Checks at Christmas

I was looking down my blogger roll list just now, so very slow going, and saw that the Winter Wonderland blog challenge is to create with checks or gingham.  Righteo I thought, I've got a little something already made up that I can enter .. .. so here it is.

My card uses the LOTV snowman - I've used this stamp so many times over the past few years .. .. he is a classic!  Coloured with my Copic pens then added the faux embossed stitches and a little soft green ink to the edges.  No glitter on this one, can you believe not everyone likes it! Just a glaze on the baubles that doesn't show up.  I found a scrap of plaid paper, Nitwits freebie in a magazine ages ago, and added the faux stitched edge to it too, matted with some old SU! Sage Shadow card stock and finished off with the little dome gems in the corners. They are by Papermania, and are clear but I coloured them with a Copic pen to tie in with the colour scheme.  It's a simple little card, about all I can manage these days, and fairly flat for the post.  I'm slowly getting back to colouring as I find it quite relaxing, so good therapy .. .. I do need to get the duster out though as my desk is covered with a fine layer of dust after being left alone for several weeks.

Daisy on Ice

It's an anything goes week on Cute Card Thursday with Sunflower Field sponsoring us, please stop by the CCT blog to read all about it and for more DT inspiration.

I managed to put this cute little Daisy card together a while back using the Piroutte stamp again.  In the close up picture she looks a little wonky and admittedly the card base I cut with a Frilly #10 die has a tendency to twist a little, I think I will have to glue a hinge to the spine .. ..

Daisy is coloured with my Copic pens and then I've carefully added Crystal Stickles for festive sparkle over the swirls and around the edge, at least it doesn't matter too much if the Copic ink bleeds a little underneath.  Here's the card:


I've used a piece of paper from the MD Winter Time pad PK9100, and various die cuts for embellishment together with a scrap of MD blue lace tied in a bow and pearls made with my Wacco pearl pen.  The snowflakes, bells and holly are all on the new die COL1363, the twigs are from set LR0286.

Sorry I've not been around, things are rather strained here just now and I'm not crafting much (this is one I made a while ago).  Mum has had another heart attack and coping with her and the house/garden on my own is taking it's toll on my own health .. .. the doctor tells me I should relax, stop worrying and get out more, easier said than done! And, my pc is as unreliable as ever, thankfully I can use my new gadget to read my emails and facebook but still need the pc dinosaur to load up my pictures and write on blogs.  I'm waiting for the plasterer to come and give me a quote for finishing off the garage and a few other odd skimming jobs that never got done - then I'll have to brave the ladder and have a go at painting ceilings and hanging wallpaper myself as I've been let down by the decorator and can't find anyone else to do the work for love or money!  My youngest son Mat has offered to help, but with a young family and work he is pretty tied up, and more useful to me doing outside chores when he can come around.  My eldest has moved away to Dorset to start a new chapter in his life, wishing him much success and happiness, but I will miss you J!  Feeling rather alone and a bit down in the dumps just now so please excuse me if I'm absent for days/weeks on end.

Anything goes at Marianne Design Divas

 Hello!  I have a little Christmas card to share with you today for the Marianne Design Divas challenge of anything goes - so a nice easy one for you to show off your Marianne Design goodies.  Our sponsor is Nicki at Bunny Zoe's crafts with a £15 voucher to spend on Marianne Design goodies in her shop, and a second prize from Marianne Design - do stop by the blog to read all about it and see the stunning creations from the rest of the design team.

I just made a card, not feeling too inspired at the moment but I was pleased with how it turned out.  The base card is a small scallop square that I've turned to make a tend fold opening.  I've stamped little Daisy Pirouette and the trees from the Winter scenery for my image, then coloured with my Copics before cutting her out to fit my pretty mat. I've dusted the trees with loose glitter (not safe to use Stickles over Copic pens I've found as they make the colour bleed).  I have used crystal Stickles with a finger to go over the die cut elements so my card has lots of festive sparkle - here it is:

Here's the list of Marianne Design goodies I used on my card:

Paper pad Scandinavian Winter PB7040

stamp Daisy Pirouette DDS3336

Don and Daisy Winter scenery DDS3331

fancy mat for image CR1249

mini poinsettias LR0142

swirls snipped from LR0112

holly leaves, baubles and snowflake COL1363

I'm managing to find time to browse some blogs whilst waiting for doctors to call on Mum, and have discovered my pc will work for about 3 hours before the internet connection slows to a halt, so I'm thinking that something must be overheating.  The solution is I have to switch off for a couple of hours and then try again .. .. mind you, weekends are still an impossibility!  Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will come and join in our Marianne Design Divas challenge and show off your MD goodies.

CAS at CCT

This week the theme at Cute Card Thursday is for CAS creations, and our sponsor for this challenge is Katharina at Whiff of Joy, please stop by the CCT blog to read about it and for more inspiration from the design team.

I already had the pretty LOTV Christmas spray stamped out so got colouring with my Copic pens, then simply added a stamped text, embossed the faux stitches around the edge and inked with green ink before sticking to my C6 card base.  I hope you like it.

Still having problems with the internet here, along with home issues, so not sure how often I'll be able to post a new creation.  Mum had a funny turn early yesterday morning and I had to dial 999 for the ambulance .. .. thankfully not a major heart attack although the actual cause of her pain is still a mystery.  The doctor called in the afternoon and has tweaked her meds and this morning the lovely nice nurse came and took bloods - they might show up something.  Mum refused to go into hospital for observation so I'm having to do the nursing here, and I'm pretty sure she has another wee infection too .. .. but doc wants to test for the appropriate anti-biotic - hopefully we will know what is going on and what medication to start by tomorrow.  So last night I was waking up at the slightest squeek in case she was in pain again, and with the wind blowing doors open and shut, . .. consequently I am knackered today!  On top of the other family issues I'm not sure how I'm going to cope with it all on my own .. .. anyhow, thanks for stopping by, and double thanks for leaving me a message - I'll try to return asap.

Wee Winter Friends

Been playing with my pens again and coloured up this little cutie by Sylvia Zett - this is the digi version of Winter Friends from Wee Stamps.  I've not touched my pens for a few weeks so found it a little harder going, but persevered and like the finished results.  Although, I'm not sure penguins and rabbits are purple .. .. hey! it's my Christmas fantasy, ok!


I was lacking inspiration when it came to putting the card together but found I already had the mat cut and a piece of the matching paper on a base card .. .. so cut another layer and found a scrap piece to layer up, then finished off with the die cut embellishments.

Here is the card, gone a little bent with the wet glue so I will need to try and flatten it a bit (or blame the postman/weather).  The mini poinsettia dies are from the MD LR0142 set and the mistletoe leaves from LR0189.  I've added red and white pearls to finish things off.  The patterned papers are from the MD Wintertime pad PK9100 with embossed stitch edges I've inked with brown chalk ink.  I've not seen any Christmas challenges to link up too .. .. but then looking isn't easy.  Thank you to everyone stopping by, and I do love to read comments too!

Still having internet problems here especially in the later afternoon/evenings or anytime over the weekend.  But I've got a new little gadget from Tesco with my vouchers, so instead of paying £113, I only had to pay £23!  I've figured out how to use it for reading Facebook and my emails, and even got GOT series 4 loaded from Blinkbox (couldn't wait until next February for the dvd set) although I might get a cable to link it to the TV for a bigger screen.  I've not yet learnt how to do anything else and I can't seem to get the blog listings to show or the Pinterest adding icon .. .. sometimes I feel like a techno-dino!