Have a Magical Christmas...

I'm still struggling with conjunctivitis in both my eyes, wasn't able to go to the Hennessey (Newbury Races) for the first time in years to my great disappointment. I've had dreadful withdrawal symptoms for my crafting and I've made this card over the last couple of days, which has been a struggle as it's so hard to see what I'm doing. The matting has been cut smaller and smaller on shapes as I've tried to keep it even, to the point you can barely see it all! I have so many ideas buzzing around in my head, just can't wait to get back into action :). But at least I've managed to make something :).

I've used a Shirleys2Girls digi image of a snow-woman. You can buy her as a digi or you can buy the clear stamp for a bargain price while it's still in stock. I printed twice onto white and once onto card sprayed with Glimmer Mist. The idea was for my snow-woman and the hills behine her to be paper pieced from white onto the Glimmer Mist. However I wasn't really thinking and glued the snow-woman onto blue hills. So how did I get out of that one??? Well thanks to Craft Stamper magazine, which came on Friday, it was easy... I read an article in there about watercolour scenes which removed colour with bleach. I used my waterbrush, dipped into a little bleach, and painted until the Glimmer Mist had gone from the hills. I wondered what it would do to lines from the inkjet printer, happily they remained unchanged - phew!

Extra colouring on image was done with Copics, hat and gloves are cut out a second time and foam mounted. Papers are Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses, I've Cuttlebugged some more of the Glimmer Misted paper and rubbed Distress Ink in Dusty Concord across it. The "Snow" sentiment (torn and mounted onto mirri card) and the snowflake brads are Papermania, the image and the dry embossing have some Glamour Dust sprinkled on.

I'm entering this for several challenges:

• Basic Grey - followed Tara's sketch
• Saturday Spotlight - Hat's On - use an image with a hat
• Charisma Cards - Anything Christmas
• Quixotic Challenges - Tearing - the sentiment
• Papertake's Challenge - Christmas Cracker
• Simon Says Challenge - Winter Love - wouldn't we all love a white Christmas? Mmm, maybe as long as it doesn't last as long as the snow last year :)
• Cuttlebug Challenge - Glitter
• Crafty Creations Challenge - Christmas
• Whimsy Stamps - Christmas
• Dare U2 Digistamp - Glitter

No Twisted Thursday - but Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it

I don't have my usual Twisted Thursday Challenge card to show you this week; the team is taking Thanksgiving off and enjoying time with their families. There are still some great cards on display from the Design Team, using holiday images.
You can check them out here:
S2G Challenge Blog

Debbie

Erin

Joy

Justine

Karolyn

I'm re-posting a fun and blingy card I made a few weeks back. I have nothing new and completed to show you :(. Having battled with the inevitable cold for a week I now have conjunctivitis in both eyes. Can't read, can't craft, can't watch tv, can't use the computer for more than a few minutes. I'm not a happy bunny.

News from Shirleys2Girls - Changes and a Bumper Sale

Here's a message to all S2G fans from Deidre & Kristine... there's some BIG changes going on at Shirleys2Girls!

These changes will be great news for your purse... for your stamp storage... for your postman who gets fed up of being ambushed for your craft mail...

Yes, as of 1st January 2010 "Shirleys2Girls Clear Stamps" ... is going "SIMPLY DIGITAL!"

Kristine and Deidre, the owners & sisters of S2G, not only work together,live together, but are their 89 year old Fathers caretaker. With his current health issues and their full-time commitment to S2G...they have decided something had to give.

That being said...they LOVE LOVE LOVE the 'stamping' business, so the option of S2G closing up shop is...NOT an option. With Digital Stamps, they will create new and whimsical 'images"...sell them on line...but have NO, packaging, shipping or invoicing. Also, with digital stamps...they will have more family time...and...YOU...save..money, storage and time.

SO...That's it! Well, that's almost it...
S2G is putting everything (except the current digitals) on SALE at 45% OFF
this SALE is limited to Stock on hand...so when it's gone, it's gone!
SO, I would suggest that you GO SHOPPING NOW!


The NEW direction for 2010...Shirley's2Girls...is going...'SIMPLY DIGITAL'

With this switch from 'CLEAR STAMPS' to DIGITALS...YOU get to take advantage of our CHANGES!

We hope this change will be exciting for you too! Here's to 2010 and a VERY EXCITING year for S2G!
THANK YOU for all of your love this past year...DEIDRE & KRISTINE

Bella & Bronte get their skates on again

This card is for Mo Manning's Challenge, which uses a recipe this week of three different papers, two ribbons and one decorative edge. I've used the sketch from this week's Card Positioning Challenge and I'm also entering it into DU2DS's Glitter Challenge.

Image is coloured with Copics and lots of Diamond Stickles. It's mounted onto a Nestie scalloped rectangle (my decorative edge). The three DPs are Stampin' Up. The blue ribbon was originally cream and has been coloured with Copics. The sentiment is Papermania. I think I've used this image more than anything else so far for Christmas cards!

My Grafico Challenge #26 - Dotti images

It's time for My Grafico's Challenge again! This week the DT was given images from the Dotti Stamp Set which is this week's challenge prize. To enter the challenge you can either follow the PIEChallenge (see the challenge blog for details) or the sketch - or both! I have Pink, Embellishments and Icicle Stickles, which makes mine a PIE card but I've also followed Mary's sketch.
I've coloured Dotti with Copics and lots of Stickles glitter. I trimmed an inch off the front of my card and used a Martha Stewart lattice punch on it. Inside the card I put a strip of silver mirri card and pink card. The DPs are Twenty-ninth Street, card candy from Craftwork Cards, sentiment from Elusive Images and ric-rac from my stash.

Snowfight!

Here's the second Phindy O'Neill card that I made, of course it was predictable that I would get this image, I'm a sucker for anything with a dog on it :). I've used Jeanette's sketch from Friday Sketcher's Challenge this week, which allows the image to be the star of the show and I'm entering it in Simon Says Challenge of Animal Antics - my second entry. Simon Says also asks that we remember the animal charities this Christmas. Our two rescue dogs certainly don't let us forget :).

I've got some Aleen's glue for my Flowersoft ths time, which seems to work better, I have a lot of trouble with Flowersoft moulting as soon as I finish my card. I think this works better...

Image coloured with Copics and Promarkers, Polar White Flowersoft snow added. Sentiment and card candy from Craftwork Cards, ribbon from stash, Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses papers.

Phindy's Place - a new digi artist - Setting the Stars

I've come across a new-to-me digital artist called Philomena (Phindy) O'Neill who is a children's book illustrator. Her work is charming and great fun to create with. I bought an image from her and made a card that I'll blog tomorrow, but in the meantime this image is a free one provided to Phindy's Papercraft Planet group, Phindy's Place. The image is for a challenge called "Setting the Stars", you have until tomorrow evening to enter - the prize is a $10 gift certificate to Phindy's Store.

I've based my card on the very attractive sketch at Papertake Weekly's Challenge, scraping in just before the deadline - I hope!

My angel is coloured with Copics and Promarkers, with two colours of Stickles added to the stars and her wings. I've added peel-off gold stars to the background, something I haven't used for ages. Would you believe I misread a challenge and thought I should use them. When I checked it was a challenge to use rub-ons, not peel-offs - doh! But I think they look good and it made me get out some unloved, neglected stash :). Papers are Stampin' Up, Christmas sentiment from Craftwork Cards. The sentiment, gold card, peel-offs and gold ribbon all look the same shade in real life, I'm not quite sure how they all look so wildly different in real life!

Sugar-sweet snowman

It's been a while since I've taken part in the Sugar Bowl Challenge, but I very much liked this week's sketch and my card came together quickly.

The Sugar Nellie snowman is coloured with Copics and Stickles. All the background papers are Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses, matted onto Bazzill Basics card in blue and burgundy. The snowflakes are white card used in a Woodware punch, I've added glitter to them with more Stickles. The Challenge also requires ribbon or ric-rac, I've added a thin red organza ribbon to my card.

Twisted Thursday Challenge #34

It's Twisted Thursday Challenge time again! This week it's a super-easy twist: using ribbon or ric-rac. Shirleys2Girls challenge you to follow a sketch - with a twist! Here's what you have to do: Create a card, following this week’s sketch and then “Twist” by using ric-rac or ribbon somewhere on your project. Everyone loves to add a bit of ribbon to their cards... no excuse not to play along :).You are not required to use Shirley’s 2 Girls stamps, but if you've got them, we'd love to see you use them! If you don't yet have any of these wonderful stamps, they are currently having a sale - there is a MASSIVE 25% off everything other than digi stamps and those already reduced in the Turkey sale. This has to be a great reason to get shopping!

Upload your card to your favorite online gallery and/or your blog. If you upload to SCS or PCP, please use the keywords S2GSC34 AND shirleys2girls. Post a direct link to your card using Mr. Linky on the Challenge Blog, here. The deadline for uploading your card is Wednesday, 25 November, 2009 at midnight PDT.The winning card will be chosen by Random.org, the lucky winner will get to choose a stamp from the Shirley’s 2 Girls product list, and their winning card or other project will be showcased on the Shirley's 2 Girls Challenge Blog Please do visit the other Ladies with Attitude, check out their amazing creations and leave them some love:
Karolyn
Debbie
Joy
Justine
Pat
Erin
Now onto my card: I've used "Waiting", one of the new Christmas release, available here.
As soon as I saw this stamp I knew it had to come home with me, I love it :). Both the background and the dog are paper pieced with just the branch and bone coloured in with my Copics. Papers are by Fancy Pants and the grosgrain ribbon is tied across the bottom. The panels of DP are zig-zag stitched to the background in a red thread. There's a little Glamour Dust on the tree branch and beside the ribbon, not too much as these papers are natural, not blingy. Oh, I have a confession about that second bone on the card: I edged the scalloped circle with a red pen - and the pen slipped - time for a quick rescue :). I cut an extra bone and put it on a foam pad, problem solved.

I hope my card inspires you to play along with this great sketch, don't forget, you've got to be in to win!

SSSS - Sketch Saturday meets Simon Says

Sketch Saturday has gone very circular with this week's sketch challenge that I've used here :). I'm also entering my card for Simon Says Challenge this week, which is animal antics and for Janet's Corrosive Challenge, which calls for embossing. I've used my Creative Expressions Christmas set, white embossed onto card circles I then sprayed with Cosmic Shimmer Midnight Blue. Card blank is from Craftwork Cards. This was a very challenging card to photograph!

The Cosmic Shimmer is, umm, shimmery, the ribbon is metallic silver and the DP, from Craftwork Cards, has metallic snowflakes :). I think this is one of those cards that looks better in the flesh, hope you can see the general idea.

My Grafico Challenge #24 - a sketch

It's My Grafico Challenge time again. This week the challenges are: use pink, green and orange or follow Mary's great sketch. The digi images that you can win are the
Dilek Sweety Girls, which the DT were given to work with this week. I've coloured with Copics and a white gel pen, edging the image with mustard seed Distress Ink. The papers are free papers from a magazine.