A jolly Snowman scene

 

A close up of the snow 

Good Morning Ladies,

I hope the news isn't depressing you all at the moment,  Oh my goodness so much 'Doom & Gloom'!!  Paul always watches the news, I just can't deal with all of that distressing information just before bed time! 

I have my Flu jab today, it's the first one I have ever had, fingers crossed I get no side effects.  It seems like jab after jab at the minute but best to be safe.  

Today's card is my attempt at a Card-io Christmas scene card, with a Aurora Borealis sky, I think I should have added more black in hindsight.  I enjoyed playing with all the stamps and I am going to play with scene building stamps some more today. 

Please take care and stay safe my lovelies,

Love and huge hugs,

Sandra                                                                              xxxxxx 

Tracy Evan's Inspired Christmas card

 

Good Monday Morning Ladies, 

I hope that today finds you all relaxed after the weekend.  We had another relaxed day, I wanted to get all of my Christmas cards finished, inserts done and postage printed off, which I finished at around 6pm. I like having the facility to be able to print postage tickets off as we don't have a local post office,  but having to weigh every card got a bit tedious, if course every card I made except 2 were 'large' letters! Seeing them all sat ready to post gave me a real sense of achievement!  

Our tree is up but we haven't gotten round to decorating it yet, we always have the tinsel/no tinsel debate, I prefer it without but Paul would throw everything on it.  

I think we should leave it  'au naturel'  🤣😂 

Today's card is the card I made on Saturday following Tracy Evans Workshop, I thoroughly enjoyed making it,  especially as I had someone special in mind.  I think they are fun because there is no decision making involved, I did  change a couple of details though. It involved inking, blending, stencilling,  stamping, fussy cutting and layering! I took my time, after spending time creating a multi layered background you don't want to mess up the stamping!  I would thoroughly recommend Tracy Evans Workshops,  she puts so much thought into every element. 

I think we are all heading into the week concerned what effect Covid is going to have on the coming weeks.  There are cases in Paul's Dad's Care home, I don't understand how because their safe entry system was tight, you had to have a negative test that day, covid passport and have temperature check  so how it has gotten in is a mystery!  The concern is that Paul's Dad is still awaiting his booster, at 80 it is ridiculous!  We have all mentioned it to staff.  Especially as there are now cases of Omicron needing hospitalisation. I can't see a way out of this without some kind of lock down.  

Please stay safe my lovelies,

Love and hugs to all of you,  

Sandra                                                                                xxxxxx 

Your TicTacToe Challenge Cards

 

Good Sunday Morning Ladies, 

I hope today finds you all well, special hugs for those of you that are suffering both mentally and physically, this time of year can be tough for one reason or another, it's a time when we remember those that won't be part of our Christmas celebrations.  It was so hard to find suitable wording for Paul's parent's this year, this will be a tough year for both of them and family too. Covid robbed them of their last Christmas with family last year.  I hope that all of you are planning to enjoy Christmas with your families this year, if nothing else we have learnt that life is too short to worry too much, plus we have the benefit of Tests to keep a check on everyone for Covid.                                       We now have Becca & Adam joining us on Christmas day which will be lovely, I think I will have to empy half of my craft room so we can access the dining table easier. It seems like forever that we had six for dinner! 

Your Challenge Cards 

Brenda 

Brenda's Description:

They are Die cut - shine and  blue. 

Using a stencil put the Nativity scene in the centre of a piece of white card, which 

I then die cut the large bauble using a Sweet Poppys bubble die. Then using the next die down cut the centre bauble, added gold mirror card to highlight both baubles. Mounted it onto backing and added a sentiment.  

Hope that makes sense!!

Sucha lovely Traditional Christmas card Brenda,  I kove the image, they remind me of the paper Advent Calendar we had as Children,  no chocolate inside just pictures,  number 24 always had the Nativity scene, so excited back  then as it meant to be symbolic of the meaning of the seaso! 

Thank you such much for taking part abs supporting the Blog my lovely XXX 

Lilian

Lilian's Description:

Here are my two cards for this week, it’s some Stamperia paper, with stencil in in oxide blue jeans. Also used a glitter pen, but un fortunately it doesn’t show.

Categories: Snowflakes/ Patterned paper /sparkle

Thank you so much Lilian for two lovely Christmas cards, I love the Blue, White & Silver together, the Oxide Faded Jeans works great with that Stamperia paper too!  Your cards through the year have really inspired me, your colouring is an inspiration itself, thank you so much for supporting the challenges my lovely XXX 

Karen

Karen's Description:

Cards 1 & 2: 

White-snowflake-die cut and 

Embossing-snowflake-die cut

1st is all white with SueW Noel die

2nd is same die with Pink Frog red card and black card

Card 3:

Blue Patterned paper/ Snowflakes/ Die cut.

Three lovely cards Karen, I love the Clean & Criso style of your first two cards, that blue paper is perfect on your third card, it was made to be adorned with Snowflakes!  Thank you so much Karen for 3 lovely challenge cards and for all of the amazing cards you have made for the challenges throughout the year, I really appreciate your support and I am grateful for the inspiration XXX

Sonia

Sonia's Description:

I’ve used snowflake/patterned paper/ die cut.

I used LOTV images on printed digi backing papers from The Lovely Studio. Adding the Merry Christmas circle die from My Favourite Things. Quick and simple, but I love how they turned out 😊

Oh WOW Sonia, I can totally understand why you were so pleased with these cards they are gorgeous,  everything works together beautifully,  I love that paper collection, I really must have a go at downloading papers, you have featured sone beautiful ones this year.   Thank you so very much for all of the stunning,  inspirational cards you have designed for the challenges this year XXX 

Janet

Sadly our lovely Janet has been unable to sit and craft this week, she has Very Kindly browsed through her archives and picked 4 cards that work beautifully for our Challenge 

Card 1 : Patterned paper/Ribbon/Die cut

Card 2:  Patterned paper/ Die cut/ white

Card 3:  Snowflakes/ Die cut/sparkle & shine

Card 4:  Snowflakes/ White/ Die cut

Janet thank you so very much for sharing some of your older cards, they are all absolutely gorgeous and work perfectly for this weeks challenge.   You have contributed a huge number of cards to the challenges throughout the year, most weeks making 3 or 4. I am immensely grateful for all of the inspiration and support you have shared this year my lovely, I pray that you are soon well enough to get back into your craft room and creating more wonderful cards XXX 

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I felt very naughty yesterday as I spent the whole day at my craft desk, I signed up to some Tracy Evans Workshops a few weeks ago and wanted to take partbin a Christmas card one, it did take most of the afternoon though!! It was fun just sat playing. 

I hope that you all have as good a day ss possible, 

Sending My love and hugs to all of you,

Sandra                                                                                  xxxxxx 

Mixed Up Saturday including Magazine Review

 

Good Saturday Morning Ladies,

How many of you are putting up your Christmas Decorations this weekend?  We are, Paul is going in the loft today, the girls are so excited, bless them, they decorate their own bedrooms, I think Sophie jas so many lights last year her room could be seen from Mars!   I have ordered a few gifts for family, ready for my sister to take with her next weekend. One of the gifts I ordered contained Alcohol, when the Man came to the door he asked me for ID to prove I was over 21 !!! I asked him if he needed to borrow my glasses, he smiled but I don't think he understood what I was getting at !! 😍😂

Now if that statement above was reality we would all look like Supermodels!! 🤣😂🤪

Creative Stamping issue 103 review

My December issue 103 arrived this week, it has some lovely stamps in the Free gift, although I'm not sure that I quite get having a Butterfly mixed with Snowflakes! Is it just me, Butterflies are usually Spring/Summer, I haven't seen one Butterfly in the garden this past few months, but then I guess you don't see Penguins Skiing or eating Icecream but they make fun stamped images 🤣😂! There are some lovely techniques and ideas in this issue too.  

This first feature highlights the free paper downloads that come with this Issue (I always forget them).  I really like that Herringbone technique,  it looks so effective,  the paper weaving technique is goid too, actually both great 'Bit Box ' ideas. The last card is pretty too, using stamped flowers, stamp 4 times and bulld up either side of that sentiment banner. 

Some lovely ideas here featuring the Free stamps, using techniques from Emboss Resist with ink smooshing to using a Stamping Platform to create a circular pattern, sone tone on tone Stamping and Masking.  It's  a great mojo boosting idea to revisit some of these techniques. 

This feature is based on using small ink pads to create beautiful, bright and vibrant backgrounds,  I only have a few 'mini stamps' so I don't have the lovely range of colours that she has used but I'm sure we can improvise, the effects are amazing!

All of the Butterflies in collection are used in this article, there are some lovely card ideas that we could use with Butterfly stamps that we already have. 

Stamping over the edge of the card looks so effective there are some great ideas here. I have enlarged the technique she used in case you wanted to have a go.

Butterflies always look lovely on vellum  these cards are no exception,  some lovely inspiration here.

These cards all feature the Snowflake chain stamp, I think adding tiny sparkles into the centres of the snowflakes would look so sweet.

 Lastly we have cards with LOTS of Sparkle, when you think you have added enough glitter...Add more!!!! 🤣

There are some lovely ideas in this magazine, I think that maybe it should have been an October issue with so many Christmas ideas, there won't be many people starting their Christmas cards on 2nd week of December!  Some good inspiration though. 

***************

That's all for today my lovelies, I am just organising the photos for tomorrow's Blog,  seems a little sad that it's the last Challenge card blog, end of a Era, I would like to thank you all for supporting the challenge over the last few years, I have thoroughly enjoyed encouraging you all to make cards using different techniques and styles ❤ XXX 

I hope that you all have a fun festive weekend, 

Love and warm hugs 

Sandra                                   

xxxxxx

Definitely NOT a Clean & Simple card !!

 

Good Friday Morning Ladies, 

How has your week been?  Ours has whizzed by as usual,  Paul has been going into the office every day lately and has been gradually working later and later, you can visibly see how tired he is, I am glad that this 'Plan B' has been bought in, mostly because it will encourage more people to wear masks 😷, mostly though it means that Paul can 'legitimately ' Work from home, apart from the fact that he gets more work done here anyway, because he works undisturbed and our Internet combined with his new work laptop are so much faster than his set up at work!  

Other than those 2 things Plan B will make mo difference to our lives, I think it will affect those that aren't vaccinated and don't have a vaccination passport or those that just blatantly don't respect how their actions effect other people!   (Rant over)😉

Today's card couldn't be any further than the 'Clean & Simple ' style of some of my recent cards, it certainly took a lot longer to make, but I absolutely loved 😍 making it!!  This style of card, like some of the Tracy Evans cards are a bit more involved, a real labour of love.  Every die I used to make this card *apart from Sue Wilson Holly * is from Anna Marie Designs, including the papers. I basically sat and spent about two hours die cutting, Poinsettias,  foliage, circular sentiment,  the Reindeer, I then added a Clear medium to the Poinsettias and covered them with crushed ice and set them on the Aga to try along with some of the white foliage and fronds that I spritzed with Pearlywinks Pearl spray so that they sparkled in the light. I then took different pieces of the paper pad and distressed the edges and tore some into strips and started building the card using one of Anna Maries cards as inspiration, I loved the effect of the pinecone in the centre of the Poinsettia,  different yet fun finishing touch.  I did add some paste to the distressed edges and added some crushed ice there too, just for texture and spatkle.  I know its different but I hope you like it 😘

Love and HUGE hugs to you My very dear friends,

Sandra                                                                                  xxxxxx 

Real Throwback cards!!

 

Good Morning Ladies, 

I hope today finds you well  Karen I hope that yhe drops you have make your Eye pain a little easier.  Janet I hope that you are feeling brighter my lovely.

Sue & Brenda thinking of you both today, sending love and hugs to you both ❤ XXX 

Today I am sharing two cards that are 'Throwback cards from December 2015" I can't believe ot was 6 years ago!! I don't think that I have used those dies since!! 

I have posted the descriptions below...

Card 1:  Today I thought I would show you the Christmas card that I made for Pat, I ordered the Tattered Lace Book Dies with my C & C birthday bonus voucher, I can see its going to be very useful, it cuts really well too, I haven't used Tattered lace dies really, I was put off by the fact that they don't emboss, but they still give a good finish on the edges.  Anyway I went for traditional Christmas colours for Pats card, using Spellbinders Poinsettia dies and the Justrite stamps that match them, Creative Expressions Trailing Ivy die, Seasons Greetings die and Classic Bow die, I wrapped it in tissue paper and made a box to fit it, which I decorated in similar style.

Card 2 : Today's card is the one I made for Sue, similar to Pats in design, but different in Colour and design, pretty much the same materials as yesterday, apart from the Poinsettia's , both Classic and Filigree both from Creative Expressions, the Christmas Tree is by Inkyliscious, (I love it), I used silky Crush ribbon, with the addition of a little navy and silver ribbon to tie in with the card!

I hope you enjoy looking back at these cards. 

Have a lovely day,

Love and Hugs to all,

Sandra                                                                                xxxxxx