Christmas is Love

Good morning to one and all. Many thanks for stopping by and a big thank you to those of you who took the time to leave me a comment, I really do appreciate every single one of them! Today's post is just a quick one as I have to pull my finger out in order to be ready for Christmas, which I can't believe is now less than one week away - aaargh I can feel the panic starting to set in! I thought I'd finished all my Christmas cards and then realised I hadn't done one for my DH - oops! so here it is.

I used a Kenny K digi image called Mistletoe, I love these Kenny K images, they are great to colour and make brilliant images for a man's card. I find men's cards a challenge as I can't add my usual bling and girlie bits. I coloured her in with my Copics and used my Prismacolor pencils to add some depth to the colouring. I glittered all her fur trims with Stickles Star Dust and distressed the edges of the image with a Stempelglede Flourish Heart stamp then I stamped a Forever friends sentiment to the edge. My sentiment is a freebie, I can't remember where I downloaded it (sorry!)

I cut out my image using a Nestie oval die which I mounted onto red card from my stash and die cut my Marianne poinsettia out of the same card, then sprayed it with Glimmer Mist and added a Prima flower centre for a little bit of bling! The backing paper is glittered cardstock in black and some Christmas wrapping paper that I glued onto some more of the red card with a punched edge using Martha Stewarts Aspen Snowflakes punch.  To finish off I added some black ribbon and some feathers from my stash for texture.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

http://kennykkraftygirlzchallenges.blogspot.com #74 - Anything Goes
http://christmascrafting.blogspot.com/ #6 - Santa Claus is Coming to Town
http://papersundaes.blogspot.com/ #100 -Celebrate
http://ribbongirls.blogspot.com/ #14 Red, Black & Cream
http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/ #148 Embossing & Glitter
http://dutchdare-cardchallenges.blogspot.com/ #143 - Tic,Tac,Toe - Patties Creations
http://mariannedesigndivas.blogspot.com/ #6 - It's Christmas
http://cutie-sunday.blogspot.com/ #156 - Sketch
http://hookedoncraftchallenges.blogspot.com/ #14 - Christmas
http://ladybugscraftsinkchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ #50 - Bingo
http://delightfulsketches.blogspot.com/ - Anything Goes

I'm off into town to finish my Christmas present shopping today, will be wrapping tomorrow, cleaning on Wednesday, meeting a good friend for lunch and a catch up on Thursday, my son is home from uni for Christmas on Friday - can't wait to see him, and I have to do a big food shop before he arrives too! as well as the 1001 other things that have been neglected whilst crafting & blogging my hours away! Not much time for crafting this week then : ( Though I might just manage to squeeze another card in before the big day. Whatever you're doing, stay safe and warm. Thank you again for stopping by and please take a minute to leave me a comment and then I can visit you too.

Hugs
Vicki x

Lots of Letters

Good Morning you lovely bloggers. I'm up far too early on this bitterly cold day! Thank you so much for all your comments I really do look forward to reading them. Welcome to my new followers as well as those of you who have followed me for a while too. Today's post is my last Christmas card for this year. (I think!!)

I used the gorgeous LOTV stamp called Lots of Letters, it has lots of detail and I found it quite fiddly to colour, it's amazing how such a small image can take so long to colour! I coloured it with my new Copics and used my Prismacolor pencils to add some definition.

I used my lovely Marianne poinsettia die on some shimmer paper for the flower and added a crystal brad to the centre, I added some leaves behind the flower using my Magnolia leaf die and my Memory Box Frostyville Border die along the bottom, I love all the detail on this die, it's so pretty. The papers I used were from my stash (I'm not buying any more papers, until I've used some of the mountain that I already have!! - well that's what I'm saying today anyway - lol) Here's a close up of the coloured image:

I finished off with lots of Stickles star dust for my obligatory sparkle and a pre-cut sentiment that I think is from Little Clare. I usually struggle with what to put where on my cards, but once I had finished my colouring, this card seemed to come together easily, which is a first for me!

I finally managed to put my Christmas tree up this week and have bought and wrapped some presents, so I feel a bit more on top of things now. I still have to write out all my cards, that's a job for this week. I've been to a Christmas carol service today, the choir was fabulous and I came away feeling more festive than I did when I went in!

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:
http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/ - Anything Goes
http://creativecardcrew.blogspot.com/ - Tis the Season
http://ladybugscraftsinkchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ Snowflakes and Sparkle
http://cardmakinmamas.blogspot.com/ #35 - Christmas
http://craftyannschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ #55 - Glitter, Snow, Red
http://jinglebellesrock.blogspot.com/ - Wrap Up
http://mamidoodles.blogspot.com/search/label/challenge - Make it Shine, Glitter
http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ #69 - Christmas
http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.com/ #68 - Merry Christmas
http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.com/ #194 - Anything Goes
http://divasbydesignchallenge.blogspot.com/ - Anything Goes
http://just-hanna-stamps.blogspot.com/ #123 - Winter Card
http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com/ #64 - Snow & Snowflakes
http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.com/ #127 - Last Minute Christmas
http://abcchristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/ - Yipee
http://addicted-to-stamps-challenge.blogspot.com/ - Snowflakes
http://joannasheenchallenge.blogspot.com/ - It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas
http://basicgreychallenges.blogspot.com/ #59 - Anything Goes
http://thesquirrelandthefox.blogspot.com/ #7 - Christmas
http://christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.com/ - December Challenge - Anything Goes
http://papersundaes.blogspot.com/ #99 - Anything Christmas
http://foreverfriendschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ Roses are Red
http://ceschallenges.blogspot.com/ #65 - A Traditional Christmas
http://craftyribbonschallenge.blogspot.com/2011/12/challenge-8.html - Traditional Colours for Christmas
http://letsinkitup.blogspot.com/ #18 - Christmas Projects
http://stampinfortheweekend.blogspot.com/ #22 - Christmas
http://totallygorjuss.blogspot.com/ #110 - Let it Snow
http://christmascardchallenges.blogspot.com/ #2 - Doodling
http://bythecuteandgirly.blogspot.com December - Let it Snow
http://colourcreatechallenge.blogspot.com/ #85 - Red, White & Green
http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/ #147 - A Card with a Sentiment
http://thepinkelephantchallenge.blogspot.com/ - Snowflakes and Sparkle
http://frosteddesigns.blogspot.com/ - Glitter
http://raisethebarchallenge.blogspot.com/ - It's Beginning to look alot like Christmas
http://stampingwithdragon.blogspot.com/ - Bling
http://onestopcraftchallenge.blogspot.com/ - Traditional Colours
http://thesecretcraftersaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/ - All Creatures Great and Small
http://fussyandfancychallenge.blogspot.com/ #51 - Photo Inspiration (2nd Entry)
http://bizzybecsstore.blogspot.com - December Challenge - Christmas
http://pollycraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com #120 - Christmas Fun (4 week long challenge)
http://pictureandscrap.blogspot.com - Christmas
http://cupcakecraftchallenges.blogspot.com/ #72 - Don't Look at the Light

Many thanks for stopping by. Please leave me a comment to let me know you've been and then I can visit you too. Have a great week and don't get too stressed out by all the Christmas organising!!

Hugs,
-Vicki x

Under the Mistletoe

Good morning lovely bloggers. A warm welcome to my lovely new followers and a big thank you to those of you who have left me some wonderful comments, I really do appreciate you all :))
It's soo cold, I plan to stay indoors today dressed in cosy clothes (pj's and dressing gown!!) and my heating on. I might even attempt to put my tree up, although I still haven't found the clear lights I want for it, so I might have to pop out to The Range, (just for the lights of course!)

I received my new Copics in the post and have been following Bev Rochester's fab colouring video tutorial here. Bev makes it look soo easy, but I persevered and am pleased with what I did :) I also finished my colouring off with my Prismacolor pencils. This is the first time I've combined the two and the result is here:

I stamped up one of my lovely LOTV Christmas stamps called Under the Mistletoe, this cute stamp is one of many that have been waiting to see the light of day, I told myself I wouldn't order any more new ones, until I'd used all the others I have, at least once, but I keep seeing all these beautiful images and before I know it, they're in my shopping basket and on their way to me!! I think it's called addiction - lol.

I did a PATP with Martha Stewarts Aspen Snowflakes punches and used papers from my stash (something else I have far too much of - but never the right ones of course!!) I used my new Marianne Poinsettia Die on some voile shimmer paper for the flower and added a pre-cut sentiment mounted onto the same backing card that I used behind my image, that I think I bought from Little Clare. I've bought so much stuff recently, that I'm not sure what I bought from where!! I also added some lovely green sparkling trim by Papermania for some texture and some snowflakes, then finished off with lots of sparkle. I even made a box for it as these PATP edged cards won't fit into their envelopes! Speaking of envelopes, I have ordered some box envelopes for any 6" x 6" cards that have raised details such as flowers on them, from Tracey at Craftezee, they are very reasonably priced and you can get yours here

I've just noticed that my pictures look a bit blurred and have realised that I have a fingerprint or something right in the middle of my lens, I want to get this posted so will try and post a clearer picture at some point when I'm not in a rush.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

http://sukkersott.blogspot.com/ #148 Glitter
http://fussyandfancychallenge.blogspot.com/ #51 Photo Inspiration

http://ssdschallenge.blogspot.com/ Holiday Card

http://thesecretcraftersaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/ Photo Inspiration

http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/ #146 Photo Inspiration

http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/ Anything Goes

http://colourcreatechallenge.blogspot.com/ #85 Red, White & Green

http://dutchdare-cardchallenges.blogspot.com/ #141 Sketch - Simon Says Stamp

http://totallypapercrafts.blogspot.com/ #95 Let it Snow
http://mariannedesigndivas.blogspot.com/ Sparkle and Shine
http://cutie-sunday.blogspot.com/ #155 Packaging - Christmas
http://madformarkerschallenges.blogspot.com/ Christmas Challenge
http://hookedoncraftchallenges.blogspot.com/ Winter Wonderland
http://ladybugscraftsinkchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ #49 Snowflakes & Sparkle
http://pileitonchallenge.blogspot.com/ Anything with a P
http://www.gingerloftchallenge.blogspot.com/ GL30 Christmas and Winter
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ #66 Anything Goes
http://www.craftdoormagazine.com/ #15 Happy Holidays

http://thepoodlesparlour.blogspot.com/ Christmas
http://joannasheenchallenge.blogspot.com/ Christmas Wishes
http://creataliciouschallenges.blogspot.com/ Christmas - Make sure it Sparkles
http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com Any Winter Holiday Sentiment
http://delightfulsketches.blogspot.com/ Let it Snow

That's it for now. Many thanks for stopping by, please leave me a comment (they let me know you've been) and I can visit you too. Whatever you're doing today, have a happy day and keep warm!

Bye for now

Hugs

Vicki x

A Present for You

Hello and a big thank you to all of you who have left me some wonderful comments, they are very much appreciated, and a warm hello to my new followers.

I can't believe we're now in December, I've been soo busy crafting that the other stuff I need to do for Christmas has been neglected, so I must get a move on, or else I'll be rushing around at the last minute and I can't stand the crowded shops and all those queues, I just like to go for a leisurely wander and enjoy the festive atmosphere! Anyhow, I have another Christmas card to share with you today using a delightful Magnolia Tilda who is just so cute!

I coloured her with my usual Pro Markers. I've bought myself an early Christmas present! of a set of Copic markers that a lot of bloggers use. They do seem to colour up beautifully, so I shall be trying them out on my next creation!

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/ Anything Goes
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ Challenge #65
http://officialmagnoliainspirationchallenge.blogspot.com/ Tomic #26 Vintage and Lace
http://magnoliadownunderchallenges.blogspot.com/ #124 Let it Snow
http://magnoliastamplovers.blogspot.com/ Red and White Challenge
http://justmagnolia.blogspot.com/ Anything Goes - Sparkle

That's all for now. Please leave me a comment to let me know you've visited and I can visit you too.

Have a happy day.

Hugs
Vicki x