This months ATC Travel Swaps

I host the monthly theme ATC swap over on Docrafts - this months theme is travel!

You can use any technique or style,and as you can see, there is a wide interpretation of this theme.

I am just about to sort out the swaps and will be getting them out in the post tomorrow

I love joining in the ATC swaps on the Docraft and Trimcraft forums and try to enter as many as I can, it often means stretching yourself or trying out something a bit different on a small scale!

Wedding Card Commission

I make cards for several different charties including a local Sport for the Disabled one. They have asked me to make a wedding card for 2 of their members who are getting married and I was happy to oblige!

Velvet Plum Bows

I treated myself to a purple grab bag from Craftwork Cards sale and with the pile of papers, card and embellishments was this pad of velvet plum paper bows!

I just had to have a play with them and start adding bows to some cards - they are so easy to put together!

More stash gone!

A quiet weekend has allowed more time for crafting - so a few more cards for the Charity box! 

I'm also up to date on all my ATC swaps for this month too. For anyone who wants to join in with my January Travel ATC swap , the details are here.

Using Up Bits & Pieces

My stash is far too big and one of my New Years resolutions is to try and make a hole in it!

These papers and embellishments have been around for ages and its about time they went.

These cards will soon be making their way to help raise funds for Sport for the Disabled, Cancer Care for Suffolk or St Elizbeth Hospice in Ipswich - all local charities which I donate cards to.

My Cozy Cave

This is my small and compact craft room- after years of crafting on the dining room table, I really appreciate a room of my own. Not surprisingly, the size of my stash has also grown to fill all the extra space. 

I love just spending the odd hour in here, listening to the radio and playing with my bits and pieces - I never have clear idea how my cards will turn out, I just put together a stamp, a backing paper and some embellishments and see what works together!

I find card making a great way of de-stressing from life and also a great way of making friends through my blogs, swaps and craft forums. A happy and healthy New Year to you all!

Not Many Bargains at The Range

I was a bit disappointed with my visit to the Range - it seemed there was mainly Christmas stock in the sale and not much else.

I only bought some full price card blanks and this pretty decoupage pad - and it was only reduced by £2!

I did have a fun afternoon crafting though,  and made these cards for 2016

Hope You all had a Great Christmas!

Hubby, Daughter, Me, Mum, Son and Sons GF

We had a lovely meal at a local pub - no arguing over the sprouts, no getting up early to put the turkey in the oven and best of all  - no washing up! Well worth every penny. Staff were super too, so we left a good tip for those who put their Christmas day on hold to help  make ours so good.

Really enjoyed the Xmas Doctor Who episode and for once wasn't left confused about what was going on - River Song rocks!

Off to check out the sale at The Range to see if there are any crafty bargains.  May 2016 be a great year for you all - Dawn

Christmas ATC's and Advent

I've placed all the Christmas ATC's that I've received this year on the door around my advent calendar, so that I can admire them every time I pass into the lounge. There are some lovely robins, stockings and snowmen, plus a cross stitched initial with a gingerbread man!

Wren with Blackberries

This card was made with a very old stamp of a wren which has been lurking at the back of the basket for a long time - its made by Jayne Netley Mayhew. 

It's layered against some lovely soft pink roses background papers with a hot pink ribbon. I enjoyed making something that didn't involve glitter, snowmen or reindeer!

Purple Angel Christmas Card

 Probably one of my last Christmas cards for this year - for my Aunt who loves the colour purple!

I'm not sure how many cards I have made for Christmas this year - but it must be more than 200, as I make for a couple of local charities as well as my large family. However, I still have lots of Xmas stash left over, as well as several stamps that I didn't get round to using!!

Dressing up

 The Creative Stamping Magazine had a lady stamp who could wear 3 different dresses - do you remember comics like Bunty and Twinkle where you could cut out the doll and her different clothes?  I used to love them as a child!

I've had a go at cutting out the dresses in different scraps of paper to make up these cards.

 This tulip backing paper has been sitting around for years waiting for this inspiration!!!

Look what came in the post today!

All three of the magazines that I subscribe to arrived this morning!

With husband at work and daughter out on a trip with the Guides to the Harry Potter Studio Tour, I have got plenty of time to play with the  free gifts of  stamps and dies.

Thanks Scrapthology!

I participated in Scrapthologys recent 'Inspiration Interrogation' and was lucky to receive this wonderful crafty prize!

I've never had one of these build-a-scene sets before and straight away had to get out my trusty cuttlebug and start cutting.

This is my first attempt with a sparrow substituted for the peacock!

Cannibalising Old Christmas Cards

These 2 cards were made by re-using some little robins that were on one of the Christmas cards I received last year - they were so cute, I just had to use them again!

I cut out branches from scraps of brown card and put them against different backgrounds. I still have a pile of last years cards to recycle in some way!

Great Free Gifts!

I just love the free gifts that came out with magazines this month! The Poinsettia nesting dies from Papercraft Essentials are a lovely size and the dove from Simply Cards and Papercraft Magazine is so pretty.

I managed to combine both of them in this Christmas card.

And I added the dove to this wedding card I made made previously. I have made another dozen or more poinsettia flowers yesterday from scraps of red and green paper  - so another Christmas card session beckons today!

inspiration interrogation

I've decided to join in with Scrapthology's interrogation for a bit of fun, it's always interesting to find out a bit more about you crafting bloggers!

1. What's the oldest item of clothing in your wardrobe that you still wear? And how old is it?

Well, I did wear the ra-ra dress I got engaged in 1982 at a 1980's themed party a couple of years ago, but only because it had a very elastic waist! I do dig out my grey faux fur hat out this time, every year for the cold weather, it was a Christmas present from my sister from at least 15 years ago.

2. What's the last film you saw at the cinema? And when?

Jurassic World - which made me jump, even though the story line was pretty much the same as the last ones. I'm really looking forward to the new Star Wars film.

3. What was your favourite childhood meal?

Its got to be Macaroni Cheese, you can't beat it with a couple of rashers of bacon.

4. What TV show have you watched more than any other?

Easy, Doctor Who! I'm a massive fan and always have been.  I was probably conceived about the time the first show was aired in 1963 (the same day that JFK was shot!). Christmas Day isn't the same without the Doctor Who special to look forward to.

5. Halloween Humbug or Fright Fan?

Fright fan - just love dishing out the sweets to the local kids, I made up 35 goodie bags and still ran out this year!

Top Tips for Card Making!

This week has been a bit of a comedy of errors on the crafting front! Nothing has seemed to go right, so here are a few tips to remind myself and others when card making

1. don't stick anything down until you are happy with the layout - several times I have had to peel off embellishments that were in the wrong place or just didn't go with the the background paper
2. watch out for Australian cards - yes, sticking stuff on upside down.
3. beware of inky fingers - I have had to cover up smudged marks with strategically placed flowers or card candi.

What are your tips for us card makers??

Cards For Charity

Like many people, I get carried away and make far too many Christmas and Birthday cards than I need.  I always give  a box full to my local Cancer Care Centre and also to Macmillan Nurses. This year I've made over 120 cards for each.

I'm also hoping to sell a few birthday cards tomorrow as part of my works Wear it Pink fund raising- and then there is Children In Need next month too.

All good reasons to spend more time in the craft room!

I'm going to glow in the dark!

That's me in the yellow top and also wearing the orange tutu on the boards

For many years I have helped to raise funds for St Elizabeth Hospice in Ipswich, Suffolk - in fact I am one of their oldest volunteers, having done it for 26 years now!

They asked me to help launch the Midnight Walk for next year, which they hope will be their biggest and best ever - and the theme is Neon. It was launched at Ipswich Town Football Club yesterday and 

we were featured in the local newspaper too!

My daughter and several friends are going to do the walk with me next May, which I'm sure will be a bit of a laugh!!!

Joy to the World

A card made with the stamp and embossing set from Simply Cards and Papercraft  Magazine - loved the embossed village scene!

Re-using Old Christmas Cards

Several people give me their old Christmas cards each year so that I can reuse the ribbons, sentiments and toppers.

With a bit of mat and layering they can easily be reused as backgrounds too!

I also use the backs for stamping, so very little goes in the recycling bin!

More Nordic Christmas Stamps .....

Just after I made the last post, what should land on my doorstep, but the latest copy of Creative Stamping Magazine with another large set of Scandinavian inspired stamps!

I couldn't wait to start using them and made these Christmas cards - I love that Stags head!

A Couple of Nordic Cards ...

Although it's not my style, it seems that Nordic themed cards are 'in' this year. I reused a Christmas card from last year in the top card and added backing paper and a little wooden girl with a felt hat to the gingerbread house. 

The bottom card is using the free  heart shaped die from Cardmaking & Papercraft Magazine and layered it against yellow coregated card and Papermanias 12 days of Christmas paper from last year