Jellypark Challenge - Stars Shining Brightly

Today is being a rather busy day for blog posts! But this is the last one of the day!! If you're looking for the Funky Ink blog hop then its underneath! And Simply Create Too is beneath that!

It's a new challenge at Jellypark plus there are also two new digi releases too but those will be blogged over the weekend (3 posts in one day is enough for anyone!!) but if you can't wait to see them, have a look at the Jellypark blog - some wonderful designs from the girls!!

The theme this fortnight is:

Stars Shining Brightly

And I've gone literal and made a star shaped card.  The template is my own (basically, a star shape and then add a fold (taking care not to fold one of the points) and then trim where it meets the other side!  The papers I found in my stash although I have a feeling they are from a Polkadoodle cd and I've added stickles to the edges.

The image is part of the set drawn for the recent Papercraft Essentials magazine and it's available in the shop to buy for only £1.25!  Boy Playing With Train has been coloured with Promarkers and layered onto the card with foam pads.  The banner is a Sizzix die cut and I've handwritten the sentiment, shaded it with Promarkers and then added stickles around the edges.

And finally added a string of tiny little lights!  I find that glossy accents are the best at sticking things like this as they dry clear and quick too!!

Good luck with the challenge and pop back over the weekend to see the two new release stamps and what I've made with them!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz:  Christmas - No Red, Green or Gold (only a titchy bit - is that ok?!)
Pixie Dust Studio:  Winter Holiday 
Divas By Design:  Glitter and Sparkle 
For Fun Challenges:  Christmas With Sparkle 
I Love Promarkers:  Anything Goes 
Ruby's Rainbow:  Shaped Cards 

Image:  Jellypark, coloured with Promarkers
Template:  My own
Papers:  Suspect it's Polkadoodles
Dies:  Sizzix banner
Everything else:  My stash 

Funky Hand and Tiddly Inks Blog Hop!

I hope you are sitting comfortably!!  And welcome to my little part of the very first Funky Hand and Tiddly Inks blog hop!!!  This is where the creative talents of Anice and Christy come together along with both Design Teams and we can show you just how well the papers and digi images complement each other!

We were all lucky enough to work with a Tiddly Inks image (although I have a fair few to be going on with!) and of course some of the fab Funky Hand paper!  For my sample I went a bit plain and simple on the outside because I just love the image and I didn't want her being overshadowed by pretty papers!

So I've used Minnie's Lights and printed her directly onto the card blank then coloured her with Promarkers and added stickles to the lights (making them sparkly!) and glossy accents to her glasses.  The sentiment stamp (slightly wonky despite it being clear acrylic!) is a Studio G 99p set which I do use quite a lot!

So if you're wondering where the Funky Hand papers are - look no further!  I've done a first for me and decorated the inside of the card!!!  The photo shows it on it's side - the plain panel is the bit you'd write on.  Papers are from the Christmas Tree download which is part of the Oh Come All Ye Crafters collection.  I've printed them as A5 - so two to a sheet of paper so that the pattern was not too large.

Apologies if the photo overhangs the side bar - it was a bit titchy as 'large'!

So, back to the blog hop!!  You'll need to start at Anice so that you don't miss anyone on the hop - miss one of us and you'll miss out on being in to win one of two fab prizes!  But if you've landed on my blog from Leah then you're on the right track - hope you left her a comment?!  Don't forget to leave me a comment before you hop over to Lou Mac who you'll need to leave a comment for too!

Right, I think that's it!!  You'll need to be quick with the hop - you have until 12am CST on December 3 to get your comments on our posts!!!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

For Fun Challenges:  Christmas Sparkle
I Love Promarkers:  Anything Goes 
Paper Pretties:  Girly Card 
Paper Shelter:  Christmas 
Whimsy Inspirations:  Traditional Christmas Colours 
Crafty Sentiments:  Red, White and Green 

Image:  Tiddly Inks, coloured with Promarkers, Stickles and Glossy Accents
Papers:  Funky Hand, Christmas Tree download
Sentiment:  Studio G acrylic stamp  

Simply Create Too Challenge 27 Midway Extra - Give Thanks

We're at the Midway part of our Simply Create Too Challenge and its also our First Birthday!!  And to celebrate we are having a little online party and have some fab blog candy up for grabs!  There are three parts to being in it to win it, so pop over to Simply Create Too to find out more!!

The theme for the last week is:

Give Thanks

And I'm lucky enough to be part of the very fab Funky Hand Design Team and I asked Anice if she would consider a prize for our First Birthday and she said yes!  So there is also a Funky Hand download of the winners choice, and I've used a download too to make this funky word book:

I've used the Retro Fun wordbook download, printed the letters off that I wanted onto some 220gsm card, cut them out and then arranged them like pages in a book.  Glittered around the edges of the letters and added some funky ribbon tied in funky bows and two beads from a rather pretty (but very cheap) bracelet from the Poundshop!

The cards look really effective but are pretty quick to make - probably about 45 mins in total plus drying time for the glitter.  Not bad eh?!  In the download you get the full A to Z alphabet plus numbers 0 to 9 plus 7 matching A4 sized papers! I use the A4 papers on the reverse of the letters so it all looks 'finished'.

Good luck with the challenge and don't forget to answer our questions over on Simply Create Too!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Craft Us Crazy:  Give Thanks
Crafty Ribbons:  Use At Least Two Ribbons
Do You Stack Up:  Thanks
Milk, Coffee, Stamps:  Thankful
Paper Play:  Pink, Green and Cream
Crafts and Me:  Ribbon or Trim
Diva's By Design:  Glitter and Sparkle

Wordbook:  Retro Fun wordbook download from Funky Hand
Ribbons:  My stash
Beads:  Poundshop

Number 9

I know that this is not a card so strictly I shouldn't be adding it to A Card A Day blog list, but it is something I've created!!  And I'm determined to blog every day in November and December, just so I know that I CAN do it!!!

Samuel won his 9th trophy of the year on Sunday at Daytona Manchester in the Cadet Inkart Championship.  He finished 3rd in the final race and therefore ended up on the podium and got a trophy!  There are 11 rounds across the Championship and November was the final round.  And he's come 2nd overall in the Championship too and he will be presented with the 2nd place trophy just before Christmas!

So here he is with his trophy - second from the right (the bigger boys are the Juniors!) 

 
He's the youngest on the photo by at least 2 years (he's only just turned 9) and he's the highest placed rookie in the Cadet Championship - 18 months ago he'd never even sat in a kart let alone competed!!

If you want to know a bit more about what he's doing and how he's doing along with Jacob, have a look at their karting blog! 

I promised him when he got his first trophy back in February that if he got 10 I'd buy a cabinet......... guess who's eating her words now?!!  Me and my big mouth!

Dude Time Doodles 28 November New Releases and Blog Hop

The time has come for the very last Dude Time Doodle New Release (cue sad music) and as its New Release Time we celebrate with a Blog Hop.  So please pop round the team to say your final goodbyes to us as a DT although no doubt you'll come across us somewhere in blog land again!

I've used Tree Topping Tim and coloured him with Promarkers - he will be available in the store to buy real soon so make sure you do because after 15th December, the doors will close and you won't be able to get him!

If you've arrived at me from The Dude Time Doodles Blog then you are on the right track although there is no start or finish point - just as long as you work your way through each of the blogs and leave us a comment at each point then you'll be in with a chance of winning! After you have left me a comment, pop over to Dawn.

I've used a freebie paper from The Clip Art Fairy and layered my image and sentiment (Studio G acrylic stamp) onto some random red card I found in my stash.  The star is actually a chipboard tree ornament I bought from Tesco last year - 10 for £1 and because the pattern didn't match, I covered it in some more offcut paper and then inked the edges.

Good luck with the hop and thank you to Dude Time Doodles, Boni, Anne and Tammy for all the help, support, laughs and giggles behind the scenes!  I'm following all the DT so I keep in touch!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:


Party Time Tuesdays:  Anything Goes
ABC Challenges:  Anything Goes
Cards For Men:  Merry Christmas


Image:  Dude Time Doodles, coloured with Promarkers
Paper:  The Clip Art Fairy freebie
Sentiment:  Studio G acrylic stamp
Star:  Tesco Christmas tree ornament, covered with red card and inked

MMMmmmmm! Gingerbread!

Although I'm not a huge biscuit and cake fan (although have been known to demolish almost a full box of French Fancies just prior to giving birth!) I am rather partial to Sainsbury's Jam Doughnuts and also Gingerbread men!!

So you can imagine my quandry when making this:

All the papers are from Here Comes Christmas cd from Polkadoodles and I've used a fancy X Cut die for the top part of the bag then layered the sentiment topper over the top.  The ribbon is from my stash and I've used a card cello bag for the gingerbread men.

Really quick and easy to make.  And the other two gingerbread men that came in the pack got eaten!  By the boys too.......!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Crazy Amigo Challenge:  Gifts
Crafty Boots:  Anything Goes
Digi Makeover:  Christmas
Lexi's Creations:  Christmas
Ooh La La:  Spots and Dots
Stamping Sensations:  Traditional Christmas

All papers:  Here Comes Christmas cd from Polkadoodles
Gingerbread men:  Sainsbury's (and long gone!)
Everything else:  My stash

Fetch A Sketch Challenge 38

It's time for a new Fetch A Sketch challenge!  And here is the sketch for this fortnight:

We are sponsored by My Creative Classroom who are offering a lucky winner a place in an online class!

We've also got a Guest Designer for the challenge too, but you'll have to pop over to Fetch A Sketch to see who it is!

I've kept my card quite simple and I've managed to use up another of the Christmas tree decorations that I seem to have collected (you can never have enough pretty sparkly things that are intended for Christmas decorations but would look even better on cards!), although I have a feeling that these were generously donated by Lynsey!

I've glittered the edge of my card base and then added an acetate panel that I'd embossed with a snowflake Cuttlebug folder after cutting it out with an X Cut fancy die.  Bit of a nightmare to get it to stick to the card blank but I was determined it was going to.  And it did!

I've added the peel off sentiment - I know!  But it was the best thing I had as stamping looked terrible and actually, I think the peel off doesn't look too bad!  Just have to think of how to use the other million that I have hehehe!  Anyway, the sentiment has been added to an offcut of vellum.

Good luck with the challenge!

I'd like to enter the following:

Eclectic Ellapu:  Celebration with Sparkle
The Crafty Pad:  Add Some Glitter
Allsorts:  Bring On The Bling
Unstampabelles:  Monochromatic
Less Is More:  Glitz and Glamour

Christmas Tree decoration:  Donated by Lynsey
Dies:  Cuttlebug snowflakes embossing folder, X Cut fancy die
Everything else:  My stash

Santi Beaches

As you may have noticed on my Dude Time Doodle post from earlier in the week, Dude Time Doodles is closing its doors on the 15 December.  I've been with the Design Team since the first challenge and have loved the wackiness that is Dude Time Doodles and the support given from the rest of the team.

So here is one of my favourite Dude Time Doodle images - Santi Beaches:

He's one cool Santa!  Papers and tag are from Here Comes Christmas cd from Polkadoodles and I've added some layered snowflakes cut with Marianne Creatables dies.  The red felt snowflakes are actually ribbon (sort of) and I bought it from Marks and Spencers a few weeks ago when me and the boys were having a breakfast treat in the cafe!

So if you want to stock up on Dude Time Doodle images you better be quick as the 15 December will be here before you know it!

Oh, and Samuel won his 9th trophy of the season earlier today!  He came third in the November Cadet Inkart Championship at Daytona Manchester.  And with the points he collected during the heats and final, it places him firmly in second place overall in the Championship!  Not bad for his first year kart racing!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Hiding In My Craft Room:  Christmas
Little Claire's Designs:  Christmas
Paper Creator:  Christmas
Marianne's Design Diva's:  Gentlemans Hour
Sparkles Forum:  Christmas is Coming

Papers and sentiment:  Here Comes Christmas cd from Polkadoodles
Dies:  Marianne Creatables
Red snowflake:  Marks and Spencers
Everything else:  My stash

Nephew

I've been busy making baby cards recently - one of my cousins was due (and arrived early!) but we didn't know if it was to be a boy or girl so I made a variety of each and some in lemon and cream too!  And a good friend was about to become an Aunty to a little boy (and he arrived early too!) so here is the card I made from her:

And yes, its a wordbook!  I've used papers from The Clip Art Fairy - Beautiful Baby Boy papers but the Printables Store has closed so I don't know if the papers are still available.  I've made the letters in word and then cut them out, layered onto some plain paper from the download and then layered again onto the 'pages'.  I've glittered around each letter - I actually print the letters in a colour similar to the papers so its not too visible, but enough so I can see where I'm cutting!

I've added some ribbon, embroidery thread and a little silver charm from my stash.  Some of the stars on the letters (the darker ones) have had glossy accents applied over the top to give it a bit more texture.

Jacob's football team lost again this morning - 8-4 despite leading at the start 2-0.  He was in goal for the whole match and made some cracking saves (despite letting 8 in!  Although one was an own goal from one of our mid-fielders) and was named Man of the Match by our Coach!

Samuel has the final Inkart Round tomorrow morning at Daytona Manchester.  He's currently in second place in the Cadet Championship and hopefully a decent finish tomorrow will ensure that placing.  It's all go in our house!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Ladybug Crafts:  Monochrome
Daring Cardmakers:  Twinkle Twinkle
Fussy and Fancy:  Feeling Blue
Dutch Dare:  Fancy Folds
Little Red Wagon:  Boy oh Boy

Papers:  The Clip Art Fairy (think they are retired)
Letters:  Wordart
Everything else:  My stash

Polkadoodle Challenge 47 - Any Die Will Do!

Welcome to another Polkadoodle Challenge!  The theme this week is:

Any Die Will Do

I've used my Marianne Creatables Poinsettia die for the first time and also, I'm ashamed to say, used silicone glue for the first time too!  I usually use foam pads but thought I'd give silicone ago as I'm tired of gunking up my good scissors and having to keep cleaning them!  Just so lazy!

I've covered my circular base card with a paper from Here Comes Christmas cd and also cut out some of the tiny Poinsettia flowers and then layered them onto the Sizzix Scallop tags - I've handwritten the sentiments.

I've added a touch of glitter glue to the corners of the flowers - the red card that I've used I've had for ages and it's been that long I can't remember where I got it from!  I've made the leaves out of green card and then cut up one of the flower shapes.  The centres of the flowers have a little gold gem added and the ribbons are from my stash.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Crafty Creations:  Christmas Is Coming
Ruby's Rainbow:  Shaped Cards
Whimsy Inspirations:  Traditional Christmas Colours
Shopping Our Stash:  Leaf or Leaves
Ooh La La:  Someone Special
CD Sunday:  Layer It Up

Papers:  Polkadoodles - Here Comes Christmas cd
Dies:  Marianne Creatables - Ponisettia, Sizzix Scallop Tags
Everything else:  My stash