Just One Word

This week's Less is More Challenge is to use just one word.  Thank You cards are always useful at this time of year, however it's no good masking off the "you" on a sentiment when it needs the S adding.  I found this very chunky Elusive Images stamp and gave it quite a gentle inking so that it isn't too dominant.  Then I used the same ink and pearlised card with white embossed trees on it.  I added a dusting of silver and one piece of bling.  Sorry for the rubbish picture, will try again in daylight...

Jolly Holly

 

 Here's a pretty holly fairy from Phindy's Place, she looks like she is making magic with her holly sprig, don't you think?  She's coloured with Copics and Stickles and the holly DP is Papermania, the holly berries are embossed on it.  The ribbon is coloured with Copics and I've based my card on this week's sketch at Simon Says.

My card is for:

Simon Says - sketch

Papertake - last Christmas card of the year (it may be or I may still make some more!)

Party Time Tuesdays - use ribbon

Top Tip Tuesday - anything Christmas

Craft your Passion - things with wings

Mark's finest papers - make a Christmas card

Less is More Music

I have been colouring an image from Mo Manning this week, all in E tones, and realised that it works for this week's Less is More.  I don't often use colored images for LIM but the colours are restrained and I like it on the white card.  I have no idea if the music is right way up or not, all I can say is that it is the way it is shown on the stamp:).  Main image is Mo Manning, music is Prima, sentiment is Indigo Blu.
My card is for:
Less is More - music
Heidi's Hobbystuggu - Christmas
Fairy Fun - Holly Jolly no red or green
ABC Christmas  - anything goes

Phindy's Place Challenge #86 - Scraps

Welcome to the last Phindy's Place Challenge of the year.  The DT is having a well deserved break and this challenge will run until 6 January, so you have plenty of time to get your entries in.  We are asking you to be frugal and use up all your scraps of paper and anything else you have lying around your craft space.  Now I accidentally cheated, as the bits of paper are meant to be no bigger than 3" square.  I got carried away followed the Saturday Sketchers layout and found one of mine is bigger, oops!  The snowflakes are punched from the leftovers when I used my Nestie circle on the main image, both bits of ribbon are short lengths that I've finished and used up on here.  The DP is My Mind's Eye, which was out on my desk.
The gorgeous image, great for a teen card, is called Snow Glory. 
My card is also for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Digital Tuesday - winter wonderland
Papertake Tuesday - favourite colour Christmas (purple!)

One Stitch at a Time - use a digi
Charisma Cardz - last minute Christmas make
4 Crafty Chicks - Christmas
Creative Stamp Friends - Christmas
ABC Christmas - yipee anything goes
Crafting for all Seasons - Christmas
Bearly Mine - non traditional Christmas colours

Fred She Said Christmas Challenge

 Fred She Said is having a fun little Christmas Challenge! The theme is " Make a Christmas Tag OR Share a favorite Holiday Recipe " How do you enter? You have lots of choice here: you can make a Christmas Tag, a recipe card, or share a favorite Holiday recipe on your blog, linking to our challenge.  You don't have to use Fred She Said designs, but we love it when you do!
The PRIZE is a $25 GC to the Fred She Said Store.  There will be one winner chosen randomly.  Entries will be accepted until Friday DEC 30th midnight EST.  ... more details at the Fred She Said BLOG :) 

I used a lovely snowflake medallion from Fred She Said, which is pre-coloured, ideal for a quick and easy tag for a gift.  It really sparkles and shines; I gave it two coats or iridescent sparkle before I assembled the three layers and added Stickles and Perfect pearls to it.  You can find the snowflake here on the Fred She Said Blog - it is a freebie!

I also have a holiday recipe to share with you, which was given to me by a lady who took a quilting course with me.  I don't know where Barbara got the recipe from, but I do know it is delicious!

 

Lemon-frosted pistachio cake.

250g butter

250g caster sugar

3 eggs

100g shelled pistachio nuts (un salted)

100g ground almonds

1 orange

1 teaspoon rosewater 

60g plain flour

Crystallized rose petals and shelled pistachio nuts to decorate (optional)

Preheat the oven to 160 C Gas 3 and line the bottom of a non-stick 22cm/ 9 in. cake tin.

Cream the butter and sugar in food mixer until very light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating between additions

Blitz the pistachios to fine crumbs in food processor and then add them with the ground almonds, to the butter and sugar.

Finely grate zest and squeeze orange and then stir in with rosewater.

Lastly fold in flour with a large metal spoon.

Scoop mixture into lined baking tin and bake for fifty minutes, covering top lightly with foil for last 10 minutes.

Check the cake by inserting metal skewer into centre. It should come out fairly clean, without any wet mixture stuck to it. Leave to cool in the tin and then turn it out.

To make the icing

100g unrefined icing sugar.

 2 tblsp lemon juice.

Mix sugar and lemon juice till smooth. Pour over the cake and decorate with rose petals and pistachio nuts. Leave till icing is set.   

I'm entering my tag for a few challenges: 

Drunken Stampers - glittery holiday

Designed2Delight - tag you're it

Whimsical Wednesday - tags

Heart Song Inspirations - snowflakes and/or doilies

Cupcake Craft - look at the light (sparkly, shiny)

Everybody Art Challenge - blue & white

Digital Tuesday - winter wonderland

Shopping our Stash - tag it krafty

Do You Stack Up - winter photo inspiration

Try it on Tuesday - gift tags galore

Anything Goes - anything but a card

Craft Your Passion - tag you're it
Colour Create - blue, silver and white

Simple Scene

 

Here's a very simple Christmas card, using a non-UK Stampin' Up stamp belonging to my friend Val.  I inked the sentiment part of the stamp with gold Versamark ink and the rest with plain black, stamping it onto some paper that I'd brushed with Distress Inks.  The gold cord and mirri card mat echo the sentiment.

My card is for:

Bearly Mine - Christmas, no red or green - hope Donna is feeling better

Deep Ocean - let it snow

Paper and Such - clean and simple Christmas

Paper Minutes - clean and simple

Karen's Doodles - clean and simple

Gingerloft Challenges - Christmas/winter

Paper Sundaes - anything Christmas

Tagged

The Nordic Winter stamp set from Waltzing Mouse was love at first sight for me, unfortunately I'm waiting for a full set of the stamps as the supplier sent out a faulty batch, including my set.  However Claire the owner of WM emailed all who had bought the sets to track down and make sure that any faulty stamps were identified and replaced.  Mistakes happen, to me it is how they are dealt with that shows the quality of a business.  Full marks to Claire for reacting like this, it certainly gives me faith in her as a customer.

Anyhow, I used the stamps that were ok, or short lengths of them, to make this tag for the Waltzing Mouse Challenge.  The white on red sentiment is a better match to the ink in real life!  I stamped 3 little squares and made a 3D shape for the bottom, attached with a jump ring, also added some red gems.  Beautiful, detailed stamps that really don't need anything adding to them.

My tag is entered for:

Waltzing Mouse - Christmas Tag Challenge

Craft Your Passion - tag you're it

PanPastel UK - gift tags

Designed to Delight - tag you're it

Shopping our Stash - tag it crafty

Snow and skis

 

My card today uses a Lili of the Valley stamp belonging to my friend Val, love the jumper on the dog.  The knitting DP is Nordic Christmas? Winter? and the check is My Minds Eye.  I followed the sketch at Paper Pretties.

My card is also for the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - anything Christmas

My Mum's Craft Shop - traditional Christmas

Stampin' for the Weekend - Christmas

Colour Create - red, white, green, snowflakes

Simply Create Too - embossing

Crafts & Me - winter snow/snowflakes

The Pink Elephant - snowflakes and sparkle

Victorine Stamps - Christmas

Crafty Calender - cold and frosty

Less is More let it snow

I had a real attack of random smudges with my one layer cards for Less is More this week, this is my final attempt which has a little cut off the bottom to remove some red ink.  Red?  Haven't used red for ages...   When I then got a blue smudge at the top right I could have either wept about it or covered it up.  In the end I did both and it is at least finished.  If you look closely at the ornaments, the stamp is made up of lots of tiny snowflakes, you may need to click on the pic.  They are white embossed and I drew in strings for them.  Do you think I should have extended the string to the ribbon?
My card is for:
Less is More - let it snow
Addicted to Stamps - snowflakes
Kenny K's - Christmas hues of blues
Let's Ink it Up - Christmas
Totally Gorjuss - let it snow

Phindy's Place Challenge #85 - clean and simple

Welcome to this week's challenge, a great one for those of us who are struggling to get last minute cards made for Christmas!  I have made an almost one-layer card;  I embossed the card with a Nestie and then die cut my image and placed it inside the embossed lines.  The image is called Winter Bird and it is really quick to colour, so effective too.  There's some Glamour Dust on the snow and some Glossy Accents on the robin.  I added a sentiment from Butterfly Kisses in red and some red twine to accent the red in the image.
My card is also for the following challenges:
Shopping our Stash - lights, whites or Meljen - I chose white
Simon Says - Christmas photomontage inspiration
Stamp, scrap & doodle - holiday card

Kraftin' Kimmie - embossing
Designed2Delight - snow
Crafty Calender - cold and frosty
Dream Valley - sparkle
Truly Madly Crafty - Christmas images & colours
Hooked on Craft - winter wonderland
Crafty Bloggers Network - shades of winter
Craft your Passion - anything goes + glitter
Top Tip Tuesday - let it snow
Celebrate the Occasion - Christmas no green
My Mum's Craft Shop - traditional Christmas
Crafts & Me - winter snow
Creative Belli - winter & Christmas
Pixie Dust Studio - glitter and bling
Papercrafting Journey - Christmas
Crafty Purple Frog - it's cold outside
Aud Sentiments - winter holiday sentiments

Traditional scene, non traditional colours

This is a Stampington stamp on loan from my dear friend Val.  I've gold embossed it and inked the background.  It is mounted on some scrap card that has been edged with embossing ink all round and then embossed with the same powder, which makes a perfect match.  I've moved away from traditional Christmas colours but I realised as I added some green contrast it doesn't fit some of the non-trad challenges; oh well.
This card is for:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Sarah Hurley - Christmas
Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
Joanna Sheen - Christmas Wishes
Crimbo Crackers - embossing
ABC Christmas - anything Christmas goes
Crafty Cardmaking - heat embossing
Kraftin' Kimmie - heat embossing
Incy Wincy - non traditional Christmas colours
StampsRUs - emboss it

Less is More - green

This week the Limettes have given us a green challenge. This is a Memory Box die called grape wreath that isn't necessarily Christmassy but which I think can be.  Carrying on with making two cards at a time with whatever I pull out, the first card has the wreath off the edge with pearls for mistletoe berries, sentiment is Indigo Blu.  Second card is very conventional, wreath dead centre (I hope), red berries  and red Papermania sentiment.  You know there's almost too much white space here...

Phindy's Place Challenge #84 - anything goes

 This is the first Friday of the month, which means we have our Anything Goes Challenge at Phindy's Place - anything goes as long as you use a Phindy's Place image that is:).  I'm very behind with making Christmas cards so I've used the gorgeous In the Winter Field image, colouring with Copics and a bit of Glamour Dust.  I used my blender pen for the snow in the sky and the markings on the deer's back. I've loosely followed the Sketch Saturday sketch for my card, which has a Craftwork Cards sentiment and a Nestie frame, snowflakes are also a Spellbinders die.  I do hope you'll join us at Phindy's Place this week!
My card is also for the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Hooked on Craft - winter wonderland
Gingerloft Challenges - Christmas and winter
Shopping Our Stash - digital image
Whimsical Designs - layers
Delightful Challenges - let it snow

Some More Less is More

Susan has one of the best C&S blogs out there, she is part of the One Layer Wednesday team.  To get going on her Christmas cards, she has resolved to try to make at least two cards, each different, with every stamp set she pulls out.  I have hardly any cards made so I thought this was a really good idea. So I got my Indigo Blu stamp set that had not yet been used and made a couple of one layer cards.  The small square one is my favourite, the bling and the ink match much better in real life, the light has been dreadful for taking photos lately.  Second card is silver embossed on pale blue cardstock.  Two more cards for the pile...
My cards are for:
Less is More - a bit of bling
Simon Says - anything goes
St Luke's Charity Cards - let it snow (will try to make another couple  for them)

Less is more - a bit of bling

Sorry to be MIA a while, I am dealing with some unpleasant stuff just now and finding anything creative a struggle.  This card is a variation on one I made before for Christmas and it's for Less is More's a bit of bling challenge.  The Stampin' Up tree is embossed with dark green, the sentiment is also embossed.  A narrow strip of red on the inside highlights the border of the card and the bling is on top of the tree.
My card is also for:
StampsRUs - emboss it
Incy Wincy - trees ,trees and more trees!
Stamptacular Sunday - anything Christmas
Crafty Cardmakers - heat embossing

Phindy's Place Challenge #82 - Christmas Cards

 

I'm sorry to be late with my card for this week's Phindy's Place Challenge.   I've a fairly simple card showing off the fabulous Power Nap image.  This would work great with a paper pieced armchair, I chose to simply colour using my Copics.  There's a charm of a sleigh hanging from the twine.

Fred She Said Wonderful Winter/Christmas Blog Hop

Welcome to our Fred She Said Winter Blog Hop!  We are having a hop with some great prizes, if you have arrived here from my friend Val's blog you're in the right place, if not you'll want to start from the beginning at Tracey's blog.  I've a card using the new Christmas poinsettia lantern to show you, isn't it beautiful.  I've printed it twice, coloured it with Copics and layered it and added lots of stitching, the sentiment is included with the image.  I have a very short hidden word for you to collect for the hop:  my word is "and".





Now it's time for you to continue hopping on over to the lovely Debbie's blog to find some more hidden words.
My card uses the sketch at Sweet Sketch Wednesday

Santa Tag

I'm enjoying a visit from my mother, not much time to craft but last night I sneaked a few minutes to play with new stash from the NEC and made this tag. I'm very into red and white for Christmas at present, what do you think?   The top is shaped with a new label Nestie, the white embossed Santa and sentiment are from a Butterfly Kisses stamp set, again bought at the NEC and unused till now.  The tag was a little flimsy so I added a white back, punched a border to show the white, punched a few snowflakes and gave them red gem centres and added some baker's twine.
My tag is for:
CAS-ual Friday - tag you're it
Stamptacular Sunday - punch it
Cute Card Thursday -reds for remembrance
Pile it On - traditional Christmas
Fabulous Friday - embossing
Christmas Stampin' All Year - stamp never seen ink
Shopping our Stash - never been inked
Pink elephant - embossing
Hooked on Craft - something punched
Bows'n'Berries - tags

Double embossed

You can't get much more simple than today's card:  sentiment by Butterfly Kisses is silver embossed in the space left by the embossing folder, I used pearlised card. I toyed with gems on the snowflakes but in the end I left well alone.  Busy week coming up, hope to come up for air at the other end of it!
My card is for:
Kenny K's - emboss
Fabulous Friday - embossing
Floweret - Christmas
Mami Doodles - Christmas
Wags'n'Whiskers - Christmas
Delightful Challenges - snowflakes
Little Miss Muffet - simplicity
Papercrafting Journey - embossing
Fab'n'Funky - alright on the night
Papertake - first Christmas
Make my Monday - c&s, emphasis on the sentiment

Have a purrfect day

Here's a quick card from me before we head off for a second day at Cheltenham races; we both had a winner yesterday so we have paid our way so far, hopefully we can better that today:).

My card uses the new Purrfect Day stamp set from Stamp Addicts, you can buy it here .  The cat was stamped and cut with a Nestie, the sentiment, fishbones and paw prints are all part of the set, I've white embossed them.  The DP is My Mind's Eye and some Kraft, I used a MS punch on that strip card.

My card is for:

House that Stamps Built - sketch

Papercraft Journey - embossing

Dutch Dare - punches

Glitter Geeks - humorous

Frosted Designs - embossing

Craft Barn Blog Candy - not to be missed

I wish I lived nearer to the Craft Barn - or at least that I didn't have to sit on the M25 for hours to get there!  Great shop, fab classes and today they have amazing candy - click here for the details.

Less is More - one layer and leaves

 

A very quick Less Is More posting here as we are off to the races in a few minutes, I have yet to get changed and dry my hair and now my fingers are all inky!  The theme is a favourite of mine, leaves, and I have a longing to CASE some of Chrissie's cards, but for now I've used my No More Shims with a stencil I bought last year at the NEC and couldn't get to work.  The NMS makes it really easy!  I've sponged some ink on, added a Butterfly Kisses sentiment bought this year and coloured the berries.  Not much empty space here, may try half the wreath only but then will need a different sentiment...  bye for now

Phindy's Place Challenge 81 - Thankful

 Welcome to this week's Phindy's Place Challenge, which is all about being thankful.  My Thank You card uses an old favourite, Mrs Comfy and Pogg.  Here Mrs Comfy is being careful to keep Pogg dry as they go for their walk:).  I really wanted my image to be a good size so I could enjoy colouring it without agonising over tiny bits of image, so I chose to make it an easel.  Image is coloured with Coics and Distress Ink.  The DP is Basic Grey Sweet Threads, I added a computer generated sentiment, some stitching, some buttons, a Martha Stewart punch and a bit of glitter for the puddles.

My card is for:
Basic Grey - anything goes
Pile it On - give thanks
Incy Wincy - stitching
iCopic - thank you
Digital Tuesday - anything goes
Creative Card Crew - thankful
Sisterhood of Crafters - giving thanks
Penny's Paper Crafty - give thanks
Digistamps4Joy - with gratitude
Paper Pretties - buttons
Aud Sentiments - thank you

Don't be gnomeless!

Today I have a monochrome card to show you, using the Gnome Sweet Gnome set from Stamp Addicts, I've decided tto leave the sentiment off for now, really he could be used for all kinds of things.  As usual, he's coloured with Copics, edged with Distress Inks.  The DP is, I think, My Mind's Eye for the large square and some Stampin' Up in front of it.  I've stitched round all the DP and added a MS punched fence in kraft paper, with some twine around it.  And that's it, this little chap doesn't need too many embellies...

My card is for:
Sketch'n'Stash - sketch (new stamps, old DP)
Ooh la la - stitching
Totally Papercrafts - stitch it
Anything Goes - stitch it
Bearly Mine - one for the boys - Get Well Soon Donna!
Craft Your Passion - anything goes + brown
House of Gilli - monochromatic
Incy Wincy - stitching

Treed!

Yes it is still a tree stamp but not one of my usual trees:).  Here is another card using the Purrfect Day set from Stamp Addicts.  The tree image is for half the tree, split lengthways so it is really easy to match up and make the tree as long as you need.  I stamped some extra leaves and added them on Pinflair glue for a bit of dimension and I masked the tree so my smaller cat could hang from the branches. Coloured with Copics, background inked with Adirondack Denim.   Sentiment is from the set too.  I've followed this week's Sketch Saturday, the gold panel uses a Tim Holtz embossing folder, the bright colours are meant to pick up on my ginger cat:).
My card is for:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Cheerful Stamp Pad - trees
Let's Ink it Up - favourite technique - mine is masking
Penny Black & More - all creatures great and small
Just Some Lines - light blue and orange
Crafty Catz - anything goes

Have a purrfect day

Here's a second posting from me for today, this time using another new Stamp Addicts set - Purrfect Day.  I'm not a cat lover, but this set was fun to play with, here I paper pieced the bins, masking them as I stacked them up.  The bin lid is popped up on Pinflair glue.  Sentiment and fishbone stamps are both included in the set.  The background is inked with Distress Inks, DP is an old one I've had for ages; I used a Martha Stewart punch on the corners, and added twine and tiny buttons.
My card is for the following challenges:
Midnight Madness - sketch
Simon Says - buttons
Paper Sundaes - rectangle
Allsorts Challenge - anything but square

All together now...

 

I have a lot on my plate just now and making cards with random images that I see is not one of them!  However, when I saw Happy Howlidays at Phindy's Place it just whispered  "make me, make" and kept getting louder  So I gave in and made a quick card to get it out of my system for the time being...  Love that feisty little Chihuahua at the front:).  DP is Bo Bunny, I added Woodware Fluffy Stuff to the hats, think I'll leave it out next time.  Dis cut flourishy thing is Memory Box.

My card is for:

Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch

Forever Friends - something old (DP from last year) something new (image)

Sweet'n'Sassy - Christmas Holiday theme

Christmas Stampin' All Year - favourite sketch  - ok I don't really have one, it depends on the sketch! But I do always try to do Sweet Sketch

One Stitch at a Time - use a digi

Catered Crops - recipe (ingredients used: Christmas, green, Distress Ink, die cuts,)

I Did it Creations - Christmas

Christmas Inspirations - bows - mine are on the dogs!

Gnome Sweet Gnome

I've been using a new stamp set from Stamp Addicts called Gnome Sweet Gnome which is very different from the Trees and Scenics I've been working with, they are really fun images and here's the first card I have to show you.  I love the way he's putting his feet up on a toadstool!  Chair is paper pieced with some Basic Grey from Sweet Threads, the last scrap of it is in a strip across the card.  Mr Gnome is coloured with Copics, some Glossy Accents on his spectacles and Distress Ink in Pine Needles on both backgrounds.  I've gold embossed toadstools from the set to make the  background and embossed the sentiment too.  Hope you like my Gnomie:).
My card is for the following challenges:
Squirrel & the Fox - hats and flowers - not a Melbourne Cup hat but definitely a hat!
Aud Sentiments - make us laugh
Charisma Cardz - cutesy
Sarah Hurley - use more than two images - gnome + lots of toadstools
The Paper Variety - laughter is the best medicine
Whimsical Wednesday - anything goes
Stamp'n'Doodle - emboss it

Tag, you're it!

More NEC stash, this time two stamps from Inkylicious, the cityscape and the Santa.  I will admit this needs a bit of work, the stamp is clear and not deeply etched, I've ended up with some lines across my scene while trying to get it to stamp cleanly...  Inked with Versafine Majestic Blue, second and third stampings behind one another.  Ink brushed onto the background and some Glamour Dust added for snow and around the moon.  This is a tag for One Layer Wednesday and I'm also tentatively entering it for CASual Fridays as the bow is an over-the-edge element.  But is it clean and simple with little or no white space?  Hmm I'm not sure:)

Less is More - red & orange

 Woo hoo, for the first time in I don't know how long we have a weekend at home to catch up on things and I can play for the LIM Challenge straight away.  The first card uses new stash from the trip that Chrissie, Lady Limette herself and I made to the NEC, I have long drooled over the Stampscapes stamps, but they are even more enticing now you can buy them as unmounted, not just on woodblock.  By the time I returned to the stand I had spent, umm, a lot and I just bought the two stamps I used here.  They are stunning and this is my third inking of it, one I messed up by not being patient while the black ink dried on the glossy card.  Background is brayered with Kaleidoscope spices and I have added and Adirondack Currant Red ink sun.  Sentiment is Stampin' Up, using a bit of the one I messed up.
I restrained myself from grilling Chrissie about this week's theme during our shopping foray, had I done successfully I would have bought some orange embossing powder from WOW for the next card which I admit is a rather brownish orange...   This is my first set of Darkroom Door stamps, the detail on these is stunning and like the Stampscapes, it stamped perfectly.  This is a one layer card, embossed with Apple Red and Nutmeg, sentiment is Stampin' Up.  It's hard to see but I embossed two parallel lines beneath the leaves, they seemed to need something to stop them drifting!


And lastly a photo of two happy shoppers:)

Phindy's Place Challenge 80 - Anything Goes Using a Phindy's Place image

 Morning everyone!  First Friday of the month is time for a Phindy's Place Anything Goes Challenge - anything that is as long as you use a Phindy's Place image!    I've made an easel card using Looking Good - one of the Plump 'Uns series of images - she does look great, doesn't she?  Comfortable in her own skin...
I've coloured her with Copics, used a sketch from The Sweet Stop and added a sentiment from Create with TLC.  The DP is Prima and the diecut is by Tim Holtz.  I love this image and I love the sentiment too; enjoy your Friday everyone.
My card is for the following challenges:
The Sweet Stop - sketch
Heartsong Inspirations - embossing and/or 3 or more layers
Dream Valley - anything goes
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - fall colours
Crazy Amigos - time
Little Darlings - not square
My Mum's Craft Shop - with thanks - this is not a thank you card, but it IS all about being grateful for what you have and living life not just existing
4 Crafty Chicks - die cuts

Nautical Knots

Here's one of my cards using the new Stamp Addicts set On the Water, which also uses the dotties for the clouds.  Image was coloured with watercolours, the red sail was coloured directly to make it as bright as possible, I also reflected the red in the water.  I tied what I hoped look like nautical knots on my cardstock on the front panel of this stepper card.  This set was really fun to use, though DH says the perspective is all wrong on my scene, never mind I like it!
My card is for:
Papertake - anything goes
Shopping our Stash - sports
Try it on Tuesday - unusual card shapes
Card Cupids - more than one fold
One Stop Craft - no sentiment
My Sheri Crafts - sports
Our Creative Corner - fancy folds
Sweet Stampin' - anything goes
Poodle Parlour - let's hear it for the boys
Crafty Sentiments - more than one fold
Craft Room Challenge - for a man
Stamps R Us  -masculine theme

Red Robins in the Round

 

 This pair of robins from Fred She Said is a favourite traditional Christmas image for me.  Here it is coloured with Copics, edged with Distress Inks and added to Memory Box DP and a couple of scrolls from my Memory Box die.  This card is for the following challenges:

Sketch'n'Stash - sketch

Corrosive Challenge - with a flourish

Scrappy Frog - something that flies

One Stitch at a Time - Christmas

Little Claire's - Christmas

Bah! Humbug - diecuts

Crimbo Crackers - anything Christmas

Simon Says - anything goes

It's all falling into place - I don't be-leaf it - no trees!

This evening, instead of trees, I have leaves to show you:).  By good fortune this card fits the challenges for several of my favourite blogs, where I try to play along as often as I can.  Midnight Madness has a fab prize of House Mouse stamps this week and since the lovely America is also part of House Mouse Monday she suggest combining the sketch with their Fall challenge.  This little chap is a Joanna Sheen stamp, never seen ink before and I think I've had him for about a year - shameful!  Cupcake Craft is where I won my first ever blog hop candy; I also one one of my first ever Top 3/5 awards from them so I love to join their challenges and this week they have leaves as their theme.  Add to that Anything Goes at Basic Grey and Simon Says and I cover almost all my favourite challenges in one here.
About the card:  coloured with Copics and Distress Inks.  DP is Basic Grey, border punch EK Success, leaf and button punches Woodware. Sentiment is Dimension Fourth, strip ribbon from Stampin' Up.
This has been the strangest autumn for weather, we had that lovely sunny hot Indian summer, now it's mild but damp and we have a second bumper crop of mushrooms in the field where we keep out horses - unheard of so late in the year!  Tonight I took my hat off and filled it with mushrooms in the absence of a clean container!
Challenges for my card:
Midnight Madness - sketch
House Mouse Mondays - Fall
Cupcake Crafts - take a leaf out of my book
Simon Says - anything goes
Basic Grey- anything goes
Creative Inspirations Paint - inspired by Fall
Quirky Crafters - autumn leaves
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Fall colours
Craft Your Days Away - autumn
Pattie's Creations - Halloween or Autumn colours
Whimsical Wednesday - Fall cuties
Shopping our Stash - autumn colours
Crafty Creations - fall and leaves

Chocolate, coffee and cream sounds like a perfect Christmas!

Don't know what's happened to the colour on this card, IRL the background is cream and the trees are gold embossed onto dark brown card.  No matter what I do, my photo seems determined to be black and white!
This is another c&s Christmas card using the Stamp Addict trees, as well as the dottiness stamp in the sky.  The lacy ribbon is from Stamp Attic, sentiment Elzybells and image was cut out with a deckled edge Nestie.
My card is entered for:
Come & Get It - anything goes
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - coffee, chocolate and cream - colours not favourite things I mean!!
One Stitch at a Time - Christmas
Simon Says - anything goes