Gift Tags

What's the challenge over at Allsorts right now? Well, it's to create something smaller than 3". I decided to make some Christmas gift tags ready for the festive season using some Cuddly Buddly downloads. It's been far too long since I've used these.

I simply printed and decoupaged. These are great to use as they are fun and already coloured in, making them quick and easy.

My First Greeting Farm Card

I've been wanting to get my hands on some of the Greeting Farm images for a while and yesterday I finally took the plunge and ordered 4 stamps! Then this morning I found out that they also do Digi Stamps - well I tested the water by ordering 2 of them. Well, it was so easy and such value for money that I ordered another 3!!! As soon as I downloaded them, the door bell rang and there was the postman holding a package of stamps that I'd ordered yesterday - so in a space of an hour I went from owning none of these images to owning 9.

I've had a play with two so far - my Edward rubber stamp and my Soccer Anya digi stamp. What I like about the digi stamps is that the size can be altered. I printed two Soccer Anyas onto an A5 piece of card. I think this will be the size I'll use the most. I really like how the brown hair has turned out but can't remember the coulours I used! Using Windows Picture Viewer, I'll be able to print a variety of images easily - whole pages of the same or mixing and matching - how exciting! To show the diference in size between the ones I've been playing with today, I've placed Edward between the two Anyas.

I used the Anya on the left to make this card for the Anyone for Anya? Challenge. The theme was to use Black and White and one other colour. I chose to use RED for mine. The black and white theme goes well with the football too. The card blank is a digi image too from a Cuddly Buddly set I purchased many moons ago.

It's not obvious in the picture above that it's a card so I took a picture from slightly above too to show how it works. Anya is acting as a stand to keep it up.

Seeing as both the image and the card itself are digi images, I thought I'd also use this to apply for the I LOVE DIGI CHALLENGE design team. I originally had a whole other project in mind for that which I may still finish and show here.

Winter Wonderland - Week 29 Nativity

Can you believe this is my third post for the day - I'm like the bus right now - none for ages then all comes out in one go!!!! Please check out my other posts too as I really appreciate your comments and feed back.

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The theme this week at Winter Wonderland is Nativity. Now I'm not sure if I qualify here or if I'm cheating as strictly speaking I didn't make these but wanted to show you what I made in school on Friday (must have had a psychic prediction with the theme!) with the little ones (aged 3 to 6). I took in a big shot and the Shaker Box die and here's what we came up with:

Each child selected their colour for the box and turned the handle to cut it out. Then they stuck down the starry backing panel and chose a nativity character to cut out and stick on (the older girls helped out with the cutting for the youngest ones and what a fantastic job they did seeing as they are only 6 themselves).

Both the backing paper and characters are from the Cuddly Buddly Giggles Nativity download set and were perfect for the little ones. Child friendly with an added cute factor. It also helped that the school nativity/show was held the night before and most of them were dressed as these characters.

I've added acetate to the insides ready for some little treats next week. Hope you like them and again, sorry that I didn't make the challenge pieces myself. I could have made another couple myself but thought you'd prefer to see what the children made.

Stepper Card

It was when I was looking through the forums over at Cuddly Buddly that I came across a card made by Kath. She'd made a stepper card with a difference which I hadn't seen before. I've never really known what to do with stepper cards but when I saw this type I knew I had to have a go.
My measurements are slightly different to Kath's. Guess it's a man's brain that sees something and feels the need to change it to make it 'easier'. Probably should have waited until Kath had put the measurements up first!!! I cut an A4 piece down to 11" by 8" and my steps measure 1", 1 3/4" and 2 3/4".

I decorated mine with the Giggle Nativity set from Cuddly Buddly. It seems to remind me of a Nativity Play with everyone on different level stages. I will probably add a sentiment on the right hand side beneath the star once I know who it's for.

Window Box Card

Don't actually know what the official name for a card like this is but there is a window and it's a box shap, hence 'Window Box Card' . The idea for this card came from one of my Craft Club Members - Cheers Heidi. She showed us a card she'd made during the week which was awesome. I went home and had a fiddle with the dimensions and came up with this. The image is from Cuddly Buddly's Cozy Days set which is one of my all time fave Christmassy Craft items. I've decoupaged the image. The great thing about this style is that it folds flat into an envelope by pushing the sides in.

Camera has been replaced so here goes...

...Yes indeed, my camera problem has been solved (for now at least) and I've had a replacement one. So, here are a couple of quick and easy projects I've been working on.

Had a play around again with Microsoft Publisher with some Cuddly Buddly downloads and managed to create these simple swinging cards simply by creating a four columned table and filling each cell with backing papers. Both the card and image are printed out on an A4 page which means there's not much waste at all. The great thing is that I now have a template and can simply change the papers and images to suit whatever I need. Think the Cosy Dayz may be next for this treatment as it is my all time favourite set especially at Christmas time (so I may start early this year lol).

This pic shows the card in one piece so to speak. I simply cut around half the frame (the part with a different backing) and then decoupaged the cow on top.

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The second is a really simple pillow box I made with my Sizzix Die and some Elzybells stamps - less if definetly more with these I think as I love the simplicity of them and think it's quite striking.

Some Non-Elzybells Projects

After all the Elzybells projects over the last week, I thought I'd put up something different.

Yesterday I needed to make a last minute Gardening Themed Card. Well, I thought it was about time to use my Toffee Bear Dress Up CD that I had for Christmas but never used. So here's my first ever Toffee Bear Card:


This morning I was having a play around on Publisher and making a cube box for Birthday Treat Boxes but got a bit carried away and managed to make this template using basic shapes. The great thing is, that now I have the template on my computer, I can simply change the images and background. There is no ink wastage as I’ve filled each individual shape rather than the whole page. I’ve used the Cuddly Buddly Teddies to decorate as I know he likes them as I used them last year on his card.

ATC Swappers - April Fool

How's this for ultra-organised - I've already made my swaps for the April swap over on the ATC Swappers Blog! I know it's not like me to be that organised. This month's theme is

APRIL FOOL

so we're expecting a lot of funny and humorous images.


My ATCs are a design I've used before and liked it so much that I made some more but this time I made 5 so that I can keep one myself. I used a Cuddly Buddly Teddy Jester as my main image. There's some printing on linen card with some chalking - well it wouldn't be mine otherwise would it!!!

If you want to participate in the swap then visit the blog for all the info - it's really easy to join in and the ATCs that are swapped are great.

I also wanted to thank Betty over at Betty's Crafting Burbles for giving me the 'Spreader of Love' award. This is given to someone who's blog you enjoy and she wrote such lovely things about me - "As I'm doing this I'm listening to some cheerful music emanating -phew- from Paul's Crafty Blogocks blog and I've decided he certainly deserves this award for cheering up everyone, for introducing me to so many great blogs, for teaching me how to use publisher properly, for being a hardworking teacher (what a class to be in!), for loving climbing what an endless list."

She also left me a lovely poem which I really enjoyed reading and have printed out a copy of it. She knows how much I enjoy climbing and the poem encapsulates the feelings you get when on a route I thought I'd post you a pic of me doing my hardest ever route as the lecturer waited half way up to take a pic of me - my face shows extreme fear and you only have to look at the holds for my hands and feet to see why). Please take the time to visit her blog and read the poem, you don't need to be a climber to appreciate it lol. THANKS.

Now I need to pass it on and spread it further. I'm going to give it to HAZEL as she has been a dedicated follower of my ATC Swap, creates wonderful work and is often the first to comment on my new posts.

From small beginnings...

When I got home from work today I was so excited to find the first set of ATCs for the new swap waiting and what amazing ones they are - thanks Dawne, they ae superb and whoever gets them will be so glad of them. Anyone who wants to join in with us then check out the posts below - the more the merrier.

I thought I'd also update you on what I've been up to since the New Year. As part of my Outdoor Education Course, I spent a cuple of days living in a wooden hut (with walls missing!) in the middle of a forest in -9 degrees!!! Despite this, I was nice and warm and very cosy in my sleeping bag and managed to have a good 11 hours kip - the most I've had in ages!

And seeing as I haven't posted a card in a while, I thought I'd show you one I made for Christmas (a bit late I know). I wanted to make a 'big' card and so used an A3 piece of card stock. I've taken a pic next to my uual C6 card to show the magnitude of the other one.

Decoupaged it up to add dimension.

Quick Christmas

Just working on a quick Christmas card today. Used Cuddly Buddly Angel from the Giggles Nativity set and layered her on a background. Then, simply deoupaged but cut out the backing from the first layer to crete an 'alcove' type effect and then the angel on top. I think she may be in need of some stickles though.

Mooooooooooooo

Here's a card I made for a physiopherapist who loves cows!!! Not your everyday combo for cardmaking. The small little dangly thing on the cows tail is a mobile phone charm I made using a rubber stamp on some shrink plastic.

Edit - A few people have asked about the font I used. It is called STARRY NIGHT. I downloaded it a long time ago but Elaine has managed to track it down here: http://www.dafont.com/starry_night.font. Hope that helps.

Folder Cards

Here's are a couple of pics of some Folder cards I have made with a space for gifts inside. I have used the Cuddly Buddly Daffodil Fairy (wish as a Welshman, comes in handy quite often). I hope you like them more than the camera does! Sorry about the blurred pics, the camera has been tempromental lately.

P.S. This was also a test to see if newer posts will go below by blog candy one, so if it has worked, then Edna's instructions were not as 'clear as mud' as she thought! (fingers crossed)

Friendly Snowman

Updates 2 days on the trot! Can't quite believe it myself! Made a card using the Friendly Snowmen set from Cuddly Buddly. Simply decoupaged and stickled.

Stencillo Stocking

I recently purchased the Stencillo Stocking Template - looks so simple but so effective. Started off simple with these three just to get used to the template (plus no real ideas lol)

Just used card stock and some old scrapbook paper for the first. On the second I experimented with Cuttlebugging the add on bits, a Cuddly Buddly Snowman just finishes it off. On the last, I thought I'd stray from traditional Stocking colours and go for brown and cream so that I could use the CB Cozy Dayz set again! This time I used a free swinging tag hanging from the Cuts and Emboss Sizzix Snowflake.

Cute Card Thursday - Two of Us

Here's my attempt at this weeks Cute Card Thursday Challenge. The theme was Just the Two of Us, in their words, 'We would like you to use two of something on your card, it could be 2 people, 2 animals or 1 of each, we love to see your own interpretation as always!'. I went for the Cuddly Budly Puppy Love set and used a Cuttlebug Embossing folder for the background.

A few more

Just a couple of quick cards I made recently using Cuddly Buddly images.


The first is a simple decoupaged image using the Bear in the Air set. The background was printed straight onto the card. I made a similar ATC to this a while back and wondered how it would look on a card.

The second is a simple digi printed card using the Magical Miss set - the set has no border so I used 4 corners to create one!

Cuddly Buddly Christmas

Have been working on a Christmas Card for the Cuddly Buddly Christmas in July. Made a pop up card using the Cozy Dayz set. Used this set a lot last year and looks like it will be used again!

Lots To Do - Angels

My second ATC post of the day is for the 'Lots to Do' Challenge blog. This weeks them is angels and so I have used one of the Cuddly Buddly angels as the main image. Decoupaged her and added corners and chalked the edges.

PB Saturday Challenge 5 - Sketch

The new Penny Black Saturday Challenge is up! This week it's a sketch.
Here's my attempt - not sure of the colours after I made it. Use Kim's patchwork papers as a background and my new PB stamp for the topper.

CB ATC Challenge - A Major Bugbear!

Better late than never!

Here's my Design Team member ATC for the Cuddly Buddly ATC Challenge. Can't believe I forgot to post it! If you haven't joined in in the past then now would be a good time to join in as we have a goodie bag up for grabs. Come and have a go - the designable downloads are great and it's just a case of printing them off to the size you want - and there's no waiting for postie so you can join in straight away.

This months them was A MAJOR BUGBEAR. Here's the story behind the theme:

As the pollen from flowers are a problem to a lot of people (or a BUGBEAR should we say!), this months challenge is to NOT use a FLOWER, BUG or BEAR on the ATC! A chance to use some of the other Cuddly Buddly download sets or stamps.