Money boxes and a mess!...

Good evening everyone and a Happy November to you all! Hope you had a good Halloween weekend and that the new month has started as you hope for it to go on!  I'm having a bit of a dilemma at the moment - now I know that women are supposed to be renowned for their multitasking skills and I will be the first to agree, but why is it then, that I can do nothing else when I am designing?!  I become surgically attached to my computer and find that hours fly by in a daze!  I am thoroughly enjoying it but find that I don't have very much that I am able to share with you...yet, anyway!
Because of this, I thought that I would share the projects that we made at our workshop on Saturday.  We decided to make a couple of items that the girls could enjoy themselves, so the first was a little advent calendar box...

...The numbers are individual cards that can be removed and either placed in the box or at the back of the pile...

...Our second project was a wine glass lampshade complete with plastic crystal effect glass and led candle. I actually managed to bring one home and it looks so effective when lit on my mantelpiece!  The girls all said that they had to go and lie down in a darkened room after making them, but that's nothing compared to the state my table gets into when planning these things!...

...The signal to tidy up a bit is when things start dropping off the other side!
I have also made a start on some of the items for our village church Christmas fair, for which I try to do a craft stall every year.  The lovely Carole from our workshop has been collecting some powdered milk type tins for me (thanks again chicken!) and I've been altering them into money boxes...

...I've added a bag of Maltesers inside and even managed to stop myself from eating any! (Don't know how long that will last as it's one of the few chocolates that I love!)  I need to make a couple more and then it's onto wreaths made from larch cones and conkers and a rudolph made from logs and twigs...not sure yet how that one will go!?!
So, I hope you like my Christmassy makes and hope to be back soon with some more crafty inspiration!
Hugs,

I'd like to enter my altered money boxes into the following challenges :

Fab n Funky Challenges

Christmas until tomorrow

Crafty Calendar Challenge

It's all about Christmas until 28th

Crafty Creations Challenge

Brads, buttons or Bows until 10th

(I've used buttons on the santa suit and top snowman eyes)

Simon Says Stamp

Anything Goes until tomorrow

Passion for Promarkers - Add some Sparkle...

Good morning, lovely Bloggers!  My these shorter days seem to fly by - I feel like I'm only just getting up and it's time for bed again!  Had a busy weekend - workshop on Saturday, followed by a wonderful evening out with friends, only getting home at 1am! Then on Sunday, hubby and I had a bit of retail therapy at Dunelm (man, could I buy that whole shop!) and a Christmas factory outlet shop, which I managed to be very restrained at and only came home with some baubles that matched the cushions I'd bought! We had lunch out and it was nice to spend some time together, just the two of us (as we'd been abandoned by both children!).
Well, anyhow, it's Tuesday (again!) which means it's time for a fab new challenge over at Passion for Promarkers.  This week, it's the lovely Eileen in the hostess seat and she would like us to 'Add some sparkle'...a nice easy one for this time of year!  We are sponsored by the wonderful Polkadoodles who are offering a digi stamp called 'Miss Charlotte' to one lucky winner....

So, I decided to create a little Christmas wall hanging as my DT make, using the postbox and Christmas roses from 12 Cards of Christmas...

...It was a nightmare trying to photograph this as the light was just awful yesterday and trying to get the sparkle to show too...my photography skills are not the greatest at the best of times, so this was a real challenge!
I used my Go Kreate Large Frilly Frame #2 dies to make the base for the hanging and covered it with the multi-lingual Christmas words paper from the Postbox design set, inking the edges with Walnut Stain DI.  I cut the Marianne doily circle from gold linen and added an embossed circle inked with Weathered Wood...

...I coloured the flowers and postbox with my Pro/Flexmarkers and added lots of glitter to the flower centres and leaves, then added some extra foliage with All Occasions holly die cuts and Cheery Lynn leaf border and some red Liquid Pearls for the berries.  The small larch cones are real and were given to me by the lovely Carole who attends our workshop...thanks hunny!  I made the hanging sentiment in PS and attached to the base with sparkly, gold ribbon, which was also used for the hanging loop.
So there we have it!  I hope you can find the time to join in with our easy challenge this week and don't forget to hop on over to the Passion for Promarkers blog to see what my wonderful teamies have been making for your inspiration!
Thanks for dropping by today,

I'd like to enter my hanging into the following challenges :

Allsorts Challenge

Christmas until 31st

Vintage pram...

Good morning, dear Blogger friends and I hope you're all coping with the remnants of hurricane Gonzalo who is marching his way across the British isles last night and today!  I was up at 4.20am after being woken by a crashing sound - my beautiful copper lantern being blown over in our lean to!  After lying listening for a few minutes, I decided to go down and rescue the second one before Gonzalo could do any more damage and to recover my washing which was blowing around like rags!  Thankfully, in the daylight I discovered that somehow my lantern, despite being completely blown over, base and all, had remained unscathed apart from a slight dent in the base!  It's much quieter now, so I'm hoping we're over the worst!
It's little man's Harvest service in school today, so I'll be off there later, but thought I would pop in to share a card that I made for friends who have recently had their second little girl.  It's very similar in layout to the baby card that I did for last weeks Passion for Promarkers DT...

...I used the pink pram image and paper from the September design set of A Year in Cards and a pretty pink polka dot that I made in PS...

...I love using my flower puches at the moment - partly because of the amazing inspiration that Norma shares over at From My Craft Room, if you haven't visited her blog, her cards are awesome!
Right, best go and tackle the pile of ironing with my name on it and maybe get a bit of design work in later!  Have a terrific Tuesday!
Crafty hugs,

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges :

Allsorts

Embossing until 24th

(there is an embossed panel behind the pram image)

Creative Corner Challenges

Anything Goes until 24th

As You Like It Challenge

Fave fibre and why until tomorrow

My favourite has to be ribbon and it's very rare that I create a project without it!  It comes in so many colours, textures and widths and is so versatile - I could be a ribbon-oholic if finances would allow!

Colouring on Weetabix!...

My card came in the Top 7 over at Aud Sentiments Challenge! Thanks ladies!

Good morning, lovely peeps from a sunny (at the moment) North Wales!...Bet that title got you curious!...Of course, I haven't actually coloured onto Weetabix - that would just be wrong! - but I have coloured onto the card from a Weetabix box!...

It's quite similar to Kraft card, I suppose, a bit more fibrous, but actually quite easy to colour on!...

...I did wonder if it might bleed a lot, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it doesn't and blends quite well, too!  I have never coloured on anything other than white card, so this was a nice change and turned out okay, even if I do say so myself!  The papers and image are all from 12 Cards of Christmas CD-Rom and the sentiment was made in PS using Serif's Holiday Springs font...

...I had allsorts of stuff on this card at one time or another and ended up discarding it all and keeping to a clean style with just a bit of ribbon and some wooden snowflakes.  I haven't done anything to the inside yet, but will probably end up decorating it with some coordinating papers and a sentiment panel...when I can be bothered!  I really don't do Christmas until the first week in December, but feel that I should at least be trying to get a head start!?!
Well, that's it - short and sweet from me today!  I hope you like my Krafty creation and next time you empty that cereal box, think twice before you put it in the recycle bin!
Have a wonderful Thursday,

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges :

Oldie but a Goddie Challenge

Christmas until 28th

(my image and papers are 2 years old and my snowflakes have been in my stash forever!)

Fab n Funky Challenge

Christmas until 21st

Deep Ocean Challenge

Christmas in October until 19th

I Love Promarkers

Snowflakes until 21st
Aud Sentiments Challenge
Anything Goes until 21st

Harvest Thanksgiving...

Good afternoon, lovely Bloggers!  Autumn has really set in now, here in North Wales - the leaves are dropping at an alarming rate and those that are left are hues of gold and bronze!  I have been out for a walk this morning to pick some larch cones in preparation for Christmas projects for our church fair and had to arm myself with scarf, boots and gloves!

It's our Harvest Thanksgiving service this evening (a week earlier than usual!)and the children from the after school club that I help run on a Monday afternoon have been making a frieze and other projects to decorate the church....

...This is the scarecrow that I made with the 7-11 year olds and the paper sunflowers that each of the children made using a large daisy punch, circular punch and real sunflower seeds.  It's surprising how much time and preparation goes into entertaining 15 children for an hour!
Last night, my MIL, myself and the vicar went to arrange flowers for the windows - I love flowers and flowers arranging, so am quite happy to while away a couple of hours playing with nature's treasures!  Hubby came along too, to help set up a projector screen for the service and my little man was a sweetheart on tea and tidying up duties!  Here's a couple of pics of some of the arrangements I did...

...We'll be looking forward to the homemade leek and potato soup, cheese and rolls, followed by apple pie and fresh cream, after the service...yum!  The children are also donating harvest boxes filled with tins and packet foods to go to a local charity - something I remember doing as a child!
I just thought I would let you in on a few of the other crafty things that I like to do and what else I get up to when I'm not cardmaking and blogging!  Hope you have a wonderful Harvestime with family and friends and I'l be back again tomorrow with another paper creation!
Hugs,

Passion for Promarkers - Oh Baby!...

Good morning, wonderful Blogger friends and a Happy Tuesday to you all!  Today is the start of a brand new challenge over at Passion for Promarkers, with Team 1 on duty and the lovely Shelly setting the theme for us this week which is 'Oh Baby!'.  (Shelly had a little girl of her own (Darcie) in July, so this theme was a bit of a no-brainer really!)...

This week we are sponsored by the amazing Letraset who are offering one lucky winner a set of 6 Metallic Markers - perfect for all those Christmas creations you'll be making!

Don't forget, to be elligible to win the prize, you must use your Letraset markers and follow the theme.

...I decided to make a shaped card base for my card this week and dug out my Go Kreate Frilly Frame #2 dies.  I went with a mainly blue with a hint of yellow colour scheme, using the baby boy papers from A Year in Cards and pierced and inked the edges with Stormy Sky DI...

...I used the ever so cute Wee Birthday Baby Boy image and coloured him with my Pro/Flexmarkers.  Here's the colour list I used :

Skin - Blush, Dusky Pink, Coral

Hair - Buttercup. Champagne, Sandstone

Romper suit - Glacier, Powder, Cloud Blue, Tan, Primrose, Buttercup

Cake - Vanilla, Shale, Umber

Mouse - Satin, Tan, Blush, Dusky Pink

Cherry - Shocking Pink, Vermillion, Maroon

The image is highlighted with crystal glitter and Liquid Pearls in White and Bisque...

 ...I punched some flowers using a Make Me star flower and XCut mini blossom punch, inked and shaped and added diamante or pearl centres.  The leaves are from the Cheery Lynn Leaf Border strip die...

...I stamped the individual letters to read 'baby boy' and created the Congratulations sentiment in PS using Cheddar Jack font...

...the inside is decorated with a printed sentiment panel with a simple verse from Verses4cards.
I hope you can find the time to join in with our challenge this week and thanks for coming to visit me!  Don't forget to hop on over to the Passion for Promarkers blog to see the wonderful creations that my fabulous teamies have been creating for your inspiration!
Have a great week and stay crafty!

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges :

MilkCoffee

Lots of Layers (until 22nd)

Sister Act Challenge

Anything Goes (until 16th)

Crafty Calendar Monthly Challenge 

Bingo

(I've gone with Flowers, sentiment, blue)

Fab n Funky

Anything with Ribbon (closes today)

A couple more Tildas...

Good afternoon, lovey peeps!  Well, it's almost the weekend and yet another week has flown by...at this rate, Christmas will have been and gone before we know it!  I have got my designer head on at the moment and am on a bit of a roll drawing images for my next disc!  My (it's supposed to be hubby's but has now been claimed full time by me!) desk is full of pieces of paper with sketches on, pencils, foam pads and toppers where I've been printing and trialling different designs - maybe one of these days I'll actually tidy it ?!  (Cue fits of hysterical laughter from my family!)

Anyway, I am mid-sort of my computer files too and came across another couple of Princess Tilda cards that I haven't blogged, so here they are for your inspiration...

 ...I used the same layout as before for the green and pink combo, as I batch made these, just altering the colour scheme and Tilda's hair and dress colour each time.

I also found a couple of drawings that I thought I would share for you to use, so will be posting them for you to download in the next week or so.  The first is a horseshoe digistamp...

...To download, just click on the image then right click and Save Image as...to your PC.  There's also a digitally coloured version...

...Don't know if anyone will use them, but I thought it better to give the chance than just delete them!  (If you do use them, I'd love to see what you make with them!)

Short and sweet from me today, I'm off to heat up some homemade chicken and veg soup for lunch and then I might just tackle my craft table so that we possibly might be able to have tea sat at it this evening!  I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow! Have a great weekend and let's hope that the sun remembers to shine again!
Hugs,