Something for Christmas

It doesn’t seem right making Christmas cards when the sun is out, does it!? But I’m not complaining!!  It’s absolutely glorious…..

I’ve made this with the comments from Chrissie (from the Less is More challenge)  in mind…I think she was absolutely right!  That sentiment does need to be not so in the corner!  However, I’m not sure this card need another sentiment at all….LOL! I just can’t win with this sketch, Limettes!
This card does however show off the new stamp set from Stampin’ Up…it’s called Something for Christmas  and I’ve used Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive colours…..very christmassy!  The bottom sentiment is from the Contempo Christmas stamp set.
I’m also entering this in the following challenges:
Allsorts {Clean and Simple}
The Rainbow Lady {White Space}
Now I thought I’d best remind you that the Ideas Book and Catalogue 2010-2011 and the mini catalogue all come to and end at the end of September *sob*.  There are links to the online books in my sidebar.  I’ll be making one final order on the 29th September so if you’d like anything then please let me know by the end of Wednesday 28th September.
And with the introduction of the new catalogue I’ll be starting a new Crafty Stampers 6 Club.  Yay!!  I already have a couple of crafty stampers so if you’d like ‘join the club’ please check details on my Crafty Stampers page.
Right…I’m off to get crafty!  Having visited my friend, Jenny, I feel inspired!!  Check out her blog….she’s been very busy and has made some gorgeous cards! Awesome!
BFN
Linda
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LIM : Sketch Week

I can’t believe I’ve agonised for so long over this week’s challenge on Less is More!  It’s a sketch….a simple, CAS sketch! 

I think I was lacking the inspiration this week…but then it’s been a very trying (and busy!) week for the family this week!!  We’ve had birthdays and parties galore.  So apologies if it seems a little lack lustre!  I’m sure Lady and Diva LIM throw these simple challenges at us to make us think!!  Maybe I’ll have better luck in the week :-).

My intention was to make a masculine birthday card, potentially for the older generation and I think this could work.  The image is from the Lovely as a Tree stamp set and the sentiment from Party this Way, both from Stampin’ Up!  I’ve stamped and matted them in Early Espresso and used a bit of twine to decorate….very simple!!  But I hope you like it!

I’m also entering this in the following challenges:

Allsorts {Clean and Simple}

Anything Goes {Anything Goes}

BFN
Linda
x

Goodbye Pick a Petal!

Pick a Petal was one of the first sets I started with and I’ve used it soo much for all different occasions….from weddings to birthdays and so much more!

Alas, this set is retiring this year so there isn’t long to add it to your collection….just 9 days left!!

So to show you how easy and versatile it is I’ve been playing!

I’ve cased one of the cards that really made me smile when I saw it….I can’t remember where I saw it first but Victoria has put together a tutorial for Pick a Petal.  You can find it on her blog – definitely worth a look.  Or have a look at my previous creations using the label in my side bar.

Remember!  This set is only available until the 30th September!!

I’ve had another go myself and made this cute and very CAS set of  ‘Thank you’ mini cards:

I’ll tell you about this colour on a better show case….needless to say the new In-color palette from Stampin’ Up! is gorgeous (and includes a lovely lilac!)

Another beautiful new colour from Stampin’ Up!  It’s a lovely marine turquoise colour….watch this space!

One of my favourite colour combinations: Old Olive, Cajun Craze and Nearly Navy.

I’m going to enter these in the Less is More challenge (again….we’re trying to hit 1000 entries this week), but I’m also entering these in the following challenges:

Make it Monday {Linky Party}

Anything Goes {Anything Goes}

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge {One Layer Card}

BFN
Linda
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A CAS Christmas

Well….after perusing the Less is More challenge I thought I’d best get my skates on and add some more towards the 100o entries challenge.  Unfortunately I didn’t get round to blogging yesterday.  It was Max’s actual birthday so it was pizza and movie night….with a lot of pop corn and chocolate!!
So…I have made a very CAS card today:

The greeting is from the Contempo Christmas stamp set and I’ve made the snowflake using a Martha Stewart punch.
So that’s another one towards the LIM goal!  Why not hop over and have a look….it’s a great source of inspiration .
BFN
Linda
x

Thanks to Simply Stampin’ Challenge

Woohoo!  A top 3 from the ladies over on Simply Stampin’ Challenge! 

Thanks, ladies….always makes my day.

LIM 1000!!

I saw the ladies’ challenge to get one thousand entries on this week’s Less is More challenge yesterday….so it’d be rude not to help!  A quick (and late!) post though.  I’ve been busy having a party for my youngest boy.  He turns 8 tomorrow!  Alas the festivities could not last….and my youngest has now just decided she doesn’t want to go to bed!! *sigh*

Anyways…..dad can deal with that !

I have a quick card using one of my favourite stamp sets (yes, Jenny….I said my favourite *snigger*), Pocket Silhouettes.

A slightly skewwhiff picture, but it’s been a long day and Downton Abbey has just started!!  I’ve stamped the silhouettes on to white, inked the edges and  matted them on to Baja Breeze.  I’ve then 3d’d them to the front of a 15cm square card and added a sentiment from Party This Way.

So…can anyone guess where I took this picture *claps hands excitedly*.  Yep!  My crafty room is finished and it’s beautiful!  I’m not going to ruin it with gloomy night shots though….so I hope you’ll come back and check out my pics later in the week.

Right, off to watch Downton Abbey now with a lovely cup of tea!   Bliss!

BFN
Linda
X

From one Pink Monster to Another….

Morning all….

Just heading up to Darlington for my little niece’s birthday.  She’s 5 today and her party starts at 3 so best get our skates on!!

I didn’t want to go without checking out the Less is More challenge this week though…and guess what?  Lady and Diva Lim have an Anything CAS goes this week!!  Yay!

I’ve made this lovely pink photo card for Emilia (that’s her in the pink.  The other little monster is my Annie).  I’ve embellished it with a little Melon Mambo dotty paper and a couple of cute monsters from the Make a Monster stamp set from Stampin’ Up…coloured in by Annie!  I’ve finished it with a happy birthday sentiment from Curly Cute and the message inside…? “Happy Birthday to one Pink Monster from another”.

I think this is still CAS….even though it is very pink!  It has Pink Space!

Right….off we go!  More Craft Room updates later…..it’s taking much longer than we wanted it to! *sigh*

BFN
Linda
X

Flutterby Butterflies

Ahhh…back to my favourites!  BUTTERFLIES!!

I couldn’t not enter a card  for the Simply Stampin’ Challenge this week.  It’s Flutterby Butterfly!!  Yay!!

I’ve punched Fancy Flowers out of Cherry Cobbler  and layered them with More Mustard Boho Blossoms.  I’ve stamped flourishes in Old Olive and adhered the flower to the corner of the card blank.  I’ve stamped butterflies from the Butterfly Prints stamp set and punched them out using the matching punch.  Stampin’ Up really make it easy as their products work together so well!!

Finally, I’ve added the sweet sentiment from the same set in the top corner and embellished the butterflies with some pearls.  I love this CAS look!

I’m also going to enter this in the following challenges:

Flutterby Wednesday {Butterfly, fairy or Angel}

Allsorts {Flowers and Swirls}

Papertake Weekly {Things with Wings}

Cute Card Thursday {Anything Goes}

BFN
Linda
X

Goodbye Summer

Morning all….

A quick card today for the challenge over on the Crafty Pad.  It’s time to say goodbye to summer….*sigh*.

I don’t think it needs much explanation….other than to say I’ve used More Mustard and Early Espresso colours and Woodsy the Owl Punch…all from Stampin’ Up!  I’ve embossed a background strip with swirls and stamped a flourish of autumn leaves. 

I’ve finished this off with a ‘Happy Birthday’ sentiment so this fits with the challenge on Toptip Tuesday.

So…ask me if I made this card in my new craft area? 

NO!!! But it’s getting closer!!  Just got to wait for the rest of the shelves to be delivered!

I’m also entering this card in the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly {Things with Wings}

BFN
Linda
X

LIM–Seeing Double

That’s certainly something I’m doing after staying up late to paint my soon to be craft room…..but before I start again, I had to make a card for the challenge on Less is More.
It’s a one layer week and Chrissie and Mandi’s examples on the blog are absolutely beautiful.  So I’ve tried to make mine as fancy and used a bit of gold embossing powder to make this very simple Anniversary Card using a layout from a previous challenge (Pick a Square):

Now this picture really doesn’t do it justice, so here’s a close up of the image.
To do this, I stamped and embossed the gold heart then masked it before stamping the second heart in Early Espresso.  Finally, I used my SAMJ to position the outline heart and stamped and embossed this.  Here’s a quick tip to get lovely sharp embossing……baby powder!  Each time I embossed, I dabbed baby powder over the card before stamping the image in versamark.  Cunning, eh!
So back to my painting….I will have a craft area by the end of the weekend…I will!!

There’s a long way to go!!!
BFN
Linda
X

LIM: Metallic

The Less is More challenge this week has been just that!!  A challenge!  It’s a colour challenge and the chosen colour is Metallic!! Hmmm….you might deduce from my late entry that I struggle with metallic stuff.  And it’s taken a lot of thinking and a craft night with girl friends to come up with this  card!

Hmmm…..metallic is clearly not my thing! But I do like the look of the baubles.  I’ve punched mirri board with the Ornament Punch and embossed using Vintage Wallpaper, both from Stampin’ Up.  I then used Stazon black and brown ink to “age” the baubles and give it a more realistic metal look.  I’ve layered a white card blank with black card, inked with silver and 3d’d the baubles to the front.  I’ve embossed the greeting in silver embossing powder and it would have looked even better if it was straight….don’tcha think?

I’m also entering this in the following challenges:

Make It Monday {Linky Party}

Bag yourself a bargain

Yesterday, Stampin’ Up published this year’s retirement list and there are quite a few bargains.  Click below to have a look and if you need to check the catalogue click the link in my sidebar.

http://204.228.150.61/docs/lastchance/en-GB/Availability_en-GB.pdf

I will be placing in order on Monday, 5th September so if you wish to order something please let me know by lunchtime on Monday.  If you are in the Hucknall area or can pick your order up from me you can partake of my P&P, meaning no charge to you.

Now this is my first Stampin’ Up Retirement Experience, hence my eagerness to put in an order.  It only lasts as long as the stock does and word has it, this stock goes fast!!  Might be a good time to stock up on 12x12 card stock.

You can still order from the list after Monday but there will be a P&P charge of £4.95 to get it shipped directly to your address (*sorry!*)

So get shopping and just let me know.

BFN
Linda

LIM: Recipe

Fresh back from a Bank Holiday break, I see I’ve nearly missed a really good challenge over on Less is More this week.  Oh well, better late than never as they say.

This week Lady and Diva LIM have set us a recipe to combine three previous challenges so I have gone for A Touch of Red, Embossing and White on White.

Back to an old favourite, I’ve used Beautiful Wings (all in white, except the one in Cherry Cobbler) for the butterflies and Perfect Polka Dots to emboss the background.  I guess I could have picked Ribbons or buttons too, as I’ve trimmed it with Whisper White ribbon and added a  fancy bow. 

I wish I had more time to play around with this challenge….the combinations are endless, but alas I am embarking on a new challenge this week and next.  Yep…I’ve taken the week off to get the kids settled in to school….and decorate the whole of the downstairs!!  Starting with creating a craft station in my utility room!!  Watch this space :-)

BFN
Linda
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