all in good Christmas spirit (and not too stressed by it all!)

I'm here today to share my card for the 24 days of Christmas Event at Whimsy Stamps

For all of you who do not know what's going on over at Whimsy Inspiration blog - the design team is holding a 24 Days of Christmas Event to thank you all for your continued support of Whimsy Stamps! 

Every day from 1st to 24th December, a member of the design team will be sharing a brand new Whimsy holiday creation on the Whimsy blog.  Included in these daily posts will be a LETTER.  Visit every day, make a note of each letter and keep them safe.  Once you have collected all 24 letters, you should be able to unscramble them and make a 4 word phrase.  

Email your phrase to whimsystampscontests@gmail.com by 31st December 2013, and if you've guessed correctly, you will be entered into the draw to win a fantastic GRAND PRIZE! 

But that's not it, there will also be some fun SPOT PRIZES throughout the entire event. They could be hidden either on the Whimsy blog  or on one of the design team member's blogs! Be sure to leave a comment here AND on the DT's blog posts each day to be in with a chance to win! 

Here is my inspiration card for the event

using Snowman Country Cute by Crissy Armstrong available here

This is what I did ...

Image - snowman country cute from crissy armstrong at Whimsy stamps

Coloured with copics and prismacoor pencils

Papers - recollections at Michaels and MME

pearl brads - Whiff of joy

Flower dies - marianne (large die) and Dienamics

Leaf - magnolia

sentiment tag LOTV

Why not pay a visit to Whimsy Inspirations blog and see if you can win yourself a prize - don't forget to leave me a comment here - for the chance to win a spot prize.

hugs Judith xx

Snowflakes challenge at fab'n'Funky Challenges

Good morning lovely blog friends

Firstly I must thank all of my lovely friends who sent me such kind messages and left such comforting comments after my last post on losing my lovely cat Barney.  I really was so touched by your kindness and support, I  feel so fortunate to have had so much understanding and kindness shown.

I haven't so much as picked up a pen until I made this card last night but I've decided it's got to be onward and upward from here on, sad as I still feel I'm sure that creativity is a good healthy distraction.

Its our last challenge of the year over at 

Fab'n'Funky Challenges

Set by our lovely Rachel the theme is

Snowflakes

We are sponsored this week by 

Stampart Design by Kathryne 

and had some gorgeous images to play with 

I chose Flakey Friends which is the snowman image- available here

I also used one of the lovely background digis from Make it Crafty

Called little village scene available here

I had to photograph it in poor light last night so it doesn't show all the - way over the top - glitter that I used !

This is what I did...

Image - Flakey Friends from Stampart design by Kathryne

Background image -little village scene from Make it Crafty

Coloured with copics

Glitter glue - stickles 

Ribbon - vintage seam binding - crafty ribbons

Snowflake punch - martha stewart

Glass snowflakes - ebay (ages ago)

Sentiment - from the holiday stamp set at hot fudge studio

Dies for sentiment - spellbinders circles and scalloped circles

Kraft card - MFT

We hope you'll join in with our last challenge for the year - I'm sure there will be lots of snowflake cards around this week

Challenges I'm entering with this card

ABC Christmas challenge - make your own embelishments
Christmas at sweet stamping - Let it snow
Divas by design - anything goes
The sisterhood of crafters - Sparkle
Scrappers delights - Christmas
Partytime Tuesday - Winter wonderland

hugs

Judith  

Rest peacefully my beautiful Barney

Hello crafty friends

I'm here with just a quick post to share my sad new - one that only an animal lover will really understand.   I got back from holiday yesterday morning knowing that my dear old beautiful Barney cat was not well.  My daughter had told me through the week that "something" had happened  probably a minor stroke or bleed on his brain and although he wasn't in any pain he just wasn't well at all.  I came home really hoping that things weren't so bad - but as soon as I saw him I knew that it was time to let him go.  At the grand old age of almost 18 years he already had a problem with his kidneys and although controlled well with diet he had lost weight through it and I think his poor body just gave up.  

I used to show and breed British Shorthair cats- only in a small way- when my kids were little, and Barney was my very first kitten born in the cupboard under the stairs, it was a life long love affair between us, I really was the love of his life! - he was my constant shadow and  loved sitting on my lap with his head tucked under my chin, the most gentle beautiful cat I've ever had with his bright green eyes and black eye-liner.

These photographs were taken a couple of years ago - my beautiful boy at around 14 or 15 years old - still in his absolute prime - and that is how I remember him

I am just heartbroken and devastated that he is gone but surprisingly I feel quite calm now that it's all over - because I think I did the very best last thing that I could for him, and the vet let him peacefully fall asleep in my arms.

I'm not feeling particularly crafty or bloggy at the moment - so I'll take a few days just to recharge.

Rest in peace my beautiful boy x

A Wee Sketchie challenge at Moving Along with the Times

Good morning all

I'm back with another scheduled post - this time its my DT post for

Moving Along With the Times Challenge Blog

This was supposed to be my turn to host this week 

but as I'm away on holiday our lovely leader Hazel is hosting instead - thanks Hazel!

And in the words of our lovely little Scottish lady Hazel 

the theme is 

A Wee Sketchie Challenge

And here's the Wee Sketchie!!

We have sponsors for this weeks challenge and a lovely prize too

- the prize is 3 images of the winners choice.

The DT were lucky enough to get some images to play with 

and I chose the cute - Train Spotting  available here

This image came at the perfect time for me as I was looking for a cute image to make a card for my grandson Jacobs 2nd birthday. on 13th December.  I got him a little train set just a week or two back in the Early Learning Centre - I don't know if he'll get it for his birthday or as a Christmas gift yet but I'm sure he'll be just as cute as this little boy whenever he gets to play with it!

This is what I did...

Image - Train Spotting from Scrappers Delights

Coloured with Copics and Prismacolor pencils

Papers - K and Co hopscotch boy

Die cut letters/number- Sizzix Vintage Market by Tim Holtz

We'd love to see what you can make with this easy peasy wee sketchy - I love sketches it takes all the thinking out of the card  and at the minute I'm a bit thunk out!!

Challenges I'm entering with this card

Hugs 

Judith xx

Welcome to The Paper Shelter Special Birthday Blog Hop

Good Morning all

Greetings from me -still in sunny Florida and welcome to The Paper Shelter Blog Hop 

This is our celebration of The Paper Shelters 3rd Birthday on December 8th.  As well as the blog hop It is also a two week Challenge and both Design Teams are taking part.

The Hop is our celebration of three years of fabulous digis from Veronica and Pedro the most generous owners of The Paper Shelter and also our way of saying thank you to our loyal followers for supporting our challenge each week.  

The theme is a  "Special Birthday" which I know is an easy one - I don't know anyone who doesn't have a birthday card to make .... So make it special!!!

If you have landed here from Anna's blog then you're heading in the right direction - if not then you'll need to head on back to The Paper Shelter Challenge Blog to check on the order - as you'll not want to miss out on this one!  The next stop after this one is Lydia's blog.

Our Wonderful Design Team have worked so hard and are showcasing the gorgeous images available from The Paper Shelter Shop.  Not only is there a fab prize for the main blog hop winner but each blog on the hop is also offering one lucky commenter a digi of their choice -  how fab is that!  Full details are on The Paper Shelter Challenge Blogspot.

Here is my card using one of the gorgeous new digis we've had lately

She's called Autumn Attitude and is available here
She really is so beautiful
- it wasn't until I started to colour her that I realised what a beautiful face she has

This is what I did....

Image - Autumn Attitudefrom The Paper Shelter

Coloured with copics and prisma colour pencils

Papers -MME 

Sentiment tags - LOTV

Corner - reflections from Michaels

Ricardo ribbon - crafty ribbons

Butterfly - from my stash

Die cut oval - spellbinders
Distress inks - Tim Holtz  tea die and winter spruce

From here remember you will need to hop on over to Lydia -http://scrappenbylydia.blogspot.co.uk/- Don't forget to leave your comment here on my blob for your chance to win your choice of one of the fab digis available in store.

Hop! Hop! Hop!

Good luck and hope you're enjoying the hop so far.

Challenges I'm entering with this card

Crafting for all seasons - Birthday

digistamps 4 joy - distressing

Papertake Weekly - anything goes

tip top tuesday - use kraft

Hugs

Judith xx