December 2023 - Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Happy New Year to all my wonderful crafting buddies! I hope the festive season treated you well and that 2024 is off to a good start!

It's our first Reveal time of 2024 over at The Card Chain Challenge. BTW, this is the year we should hit an amazing 5,000 cards sent and received around the world... Gail and I have plans to celebrate this milestone. 

For our December Challenge Gail created a festive, but fiendish Tic-Tac-Tic-Tac-Toe...

I went straight down the middle with my five in a row, and here's what I made:

I used the gorgeous bear from Hey Winter from Sugar Pea Designs, and then got busy copying maps from Google. I sent my card to Alice in Finland and my sender for this month was Barbara in Switzerland.

I love how the daisies 'pop' against the black. Thanks, Barbara!

Our January sign up is still open, so why not make this the year that YOU come along and play at Card Chain Challenge. Send a card, receive a card... Everybody wins!

Let's Squash It! Challenge #21 - Make it Manly!

 

We're Making it Manly over at Let's Squash It! until 30th June. 

I don't know about you guys but I am someone who needs inspiration and ideas when it comes to making cards for the Misters. Gail and our Empress of Squash, Joanne, totally smashed it with their fabulous creations and I have to say I'm quite pleased with the cards I've created for this challenge. Seems that an embossing folder is a great place to start for making it manly! 

I was inspired by Joanne's card as I loved the 'pop' of gold she used against a dark, embossed background. Here's what I made:

The embossing folder and stamp are from a magazine freebie I've had tucked away for years. Unfortunately, the packaging doesn't appear to give the magazine details so I can't share them. It's a great little set as you get a folder, a selection of stamps AND some dies. The 'Cheers' die is from Sugar Pea Designs. 

There's still six whole days to join the challenge and Joanne, Gail and I really hope you'll decide to Make it Manly and join the fun! 

But is it CAS and snowy enough?

Hi guys, I'm hoping that my card is CAS enough for the September Challenge over at the CAS Christmas Card Challenge... 

I'm also hoping my card is snowy enough for the ABC Challenge S is for Snowy!

What do you think?

Isn't this bear just the cutest?

My original plan was to have the bear holding a tree, but I wasn't happy with how that looked and went with Plan B instead. For me the candy cane gives a nice 'pop' of colour in the middle of the card so it all worked out well! I always enjoy using this cute set from Sugar Pea Designs (Hey, Winter) and love that the bear comes with the option of adding a hat and a jumper! The sentiment is an oldie that has lost it's packaging.

There are some gorgeous inspiration cards and a lovely gallery for this challenge, so I'm going to grab a cuppa and go visiting!

Stay safe and keep crafting! 

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #30 - Winter Wonderland (Create a Scene)

Greeting friends, I hope that you're keeping well and coping during these difficult times.
I'm finding crafting and blogging to be a huge comfort right now - I think us crafters are well equipped to keep our spirits up by getting inky and staying in touch with friends around the world.

It's new month over at Christmas Kickstart and we have a new theme AND a new elf.

Challenge #30 - Winter Wonderland (Create a Scene)

I'm thrilled to welcome long-term blogging buddy Jane from Purplejet Loves Crafts as elf this challenge!

You'll love Jane's take on the challenge theme, so why not head on over and take a look!

Here's my take on the theme:

I love this fabulously haughty moose, which was a present from the lovely Gail. I've mixed two die sets, which are both Tim Holtz Thinlits from Sizzix.


My second card also uses the mountain die and features this adorable bear in his pom-pom jumper and hat from Sugar Pea Designs.  The set is called Hey Winter and I can see myself using it again and again as it has some lovely images.

The sentiment is a favourite oldie from Mama Elephant.

I'm linking both cards to Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge as their optional theme is Christmas Animals!

As always, there's a prize available over at Christmas Kickstart from Rudolph, so please come join the fun and make life in lockdown a little easier.