I Won A Prize!!

I've won first prize of £25 for entering one of my favourite Penny Black 'Snowy' Christmas Cards into the December Card Competition over on Card Making World. Woohoo! All you have to do, is become a member of their Monthly Challenge, follow the rules, load up your card, write how you made the card and dah-da!! You could win too! (there's also a £5 runner up prize to spend in their Cardmaking World Printable Card Shop) There's freebies to look out for too.
In December's Challenge you had to make a Christmas card with a Christmas song/hymn/carol in mind.. Frosty the Snowman came straight into my head! (there's not much else in there!)
All together now...

Frosty The Snowman
Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul,
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal.
Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say,
He was made of snow but the children know,
How he came to life one day....

January's Challenge has started and of course there's already quite a few cards and other makes entered, why not have a go! Lovely easy Challenge...'A New Beginning'. Who can guess what card I've entered?? You can see my January Challenge card HERE. Votes and comments will be very much appreciated!

Welcome to New Follower M.E.R.O from Mero-arts. beautiful handmade goodies and not a card in sight! Happy Saturday!!

It's A Doggy Christmas Card plus Last and First!

This card was sent off to some doggy people. (People who have dogs) We took them out in the car on Wednesday. The dogs that is, not their owners! They'd gone off for the day to London. (Haven't been there for years)

So what have I used? I made it sooo long ago I've forgotten! (and it's been sitting in draft so when I post it...it'll disappear into last month's posts and I won't be able to find it! (Note to self, change the date!)
The flowers I remember are sort of padded silk, which I've covered with gold Stickles glitter. The green fern leaves were punched out of paper felt, I'm not sure what else to call it, I had it left over from when I did Play School, about a hundred years ago! (feels like it anyway!) I think it's still made, but with a sticky back. Galt, rings a bell to where I used to get it from.. Play School suppliers. I'll fill in more details later... I have the stamps but they are 'waiting to be 'cleaned' (cleaned???) and aren't in their packets.
Now, to enter one of the challenges I've found you have to show your last and first cards. Well, my first card of 2010 was this Tilda card, which I posted on the 1st of January. I'd won the Tilda in Creative inspirations challenge#22. and she arrived on Christmas eve 2009, so I didn't have much time to use her!

I didn't quite make 365 posts this year, still, never mind, there's always NEXT YEAR!!
Just off somewhere now! Happy New Year!!!

**Update*** Sorry, I read the rules on the First and Last challenge wrong. Now, I have no picture of the very first card I ever made, so I've now chosen the first card I ever put on this blog. I originally made it for a forum Challenge, but no one saw it as I couldn't load it to the forum! (aw shame) but later it did appear over in TrimCrafts (different forum) ....thinking of Trimcrafts...there might be card over there that's older...ohooo I'll go and look!! Back in a minute!!
Yep... Here but it was posted on this blog later... The First Card ever posted on my blog is this one and here's the link.

Challenges

365 Cards -Metal Mania (My brads)
Craftycardmakers- First and last
This is my last card and my first card of this year was posted Here

For Fun Challenges - Anything Goes

Crafts and Me - Anything Goes
Opus-gluei.-Anything Goes

It's Snowy!

Well, it is! (Snowy) I haven't used Snowy for ages, and he is my favourite Penny Black Christmas Stamp. (which came all the way from America!)
Here he's been paper pieced using the same polka dot paper as the card, but printed out smaller. All the paper is from Pink Petticoat's Vintage Rose.
Yes, I know, I keep using it, but it's very pretty and easy to use for any occasion, so it appears! The little snow flakes fixed over the glitter snowflakes are actually buttons, with the backs snipped off, they were from the States too.

I took a few pictures as I made this card, just in case someone might want to know!
I printed out a small square of the polka dots and stamped over it. Then cut out the scarf and a bit of Snowy's hat and fixed

them over him. I coloured Snowy with Promakers (mainly blue!) Cut out the scalloped circle using Nesties, run it through the Bigshot in a cuttlebug Christmasy folder, then stamped it.
It doesn't matter if the stamp doesn't work too well (as all you want are the fiddly bits you've cut off.
I then fixed Snowy on the die cut using Pin-Flare glue, but any silicone glue or 3D foam pads will do the job and then added a bit of Stickles glitter.
The white ribbon I got from a local store. (none left now, the last scrap!!) That was put through one of those X shaped sticker makers. I always put another strip of ribbon through at the same time, so not to waste any of it. Meanwhile, I'd added a bit of paper frill, using my MS Punch and made some small tags as the other paper I've used has words on it. (especially for you) I also punched out, Snow Flakes, tiny flowers and ovals using Woodward punches.
The little stamped sentiment I bought over in USA last year as well, it was part of a set of 6 tiny clear stamps and cost $1 in Ben Franklin Crafts. (wish we had a craft shop like that!)
I've never used it til now and didn't want it to look too black, so just 'touched' the paper with it.
There is a few Challenges I spied while making this so I'm off to find my note book! Yes, I wrote them down,!
OSAAT's Challenge is to use Punches this week and this would fit, if I wasn't on the DT team. I did blog about it on Sunday, but it's still in draft (oops!) I might put it on later!! Meanwhile, opusgluei. has a blog hop... and that's linked here at the bottom too...so come and join in!!

Challenges
Allsortschallenge.-paper-piercing/paper-piecing
Penny Black AllSortschallenge- Glitter and Glitz
ABC Challenge-B is For Blue
A Spoonfull of Sugar - Christmas in August
The Paper Variety - Merry Christmas
Passion For ProMarkers-Winter Blue
Sweet Stampin' (must stamp) - favourite stamp or image (Snowy!)
Ooh La La (every other week) - spots and dots
Christmas card challenges- use Border Punch
Alphabet Challenge - P is for punches. (mostly Woodware)
opusgluei.- you've got to move it move it! (I'm moving it! It's on my ironing board!!
Stamping Vacation - No! No! No Eyelets or Brads (The snowflake are buttons)
Craft Your Days Away - Favourite things (Penny Black's Snowy!)
Challenge Up Your Life - Celebrations (Christmas)
Verona's Saturday Challenge - polka dots
Simple Doodles - celebrate
Stampavieandmore- Christmas in Summer
Creative Cottage - Christmas

Anything Goes - 3 Layers (3 layers papers on card)

Thank You NannieFlash

You're in for a treat today. No 'Snowy' card but instead this lovely Tilda Christmas Card made by Shirley!! A million Times Better!
I've been a terrible blogger because I thought I'd posted this ages ago. I had to show it to you because it's just fabulous! The lovely Tilda image is coloured in so prefectly! In fact, this card has been a great inspiration and influence on some of my last minute Family Christmas cards I made! Shirley's fans will probably remember seeing it on her blog too, here.
Although I haven't any 8x8 cards, which this card is, I did make A Happy New Year card for Shirley but not as good! out of two cards joined together, and I will post that a little later. Unfortunately Shirley's first card I made (A pocket Card very similar to the ones I've already posted) was one of the cards I still can't find, but hopefully it and the others, will turn up ready for next Christmas!! Thank you soo much Shirley you're a real lovely lady. I will keep it safe for always! (((Hugs)) Lyn

Let it Quirky well Snow!

Here it is. This is my DT card for the Quirky Craft's Challenge. This time (have I mention it? once maybe twice?) it's my turn to come up with an idea on what to do. While I've been on the team there's been Vintage, Rough and Smooth, Out and About, Halloween or Autumn, also Masculine and a Recipe Challenge. So I've chosen to do a Sketch and here it is.

Don't worry, you don't have to follow the colours just the shapes but even then you can swap it about, flip it, use circles instead of squares, buttons instead of brads, flowers instead of gems, whatever really!
I've used a 5" square card, silver miri board, my favourite Penny Black Snowman again (I have him coming from America at last!) Couldn't find him anywhere here!) Gems from my stash and Woodware snowflakes brads also Woodware punches for the scalloped circles & snowflakes and a Martha Stewart fern punch. I've coloured him using ProMakers and Copic Pens. The blue paper snow flakes and the sentiment were coloured using a blue Copic pen, so the colour would match up. I've 3D-ed Snowy, just to make him a little different from the other Snowy cards I've made and added a bit of silver-grey 'eye-lash' wool.

If any of my followers join in with this challenge, and are picked as the winner (Me,myself and I, Mrs Judge lady!!) I'll add a little something extra to the prize!!
While I've been blog hopping, I've found PaperPlay Challenges and their challenge for this week is called 'Read All About it' and if you look very closely you'll see that behind Snowy The Snowman are the lyrics to 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland'! So, I'm thinking he'll fit right in there too!

Now then, any freebies?? Yes, course there is! All the papers I've used are from a 3 part Scrapbooking kit by Martine called Winter Wonderland and can be downloaded from The Craft Table Blot Spot (you'll find some gingham papers there too!) I've added an insert using more of the papers and another Snowy. Actually that would make a nice quick and simple card too, wouldn't it!? (yes Lyn)
What else? Ah! yes the font, that's a freebie too. Great isn't it? I quite often write like this on cards, but it looks even better typed! This was done in WordArt on the computer so I could get the word to 'flow' and also use another colour so it looks like there's a shadow, but it looks just as good writing it in ordinary Word, as you can see above, on the insert.
The Font is called Cool Dots and can be downloaded from ScrapBooking Fonts. It's a site specially for Scrapbooking fans, so hunt out their other lovely freebie fonts while you're there!! Or you can download it from HERE too!
I'd love to welcome new follower 150!!!! (ding dong ding dong!!) Annie! From Annie's Space. I was blog hopping last night and came across her lovely blog and had to follow because I fell in love with her 'Gnome Fold Card' and I think I'm going to pop back later and ask if I can 'Clipit' so you all can see it, (I know how lazy you are!!) But, come on, there's nothing on the Telly, (except Spiderman of course!) go and have a look!!!

Well, that's it for now, back later to add more things and correct all the smelling misstakes.
Don't forget to pop over to Quirky Crafts and have a go at this (wonderful!!! coz its my idea!) Sketch Challenge!! Thanks for stopping by!

Snow Time...

Honest, I haven't! (Now what's she on about?) I've 'snow' time to do a card today. I had some fantastic thing planned with the few oddments I've brought with me, but there's always something that you want and as sure as peas are green and Troll's feet smell, I've forgotten to bring any punches to make flowers. So, with any luck, I'll nip home and get a few more 'things' later. Hubby is looking a bit worried. (more worried than usual.) Our 'bed room' where we're dog sitting is fast becoming my craft room!
I went searching through my computer for one of my last years Christmas cards, which (hopefully) I haven't blogged about and after having a slight heart attack when I saw nearly all my documents were empty!!! I suddenly remembered I'd brought my add on hard-drive with me and once that was plugged in, every thing seemed to be okay! I've picked this Penny Black Snowman again. Well, I did say I'd made quite a few cards using him! Of course I'm running out now, as he was a forum swap well over a year ago, so if any one has this stamp and wants to sell it or knows of a crafty site who has it in stock, let me know!!

Quirky's Recipe Challenge 15

Here it is!

My Quirky Challenge Card.

(Sorry, I'm a bit late, I kept thinking the clock in my craft room was the 'old time' and it wasn't!) This wasn't going to be a Christmas Card... but... as you can see, it is! Challenge 15 is Anne's idea. (Chocolate Fudge Cake)

A Recipe Challenge
One ribbon, two shades of pink and three eyelets.

It was lovely but at the same time quite tricky, I kept wanting to print out blue. Just stick a sheet of pink paper on the card, I told myself. I used Pink Petticoat papers, because I knew I'd have loads of different pinks to choose from, but, what I didn't realise is, not all pinks look good together. I made the flowers next, then wrapped the ribbon around the second pink and fixed the bow on with silicone glue. Then before I attached that and the flowers to the card with 3D foam pads I used my Crop-a-Dial (that's pink too!) to fix in the silver eyelets. But I still hadn't decided on an image. I had all sorts spread out across my work bench but none of them would do. I even coloured a few in, but once that happened, the extra colour just didn't look right. So I left the image and decided to add some silver sequins to the flowers to match the eyelets.
Sitting on my laptop were about a dozen 'leaves' in black and white that I'd punched out when I first opened up my new punch. I picked up the white leaves placed them around the flowers and added some Stickles glitter and at once it became a Christmas card, without using any Christmas papers!
When I opened my folder of stamped images, the page fell open, and there at the top were the kissing hedgehogs! Perfect! So I didn't have to add too much colour because the white instantly became snow!
"Merry Kissmas" was done on my laptop in 'rose' rather than pink and the result is...a pink Christmas card! The font is a FREEBIE and is called Honey Script and you can down load it HERE where you'll find two font files, light and semi bold. (Click the pic to make it larger so you can see the font!)
As you can see, the lighting wasn't very good today. The 'blue-ish' picture at the top was actually done outside, where I had to wrestle with the wind! (I won't tell you what the white is, I'll let you guess!) Pop over To the Quirky forum, I know you all love pink, and make whatever tickles your fancy!!

A Snowy Tatty Ted. **Freebies

Seeing you're all sooo busy making your Christmas Cards..(not) I thought you might like to see this one...It's a freebie, you should already have it. The link's on my side bar. (Look for the Decoupage one, for us poor card makers) Looks like Tatty Ted having a bit of a dance with a snowman. But if you're tooo lazy (like me) Here's the LINK

I printed them onto glossy photo paper/card, not the expensive stuff, the pound shop kind and used silicon glue to decoupage them up. I'd run out of snowflakes (Peel-offs, not real ones) so cut a few in half to make them go a bit further. I think I'll use a smaller card next time, like the snowmen in the post below. This is another freebie from Funky Fairys! Little boy in blue with his snowman friend, There's also a pink little girl. Go hunt them out! HERE
oh! I've found the rocket ship! (just going to stick it all together now)
Right!! Blog Candy!!! I've put all your names on post-it notes (all followers who have ever commented on my blog since the beginning! I'm I mad, or what!?! It took ages!! There were hundreds of them!) Your name was added again if I found my banner on your side bar. I also counted emails I'd received. I was going to put them into a hat, but it was too small, so now they're in a big bag instead. I thought, as soon as Frog the cat wakes up, I'd put her into the bag with the post-it notes (she'll think it's a great game) and see how many of the post-it notes stick to her. The one that stays on the longest would be the winner. But, as John's just pointed out, some of the post-it notes aren't as sticky as others. So...instead, I'll get John (to go in the bag??) No, to pull out 89 post-it's from the bag (that's how many followers there are) and the name that appears the most will be the winner...and I'll post the name of the winner tomorrow morning!! Bye Bye for now!!
**some of these freebies may longer be available, but check the links out for other freebies

Christmas Tag Card In July

Don't worry. You're not seeing things, I'm not early with my Christmas Cards. Me? Never...you've heard the poem, 'The Night Before Christmas....'
This is one I made a little while ago and fits in with a Challenge over on Fab's Christmas Card Challenge...So I thought, oh wow...a challenge made just for me! Now~where's that tag card I made? Could I find it??? No...well, yes, it's saved on one of my add on hard drives, but I suddenly had a brain storm (very rare) and remembered I'd up loaded it into my TrimCraft Gallery (good old TrimCraft!) It's not a brilliant picture as it's pre-Blogland, but there is a couple more in my gallery. It's made with Trimcraft Christmas papers, 3D Santa and Snowman images, ribbons and tags...oh...a brad and a bit of Sticklers Glitter! The bit of red you can see in the background is actually my Santa hat...it has flashing lights.
I'm busy at the moment making a card for someone who'll be 100 years old tomorrow...and yes...I'm still in the thinking stage. Back tomorrow with that finished...hopefully!
A new follower!! Hello! (((big wave))) to Sally H Sally has some fantastic makes, Messy Rabbit, Owls, flowers...and a picture of a (not for the squeamish!!) very large snail... pop over and have a peep!! Thanks for stopping by!