Believe in the Magic

Hello.  Welcome.  The New Year approaches apace and thoughts turn to things to be done.  You may call these resolutions, but I know I never keep those, so I shall call mine wishes.  I have a list of wishes.  Tidy the craft room is a regular wish.  Be more organised and use more stash are well up there, near the top, as is pay it forward.  If you haven't seen the movie put it on your wish list.  It's such a beautiful concept and it doesn't have to involve money, so there's no excuse.  

I feel blessed to have discovered crafty blogland where, on the whole, everyone is encouraging and always ready to give advice, cyber hugs on your off days and hip hip hoorays when it all goes right.  And I know some of you are lurking.  Watching and reading and never leaving a trace.  And that's fine.  I value my readers, and maybe you are not inspired enough to say anything.  Maybe one day you will be.  And maybe you have been thinking of starting a blog, but don't think your stuff is good enough, or that no one will visit.  But it is, and they will.  There are so many amazing projects to see, that maybe you feel you have to aspire to, but we are not in competition with anyone else and maybe what you share is just what someone needs to see, at that moment, on that day.  So today I am going to share a project that I love, a project that a better crafter may have thrown in the bin for any one of the many mistakes I made, but I decided to keep going and use the bad and make it good.  You may not love this, and that's OK, but I just want you to know that I do.  Have a beautiful, wonderful, awesome day and thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

This was inspired by the VLVS challenge

There are colour suggestions, and trees, and winter and the black and yellow hazards really caught my eye.  So I decided a Unicorn in the snow was perfect for christmas.  What could be more magical to believe in........

So I cut my ATC and stamped my unicorn and oh crap #1.  I have just cleaned that block but obviously I have got it all inky again!!  But that little flash of yellow caught my eye and maybe it's an interesting frame.  So I masked the Unicorn and stamped the little fir tree using Iced Spruce distress ink and some paper scraps to mask.  This is when it really dawned on me that I was using glossy card.  Sometimes these things just pass me by, but the beaded nature of the distress ink was a dead give away.   The urge to start again was ignored again.

It's christmas, and that means glitter, so I grabbed my most favourite iridescent glitter glue and ignored the fact that it recently became strangely water-like.   I added it to the base of my tree lines and it started motoring down the project like it was in the Indy 500 (that will get me a lot of hits from some very surprized people LOL).  As it started to drip off the bottom I redistributed it along the edges of the ATC.  A good save me thinks.  Then I went and made lasagna while glitter glue dried............

It was yummy (the lasagna).  Despite the glossy card thing I decided to still go with distress inks and my waterbrush for colouring the sky and unicorn.  Salty Ocean and Stormy Sky to the rescue.  Ha ha, just realised, Salty Ocean sky and Stormy Sky unicorn (with a few Salty Ocean highlights LOL).

Oh yes, hazard warnings!!  Were those over stamped smudges perfect or what!!  If I deleted all these step by step no one would know how many lives this Unicorn used up!!  That's stripey patterned tape on some yellow card added to the edges of the ATC.  A little smudge of yellow at the top left to fill that little gap and love this.

Last tip of the day, if your sentiment is too big Skrink it!!  I stamped the merry christmas greeting on shrink plastic, cut it out and skrunk it.  Perfect!!   All stamps are from Viva Las Vegas stamps.

Well, if you made it through that mega post I would like to say thanks.  If you are here for the first time hello.  If you are thinking of leaving a comment, or starting a blog, please do it.   And if you are making loads of cards and chucking them in a box then maybe you would consider joining the Card Chain Challenge where you will be able to get rid of one a month and get happy mail in return.  The January sign up is HERE and Unicorn is one of the options.  Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Unicorn is joining the fun at

VLVS December Challenge

Country View Challenges December 2017 - Christmas
Stamping Sensations Challenge - Winter Trees and Flowers 

Happy Little Stampers ATC Challenge - Christmas
Ink Art Designs Stamping Challenge - December 

No Peeking

Hello.  Welcome.  Christmas tag I haven't shared yet featuring Stamplorations large Snowman stamp.  

I cut the tag using Stamplorations large Luggage Tag die, stamped and embossed the snowman and gave the tag a wash of Evergreen Bough distress ink.  I coloured the snowman with red and black Promarkers.  I stamped the small music stamp from Scribbly Splattery Grunge set in Mowed Lawn distress and added some bobbly wool.  Sentiment from Holiday Expressions.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Stamplorations Tagplorations December - Christmas
Stamplorations Cutplorations December inspired by christmas and hanging things
Stamplorations Anything Goes Challenge
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge 366 - S is for Snowman
Joy Clair December/January Challenge

White Russian

Hello.  Welcome.  I keep meaning to join the Marianne Design challenge but the time just seems to go.....  But this time it's White, and since I have been very partial to white recently, I decided to get on and create.  

I love this little russian doll die!  Isn't she cute?!!  I made the card front by embossing a piece of white card with Marianne Design DS0911.  This is an embossing folder that also makes some cuts.  I shaped the panel using a Sizzix circle die top and bottom and a pair of scissors for the side curves.  I took a card base of the same card, cut the bottom of the card with the circle die and attached the embossed panel.  It rocks!!  I cut the pine branches (LR0126) and the russian doll (LR0171) from white scraps and added them to the card.  I attached a snippet of white ribbon using a white snowflake brad.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Marianne Design Challenge 192 - White
Pixies Snippets Playground Weeks 313 & 314
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Noor Design UK Challenge - Anything Goes
Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Penguin Party

Hello.  Welcome.  The little flippers are getting restless in preparation for their New Year's eve bash.  Hop on over to the Rubber Dance blog and check out all the details. 

There is still time to enter the Rubber Dance challenge for a chance to win a fabulous prize.  That will certainly make someones New Year very happy. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Little flippers are joining the fun at

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Party
Noor Design UK Challenge - Anything Goes
Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Celebrate
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media Challenge used aztec craft paint, versamark ink, embossing powder, glitter glue.

Lamb, Pizza and Napkins

Hello.  Welcome.  I made a couple of bottle hangers for the festive table using Carmen's Veranda Sheep Doll, a pizza box, a napkin and Poppystamp Flurry Frame and House in  the Woods dies.  Pinnekjøtt anyone??  You can get all the details over at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity.

The Lost Coast Christmas/Winter challenge is running until the 31st December so do hop over and add your link in the comments.  There be prizes.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Kaboks Utfordring 19 - Julepynt og Borddekorasjoner
Poppystamps Challenge 39 - Anything But A Card 
Power & Spark Challenge 12 Days of Christmas inspired by Allison's festive beverage hang tags
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Party
Noor Design UK Challenge - Anything Goes 

Drive-along Sing-along

Hello.  Welcome.  After all the christmas pud and the tons of turkey it's nice to have a clean and simple moment.  

Almost extreme CAS, but I scribbled that song title at the bottom in honour of the Song Challenge over at The Craft Barn.  I haven't played there much this year but the song is Driving Home for Christmas,  dum dum dum dum dum dum.  Yes, I can hear you.  And I immediately thought of this gruffies image, so here we are.....  Look at that little gruffie in the back seat!!  So cute.  Oh, yes, sorry.  Stamp from Bearytastic Day set, stamped with brown archival on white hammered card.  I extended the ground a bit and then used a brown ink joy pen for the words.  Where's that CD??............

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
The Craft Barn Song Challenge - Driving Home for Christmas
HMFMC 256 - Anything Goes or Anything Xmas
Penny Black and More Challenge - CAS
Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge
Stamplorations CAS Challenge

Snowy Pillows

Hello.  Welcome.  I hope you have all had a lovely christmas.  Looking forward to the New Year now and new possibilities.  We've been invited out New Years eve so I decided to make a pillow box to hold a small gift for my hostess.  

I've gone all white on white and kept it quite simple.  

I do have a pillow box die, but I wanted this bigger, so I took a piece of white card 21 x 15cm and scored it at 1 and 11 cm.  Then I cut the pattern using Poppystamps Snowflake Collage die.  

I cut and scored the ends and backed the snowflake collage with a piece of white mulberry paper.  Then I layered some of the smaller negative cuts onto the larger ones and stuck them and the other smaller pieces on the box. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at

Poppystamps Challenge 39 - Anything But a Card

Scrappelyst Utfordring for Desember - Gave

Dies R Us Challenge 87 - White on White 

Scrapy Land Challenge 80 

Die Cut Divas Challenge - Winter Time

Upside Down Happy

Hello.  Welcome.  Happy Solstice everyone.  Today is the shortest day and from here on the days will be getting longer again as we swing back towards Summer.  It leaves me feeling restless and I was easily distracted by the new challenge at Time Out.  They want new beginnings with a twist of using a Christmas stamp for a non-christmas project.  Now that's a new one.  I have often seen non-christmas stamps used for christmas projects but this sounded like a really fun challenge.  And who doesn't want a break from Christmas at this time of year??  I also have a few birthdays coming up so I decided to make tag for a birthday using the elf from PaperArtsy Zinsky set.

I cut a tag from green textured card using Stamplorations Luggage Tag die.  I added a strip of washi tape down the RHS and inked the remaining edge of the tag with black archival.  I grabbed a scrap of white card and stamped and embossed the elf from PaperArtsy ZA19 and coloured him with Promarkers.  I fussy cut him and added an extra scrap of corrugated card to the bottom of the tag for him to 'stand' on.  Then I put three stamps together from Stamplorations Bird of Paradise, stamped and embossed them with black powder.  Hmmmmm, I usually do a test stamp when I put stamps together, but I didn't this time!!!!  Ahh well, maybe it adds a bit of fun and whimsy.    A bit of bobbly wool and a little jingle bell from Korthobby it's ready to go on the package for the New Year birthday girl.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Time Out Challenge 99
Pixie's Snippets Playground Weeks 311 and 312
Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - Celebrate
Deep Ocean Challenge Challenge 170 - Jingle Bells

May Angels Watch Over You

Hello. Welcome.  I am over at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity with something a little different today.  If you are all finished with the cards why not make some place cards for your festive table.  

Aren't they cute!!!  I used Carmen's Veranda Quilt Wing Angel stamp on these.  Full details over on the Portal.  

There's still time to join up your stamped Christmas and Winter makes to the 

Lost Coast Challenge.

See you there.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Kaboks Utfordring 19 - Julepynt og Borddekorasjoner
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Party Time   
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Party   
Penny Black and More December Challenge - CAS
One Crazy Stamper Challenge - Christmas/Winter

Mine's the Blue One

Hello.  Welcome.  So, when it gets too late to send xmas cards I switch to New Year wishes, although this one could be for any party situation.  Here's a quick and easy using Sparkle and Sprinkle Graduation stamp set.  Stretch those stamps!!

I masked off part of the graduation hat with bottles in it so I ended up with a bowl full of fizz.  As I said, mine's the blue one.  I stamped the pennant stamp twice and coloured with Promarkers.

Hope your day is beautiful.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - Celebrate 
Scrappegarasjen Utfordring 40 - Jubileum 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Party Time 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Party 
Penny Black and More December Challenge - CAS 

Bough Down

Hello.  Welcome.  Still a few days before the jolly red man so here's a last minute and pretty quick card. 

I stamped a piece of vellum with Hero Arts Stunning Snowflakes and embossed with white powder.  I cut the vellum with a square stitch die and layered it on white panel cut with the next larger stitched die.  I cut, embossed and added iridescent glitter glue to Memory Box Frosted Christmas Tree.  I added the panel and tree to a white card base and added the white Stamplorations die cut greeting.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz.

Joining the fun at
Memory Box Challenge #31 - Holiday Greetings
Dies R Us Challenge 87 - White on White
CAS-ual Fridays Challenge 189 - Dreaming of a White Christmas
A Blog Named Hero Challenge - Winter Holiday
Stamplorations Cutplorations Challenge

Best Tree on the Block

Hello.  Welcome.  Just wanted to make one last card for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop and also have a go at Stacy's gift card holder, with a twist.

 

I folded my patterned card in three and cut a half aperture using a Sizzix die.  I stuck down the pocket and added a packet of latte mix.  Wanna see the front??

I stamped and fussy cut the Unity girl from Conspiracy of Love and coloured her with Promarkers.  Then I stamped the sentiment from Impression Obsession Smell the Coffee set.  It says, take time to smell the coffee.  I thought it went well with the clock patterned paper.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
2017 Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop
Simon Says Stamp Christmas Card Day
Power and Spark 12 Days of Christmas
Scrappelyst Grublis for Desember - Votter
Kreativ Scrapping Utfordring 12 - Jul

Classic White

Hello.  Welcome.  A few challenges want white on white, which I always thinks looks so classy and cool.  Then there's the Christmas thing and not a card, but more specifically an ATC, and it all goes together like this.

 

I cut everything from white hammered card.  The ATC base and Joyful are Sizzix dies.  I cut Poppystamps House in the Woods and added it, and the word, to the ATC base.  Then I used some tiny scraps and Poppystamps Snowflake Oval Collage die to cut some tiny snowflakes.  Quite liking this little snowy scene.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Poppystamps Challenge 39 - Anything But A Card
Happy Little Stampers ATC Challenge - Christmas
Dies R Us Challenge 87 - White on White
CAS-ual Fridays Challenge 189 - Dreaming of a White Christmas
Scrapy Land Challenge 79

In The Cat House

Hello.  Welcome.  Yesterday was National Cocoa Day so I decided to make a card and small hot chocolatey gift in one.  

I made a card with a pocket for a hot chocolate sachet.  The stamp is from Impression Obsession

I wanted it a bit rustic so I added a panel of card to my card base that I had covered with some hessian.  I glued the panel along each side and the bottom, leaving the top open.

I stamped Impression Obsession G145 using blue ink on kraft card and cut with an oval stitched die.  I added some Wow! white puff powder and a piece of twine which I tied in a bow.  Hmmmm, hot chocolate by post.  Nam nam.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Impression Obsession Challenge - Last Minute Holiday Cards/Gifts
2017 Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop
Simon Says Stamp Christmas Card Day
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Stitch It
Allsorts Challenge Week 445 - Snowflakes

Dear Santa, A White Christmas Would be Nice, But if You Don't Have Any White, Red Will Do

Hello.  Welcome.  I am seeing all these cute bottle hanger tags all over the place so I thought I'd have a go.   

OK for a first attempt.  I used Sizzix Party Bag dies to get my fancy tag shape and Sizzix circle dies for the hole.

I used a piece of thick yellow card for my base and a piece of card that I had embossed with Cuttlebug Snowflake folder and added white ink and some blue Nuvo glimmer paste.  The santa is a Kreativ Hender stamp that I embossed with white glitter powder on the same blue card and fussy cut.  Maybe blue on white would have been better......so I used a white gel pen around the edge of the fussy cut.  A bit of christmas ribbon (which actually says don't open before 25th December but I tried to hide the negative vibes LOL).  The fancy metal ring and the jingle bell are from Korthobby.  It really jingles!  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Korthobby Utfordring - Jul
Power and Spark 12 Days of Christmas inspired by Day 11
Deep Ocean Challenge 170 - Jingle Bells
Scrappelyst Utfordring for Desember - Gave
Die Cut Divas Challenge - Winter Time
Stamplorations Tagplorations December

Nosferatu Move Over

Hello.  Welcome.  Sometimes I am a little slow.  I am just realising that it's only two weeks til the jolly red man comes and I have yet to post my cards.  OK, I haven't exactly written them yet.  Or, may it be said, actually made all I need.  Yep, last minute midnight crafting on the agenda again.  But you know what, I have found that Mr Mojo tends to be very active after midnight.  Me feels he may be a vampire, mayhaps feeding on the inspiration of the crafty community.  Thank goodness he is into giving infusions in our darkest moments.  Here's another infusion that is handy for after midnight crafting..... coffee.  

I embossed my dark blue card base with Cuttlebug Snowflake folder and used white pigment ink on the raised texture.  The girl is from Unity's Warmth of Winter set, stamped and coloured with Promarkers.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
2017 Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Christmas/Winter
One Crazy Stamper Challenge - Christmas/Winter
Passion for Promarker Week 424 - Mega Christmas Challenge
Scrappelyst Grublis for Desember - Votter