Its been a while but I have been Christmas creating!

Its been a MoJo less kinda week so I decided to play at following instructions, something I am not usually good at at all!

 This is page 58 of the Molly Blooms Christmas Carnival magazine - a Festive wallet to house vouchers or money.

Twas fiddly at times but i do love how its come together. Looking forward to playing with more projects out of the book this weekend!

I am entering this into the ABC Christmas challenge which is Helpers - as you can see Molly and George are helping Santa on his sleigh!

just a few more cos I am on a roll........

 This little cutie is another stamp from the Embsay sale - this cute image and 3 sentiments.  I have teamed this with some very very old papers by Basic Grey.

 she is such a cutie !

I then went on the make a card for Crafty Hazelnuts challenge this week which is Nativity.  This time I experimented with different skin tones to my usual choice - they look a little washed out on the picture..

But hopefully fits the challenge !

So I am still preparing!

Thanks for stopping by x

Janet

so the blog was neglected for while

So this little blog was neglected in the run up to Christmas as I posted my Christmas stuff on the main blog - but hey the Christmas preparations are back in full swing and I have made a few cards for some Facebook Challenges

 Here the theme was Glamour - this did not fit into any of my stamps but I found this in the sale bin at Embsay Mills for £2.43 - and its a wood one!

 a little paper piecing for the shopping bags and that was that.

 The second card is for the challenge following glamour which was to use gems.  I thought I would do a little upcycling for this one and cut down a Christmas card for the image - papermania Home for Christmas paper and a little ribbon and lace. 

Even the sentiment was stamped on the card at the back of the Christmas card so its been well and truly upcycled!

Hope you are having a great weekend - thanks for stopping by x

Janet xx

Longed for Reindeer

 I hate it when you see something you like then you cant get hold of it don't you? I have been looking for this die for about 2 years and eventually found it on a facebook craft selling page - I love how it cuts out the rectangle and embosses the image all in one move.

along with the lush papers from papermanias last release I think I will be doing a few of these.

Hows your Christmas prep coming along? I am thrilled with how mine is coming together at last and not before time with 8 weeks on Wednesday to the big day!

Happy crafting folks xx

More Christmas cards

 This stamp has to be my fav one of the year its by stampedous and is so gorgeous it needs very little doing to it.

This was a play with my spellbinders snowflake die - its one I particularly love.

Hope you like them x

Janet

playing around......

After seeing a tutorial posted by a crafty chum on the crafty facebook page I run I set too to have a go - trouble was I had non of the kit list so improvisation was in order.

20 stamped and punched ornaments by stampin up - some lace, ribbon , button and twine

and here I have an ornament - now the pics don't do it justice really - its about  5 inches big

and I tidied up the back with my personalised stamp.

The facebook page is called Skipton Craft Club where tutorials, inspiring websites and blogs can be shared - its not just for Skipton folks any person interested in sharing crafting and having fun is welcome - we have a monthly challenge too as well as very talented people to inspire you with all sorts of crafts.  If you love crafting then look us up on facebook - check us out and ask to join in you would be most welcome x

I would like to enter this ornament into

Crafty Anns Challenge blog which is Christmas in August

and Delightful challenges which is punches and dies

August Christmas card class

 This month we were playing with cute so here is a gorgeous image from stampendous from last years range and lush papers by basic grey.

We also played a little with fantasy film with one of Clarity stamps night before Christmas stamps.

This time the papers are by Bo Bunny and very out of my Christmas comfort zone!

a little messing around

saw a bobbin wreath on someones blog then went back to look when I had bobbins and couldn't find it so I made it up as I went along.

These bobbins are tiny about 2cm high so didn't take much covering with Basic grey paper.  The fiddly bit was threading the buttons inbetween the bobbins with wire.

a little ribbon and its done.  All in my fav colours of red and green for Christmas with my ultimate hearts desire gingham ribbon to boot.

Have this in mind as a little Christmas stocking filler for a very dear friend.  Been thinking of her lots today so its seemed apt to make her something.  

Crafty Hazlenut is asking us to use our favourite colours on crafty Christmas projects this week so I hope this fits the bill!!

You can see the challenge here

Thanks for visiting today xx

Janet

Just Believe......

 This is the project from this months Christmas class - an amazingly simple yet effect wall hanging using distress inks, Stampers Anonymous stamps and promarkers.  The ladies were thrilled with their efforts and had the opportunity to play further with my stamp collection coming up with their own versions.

Wonky wire here but you get the gist of the finished piece.  I love distress inks and sharing my passion for them is always such a buzz.

Colours used here are antique linen, tea dye and aged mahogany.  Stamping in Momento so the promarkers don't bleed the ink.

A fun class.

Challenges I am entering with this are

Sugar creek hollow Vintage Christmas in July

Crafty Hazelnuts challenge - tie a ribbon 

Thanks for stopping by x

Janet

Upcycling for Christmas

 I am way behind in my Christmas preparations so was thrilled to see a fab project on Pinterest that grabbed my eye - they used a bean can but I had this can waiting for inspiration so decided to make it a useful decoration.

 Black card, promarkers and a bit of festive greenery from Tim Holtz dies - a little fake snow and here is a Snowmans hat!

Filled with snowballs in the guess of mint imperials.

Wow I loved playing with this and getting into the festive spirit even if we are still in July!

Challenges I am entering this for are

Crafters Companion Ho Ho Ho Christmas

and ABC challenge which is surprise (the surprise is the lid coming off to reveal snowballs)

Hope you are beginning to feel a little festive too x

Thanks for stopping by x

Janet

Mays Christmas card classes

 I have had a busy month so just knew designing Christmas cards would be a rush job so I thought I would use these fab papers, embelishments and images from Craftwork cards.

 I really enjoyed playing with limited supplies and coming up with 4 simple designs was no problem at all!

 The quality of the papers and images is brilliant and of course the fab card candi finishes them off a treat

I struggle with symmetry so just using 4 dots on this was just against my usual design rules but I think it works so its challenged my own thinking a little!

So I have 5 ladies coming to play along and they will make 4 similar cards to these - images will vary but will all be really cute!

Thanks for stopping by x 

Aprils makes

 Poor little sad neglected Christmas blog.  I have felt very sorry for it so here are some things to share.

First up a technique card with a little close up.

 It wasn't supposed to be pink but as I used aged mahogony DI thats the way it turned out.  I've used a reflections stamp by TH an embossing folder by papermania and gold embossing powder. The other DI is forest Moss.

Quite by chance this fits with Winter Wonderland this week!

 The next 2 have not quite turned out as I had them in my head but I love these fab stamps by Waltzing mouse and gorgeous spellbinders bauble dies.

Distress inks aged mahogony, chipped sapphire, tumbled glass and broken china.
This bottom card fits Crafty Hazlenuts challenge of music - who does not know Santa Claus is coming to town???

Must fit more Christmas crafting in its only April and I am sadly lagging behind!

Hope your Christmas Preparations are going well xx

Janet

Christmas card making

As the days are getting longer my Christmas card classes are due to begin again. A chance to play with my new stamps!

This one is using stamps by Waltzing mouse. I plan to hide from the world for a few days to play more with this set which has a wonderful Nutcracker in it. The local German shop has agreed to stock some of my cards before they have even seen them so I best get cracking!

I plan to do a cute version of a card everytime this year as folks do love the colouring in part. This is a Molly Bloom stamp from the 2011 Christmas collection. As you can see I have glossy accented his nose which was not quite dry when I took the picture!

For both these cards I have used free papers which came with various craft magazines - I am hoping to do some recycling of Christmas cards too to help them get thrifty this year.

I cant believe I got to March before even making a card - I am soooo behind!

I am entering these into Crafty Hazlenuts challenge which is seeing red - one of my favourite Christmas card colours - I am sooo traditional!

Winter Wonderland which is a photo inspiration

and Simon says stamp which is anything goes

Hows your Christmas preparations coming along?

Janet xx

Anything goes is the theme over at TIOT this week so here is a little Christmas stocking on my Christmas tree. I used a pattern from a class I went to by Clare Rowland - the designer of Molly Blooms stamps but this time used all I want for Christmas papers by Blonde moments. unusual for me not a stamp in sight!

Do stop by and see my team mates creations which are gorgeous!

Happy St Nicholas day!

Over at Try it on Tuesday we are celebrating The Big guys special day with a week long challenge of cards with Santa on.

here I have used Tim Holtz mini Christmas stamps and distress inks to create this card.

As always my awesome teamies have some fab samples to share so do stop by

Try it on Tuesday to see them x

Blog candy winner

Hi All

sorry i am late posting this but the winner of my candy is

no 3 Elizabeth

Thanks to everyone who joined in.

Elizabeth please email me at clarkyj44@gmail.com with your address so I can post to you

You ahve one week from now before I choose another winner x

100 Followers Candy!

Sorry it took so long folks but it has been a very long week work wise - The price to pay for having time off at half term!

Here is a little candy to say thanks for following my Christmas Preparations blog - so to be in the draw to win please

1) be a follower

2) spread the word on your own blog in your side bar

3) leave me a comment here.

In the prize is

Some diecuts

some clear peg stamps with block

Some ribbon

and some handmade by stickers.

I will do the draw on the 30th November so plenty of time to enter

Good luck folks and thanks for stopping by xx

So a touch more Christmas for a change!

A couple of weekends ago Michelle and I (AKA Lovin Ink) did this fab bauble workshop. here is one I put together using the Molly blooms stamps

Here is santa on Dec 26th

and here are Molly and George on the 24th sat by the fire waiting for Santa to come!

Now Michelle commented that I should not have snow inside the bauble as the scene is indoors - but hey i never follow those sort of rules and snow is perfect for the bauble LOL

This works perfectly for the snowflakes and sparkle challenge at The Paperlane this month.

It also suits The little red wagon challenge which is a Christmas project

Here is a sample one of the ladies did in the class Alison

Molly Blooms stamps

coloured with promarkers

fake snow from B&M bargains (£1 for a massive bag!)

Baubles were given to us so let me know if you find any on the net!

Bells - from a dismantled wreath - lots for £3

Ribbon from the Stamp Man - oodles for £2-99!

Bauble stand a bargain from past times at £2.40

Garden twine from poundland - tons in a tin for yes you guessed it a pound!

I will be making more of these this weekend as I am off on a craft retreat to Claxby in Lincolnshire Friday to Monday non stop craft and celebrating so watch this space more Christmas to come!

Try it on Tuesday - Honey I shrunk the plastic!

No idea which Dt member chose this theme but shrink plastic is such fun to play with - have you ever tried it? well my favourite use is making charms for projects which is what i have done here. I have taken a magnolia circle stamp with North Pole on it coloured the plastic and then shrunk it. This utterly gorgeous Father Christmas is by Tim Holtz and I have used some papermania snowflakes to do a red on red background The father Christmas has been stamped with cherry cobbler SU ink onto some glossy paper - I love this glossy look.
Here is a blurry close up of the charm hanging from the bow - and a wee snowflake just finishes it off.

This is perfect for St Lukes charity card challenge - theme Christmas and also Creative card crews Monochromatic

So do you fancy shrinking the plastic? do stop by Try it on Tuesday and see what other projects the DT have come up with x

Christmas gifts

I realised today I have not shared many of the Christmas gifts I have been making lately. Here is a little jar of bath salts - lavender and lemongrass - just jazzed up for Christmas.
and here a tealight card - gorgeous little stocking filler or token gift.
These tealights came from lidl - what a bargain 24 for £1.99! making this a very economical gift!

Don't forget the Christmas candy - just leave a comment on the above post for a chance to win x

Janet