Some Xmas pics

We had a lovely Xmas Day, just the three of us. Lily was spoiled (natch) she got a Nintendo DS which she is having to be surgically removed from at bedtimes lol. She wouldn't put it down long enough for any pics on Xmas Day (!) She only put it down in order to eat copious amounts of chocolate and Pringles.....................thank goodness it is only one day eh?

I was spoiled rotten as well, I got my cuttlebug (woohoo) and some embossing dies I ordered when I ordered the cuttlebug as well as a couple of nesties sets I ordered a couple of weeks ago (not that I was excited or anything heehee) I also got some fabulous jewellery and some lush smellies :) I got some money to put towards an ipod as well, (which I bought yesterday) so I am well and truly ready to get back into crafting mode lol

On Xmas Eve we took Lily on the "santa express". We have a steam train attraction locally in Aviemore and it is all decorated up for the Xmas Eve trips. Santas helpers give out mulled wine and mince pies on the outward journey then Santa comes on at the last stop and gives out presents to all the kids on the return trip. We took Lily on it last year for the first time and it was such a success that I can seet his being an annual tradition :)

Here's Lily with the teddy she got from Santa.

We also have a herd of reindeer just outside Aviemore and every year on Xmas Eve the handlers bring down some of them to Kingussie. They pull a sleigh (with wheels) and Santa :) it's a really magical sight even for a big kid like me. Sadly we forgot the camera...........such a shame cos they brought some young ones this year and they were so cute. We got to pet them it was great :)

Hope you all had a fun Xmas like us :)

JCBC week 12

This week over at Just Christmas and Birthday Cards the sketch is by the lovely Rheannon. I only had time to make a Christmas card this week, by next week life will have calmed down a bit and I should be able to get back to 2 cards :)

Hope you manage to find a wee bit of time to join in with us this week :)

new challenge blog with candy

there is a brand new blog starting in the new year (YAY) called Sketch and Stash. It's a sketch challenge with a difference, you'll be challenged to use your newest purchases! (any excuse lol) To celebrate the start there is a blog candy of Willow with Umbrella stamp. Sounds like it could be a fun challenge :)

WHEEEEEEE all done!!!!!!!

Can't believe I am finally finished my cards for this year, I am afraid if I have missed anyone now it is just tough!!!! Well ok not tough I could probably squeeze in another few...you know how it is lol.

Another angel on black card this time and embossed with gold powder, I like it in gold on the black, might do a few more of these before I return the stamp ;)

Next two cards made with backing paper I got in a magazine, one with snowangel Lily from Pink Cat Studio and one with a polar bear from Lili of the Valley

And last but not least the card for hub....... wasn't sure what to do for him, he can be a pain in the you know what lol

The papers are all from Funky Fairy as is the stamp on the polar bear card. I got a "oh thats a clever card I like that!" from hub so must have got it right so I am pleased at that lol

Now I can get back to enjoying myself again, roll on the new year when I can get back to the challenge blogs, I have missed them! OOOOOHHHH only 6 more sleeps til I get my 'bug...........yay!

some awards

I have recieved some fabby awards from 2 gorgeous bloggers :) Firstly I received this one from Natalie and Kristin

The rules are to give it to 5 people and to write 5 things I am addicted to.

Ok 5 addictions..........

1 crafting

2 chocolate (sadly my waistline reflects this)

3 hugs with Lily (she is a fantastic hugger lol)

4 shopping (natch)

5 my laptop

Secondly I also received this one from Kristin) there was also another awad I have received before!!!)

The rules for this award:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you've nominated.

Ok here's the hard part...............who to pick to award these to lol

1 tip top

2 Jo

3 karen
4 Ila

5 Hev

6 Sue

7 Gayle

Thank you ladies for awarding them to me I am truly honoured :)

My DT buddy Linda has a fabulous blog candy up for grabs here Linda makes GORGEOUS cards and even if you don't fancy the candy (yeah right lol) you should head over and have a lookie at her work, she's a talented babe!!

one more lol

One more card made over the last few days, I found it as I was tidying up the photos :) The idea for this one came from a magazine as did the actual pictures! Total cheating I know but as I said earlier inspiration, mojo whatever you call it has gone on strike, downed tools and is now in the pub having a Xmas drink!!

The three pics are layered onto silver mirricard and then sage green cardstock. I like how it has turned out, I might do some more next year with other pics :)

few more cards made

I think I am down to just needing 2 cards now.......................notice I said I think, I usually remember another 6 people after I have packed everything away lmao

Most of these cards are made with last years cards, love my crafty recycling!! The red glittery NOEL was carefully peeled off another card, the b&w paper is from funky hand.

The Winnie the Pooh card is one that Lily received I just trimmed it down and layered onto green and yellow cardstock, it is for my nephews first Christmas :)

The gold bauble is again from another card, just cut out and hung behind an aperture.

The red bauble card is made using the PCA fine straight grid, perforated and embossed with a small star tool.

I am determined to get the last two cards done tomorrow, one is for hub and I just can't decide what to make for him and the other is for my gran, I want to make her a special card and I am going to put a couple of inserts in it as she likes to send the same card back and forward over a few years :) then its just the wrapping to go.........yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Cards for Lily's teachers

Lily finishes school on Friday for the holidays so I thought I better get the backside in gear and make the cards for her teachers lol She has a teacher and a classroom assisstant this year and she adores them both :) I made both cards the same cos sadly my inspiration seems to be out at a party or something as I am struggling to get the cards finished this year! The stamp is Lily from the Lily and Billy winter set at Pink Cat Studio, coloured with fineliners and white snow and fur embossed with white powder again. The snowball looking string is from tesco in the Xmas wrapping section, so cute lol. Just got to get the ingredients for the choccy truffles I make for prezzies yuuum :)

JCBC # 11

Well it's Monday morning again and that means challenge time over at JCBC I can't believe we are onto week 11 already lol The sketch this week is a fab one, head over there and have a look I know you are going to like it. Anyway enough rambling here are the two cards I made for this one

Xmas card is using papers from papermania and a swirly tree stamp I have borrowed from a friend. gems and string from my stash.

The birthday card is made with with my new stamp that I won in the Bootiful Stampz giveaway last month. Paper and embellies from stash :)

Have fun with the challenge this week :)

Almost there

A couple more Chrissy cards done over the weekend, just a couple more to do now, one for the hub, one for Lily and one for my nephews first Xmas...............hmmm no pressure to make them special then lol

The angel on this parchment card is actually a stamp I have on loan from a friend. I stamped it in black on a piece of paper and traced it onto the parchment and embossed the lines and dots only. I could have gone mad embossing the leaves etc but I quite like it simple like this (and of course it is quicker that way hehehehe) I did two of these on Friday :)

I am hoping to get the cards finished off today and then get the tree up tonight while Lily is in bed so she can have a surprise in the morning when she gets up..........it'll still be dark when she gets up and she can see the tree all lit up :)

phew 5 down only 9 to go lol

I am finally on the last lap of Chrissy cards............phew! Made 5 yesterday (am only showing 4 here tho as the other one is for the challenge at JCBC so I'll save that for Monday lol) The papers are from a pad by Papermania "A Wonderful Christmastime" and I love the shades of red and green in them :) The stamp is on loan from a friend and I kept it simple just embossed with silver powder. Just 9 cards left to make .................well thats unless I remember more people of course and I seem to do that every year lol

Who's a lucky girl then??

This week I have won not one but two blog candies!!!! How fabulous is that? I heard that I had won over at tiptops blog and the candy treasure has arrived this morning :) I am like a bairn in a sweetie shop lol How great is this stash?!!

I can't wait to start playing with the huge foam snowflakes.......I think I can feel some window decs coming on!!
Thankyou so much I feel like it is Christmas already lol

bad blogger :(

what a bad blogger I have been this last week or so!! haven't had the time or inclination (!) to do much crafting lately............sad state of affairs seeing as I have about 20 more Chrissy cards to make eh!!! Ah well, I made this card today for a friend who is having a "significant" birthday! Must get onto those Chrissy cards, good job they are mostly local cards rather than ones needing posted :)

WOJ Advent Day 8

The advent calander has opened on Lizzie with muff today which is a gorgeous stamp. Today Katharina wants to know what your fave WOJ stamp is, mine is Melinda blowing kisses, I am hoping santa will be bringing her lol

WOJ Advent Day 6

Today Katharina wants to know your favourite colouring medium ;)

money giftcards

My hub Ian is a wee bit older than me ...........ok he's 23 years older than me lol He has 3 older kids and between two of them we have 7 grandkids! Three of them are 12 and over so we have decided just to give them cash fro Christmas this year as we feel they are old enough and besides I haven't got a Scooby Doo what to buy them lol So I set my self a challenge of making gift cards for them, here are the first two for the girls. The papers are 12x12 scrapbook papers bought yonks ago, the stamps are Lily from Pink Cat Studio and Polar Bear from Lili of the Valley other bits n bobs from the stash :)

Instructions on how to make the tag holder is here

WOJ Advent day 4

Today over at Katharina's blog the advent calendar is going strong. The stamp to win today is "Melinda with heart" a beautiful stamp...................don't join in though will you? (yeah as if!) I'd love this one lol

finally got round to some Xmas cards!!

Had a count up of the cards in the Chrissie box and OMG not nearly enough!! Panic mode set in lol So I will have to put the oh so addictive challenge cards aside for a while and get the Chrissie cards finished off as I need to think about actually writing them and then posting them!!

Here are a couple that I made last night, the cracker one was so easy I made half a dozen of them :)

So guess what I will be doing tonight as well? Hmm this might take a couple more nights at this rate. Think I have about 20 more to make.............grrrr better get my backside in gear and get on with it! Bet I've missed the overseas posting dates as well... I usually do, don't know why I don't make the international cards into New Year ones instead lol

Just Christmas and Birthday Cards

Late on parade with these cards this week...............blame Christmas Shopping, I spent so long Monday/Tuesday doing shopping online that I first of all forgot about posting the cards and second of all didn't have the time anyway lol

Over at JCBC the challenge is my own sketch!!! I like to keep things simple (simple mind simple girl what can I say lol) This is the Christmas card I made last night for the challenge and below is the birthday card I made for it :) the Christmas one is made with bits from an old card from last year and the birthday one is made with stamps I found on ebay heat embossed with pink powder :)

If you live near Chester

Dawny P has a post here about a craft sale this weekend in Chester so if you're near enough check it out!

WOJ Advent day 3

day 3 over at the Whiff of Joy Advent Calendar and today Katharina is asking for your favourite Christmas song :) Get singing those songs and get yourself in the Christmas mood lol

Kath's blog candy

the ever generous Kath has started a blog candy fest!! Aprize a week for the next 6 weeks. This week there is a cropodile looking for a new home :)

good luck!!

Daring Card Makers - white xmas

White Christmas with a touch of pink is the theme over at Daring Cardmakers This card is made on a Pergamano diagonal grid and it was a joy to make, although this is mark 2 as mark 1 ended up in the bin when I went spectacularly wrong ooppppsss!! Had to scan it as the camera batteries died!!

cute card thursday - Lilac

Finally got round to fulfilling another challenge, the challenge at Cute Card Thursday is lilac, my fave colour! This card is for one of hubby's grandkids, she will be 12 in January. The lilac is dorsed onto the back of the vellum with an oil pastel and white spirit. It was a lovely card to make, I did enjoy it :) Shame the pic is so dark, grrrr hate winter lol.

awwww an award from Dawn

This weekend Ian and I were supposed to be going to Gretna with his son and future daughter in law to start arranging the wedding for next year but we got 10 miles down the road and had to turn back due the blasted snow!! Had to rearrange the hotel rooms and I was very disappointed as I had been looking forward to getting away. Lily was going to granny's for the weekend and so she was upset as well. The road was ok on Saturday so we just went to granny's for the night but it wasn't the same lol

This morning I found that my gorgeous bloggy buddy Dawn has awarded me this beautiful award which has made my Monday :) thanks Dawn you're a babe!!

This award has to be passed on to 10 bloggers and I am ashamed to say I am going to chicken out of actually naming 10 people!! I am so short of time today that I just don't have the time. So if any of you don't have it and would like it.....feel free to snaffle it :)

Whiff of Joy Advent Calendar

Katharina at Whiff of Joy is having an advent calendar giveaway where one stamp will be won every day!! Woohooo I hear you shout :)

Each day a new window will open with a surprise gift for one lucky visitor, the new window will be posted at 00.01 GMT everyday and the winner of the previous days gift will be posted at the same time.Don’t forget to check everyday after 00.01 GMT

So get over there and join in the festive fun lol