An Oldie But a Goodie ❤️

Hi everyone, yesterday was of course Valentine’s Day, and I posted the card I made for my husband. A memory popped up during the day on my FB page from 5 years ago, of the Valentine card I made for him back in 2021. I was particularly interested as it included a Valentine sentiment that I thought I had but couldn’t find, so I started looking back on my blog to check it out. Much to my surprise I found that this must have been a rare card I made during the period when I wasn’t crafting or blogging; and having searched my blog as thoroughly as I can I have concluded that I’ve never published it before. So here it is! It is very different in style from what I make nowadays, but it really made me smile.

Naturally I can’t remember much detail about the process of making it, though I clearly decorated the stepper card with patterned papers, stamped, coloured and die cut my main image (I coloured James the Bear with Promarkers), then added other stamps and die cuts plus a ribbon border.

Stamps: LotV James Big Heart; Me to You husband sentiment; Valentine sentiment - unknown;

Media: Memento black ink; Promarkers; 

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities - Floral Ovals and Classic Hearts; Memory Box Cherish border die.

Challenges I would like to enter:

613 Avenue Create (February) - Anything Goes with option Animal Magic - TOP ROCKER

Addicted to Stamps and More! #510 - Diecuts and/or Stencils  (2nd entry)

Aud Sentiments #334 - Dies and/or Love plus a Sentiment  (2nd entry)

Cardz 4 Galz #269 - Hugs and Kisses  (2nd entry)

C.R.A.F.T. #773 - Love  (2nd entry)

Crafty Animals #102 - Include an Animal

Crafty Calendar (February) - Love Is In the Air  (2nd entry)

Crafty Gals Corner #274 - Anything Goes with option Heart  (2nd entry) - TOP 3

Creative Color Girlz #1 - Anything Hand Coloured Goes  (2nd entry)

Creative Creases #112 - Anything Goes with a Fun fold 

Die Cut Divas (February) - Red/Pink plus Use Dies

Dragonfly Dreams (February) - Fun Fold

Everybody Art #593 - Have a Heart  (2nd entry)

Fab ‘n’ Funky #630 - Love Is All Around  (2nd entry)

Girlz Makes Guyz #36 - Fun Fold

Girlz Rebel #49 - Ribbon, Lace or Twine

Heart’s Quest Challenge #82 - Anything With a Heart Goes with option Red or Gold heart (3rd entry)

Heart’s Quest Celebrations of Love #2 2026 - Valentines  (2nd entry)

I ❤️ Promarkers #600 - Love / Romance - TOP 3

Inkspirational #361 - Visual Prompt - February Collage  (2nd entry)

Just Us Girls #810 - Valentine  (2nd entry) - SHOUT OUT

Leigh SB Designs #49 - Hearts and Flowers - WINNER

Let’s Craft and Create #228 - Anything Goes with option From the Heart  (2nd entry)

Little Red Wagon #845 - I’m Seeing Red  (2nd entry)

Pearly Sparkles #116 - Hearts (3rd entry)

Tic Tac Toe #286 - Tic Tac Toe  (2nd entry)

(I used Hearts / Die-cutting / Red or Pink)

Try It On Tuesday - All Loved Up  (2nd entry) - TOP 5

Unicorn #117 - Animals - WINNER

Word Art Wednesday #738/739 - Anything Goes  (2nd entry)

I think that’s me all loved out now! 🥰🥰

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Guest Designer ☃️

Hi everyone, I was delighted to be invited to do a guest designer spot for 52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge - I’m always behind with my Christmas makes so it is great to have a reason to get busy at the start of the year.

The 4th Saturday of January is a technique challenge, and this time it is

*** Easel Card***

There is lots of inspiration from the Design Team over on the challenge blog, so please do pop over to have a look and link up your entries here.

I hadn’t made an easel card for a very long time, so I decided to throw myself right into it and really ‘go retro’ with old and neglected stamps, designer papers, dies and even an embossing folder! Here it is. 

I created a 6” square easel base card using two pieces of Pink Frog 30cm x 15cm super smooth card, then cut 2 large stitched squares of snowflake designer paper and attached them to the base and the standing up part of the card base. I cut two rectangles of white card, embossed with a snowflake embossing folder, then lightly shaded with a pink/lilac ink. I attached 2 layers of ribbon to the wider embossed panel, matted onto silver glitter card and attached to the front of the card; then I wrapped one layer of ribbon round the narrower embossed panel,  matted onto silver glitter card as above, attached a sentiment panel heat embossed onto a die cut rectangle, and also attached a die cut snowflake border. This finished panel was attached to the card base to form a ledge to prop up the easel.

I die cut a smaller stitched square of stamping card, stamped the focal image and coloured using Zig pens and Spectrum sparkle pen with white Posca accents, then matted and attached to the card front with foam tape. I finished off by attaching a variety of die cut snowflakes in silver and white.

Stamps: LotV James and Snowman; Uniko Christmas Sentiments;

Media: Versafine Clair (Nocturne); Spectrum Nir Harmony dye ink (Pale Fig); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Versamark; WOW Opaque White ultra fine embossing powder; Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Posca pen (white);

Papers: LotV Frozen Snowflakes; Pink Frog silver glitter card;

Tools: Hunky Dory Duo- Stitched square and rectangle dies; Memory Box Frostyville Border; various snowflake dies including Joy! crafts Winter Wishes, Whimsy Stamps Winter Jewel 1; Cuttlebug Snowflakes embossing folder.

Challenges I would like to enter:

12 Months of Christmas #130 - Anything Goes Christmas with option Snow People

ABC Christmas - A and B are for …

(B is for blue, bear)

Alphabet Challenge - T is for Texture

As You Like It - Favourite Occasion (and why) - WINNER

(It just has to be Christmas … I love making Christmas cards!)

Can You Handle the Pressure? - Anything Goes with an embossing folder

Christmas Crafts All Year Round (January) - A and B

(B is for blue, bear)

C.R.A.F.T. #772 - Christmas

Crafty Animals #101 - Use an Animal

Crafty Gals’ Corner #273 - Anything Goes with option Snowman - TOP 3

Creative Aunts #109 - Snowmen and Glitter

Creative Creases #111 - Use a Fun Fold

Daisy Chain #103 - Use Dies

Four Seasons (January) - Winter (3rd entry)

Love Those Pretty Papers (January) - Anything Goes with paper + option Snowman

Make My Monday #269 - Use Paper with Pattern

Merry Little Christmas #66 - Anything Christmas Goes

Moving Along With the Times #185 - Use Stencils and/or Dies (2nd entry)

Neglected Stuff (January) - Use Your Neglected Stash

(Pretty much EVERYTHING on this card is neglected stash!)

Outlawz Christmas (January) - Anything Christmas Goes - TOP 3

Peace On Earth #104 - Anything Goes Christmas with optional Mood Board - TOP 3

Pearly Sparkles #115 - Use Patterned Paper

{PIN}spirational #333 - Blue and Purple

 

Sparkles #196 - Snowflakes - SPOTLIGHT WINNER

Word Art Wednesday #736/737 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

I’d like to thank Andreja and the Design Team over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown for inviting me to be a guest designer this time.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

C.R.A.F.T. #699 G.D.T. - Christmas Present

Hi everyone, it’s Thursday so it's time for a new C.R.A.F.T. Challenge  and my fourth GDT card for November. This week's challenge is 

*** Christmas Present ***

This week’s fabulous sponsor for the Challenge is 

The Paper Shelter

The prize is 3 images from their shop.

Here is my GDT card for this week.

When I sat down to make this card I discovered that I don’t own many stamps with images of Christmas presents and some of those I do would be beyond my current confidence level for colouring. I decided to turn to an old LotV stamp of James the Bear .. he is so adorable and always fun to colour, and this also gave me the opportunity to play with some gorgeous old designer papers which rarely see the light of day nowadays.

I stamped the image with Memento ink and coloured with Promarkers, with a little Spectrum Noir sparkle pen on the fur of James’s hat. I die cut my image using a stitched notch square die plus a matching larger die cut in lilac linen card stock and matted them, then cut a panel of pearlescent white card and dry embossed with a snowflake embossing folder. I cut a square of designer paper and matted the embossed panel and image onto it, with sparkly lilac twine wrapped round the centre. I die cut some snowflakes in white pearl and silver mirri card, attached them and added a gem to each centre. Finally I stamped the sentiment in blue using an fab sentiment set I was lucky enough to win over at Snippets Playground, and matted the finished piece onto lilac card stock and my card blank.

Stamps: LotV James Snowman; Woodware Christmas Sparkle (sentiment);

Media: Promarkers, Memento ink (black); Versafine Clair (Medieval Blue); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Posca pen (white);

Papers: LotV - Frozen Snowflakes;

Tools: Joy! Crafts "Winter Wishes" dies (snowflakes); Whimsy Stamps "Winter’s Jewel 1" dies (snowflakes); unbranded "Stitched Notch Square" dies; Crafts Too "Snowflakes" embossing folder.

Challenges I would like to enter:

12 Months of Christmas #106  - Cosy Christmas

Allsorts #755 - Christmas Time (2nd entry)

As You Like It - Favourite Christmas Critter (and why) (3rd entry)

(I just love James the bear … he is probably my favourite ever Christmas critter as he is so cute!)

Beccy’s Month of Holiday Cards - Day 23 - CASE Yourself

(Today’s card is pretty similar in layout to this one I made in 2014 and posted here)

Christmas Craft Creations (November) - Add a Hat

Crafty Gals’ Corner #249 - Spots and/or Stripes

Creative Inspirations (November) - Contemporary Christmas Colours (3rd entry)

Double Trouble #154 - Keep Calm and Stitch On

Passion for Markers #717 - Winter

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Make It Sparkle

Try It On Tuesday - Baby It’s Cold Outside (4th entry)

We Love Stamping (November) - Christmas Characters (3rd entry)

We hope you can join in with the challenge this week - please do pop over to the C.RA.F.T. Challenge blog to see the fabulous inspiration from the Design Team and to link up your entry.

Take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

C.R.A.F.T. #697 G.D.T. - For Children

Hi everyone, another week has flown by, so it's time for a new C.R.A.F.T. Challenge and my second GDT card. This week's challenge is 

*** For Children ***

This week's fabulous sponsor is 

All Dressed Up

The prize is 2 digi images from their shop.

Here is my GDT card for this week.

I very rarely have to make cards for children, so I had to get my thinking cap on for this one. In the end I plumped for this adorable old Lili of the Valley stamp of a teddy peeking out of a gift box .. it just struck me as very cute for a little girl. I coloured the image with Promarkers and Flexmarkers and highlighted the flowers on the gift box with sparkly Sakura Stardust pens. I cut the image out with a stitched notched square die, then cut a larger notched square from a snippet of pink card stock for matting. I also used up a couple of large snippets of old but well-loved LotV papers for my background, matted onto a stitched square of pink card stock, and I finshed off with a Penny Black sentiment.

Here's an angled pic to show the sparkle on the box.

Stamps: LotV Patchwork Teddy; Penny Black Salutations;

Media: Promarkers & Flexmarkers; Memento ink (black); Versafine Clair (Paradise); Sakura Stardust pens (pink, green, turquoise, purple); 

Papers: LotV Nitwits "Bonnets and Bowties"; 

Tools: Stitched notched square die and Stitched Notched rectangle die (unbranded); Hunkydory Moonstone Duo-Stitched Square die.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps and More #456 - Make Your Mark (2nd entry)

Creations In Pink #63 - Anything Goes in Mainly Pink

Happy Little Stampers: Birthday (November) - Birthday

I ❤️ Promarkers #546 - Anything Goes with option In the Pink

Let's Craft and Create #201 - Stitched Up (Real or Faux)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2344 - Anything Goes

Passion for Markers #715 - Favourite Stamp

(I don’t really have a particular favourite, but adore this one as it is so cute and also very easy to colour which is important for me as I have lost my confidence colouring with markers)

A Perfect Time to Craft (November) - Anything Goes

Snippets Playground #466 - Use Snippets

(all the pieces of card and papers on this were snippets from my box)

Word Art Wednesday #621/622 - Anything Goes

We hope you can join in with the challenge this week - please do pop over to the C.RA.F.T. Challenge blog to see the fabulous inspiration from the Design Team and to link up your entry.

Take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Rudolph Day

Hi everyone, today is the first Rudolph Day of 2023… 25th of every month where we are encouraged to get ahead with a Christmas card so that we don’t get into a last minute panic come December!

Back in October I had a colouring session one day with the adorable LotV James the Bear image holding a Christmas tree .. he is one of my favourites and I coloured 4 images while I had my pens on the table. This is the last card made with those images 🎄🎄

I stamped and coloured James with my Promarkers and Flexmarkers, then added white gel pen highlights, and holographic glitter to the ground and his hat using a Quickie Glue pen. I cut the stamped card into a square and added a stamped sentiment, then matted simply onto red card stock and designer paper with a few pearls to finish. 

Stamps: LotV James Christmas Tree; Uniko Christmas Wishes;

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers; Memento ink (black); Versafine Clair (Nocturne); holographic glitter; white gel pen;

Papers: LotV;

Other: pearls from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

12 Months of Christmas #96 - Anything Christmas Goes

ABC Christmas - B is for Bear

Christmas Crafts All Year Round (January) - One of Something or a Tree

Merry Little Christmas #48 - Anything Christmas Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2303 - Anything Goes - HONORARY MENTION

Rudolph Days (January) - Anything Christmas Goes

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes

Sparkles Christmas #144 - Sparkle and Glitter Accents (2nd entry)

Stamping Sensations (January) - Add Some Sparkle (3rd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #579/580 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

That's all for today - take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Getting ready for Christmas

… that’s what James the Bear is doing as he puts up the Christmas tree. He is such a darling image, looking so festive in his Santa hat … maybe he is preparing for the teddies’ Christmas party?

I stamped my image and coloured him with Promarkers and Flexmarkers, then die cut him out using a stitched square die. I stamped the sentiment, then matted my image onto a slightly larger die cut of red linen card stock, then onto a background paper and a red cardstock border. I finished off with Quickie glue pen and holographic glitter on the ground and James’s hat, a teeny red heart gem and a gingham bow.

Stamps: LotV James Christmas Tree; Uniko Christmas Wishes;

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers; Memento Ink (black); Versafine Clair (Nocturne); holographic glitter;

Papers: LotV;

Tools: Stitched square dies from Amazon.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge #625 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Festive Fridays - Christmas  - WINNER

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2251 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Papercraft Challenges #89 - Decking the Halls - TOP 3

Passion For Markers #670 - Use Die Cuts (2nd entry)

Scribbles #115 - Not a Creature Was Stirring (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Party Time (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Party!

Winter Wonderland (December) - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #575/576 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

That’s all from me for today … take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #706

Hi everyone, the weekend is here already, which means another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Lolo has chosen the theme and it is

*** Anything Goes with option Let it Snow ***

So we would love to see all your entries so long as they follow our simple rules, but would particularly enjoy seeing your snowy scenes .. and with Christmas just around the corner what's not to like about that?

This week we have 2 great prizes on offer from Oakwood Direct 

They are this lovely Stampendous stamp set and a stencil:

(Stencil designs will vary)

Here's what I made for this week.

I decided it was about time some of my older LotV stamps saw ink again, so I reached out the cute “Snow Family” and went for a vintage sepia look… I actually CASE’d one of my old cards from back in 2013 here.!!

I coloured the image with Promarkers and Flexmarkers then added holographic glitter to the snowy ground and the snow children’s hats, and Liquid Pearls to the snowflakes. I die cut the coloured image with my stitched dies and edged it with Distress Ink in keeping with the overall vintage colour scheme. I layered up my image with kraft coloured snowflake papers and dark brown cardstock, with pearlescent white die-cut snowflake borders and brown gingham ribbon. Finally I added two LotV grungy Christmas sentiments stamped onto snippets of kraft card. 

here is an angled pic to show the sparkle.

Stamps: LotV Snow Family, Christmas Grungy Sentiments;

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers; Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Vintage Photo); Memento ink; Versafine Clair (Pinecone); holographic glitter; Liquid Pearls;

Papers: LotV. Krafty Christmas;

Tools:  Memory Box die “Frostyville Border”; stitched square dies from Amazon.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Country View Challenges (December) - Christmas (4th entry)

Creatalicious #248 - Anything Goes with option Christmas in Non-Traditional Colours

Creative Knockouts #482 - Snow Much Fun (2nd entry)

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity #157 - Something Seasonal (3rd entry)

Passion For Markers #670 - Use Die Cuts

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2249 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Holiday Cheer (3rd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Add Some Sparkle (2nd entry)

Stamping Sensations (December) - Anything Stamped with option Winter Wonderland  (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #573/574 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #698

Good morning everyone, and welcome to this week's Allsorts Challenge. This week it is my turn to host the challenge, and I have chosen the theme

*** Add A Sentiment ***

A very easy theme I hope you'll agree, so I'm looking forward to seeing lots of entries!

This week's prize has been provided by Oakwood Direct 

and is a Polkadoodles sentiment stamp set and co-ordinating paper pad.

Here's my card for this week.

I decided to go for a CAS card so that I could showcase this BIG Christmas sentiment, which is from a set I chose as part of the fantastic £100 store voucher I won from Uniko earlier in the year.  I also had another colouring session with my favourite LotV James the Bear.

I simply cut a piece of stamping white card, stamped my image and coloured with Promarkers & Flexmarkers, added glitter and Stickles, and stamped my sentiment. I then matted simply onto festive red and green card. 

Stamps: LotV - James Christmas Tree; Uniko Festive Sentiments;

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers, holographic glitter; crystal Stickles.

Challenges I would like to enter:

As You Like It - Favourite Traditional or Contemporary Christmas (and Why)

(I love both, but I particularly favour contemporary styles such as this CAS cute bear)

Happy Little Stampers; Christmas (October) - Anything Christmas Goes

Krafty Chicks #633 - Christmas

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2241 - Anything Goes

Passion For Markers #662 - Anything Goes

Retro Rubber #193 - Anything Goes - TOP PICK

(James the Bear is several years old)

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #125 - Anything Christmas Goes

The Most Magical Time of the Year #1 - The Most Magical Time of the Year

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes - WINNER, TOP 3

Word Art Wednesday #565/566 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more fab inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,