Winter Solstice

Yes, today is the shortest day of the year, so I am quickly popping in whilst there is still some daylight around!

I have the topper of one of my calendar gifts to share with you today.
I based it on this sketch from Retro Sketches

I flipped the sketch and came up with this:

Most of stamps are from CAS-ual Fridays.

I will also be entering this into the 'star' challenge at Casology.

My Internet connection has hit the Xmas booze a little early and is playing up so I will only be popping in and out when it sobers up!!

CAS-Colour and Sketches #4

It is already week 4 of our challenges at CAS-Colour and Sketches. And this week we have a colour challenge for you. We would love to see what cards you can create using the following colours:

We have used Stampin' up colours but you don't have to-just use the closest shades you have.

I thought these colours were quite masculine. I need a few cards for men in January so these colour combo gave me the motivation I needed to get stamping for the boys!

And this is what I came up with:

I have used the 'Grunge Me' stamps from PTI and memento inks-Danube blue and Dandelion. I masked off a rectangle area and just got stamping. I then embossed some navy card and used foam pads to place it on the card.

So, what do you think-suitable for a guy?

Why not pop over to our site here and check out the challenge and all the fab cards our DT have created using these colours.

Looking forward to seeing your cards!

Goodbye April!

Want chance to win some goodies? Then, pop over to the new challenge site Inkspirational ,where I am on the DT, and set yourself up as a follower and 'like us' on our facebook page to be in with a chance to win.

As some of you know I am working my way through making 2 Calendars as gifts. And today I have the topper for April but, unfortunately, only one April down, one to go!

I have been creatively stumped on this month for a while now. I wanted to focus on 'April Showers' and had lots of general ideas floating around in my head. But, try as I might, nothing concrete came to mind. Then yesterday I decided to throw this idea 'out in the rain'......oh dear, bad pun I know!

I decided to focus on who the calendars were for and just do a topper that suited them.
So today's April is for my Uncle and Aunt who own a car garage. I got the idea of hills from my cousin Lynn, who suggested I take a look at her card here as a good way of using up patterned paper. I followed her idea of hills and added a car climbing. Not any old car...a Porsche!!

I used the colours from the challenges at Paper Smooches Sparks. The car is a Paper Smooches stamp from the 'my guy' set. I surprised myself by really enjoying hunting through a, very neglected, stash of Stampin' up paper. And Lynn is right, this is a great way to use DSP. Here I have used paper that has never made it to any of my projects before!
I am going to use the same idea of the other 'April' topper but look for a suitable colour challenge to inspire me to use more patterned paper. Hopefully I will share this with you before Christmas!

I will also enter the 'Anything Goes' challenge at Each Card a Party!

Happy Stamping x

And the Calendar Continues!!

Happy Monday crafting chums!

As some of you may know I am making a couple of Calendars for Christmas presents and need to do a topper for each month (never again!!). Yesterday I thought I had better get down to it although I wasn't feeling too creative. March needed to get done and as Easter is in March next year this is the theme I went for. Now, I was faced with another problem-my Mum (who one of the calendars is for) made the passing comment that she was not so keen on my CAS cards and liked it when I added ribbons etc. Yikes my CAS brain was facing a challenge!!

I struggled all afternoon and got out every piece of crafting tool, ribbon, paper, card, buttons etc. The room was a very 'un-Sandie' state (I am a tidy freak!).

However this is what I came up with:

I guess looking at it now, it is still pretty CAS. I honestly tried out lots of DSP but couldn't get anything to work.
I am still not happy with it really, however it was a challenge and as such I am going to enter it into the following challenges:

Eclectic Ellapu-anything goes
Live and Love Crafts-anything but a card
Stamp up your Life-anything goes

Only April to do!!

And before I leave you, Lisbeth, one of my fellow DT members on Inkspirational, has some blog candy to give away, so pop to her blog here to see how you can win some extra candy for the holiday season.

Lovin from the oven!

I hope you are all having good Sunday and not getting too stressed as the big day approaches!

I have a very simple card for you today that I made last night in about 15 mins. Yes, a very quick card but it was very satisfying and relaxing to make. I was inspired by the challenges at:

-Addicted to CAS- 'sweet' is the buzz word this week and it gave me chance to use my first ever stamp set that has not been dusted off for about 18 months. I don't remember where it is from!
-Just Us Girls-a colour challenge this week-pink, green and white. I thought this was quite refreshing after all the Xmas colours and ideal to use for the icing on cakes.
-Addicted to Stamps-a bingo challenge this week. When I had stamped and coloured my card, I felt it needed just that little something. Then remembered I had seen this challenge earlier in the week-so I added a pearl to one of the cakes and viola, I was happy! I used the bingo combo-of green, anything goes (markers) and pearls.

A really quick card to do but enjoyable. I have had this digi for ages from Create with TLC and hadn't used it, so all in all a successful little 15 mins!!

Have a great day x

White on White Christmas.

Yippee, Friday is here! And a bigger yippee as I think this is my last Christmas card-although I won't confirm that as I had thought I had finished but then realised, alas, I had one more to do!

I did however have some exciting inspiration for this card.
First I had been seeing quite a few gorgeous Xmas cards made for the 'white on white' challenge at Make My Monday and wanted to join in. Plus I loved some of the cards made for the 'bauble' challenge at Addicted to CAS, so yet another excuse to play. These are 2 new challenges to me and I am enjoying taking part. Then finally, today, the latest fab sketch at CAS(E) this sketch inspired me to get moving.

I apologise for the shadows in the photo but it was difficult to get the light right, the dark nights and gloomy days are making it more difficult but I hope you get the idea and can see the sparkly paper. All of the die cuts, linen embossing plate and sentiment are from PTI.

CAS, glittery, bright red, pearls, silver string and my beloved linen impression plate-I love my last Christmas card and hope you do too!

And today I got one more month of my calendar topper made, so 8 months down, 4 to go!!

                    

CAS-Colours and Sketches #3

Today I am back with our 3rd challenge at CAS-Colours and Sketches. And this week we have this funky sketch for you:

I needed to make a thank you card for my Dad you recently installed a new shower for me and put up some shelves. So I have a 'manly' version of this sketch for you-super CAS-just how I like it!

The sentiments are a mix of Paper Smooches stamps and the dotted stamp is an old one from PTI.

I was pretty happy with the clean look to this and am hoping my Dad likes it!

The DT team have done a fab job with this sketch so pop over and have a look at their designs:

Jacqueline

Loiuse

Kylie

And then play along with us. I am looking forward to see your take on the sketch.

Have a great day x