Christmas Angel

Hello Nomad friends.  There is still time to link up your stamped Winged Things to the challenge linky at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity, or share on the fb fan group if you are using Lost Coast Designs and/or Carmen's Veranda stamps.  There are a nice lot of entries but still room for some more. 

I like to make a few Christmas cards every month so I don't have a big stress later in the year and today I've used the beautiful Lost Coast Designs Christmas Angel with Halo for a simple yet beautiful card.

 

I started by using a snowflake stencil and blue ink on a pale blue background and stamped Happy Christmas in blue ink using Lost Coast Designs Misc. Words.   Then I stamped the Angel using blue ink on white card and coloured with sharpies and distress inks. 

 

 You have until the last minute of the month to add your project to the Winged Things linky.   Hope to see you there.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
January Rudolph Days Challenge
ABC Christmas Challenge - A is for Anything Christmas
Christmas Kickstart Challenge 70 - Stencils and Masks
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
We Love Stamping Challenge - Favourite Colours blue and yellow

Hello Mummy

Hello Nomad friends.  Someone mentioned that it will be Mother's Day soon so I went all yellow and red and Memory Box dies.

I always remember that my mum doesn't like red and white together, she calls it blood and bandages, so I decided yellow might work.  It's such a happy colour and I don't use it enough.  Note to self.......   I used Memory Box Leafy Tree Frame and added Clementine Border die to the bottom of the central frame for a loving flowery look.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Memory Box Challenge 91 - Ravishing Reds
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Beautiful Blooms

Let It Snow Blue

Hello Nomad friends.  I have been good.  Out in the garden, cleaning out the rabbits and giving them a health check.  Trimmed some nails and did a bit of grooming.  Teeth check revealed both the boys have only one bottom tooth.  I will have to keep an eye on that.  That's really not good for a bunny when teeth are constantly growing and they depend on gnawing and the opposing tooth to keep them in check.  So now, back inside in the warmth and just waiting for dinner to simmer to perfection.  I also finished a mini-slimline xmas card I have been working on.

I used a black base card and cut my Poppystamps Snowflake Corner Frame die from silver mirror card.  I decided to stencil some snowflakes on the black card base using white ink and then stuck on my silver mirror die cut.  And it didn't pop.  Well, I can't take off the white ink!  So I cut the Snowflake Corner again from blue holographic card and stuck it over the silver one.  Then I stamped the tiny let it snow Gummiapan sentiment three times with white ink.

Thanks for dropping by.  I am planning a crafty happy hour or two this evening so hopefully see you soon if all goes to plan.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Poppystamps Challenge 100 - Let It Snow
Pammies Inky Pinkies Challenge 2303
ABC Christmas Challenge - A is for Anything Christmas
Christmas Kickstart Challenge 70 - Stencils and Masks
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Summer Down Under

Hello Nomad friends.  Gosh, me again!!  So, I been trying to get my head around this one for a few days.  I treated myself to some Paper Rose dies and papers for christmas.  I have had my eye on this beautiful Romance Arch and the Scandi Texture Plate dies were so cute and scandi I just had to have em.

I also bought some paper Rose Easter Sunday 6x6 papers and they had these plaid pattern in blue, pink or yellow.  Messing around I finally settled on the blue.  I die cut the Romantic Arch from black card and there is some lovely cut detail on the couple but my camera lost it.  I backed it with the blue plaid and cut the row of hearts using the scandi plate die and backed that with red.  Some card mats to layer it up and a wedding/engagement/valentines card is in the bag. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Time Out Challenge 230 - Inspired By Words
Pammies Inky Pinkies Challenge 2303
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Die Cut Divas - Valentines

Hamster Jam

Hello Nomad friends.  Yesterday I felt sort of crafty but just ended up with a pile of UFO's.  Today I decided I kneaded to sort some of these out!!!   So I started something totally new with Time For Tea stamps and a card was finished!!!!!!

Yellow base with a piece of dotty patterned paper cut with Time For Tea Autumn Scene Cover Plate border.  I stamped the hamsters from Big Hugs, masked and stamped the cute windmill scene from Up, Up and Away.  The hearts and sentiment are from the big hugs set.  I coloured with distress markers and die cut with a tag die.  A little twine and a metal fancy swirl from Korthobby and done!!!   Just in time for the month of love..........

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Time Out Challenge 230 - Inspired By Words
Pammies Inky Pinkies Challenge 2303
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Die Cut Divas - Valentines

Janis

Hello Nomad friends.  This post is a little tribute to our friend Janis Woolbright.  I am sure many of you have crossed paths with Janis over the years at Her Peaceful Garden blog and also with her awesomely amazing and super successful Cat Lovers hop.  We only ever met online, but over the years we shared many moments, with bloggy comments and fun, and also emails and late night (for me) chats about crafting, trials and triumphs, family, cats, gardening and other things that make up a busy life.  I can't say exactly when we first crossed paths, but I know I joined in all the Cat Lovers hops which started in 2015, and I had already been following Janis for a while on her blog before that.  Our chats blossomed into an online friendship and I was honoured to count her as a friend.

Janis was always busy, always generous with kind words and her time.  We last talked in December.  I know the last few years have been difficult and I know 2022 kept coming with hits for Janis and her family, but despite that she remained cheerful, talked about her hopes and worries for her family and rarely about her own challenges.  I was shocked and saddened to hear of Janis' death on the 6th January.  I made a card with a bible quote which I think encompasses Janis and a cat, because she was a crazy cat lady and they and we loved her for that, and for many other good and loving attributes she embodied.

My thoughts are with Janis' family at this difficult time.  Her son James has added a post to her blog and to her facebook page if anyone wishes to share a little comment, which I am sure will bring comfort to her family.  I also have her snail mail address if anyone wants to send a card. 

RIP Janis

The Race Is On!!

Hello Nomad friends!   I didn't really have any particular idea in mind today, except I needed some inspiration for the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Winged Things Challenge.  So I went through my Lost Coast Designs stamps and pulled out anything with wings.  Well, that was quite a pile!!  I whittled it down to a few contenders and decided to go for a sky scene...... 

 

 

I had so much fun making this!!!!   I used Lost Coast Designs MRaven1 and Flying Pig 2 with Carmen's Veranda Flying Monkey background, cos you can never have too many flying monkeys!!! All the details are over on the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity so do hop over and also check out the other awesome winged things makes from the team.

 

You have until 23.59 PST 31st January to join the Winged Things Challenge with your stamped anythings featuring things with wings.  Real rubber or clear stamping and the theme must be the focus of your project to be in with a chance to win Lost Coast dollars!!

 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Stamping Sensations January Challenge - Add Some Sparkle
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - 4 Legged Animals
Papercraft Challenge 90 - Anything Goes
Allsorts Challenge Week 711 - AG opt Winter Blues

Happy Animals

Hello Nomad friends.  Gummiapan is a Swedish company and I love their quirky designs.  I also love their Advent calendar and 2022 was the second year I bought the dies calendar.  Well worth the substantial outlay.  They have a couple of challenge groups on fb and I am joining their January ATC 1st theme of black and white with this cute trio 

I used a variety of stamps, stamping the backgrounds and then adding the cute animals and sentiments.

 Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Too Cute
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - 4 Legged Animals
Papercraft Challenge 90 - Anything Goes
Creative Crafting Uncles Challenge 37 - Happy Birthday
Allsorts Challenge Week 711 - AG opt Winter Blues

Birds and Bugs and Flowers

Hello Nomad friends.  It's time for a new challenge at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity and the theme for the last two weeks of January is Winged Things.  We want to see your stamped anythings featuring things with wings.   I made some ATC's using the lovely new Mini Collage stamps from Lost Coast Designs.

I used some pastel rainbow paper for my bases and stamped Lost Coast Designs ATC Doodle Flower stamp with Prickly Pear archival ink.   I over stamped with Mini Maritime Collage, Mini Bug Collage, and Mini Bird Collage using black archival and then grunged up the edges with the same black ink. 

 

Hop over to the blog to see all the lovely inspiration from the team and join the Winged Things fun for a chance to win Lost Coast dollars.  

Thanks for dropping by.   Hugz

Joining the fun at
Inspiration Station Challenge #45 - Photo Prompt inspired by birds and flowers
Allsorts Challenge Week 711 - AG opt Winter Blues

Pink Boots and Bling

Hello Nomad friends.  I took part in a secret santa swap in a fb craft group and received a lovely die and stamp set.  So today I decided to make a card using my goodies and a Studio Light Essentials Die – Christmas Card shape stars 69 to cut my base card.  These dies make album pages but they make nice shaped card bases and the holes for binding the page are a great place to weave a little ribbon detail.  The card is for a confirmation which is a big event here in the spring.

I cut the die base from black card twice and used the star insert die on one piece.  I backed the stars with holographic card and scored the back panel just to the right of the line of holes.  Then I glued the two sections together using glue behind the stars and just to the right of the line of holes so I have an opening card.   I used the SL dies to cut a beige patterned card panel.  I cut three little fences from kraft card and the sentiment panel.  I stamped the shoes on white card, fussy cut and added some pink.  The laces are a darker pink, but my camera is being challenged by the holographic effects I think!  I stamped the long sentiment directly on the card with brown ink.  It says

'all that your heart possesses of joy and warm words,
sprinkle it along the paths of life
and it will grow in your tracks'

Now isn't that pretty!!!!

This is a picture of my secret santa package and the SL die I used.

 

 I wove thin silk ribbon through the holes and added a couple of silver charms from Korthobby.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Allsorts Challenge Week 710 - Something New all NBUS stamps and dies
Dream Valley Challenge 284 - New Beginnings confirmation is considered the start of adulthood

 

 

 

 

One In A Million

Hello Nomad friends.  Happening recently have made me reflect on what is important in life and I have decided we all need to slow down, enjoy the simple things, and there should be more love.  So if you haven't told someone you love them recently reach out and say the words.  Maybe that influenced my card today.  I started with a totally different idea but then I spotted Lost Coast Designs Many Sheep and Carmen's Veranda Sheep Doll and this happened.......

I stamped Many Sheep on a panel of white card and trimmed it to fit my slimline base, making sure lover baa was in the picture.   I edged the panel with black ink and stamped Lost Coast Designs ATC Doodle Heart with red ink.  I stamped Sheep Doll with black ink on white card, added a little pink and silver, fussy cut and added her to the card.  A touch of grey promarker to ground her and we are ready for the month of love.

 

You have until 23.59 PST on the 14th January to join the Slimline Challenge for a chance to win Lost Coast dollars.  Hope to see your lovely stamped slimline card in the gallery.  There are very few entries so far, so come on, get stamping and join the fun. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Time Out Challenge 229 - Romantic
Dream Valley Challenge 284 - New Beginnings new love
Pammies Inky Pinkies Challenge 2301
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New new love

Wot No Flowers

Hello Nomad friends.  I see so many craft things I love.  I'm an easy sell for stamps and dies, but I try and look at them and see how I am going to be able to use them.  It's always fun to look at things in a different way.   The other day I used a Marianne Design roll up flower die as a moon and loved the concentric circle look.   Today I found another roll up flower die, this one a bit spikey and decided to play with them both.

I used the smooth flower die to emboss a blue panel and then used magenta archival to edge and highlight the texture.  I mounted it on a same colour stitch cut panel and a dark blue card base.   I used scraps of orange card and the spikey flower die and cut 5 times and arranged them in an ascetically pleasing manner.  I stamped Marianne Designs dog on a scrap of white card, added a touch of colour, fussy cut and added him to the card.   The norwegian happy birthday greeting is cut from a printed sheet. 

Here's the scraps I used, and yes, I almost forgot to photograph them Di and Sarn.  You can see I've already started embossing the circles and cut one of the spikey flower dies!!!   

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Marianne Design Challenge 308 - Birthday LR0257, LR0163, CR1391, HT1607
Snippets Playground Challenge 445 - Show Us Your Snippets
Pammies Inky Pinkies Challenge 2301

Late Last Night in the Middle of the Night

Hello Nomad friends.  I was meandering around fb last night when I came across a post in one of the crafty groups and Mai-Britt asked someone to give her a challenge to make a different sort of Christmas card.  So I chipped in with tree shaped easel card in blue and pink.  And she liked the idea so we played, setting a three hour limit.  Well, that was good cos it's been a while since I made an easel card and quite honestly, I couldn't remember how.  And then there was the whole tree shaped thing.  I had suggested the challenge so I decided to be purist.  The tree wasn't a problem.  My friend Jo had sent me a beautiful Funky Fossil Folk Art Tree die as a christmas gift and it's been looking at me.  And I decided to do some more paper piecing with the holographic mirror card.

So here's my card. and it is much more bling in the real!!  I spotted a perfect piece of christmas paper which was part of my November prize from Papercraft Challenges, pink to blue ombre with snowflakes and cut the tree.   I backed it with a piece of glitter paper and cut round the tree.   Then I spent way more time that it should take paper piecing in the pretty cuts with blue and two shades of pink holographic mirror card.

Then I made a tree shaped easel base to match.  It's a fun shape and I added a God Jul ( Merry Christmas) sentiment as my stop.

Thanks for dropping by and thanks to Jo for the beautiful tree die.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Knutsels en Kadootjes Challenge - E easel card
Papercraft Challenge 89 - Decking the Halls
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New
Allsorts Challenge Week 710 - Something New new tree die
Jingle Belles Challenge - Thank You Santa

Dog with Sparkle

Hello Nomad friends.   I got picked to guest design over at Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  It's usually anything goes with an optional theme and must use something Penny Black so if you are a Penny Black fan it should definitely be on your list of places to play.  I've used the beautiful Starry dies again on black card and added lots of sparkle......

I used a black card base and a black panel I cut with a Mama Elephant scallop stitch slimline die.  I cut the panel with Penny Black Starry die, backed it with silver glitter paper and then paper pieced the stars with various holographic mirror card colours.   I added Penny Black Doggie Treat, stamped, coloured with distress inks and fussy cut and stamped words from Animal Wisdom with white ink.  

The challenge at Penny Black Saturday is Anything Goes or Something New.  See you there maybe...

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz 

Joining the fun at
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Light Up The New Year
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Slimline Challenge
MFT Stamps Slimline Challenge - Cats and Dogs
Double D Happy Birthday Challenge
Stamping Sensations Challenge - Add Some Sparkle

Rubber Dance January Release

Hello Nomad friends.   There is a lot of new that has been happening at Rubber Dance stamps.  In December the shop moved to a new platform and the blog went with it.  Do pop over if you haven't checked it out.   But wait!  Today, more new with a fabulous release.  Susanne has launched three new sets in clear polymer A5 format.  We still offer rubber stamps, but rubber has become more difficult to source and tends to be poorer quality, so Susanne made the decision to have some of the stamp sets made in clear polymer.  They are made in the UK, are super quality, lovely and thick and detailed, and they have the advantage of being see through, ready to stick to your block or platform and just stamp!!  The A5 format allows an extra stamp or sometimes more in the clear sets if they are rubber replacements.  But today's release is of totally new sets and they are pretty...........

There is a set of awesome sentiments, an addition to the Mix It Up series and a lovely Vintage set.  

And there is 10% off until Friday 13th!!!

The postal service worked well and delivered these new beauties to me in time for me to make a couple of cards.  I loved the flowers in the Vintage Stuff set and combined them with some of the hearts and dots from Mix It Up 3.

I used a smooched ink background for this one and the sentiment is from the beautiful little Just a Note set.  Love the sentiments and font in this set.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Do hop over and check out all the amazing samples for these new stamps and don't forget to join the fun and link up any makes using Rubber Dance stamps for a chance to win a voucher to the shop.   Details on the blog.

Hugz

Joining the fun at
Allsorts Challenge Week 708/9 - CAS
We Love Stamping January Challenge - Favourite Colours anything with blue LOL.  Yellow is a great partner.....
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Light Up The New Year
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New

Happy New Year from Everyone

Hello Nomad friends.  I hope your 2023 is progressing nicely.  My craft room looks even more bombed than usual but I am determined to beat it into submission and dig out my creativity.  With that and the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Slimline Challenge in mind I decided to look through my stamps and select a few favourites to use.   Turns out I have way too many favourites, but after some deliberation, and a bit of push and shove, I became happy with this.

 

For this card I used lots of stamps, lots of masks and blue and black archival ink.  We have Lost Coast Designs ZZ Top Gnome 2 and Carmen's Veranda Monkey with a Banjo supplying the music, direction and artistic appreciation by Carmen's Veranda Alfred Hitchcock Standing and Salvador Dali, entertainment by Carmen's Veranda Kukla and Ollie, Lost Coast Designs Doodle Doll is supplying an element of mystery and the celebratory fly-by is courtesy of Lost Coast Designs Flying Pig.  I used a couple of the stamps from Lost Coast Designs Pieces of Calligraphy to fill in the empty spaces.

 

If you are stamping anything with real rubber or clear stamps and it's in a slimline format then maybe you might want to join the fun.   The team are posting awesome inspiration every other day so do hop over and check out their makes.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
We Love Stamping January Challenge - Favourite Colours can't beat a bit of blue, black and white

Golden Bear

Hello Nomad friends.  Happy New Year!!!  I hope 2023 is awesome for us all.   It's the 2nd of the year and time for the Card Chain Challenge reveal.  We played tic-tac-tic-tac-toe for our December cards and 26 ladies took up the challenge, which is wonderful at such a busy time of year.   My card went to Imke in Germany and I used the bottom line of Gold, Stars, Bear, Shrink Plastic and Silver.

I used sizzix colourize bear and, in keeping with my perennial resolution, built him from scraps of gold and silver card.  This is my first time using this bear die and I love it!  The star is a sizzix bigz die with matching embossing folder inked with a bit of dandelion archival ink.   I stamped Crafty Individuals 'Friendship cannot be measured only treasured' sentiment on shrink plastic and skrunk it. 

This was the bingo card we used so do pop over and check out all the amazing cards in the reveal.

There is still time for you to sign up for the January exchange if you would like to send and receive gorgeous handmade happy mail.

Thanks for dropping by.  Thank you for your continuing love and support.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Allsorts Challenge Week 708/9 - CAS
Snippets Playground Challenge 444 - Anything But Christmas
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Light Up The New Year