Christmas at Fab'n'Funky challenges

Good morning all

Today we have a new challenge starting at 

Fab'n'Funky Challenges 

our theme is 

Christmas

We all need ideas for quick and easy at Christmas

and if you're anything like me you always run out of gift tags!

these are very quick and easy to make with some basic dies and scraps of card

This is what I did.....

The gift tags are just gold card folded with a hole puched in the corner

topped with cream card embossed with gold motifs, cut with scalloped square dies

Bauble shapes are diecut from card embossed with gold christmas motifs

then coloured with alchohol inks  and threaded with ribbons to match yur gift wrap

Hope you'll join in with our challenge - every little helps with your Christmas crafting and the girls have some fab inspiration for you this week take a look  HERE

hugs Judith xx

We're back at Fab'n'funky Challenges - just in time for Christmas

hi all

Hope you've all had a lovely summer - I've had quite an eventful few months 

- some good, some bad but I've had a bit of a break and I'm ready to get going close to again!

We just got back from our summer holiday a week or so ago and our chllenge at

Fab'n'Funky Challenges 

is also returning from summer break this week so it seemed a good place to start

As its the last week of the month our regular theme is 

Christmas

It's actually suprisingly close to Christmas

- a bit scary if you count the number of weeks to December

- not long to get those cards made now!!

today is 25th September 

 - so not hard to work out how many cards you can make at one a week lol.

I thought I'd kick off with a die cut card based on one I've made before to break myself in gently

Die cuts are good for bulk making, and although this one is a bit more complicated than a quick make as the dies have to be lined up precisely, it's easier to make several on the same formula than to design different cards, its always the design that takes me the time

This is what I did...

One the edge stocking die from Crafters Companion

On the edge sentiment die - Crafters Companion

Red and white card and gingham ribbon

I love a bit of red gingham!

I've had a really busy card making week this week - my Mam was 90 on Friday then we celebrated our 40th Wedding anniversary on Sunday - two very special cards - nothing like a bit of pressure to get the creativity flowwing again!

I hope you'll join in at Fab'n'Funky,  we have lots of challenges coming up  to fill those long dark nights of crafting : )  - I love this time of year

Have a fun crafty week everyone 

Hugs

Judith xx

and yet again - it's Christmas!! - and it might be cancelled due to injury lol

Hi all

Well - some days just don't go to plan at all and this was one of them!

I was supposed to come back early and post this post but.....

I usually do a late morning session with a personal trainer at the gym on Wednesdays but he had an early session cancellation this morning so off I went. I just got the the end of some bench dips (technical term I know lol) when I sort of twisted awkwardly as I stood up and pulled a muscle in my upper chest - just what I need - I think I'll live but I sooo hate being out of action.  I decided to soldier on like the martyr I am and did my Aldi shopping on the way home (so i didn't have to go out again), put it away, had a snack, made a tagine for dinner and put that in on a slow cook, tidied around like you do - then I sat down and fell asleep lol. 

So how do I feel now - I'm not sure, definitely I can feel it when I 'push'  - I've got this pushy pepper mill thing and that was sooo painful to put pepper in the tagine lol.  I'm just hoping I wake up better in the morning - I really want to do my spin class tomorrow night lol.  Have I got a problem - probably, I'm a spinning addict I think.  Don't worry I won't do anything stupid but I'm so annoyed with myself, I just started a 6 week fitness challenge last night and it looks like I've fallen at the first hurdle - the best laid plans as they say!!

Anyway enough of my moaning back to the real blogging reason

it's our  Christmas challenge week at 

Fab'n'Funky Challenges

and the theme is just

Anything Christmas

  

I love art pads for Christmas cards, if you're going to make your own Christmas cards every little helps when it comes to quicker makes -the LOTV ones are particularly cute

This is what I did

Image - LOTV (artpad)

papers - from a very old papermania pack

sentiment stamp - Anna Griffin

snowflake die - whimsystamps

craft card and various odds and ends from my stash

Still very much on the use up the stash thing - and it would save me a fortune if I stopped buying new stuff lol

Have a great week everyone

Challenges i'm entering this card

Christmas at sweet stampin  - anything christmas
Cute n crafty christmas- christmas/winter

hugs

judith xx

and christmas is still going on here!

hi all

I'm late with my post today - having a busy day/week!

It's hubby's birthday tomorrow and it s a big one! - sixty years young, not only that but our best friend had that same birthday yesterday so it's been a few of busy crafting days making not theeasiest thing - special men cards and trying desparately to finish off a keepsake book - that's still not finished, maybe it'll come in handy for 65 or 70 lol

Today's other big event was a trip to the dentist to have a tooth capped, it had a filling in that had cracked - yuk, never mind all done now.

I'm still in Christmas card making mode and decided to make a few quick easy cards with some of my artpads.  This one is from a lili of the valley pad I've had for ages ans I also used some paper from an old LOTV Christmas paper pad and a Dovecraft paper pack

We have a Christmas Challenge over at 

Fab'n'Funky Challenges

 this week - so this came in very handy!

I'm really enjoying using up my old Christmas stash and I'm determined to keep going with it - just slap my hands if you see me going near a Christmas stamp, die or paper pad lol.  There are some lovely cards on the blog this week for Christmas inspiration - hop o over and see what we all made - and get out your stash to enter our challenge ad to add to your Christmas pile for next Christmas

Hugs Judith xx

With love at Christmas!

Happy Thursday!

Well I suppose Christmas is well and truly over and forgotten for most of us now.  It's that funny (or not so funny) time of year whe we look back at that busy, happy, expensive time of year and sit in cold miserable cold January wishing we could do it all again!  - well at least I do.  We had a lovely family Christmas that I so enjoyed but I suppose at least now we have a whole new year with lots ofblank pages to write in - and who knows what it will bring!

I always like to start the year by making a few Christmas cards - just to get off to a good start for the next one which will come around all too fast!  Sadly if other years are anything to go by my good intentions soon fall by the wayside, but the good intentions are there for now.

So I decided to make a christmas card with a heart to fit our chalenge over at 

Moving Along With The Times

the theme is 

Have a Heart

I used a cute stamp from a lovely set from Hunkydory Crafts

For the love of stamps - Furry and bright

I added a lovely  red velvet covered heart button onto the ribbon 

- I've had it in my stash for ages just waiting for the perfect card to use it on!

This is what I did

Image and sentiment - Furry and Bright - by For the love of stamps

Coloured with - prismacolour pencils

Papers - hunkydory Christmas erfect backgrounds stamping pad

Snowflake corner die - Wildrose Studio

Ribbon and heart shaped button from my stash

Centura pearl cadstock - crafters companion

Hope you - have a heart - for our challenge - see you there!

Hugs

Judith xx

Anything Christmas at Moving along with the Times

Good morning all

I'm hoping that this scheduled post has posted!

I'm away on holiday at the moment and this week is our Christmas present to ourselves - a real treat that I'm so excited about.  We are doing a 4 day 'Very Merry Christmas' cruise on the 'Disney Dream' to the Bahamas - just the best thing ever!!  We won't have any wifi as it's sooo expensive and it's actually lovely to have a break from all social media - a real holiday when we can focus on just having fun together : )

But for now I have a card to share for our challenge at 

Moving Along with the Times

and our theme is 

Anything Christmas

This is another fairly easy card to batch make

simpy cut the shapes and arrange on a circle to create a wreath shape

 - add a few pearls as berries - voila!!

This is what I did.....

Dies - Diesire Christmas accent dies

Sentiment - Diesire - Peace, Goodwill & Joy

Pearls and ribbon from my stash

Hope you'll join in with our challenge

Hugs

Judith xx

Christmas cards - with Hunkydorycrafts 4th Little book of Christmas

Hi again

As promised i'm back again today with my second review of the products I received from Hukydory Crafts.  

This time  I've made Christmas cards with
 the 4th Little Book of Christmas
and
the Christmas Perfect Backgrounds Stamping Pad

I also used a variety of dies, ribbons, glitter and gems to embellish.  These pads are very easy to use for either a quick simple card where you could almost just mat and layer the picture  and add a sentiment - or add lots of embellishments and details for a special card

8 x 8 inch square card

6 x 6 inch square card

5 x 7 inch  card

8 x 8 inch square card

 The 4th Little Book of Christmas' 

The first thing I'd like to say about the 'little book' - is its not as small as I had expected - more a 'not so little book'!!   I had expected to be making 6 x6 inch cards with these  - and although you can cut them to various sizes I actually think they are better for bigger cards - as you can see I used them to  make a variety of sizes and styles

I liked that there was 6 of each image, great for bulk making - often a neccesity for Christmas cards, or for anyone who makes to sell.  But also really useful to have multiple sheets to decoupage  the image.

I also liked the variety of images in the pad -  cute, traditional, contemporary and some that had lots of small images that you could cut up to use in smaller projects or as embellishments

The Christmas Perfect Backgrounds Stamping Pad

This is a really good buy not just for the Christmas papers but also for matting and layering.  Each of the 48 sheets is double sided with a pattern on one side and a coordinating plain on the back.  I used these to mat and layer all of the cards above.  Really useful because everything coordinates perfectly.  Again a good selection of designs in a range of colours, typical of many Christmas pads with stars, Christmas trees, snowflakes etc - for me the bonus on this one is that the reverse side matches perfectly for your mats and to make die cut embellishments and with 4 of each design you have plenty to play with!

A bit of upcycling with Winter animals

Good morning all

I've been looking for some different (and quick) ways to make some extra Christmas cards this year and remembered that I had saved some of last year's cards that I received to 'do something with' - like you do - then don't - if you know what I mean lol

So I spent a day or two making new cards out of some of the lovely cards I received last year.  I realise now that I should have taken before and fter photos but I can't do much about that now!

Here is one that I made with the challenge at

Moving along with the Times 

 in mind

The theme is 

Winter Animals

The original card was actually just the black and white background with the trees and 'Winter Wishes' sentiment - quite pretty and sparkly but it could have been so much more.....  see below for what I did.....

The challenge at MAWTT still has a week to run so you have plenty of time to enter your Winter Animals cards.  Sorry to Wendy, our lovely host Jackie and my teamies that I'm a week late!  I had a horrible ear infection last week and got totally mixed up about the challenge week - and I got no crafting or blogging done at all - thankfully after antibiotic, hydracortisone and seroid ear drops (7 times a day - there just wasn't enough hours in the day!!)  I'm on the mend

Here's what I did....

I made a frame with black card using Sue Wilson pierced square dies

Mounted that onto champagne coloured satin card

I then cut a new moon and Stag with a Crafters Companion die using a thin gold craft metal that I got from a Create and Craft sale day a few weeks back - I love this it has a fabulous finish

and that - as they say - is that.  It looks so much nicer than the original card and I was quite pleasd with the result -  making a card like this was definitely a bit of a novelty! - I've made a few more now - series to be continued .......

Hope you'll join in with our challenge at MAWTT

hugs

Judith x

When is a Fa La Llama not a Llama?! .......

.......When it's an Alpaca!

He he - good morning all

Did you see what I did there lol

I saw this fab little alpaca image was available from our sponsor this week and just had to have it!

But I really wanted her to be a Llama so I could do my own take on the lovely Llama cards that are around (in fact all over the place!) this Christmas

So forgive me Alice the Alpaca (available HERE)
you have been redisignated as a Llama lol

Sorry about the lighting on this photograph - it's so difficult these dark days to get decent colour and I ran out of time so just had to go with it- it is brighter IRL and she has pink ears and nose and blue eyes - poor Alice - she's really suffering for my art 😉

This card is for our challenge at 

Fab'n'Funky Challenges 

our theme is 

Add an Animal

(so either an animal as the main focus or as part of the general scene - Birthdays, all sorts of ocassions and lots of scope for Christmas here - rudolph, nativity - so bring out all those lovely animal stamps

Our lovely sponsor this week is 

Dr Digis House of Stamps

There are sooo many cute animal digis in the Dr Digi store - pop over and take a look and check out the Fab'n'Funky girls creations on the Fab'n'Funky Challenge blog.  I just love what everyone has done this week with these cute images

This is what I did....

Image - Alice the Alpaca from Dr Digi's house of stamps

Coloured with copics

Papers - an old papermania Christmas collection (sorry lost the cover sheet!)

Die cut hat and scarf from Sara's Cute Christmas (santa suit) at Crafters Companion

Bunting Dies - Whimsey stamps
Letter dies -Dies'ire essentials from Crafter's companion

I hope I've inspired you to join in with our challenge this week - we'd love you to help us fill our Ark!!

Hugs
Judith xx

Twice in a week - is this the new me!!

Good morning all

Well - can you believe I even made it here twice this week

- things are on the up!!

It's time for a new challenge at 

Winter Wonderland 

where our theme this time is 

Colour it!

( we would like to see coloured images on your card -

no precoloured toppers or just die cut cards)

I used a stamp from Imagination Crafts for this card - part of a set I bought a couple of years back that I don't think are available anymore - which is a shame because I love the simple shabby style of these stamps.  There are six of them each a similar format that are lovely to stamp and decoupage,  Really easy to do and quite effective I think

This is what I did

Stamp - from Imagination crafts - stamped 3 times and coloured and hand cut to decoupage layers

Coloured with Spectrum Noir illustrator pens

Paper from an old Dovecraft Christmas pack

Kraft card and Dark red card to mat and layer

Narrow gold organza ribbon from stash

Tag made with Sizzix scallop Bigz die 

Hope to see you over at Winter Wonderland with your  lovely hand coloured cards

Hugs

Judith x

Good morning it's been a while!

I'm so happy to be back posting today, I've had a bit of a hard going summer with a huge health scare that has changed me forever and to be honest I'm more than a little bit relieved to get back to a quiet crafty life!

My lovely Fab'n'Funky challenge is back today with a new challenge

It's the anniversary of the birth of St Francis of Assisi today - patron saint of animals

so our challenge in honour of this is

All Creatures Great and Small

(all living creatures - animals, birds, fish, insects.... no fantasy creatures and please remember teddy bears aren't real living creatures, neither are fairies or dragons - I'm sure you catch my drift!)

I thought I'd better get a move on with my Christmas cards as it's not long now! - but that's a whole other blogpost!! So I have a lovely stag centre stage on my card

This is what I did....

Dies

 Dashing Deer - Crafter's Companion Sara's Scandi collection

 Snowflake corners - Wild Rose studios

 Ovals - Tattered lace

Papers - Crafter's Companion traditional Christmas

Dark red card, pearl and ribbon from stash

Hope you'll join in with us this week

did I say I was so happy to be back 😃

biggst of hugs Judith xxxx

Christmas challenge at Fab'n'Funky Challenges

Good morning all

We have a new just for fun challenge at

Fab'n'Funky Challenges

and its our once a month theme of 

Christmas 

(we're trying hard to encourage good Christmas crafting habits!!)

This is a really quick and easy card - the sort you often need as Christmas sets you into a mad panic of last minute card making!  - but we don't want you to do that lol

This is what I did

Die cut Merry Christmas - Sara's Traditional Christmas rangefrom Crafter's Companion

Paper and snowflake stamp also from Sara's traditional range 

and the music paper  is made with a stamp from Crafty Individuals

Distress ink - TH brushed corduroy

It would be great to see you playing along - anything Christmas will do!

Hugs

Judith

And it's christmas again......

Good morning all

Well it's definitely winter - and Christmas is in winter lol
Though to be fair we had some lovely sunshine here yesterday
- lets hope it lasts!

It's time for a new just for fun challenge at

Fab'n'Funky Challenges

and its our once a month theme of 

Christmas 

(we're trying hard to encourage good Christmas crafting habits!!)

This is a lovely stamp that I bought last year from Woodware - I love their stamps they are so easy to colour and always make quite quick and easy CAS cards.  I coloured these with the lovely Colourtint pencils from Crafter's Companion - just the perfect shades for this lovely image.  I coloured onto Canson Watercolour paper - I just love the texture of this paper - it makes such a huge difference to the finished result.

This is what I did....

Image - Peace from Woodware at Creative Expressions

Coloured with - Colourtint pencils from Crafter's Companion

Paper used - Canson Watercolour paper

Blackcard - from Crafter's Companion

It would be great to see you playing along - anything Christmas will do!

Hugs

Judith

More Christmas!

Good morning all

Are you fed up with my Christmas posts yet!!

this is the last one I have (for now)

and it's for the new challenge starting today at 

Winter Wonderland Challenge Blog

(I love these Christmas challenges, great for keeping up with Christmas makes)

The theme for this challenge is

All boxed up

and I have these cute little penguins (with boxes!) to share mounted onto one of those fab kinetic cards - I love these they make suprisingly quick and easy cards

the image is Christmas penguins available HERE

It's coloured with my Spectrum noir sparkle pens but I'm afraid you can't see much sparkle in this photo - between the shape of the card, the mirri card and the sparkle this was not aneasy card to photograph at all

The image was provided our sponsor this week

This is what I did....

Image - Christmas Penguins from Sasayaki Glitter

Coloured with Spectrum noir sparkle pens

Card base -Circle Kinetic card base from Crafter's Companion with Let it snow insert

Card - White Sheena stamping card, black card, red mirri from the cute christmas collection all from Crafter's Companion

Hope we see you playing along with us at Winter Wonderland for this challenge - pop over to the blog for some more inspiration from the design team - we have some lovely new teamies playing along for the first time - so be sure to give them a welcome

hugs

Judith xx

A traditional Christmas card for this weeks Christmas challenge

Good morning all

It's time for a new challenge over at 

Fab'n'Funky Challenges

and this week it's our once a month

Christmas Challenge

It's our way of giving you encouragement to get ahead on your Christmas cards for this year

 before the panic sets in!!

My card this week is very much a traditional style

a lovely Sheena Douglass stamp from the Little bit Festive range called Victorian Lady

I coloured her with my colourtint pencils because I thought the muted tones were perfect for this style of image.  - except for the red - which is a Derwent inktense pencil!!

The poinsettias and ivy are are also Sheena Douglass A little bit festive perfect partners

coloured with Spectrum Noir aqua tints (now discontinued) and Sparkle pens

Here's what I did....

Image and sentiment- Victorian lady - Sheena Douglass a little bit sketchy

watercolour card - Canston

coloured with SpectrumNoir colourtint pencils and red derwnt inktense pencil

Papers - Anna Griffin ( old forgotten the name range!)

Card - black and kraft card from Crafter's Companion

Poinsettia and ivy die - Sheena Douglass perfect partners

Coloured with SN aquatints and sparkle pens

Shaped with Heartfelt Creations flower mould

Sparklers - hobby house

Hop over to the fab'n'Funky blog to see the fabulous creations from the team this week - and leave us a Christmas card while you're there!!

Hugs

Judith xx

Things that fly - at Moving along with the Times - this week

Good morning all

There's a new challenge starting at 

Moving along With the Times

the theme is

Things that fly

It can be anything at all - if you check over at the MAWTT challenge blog you'll see that the team have been very creative - everything from birds to kites and a lot more besides!

I thought this was a great theme to make a Christmas card 

(one more to add to the stash)

and got out my new dies and embossing folders that I bought a couple of weeks ago

- I've been dying to use them and I knew there was a cute little bird that would fit this challenge perfectly. I love the Scandinavian style.

This is what i did....

Red card - Luxury collection - red from Crafter's companion

Dies - all from Crafter's Companion Scandinavian Christmas collection by Sara Davies

Embossing Folder from Crafters Companion Nordic collection 

inked with red berry DI from Tim Holtz

The bird is a fab die - it's one of the deep cut mixed media dies so it cuts several at a time and also would be great for all kinds of  fabric Christmas Projects - I think I might make some little felt bird decorations to hang on the Christmas tree - I know I've got some red and white felt squares and some ricrac  to  make a hanging loop .... now where to find them lol

Hope you'll join in with our challenge

Hugs

Judith xx

Winter Wonderland Christmas challenge - with ribbon!

Hi all

Hi all, i'm back today (all be it a little late!) with my card for 

Winter Wonderland Challenge

I'm still on catch up after my holidays and grandchildren  baby sitting duties this week have stopped the progress lol

This morning I was asked- will you look after Eva for an hour

 ...... 5 hours later - need I say more lol

anyway back to the challenge 

our theme this week is 

Ribbon and lace

As I'm still in catch up mode I will confess this is not a card newly made for this challenge

 - but it has never been blogged - so it came in handy : )

A large 8x8 inch card it was made with an image from Crafter's Companion Colourista Christmas USB stick and coloured with CC Colourista pens, then mounted on some gold mirri and black card.  The sentiment is Crafter's Companion Die'sire Seasons Greetings sentiment and a big black satin bow - just to finish it off!

We are sponsored this week by 

Crafty Ribbons

who are offering a prize of a £10 voucher to spend in store

I hope you'll come over and join in with us - looking forward to seeing your creations

hugs

Judith xx