Be Merry!

Hello lovely people,

I really really did intend to post earlier this week but gosh, the time has flown by and clearly I didn't get around to it.

Given my ongoing cries of 'there's not enough time in the day', especially now I am back at work, I have decided to step down from the AYLI team so this will be my last challenge with them.  I'm so sad to leave and huge thanks to each and every DT member for being wonderful teamies :-)

So, for my very last challenge (sob sob) at As You Like It we have the theme of...

YOUR FAVOURITE...CHRISTMAS COLOURS
...and don't forget to tell us why it's your favourite!

Our sponsor this time is Digi Stamp Boutique with a £10 voucher

I have several favourite colour combos for Christmas and tend to choose based on the style of project I am making and any image I am using.
But, I think my favourite is blue and brown as it is simultaneously elegant yet cosy, and it suits lots of styles...today it's CAS style!

I tried out triple embossing for the sentiment and holly leaves and was delighted with how they turned out; the photos definitely don't do them justice!

The papers are totally scrummy too and, since I try to go for slightly quicker designs for my Christmas cards, there's no stitching but I did add a pierced border on one layer.

I hope you will pop over to As You Like It and check out the fabulously creative projects from the rest of the team :-)

Thanks for visiting and I really appreciate any comments that you leave,

Card recipe;

DP: Snow Queen - Galleria Paperieu

Dies: Scripty merry - Lawn Fawn, Filigree holly - Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions

Silver embossing powder

A distressed angel

Hello lovely people,

I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend whatever you have been getting up to.

I did a few bits around the house, a little crafting including a last minute card for my Dad's birthday, which I forgot was on Monday - oops!

Last night I popped over to a friend's house for a girly evening and to design the table plan display for her wedding in 2 weeks time - we are both very excited!

After all that excitement, I am here to showcase some LOTV products as part of the Design Team and it's a little 'Something for the Weekend' so hop over to LOTV HERE for the PDF with step-by-step instructions on how to make this card, and tips on distressing and how to make the cute ruffled seam binding.

I showed a card (HERE) with one of the returning Christmas angels a few weeks ago and made this one at the same time but gave it a more distressed look.

Isn't she a little darling?  So serene...butter wouldn't melt!

My MISTI was a great help for stamping the details onto the corners of the DP as it enabled me to line up exactly the sections of the stamps I wanted to add.

It's not easy to see all of them in the photos but I added a scattering of pearls around the flowers and little clusters of them under the rolled edges.

Thanks for visiting and I really appreciate any comments that you leave,

Card recipe;

Image: Christmas angel, praying - LOTV
Extra stamps: Grunge corners (discontinued) - LOTV

DP: A Gift for you - Maja Design (available from Live and Love Crafts)

Flowers and stamens: Wild Orchid Crafts

Seam binding: White - The Ribbon Girl

Sentiment: Christmas circular sentiments - LOTV

Dies: Holly vine - Memory Box
Pearls: from stash

Copic colours;
Skin: E000/00/21/11/04 & R20
Hair: E41/43/47
Dress: R27/46/89
Wings: W00/1/3
Holly: BG93/96 & R59/89

Peace on Earth

Hello lovely people,

I have just 9 weeks left of my career break and now my course and the USA trip are all done and dusted, I am suddenly feeling an urgency to tick off a few more goals for the year.

So, this week my plans include;
 - making serious inroads towards completing the Kit and Clowder skin/hair colouring class
- buying a few new kitchen items that we need; kettle, saucepans, hand blender
- start seriously decluttering the house

I have made a start today by sorting through all the accumulated stuff in the area behind the sofa in the cinema room and got rid of loads :-)

I did find time to play with some of the new release Christmas images from LOTV though.  I say 'new' but actually the image I have used today is one of our returning friends.

I never had this cutie the first time round (I'm shocked too!) but couldn't resist her second time around :-)

I was planning to colour her dress in white because...well, it's easiest!  At the last minute I decided to make life a little harder for myself and go for red instead because I thought it would match the papers better *sigh*

I often like non-traditional colours for Christmas cards but this Maja Design collection is so beautiful and it does suit the angel rather well I think.

The release date for all the images is...TOMORROW!!
As usual, I would get in quick if you don't want to miss out...there are some super cute new stamps and more fab returning friends :-)

Thanks for visiting and I really appreciate any comments that you leave,

Card recipe;

Image: Christmas angel flying - LOTV (coming back soon!)

DP: A Gift for you - Maja Design (available from Live and Love Crafts)

Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
Twine: Ivory button twine - The Ribbon Girl

Tag: Christmas sentiment tags - LOTV

Dies: Fanciful trim - Creative Expressions
Charm: Holly leaves tiny - The Ribbon Girl

Copic colours;
Skin: E000/00/21/11/04 & R20
Hair: E41/43/47
Dress: R27/46/89
Wings: W00/1/3
Holly: BG93/96 & R59/89

Mistletoe kisses

Hello lovely people,

That's another couple of study days at Bath completed so my next challenge is to complete my Christmas cards! 

While I am drowning in Christmas images and glitter it's time for a new challenge at As You Like It and our theme is...

YOUR FAVOURITE...traditional or non-traditional Christmas colours
...and don't forget to tell us why it's your favourite!

We are sponsored by Crafty Ribbons for this challenge

I often favour non-traditional colours (well, you know how much I love pink!) but this year I found some really lovely papers in reds/greens/creams so it's traditional all the way for me!

How adorable are this couple?!
A great image for a first Christmas as Mr & Mrs.

I think these colours look especially lovely teamed with Kraft card for a really cosy feel and I am glad I bought a few more red roses in my last flower order!

Card recipe;

Image: Happy Kissmas - LOTV

DP: Glad Tidings - Dovecraft

Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
Twine: Natural button twine - The Ribbon Girl
Dies: Tilda lace - Magnolia Doohickeys, Holly vine - Memory Box

Sentiment: generated on computer (font - Parisienne)

Copic colours;
Skin: E000/00/21/11/04 & R20
Hair (girl): E51/55/57
Hair (boy): E55/57/59
All red bits: R27/29/46/59
All green bits: YG93/95/97
Shirt: W00/1/3
Trousers: E41/42/43/44
Shoes: E43/44/47
Ground: W00/0/1/2/3/4

I hope you are all feeling festive and ready for the big day...not long to go now!

Do pop over to As You Like It and check out the gorgeous Christmas projects from the rest of the team :-)

Thanks for visiting and I really appreciate any comments that you leave,

Challenges I am entering;

Jolly holly

Hello lovely people,

Don't fall over in shock that I am posting; I'm here, I'm ok and I have a card to share!  But then of course, it's time for a new challenge at Top Tip Tuesday and our theme is...

BUTTONS AND/OR BOWS

I had this idea in my head for a little CAS card and what do you know, it actually turned out like I pictured!
I do love Kraft, white and red for Christmas :-)

And since it was so simple, I made a few more, each with a different sentiment on the tag.  I made 6 in total but here's a selection of 3 of them;

Card recipe;

DP: Krafty Christmas - LOTV

Twine: The Ribbon Girl

Tags: Christmas sentiment tags - LOTV
Dies: Holly vine - Memory box

I hope you will pop over to Top Tip Tuesday and check out the fabulous creations from the rest of the team.

Thanks for visiting and I really appreciate any comments that you leave,

Challenges I am playing along with;

1.  Winter Wonderland (let's get sentimental)
2.  A Gem of a Challenge (Kraft + 1 other colour - I used red)