Just loving the new Portobello Road range!

As soon as I saw the new Portobello Road range by Papermania I knew I just had to have them so used the last of my Christmas money on them!

I  just love the retro Great British  feel to them and the versatility of the stamps. I just had to get them inked up and experiment making a couple of cards!

I thought these would make great cards for those 'difficult' to cater for men in the family - you know, the ones who don't like football, flash sports cars or pints of beer. They might even do for teenagers off to study or work in London for the first time!

I'm entering this into the Bling it On - New Beginnings challenge

Fab 'n' Funky - Something new Challenge

Zingy Little Claire Cat Birthday Card

This is one of my favourite stamps but I haven't used it for a long time! 

I decided to use a lime green and teal colour scheme to go with the backing paper which has been kicking around in my stash for ages. The stamp was stamped onto the back of an old recycled Christmas card and coloured with promarkers. 

I added the bow and cut out a little birdie from an unused scrap of the paper as embellishments.

My new years resolution is to enter more challenges so I'm entering this into 

Make it Monday

Cards more Men - recycling

Crafty Boots - Celebration

New Year - New Babies

Feeling in an optimistic frame of mind for 2012 and so I have made some New Baby cards for any that might come along in the next few months. They were both made with the Craftwork Card Colour Me Ovals and some of their candi brads 

I'm going to build up my spare cards box because you never know when you might need some and I've been caught out on the hop a couple of times in 2011...

Cards for the Kids

Sorting through my stash I came across a set of papers and chipboards from the Party Animal Range from Kaisercraft. 

They are so bright and zingy that I just felt I had to make some more cards with then. 

I don't have any spare birthday cards suitable for young children, so put some together for the younger members of the family. I can just add the appropriate number for their age.

Are you playing with your crafty Christmas presents...

Because I have been! I couldn't resist it any longer, I had to get out my stash which had ALL been tidied away for Christmas, and now it is spread all over the lounge table again!

I wanted to use my new Papermania Urban bird stamps because of their lovely vintage, distressed look with my new Brilliance Copper ink

Back to the ATC's

Now that my Christmas Stash is packed away, I'm going back to making some ATC's and with these two, I've used some of the great free stamps with this month Simply Homemade Magazine in a collage. 

I'm hoping to join in a lot more ATC swaps this year as often the challenges are challenging - forcing me to try different techniques, themes or styles that are a bit out of my comfort zone!

Very Last Christmas Card??

I have written out and posted all my cards and still have a few left over - so why did I decide to make this card this morning??

Well,  you can blame the latest challenge at Inspirational Card Sketches. 

Lottery Scratch card Holders

We are having a big family get together at my house of Boxing Day - expecting 17, so it will be a houseful!

As a small Christmas Tree present, all the adults are getting a lottery scratch card, so I spent a fun evening making little envelope holders to put them in.

I set myself the task of trying to use up some of the scraps of Christmas papers accumulated over the years, but really they didn't make much of a dent in the pile!

Deco Lady Christmas Cards

The end is in sight, Christmas is only 2 weeks away, so why am I still making cards? Those for all my family and friends have been written and posted, plus I have a few spares just in case, but I still can't stop making cards!

Perhaps it is because I still have so many lovely papers and stamps left??

These beautiful ladies are from the Debbi Moore Magazine with just a sprinkling of extra glitter and silver ribbon added!

An early Christmas present

I treated my self to an early Christmas present - the Marianne Creatables lamp post die that I have been lusting over since I saw it advertised in a magazine over a month ago.

Despite heavy hints, it looked like no-one was going to buy it for me, so I ordered it myself!

As it arrived today and I'm off on strike, I could not resist trying it out straight away and this is my first attempt with a glittery rudolph!


I'm entering this into Mariannes 'It's Christmas' Challenge

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

I love this cute reindeer from Lili of the Valley - this evening I went with the family down to Stowmarket to watch the Christmas lights switch on. They had 2 real live Reindeer there as well as Santa, a snow machine and loads of live music. Fabulous!!!

More Polar Bears!

Following on from my last post with those little felt polar bears, I checked my stash and found these cute polar bear stamps. The cub is from Dimension Fourth and the oval free from a magazine. Plus I unearthed a sweet polar bear topper from Lili of the Valley.

I don't know about you, but I tend to go in phases of colours, layouts and themes when making cards - feeling icy, blue and bears at the moment!

Little Felt Polar Bears

I bought these cute little felt polar bears in a sale in January, I wish I could remember where from and I wish I had bought more of them!

A Cute Little Christmas

These cute little characters are from Craftwork Cards, and as a change from the traditional colour schemes, I've made these with purples and golds because I got this beautiful gold & purple ribbon which I was desperate to use!

21st cards for Twins!

I was commissioned to make 21st birthday cards for a pair of twin girls, the only guidance I had was for BIG cards - one for the girly twin, the other who is more of a tomboy but loves to party!

So these are A4 sized using Papermania birthday papers and their 2 and 1 stamps and I added their names cut by my Cuttlebug and made them similar but different. My friend likes them - hope the twins do too!

Yummy Christmas Ribbon

I treated myself to some scrumptious Christmas ribbon from Halfpenny Home today and couldn't wait to to use it on a card!

I've teamed it up with a snowman from Craftwork cards and freebie papers from Quick Cards Magazine

Cosy Christmas Collection

Spent this afternoon making a few more Christmas cards - this time using the Cosy christmas collection papers that came free with Quick Cards Magazine and Hot picks toppers with red gingham ribbon

Yet Another Great Stamp from Craft Stamper Mag!

I went away for a weeks holiday to Wales and when I came back the latest edition of Crafter Stamper Magazine was waiting on the door mat.

I'm just loving this months free stamp of the reindeer and had to ink him up straight away and make this card and 2 ATC's!

Inspirational Holly Berries

I'm entering this card into the latest Inspirational Card Sketches challenge - I've teamed up the Milton & Co Holly Berries papers with a painted wooden Christmas Tree layered onto the diamond shape from their sketch. I'm really into the Christmas mood now that the weather has turned chilly!

Snappy Birthday Libby

For some reason one of my daughters favourite toys has been a set of plastic crocodiles! She also has a silver charm bracelet that I add a charm to every year on her birthday and her favourite charm is the crocodile one, so I thought I had better make her a croc card this year.

Her birthday is in half term week and we will be on holiday in Wales so I am getting everything prepared early. Eldest son is staying at home to look after the 3 cats - I feel a bit sorry for the cats, which will have to put up with late nights, lots of Pizza and constant Xbox gaming!

Milton & Co Christmas Cards

These 2 cute cards were made with the Milton & Co paper stack that is free in this months Papercraft Essentials Magazine.

I was chuffed to see one of my cards featured in their Readers Gallery, I had sent it in back in June!

It will be a Blue, Blue Christmas this year....

because I'm trying to use up an old pad of blue Dovecraft Winter Wonderland papers from my stash!

Suffolk Random Act of Kindness Day - 10th Oct

I've pledged to join in with the Suffolk Random Act of Kindness day next Monday, ATC's are no strangers to Random Act of Kindness or RAK's, as we often enclose extra ATC's as RAKs for swap hosts and send off CRAKs at Christmas and BRAK's at birthday time. I'm going to take in some cakes to the office as a RAK on Monday, I'll try and think of something else that I can do as well!

Further details are here. And I also recommend reading Danny Wallace book Random Acts Of Kindness: 365 Ways to Make the World a Nicer Place if you get the chance, both funny and inspiring at the same time.

Sweetheart Hankerchiefs

I know that is is nothing to do with my card making hobby but I just have to show you all these fabulous silk sweetheart hankerchiefs.

My 96 year old grandmother has just had to go into a care home and my mother and I were clearing out her bungalow when we came across these beautiful silk embroidered hankies with lace trim. They were sent to my grandmother from my grandad in WWII whilst he was stationed away from home

There was also another embroidered with 1918 which must have come from my Great Grandfather! This one is very delicate and so pretty.

A Touch of the Orient

In my on-going and never ending quest to use up some of my stash I put together this card - so that's 1 piece of paper, 1 piece of black card, 1 peel-off and 1 craftwork cards topper & sentiment less!

Not much of a dent, I know.