Decorating The Tree?

Just a quick post tonight, dear Crafty Bloglanders.  I'm pleased to report that my OH is now safely home and my darling MiL has been discharged from hospital to a nursing home.  Although she is by no means back to her old self, her sheer determination and general loveliness appears to have brought her through this latest terrible time and we are just so blessed to have her with us still. 

So, of course, this means life is now well and truly back to normal - I have my OH by my side (big yaaay!), we're both back at work (humph) and Christmas is running towards us at great speed. 

Speaking of Christmas (and who isn't at the moment?), have you got your decorations up yet?  I know that our US friends see Thanksgiving as the time to start decorating and there are many people in the UK who like to have their decorations up by now but for me, well, Christmas Eve is soon enough!  Honest! I love doing my tree on Christmas Eve, but I do bow to pressure and give in about the 20th these days.  When Darling Daughter was young, doing the tree on Christmas Eve just added to the magic of Christmas morning, when she firmly believed the Tree Fairies had been in the night, as well as Santa!  Aaaaah!

But how many of us end up like this little lady?

Image: Phindy's Place, 'Miss Chrissy Tree'

Papers: Yup, October Afternoon, 'Good Cheer' collection (I sooo love these papers)

Isn't she a darling?  She looks just like our friends' middle daughter, who I can imagine ending up just like this if left to it! 

She was coloured with Copics and quite a good bit of shading was done with my Prismas.  I'm still working on folds and pleats - getting there slowly but I get so frustrated.  Some days it just works, others I really have to work hard to almost get there!  Oh hum!

The little tree border was all cut by hand, as were the stars.  I don't yet own many Christmassy punches so I have to improvise!

This is my entry for the following challenges:

Raise The Bar - 'Trees'
Secret Crafter Saturday - 'Christmas'

Right, off to bed now with my Kindle - I'm just reading Patricia Cornwell's new book, 'Port Mortuary' and I'm enjoying it very much.  I adore my Kindle - so much easier to handle than a book, particularly in bed!

Happy crafting.
xx

Just Inklined to Blog Hop!

Happy Monday morning, Crafty Bloglanders! It's time for another Just Inklined blog hop and this month we're stitching you up!  Haha! Yup, the theme of our hop is 'Stitching, real or faux' and I know my lovely Teamies will have been hard at work to bring you some wonderful inspiration.

If you've arrived here from the marvellous Mina's blog then you're on the right path. If not, jump back to Debbie's blog and start from the beginning because you won't want to miss anything along the way!

This one is my Daughter's friend's Christmas card - sshhh, don't tell!  D's friend loves pugs and as soon as I saw this sweet little image, I knew it had to be done!

Image: Just Inklined, 'Pug in a Box'

Papers: 'Christmas Eve' digital papers by Jazzy Patterns, available here

Sentiment Circle: Pink Gem Designs, available here 

Isn't he sweet?  I hope I've got his colouring right.  He was done with my Copics, a combination of E50 and all the warm greys.  The background was done with my Prismas, of course and the box was paperpieced.

As I was colouring the background, I realised it had naturally formed a triangle and the idea for a tree shape was born!  I wasn't sure it would work but, actually, I think it's quite fun!

The original image I coloured was too small, I decided, so I've cut him out of his box and used him on a matching gift tag - what a cutie!

As well as the Hop, this is my entry for this week's Daring Cardmakers' Challenge, which is to use the colour turqoise.

Right, that's me done! Your next hop will be to my talented Teamie Cathy - she'll have something wonderful for you, as always.

Happy crafting.
xx

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ............

............... 'tis cold, dear Crafty Bloglanders - temperatures are struggling to remain at freezing and are dropping bitterly at night.  My OH arrives back home from Oz tomorrow evening and is in for a terrible shock!  I'd better make sure to have a pot of something warming on the stove!

Still, it's not quite so cold as where this little fellow comes from:

Image: Mo's Digital Pencil, 'North Pole Employees' - set of two stamps (see here for my post using the other one)

Papers: October Afternoon, 'Good Cheer' collection

I love this set of stamps - they're perfect for colourful children's Christmas cards, in particular.

He was coloured with my Copics, of course, and the background was added with my trusty Prismas.  I could have done more to define the bottom of his tunic because it looks a bit flat but sometimes it's hard to tell until the photograph has been taken and you're rushing to get it posted!  Maybe next time!

This is my entry for this week's The Pink Elephant challenge, where we are being asked to use the colours 'Blue, green and red' - there's plenty of all three here, and a couple of others for free!

Anyway, I've crafting to finish as tomorrow I shall be doing the big crafting tidy up in preparation for my OH's return.  You know what it's like, while the cat's away the mouse will get out all her crafty stash and spread it liberally over the front room!

Happy crafting.
xx

Where Have All the Colours Gone?

At this time of year, I'm more used to seeing an array of golds, russetts, greens, browns, coppers, reds - I could go on - but whenever I look outside my window at the moment, there is only a blanket of white, with the odd bit of drab green poking through.  Who stole all the lovely autumn colours?  The snow is very pretty but there's only so much white a girl wants to see! 

So, in order to introduce some of those beautiful warm autumn colours, I've designed today's card, which is also my entry for the following challenges:

Stamptacular Challenge: 'Fall Colours'
Sweet Sketch Wednesday: Sketch, see below

Here it is, my little bit of autumn:

Image: A Day For Daisies, 'Holiday Mail'

Papers: Scenic Route (strips) and Pink Petticoat (gingham)

Isn't this the sweetest image - I love A Day for Daisies images but I have to be in the 'right place' to colour them as they are so delicate.

I've kept the colouring (Copics of course) very simple - just a hint of shadow and light (probably all in the wrong place!) and with a rich orange as the focal point.  I've used Scenic Route papers, which come printed in very handy strips of pattern, perfect for cutting up for something like the stripes here. 

Do you like the sunflowers?  I'm so pleased they worked.  These are simply circles punched out of pale yellow Bazzill, cut into spikey petals, layered up (two circles per flower) and a nice big brown brad for the centre.  I love these brads - can't remember who makes them but they have a lovely velvety finish, just perfect for the middle of a sunflower. 

I must say, I'm hugely enjoying being on holiday - I've done lots of crafting at a leisurely pace (rather than the frantic 'got to get it done' mode I'm usually in) and I've had time to try out some new digi companies too, which is always nice.   I shall be able to post daily for the next couple of days! Yaaaaaay!

Happy crafting.
xx

Hanging The Star

Well, what a week it has been! The weather has been dreadful - around 9 inches of snow in my garden - and temperatures are very low and getting lower!  And this means, of course, that Rentokill couldn't guarantee to make it to carry out the treatment today so (big sigh of relief) we've rescheduled and I haven't had to pack everything away! Yaaaay! Thankfully, I got to find out just before I started the final push towards packing boxes of books, DVDs, etc., and moving furniture so, other than having had a good opportunity for a clear out, I've not had to live in chaos for the past two days.  I can't tell you what a relief it is.  We still have it to do again mid-January but there will at least be two of us to go at it then!

There's more good news from Australia too - my darling MiL will be discharged from hospital on Wednesday next week and although she will not be as mobile or independent as she was before all this started, she is happy and feels well and we are so grateful to have her still with us.  She is so determined and strong, I'm sure that's what has got her through an horrendous four weeks.  Bless her!  And thank you to all of you who expressed such warm wishes - they have been passed on.

Finally, I came home to some exciting news yesterday but .... I can't tell you about it for another week and it's going to kill me keeping the secret!  Watch out for the announcement.

Anyway, on to today's post, which I hope I am just managing to sneak in before one of the challenges ends tomorrow! 

This will be my entry for:

One Stop Craft Challenge: 'Christmas Cuties'
Scrap Creations Challenge: 'Anything Goes'
City Crafter:  'Blue Christmas'
Cute Card Thursday: 'The Blues'
DP2 Challenge: 'Glitz and glimmer'
Friday Sketchers: 'Sketch challenge' - see below

Cool sketch, eh?

Image: Mo's Digital Pencil, 'Hanging the Star'

Papers: October Afternoon, 'Very Merry' collection (background); recycled brochure cover (triangle)

Isn't this the sweetest little image?  Absolutely adorable in a way that only Mo knows how.  I just want to cuddle her and kiss her plump little cheeks.  

This was a little bit of a challenge to colour, in that it seemed obvious that the light source should come from the almost overhead, slightly to the right, not my usual choice.  There were interesting shadows to capture on the face too, which I hope I've mostly managed.  This little one was coloured with my Copics, with background added with Prismas. 

(I threw a strop today with my Prismas - the more I have to sharpen them, the more I realise that the leads are badly broken inside the pencils, obviously done when shipping.  I'm really cross because on the colours I use most I'm getting maybe half a pencil's worth of good lead.  Not a happy bunny!)

Anyway, back to the card.  Using MS Publisher's preset drawing shapes, I 'drew' and printed several stars in various sizes and coloured them with my Copics so that there was a hint of light source on these too.  Then I covered them in some very fine lemon/iridescent glitter before popping them on the card.  I added just a tiny touch of the glitter to the star in the image, too.

I thought I was being tremendously clever using the old brochure cover for the triangle and, in fact, there's nothing wrong with it at all - it's lovely heavyweight paper.  But looking at the card through the lens often gives a different perspective and perhaps I should have used a different colour/pattern.  But, hey, 'tis done now and I'm not going to beat myself up about it!

So, off to link up then back to a bit more crafting in front of the television.  Need to decide whether chocolate counts as a meal or whether I should actually cook something for myself tonight! 

Take care if you're affected by any of this (or any other) bad weather - keep warm and safe.

Happy crafting.
xx