The Christmas Kickstart Challenge #11 - Christmas Kids!

For this challenge I'm delighted to be joined by my lovely, long-term blogging buddy, Lindsey.

Our theme for this fortnight is:

Challenge #11 - Christmas Kids

We'd love to see cards featuring children, or that you would make for a child.

My first card features those gorgeous MFT Bitty Bears from this card.

Instead of little brown bears, this time I decided to go with little polar bears and a very limited colour palette. The sentiment is from the same set.

My next card is one that I made a little while ago.

I've used this sentiment before, but it seems to go so well with this little cutie from Rubbermoon.

My final card looks so much better IRL. The bokeh background was created with stencils after stamping and masking the little girl from Eat Cake Graphics. The sentiment is from an Ink Road set. 

I really hope you'll drop over to The Christmas Kickstart to see Lindsey's gorgeous cards, and to play along!

Cupcakes and Candy... Don't mind if I do!

The Seize the Birthday gang have got great toppings on offer for their current challenge: Cupcakes and Candy!

I broke-out a selection of 'oldie-but-goodie' stamps to create this card. The sentiment is from The Reverse Confetti set 'In a Big Way' and the cakes are from Hero Arts, A Muse and Savvy Stamps.

The outside of the card may look fairly grown-up but the inside is just out-and-out fun!

I haven't used this little cutie from Eat Cake Graphics in ages! Isn't she a sweetheart? 

I've made this card for my cousin's wife, Sandra, and will write my greeting on the circular panel. I think Sandra will enjoy this card as she often posts on FB about her visits to the local pâtisserie since moving to France a few years ago.

He does exist... I saw him too!

Just can't get enough of this sweet little girl and her look of surprise!

Sorry about the quality of the photograph, I took this picture under my craft lamp and the colours of those beautiful Basic Grey papers have gone all strange.

I used this sweet little sketch from Inspirational Card Sketches as the basis for my card... I just went 'off script' a little bit...

Happy crafting everyone!

He does exist!

Santa does exist... and if the look on this little girl's face isn't proof enough for you take a look at this fabulous, fun post on Elise's blog!

See you again soon, happy crafting everyone!

Easel-y peasy, lemon squeezy!

I nearly called this post: 'reader, I was that child' as this little party-goer reminds me of myself as a small child. I was always too late for cake as I was usually hiding behind a curtain or beneath the table. I would then appear, little cheeks aflame with embarrassment, in the hope that there might be just enough cake left for me!

I am now officially in love with easel cards! Aren't they fun, and surprisingly easy to make.

I can see why they are currently sweeping across blogland! I think this format would make great photo cards, and really fancy place settings too.

Thanks to Helen from the Secret Crafter DT, who signposted the way to some great instructions here, which helped big time.
This cute little girl is from Eat Cake Graphics and came as part of a bumper haul of images from the wonderful Lynne.
The card is all Bazzils and the 'you make me smile' sentiment is from Hero Arts. That sweet flowery vellum has been hiding out in my stash for years. It is called Purple Pansies from Over the Moon Press at E K Success. I bought a few sheets to use for pretty gift bags and this is from the sheet that I had leftover.

There are currently easel card challenges over at Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge and Crazy 4 Challenges so I will be meeting up with Mr Linky as soon as I finish this post.


Happy easel card crafting everyone!

There's room on the broom...

It's nearly Halloween....
We are planning to hold a fun Halloween event at the library on Saturday. The children will be making a 'spooky book' full of pictures, spells and the most ghoulish, gruesome Halloween jokes that we can find! We've asked the kids to come in costume and I will confess that I am looking forward to dusting off my witches hat and donning my stripey Halloween stockings to join in the fun!

This little card is for my work buddy Lozzie B. She is such a fabulous, fun person and is always my 'wing man' whenever we do anything crazy at the library. Our Halloween 2008 karaoke rendition of 'It's raining men' is the stuff of legends!

I used that cute, huffy cat stamp from Eat Cake Graphics and went totally OTT with the distressing as I wanted him disappearing off into a dark Halloween night. There is a little bit of Stampin' Up cuteness in each lower corner and the little punched border is stamped with a lovely, new Hero Arts cling stamp. In case you can't read the sentiment it says: 'and if you think I'm getting on that broomstick again after what happended last year...'

I can't resist entering my huffy friend for the Allsorts Challenge #24, which is 'Furry friends' and The ABC Challenge: 'F for Flying'!

If you are looking for a lovely Halloween themed book for younger children I'm going to recommend 'Room on the Broom' by Julia Donaldson, author of 'The Gruffalo'.

This sweet rhyming story, which partly inspired my card, is a great favourite with younger children. At this time of the year it is a warm and funny alternative to some of the scary stories that are available for older children.

Halloween hugs to you all!

Saying thankyou!

I really am a lucky girl as I have received some lovely gifts over the last few days!

Firstly, a very big thank you to the lovely Lynne for the stamped images she sent so that I could road test a few before making a purchase. As if this wasn't kindness enough they arrived in this beautiful little wallet! Lynne's colouring of that cute little Tilda image is breathtaking and the wallet is so beautifully made.

Lynne is such a sweetie, and a very talented card maker... she is also something of a dare devil as you will see if you take a look at her post for yesterday!

My next 'thank you' is for the adorable Paula as she has sent me a 'Me-Me' blog award!

Thank you Paula, that is so kind of you!

After accepting this award the recipient has to share seven secrets and then pass the award to seven people of their choice. I hope that Paula won't mind if I take a few days to 'chew' on that one before awarding my 'magnificent seven' and sharing my seven deadly sins/secrets!

I was hoping to feature a photograph of a truly beautiful necklace that Lauren sent me after I admired it on her blog a little while ago. However, there isn't much sunshine around today and the pictures that I took do not do her gorgeous jewellery credit. I will re-shoot it in better light and include it in a later post. Lauren is planning to start her own Etsy shop. I think she will be very successful as this necklace is beautiful and her artwork is outstanding.

My final 'thank you' is for my Mom's friend Pat. Yesterday at Mom and Dad's Golden Wedding 'Friends' Party, Pat gave me a HUGE tub of pigment ink stamps! I just had to make her a card to express my gratitude! My parents will be celebrating all week long as it is my Mom's birthday tomorrow, and then it is the big 'Family' party next Sunday. Lot's more fun to be had!

Mom's friend Pat has three cats, so I know she will love this image from Eat Cake Graphics (thanks Lynne - I love it!). The little fish bones are from a wonderful Allnight Media set of cat stamps that I love. I stamped the black card with paw prints from the same collection in Versamark and clear embossed. However, they just don't show up as the light is so poor today. The big flower stamp is also an old and much loved stamp friend and it's from The English Stamp Company.

I thought that this little card was perfect for The Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge #51 as the theme is 'Animal Antics'. Can you guess who the huffy kitty might be???

Anyone who has ever been owned by a cat will know that this is just 'oh-so-typical' cat behaviour!

Happy crafting everyone!