2013 Snap Shot

Hi Everyone, 

Happy New Years Eve!!!

How are we all doing?

I can not believe that today is the last day in 2013.  I have logged in today as well to find that I have reached 100 followers, so I would just like to say a massive THANK YOU to all my new followers and old faithful followers who have stayed with me. I was thinking of doing a blog candy for when I received 100 but it crept up on me, so I will look at doing on for when I reach 150.

2013 for me has been full of ups and downs in both my crafty life and my personal life,  Lots of ups and downs, but then when I look around the world at what is happening to various different countries and to different people, some of my problems seem nothing to compared to theirs.

But I no for one thing 2013 was a big improvement on my crafting, my family and friends have all commented on how my crafting has improved and I have been lucky enough to be picked to be on various design teams and guest designers.

My crafting has also seen me picked as winners in challenges and be part of the top three, but I think my biggest achievements of 2013 have got to be - becoming part of Complete Card Making Magazine Design Team and getting a new job that I actually love. 

2014 I have big plans in my head for my crafting, starting with new blogs, new challenges, new designs, and lots more. I can't wait to share my ideas with you. 

So for my last post of 2013 I thought I would share with you some of my favourites cards and layouts. 

Probably went a little mad on my selection but I just could not decide!

Anyway once again thank you all for your comments and support and kind wishes over the year. 

 

I wish each and everyone of you guys a Happy, Healthy and Crafty New Year. 

All The Best For 2014

Crafty Loves

Kelly

xxx

Christmas Wreath

Good Afternoon Everyone, 

Today I have a card for you that was for my DT position for the Complete Card Making Magazine, this was published in the previous addition (think 46)  But I have never shown it on my blog before, so thought it was about time that I got it put on. 

The image is printed on a laser printer and coloured with Promarker Pens in various different greens, and the bow is coloured using four different reds. 

The berries are Stickles Glitter Glue. 

The leaves and bows around the image are cut using the cricut machine. 

The Sentiment is cute using a spellbinder die. 

I finished the card with 3 pieces of card candi. 

The challenges I would like to enter this into are:-

Crafty Hazel Nuts - Last minute card or one not shown yet -28/12

The Krafty Hands - Anything Goes  28/12

Time 4 Scrap - Anything Goes Must be card, ATC, Fat or Tag - 27/12

Alphabet Challenge Blog - W = What ever you wish - 5/01

Well that is it for me for today. This is probably the last card I get to show before Christmas. 

So HAPPY CHRISTMAS Everyone, wishing you a lovely day. 

Crafty Hugs

Kelly

XXX

Let the Holidays Begin

Evening Everyone, 

How are we all today? are we all set for Christmas ? Can not believe that it is less then a week now. 

Well today I finished work for the year, and wont be back until the 2nd January 2014 .. WOW that seems so far away, but I bet I will be sat here typing that I am back to work before I no it. 

To my delight I have just gone looking through the recent challenges and found that I was selected as part of the top three at Kaboodle Doodles Challenge

Click the link to find out more details. 

I was lucky enough to win with the shaped card with the blue trees on, it should be just a few posts down if you have time to look. 

Well If I don't get to see you before, I will wish you all a lovely Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!

Christmas Hugs

Kelly

xxx

It's Christmas Time

Good Evening Everyone, 

I am running a little late with today's card for the Just for Fun Challenge Blog. 

Today is half way inspiration for our current challenge of 

CHRISTMAS 

Don't forget it doesn't just have to be a card, it can be anything so long as it is Christmas related and you have until the 28th December to enter. 

So on to my card. 

It is a standard A5 card blank, matted with red card and blue snowflake paper.

The image is stamped and coloured using promarker pens.

I have used my spellbinders to create the different matts. My cricut machine for the snow flakes.

I finished the card with a sentiment stamped from the Popcorn the Bear collection.

I have added glitter to the image and white liquid pearl around the teddy. I used Glossy accents for his nose. I also added glitter to the snowflakes.

To finish the card I added white gel stitching around the sentiment and three pieces of card candi.

Sorry about the quality of the photo, I just could not get my lighting right with it, hopefully Santa will be bringing me a light tent for it.

Hope to see you all joining in the challenges.



Crafty Hugs
Kelly
xxx

Snowy Scenes

Good Morning Everyone, 

How are we all today. 

Today is the start of another challenge over a Patties Creation Challenge Blog and this fortnights theme is 

SNOWY SCENES. 

I love this image that Pattie gave me to use, it just makes me feel all christmasy and the kind of little house I would love to live in. 

I create a standard A5 card and matted with with white and dark green card, the top layer was embossed using an A4 embossing folder and were the circles join I have used my green stickles to give it a bit of shine.  I coloured my image using promarker pens and cut it out using a spellbinder die. 

I added glitter, liquid pearls, fluffy snow to the image to give it different look and make it feel like it was snowing. 

I added a sentiment of "Merry Christmas" and embossed this using a white embossing folder. 

To finish the card I added six pieces of card candi.

Thanks for looking

Crafty Hugs

Kelly

xxx

O Christmas Tree

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Well today I finally finished my Christmas cards, I always plan in advance to get them done before the end of November but it never happens, then I end up rushing and not enjoying doing them.

Anyway the card I am sharing with you today, is a card I made for The Complete Cardmaking Magazine.

The editor gives me some freebies from a free site and asks me to come up with two cards.

This is one of them. 

I started by cutting of the shape using a grand nestabilitie and I made this into an easel card.

I printed the image onto pearl card in a blue colour and topped each tree with a star. 

I finished the card with a sentiment, bow, glitter and card candi.

The challenges I am entering this into are:-

Craft Dee Bowz - December Challenge - Anything Goes - Include a bow

Crafty Boots - Christmas

Get Inky - Christmas

Kadoodle Doodles - Non Traditional Christmas Colours 

Love To Scrap- Shaped Cards

Well That is it for me, off to clean the craft room now so I can make a start on January's Birthday List. 

Crafty Hugs

Kelly 

XXX

 

 

He's just a skater boy!

Good Morning Everyone, 

How are we all doing?

The card I have for you today is a card I made for my husbands cousin he turned 17 the other week.. honestly were does the time go, I remember him a shy little boy, who wouldn't say boo to a goose, and now he is so out going, and is taller then me .. apparently tho if you ask my dad that isn't hard to do.. I am the shortest in our family. 

Anyway onto today's card. 

I started with an 8x8 card blank in Navy blue, that I created using two pieces of A4 card cut and folded to create the blank, I matted and layered it in blue and white mats, added the brown top layer, a blue white and blue mat for the middle a torn piece of paper for the edge, a matted printed and coloured with pro marker digi. I cut the numbers 17 out from my cricut and cut these four times glued them together to give the height and de-embossed them -- actually I was trying to emboss them but put it in the folder the wrong way,  I quiet like the look you can get when you do a mistake. I cut some splats out apparently they are called stars in my cricut book, but look more like splats to me, I used my distress crackle paint and crackled them. 

I added four bits of card candi to the corners and a border across the top and the bottom of the center section.

The challenges I am entering this into are 

Cards for Men - Challenge 24 Anything Goes - 16/12
Paper Playtime - Challenge 24 - Anything Goes - 8/12

Thanks for looking

Crafty Hugs

Kelly

XXX

Christmas

Good Afternoon Everyone,

How are you all today? I am a bit late in getting this card up for Pattie, I scheduled it but it didn't go up, I have just got back this afternoon from a lovely week away at centre parcs for their winter wonderland experience, I am so relaxed and in the mood for Christmas now.

Today is the start of a new challenge over at Patties Creations Challenge Blog and this fortnights theme is

CHRISTMAS

That's right we want to see your Christmas Cards. 

My card is a standard A5 card that is matted with a red swirly backing paper, I have edged this with red distress ink. 

I used my A2 Curved border die from Spellbinders to create the middle section, I used a piece of pearl card for this section, I printed and cut my image out using a spellbinder die shape, and matted this onto the red card. I coloured the image in using promarker pens, I added a gem to the middle of the bow, and I added fluffy snow to the top and the bottom of the image. 

To finish the card, I cut two corner dies out in the red card, added three red gems, a sentiment that was stamped and embossed then cut out using a spellbinder die, I also added a strip of Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year piece of ribbon.

The challenges I am entering this into are 

4 Crafty Chicks #170 Christmas 5/12
Crafting By Designs - Christmas/Winter - 4/12

Thanks for looking

Crafty Hugs

Kelly

xxx

Hip Hip Horray - 91 Today

Good Morning Everyone, 

Today I have for you a birthday card that I have created for my Husbands Gran, she has just gone 91 years young.. wow.. Still in her own home, still as sane as me or you.. and doing amazingly well. 

I decided to do something a bit different for me, for starters I used the colours Blue and Green together, and secondly I have not used a stamp or digi stamp... This is so unusual for me, as every time I need a card, I just grab my boxes of stamps.. not this time tho. 

I loved making this card and my poor circut machine did not know what had hit it.. 

I started of with a a5 card blank in hammered white from the paper mill direct - I love their card.

I cut a matt slightly smaller then the base of the card and used an olive green ink pad and edged the card to create the green - I didn't have any olive coloured card and this worked perfectly for me and with it being on the hammered card gave a lovely texture to the inking.

Next I printed out a blue backing paper from the paper mania capsule collection. I love this CD and go to it all the time for backing papers and generally I always find something I can use. 

I then took two pieces of white card and used a heart border punch down the edge of the card and attached this to the blue backing paper.

Using my spellbinder dies, I cut out two ovals, one that fits in the middle of the other, I mounted the middle one of some foam so it gives a slightly raised look to it. 

Now onto my cricut machine. I cut out my little bird house from my Create a Critter cartridge. 

I cut out all my leaves and my flowers from my Martha Stewart All Seasons cartridge, the leaves were cut  in various sizes from 1 1/2 inches down to 1/2 inch I cut them all in half and layered them where needed and once I was happy just glued them down so they didn't move. My flowers were 1 1/2 inch and then 1 inch (If I remember correctly) I cut all my shapes out in white and used the same ink to ink the leaves and the bird house.

I stamped my sentiment "Bunches of Love" in the same olive green stamp and cut the sentiment out using a spellbinders die.

To finish the card of I used 7 clear gems and one blue gem.

The challenges that I am entering this into are 

4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes - 28/11
Aud Sentiments - #94 Any Sentiment  6/12
7 Kids Challenge - Anything Goes - 4/12
Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes - Birthday Twist 27/11

Thanks for looking

Crafty Hugs

Kelly

XXX

Favourite Colour - Just For Fun

Good Morning Everyone

How are you, Today is midway inspiration over at Just For Fun Challenge  Blog

This months theme is 

Favourite Colour

My favourite colour is pink. 

My card is an 8x8 card blank matted and layered on white and pink card, with all the edges of the cards distress in two different pink distress ink - actually the white layers are hardly noticeable now..opps

I cut out my largest grand nestie label 1 shape, and cut it about half an inch over the half way mark, I inked my embossing folder, and ran my die cut through the machine to give the texture look to it. 

I stamped and coloured the image in using momento ink and promarkers.

 To finish the card I cut out a spellbinder shape, stamped and embossed my sentiment using a white embossing folder, attached a piece of ribbon and a bow, a corner die and three pieces of card candi, and finally to finish it all off I used a white and pink fine liner pen and faux stitched the layers.

  

The inside of the card is matted and layered using the same colour scheme and the same distress ink, I added two corner dies, and printed my sentiment out. 

 

The challenges I am entering this into are:-

Scrapping4funchallenge - Anything Goes - 22/11

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes #33 - 22/11

Crafty Girls Challenges - Anything Goes  #6- 21/11

Lili of the Valley - Pink and White - monthly challenge 

Thanks for looking

Crafty Hugs

Kelly 

xxx

Thank You or Giving Thanks

Good Morning Everyone, 

How are we all today, anyone started their Christmas shopping yet, I have to admit I have made a good start on mine and think I am about half way there with it.. eek very organised this year. 

Anyway on to today's card, this card was made for a new challenge that has started over at Patties Creation Challenge Blog. 

This fortnights theme is 

THANK YOU or GIVING THANKS

I went with the "Thank You" card. 

My card is a standard a5 card matted with backing paper.

For the center section of the card, I have added a border die top and bottom of the border section, I used a butterfly square mask and used my duster brushes and some yellow ink, and "dusted" the ink through the mask to create the center piece. 

I matted my image onto white, brown and yellow edge card. 

I coloured my image with promarker pens, and added a little picket fence to the bottom of the image. 

To finish the card of I added six pieces of card candi, two corner dies which have been inked in brown ink, I finished the card with the sentiment cut from my machine saying THANK YOU

Thanks for looking

Crafty Hugs

Kelly

xxx

Baby Its Cold Out Side

Good Morning Everyone, 

Today is inspirational Monday over at Crafty Bloggers Network.  

This week some of the Design Team have created inspiration designs for you, using our sponsors images. This month our sponsor is Just Some Lines. 

The card is a Christmas Red A4 Card blank from Papermill and folded in half to create the A5 card. 

I used a piece of White Card stock and cut it down to the size required I then embossed this and ran my cut and dry foam over it using Tim Holtz Distress Ink Brick work Red I think it was. 

I printed the image out and coloured in using promarker pens, I added glitter to the hat and a gem to the center of the design on the cup, and cut it out using a Spellbinder die.

I added a piece of ribbon across the join of the embossed section to the card blank. 

I cut a piece of white card stock out for the sentiment, again using a Spellbinder die, and added my Christmas sentiment to it. 

To finish the card I added sparkly snowflakes around the images, with a dot of liquid pearl in the center of each one, I added five liquid pearls down the edge of the card and added red glitter glue to the center of the circles. 

The challenges I am entering this into are:

One Stitch at a time - Holiday - 17/11
2 Sisters Challenge Blog - Christmas Sparkle - 16/11

My Creative Moments - Word Play - Snowman - 16/11

Brown Sugar Challenge Blog - Anything Goes - 15/11

Thanks for looking

Hugs

Kelly

xxx

Christmas Time

Good Morning Everyone, 

Today is a start of a new challenge over at Crafty Bloggers Network 

This months theme is 

CHRISTMAS

This months sponsor is "Just Some Line"

I have chosen PPPPP Penguin - From our home to yours

For this card I used a white card blank, a blue and white spot backing paper which was edged with dark blue distress ink, I used a dark blue card stock for a mat, I also used my cuttlebug embossing folder and used a technique with m Twinkling H20 where you get them really wet onto your non stick crafty sheet, and use the black/grey side of the cut and dry foam (normally I use the white side for distress inks) and then rubbed the H20 over the embossing, giving it  a lovely "twinkling" look to it with a hint of colour.

I used a spellbinder die to cut out my image and sentiment section. I coloured my image in using my promarker pens, and went around him with my stickles glue to give  alot of glitter and shine to it.

I used my cricut machine to cut out the snowflakes and Icicle border and again used my stickles to give them some bling and added a gem to the center of each card.

The challenges I am going to enter this into are

Scribble and Scrap # 4 - Anything Goes - 10/11

The Corrosive Challenge - Tic Tac Toe - 10/11 - Paper, Image, Sentiment

That's it for me, hope you have a great week

Crafty Hugs

Kelly

xxx

Black and White

Good Morning Everyone, 

Today is a start of a new challenge over at Eclectic Ellapu. 

This weeks theme is 

BLACK AND WHITE

Now when I first seen this challenge I was like wow that will be great, when I got down to making the card, boy did I struggle, then suddenly inspiration popped into my head and this is the result. 

To make this card, I used an A4 black card blank, printed a green holly and swirl backing paper, but printed on my black and white laser. I cut the swirly Christmas Tree out using my electronic die cutting machine, I got the file from Birds Cards, and I love the file, I selected my mat to 6x4 inches filled the mat with the tree then just copied it on to my 12x12 mat and the size come out perfect for this card. 

I matted the tree onto black and white card stock, stamped a sentiment out and embossed it in white, and matted and layered this onto black and white card stock as well. I finished the card with gems on the tree and six pieces of card candi. 

The challenges I am entering this into are:

Craftitude - Anything Goes -15/11
Creative Fingers - Anything Goes -  8/11

Thanks for stopping in and saying hello

Crafty Hugs

Kelly 

xxx

Birthday Times

Good Morning Everyone, 

Howe are we all today? Nearly the weekend again, really this year is flying bye. 

Today I have a card for you for Patties Creations Challenge Blog. 

This fortnights theme is "Birthday" 

For this card I used one of Patties Images called Pansies In Pitcher  

I love this images, the detail is great on it, and you can do any colour combination you want as Pansies come in all colours.

 I used baby pink card for the base, and used a pink and white stripe paper stock and cut it into four panels and spaced them out I edged each piece with distress inks and then went around them with a black fine liner and added faux stitching

For the Topper section I used a cuttlebug embossing folder again using the baby pink card, I used a technique I seen recently on a Creative Expressions show, were they used the twinkling cosmic shimmer paint pod (I used my Twinkling H20) and used the black side of the cut and dry foam and rubbed it over my card, it picked up on just the embossing section and gave a lovely "twinkle" to the card.

I cut the image out using the spellbinder label die and coloured the image in using promarker pens, adding shading to appropriate places.

To finish the card I added three white butterflies around the image a sentiment of "Happy Birthday" in white to the bottom of the card, a pink bow and ribbon, three pink card candi pieces and then used pink liquid pearls and added "pearls" down the center of the butterflies.

The challenges I am entering this into are:

In The Pink Challenge # 30 - Ribbons and Bows -14/11

I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes - 6/11

That's it for me, hope you all have a great weekend.

Crafty Hugs

Kelly

xxx

Birthday Suprise

Good Afternoon Everyone, 

So sorry I have not been around for a week, I have not stopped all week and I just don't know were the time has gone. 

Can I also just say a quick Hello and Thank You to new and old followers, and a big thank you to everyone who leaves comments for me, they are very much appreciated. 

I have noticed my followers are getting closer and closer to 100.. Maybe when we get over the hundred I might do a surprise give away. 

Today's card I a card I made for my Mother In Laws birthday. I went with the rich pink card stock I had left over from my wedding invitations as I wanted to use the brown/pink backing paper that I had selected and these two work together brilliantly.

I seen this card shape on pinterest and just had to try it when I seen it. 

I took step by step instructions (not all the steps tho I forgot a few ooops) and thought I would share with you. Please stay with me, this is my first step by step I have done, but it is something I am hoping to do more of in the future. 

So here we go 

These are the measurements that you need, for the size of the card I made you need to use 2 a4 pieces of card. On one piece you need to score at 1 1/2 inch, 3 inch, 5 inch, 7 inch and 9 inch. You then need to fold them into mountain and valley folds. 

The second piece of card needs to be scored at 3 inch and this needs adhering to the remaining section of card 1. You then need to fold the remaining of the second card so that the two pieces of card meet so the card will stand up equally.

This is what it should look like when it is stood up. 

I used a brown/pink backing paper with white flowers - I think it is a popcorn backing paper from Crafters Companion. The measurements for the paper are 1 1/4 inch, 2 3/4 inch, 4 3/4 inch, 6 3/4 inch, 8 3/4. I think they were cut at 8 inches but whatever the a4 card is I took a quarter of an inch of. 

The next step I added the borders, these are spellbinders border and have been cut and embossed using a white card stock. 

And this is the finished card, I added a selection of flowers that I cut from my cricut machine, stamped and coloured my image in using a House Mouse Stamp from Joanna Sheen, and coloured with my promarker pens, I stamped the sentiment and added gems in various places to give it the detail it needed. 

This is the side view of the card. 

So this is the tutorial of how I did it, like I said I forgot a few steps, I meant to take some pics of the colouring in stage but I got to involved into the colouring in and forgot to take the photos, and again when I was cutting and assembling the flowers.. 

The challenges I am entering this card into are:-

Paper Creators Crafts -#16  Blue or Pink -9/11

Craftyhands Challenge Blog - #1 - Anything Goes - 8/11

Sister Act Card Challenge - #30 Anything Goes 1/11

Crafty Girls Challenge - #4 Anything Goes 1/11

Craftin Boutique Challenge - #13 Anything Goes -31/11

Crafty Little Fairies - Anything Goes - 31/10 - DT  6/11

Paper Crafting Journey - Anything Goes - 7/11

Passion for Promarkers - Week 221 - Give Me a "P" (Pink) -29/11

That's it for me

Hope you like 

Crafty Hugs

Kelly 

xxx

Witching Hour

Good Morning Everyone, 

How are you?

Today is the start of a new challenge over at Eclectic Ellapu

This weeks theme is 

HALLOWEEN

Now as you know I am not a fan of Halloween, but after making gift cards, gift tags and sweetie bags, I thought it was time I made an actual Halloween Card. 

Now the card is a little over 5x5 

I used my Black soot distress ink to change the colour of the card from the standard cream to the black. 

The next layer was cut down a quater of an inch, coloured in with a purple promarker and mounted onto the card.

The main layer of the card has again been coloured using dress ink "black soot" I was looking for a wispy night look to it, so wasn't going 100% perfect on the blending as I wanted texture to the card.  I created my "moon" by cutting out a small circle and temporary adhering it to the layer before putting the ink on, and then I pealed the “moon" away leaving the white look. 

I used a white ink pad and a star stamp and added a few stars to the back ground. 

All my images have been cut from the cricut. I cut three bats, a cat, a witch, and a picket fence. I coloured the bats, witch and cat in with a black promarker to make them stand out, but left the fence white for additional detail. 

I finished the card by adding a ribbon and a bow to the picket fence. 

The challenges I would like to enter this card into are:

A Gem of a Challenge - Halloween -  25/10

Crafty Calender Challenge - Halloween - 2/11

Craftitude - Anything Goes/Spooky - 2/11

Sarah Hurley - Halloween - 1/11

Anyway I hope you like the card, and I will be back soon. 

 

 Crafty Hugs

Kelly

xxx