Look what I found in my stash!

I was hunting through my craft stuff earlier, looking for some Christmas stickers as I wanted to make some quick ATCs. I cam across some fabulous Snowman stickers and decoupage....which ashamedly, I forgot I had! Seemed the right time to do some crafting with it after the recent launch from Crafter's Companion!
So I decided to make some Christmassy ATCs....I am hoping to swap these at some point on a little project I am working on, so watch this space. The one below is probably my favourite one...love the background and the image just screams what The Snowman is all about! I finished it off with a little snowman charm that I have had in my brad box for ages! I have also found my love of Stickles again....gives the snow a lovely little bit of sparkle.

My next ATC is using this gorgeous little image....just makes you feel all sentimental and warm inside (lol!) I have accompanied it with a few felt snowflakes brads...again, had them for ages! Love how you can raid your stash and use something you have had for ages with ATCs...never looks quite right on cards.

This is a very simple ATC using some die cuts I found...I have accompanied it with some blue stickles around the edge, just to give it a bit of something!

Love these two images....I think it looks as if the snowman is in love...aww! I was looking for a mistletoe image to put in the middle but couldn't find one!

Finally, a bit of decoupage and faux stitching. Again, using the image which is probably the most famous one from the animation. I have done a little bit of doodling and finished this off with a couple of card candy.

I have really enjoyed making these ATCs...they are only very simple but enjoyable to make. Was hoping for my CD to arrive today but am hopeful that it will appear tomorrow...fingers crossed! Still feeling a little under the weather but throat is getting better...can now talk a lot better than a few days ago...just got to shift this nasty cough now!

Please feel free to enter my blog candy and celebrate my third blogiversary! You can find the link here.

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Arline

xx

Third Blogiversary-Candy up for grabs!

Hi All

Well, it is coming up to my third blogiversary so as promised I have some blog candy up for grabs. All you need to do to enter is:

• Become a follower of my blog


• Enter by commenting on this post


• Place a picture of my candy in your sidebar with a link back to my blog

I will draw the candy on 7th July at 7pm and is open to anyone who has a blog, including crafters outside the UK. Below is a list of items in my candy:

• A wooden backed Forever Friends Christmas Pudding stamp


• A snag'em stamp of three trees (great for backgrounds!)


• A Prima clear stamp of a birthday boy and girl with some gems


• A selection of different sized and coloured flowers


• A selection of different coloured card candy and brads


• A miniature bottle of glossy accents


• A pack of Christmas Wishes paper (approx 6x6)


• A pack of Whitewash card (6x6)


• A pack of decoupage and papers with gorgeous teddies on (The MacKenzies)

I have tried to stick to the 'three' theme, three packs of papers, three lots of embellishments and three stamps! I hope you will join me in celebrating my three year blogiversary and good luck!

Hugs

Arline

xx

Christmas Popcorn...in black and white!

Hi All

I have been off work the past couple of days as I have been struggling with my voice....could only squeak yesterday! This is a bit of an issue being a teacher so I have stayed at home to try and rest it. However, I have been cheered up by Christmas on Create and Craft, including the launch of The Snowman CD....which I have purchased! Can't wait for it to arrive and start crafting with it. Watching all of this crafting on the TV though made me want to craft a little bit. Thought I'd get my Popcorn the Bear Christmas CD out and have a go at some black and white/ grayscale cards....inspired by the grayscale cards I have seen on the Snowman shows as they looked fab. So here are three cards I have made...hope you like them!

This one is my favourite image on the CDs I think....gorgeous Popcorn hugging his little blanket sitting by the fire...thought I'd play around with the shape of the card too. Everything apart from the black cardstock is from the CD. I printed the image and sentiment in grayscale and played with the colouriser to get the backing paper the shade I wanted.

Another easel card here...I love making these at the moment...think most of my Christmas cards are going to be these this year. Gorgeous little image of Popcorn sleighing and I have used some craftwork cards card candy....love this stuff...I have a box full of different colours and it looks fab...these are some new ones I have had with little dots on them. Finally, a simple card with the image of Popcorn as Santa and finished off with card candy. Love the sentiments on this CD too...'Wishing You a Beary Merry Christmas!' So sweet.

Hope you liked them, it was definitely a nicer way to spend a couple of hours than tackling the marking I have here at home with me...! Off now to have yet another cup of tea to sooth my throat and to watch the rest of craft day.

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Arline

xx

Bit of a mammoth post...apologies!

Well, I have had another evening crafting today, caught up with some challenges and played with some new bits and pieces. Not feeling very well today and think that has had an impact on my cards! Not entirely happy with them...but I thought I'd share anyway! My first card today is using the fab Crafter's Companion Humphrey CD and is for the A Spoonful of Sugar Challenge which is 'Here comes Summer.' I really love the detail in this image...there are so many little elephants in the picture...I particularly love the little superhero one! I'd love to have a birthday party in the garden like this one....my birthday is September and is always raining! Lol!
My next card I'd like to enter into the Winter Wonderland challenge which is Swirls and Pearls, the Cute Card Thursday Challenge which is Pins and Pearls (I didn't have an pins so hope just the pearls are enough!) and the Sketch Saturday Challenge which was this fab sketch. I love this little Forever Friend image. He is sooo cute and the little robin just finishes it off nicely. I have used some pearls just to finish the card off and stamped a little swirl to frame my image. I have also used one of my crocheted flowers I bought today...couldn't resist them!

I thought I'd make some simpler cards today...sometimes less is more! I have made this card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge which is One for the Guys this week. I have used browns, greens and oranges to make this card and enjoyed using those colours together-thought they were quite manly and I have made this for a male relative so hopefully it fits the challenge! I finished it off with a little card candy.

Over at the Just Magnolia challenge this week is a fab sketch and they also want to see anything floral! I decided to do another Christmas card...not doing too badly now...hopefully will have enough by the time December comes! I have used some lace and pearls to finish the card off and a few gold gems to give it a bit of sparkle.

This next card is using a Lili of the Valley image and so I thought I'd enter into their challenge this week which is Anything Goes! I have never joined in this challenge before and I hope to join in again. I have many of their images so need to get them out of my craftbox and use them up...no doubt I will stock back up when I go to the NEC in November! I'd also like to enter it into the Papertake Weekly Challenge which is Anything Goes as well because it is the first challenge of the month!

My final card today reminds me of my best friends living room! Her living room is purple, green and brown too! Love these colours together. I had a really bad day at work the other day and thought I'd cheer myself up with a trip to Hobbycraft...and Lakeland...oops! I couldn't resist these little owls as I am owl mad! I don't really buy embellishments like this anymore so wasn't sure what to do with it so I tried to keep it simple. I'm not that keen on the finished card but I still love this owl...he is such a cutie!

Well, that is it from me...card wise anyway! As you may have read on an earlier post, it is my three year blogiversary on 7th July so watch out for some candy coming your way...just gathering some bits and pieces in order to celebrate!

I have found my love for baking again recently and am really interested in getting into cake decorating. I have bought some sugarpaste and am going to have a go at doing some simple modelling over the next week...I watched a great hour that was on Create and Craft the other day and I was glued so watch this space....little duck, penguin and teddy bear may be on their way! Lol!

I am reading a great girly book at the mo called 'Meet me in the Cupcake Cafe' so I am now off to bed to read a chapter with my cuppa and throat sweets!

Thanks for reading.

Hugs

Arline

xx

Three years of blogging...!!

After blog hopping this evening I got to wondering when my blogiversary was.....after a little digging around my settings I found out it was coming up on 7th July! Not only that, it is my third blogiversary! I have missed three of them so I think a good candy needs to be arranged....leave it with me and I will keep you updated! It is also coming up to my first wedding anniversary in August so I will think about how we could celebrate that too....perhaps some more candy....will keep you posted!xx

Two posts in one day...

Very unlike me to post twice in a day! Thought I'd share with you a quick card I made with my new Mary Poppins digi image that I won from Sassy Studio Designs. I just had to have a go with it. I think I might finish it off with a bit of doodling...mmm...not sure...don't want to overdo it. Hope you like it! I still have my other images to have a play with and some more Humphrey cards to make up but I am signing off for the night. Got to get ready to go back to work tomorrow and I never sleep well...hopefully I am prepared enough to be able to do a bit of crafting during the week this week....you never know!

Hugs
Arline
x

Think I've found it again...

....my crafting mojo that is! I have had another afternoon crafting and still want to do more. Really enjoying it so more cards will hopefully follow!

Firstly, some very exciting news...I was lucky enough to win a prize on the Winter Wonderland Challenge Blog as they had a HUGE birthday event last week. I won four digi stamps from Sassy Studio Designs and they are fab...took me a while to choose as there were loads of fab ones...cards definitely to follow! Thanks Winter Wonderland and Sassy Studio!

Secondly, my gorgeous new Humphrey CD from Crafters Companion came on Friday and I have finally had chance to have a play today. A couple of the cards that follow are using the decoupage or pyramage on the CD and I have loads ready to mount onto other cards so hopefully more will follow in the near future. It is so cute...and there seems to be something on there for every occasion...I kind of want to print them out and frame them they are that cute! Don't think hubby would be very amused!

Finally, I have been able to enter some challenges again today! So here are my entries. I have combined a lot of them today as the cards took me a little longer than usual....think I was enjoying myself too much!

My first card is for the Crafter's Companion challenge which is 'Here comes Summer'. I chose this gorgeous little image of Humphrey looking over the garden wall. The flowers reminded me of Summer and I followed those through with some gorgeous Prima papers I bought today. I thought it was a little bit too busy at first but I was quite happy with the final result. I would also like to enter this into the Papertake Weekly challenge which was a fabulous sketch. One I will definitely use again...in fact a later card is almost identical!

My second card is for the Sketch Saturday challenge which was a fab sketch, quite complex but I was really happy with the end result. I used another image from my Humphrey CD, it reminded me of two loving sisters or friends! I really enjoyed working with the pastel colours...I rarely use them but love this combination of lilac and lemon.

My third card is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge which was to doodle on your card. I have drawn a bit of faux stitching around my image and sentiment. I forgot how much I enjoyed doodling so you may see it on some of my future cards again! I love this little image and thought I'd try and keep ahead with my Christmas cards! Had no time to make any last year with the wedding and everything!

My final card is for three different challenges. Firstly, I'd like to enter it into the Winter Wonderland challenge which is 'Christmas food'-hoping that this card is ok. Little Tilda is carrying a heart cookie and some candy canes and my background paper has some Gingerbread Men and Christmas Puddings on them! I thought I had loads of Christmas food embellishments, images, papers in my stash....but could I find anything! Hope this is enough for my card to be entered...pretty please! Secondly, I'd like to enter this card into the Cute Card Thursday challenge which is to embellish your main image. I have added a few gems on to give it a little sparkle and have also gone over the present, candy canes and cookie with my clear Sakura pen to give it a glossy finish. Finally, I'd like to enter this into the Just Magnolia challenge which is 'Anything Goes' as it is the first challenge of the month. I love using Magnolia images for Christmas cards so really pleased I could take this opportunity to make another one.

Phew...that is it for the moment. I will hopefully be posting some more cards later this evening....off to have tea now and look after my poorly hubby. He has a chest infection but is refusing to go to the doctors! What are men like ay!

Bye for now!

Hugs

Arline

xx

Fab times with my 'niece' and 'nephew'!

Hi All
I didn't have anything planned for this week as I wanted a quiet one, but I have had anything but...in a good way! On Monday hubby and I took out our little 'niece', Steve's friends daughter and our little flowergirl, to Drayton Manor Park. Not being a fan of big rides I was a bit apprehensive before going and the pouring rain didn't help! However, we had a great time! She is only 2 and so had a fabulous time in Thomas land. She was really excited to ride on Thomas and Percy, and of course to fly in Harold the helicopter. have posted a few piccies below. We had a great time and are already planning our next day out!

Then yesterday I spent the day with my bessie mate, Becky and her son (and my little 'nephew!'), Dylan. The day didn't start well as we visited a park which used to have animals in....only to find it had closed...sad times. But we had an ice cream and a play on the park and then came back to my house. As I have said before, I have got back into my baking and Dylan said he would like to make some cakes! We had a great day baking and decorating some little sponge cakes and crispy cakes. He was such a star...a future chef I think! Next time he comes he wants to learn how to make cookies! Bless him! Have popped a few pictures below! Today I thought I'd have a day not doing much so just popped to the library. I wanted to get some books out on Cake decorating and Sugarcraft but was disappointed as most on their system were no longer available! However, I had ordered a beginners guide book which arrived whilst I was out and it is great. Loads of step by step instructions and list of equipment etc. I need. Really useful. I'm thinking of taking a class for beginners in September so would like to just know a little bit before I go! Really excited about my new hobby....will post anything that is worthwhile on my blog!!

I have also decided to get back on my Wii Fit and start to try and lose some weight. I have put a lot on since the wedding as I didn't have to fit into a wedding dress anymore! So think I might start blogging my progress as it may motivate me a little! One decision I have made is for every 3lbs I lose, I am going to reward myself with buying something for my new hobby, a tool or a book etc. I set myself a target of every 6lb before I give myself a little reward before but I never got there! Step by step I think this time. Bit more manageable!

I have done a little bit of crafting this week too as you can see in my post below. Didn't get on very well but am going to try and keep my weekend free so might try again! Work day tomorrow and I'm hoping that is the only work I need to do before Monday!

Anyway, I will stop my waffling and go back to reading my book!

Hugs

Arline xx

Some challenges if you please...

Hi All

Well it is that time again, half-term that is (!), which means another chance to do a bit of crafting. I have had a go at a few challenges but not entirely happy with what I have produced. Think I may have lost my Crafting mojo :( I wasn't feeling too well this morning though so I hopefully I have just had a bad day. I hope you enjoy looking at my cards....one question though for anyone who may happen upon my blog...if any of you use lace, how do you attach it? What adhesive do you use as I had a bit of trouble with this earlier. Answers on a virtual postcard please! Lol!

Anyway, here is my first entry into the Just Magnolia challenge which is the theme of 'Friends.' I love this image of Tilda and found this lovely little verse to go on my card...I felt it went well with the image. I would also like to enter this card into the Cute Card Thursday challenge which is a sketch this week.

My next card is for the challenge over at A Spoonful of Sugar this week which is to include a floral element somewhere on your card. I included the little flowers on the side of my image as well as having floral ribbon and a few flowers made an appearance on the stamped image. I love this cute little elephant. It is one of 'Little Claire' designs and he is just adorable! I also really like this sketch. I have used it a few times now...I think I picked it up from a challenge I did a few weeks ago...

My next card today is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge which was to create a card/project 'For the Girlies.' I think mine is suitably girly with my colour choice! Lol! Haven't used much bling though....although sometimes less is more. I have made an easel card again for this challenge. I am really enjoying making these at the moment. They are so easy to make and give a normal card a bit of interest for the person you send it too....after they have worked out how to stand it up anyway!

Over at Sketch Saturday this week there are lots of celebrations going on. It is their third birthday! Happy birthday Sketch Saturday! There is lots of blog candy up for grabs, as well as a fab sketch to follow this week as always. Here is my entry....what better way to celebrate a birthday but with a bit of shopping? Lol!

My final card today is for the Winter Wonderland challenge and they have a birthday this week too! They were two yesterday! Happy birthday Winter Wonderland! Lots of prizes up for grabs so go over and take a look! The challenge this week was also a fab one, really enjoyed taking part. You just need to produce a card/project using the colours blue and white. My favourite colours when making Christmas cards!

That's it for now....feel like I have lost my crafting mojo but am hoping that it may come back when the post arrives tomorrow....hoping that my new Humphrey's Crafters Companion CD arrives and I can have a play! Surely I can't go wrong with such a cute character! Hope you have enjoyed visiting my little blog.

Hugs

Arline

xx