Ugly Christmas Sweater?

I DON'T think so!

 

What can I say... Christmas cards are starting with a "whopper"!.  I've never made a card quite this big before (A4, usually I'm too tight frugal!), but I wanted to do the digi image justice.  The image is one from SATURATED CANARY called 'Ugly Christmas Sweater'.  Hazel from MY CRAFTY OUTLOOK, inspired me to get my promarkers out and so, the colouring began...

 

I love how she turned out, although as with when I was a little girl... I have managed to go over the lines! 

 

The frame is cut using the 'Fancy Frames' cartridge, it was manipulated on my gypsy first, in order to get the desired size and then cut using my CRICUT EXPRESSION.  I used the main image (yellow) and the base image (green) and then adhered them together and then placed the frame over my coloured digi image and adhered the whole thing, using foam pads, to a mat of patterned green holographic CS.

 

Oohh, she's a cutie!

 

Both the sentiment layers (black and white) were cut using the 'Elegant Edges' cartridge.  The sentiment stamp is one that I have had in my stash... forever!

 

Inside

 

 

 

 

Challenges:-

 

DIE CUTTING DIVAS - Ch #139 - 'Anything Goes'

 

CRAFTY GIRLS - Ch #4 'Anything Goes'

 

THE CRAFTING CAFE - 'Anything Goes'

 

CHELLENGES 4 EVERYBODY - Ch #32 - Anything Goes'

 

RHEDD AND ROSIES CHALLENGE BLOG - 18th Challenge - 'AnythingGoes'

 

CRAFTIN DESERT DIVAS - Craft it up, Link it up , Linky Party #18 - 'Anything Goes'

 

MY HEART PIECES  - 'Anything Christmas'

 

CRAFTY HAZELNUT'S CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE - CHNC Challenge Extra for October - 'Anything Christmas'

 

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

 

 

 

 

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EMPTY RIBBON ROLLS???

Having tidied up my craft room (I'm so lucky to have this little bit of space available to me, thank goodness I don't have to worry about the bedroom tax!)... I now have a few empty ribbon rolls, well I, a few... its actually a lot more than a few.  What to do with them?  I can't (no, I really can NOT), throw them away, so...

 

HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I simply glued (using my 'glue gun') a large punched scalloped circle on both sides of the ribbon reel, with a piece of ribbon stuck in between them, to one side I put a topper (CRICUT cut, or course! these were made using the Mini Monsters cartridge) and a spooky phrase to the other side, bada bing bada boom!

 

 

 

Challenges:-

 

TRY IT ON TUESDAYS - 'Halloween'

 

CRAFTY CREATIONS CHALLENGES - Ch  #245 - 'Halloween Characters'

 

HAPPY CAMPERS CHALLENGE - Ch #23 - 'Halloween'

 

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

 

 

 

 

 

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p.s. my ribbons storage is now, very tidy (instead of a box of fabric tentacles!) My son made me a holder to put on the wall - a pity he didn't paint it!  But maybe it will be a future craft project! 

 

Mini Monsters Inc.

So... I thought I'd give the CARDZ TV challenge (Go-To Galz Linky Party challenge #7) a go...

 

Gotta love Halloween colours, really all those lovely greens, oranges and blacks, brings out the Goth in all of us!

 

So... the challenge is a 'color' one or in my case a 'colour' one...

 

I'm not sure if I've entirely stuck with the brief, however, colours to be used are BLACK, ORANGE, PURPLE, small amounts of green and white.  I think I've over-done the white here, but I just loved these two patterned papers and so... I used them!

 

 

 

 

 

All the mini monsters are cut out using the CRICUT 'Mini Monsters' cartridge (so many great Halloween items to cut out on this cartridge), all at 3".

 

 

Challenges:-

 

CARDZ TV GO-TO GALZ LINKY PARTY CHALLENGE #7 - 'Happy Halloween'

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING



Whilst I'm here I thought I might share some life observations with you...

1) Triangular sandwiches taste better than square ones.
2) At the end of every party there is always a girl crying.
3) One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronized with a complete stranger.
4) You've never quite sure whether it's ok to eat green crisps.
5) Everyone who grew up in the 80's has entered the digits 55378008 into a calculator.
6) Reading when you're drunk is horrible.
7) Sharpening a pencil with a knife makes you feel really manly.
8) You're never quite sure whether it's against the law or not to have a fire in your back garden.
9) Everyone who has just read no.5 has just typed it into a calculator.
10) Nobody ever dares make cup-a-soup in a bowl.
11) You never know where to look when eating a banana.
12) It’s impossible to describe the smell of a wet cat.
13) Prodding a fire with a stick makes you feel brave.
14) Rummaging in an overgrown garden will always turn up a bouncy ball.
15) You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses.
16) Everyone always remembers the day a dog ran into your school.
17) The most embarrassing thing you can do as schoolchild is to call your teacher mum or dad.
18) Every bloke has at some stage while taking a pee flushed half way through and then raced  against the flush.
19) Old ladies with mobile phones look wrong!
20) Driving through a tunnel makes you feel excited.
21) You never ever run out of salt.
22) Old ladies can eat more than you think.
23) You can't respect a man who carries a dog.
24) There's no panic like the panic you momentarily feel when you've got your hand or head stuck in something.
25) No one knows the origins of their metal coat hangers.
26) The most painful household incident is wearing socks and stepping on an upturned plug.
27) People who don't drive slam car doors too hard.
28) Everyone had an uncle who tried to steal his or her nose.
29) In every plate of chips there is a bad chip.
30).........................................................................................................................................

Why don't YOU fill in number 30)

 

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Perfect Poppies...

... is the name of the element sheet I'm using today (HUNKYDORY 'Autumn Dreams' collection).  It is (again) one that has been hiding under my mountain of crafting goodies, lost in the ribbons of time by the gargantuan (brilliant word, that) mess that WAS my craft room until a few days ago.  It was like a crafting treasure hunt, all the riches I unearthed that had been lost in the creative swamp that was my inspirational hang-out.

 

When I mentioned to my delightful family that I was... "Tidying my craft room", I was greeted by varying degrees of amazement.  My son even when as far as, to say "Are you sure you want to tackle that alone?  We might not see you for a month", what a cheek! Are they suggesting it is in a little messier, than the "slight disarray" that I pretend!

 

Six hours later (and only half done), I am inclined to agree with them!  How did it get so bad?  I tidy my scraps; I put away my glues; I always replace my cardstock; I never leave my CRICUT cartridges out; I replace my ribbons; re-organise my promarkers; NEVER leave the backings of my foam pads on the floor and........................................ I AM A LIAR.

 

I know precisely how it has gotten so messy... it's because... I   am    so   messy !  Even in the land of make-believe I would be an incredibly messy crafter!  I'm sure even the tidiest Tidy Fairy would despair of me. But after hours of cleaning it is now, very tidy (and organised), I know, I know... it will not last long, so I'm going to enjoy this amazing feeling for a little while longer.

 

Back to that long forgotten element sheet... Perfect Poppies...

 

I don't use acetate very much, but since I discovered this in the back of a cupboard I thought I'd use it up.

 

BASE - gold holographic CS 8" x 8"

MAT - HUNKYDORY 'Autumn Dreams'  collection (perfect poppies) 7 3/4" x 7 3/4"

ACETATE FRONT - CREATE AND CRAFT TSV (no idea what collection, its about 4 years old!) 9 1/2" x 8" - scored and folded at 1 1/2", then adhered in between holographic card base and HUNKYDORY mat, to form a (1/2 & 1/2) card base

OUTSIDE, INSIDE TOPPER AND BORDER - HUNKYDORY 'Autumn Dreams'  collection (perfect poppies) - toppers fitted back-to-back (with acetate in between), to hide the tape adhesive

SENTIMENT - in stash, I think its another CREATE AND CRAFT

 

 

 

 

Lovely, lovely cardstock by HUNKYDORY, and such a good weight!

 

 

Hiding all those nasty glue tape lines, arhh, that's why I don't use acetate much (too much hassle)...  I remember now!

 

 

 

Challenges:-

 

 

LITTLE BLUE BUTTON STAMPS - Ch #10 - 'Fall Inspiration'

 

HECK OF A CHALLENGE - October - 'Autumn Colours'

 

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

 

 

Happy Crafting x

 

 

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Rollin'... Rollin'... Rollin'

I'm on a roll!

Two days in a row, things are getting back to normal (still no sign of Mojo or Inspiration, but I have had a visit from the I'd-forgot-All-About-That Fairy).

 

After tidying my little piece of heaven (and boy did it need a clear out!), I found all sorts of forgotten treasures!  As well as things I'd bought on the spur of the moment and not touched at all (I know, I know... been there~done that).

 

After spending time to re-drool over some cardstock I managed to cut into it (not just gaze lovingly at it!).  This little quickie card is made very simply (the cardstock does all the work!).

 

 

BASE CARD - CRICUT CS in pink 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" - scored and folded in half

MAT - HUNKYDORY CS from 'Autumn Dreams' Collection - cut to 5 1/4" x 4"

INSIDE 1ST MAT - HUNKYDORY CS from 'Autumn Dreams' Collection - cut to 5 1/4" x 4" using the same piece as for the front of the card

INSIDE 2ND MAT - CRICUT CS in pink 3 3/4" x 2 1/2"

SENTIMENT - HUNKYDORY 'Autumn Dreams' Collection

EMBELLISHMENTS - pink ribbon, flower and gems from stash

 

 

I was going to use an insert (I found a whole pack of them by HUNKYDORY), but I'd have to cut it down, and I just couldn't seem to be able to cut into it!  One step at a time... right?

 

 

 

Challenges:-

 

LITTLE BLUE BUTTON STAMPS - Ch #10 - 'Fall Inspiration'

 

HECK OF A CHALLENGE - October - 'Autumn Colours'

 

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

 

 

Happy Crafting x

 

 

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Halloween Mojo

I'm having a hard time finding my creative mojo... it seems to have skipped town, heading as fast as it can out of craftsville! Mojo also took along his friend Inspiration, and together they have left me bereft!  What is worse! I have been slaving my b*!!$ off getting their "bower of bliss" (my craftroom) into a reasonably tidy condition! Ungrateful pair!

 

Anyway... I've got a Halloween disco coming up so I decided to make some kind of holders for each table, into these I would put some 'spooky' sweets.  So what kind of container?  Last year I made Halloween boxes into balloon weights, using sweets as the 'ballast' , this year we're not having balloons so I decided to try something different (and easy)...

 

 

 

In America, I believe these are called sour cream containers, here? Not a clue! The only thing I know that is this shape are those little drink containers you put in the freezer, for the kids (because they are cheaper than all the other ice-creams and lollies they want!).

 

 

 I used the last of my very favourite Halloween papers from ECHO PARK 'The Apothecary Emporium'.  I've love, love, loved these papers... all gone now though!

 

So back to the whys and wherefores... (this isn't an Echo Park paper). Start with a piece of paper 5 1/2" x 4 1/4".  This container can be made out of a variety of sizes, but this size suited me as it fitted approx. 8 small sweets in it comfortable (don't want to be too generous, you know!).  It is, however, not the best size if your being frugal!  Next, place double sided tape along the top (or the bottom, as in my case LOL) edge and the two sides.

 

Now roll the paper together and make a cylinder shape (take the tape backing off first, duh)... 

 

And pinch one end together...

 

 

Now you fill it with whatever you want, and then, pinch the other end together... but at an opposite angle, see, told you it was easy!

 

I generated some wording on my computer and then punched them out using a 1" paper punch

 

The flat ends can be 'crimped' using a... crimper (well, duh), which I do not owe, so I used my score board to add three narrow lines along each sealed end.  I then used my CRICUT 'Elegant Edges' cartridge to cut out my scalloped circles.  All at 1 1/2" ( p.59 <Flwer2-s>), I used some foam pads to layer the sentiment onto the black scalloped circle and some more foam pads to adhere the whole thing on to my sweetie container.

 

 

... and hey presto!

 

 

 

But I couldn't leave it there... so, I moved on to making some spooky coasters for the bar, using...

 

Love those spooky eye-balls,

always an added bonus, when you can eat the decorations!

 

 

 





Challenges:-

 

FANTABULOUS CRICUT CHALLENGE BLOG - Ch #183 - 'Home Decor' (Halloween Theme)

 

DIE CUTTIN DIVA - Ch #138 - 'Halloween'

 

CARDZ TV GO-TO GALZ - Ch #38 - 'Ghost & Goblin Party' (Halloween Theme)

 

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

 

 

 

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Not so much M.I.A. as...

... NO ACTION, at all!

 

So sorry folks, I've been a VERY bad blogger, that is... I haven't been blogging!  Life just seems to have been getting in the way lately (how VERY dare it!).

 

I will try harder...

 

It has gone colder and wetter here in Wales, meaning the caravan park is now in 'Winter' mode.  That is - the darts and pool seasons have started and the holiday caravaners are few and far between.

 

When you work in this kind of tourist industry, the work is very much a seasonal thing.  There is ALWAYS work, but it varies SO much.  Now is the time to get the grounds ready for winter (loads of cutting back); make sure the caravans are prepared for the cold (drained down and secure); preparations are underway for our Halloween disco (unwrap those old decorations and organise some more for this years theme of 'red' and 'black') and take a deep breath and enjoy a quieter time!

 

The death of my grandmother, has meant that my mother and father are spending more time in Birmingham, making sure my grandfather is coping as best he can.  Its a blessing that its a quiet time of the year, meaning they are able to visit him more often and not have to worry about the running of the caravan park.

 

I made a card for a VERY dear friend of mine yesterday... and didn't photo it to share with you! Selfish or what?  Sorry about that... it was a nice one too!  My friend is one of those people who doesn't realise (no matter how much you tell her) that she is one of life's true wonders.  She is a mother to four grown up children and LOADS of grandchildren, who is always there for them, no matter what, as well as coping with a husband with cancer and all the rigmarole that goes with it.  AND at the same time, being the most cheerful, happy person going (or at least - putting on a good show!).  She knows she has to be strong for all the people that rely on her, and so she does it with a smile.  If you know someone like that... give them a hug, 'cause there're the one who need it most!

 

I pull out the Cricut 'WILD CARD 2' the other day, and made a 'new home' card... I hope you like it...

 

 

 

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

 

 

I will try harder with the blogging thing, thanks for stopping by... Karen x

 

 

 

 

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