Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 16 - It's a Man's World

Hi!  OMG we have only two days to get ready for Christmas!! well three including today :-)

I'm sure I am not alone in saying that the snow we have had uncharacteristically early here in the UK has seriously impacted my plans...

... Scrapbook Sisters are planning to be open today and tomorrow only for your last minute crafty gifts and they do vouchers too... perfect for the partner or husband who asks "Martha Stewart who?", and worries slightly at you sighing over someone called Tim Holtz :-)

I for one have armed HB with a FULL list... where to get it, prices and sizes where applicable are included but I know if the worst happens and we get another dose of the white stuff before he finishes work today then he will be able to get hold of Karen and she will make sure Santa is kid to me :-)

Seriously though, I'm Christmas shopping RIGHT now and have both a proper 4x4 ( prehistoric Land Rover, knobbly tyres) and a tractor on standby to get my useless rear wheel drive, automatic, usually-oh-so-efficient-but-completely-hopeless-in-the-way-of-a-duck-on-ice-german-built-monster out from whichever ditch I finally succumb to... I'm getting the sinking feeling it is a matter of time, no matter how careful I am :-(.  HB has been looking for a second hand Land Rover on eBay... and for once I am not protesting!! 

Right, enough rambling, onto today's card

This weeks Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge is

It's a Man's World

Here's my card

Please excuse the two interlopers into the picture... they wanted their 15 minutes of fame and who was I to say no :-)

Once I'd persuaded them to get out of shot...

I've used the lovely new papers by Echo Park for this card, which is for my neighbour... I think he'll appriciate it :-)

This is a lovely design, but I have used red and blue stickles on the dots to perk it up a bit more...

as I had a bit of paper left over I carried it over to the inside

The image is coloured with copics, and accented with Glossy accents and more stickles

Supplies: 
CS - Blue and White Bazzill Bling; Borders from Wintertime Collection, Echo Park: Image and Sentiment - Bugaboo; Ribbon; Woodware Fluffy Stuff; Red and Blue Stickles; Personal Impressions Sentiment; Stone Grey Stazon; Cricut; MS Border Punch; Woodware 3" Circle Punch;

Before I go I would like to thank all my blog followers for their support and encouragement for my creations, and to all my friends at Scrapbook Sisters (you know who you are!!) and to everyone who has taken part in the Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenges.  Merry Christmas!!

Thanks for stopping by, looking forward to seeing how you interpret this challenge :-)

Sue xx

Totally Ladybug Tuesday Challenge 8 - Song Title

Good morning and welcome to another Totally Ladybug Tuesday... this is the last challenge of the year (sniff!!)... but don't worry we'll be back in the new year (hurrah!!)

Firstly congratulations to all the winners from last weeks challenge and blog hop!!

This week the challenge has been set by the lovely Tams and it is

Song Title

Now this might seem a bit of a toughy, but I bet you can look at any one of your stamps and think of something... or, failing that, cheat and ask google for help :-)

Anyway, here's what I came up with

By happy coincidence a colleague of mine asked me to make a card for her Grandson, who is turning 18, mad keen on football, and who lives in Italy (are you still with me??).  Well I'd got the post-it note in my bag with the details on it, when on the way home...

My Name is Luca by Suzanne Vega

came on the radio... how spooky is that!!

And so, the idea for my card was born... I had SO many ideas for this challenge and was hoping to show a few more, but what with making Christmas cards nineteen to the dozen they kinda got parked :-(  Maybe if I get a chance this week I'll try and make a few...

Supplies:
Football Jack - Ladybug Crafts Ink; Sentiments from Sentimental Numbers set - Ladybug Crafts Ink
Dark Blue and Dark Red Bazzill; Papers - {you}th collection by Prima;
Buttons; Twine; Copics

I'd like to enter this card for these challenges
Cute Card Thursday - One for the Kids
Crafty Catz - Your Choice (I chose challenge 34 - Boys)
Allsorts - Anything Goes
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
The Crafty Pad - Anything Goes

I'm looking forward to seeing all your lovely creations for this challenge :-)

Most of all, thank you to everyone who has followed me during my first year of blogging, and who has joined in with the Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenges, I wish you a

Very Merry Christmas and a Happy Crafty New Year

Sue xx

Busy, busy, busy

Just a lightning fast post before I wake up my youngest, before wrapping the pair of us up warmly and setting off for work... I am taking a flask, drinks, snacks and blankets for us both, porta-potty for him (and me, if get really desparate!!) as it's not the getting out that worries me, but the getting home!  HB helpfully has informed me that they have shut off one of the hills just down the road cos there is a 4x4 that has lost control on a hill and is now on its side, oh great, that is SOOO reasurring!!  And there is me about to go out in what must be the most impractical vehicle going... just blooming perfect :-)

Honestly there is only about 8 inches of snow here, nothing really when you look how much the rest of the country has had, and pales into insignificance to the amount of snow in some parts of the US and the rest of Europe... but living in a backwater means we don't EVER see a snowplow, so it's 5 miles on packed ice before I get out of the lanes and onto a main road in a silly car ahead of me... wish me luck :-/

In my promise to keep my blog more updated (BEV this relates to YOUR comment the other night) I hereby promise to be good and post more often (unless I am stuck in a snowdrift somewhere, in which case I've got a good excuse!!), I thought I'd share some of the umpteen cards I have been making over the weekend... most of them are re-runs of stuff I have already posted, but there are some new ones, so here goes...

OK, these two have used the same design, same papers, but I'll show you both

Firstly a "Stella Image" from Bugaboo

Perfect for anyone that you know that is a bit of a "Bah-humbug"!!

Secondly the fabulous Shopping Girl Digi by Gale Bond available at Scrapbook Sisters

Doesn't she look amazing in her Red Coat!!  I have to say I was rather pleased how my colouring went on this one!  It almost looks like I know what I am doing!!  Shocking photo though... it didn't look that fuzzy on the camera screen!!

Supplies:

Images - Shopping Girl from Scrapbook Sisters; Santa Called Image and sentiment - Bugaboo;

Black and White Bazzill; Hot Chocolate "Glistening Snow" Fancy Panks Designs;

Cricut; Woodware Circle Punch; MS Border Punch; EK Success Snowflake Punch;

Copics; Fluffy Stuff; Glamour Dust; Glossy Accents; Stickles

Charms, Gems; Ribbon

I'd like to enter this card for these challenges please :-)

Craft Your Days Away - Punch It Out

Drunken Stampers - Christmas

One Stop Craft Challenge - Sketch

Craft Your Passion - Christmas

Right that's it from me ; -)

Hope you are all OK... keep warm and stay safe,

Sue xx

Update - made it to work and home again safe and sound - only a couple of sideways moments :-)

Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 15 - Non Traditional Christmas

Good evening!  Today's Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge is

Non Traditional Christmas

I have used some of the gorgeous papers by Doodlebug and Bo Bunny... just love these!!  They are just gorgeous, not Christmas papers or colours but rich and luxurious never-the-less :-)

I don't think the picture has picked it up very well but I have sewed snowflakes with my sewing machine down the right hand side of the card with a bronzey gold embroidery thread (good news on the sewing machine front, I found the box of discs I was looking for and am working my way through them to sew what I can use for my cardmaking!!)

I've printed out the Scrapbook Sisters Digi Stamp Shopping Girl, coloured her in then cut her out and layered her on  some scalloped ovals cut on the Cricut

I had a couple of scrap pieces left over that were too small to use on their own, so rather than put them in the bin I used them to decorate the inside of the card.

I could in all honesty make card after card with these papers (ok, so I have been), they just look so different in amongst the usual Christmas colours, and are perfect for any occasion from autumn on that I am seriously thinking about getting a secret stash before they discontinue them!

Loads more tomorrow, and I PROMISE to be a better blogger over the next week!!

Sue xx

Totally Ladybug Tuesday - Challenge 7 and an Extra Special Christmas Blog Hop

Hi and welcome to the 7th Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge and our Christmas Blog Hop... and have we got a Hop for you!!

As it's the season of goodwill each DT member is giving a gift!  So there are an amazing 11 prizes to be won .. as well as this weeks challenge prize!!

This weeks challenge has been chosen by Our GD Jovita and she has chosen....

WINTER WONDERLAND

If you have already started hopping I hope you have found your way from Kerry's Blog.  If not, then cos I'm hopeless at giving directions, it's probably better if you go back to the start and I'll see you soon :-)

Hopefully you have already got two letters (my question is somewhere in this post!!) and have left some lovely comments on the DT's work, and have grabbed a copy of the blog hop banner for your blog (if you have one)

OK, so the formality over, here's my take on the challenge... my question and a pic of my candy is at the bottom of the post

I've kept it fairly simple this week, but love the red machine embroidery silk I found in my sewing box, IRL it has a lovely sheen to it :-)  I just love the look on Sledding Magnum's face, he doesn't look at all happy!! 

And cos I was at a bit of a loose end I even did the inside :-)

Supplies:

Image - Sledding Magnum and Lily, Ladybug Crafts Ink; Sentiments - Personal Impressions;

Red and White Bazzill Bling; Paper "Glistening Snow" Fancy Pants Hot Chocolate Collection;

Ribbon, Gems, White Holographic snowflakes from stash;

Punches etc: EK Success Snowflake; Woodware Scalloped Circle and MS Border Punch; Label cut with Cricut;

Momento Tuxedo Black; Stone Grey Stazon; Copics; Glamour Dust; Diamond Dust; Glossy Accents: Sewing Machine

So... my candy...

In there is some papers, two packs of lovely flowers, some alphabet stamps and some glitter :-)

And my question is...

Silent ___________ ?

Easy huh???

Enjoy the rest of the hop - your next stop is Gaelle

I'd like to enter my card for these challenges

Digi Doodle - Animals/Insects

2 Sisters - T'was the Night Before Christmas

Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes Christmas

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Winter Wishes

Cupcake Challenge - Non-Traditional Christmas

Pear Tree - Christmas

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Christmas Cards

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Stampavie and More - Christmas

Totally Gorjuss - Snow

Thanks for stopping by, I'm really looking forward to seeing your creations :-)

Sue xx

Sunday night quick post

I'm so sorry I haven't been posting much over the last couple of weeks... my get up and go has got up and gone... and taking my crafty mojo with it for company... I'm hoping both come back soon.

I could blame spending most of last week on my own with the kids (HB away on business), or my work, but I just think it's just the time of year when there is so much going on and it's difficult to keep up

I have managed a couple of cards though, nothing overly inspiring but I thought I'd share them nevertheless :-)

The first one is a variation on the bronze one I did the other day - I really liked the design and wanted to try it in different colours, and also I aquired a silver promarker (shhh, don't tell anyone about that... I'm a copic girl!).  It's OK but I have got so used to the copics I don't think I'd swap, and maybe it's because it's a metallic but I don't think it blended as well as the copics.

I think I did OK with the colouring??

Supplies: Image - LOTV; Sentiment - Creative Impressions; White Bazzill, Silver Mirri; Silver Ribbon; Tree Charm; Cricut; Scalloped Circle Punch; Copics & Silver Promarker; Glamour Dust; Diamond Dust; Glossy Accents

I'd like to enter this card for

Tuesday Throwdown - Clean and Simple

Creative Inspirations - White Papers

The second card is another simple design - I'm afraid all my Christmas cards are going to be simple this year, and time is running out to the point that I think some people are going to get a bought one - still it can't be helped... I refuse to get all worked over a piece of card... there's only so much I can do in one day!!

I just love the rich colour of this ribbon!!

Supplies - White and Green Bazzill; Papers - Adornit??; Gems; Green Brad; Cricut; Charm; Ribbon; Image - Letter to Santa Ruby, Ladybug Crafts Ink

I'd like to enter this card for these Challenges

Allsorts - Last Minute Christmas

Let's Ink It Up - Christmas with Sparkle and Bling

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

P.S.  Please be sure to check back on Tuesday for an extra special Totally Ladybug Tuesday!!  There are so many fabulous prizes to be won, just cos it's Christmas!

 

Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 14 - Snowflakes

Hi!  How appropriate is this week's Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge as I think large chunks of the UK are currently shivering under a blanket of snow! 

Is it just me but it doesn't normally snow this much this early in the year??

I was wanting to use some shrink plastic snowflakes for this challenge, but I can't find my opaque shrink plastic - and I tried using white (which you'd have thought would be OK) but didn't like them, they looked too solid somehow, so gave up and cut some out on the cricut.  Mission for this week - find the Shrink Plastic I just KNOW I have!!  Anyway, this is what I came up with...

The rather happy snowman is Snowman with Scarf from the new release of Digi Downloads from Scrapbook Sisters.  The new range includes more from Gayle Bond and also from Sally West.  If you haven't seen these downloads yet, I hope you have chance to have a look - prices are from 99p and there is no minimum order value

This image is fab to colour as Gayle has managed to indicate where the shade should be without making the image is too prescriptive - nice one Gayle!!

I've added some glamour dust to his hat and glossy accents to his carrot nose and coal eyes, nose and buttons

Hope you like it

Sue xx

Totally Ladybug Tuesday - Challenge 6 - Pearls

Good morning, hope you are having a good week!

This week's Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge has been set by the lovely Gaelle, who would like to see pearls on your project.

Now somewhere I have a lovely pearl thingy-me-bob by Prima, but could I find it?  No!!  I'm suspecting it has been moved to a toy box somewhere or other as my 3 year old currently has a thing for all things sparkly... yesterdays sparkles came courtesy of my make up... very pretty... LOL :-)

Sorry, rambling... back to the card... so I changed direction at the last minute and set about adding pearls a plenty - I used a Bazzill template for the scrolls, so it's quite blingy, even for me but hey it's a Christmas card so it's allowed!!

And a close up of the lovely Tree Trimming Ruby

Hope you like it, and have time to check out what the rest of the DT have been up to by clicking on the links on the right

Supplies:  Cream and Chocolate Bazzil; Papers - Happy Together, Fancy Pants; Image - Tree Trimming Ruby; Sentiment - Personal Impressions Set; MS Punch; Scalloped Circles cut on Cricut; Copics; Pearls; Glamour Dust; Tuxedo Black Momento; Timber Brown Stazon

I'd like to enter my card for these challenges please

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Cupcake Challenge - Little Red Robin (the birds in the image are coloured as Robin's - hope that counts!)

Alphabet Challenge - Foliage

Totally Papercrafts Challenge - Christmas Punches

Crazy 4 Challenges - Sketch
Ooh La La - Christmas Song (Rocking Around the Christmas Tree)

Before I go, just a quick reminder that you still have time to take advantage of Kerry's special offer... buy one stamp, get one half price!  Buy two stamps, get two half price... click here to have a look at all the stamps :-)

And next week we are having a rather special blog hop!!

Thanks for looking :-)

Sue xx

Take 1, take 2...

Thank goodness the snow here is finally melting, I don't normally like rain but it's doing an excellent job of clearing the white stuff so today it's been quite welcome :-)

Unfortunately two events that were meant to take place today haven't happened - the Scrapbook Sisters Crop and an early pre-Christmas get together with friends.  Hopefully both will be rescheduled soon... it always amazes me how snow disrupts so much here in the UK - I guess we don't get enough of it to figure out how to get on with life in icy conditions :-) 

And what is it with people panic buying at the first snowflake? Very few people shop daily so the chances of starving in the event of not being able to get to the shops for a day or two is mad!  Mind you, on the craft front I'm down to my last roll of double sided tape and only have two rolls of Herma left and it's making me twitchy :-)

So I ended up creating on my own today, I missed my friends though!!

I did a few cards today, two of which I'm sharing today - the first is a variation on the card from the last post and the second is using the same paper...

I think with Christmas cards it makes it easier to keep things fairly simple and once I find a paper or design I like it's OK to repeat them... hope you don't mind too much :-)

Supplies: Lilac Bazzill; White Bazzill Bling; Papers - Snowflake Sentiments and Snowflake Corner, The Paper Company; Image - LOTV; Copics; Glossy Accents; Glamour Dust; Diamond Dust; Personal Impressions Sentiment; Ribbon; Gems; Cricut

I'd like to enter this card for these challenges

ABC - I is for Ice and Snow

Digi Doodle - Let It Snow

LOTV - A few of my Favourite Things (ribbons, gems, bazzill!)

The second card is based on a sketch over at Card Patterns.  This is a new sketch site for me and I found it through Jeanie's blog... I'm so glad I did, there are some great designs on there!!  I'm still in love with this paper - I need more!!

Stamp Something - Colour Combo - I've used rich Christmas colours - well they are to me!!

2 Sisters - Sparkly Christmas

Secret Crafter - Christmas

Supplies: Chocolate and Cream Bazzill; Paper - Doodlebug; Image - Shopping Girl, Scrapbook Sisters Digi Stamp; Sentiment - Personal Impressions; Copics; Glamour Dust; Glossy Accents; Versamark; Copper Embossing Powder; Chocolate Satin and Organza ribbon; Gold Machine Embroidery Thread

Cricut; Sewing Machine

Hope you like them, more tomorrow

Sue xx

Brrrr, it's chilly out! Keep warm with hot chocolate :-)

Afternoon!  The snow has got so deep here that I wasn't able to get to work today, but have been able to log on from home so I haven't got too far behind :-)   It was far too cold and deep for me to venture far, so I took this picture from upstairs instead - the whole valley is covered in a white blanket!!

In all honesty it's a real pain and the only time I dislike living in the middle of no-where (even though it is quite pretty)!  Still we've still got heat and power and are all safe and warm so I shouldn't complain too much!  My HB took me to and from work yesterday - it was pretty slippy in the lanes and my neighbour had to be resuced by a friend of ours with a 4WD after he ended backwards in a ditch/hedge - so I was glad not to have been driving on my own with the kids.

I'm hoping to get into work tomorrow if I can, but that is going to depend on if we get anymore snow or not - unfortunately the Scrapbook Sisters crop on Saturday has been cancelled.  I can only image that this was a really tough decision for Karen and Julie to have made, but with the school that it is held in closed and snow bound I guess it was only to be expected :-(  Certainly no-one wants to have a slip this close to Christmas and get hurt.  Hope that they are able to sort another date soon...

Enough whinging about the weather and onto todays card, which is inspired by my current favourite drink of hot chocolate with marshmallows :-)

I love these glittery papers by Doodlebug and have had them in a variety of colours, but I adore the rich tones of them in chocolate.  I've teamed it up with some cream Bo Bunny Double Dot and some chocolate ribbon.  The scalloped square and circle are cut on my Cricut from chocolate Bazzill.  The greeting is stamped in Timber Brown Stazon and is by Personal Impressions

The image is Girl with presents which is a Gayle Bond digi stamp from Scrapbook Sisters, she is a such joy to colour.  I've coloured her with copics and added glamour dust to her hat, coat and boots and glossy accents to the presents.

I'd like to enter this card for these challenges

2 Sisters - Non Traditional Christmas

Allsorts - Monochrome

Craft Your Days Away - Texture

Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge - Sketch 

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Fallin for you (use autumn colours)

Totally Stampalicilous - Anything Goes

Paperplay Challenges - Monochrome

Paper Romance - Winter Theme

One Stitch At a Time - Bling It Up

Thanks for stopping by, keep warm!

Sue xx

Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 13 - Patchwork

Hi!  Hope you are OK, snow has hit my little corner of the world now so I thought I'd share my card for this weeks Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge cos it's bright and summery :-)

This week the theme is

Patchwork

to make a change it is NOT a Christmas card (sorry. should that have come with a warning?!)

I have used the rather cute Strawberry Molly and Stone Wall Molly Blooms stamps I got the other week from Scrapbook Sisters... I hope you like them as much as I do :-)

Here's a close up - the pic hasn't picked it up very well but there is pink flock on her hat and jumper cos I wanted them to have an angora feel (no, no idea what came over me there, never had an angora moment before!).  In all honesty I think I need a new glue pen as it didn't stick as well as I remember!!  And there is glossy accents on her wellies too - well what little girl doesn't like a nice shiny wellington boot!  Again my shocking photography skills aren't showing the stone wall or Molly off how they look IRL!! 

This wall is perfect for so many of the stamps and digi images that are about at the moment that feature characters sitting down or leaning!  You can get it here

I have used some of the lovely Quite Contrary papers by MME and added faux stitching to the edges of each square.  Sentiment is from a Papermania set, assorted flowers by Prima (yes I know not botanically correct, but I hope you will allow me artistic licence!!) and the buttons are from my stash

I hope you are able to join in with the challenge this week,

Hugs  Sue xx