A Little Christmas Recycling!

Morning All!

I thought you might like to see my attempt at being thrifty today by recycling old packaging to make something crafty. First I painted a little wooden box with gold acrylic and then decorated it with Bo Bunny Papers and Stickles. I decided to make a mini album for inside and made little pockets from the cardboard used to back various craft embellishments before covering them in the Bo Bunny Papers to match. I roughly decorated the sides of each pocket with a sweep of the gold paint to tie it all together. I punched a hole in each pocket and added a ring to bind them all together (which I'm going to add ribbon to when I've completed the album).

On the front I made a flower using red metallic petite four cases which had held little chocs at Christmas and popped a big gold button in the centre.

Inside each pocket I made a tag - the back of the tag was made with the designer papers whilst the front used a piece of plastic packaging off my craft embellishment packaging which I quickly whizzed through the Cuttlebug using the Devine Swirls folder then tied them together with a piece of ribbon that had been around a parcel.

Finally, on the top of the box I made the big flower. This was done using the plastic packaging again which I glued some pieces of Chrismas material from an old swatch to the back using Glossy Accents. I then cut out the flower and holly shapes freehand and heated the plastic and material sandwich up with my heat gun to allow me to shape them. When I was happy with the shape - I poked a hole through them all and secured them with a brad and mini silk flower before popping it on the top of my box. (The are some great videos on Youtube on this heating plastic technique.)

I had some lovely crafty embellishments for Christmas off my husband but before I use them I've managed to make use of some the packaging too! Hope I'll be able to be that thrifty in the New Year and try to curb my addiction for new products but somehow...I'm not sure I will! ha! ha!

Hope you like it - I hope to enter my little creation in the Trip Down Memory Lane Challenge to recycle your packaging.

Best wishes and Happy New Year!

Karen x

Memories of Yesteryear

Hi Everyone! This is one of my scrapbook pages with a vintage theme showing images from a sea voyage at the turn of the 19th century. I used Bo Bunny Mama Razzi papers and created the pocket watch from an image cut from Graphic 45 Paper giving it a glassy front with Glossy Accents. The chain was dyed with Alcohol inks and the paper flowers were made by rolling the paper and adding a small pearl in the centre. A real piece of negative film adds dimension and the small 'smile' tag hides a larger tag of hidden journalling.

I hope to enter this in the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge which this month has a theme of 'Yesteryear'.

Hope you like it!

Best wishes and bye for now

Karen x

Travel The World

Hi Everyone!

The end of the year draws near and its time for making New Year's resolutions and thinking what we'd like to do in the coming months. Perhaps you're thinking about travelling - off to sunny climes to escape the winter weather? Well as much as I'd like to I don't think I'll be off on my hols just yet so I thought I'd get involved with the Sir Stampalot Challenge which, this month, is to Travel The World. I made a little Paris themed mini book using Distress Inks and the Tim Holtz Artistry stamps. I embossed the details in gold embossing powder, added a little charm and a ribbon tie and made another little mini charm using shrink plastic. The front and back covers were made using UTEE and tiny beads embedded into the hot embossing powder to represent little stars above the Eiffel Tower. I hope you like it!

I'd also like to enter this piece in the Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes - Challenge.

Best wishes

Karen x

Little Reindeer

Morning All!

While its still the festive season I thought I'd just show you a couple more cards. This one was made using the the papers and stickers from the Honey and Hugs Christmas collection. I love the pastel colours combined with the red dotty ribbon. The pop out section was made using a Spellbinders die to create the apperture in the card and a little bit of silver holographic card helped to make it look frosty!

Bye for now

Karen x

Wow!!

Hi All.
I just wanted to share some fab news with you. Recently I was contacted by the Scrapbook Magazine to say that I was one of nine runners up in their Scrapbooker of the Year competition...I'm chuffed to bits and apparently have £180 of goodies winging their way to me - through the snow and postal hold ups - as we speak.

I don't usually show my scrapbook work on my blog but over the coming days hope to share some with you and would love to know what you think.

Anyway...my winnings this year have made me over the moon and just goes to show that you have to be in it to win it!

Thanks for stopping by.
Best wishes
Karen x

Clarity Christmas

I love the Clarity stamps and all the fabulous effects that designer Barbara Gray can achieve with her brayer and 'Big and Juicy' inkpads but sometimes - when quick and simple are called for, these stamps can be equally effective stamped and embossed in gold and layered onto your card with a mat of gold background paper. i love these little 5x5' cards and their wintry sentiment from the fab poem - 'Twas the Night before Christmas'. Why not have a go yourself - I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.

Best Boxing Day Wishes

Karen x

Pretty Poinsettia

This card was made using the Poinsettia template from Papermania, scraps of Christmas paper and ribbon layered upon on a background made using the snowflake embossing folder and my cuttlebug - a great way to use up those oddments of Christmas papers from other projects!

Simple but Sparkly

Well, I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas Day and Santa popped you a few crafty things in your stockings! The weather here in Wales is still pretty frosty so what better day than to catch up on showing you a few final pics of the Christmas cards I made this year. The next three posts show my 'simple selection' - ha! ha! I love making fancy cards but sometimes when time is running out - only quick and simple will do! Hope you like them.

Festive wishes

Karen x

The Christmas Story...

I'm not always a lover of Peel Offs but must admit I really like the black silouette type. I created this card with a simple inked background and mat and layered the image on black and silver mirri card - quite effective...what do you think?

Bye for now

Karen x

Dashing through the Snow!

Hi All! Well, I hope you're all safe and sound out there and not too cut off in this snowy weather! Just a quick post to show you some more quick cards created from just some of the gorgous backing papers that have been available to us this year! My Rudolph specials!

Best wishes Karen x

Christmas Quickies

I don't know about you but I always seem to need a lot of quick cards at Christmas for neighbours and people you don't see that often but like to keep in touch with. A friend and I knocked out a pile of 'quickies' using a Martha Stewart punch for a a backround mat and punched snowflakes and gems for embellishments. I hope to enter these cards in the Spoonful of Sugar Challenge which this week is Christmas cards and the ABC Challenge which is for Jewels and Gems.

Crazy for Christmas?

So...are you ready for Christmas yet? Are your prezzies wrapped, cards sent and decs up? Have you found five minutes amongst all the preparations to get a little crafting done? I know the days seem to be whizzing by and I must admit I have done a little crafting - even if the prezzie wrapping has had to take a bit of a back seat - so I thought I'd show you what I've been up to. Another House Mouse decoupage card completed - an image I love - which I hope to enter in the House Mouse and Friends Challenge which this week is Charming Trees and other foliage. You get extra bonus points if you use a charm but I'm a bit low on festive charms at the moment so I'm hoping the fab image will just see me though. Hope you like it!

Best Wishes

Karen x

Christmas Mice 3

As a change from the red and green colour scheme I went all frosty on my next card with a blue and silver theme using plenty of embossed mirri card accented with punched snowflakes and gems. I love these House Mouse christmas cards and its been really hard to part with them ha! ha! - I even made two of this design but there are only so many Christmas cards you can send to yourself! (only kidding.)

I would like to enter this this card in the Papertake Weekly sketch challenge and the ABC Challenge which this week is Ice and Snow and Cute Card Thursday's Blue theme.

More later.

Karen x

Christmas Mice 2

I made this one for a friend who loves cats. The red ribbon really sets the design off - I tried to give the impression of a wrapped Christmas present. I also used plenty of green Stickles in Patina to make the branches of the tree glisten. I would like to enter this card in the ABC Christmas Challenge which this week is Y is for Yuletide with a red and green, holly and berries theme.

Bye for now

Karen x

Christmas Mice 1

Hi All

Not sure where these weeks disappear to are you? Sorry I've not posted for a while...even though I've not been very 'bloggy' I have been busy card making - some for the Joanna Sheen Design Team and plenty of others for Christmas cards and competition entries.

Speaking of competitions I was thrilled to find out that I'd come 3rd in both the Flower Soft and Joanna Sheen categories of the Cardmaker of the Year competition run by Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine. How lucky am I! There were some fabulous entries and it really gets your creative juices flowing when you are challenged to make cards using specific products. I entered other categories too so over the next few days will upload my entries for you to see. Hope you enjoy them.

In the meanime, here are some of my Christmas cards - mousy themed, of course! I would like to enter this one in the Secret Crafter's Christmas themed challenge.

Best wishes Karen x

Tag It!

Its another dark and miserable day here in North Wales so sorry if this pic isn't that great - the light isn't good for a David Bailey session! I've made a tag using the Victoria embossing folder and then enjoyed getting messy with Distress inks and Cosmic Shimmer sprays. I tried to make it a little shabby and vintage looking - distressing my flower, adding Rock Candy Distress Stickles to my lace and frame and antique gold embossing powder which I sanded a little for another shabby look. The stamped frame is from the Chatsworth set by Papermania.

I hope to enter this into the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge - which this week is with a 'Shabby' theme, Totally Papercrafts 'Tag It' challenge and a Spoonful of Sugar's 'Relish to Embellish' theme.

Have a great weekend!

Best wishes

Karen x

Mini Book Memories

Hi All.

Its been a lovely day here today in North Wales and after a day out and about watching rallying with family, I' now back home catching up with a little 'light' surfing before tea ha! ha!

Thought you may be getting a bit boggled with Mices (although I'm getting withdrawls already) so I thought I'd show you part of a little mini album I made using envelopes of our Scottish holiday in the Highlands. Hope you like it - got all creative with the glimmer mists, inks, scrunched up flowers and generally had a great time reliving our holiday memories!

I'd like to enter this in the Spoonful of Sugar challenge - Let's get Punchy - and the SimonSaysStampChallenge - Punch Em -as I used small flower punches and nestabilities dies to make the large distressed flowers and swirls on the front cover.

Bye for now

Karen x

Even More Mice...

Hi All...

Just thought you might like to see a couple more of my House Mouse decoupage cards created for Joanna Sheen using her fab 'Just the Two of Us' range. Hope you like them!
I love the purple colour theme of the easel card - didn't want to part with it really ha! ha! Then I carried on this purply theme by toning it down to lilac for the little mice in the chocolate box. Do you ever get stuck on one colour theme or is it just me??

Back soon with more picks...family arriving soon so I'd better get my skates on!

Bye for now

Karen x

Boo!

This is my final post of the day just to add a couple more Halloween themed cards which I hope to enter in the Spoonful of Sugar's 'Boo' themed challenge.

Bye for now

Karen x

More Mouses!

Here are a couple of my other House Mouse samples - hope you like them! Find more designs on Joanna's website.

Best wishes

Karen x

Flowery Mice

Evening Everyone! Well, these nights (and days) are certainly getting colder and we're starting to feel the winter chill. Nothing quite like being snuggled up inside crafting when the dark nights draw in!

I've had a busy month so far and also had some great news.

Recently I was contacted by the Joanna Sheen Team and asked to be on their Design Team - I was chuffed to bits and have enjoyed working with some of the lovely products that they sent me - especially the gorgous House Mouse decoupage and stamps. My first samples were shown on the Create and Craft House Mouse Saturday Show last saturday so above are just some of the images that I'd like to share with you - hope you like them as much as me! The images were from the latest 'Just the Two of Us' decoupage set - available from Joanna's website. If you've never given decoupage a go, then why not try these - the designs are fab and quirky and will appeal to everyone in your family!

The flowery mice design I'd like to enter in thie weeks ABC challenge of 'Flowers' - hope these mice asleep in the flowers count!

Anyway, bye for now... happy crafting!

Karen x

PS - Sorry about the colouring on the pics - these dark nights are no good for photography sessions!

Get Spooky!

Hi Crafters! This month I was lucky enough to win a slot as Guest Designer over on the By The Cute and Girly blog - this is just one of my samples that I made. If you're in the mood to 'Get Spooky' then why not pop over there and join in their challenge.
I love the combination of orange and black so really enjoyed making this card and I thought the sentiment - which I found on the internet - was a bit of fun and very apt for Halloween.

Since we'll be celebrating Halloween in a couple of weeks I'd like to enter the Something to Celebrate challenge over on the Stamp Something blog.
Bye for now and happy crafting!

Hedgie Carollers

Evening All!

Now that the nights are drawing in its really hard to take a good a pic where the colours look like they do in real life -or is it just me!

Anyway, this little card actually looks more vibrant 'in the flesh' but hopefully you can get the gist. The papers are the latest Henbury Lane Christmas collection and a little piece of Anna Griffins'. I flit between liking lovely wintery blues and aquas or traditional reds and greens for my Christmas cards - tonight these little Penny Black Hedgies - coloured with Promarkers - made me feel all traditional!

The sketch this week was a great one from the Penny Black Saturday Challenge and I punched the flowers and holly leaves before adding gems and a sentiment from the Forever Friends selection. Hope you like it!

Bye for now

Karen x

I would also like to enter this in the Penny Black at Allsorts Challenge which this month is to 'Punch Away', Totally Gorjuss - Wild Thing challenge and The Secret Crafter - Anything Goes. I also thought my card fitted in with the colour scheme on the Passion for Promarkers Challenge which was reds, white and green.

Celebration Preparations!

Afternoon All!

Here is my entry for the House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge. It's their second anniversary this week so they have a brilliant 'celebratory sketch' challenge and a whole host of fab goodies for one lucky crafter to win on their blog hop!

I've rotated the sketch 90 degrees to fit my oblong image in. The papers are Anna Griffin - I love the traditional muted reds and greens and tried to colour my mice and gerbil to match using a mixture of promarkers and sakura pens for a bit of subtle sparkle. I left the wires on the little flowers - which I thought looked a little bit like mini poinsettias - and coiled the wires to look like tendrils - I quite like the effect - hope you do too! A bit of ribbon, a few gems and my sentiment and I'd finished. I really like this sketch - it was easy to follow yet makes a great layout without being too cluttered - I'll definately use it again when knocking out another batch of Christmas cards!

Good luck with the blog hop everyone!

Best wishes Karen x

I'm a Winner!

Woo Hoo! I'm a blog candy winner! Today, I found out that I'd won the fortnightly candy over at Lorraine's Loft - the prize of a House Mouse stamp! I'm so pleased and would just like to thank Lorraine for her generosity! There's nothing like a win to brighten up a rainy day!

Why not pop over to her blog to see some really fab cards and join in the fun!

Thanks again, Lorraine.
Best wishes
Karen x

Feelin' Hot!

Nearly forgot! I've been having a decoupage session recently with the lovely House Mouse Decoupage from Joanna Sheen. I'm addicted to the images and find the cutting out in front of the telly in the evening really relaxing so although I've not yet got around to posting some of my finished cards, I am being quite productive behind the scenes so be prepared for a whole host of House Mouse creations turning up on my blog soon!

I love this image which is great for a men's card - I've decided to enter it into the House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge which is 'water' themed. I'm a bit late with my entry and luckily will just make it before the new challenge is set tomorrow!

Bye for now

Karen x

Toadily Trio

Another day of strange weather here in North Wales - sunny one minute and chucking it down the next! Just time to create a quick little card which I've decided to enter for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge which this week is 'man' themed and A Spoonful of Sugar which is 'animal' themed. Love my little froggies which are great for birthdays, thank you's or general cards! I've also used this week's sktech from over at the Sketch Saturday Challenge blog.

Have a nice Sunday - whatever you're doing.

Bye for now

Karen x

Christmas Fairy

Hi All! This is an easel card I made using the LOTV Tiptoe Fairy. I decided to make her very christmassy in red and green and also used the beautiful red and green papers from K&Co's Winter Wonderland pad. I bought some new coffee cups the other day which came packaged in plastic so I recycled it by putting it through the cuttlebug and cutting out a plastic background to mount her on. I edged it all in Stickles. In hindight, I'd have placed my greeting a little further down but I still love this christmassy little card!

Best wishes and bye for now

Karen

PS - I'm hoping to enter it in the Simon Says Stamp challenge - Holiday Fun.

Bah Humbug - Favourite Medium (Stamping)

Charisma Cards - Something New ( I tried Cuttlebuging plastic and made my own plastic snowflake embellishments)

Vintage Bear

Hello All! Well, it's typical Bank Holiday weather here in North Wales - raining one minute then sunny the next! I've been having a little play with my crafty stash and decided to work on a pack of Forever Friend's Decoupage that I bought a couple of weeks ago - I thought that the images would be ideal for baby cards as I know a few people who will be having babies shortly. In the pack was an image of a bear in a car so I set myself the challenge of making it more 'manly' if that is possible and although I'm not sure if Forever Friends has ever 'gone vintage' I decided to give it a whirl and enter it in the monthly challenge over at Bunny Zoes Monthly Craft Challenge - if you fancy taking part in the vintage challenge you have until the 12th Sept to enter.

I used a cream DL card and distressed the edges with Scattered Straw. I then took a piece of paper that was in the pack and gave that the Scattered Straw and Walnut Stain treatment too! before layering it on some inked card. On a piece of red card I lightly stamped some images of vintage cars (unfortunately you can't see these as much on the picture as you can in real life) and edged that in Walnut Stain too. I layered up my papers and image and added some cream ribbon - again Walnut Stained - and distressed a little sentiment before adding some Distress Crackle Accents Rock Candy for an aged look. I couldn't help adding a few brown gems for a bit of vinatge bling. This is what I would call 'gentle distressing' as I could have done a lot more 'roughing up' of the edges but I know the person I am sending this too would appreciate it this way.

Anyway, hope you like my take on these Forever Friend's decoupage. I would also like to enter it into Dutch Dare Card Challenges which is for 'Vintage Summer'.

Enjoy the rest of the Bank Holiday!

Karen x

Xmas Hedgies

Hi Everyone. This is my last minute entry for the Penny Black Challenge which this week is a sketch which I have rotated. The hedgies are, of course, PB, the paper is Dovecraft and coloured mirri board and I have used my new Kars snowflake punch. I've also added ribbon, gems and a charm - I do like blue themed Christmas cards - they instantly look wintery!

Bye for now

Karen x

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Sketch

Papertake Weekly Challenge - 321 - three snowflakes, two ribbons, one designer paper.

Creative Inspirations - Christmas in August

101 Possibilities!

Hi - this is my second post of the day to show you this simple decoupage card featuring some of the 101 Dalmations. I stamped blue swirls to make my own background paper and then embellished with blue ribbon and gems. I have not yet added a sentiment as I thought that this card would be perfect for a few occasions - birthday, thank you - even get well soon...

I'd like to enter this in the ABC Challenge which is for Blue cards.

Winter Wonderland

Hello all! This is a dinky little card that I made using the pack of six box cards in the Docraft's Christmas Creativity Goodie Bag. I covered the front with DCWV blue snow flake paper and added Stickles for snow. On the inside I added blue ink with a sponge to give a stippled effect, added cut out trees from Bo Bunny paper and a red peel off greeting. I then decorated the outside with more cut out trees. You could make this into a shaker card with punched snowflakes or beads inside. This was my intention but I was so eager to get my greeting centred that I stuck up the card without adding my shaker bits! Typical - oh well - you live and learn and I'll know better when I make the others!! ha! ha!

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
Winter Wonderland - Walking in Wonderland

Cute Card Thursday - No Dies or Punches

Bah Humbug - Winter Wonderland

Creative Inspirations - Christmas in August

Hedgie Notes

Hi Everyone!

This is my latest little creation - a notebook made using record cards, mount board and my Bind It All. I actually made a couple of these as I thought they would be handy to slip in with Birthday presents. I kept to a simple black and white theme, stamped a Penny Black hedgie and added some Stickles...then it topped off with a bit of bling and a silvery ribbon. Hope you like it. I'm going to enter it into the Simon Says Stamp Challenge which this week is to 'Make a Gift'. I'm afraid my bow moved a bit when I took this pic but I've sorted it now so that you can't see the little foam pad underneath! Bye for now x

I would also like to enter this into Stampin' for the Weekend - Anything Goes

Design Team Call!

Ever fancied joing a Design Team? Simply Create, Alford have a Design Team call to join their new and exciting venture so pop over to their website and send in some samples of your work. All the rules are simple to follow so why not give this fab opportunity a go! The closing date is the 31st of August.

Glitzy Hedgies

Hi Everyone! Today I thought I'd dig out my Penny Black Hedgies to create a card for the Allsorts Penny Black Monthy Challenge which is Glitter and Glitz. This is a new challenge which is looking for Design Team members at present so why not pop over and enter.

My card has plenty of glitz but I don't think it shows up too well in this pic. The background is a lovely piece of Kanban patterned mirri board which creates plenty of bling. I added a silver ribbon and copper Stickles on my hedgies with red and green Stickles on the flowers. The black ribbon on the prezzies is coloured with Stardust Sakura pens. I hope you like red, black and silver theme. Anyway, must dash!

Bye for now Karen x

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

Allsorts Penny Black Challenge - Glitter and Glitz

Sir Stampalot - Bring on the Bling

Three Little Mices

Evening everyone!

My House Mouse unmounted stamps arrived today and when I got home I couldn't resist a little play. They stamp beautifully and this is the result of my little experiment. I just decided to stamp out the smallest of the stamps on the 'Opening Presents' sheet and each impression was perfect so I thought I'd turn my little tester sheet into a card. I used the House Mouse Monday photo inspiration challenge to come up with the colour scheme of pinks and acqu blues and found that although this particular mouse is off a christmas sheet, he can easily be adapted for birthday cards if you change the colour of his hat so he could have a lot of uses.

The pink paper is DCWV from their Spring Glitter stack, I coloured the images with Pro Markers and added plenty of glitter to their hats before adding a final touch by piercing the paper and threading ribbon along the bottom as an embellishment. Sorry the photo is a little dark - the lights not great at this time of night!

Anyway, hope you like it. Below are the challenges that I hope to enter it into.

Thanks for looking.

Karen x

House Mouse Monday Challenge - Photo inspiration

Allsorts - Paper Piercing

Creative Card Crew - Sparkle and Shine

By the Cute and Girly - Animal Antics

Quick and Easy Christmas Cards

Morning All! I decided to add a couple of cards to my Christmas stash using the ABC Christmas 'Quick and Easy' Challenge. It's a lovely and simple sketch and ideal for making cards in batches - why not pop over and give it a go? I've used Papermania Christmas paper from last year's range, a touch of holographic silver card for matting and Anita's latest range of metalic Xmas stickers. I also used Platinum pearls for my little accents. These cards are 5x5's and believe it or not _ I only used one piece of 8x8 designer paper to complete both cards AND part line the envelopes - how thrifty am I!!

Bye for now

Karen x