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.

Orange, the colour that doesn't rhyme...

Whiff of Joy had a tricky colour combo for their Challenge this week of orange, brown and cream, I've just managed to get my entry finished. When I saw their new range of stamps, from Norma Fickel, I couldn't resist them and wanted them all! After last week at the NEC my survival instinct took over LOL and I opted for just one. Isn't this just adorable? Very European style, quaint rather than cute...

I've followed the sketch for this week's challenge at Stamp Something, a great sketch by Ann of Raindrop Echo Designs, who, like me, is one of the designers for My Grafico Challenges. I'm also entering this for A Spoonful of Sugar's Challenge of a card for Baby's First Christmas.

I wanted a soft, natural look and bottled out of using my Copics, the image is watercoloured and edged with Distress Ink. I stamped the sentiment in Distress Ink too and I distressed the edges of the image and the sentiment with my scissors. Image and paper are matted onto bronze pearlescent card. The main DP is My Mind's Eye, the smaller one came from a small bargain pad in my stash. The wide orange ribbon came from a box of chocolates and I used punches for the flower and snowflakes. Be prepared to see much more of this stamp :)

Create4Fun - Bev's sketch

I've come across a new to me challenge blog called Create4Fun, which has a very usable sketch by Bev. I've used it to make a fairly straightforward Christmas card, using Papermania stamps that I bought at the NEC. I stamped the group of smaller trees several times in blue Stazon onto pale blue cardstock, as well as the bigger tree. The bigger tree is cut out and mounted onto 3d pads. All the trees have scribbles of gluepen and glamour dust as well as stars on the top, sorry this doesn't show up too well in the photo. The two fabulous metallic papers are from Craftwork Cards, silver ribbon from stash. All the metallics make it challenging to photograph, sorry :)

Happy Birthday Mum

Yesterday Shirleys2Girls held a Digi Event on SNR Cardiverse . Much fun was had by all with a free digi download called Birthday Girl. It's still not too late to join in, do check out the group.

I used the image to make a card for my Mum's birthday. Mum always enjoys her baking so I hoped that the cake was a good birthday image for her card. Unfortunately the present hasn't worked out as well as the card :(. Mum asked for a large, non-stick casserole and I ordered one online that looked suitable. When she opened it it isn't suitable for their type of hob. Drat, hope we can sort out a refund. The casserole is the reason for the Halloween image inside the card, I had a spare image of Jinx available and coloured it to match the papers I'd used.
I'm entering the card in Quixotic Card's Challenge to use stitching and also into Papertake's Digi Sparkle Challenge. I've used a great sketch from Friday Sketchers Challenge to make the card.
Image is free from Shirleys2Girls group, coloured with Copics and lots of Stickles and Liquid Pearls. Both cakes are printed and coloured twice and use glue pads to give them dimension. I've stitched around the DCWV papers with a silver metallic thread, the scalloped rectangle is cut with Nesties and decorated with Liquid Pearls and the flowers are Prima. The stamp inside is Elusive Images.

Happy Birthday Mum!

An Award and an Invitation!

Thank you to Jane and to Karolyn for this fun award. The idea is that I answer lots of fun questions and pass the award on to five other bloggers. I don't like to push people into answering lots of questions so I will simply say that if you are kind enough to read my bletherings on my blog please give yourself this award and pass it on if you choose to :).

You are invited to a Digi Event at SNR Cardiverse tonight. Please come and join in the fun with Shirleys2Girls at their group - click here for the link. It's free to join and you will get the chance to download and use a brilliant new digi designed specially for the event. As a guest on their DT I have been lucky enough to get my hands on the digi ahead of time and I can tell you it's a fun, useful digi that's great to paper piece, colour, pop the layers, anything you please! Hope to see you over at the digi event!

Bronte & Bella get glittered

Last week's challenge over at Mo Manning's blog was a glittery, blingy one. I didn't get time to take part, but this week I've managed to make a card for this week's Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge, which is to follow a sketch by Caryn. I've made up for missing last week with lots of glittery bits on it :). This is also a card for Charisma Cards' Challenge, which is "Merry & Bright" this week, which is even the sentiment on this card. Digital Tuesday's Challenge this week is Holiday Wishes, Papertake Weekly's Challenge is Digi Sparkle and Cute Card Thursday Challenge has has Glitter Me Silly as it's theme. Allsorts Challenge is to Bring Out the Bling and Cupcake Craft Challenge's theme this week is Snow Much Fun. Crafty Creations also has Snow for it's challenge this week. Whew that's eight challenges in one card!

Image coloured with Copics, Stickles and Perfect Pearls. Snow falling was added with Liquid Pearls, which had Glimmer Dust added for even more sparkle. Snowflake was cut with a new Spellbinder set I got at the NEC last week, it has Liquid Pearls and Glamour Dust added. The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and the ribbon from stash. Papers are Basic Grey. Glue pen and more Glamour Dust are on the snowflakes and around the edges of the image and the sentiment. Bellan and Bronte are certainly glittered and so am I now:)

Twisted Thursday Challenge #33

It's Twisted Thursday Challenge time again! 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 wire somewhere on your project. 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!
Upload your card to your favorite online gallery and/or your blog. If you upload to SCS or PCP, please use the keywords S2GSC31 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, 18 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 the Pilgrims stamp from Shirleys2Girls, available here, I've paper pieced the pumpkin and Stamped two full images: one onto DP and one on white card that I've coloured in with Copics. The DP is Basic Grey Indian Summer, apart from the main background which is from a Bearly Mine CD. I've used a Martha Stewart punch and added a pretty tree charm from Quixotic Paperie (you can see the charm better if you click on the photo to enlarge). The charm is added to the ribbon with a piece of wire but I decided that wasn't much of an adventurous twist and I wrapped pink beading wire round the image. Maybe I should use this more on my cards, I loved beading but I was absolutely useless at it :).

My Grafico Challenge #24 - sketch or sewing

This week's challenge at My Grafico is to either follow Melissa's sketch or to add some stitching, real or faux to your project. The winner of the Challenge this week wins a fun digital set from Cupcake Cuties called Funky Monkey, which the DT have used on all our projects.

I've been contrary and used the tree motif included :). I've paper pieced it with Papermain DP that I bought at the NEC, and coloured the heart with Copics and then Glossy Accents. The background is cut out with Nesties . The rest of the papers are also Papermania, apart from the torn brown wrapping paper that I've added to highlight the rustic look. Card candy is from Craftwork Cards and I've added some zig-zag stitching to my card.

Be sure to check out the rest of the DT, they have made some brilliant cards and don't forget to enter to win this fun set of digis.

Dreaming of a Bling Christmas

Sketch Saturday Challenge has a lovely sketch to follow this week which looks great to use for a special card. I've chosen one of the gorgeous new Christmas release stamps from Shirleys2Girls, available here and set out to use as much as possible of my new stash from the NEC :). This week's Allsorts Challenge is to bring out the bling - I certainly think I've done that :). Crafty Cardmakers are challenging everyone to Stamp Something so I'm also entering that.

The image is coloured with Copics and lots of Stickles and Glossy Accents added. I've cut it out and added it to a circle. The scalloped card, all the papers used (which are all pearlised) and the sentiment are from Craftwork Cards. I used my new Martha Stewart punch for the side borders, snowflakes are punched from plain white card and the ribbon is from stash. It's a bit OTT, but I hope you like it :)

A Simple Thank You Would Do!

This card is made using a new embossing folder that I bought at the NEC on Friday. It's by Quick Kutz and I fell for it in a big way :). I played around with the folder and several different types of cardstock, as well as chalks and Distress Inks, on Saturday night when I was waiting up late to collect my son from a party and in an absolute haze of exhaustion. I looked at what I'd done and didn't like any of it. Happily after a day or so I decided that I did like them after all :).

The card is finished just in time for this week's Simon Says Challenge: Give Thanks and I've based it on a very clean and simple sketch from this week's Card Positioning Systems Challenge.

Hammered card for watercolouring was dry embossed and inked with Pine Needles and Old Paper inks, some green Stickles added to the flowerheads. Sentiment stamp has no brand name on it, sorry. Gems and organza ribbon from stash.

"A simple thank you would do" is one of those phrases you tend to use a lot with teenagers.... LOL!

First Quixotic Card Challenge - Fishing You Many Happy Returns

Quixotic Cards have begun a Challenge blog and their first challenge is Birthdays. You might be unimpressed with this very simple, plain card but it took a lot of doing! This is for a fishing friend of DH, I had to keep telling myself to pare it down and simplify :).

Image and sentiment were both bought last year at Ally Pally, can't remember the name of the stand. They are copper embossed and Distress Ink used on the edges. Image is matted onto copper metallic paper, brown paper and a very tweedy DP from Artylicious. Copper coloured "card candy" from Craftwork Cards added and that's it. Who would have thought it could take so long?

Spread the Love - A Card for Jaimie

There can be few cardmakers who haven't heard the sad story of Jaimie Cates from New Hampshire, who was the victim of a shocking crime when her mother was murdered and she was left for dead. Denise and Erin have set up a Stamp Something for Jaimie blog, asking their cardmaking friends to join together and send a card to Jaimie.

I've used a Lili of the Valley stamp that I think works well for this. I've based my card on the sketch from this week's Cupcake Crafts Challenge and I've followed the recipe from Lili of the Valley's Challenge to use 3 papers, 2 stamps and 1 type of embellishment.

The image is coloured with Copics, edged with Pine Needles Distress ink and some tapestry stamps of leaves. The second stamp is a sentiment from Papermania, the 3 papers are also Papermaina. Flowers are Prima.

Winter Willow

Today I got the chance to play with some of my new acquisitions from the NEC, as well as my Whiff of Joy Winter Stamp Kit.

I began with the Whiff of Joy Challenge's very pretty sketch by Jane.
The colourscheme came from this week's Copic Colour Challenge, which uses rose red, spectrum green and robin's egg blue and
Saturday Spotlight's Challenge is "repeatedly useful" - using an image repeatedly, the snowflake stamps were ideal for this.

I stamped Willow and masked her so that she could sit on the sledge and I coloured her with Copics. The snowflakes were stamped in Broken China Distress Ink. Papers are Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses. The ribbon is organza coloured with spectrum green Copic (came out darker than I expected) and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards, again coloured with Copic. I punched a couple of snowflakes from white card and added some Stickles to them and to the stamped snowflakes.

No cards to blog, but much craft shopping

Today I went to the Hobbycraft Show at the NEC, having been on a "stamp diet" (no stamps bought) for a month in preparation. I had a great time and spent far too much LOL! For those of you who are going tomorrow, have a great time, I have left you somethings to buy. There are Martha Stewart punches 2 for £23 and Nestabilities 2 for £30, masses of bargains, an exquisite range of papers from Magnolia as well an a very expensive magzine from them full of eye candy, Basic Grey Cupcake papers for £1.95 a pack for the 6" size... wonderful!

Twisted Thursday Challenge #32

It's Twisted Thursday Challenge time again! 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 Kraft paper or a paper bag somewhere on your project. 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!
Upload your card to your favorite online gallery and/or your blog. If you upload to SCS or PCP, please use the keywords S2GSC31 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, 11 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
I had so much fun making my card! I used the scarecrow image from the Thanksgiving collection, you can buy him here. I stamped him out twice and coloured him with Copics. I cut round Mr Scarecrow and glued him over the background image, with yellow embroidery floss glued under him where the straw is escaping from him. The bird is stealing some more straw from his innards. The image is layered onto Kraft paper and then stitched onto a dark brown card mat. There's a very pretty autumn DP behind this, stitched again (Sorry don't know whose DP it is) and then the main DP is from a Bearly Mine Designs cd, with a very wide orange ribbon added, which came from a box of chocolates. Pretty ribbon, but not as good as the choccies were ;).

Close up of "straw":