temptation....

 

Well, I know I shouldn't, but I went onto the Tonic website to check out their range of Nuvo drops and they had this collection of their Glitter Drops on special offer at 40% off - I just couldn't resist.

So I am going through the cards that I have already made and adding lots of glitter drop embellishments to them, a great job for a wet and miserable afternoon!

Getting a Nuvo Collection

 

For many years I have used Ranger Liquid Pearls to add embellishment to my cards, but I have got fed up of having to clear the nozzles with a pin every time I want to use them. So I am gradually swapping to Nuvo drops, as they don't seem to suffer from nozzle clogging.

They are more expensive, but the bottles are nearly twice the size and so last much longer.

So far I have 6 bottles of Crystal drops, 2 bottles of the translucent Jewels drops, 2 bottles of Glitter drops and 2 bottles of vintage drops. I think there are over 100 different colours and types, so I have a long way to go!

Feeling Sporty

 

There are loads of different sports depicted in the freebie stamps with this months Creative Stamping Mag!

This means I shall be making loads of cards for the sports fans around, practically every popular sport is included.

Embossing again

 

The freebie embossing folder from Simply Cards Magazine is proving to be very inspirational, here are another couple of cards using a different colour scheme and incorporating the stamps that were also free with issue 213

And then this simple  'Thinking of You' card shows how it looks debossed on the other side

Not Going Out

 

I am happy to comply with government instructions and stay indoors, when it is snowing like this outside. Snow that lays is a bit of a novelty in Suffolk and we may only get it a couple of times a year.

Of course, the other good reason to stay inside, is to sit in my lovely craft room and play with my new embossing folder. I have used it in several different colour schemes and styles now.

This could be a popular addition to my stack of embossing folders!

Back in the craft room

 

At last I can move back into the craft room! It has had a new ceiling, all walls skimmed and painted a very pale gray colour. All it needs is a new carpet, but that can wait until after lockdown finishes.

I also got the new issue of Simply Cards magazine in the post today and can't wait to try out the new embossing folder that came with it!

Work in Progress

 

Its going to be at least another week before I can get into the craft room.  Unfortunately we have had to replace the ceiling, what a mess that made! Plastering starts on Monday with decorating on Thursday & Friday.

Last chance to craft for a while

 

.... as tomorrow I have to empty my craft room as it is being re-decorated next week. It was last decorated over 15 years ago! We were hoping to get a new carpet too, but that will have to wait until we get out of Tier 4.  This little bedroom has so much stuff crammed into it, that it will take a while for it all to be removed and stacked elsewhere. Certainly makes me realise how much stuff I have accumulated over the years!!

I won't be dancing the night away

 There will be no dressing up, putting on the heels and partying away the night this New Years Eve, will there - however happy we are to see the back of 2020! 

Looks like it will be a cosy night in watching Great British Sewing Bee and Skyfall, and a bit of gin might be consumed.

Peace on Earth

 Well, it will be a peaceful Christmas this year - no dashing down motorways to visit relatives, no elbowing crowds at the supermarkets to get the last sprouts and, for so many people, the day spent on their own with just the TV for company. 

I, like millions of others, are heading for Tier 4 lockdown on Boxing Day.  Will be sad not to see the wider family over festive time, but all presents have been delivered and the house is warm and full of food - I also feel very lucky that all my family are still  here and healthy.

Wishing you all peace and harmony over Christmas

Having a Play

 

Having finished all my Christmas cards and with plenty of time on my hands, I got out the Cosmic shimmer polishes to have a play with. The Blushed Peach opal polish is great because on black card ( above) it comes out pink, but on white card it goes on as a peachy cream! Two shades for the price of one.

I also wanted to make some some masculine cards, as they make great metallic type backgrounds used on embossed black and kraft card stock

JoJo's Jungle Bargain

 

I bought this JoJo's Jungle decoupage toppers pad this week at the Range, normally £5 it was reduced to £3 - but when I got to the checkout it was reduced again and only cost me £1.50!

I bought it because it would be great to help make cute kids birthday cards ....

and the images are great for both boys and girls!

Scrapbooking for a change ...

 

Whilst tidying out some drawers during lockdown, I came across these hand written notes of my daughters time at nursery school 15 years ago. I had completely forgotten about them!

With all the lovely photos of her playing, they were ideal for making up some scrap book pages 

These are all 'Work in Progress' - the great thing about scrapbooking, is that you can go back to them and add embellishments and decorations once you have sorted out your layouts.

A Wedding Card today

 

So many weddings have been postponed this year and there is still no certainty that large weddings with lots of family and friends will be allowed for a while yet.

But despite that, I've made a wedding card!

  It started off uncovering the 3 leaf charm toppers at the bottom of a box of bits and pieces and thinking 'what the heck can I do with them?'  I matched them up with some other odd bits such as the ribbon, flowers and hearts to make a silver and white based card with touches of glitter.

 

Charming!

 Last year the clasp broke on my cheap pandora style Christmas Charm bracelet. So I saved the charms to use on this years Christmas cards. I, then, promptly forget about them!

I've just found them when routing around for something else, They are a selection of presents, snowmen, snowflakes, Santa etc

I've threaded them on red velvet or silver ribbon and layered them on scraps of sparkly Dufex that I have had kicking around for years.

plus I've used some other scraps of backing papers too - so quite pleased with the overall effect.

Tonic Floral Cuff

 Having a break from making Christmas cards ( you can have too much of a good thing!) So I decided to have a play with the tonic goodies I won last week.

The floral cuff die has a lovely clean, crisp cut and comes with 5 matching graduated flower dies

The embossing folder makes a nice clean pattern too - I think I will get alot of use from these in the future!

Papercrafter Mag 153 - Kanban Vintage Christmas Kit

 I loved the Kenban Vintage Christmas card kit that comes free with this months Papercrafter Mag and these are the first cards I have made using the die cuts from the kit

They have a lovely traditional feel to them, ideal for my older relatives!

Plus this fab  golden sparkly robin background paper!

Stocking Up

Well, I wasn't the only person who headed to to Hobbycraft to stock up on card making essentials, as I had to queue for 20 minutes to get in, but at least I won't run out of double sided tape or card blanks now.

I also treated myself to Creative Stamping Magazine (issue 89) to inspire me through the next few weeks of lockdown.

It has encouraged me to do a bit of heat embossing - a technique I have sorely neglected for a while.

Lucky Me

 

I was lucky enough to win this Tonic Cardmaking Collection kit last week.  Christina Griffiths from Card Making Magic, has a regular giveaway on her blog (called Flowers, Ribbons & Pearls) and last week I was the winner!

There are lots of papers and toppers, an embossing folder and 10 stamps!

Plus a fab Floral Cuff die and loads of ideas in the magazine to inspire you to use it - a great giveaway!

Why not pop over to her blog and see what she is giving away this week, she posts one every Friday and the winner is drawn out of the hat on Saturday! You could be lucky like me.