Challenge # 13–Two or more folds. Birthday celebrations/blog hop/DT call!!

 

Well, lots going on over on our Christmas Crafting blog this month! It has been a whole year since we started our little challenge blog and we are still going To celebrate, we have our new challenge as always, a blog hop and a DT call-details are later on in this post.

The new challenge this month is:

Two or more folds

We want to see your Christmas cards/projects that have two or more folds in them….whether it be an easel card or more adventurous stepping combination! Here is my attempt this month:

I decided to use a decoupage sheet I have had for ages! Raided my box and I think this is a La Pashe design. Really love the traditional images. Hope you like it. It would be lovely to see you join in with us this month, pop on over and get some further inspiration from our design team.

Now onto our blog hop…

This month we are celebrating our first birthday over at Christmas Crafting-where has the time gone! Thanks to all of you who have taken part in the last 12 months and we hope we can count on you for your continued support. As part of our celebrations we have decided to have a blog hop around our very talented Design Team! We have four prizes up for grabs so definitely worth taking part! If you have arrived here from SARA’s blog then you are hopping in the right direction. If not then please return to the Christmas Crafting blog to start again.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning one of these fabulous prizes is to visit each blog in order, leaving a comment as you go, and then returning to the Christmas Crafting Challenge blog and leaving a final comment letting us know what you love about Christmas. On 1st August we will randomly draw four comments to win the prizes.

To continue with the hop, you now need to return to the

Christmas Crafting blog

and leave your final comment about Christmas. GOOD LUCK!

DT Call

If that wasn’t enough, we are also putting out a DT call for two more members to join us. All of the details on how to apply are on the Christmas Crafting blog so pop on over if you are interested.

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Arline

xx

A little bit of Humphrey…

Hi All

Last day of freedom today so I decided to make a couple of cards! I decided to use this little Humphrey stamp today to make a Father’s Day card for my Father-in-Law. Love Humphrey, he is such a cutie! I’d like to enter this into the Sketch Saturday challenge this week, a fab sketch girls, I hope you don’t mind me altering the three items from the bottom to the side! Thanks! I’d also like to enter it into the Crafter’s Companion challenge which is ‘Embellish it’, I cannot let a card be made without embellishing it with some card candi, I’d also like to enter it into the Papertake Challenge which is ‘Anything Goes’ with an optional challenge of ‘Father’s Day’ and finally into the Totally Papercrafts challenge which is ‘Doodle it’. I have doodled around the edge of the image and sentiment, and inside.

I was delighted to be in the top three today at Winter Wonderland. Thanks ladies…made me smile this morning My next card is for the Winter Wonderland challenge this week which is a Photo Inspiration challenge. I always struggle with these ones but I hope that my card fits the bill! I took the colour, blue (although it looks turquoise on the piccie…I assure you it is blue!) and silver, and the baubles (on tree on top of igloo) from the photo…hope that is ok. I have made a mini easel card and have used this really cute LOTV image.

That is it for me today. Back to work tomorrow so who knows when I will be back! Lol! Only a 6 week half-term…just hoping Ofsted don’t decided to come…would like a quiet term…winding down for the summer. Fingers crossed!

Hope you are all well.

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Arline

xx

A SMASHing good time once again!

Hi All

Well, I managed to do a little work today before getting distracted by my SMASH book…got some lessons planned and reports written so I was a good girl for most of the day!

Here are a few pages I have made over the last couple of days. Please scroll down to see my London and Eurodisney page if interested.

The first page I have for you is one that I have completed today. I decided that the diamond pink page in my SMASH book was calling out for some of my Hen party pics! It was definitely a pink and girly evening so seemed to fit it well!

Apologies for the slightly blurred picture! My next page is one about a trip to Canada that I am going on in July. I have popped some piccies of the things we are hoping to do whilst we are there, hoping I may be able to tick them off when I get back!

On Tuesday we went into Manchester and I visited Paperchase. I bought some lush postcards and one among them was a Paddington Bear one. It got me thinking of the TV shows I used to love as a child and so I really enjoyed making this next page!

Can you recognise any?! My final page to show you is one I have completed in my Wedding SMASH book. We were lucky enough to have our dream venue for our big day and so I had to make sure I dedicated a whole page just to the beauty of the place. It is called The Ashes in Endon, Staffordshire and is just stunning. My photos are in sepia as that is my theme for my book but I still think it looks really pretty

That is all for now. Really enjoying SMASHing at the moment. Seems to have taken over my cardmaking a little! My red book is getting so full now that I may need a SMASH band to keep it all together! I have also been working on my ‘Bucket’ list so watch this space…!!

Thanks for looking.

Arline

xx

Some more SMASHing…think I am addicted!

Hi All

Had a go at another spread in my SMASH book today. A few years ago we went to Eurodisney for my Mum’s 50th birthday. We had a fab time and have lots of fabulous memories. I really enjoyed SMASHing about it and have some more piccies that I may pop in later too.

Love the bright colours Disney things have, makes the page look so cheerful! Hoping we are able to go again soon so I can have another holiday to SMASH about!!

Hope you like it. Am working on a new blog that will tell of all of my SMASHing adventures! Going to try and keep this one to cardmaking and baking.

Thanks again for looking.

Arline

x

206 days till Christmas…!

Hi All

Second post in one day…I am doing well! I have been feeling in the Christmassy mood over the past week or so, so I thought I’d make a couple of Christmas cards. My first card is using a super cute Tiddlywinks digi stamp. I have also used some ‘First Edition’ Christmas paper which is lush….this patchwork one is sooo nice! I’d like to enter this card into the I Love Promarkers challenge this week which is ‘Digi stamps’.

My next card and final one for today is using one of my new LOTV stamps. I’d never seen this stamp before and I found it as I was trawling through their gorgeous collections! I have also used my First Edition Christmas papers on this card, this holly glittery one is lush. I have also used a Little Claire sentiment. I’d like to enter this into the Winter Wonderland challenge this week which is ‘Holly’ and the Lili’s Little Fairies Challenge which is ‘Anything Goes’.

That’s me done for today. I am busy watching Downton Abbey relaxing…so nice not to have to think about work for a little while. I am also going to bake tomorrow and make me and the hubster a little Afternoon Tea to celebrate the Jubilee! Looking forward to it…got a few new bits and bobs to have a play with so will post some piccies if all goes well tomorrow.

Hope you have had a nice day and enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend!

Hugs

Arline

xx

SMASHing time in London!

Hi All

Had a bit of a lazy day today and so I decided to do a bit of crafting this afternoon. The other day I bought some of the new London collection from Kanban, so I thought I’d get started on my London page in my SMASH book!

Here is the end result! We love going to London and so have loads of piccies. I decided to make one side a collage and the other is focused on Harrods. I absolutely adore the Christmas shop (being a Christmas nut!) and we have started a tradition visiting in the October half-term. Love the big teddies too…Steve gets a bit spooked by them though! Lol!

Here is a close up of the two pages…loved the Union Jack card that you can just about see on the collage page, and the die cut taxi from Kanban.

I was thinking about putting some Christmas embellishments on this page but wondered if it would be too much…what do you think?

Hope you like it, would appreciate any feedback you have. Am still new to SMASHing! I’m a bit stuck with my wedding one at the moment, I think I need to stop worrying about it and go with the flow…think I am trying to make it too perfect! Will perhaps have a go later in the week.

Thanks for looking…some Christmas cards coming up shortly!

Hugs

Arline

xx

Well blog…it has been a while!

Hi All

What a mad few weeks I have had! Work has been mad as it is exam/coursework time and so I have had loads to do. I have also been very busy planning two surprise weekends for my hubby’s 30th birthday! Will tell you more about that later on….

Firstly, we have a new challenge over at Christmas Crafting which is to use purple on your cards. Here was my DT card for this month using one of the fab Sassy Studio designs. They have kindly sponsored us this month and you can win 4 of their digis!

Hope to see you joining in with us this month

Right, now to hubby’s 30th! It has been driving me mad having so many secrets from him….was worried I’d put my foot in it! The weekend before his birthday I surprised him with his present from me which was a Driving Experience where he got to drive five supercars! He had a fab time and this is my fave photo from the day!!

We then went out for a surprise meal with his parents….then the next day he went and climbed a 70 foot wall! Something he was desperate to do before he was 30! Steve is the dot at the top!

I don’t know about him, but I was exhausted by the end of the weekend! For his actual birthday he went indoor skydiving!! Haven’t really got any good photies of that but another action packed day, with another big surprise meal with family and friends! We didn’t have a photo taken just the two of us but here is one of us with our friend’s daughter…she is so cute!

A fab time was had all round and I was exhausted…I felt about 50!! Hubby had a fab time though and that was the main thing. For my 30th next year I am hiding under my duvet…eek!

Finally, here is the card I made for him-promise I will stop boring you with it all now!

He is a massive gamer so this was a perfect image for him!

That is it for now, thanks for looking and now it is half-term I hope to do some more smashing and even do some more cards. I am away for over two weeks in the summer so might need to get cracking with my Christmas cards!!

Happy crafting

Hugs
Arline

xx

New ‘Christmas Crafting’ challenge and some more ‘Smashing!’

Hi All

Hope you are all well. Look at me, blogging midweek! Lol! Got a couple of things to show you tonight so thanks for stopping by.

Firstly, the new ‘Christmas Crafting’ challenge has finally been launched! Had loads of technical issues but finally sorted Please go and pop on over and join in the fun. Our challenge this month is ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ and here is my card:

I have made a circle easel card and some cute Penny Black stamps to bring the poem to life a little. This is one of my fave poems at Christmas!

My next make to show you is another page from my Smash book. I am absolutely loving ‘Smashing’ at the moment and I have done another page within a week….I’m on a roll! Lol! I have also just received a new Wedding one and some more bits and pieces, to start scrapping all my bits and bobs from when I planned the wedding…sooo excited to get started! Anyway, back to my page! I have based it on my favourite place to go on holiday, Looe and Polperro in Cornwall. Had some fab photies from our past two holidays, including some fab ones of Steve when he was on a horse and cart, looking petrified! What do you think? I like the main bit on the left hand side but not sure about the rest….honest opinions please!

That’s it for now….hoping I might get some more crafting done over the Bank Holiday so will make sure I blog anything I make. Also trying to do a car boot on Monday…if the weather holds out!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend and thanks for popping by,

Hugs

Arline

xx

My ‘Smash’ book!

Hi All

Something a little different for you now. I bought a ‘Smash’ book a little while ago and have done bits and bobs inside it but never completed a page…think I needed a bit of confidence before I went for it! Well, today was the day! I have joined a new Smash book Facebook group which have inspired me to get it started. If you are thinking, what the bloody hell is a smashbook?!? then have a look at this link.

Anyway, here is my first attempt at a double page spread. My book is going to be full of all sorts, no real theme. So I decided to do my first pages on my recent visit to Belton House, ‘Rosings Park’ to any Pride and Prejudice fans. We had a great time and I knew I wanted to scrapbook it so thought it a good place to start by ‘smashing’ it.

Here they are, my first pages…please don’t be too judgemental!

I have added quite a bit of journaling, my own photos and some from P+P 1995 version. I really, really enjoyed making these pages and don’t think I will leave it too long now before another lot are done! Will keep you posted on my progress but thought you might like to see!

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Arline

xx

A rainy day crafting.

Hi All

Well, what a miserable day! Had a bit of a rubbish weekend. We woke up yesterday to find out that someone had stolen our petrol out of a car!! Thieving swines! They seem to have targeted a few cars on the estate…reported to the police but not holding out much hope that they will catch anyone. So, without a car at the moment, hoping we can get it sorted at the garage tomorrow. So plans went out of the window for the weekend. I had to pop into town and we had to do the food shopping but it gave me more time indoors crafting….if we are going to try and put a positive slant on it!!

Just the one card for you today….also made my card for the next Christmas Crafting challenge but I will post this on 1st May (still a day left to post you entries for this month)! My card today is for the Winter Wonderland challenge which is ‘Here come the girls’ and the Papertake Weekly challenge which is this fab sketch. I fancied making Christmas pages today, probably because of the terrible weather outside…you wouldn’t think we were nearly in summer!!

I have used a Sugar Nellie image and coloured with my Promarkers, the backing papers are from an old Hot Off The Press pad that I have and I have used a Little Claire sentiment. Hope you like it! I will be back shortly with a post of my ‘Smash’ book, so something a little different!

Thanks for popping by and I hope you have enjoyed your weekend

Hugs

Arline

xx

Half-way reminder for Christmas Crafting Challenge!

Hi All

Just a quick reminder about the challenge over on Christmas Crafting this month. We are halfway through the month so still time to get your entries in! All you need to do is make a Christmas card/project that fits our theme for this month which is:

Gingham Christmas!

The prize this month is a set of wonderful Peter Rabbit stamps!

Please pop on over and look at the DT cards for some inspiration!

Hope to see some more fabulous crafty creations.

Hugs

Arline

xx

Last couple of cards…for now!

Hi All

Well, these are my last two cards…for now…am hoping to leave Sunday free in order to do a bit of crafting but you know how it is, will keep fingers crossed!

My first card is using one of my new Christmas stamps-Mimi from Penny Black. She is so sweet…and stamps really well! I enjoyed making this card, loved the bright colours…wasn’t sure about it at first but pleased with the result. I’d like to enter this into the Sketch Saturday challenge this week and will definitely use this one again-thanks ladies!

My final card…for now…is using one of my new LOTV stamps. Such a sweet teddy! I also used some of my new Laura Ashley papers on this one. I’d like to enter this into the Allsorts challenge which is another bingo one and I have chosen ‘pink, blue and yellow’-not showing up well on picture but there is yellow on it I promise! I have coloured part of the flower yellow and the pearls are also yellow.

Thanks for stopping by once again and I hope it won’t be too long before I post again!

Hugs

Arline

xx