Farewell 2023 .... Hello 2024

I'm finding myself at yet another New Year's Eve and wondering where that last year has gone!

So it must be time for my traditional 31st Dec round-up, to bid farewell to the old year with some of my favourite creations from the past twelve months.

Yet again, I've continued to notice that many of my blogposts have no comments compared to the simpler click of a 'like' button on other Social Media platforms, which makes my faithful commenters here far more appreciated. I am truly grateful for anyone who takes the time to comment, however brief, and I do read every single comment. 

So, as I sign off the year with a few of my favourites, I wish you all a happy, healthy and creative 2024. 

1)  I often struggle with colouring both white/grey and beards, which means I usually avoid gnomes but they seem to have been everywhere this year, and I've been tempted by some of the cutest ones!  This Stamping Bella image was a particular challenge for me, because I decided to make him almost monochrome in my most dreaded colours!

2)  Another gnomie, this time from Lee Holland's digi shop in a more colourful combo. I struggled a little with the beard but enjoyed the brights of his outfit and flower.

3)  There's a theme going on here because I'm sharing yet another gnome.  This card is probably my favourite from the whole year, and I was really pleased with how he turned out. Here's a link to the original Flowery Gnome card.

4)  Moving away from gnomes for this card, I really enjoyed making this personalised card using an image from Amanda Jayne Digis and my Silhouette for cutting the name.

5)  I have also enjoyed making some other styles of projects including this Festive cup/box which I made using my Silhouette.  Assembling it was a little tricky, but I was pleased with how it turned out, and it's quite solid, so it could be used as a gift box.

6)  I have also enjoyed my crochet projects this year, which have included my first jumper, but the project I'm most pleased with is this little guy (yes another gnome!!!  I told you they were everywhere!)

7)  And finally, a list of my favourites couldn't be complete without James Bear (Lili of the Valley) framed by some of my favourite NitWit Collection papers.

Well that's all folks. 

I look forward to crafting with you next year, but for now, have a lovely New Year's Eve, and I'll see you on the other side.

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Farewell 2022....Hello 2023.

Well another year is ending, and thankfully I didn't break any of my resolutions this year (mainly due to the fact that I gave up making any, but let's not dwell on that).  

Anyway, my traditional Dec 31st round-up is due, and I'm saying farewell to the old year with some of my favourite creations from the past twelve months.

Yet again, I express my sincere thanks to those who've continued to craft alongside me this year.  Some of my posts here have no comments now, so I fear that blogging is a forgotten trend in favour of the instant gratification of a 'like' button on the other Social Media platforms, but that just makes the few faithful commenters much more valued. I really am grateful that you take the time to do so, and I do read every single comment. 

So, please brace yourself for a photo-laden farewell to 2022.  

I wish you all a happy, healthy and creative 2023. 

My 12 Favourite Creations of 2022:

1)  I had a fear of colouring these intricate butterfly images when I first bought them, so I was delighted how this one turned out during my drive to use some of my older stamps at the start of the year (yeah, those good intentions didn't last long!!!).  Sadly the owner of Stamping Bella passed away a few months ago, which makes these stamps even more treasured.

2)  This card was also an older image, but also one of my oldest layouts with a strip of pretty ribbon covering the join of a duo of patterned papers and decorated with a double bow and paper flowers. The LOTV image is one of my favourites too. He is just calling out for a hug!

3)  I love making shaped cards, and this little Kitten Chef was perfect for decorating a cupcake shaped card.  I also took more time to stencil the backgrounds of my images this year to give a little more interest to the image.

4)  I experimented with different shapes of standard basecard shapes too, trying not to stick with my usual 6" squares.  Also I invested in a few new embossing folders which I loved using, so I've built up a better collection now.

5)  I still love making tags, especially large ones using my Crealies XXL tag dies because they can have as much decoration as a card, but make a gift extra-special.   This squirrel image is from Lee Holland, another designer who I'm honoured and delighted to design for as I love his style of images, especially the woodland creatures he draws, like this squirrel.

6)  I ventured outside of my comfort zone with this card created for Papermill Direct using some silhouette stamps on some of their lovely Kraft card. The cards were very simple, but quite effective and I enjoyed making them.

7)  I also tried learning how to use my Silhouette a little more, and this Autum card featuring a foxie from Lili of the Valley was one of the results of those trials.

8)  As a DT member for Amanda Jayne Designs, I loved some of the new characters she created, including this adorable polar bear.  I also decided to try a foiling machine, which I've been using to create foiled sentiments, like the one on this cute but simple Christmas card.

9)  Another shaped card I enjoyed making this year was a simple hexagon fold, which was very simple to create. I did use a hexagon die which made it even easier, and a simple coloured image with very few embellishments seemed to look very effective. This cutie is a DT card from another of my favourite stamp companies, Lili of the Valley.

10)  I couldn't have a 'favourites' list without including a 3D project or box of some kind, and this cracker gift box is of my favourites of the year.  Another image from Amanda Jayne and a box cut using my Silhouette and some gorgeous Marine Blue card from Papermill Direct.

11)  One last shaped card in the form of this very simple snowflake die cut card.  I did invest in quite a lot of large dies this year, and this was a good investment as I used it a few times to make a quick but interesting cardbase. The white layer is a gorgeous white glitter card which is beautifully sparkly. I couldn't actually bear to part with this card, so it's the one I gave to hubby (which effectively means I get to keep it afterwards!!!).

12)  And finally, I was so incredibly honoured (and stunned) to be one of the winners of this year's My Favorite Things Card Superstars with this Clean and Simple card created using their stamps.  I've entered a few times in previous years without success, and the quality of entries is high, so I am extremely proud to have been selected this year. I've kept the card as another one that I can't bear to part with because of this!

Well that's all folks. My favourite 12 cards of 2022, and why.

I look forward to crafting with you next year, but for now, have a lovely New Year's Eve, and I'll see you on the other side.

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

A Christmas Carol

It's been a while since I've made a single layer Clean and Simple card, but while digging through my older stamps today I found this MFT Christmas Carol stamp set and I wanted to try a lightbeam effect using ink.  

There was a lot of masking involved for this card.  The lamp post was also shorter than I needed, so I masked off the bottom half and stamped the top, then did the reverse to stamp only the base.  I wanted the lantern to be quite high on the card so that the light it shone covered about a third of the card.  I then masked everything to stamp the stones and ink the lightmeam in tones of orange fading out to pale yellow. 

I've watercoloured the image using mostly neutral colours but added a pop of red on each element, including the candle in the lantern.  I tried to create some darker shadow in front of the carol singers to show that the light is coming from behind them.  I added a sprinkling of snow and a yellow glow on the goat's hat pompom.

Water-coloured on Ecoline Watercolour Card with Ranger Distress Ink Reinkers:

• Cow/Robin: Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo, Tattered Rose, Tea Dye
• Goat: Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain, Tattered Rose, Tea Dye, 
• Light: Scattered Straw, Wild Honey
• Reds: Candied Apple, Barn Door, Aged Mahogany
• Greys: Hickory Smoke, Black Soot

Card Recipe:

• MFT Christmas Carol

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Farewell 2021, Hello 2022

I'm not sure if 2021 was much of an improvement on 2020 (aka "The Year That Shall Not Be Named") or maybe we just all became accustomed to being constantly disapointed!  Each time it felt like things might be heading back to normal, we seemed to take another step backwards.  But it's the time of year when the little things can bring a smile. For me, those little things usually take the form of mince pies, and I'm in danger of eating my own weight in them.

Anyway, as has become my tradition on Dec 31st, I am sweeping out the dusty old year with some of my favourite creations from the past twelve months.

My sincere thanks to those who've continued to craft alongside me this year.  Yet again I've noticed falling comments, so for those of you who do leave a short message, I really am grateful that you take the time to do so. 

So, brace yourself for a photo-laden farewell to 2021.  

I wish you all a happy, healthy and creative 2022. 

January:

2021 was a year for experimenting with more shaped cards and I loved this Christmas cracker shaped card featuring James the Bear from Lili of the Valley

February:

Continuing my obsession with shaped cards, I made this concertina fold card using some XXL tags which can be removed and used separately afterwards.

March:

I enjoy making 'just because' cards to send a little 'thinking of you' message to friends and family.

April:

Tags were a common feature in my 2021 creations. This one incorporates my favourite colours and dies, as well as some adorable bunnies - right up my street!

May:

Another shaped creation, this time a tea-time themed card.

June:

A return to my stamping roots with a Penny Black image.

July:

I loved this simple layout and the adorable Panda from Lee Holland Designs

August:

I continued my additction to shaped cards with my new hexagon die.   Although the stitched edges didn't emboss particularly deeply, they are there if you squint!

September:

This fussy card was for a friend's special birthday, so a little extra effort was called for!

October:

I was sad to part with this Sunflower blankie that I crocheted for my MIL's birthday. 

November:

Another tag card from me, and another combo of my favourites; tag die, papers, colours, and another adorable Lee Holland Designer image.

December:

And my final favourite of the year, this simple but effective Stamping Bella image on a embossed panel with some die cut poinsettias.  It's difficult to photograph, but the white snowflakes are glittered too.

I hope you enjoyed my little trip down blog memory lane. 

I look forward to crafting with you in 2022.
Happy crafting.  I'm off to finish the mince pies.
Annette
xx

Farewell to 'the year that shall not be named'

In many ways, the less said about 2020, the better.  At the risk of wishing our lives away, it's a year many of us are glad to see the back of, and 2021 is bringing a new year with fresh hope.

Despite all the extra time spent at home, I seemed to have been less productive and more procrastinated.

As we wave goodbye to 'the year which must not be named' here I am having my usual annual stumble through the past 12 months of crafting. 

My sincere thanks to those who've crafted with me this year.  Again I've noticed falling comments, so for those of you who do leave a short note, I am always grateful and I read everyone one. 

So, brace yourself for a photo-laden farewell to 2020.  As usual, I've selected my favourite creation from each month. 

In the meantime, I wish you all a happy, healthy and creative 2021. 

January 

Despite not being a fan of yellow, this bright springtime card for my Auntie was one of my faves.

February

A simple card for my Valentine!

March

Unfortunately the intended recipient of this card had to delay her retirement plans due to the events of 2020, but hopefully will get to enjoy her well-earned retirement this year instead.

April

This is one of my favourite Lee Holland images.

May

Sticking with the giraffe theme, this cutie was one of my fave crocheted creations of the year.  I'm hoping to do a bit more crochet next year.

June

I really love making these oversized tags for special gifts.

July

I've never really used stencils much, but actually really liked how this card turned out when I dabbled with a new stencil in July.

August

My favourite bear. I loved how he turned out on this card.

September

I made a couple of journals this year for my longest standing crafting buddies. They took quite a bit of thinking and time to plan out (oh, the irony!!!) and this is the front of one of them.

October

Sometimes I am in a clean and simple mood .......

November

.... and sometimes I'm in full and fussy mode ...

December

... and sometimes I decide to just make life difficult for myself with a fancy fold too!

That's all Folks.

Happy crafting, and Happy New Year! 

Let's hope 2021 is an improvement on its predecessor.

Annette
xx

Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020.

I read earlier today something that shocked me when I stopped to think about it: 

1990 was 3 decades ago! 

Time seems to move so quickly and becomes so scarce. I can remember where I was in 1990 and it certainly doesn't feel like it was 3 decades ago!  

There are projects that I wanted to achieve during the past year that have fallen by the wayside, but there have also been other new ventures that I didn't have planned. 

As 2020 is only one more sleep away, here I am having my usual annual stumble through the past 12 months.  Thank you if you've stayed with me this year. I seem to be getting fewer visitors and even fewer comments on my blog, and I'm not a huge fan of Facebook, although I have tried to keep my Instagram diary mirroring my blog. 

I appreciate that it's more convenient for you to click a 'like' button than it is to type out a comment and I also acknowledge that I've been writing less myself for the same reason. If you do leave a comment, please know that I really do appreciate it because I know that it takes more of your own previous time.

Anyhoo, brace yourself for a photo-laden finale to 2019. I've selected my favourite card from each month and if you last until the end of this post then I'll share an extra little insight into my new hobby. 

In the meantime, I wish you all a happy, healthy and creative 2020. 

January 

I had 3 cards featured in Making Cards magazine this month, with a tutorial on Sunsets and Moonscapes. This was my first card and I loved the warm colours in the coldest month!

February

I was so excited to join the Design Team at Lee Holland and this was my first card. Unfortunately my excitement was short lived because the team was disbanded when Lee cut back his store's promotions.

March

I love the Stuffies from Stamping Bella and these Honeybears in particular.  I think they remind me of Winnie the Pooh, my favourite Honey Bear!

April

I spent a long time colouring this card for a friend, but the card was unfortunately lost in the post and never reached her. For this reason I'm giving it another outing here so it's not lost entirely.

May

I really loved this card-stand die, especially with this Crealies XXL stitched circle propped on it. 

June

I made this clock for a colleague who had a baby boy and it reminded me how much I like making non-card projects too. She wanted a jungle theme for her son so the Lee Holland giraffe and ellie seemed ideal.

July

Shaped cards are another thing I like to make and I'd been wanting to use this cute giraffe from LOTV for ages. It seemed the perfect opportunity to combine the two into a babygro card.

August

Bunnies are one of my favourite critters and LOTV make some of the cutest!

September

I really liked the moonlit background for these robins. 

The card was really easy to colour too so it became a favourite because I liked the effect.

October

In a break from my CAS cards, October's selection is fully loaded.

A wedding card is always a great excuse for extra embellishments!

November

While getting in full swing ready for Christmas I tried a lighter touch with my paintbrush and I liked the way she turned out.

December

Finishing off the year with one of my favourite images, another from the Stuffie clan!

So if you've stayed for the duration, I threatened you with news of a new hobby. I was coerced by my bestest pal (and partner-in-craft) to try crochet during the summer.  After starting with a scarf and some fingerless gloves I optimistically decided to dive straight into something a little more adventurous and made a mini-stocking advent calendar bunting for her.  While she might get me into a lot of crafting trouble, I do happen to think she's worth it! (Love you sweetie!)

Here's a close-up of one of the mini-stockings.

They were each filled with a Lindt chocolate ball.

That's all Folks.

Happy crafting, and Happy New Year! 

See you on the other side.
Annette
xx