My Favourite 5 Christmas Cards

Hi,

While H is watching Puss N' Boots and putting together his latest Christmas 'Chima' Lego, i thought i would do this post - i hope you are all having a lovely relaxing Christmas with people you enjoy spending time with.

The lovely Debby is doing her Favourite 5 Christmas Cards again this year and here are mine :

My first one is from March and it was made for my Best Friend who lives in Australia, plus i love any Snowman image too.

I so love the paper pack i have used on this card, but i find it difficult to use, because of it's size 41/2 inches by 6 inches, therefore this sketch is just perfect 

My love of Snowmen again !!, plus i'd seen a few of these Bendi cards about and decided to have ago at making one

This image came with 3 other stamps i bought from ebay - originally it was the PB one i wanted, but out of them all this is the first one i inked up, as in this house to us, it's not Christmas Day until we see a Robin eating out of the bird feeder.

I so love making shaped cards and using stamps that are old, so this is a perfect match, as the stamp is from 1995

Thanks for looking and hopefully i have picked one or two that you like too, all comments are much appreciated and enjoy the rest of the Christmas break, Luv Sam x

Sleepy Stocking

Hi,

We had a fabby time at Chessington World Of Adventures on Saturday - but i've never been there in big coats, hats and gloves though !!, today H has gone to a cookery day and tomorrow he is joining Alan in London for his companies childrens party, which his European Director pays for (well he does drive a Ferrari, so i think he can afford it !!).

Whilst looking through my Xmas card collection i noticed i hadn't used a House Mouse stamp, so i thought i had better remedy that !!, stamp : House Mouse - 'Sleepy Stocking', papers are : My Minds Eye - 'Wonderful Winter Glittery Collection', the stocking die (first time of using it): Memory Box - 'Precious Stockings', the row of stockings (I bought at Crafts U Love sale): Crafts - Too - 'Stocking Surprise', sentiment : Penny Black - 'Christmas Banners' stamped in Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Peeled Paint, then embossed with Crystal Embossing Powder, ribbon - The Ribbon Girls and pearls are from my stash.

The Challenges I Would Like To Enter Are :

House Mouse - where Challenge No: HMFC No: 184 is 'The Final Challenge Of 2014 - Christmas / New Year'

Winter Wonderland - where the Challenge is 'Fussy And Fancy'

Gruffies And Guests - where Challenge No: 12  is 'Christmas With The Option Of Blue And Silver' - sorry i didn't do this time.

Dream Valley - where Challenge No: 97 is 'Christmas'

Papertake Weekly - where the Challenge is 'Pick A Favourite'

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas And New Year and thank you for all the lovely comments you have been kind enough to leave me over the year, they are all very much appreciated, Luv Sam x

Sweet Snowman

Hi,

Today is H's last day at school and tomorrow is an inset day, so we are going to walk Whisper, get H's hair cut and then chill out on the sofa watching 'Mr Popper's Penguins' (that i bought for £3 the other day), on Saturday H and I are going to 'Chessington World Of Adventures' for their Santa experience with some friends.

I can't believe we are up to mid month postings for Penny Black And More  and our Challenge is : 'Special Occasions - can include Christmas' and as usual we have some fabby sponsors :

Penny Black 

Crafty Ribbons

Flonzcraft

Nice Crane

And one lucky person using a Penny Black image will be picked to be Guest Designer for next month so pop over to Penny Black And More, check out the other amazing inspiration the very talented team have come up with and join in the fun - But Please Do Remember You Can Use Any Image You Like, Except Digi's.

After making my Penny Black version of the card i made with Kay Carley, i wanted to make one this time using Penny Black stamps as the background too : Penny Black - 'Sweet Snowman / 40-006', the trees : Penny Black - 'Wonder Collection (came free with a magazine)', stamped in silver embossing powder, snowflakes : Penny Black - 'Crystalline / 30-018' stamped in white embossing powder, i then distressed all over : Tim Holtz - 'Stormy Sky, Milled Lavendar, Chipped Sapphire'.

The Challenges I Would Like To Enter Are :

Winter Wonderland - where the Challenge is 'Presents'

Penny Black Friends - where December's Challenge is 'Snowflakes'

Stampin Sensations - where December's Challenge is 'Winter Wonderland'

Papertake Weekly - where the Challenge is : 'Last Christmas - Card Of The Year'

Simon Say's Stamp - where the Challenge is 'Winter Inspiration'

Thanks for looking and for any comments you would like to leave, would be most appreciated, Luv Sam x

Lovely Bubbly

Hi,

I had a fabby time at Crafts U Love on Saturday, although i was a little surprised to find only 4 other cars in the carpark at 9.20am, when i got there (please see photo below of just the bargains i bought, a few other things did fall into my basket as well ;-) ).  Went to H's Christmas concert last night, although as he was on the back wall, with 5 rows in front, we hardly saw him !!

The teacher H had last year has a birthday on 21st December, so i thought i had better make her a card, as she is so lovely and we always have a laugh when we see her, she'll probably give me some ribbing for a cat image (as she has a dog), but i'm hoping i'll be forgiven, as it includes a bottle of Champagne ;-), the stamp is : Penny Black - 'Lovely Bubbly / 2099K' (although the name does remind me of 'Only Fools And Horses !!), the papers (are actually Xmas ones) : Echo Park - 'Merry Christmas', the banner : Die-namics - 'Fishtail Flags', turned round, once one side had been cut, the sentiment : LOTV, the star : Sizzix, the pearls are from stash.

The Challenges I Would Like To Enter Are :

Moving Along With The Times - where the Challenge is 'December's Birthday's'

A Little Bit Crafty - where the Challenge is 'Anything Goes, But Not Christmas'

Sketch Saturday - where they are up to Week No: 340 and a super sketch, that i will use again, as it's so suitable for my bigger PB images.

Thanks for looking and for any comments you would like to leave, would be most appreciated, Luv Sam x

Especially For You !

Hi,

I'm hoping Mr Blogger is playing nice as i've scheduled this, as hopefully i will be at 'Crafts U Love' for their sale, which starts at 9am, i've tried to get their for a couple of years, but i've always been busy or weather has not been good. H is feeling a little better thanks, but he is absolutely shattered though and next week gets worse with his school concert on Monday and Tuesday night, but we will see how he is, as he may not go on Tuesday night.

Although i have this super image on a transparent set, i always thought it was too small, luckily i was able to get it in the wooden version : Penny Black - 'Especially For You ! / 1511K / 1999', the papers are : Doodlebug - 'Christmas Cheer and Christmas Kaleidoscope', the holly is : MS Punch - 'Holly' and decorated with gems from my stash, the sentiment is : LOTV - 'Christmas Tags' (with the tag bit, masked off).

The Challenges I Would Like To Enter Are : 

Crafty Little Fairies - where the December Challenge is : 'Holly And / Or Ivy'

Divas By Design - where the Challenge is 'Seeing Red'

Sweet Sketch - where they have another fabby Sketch

Papertake Weekly - where the Challenge is 'Paperplay'

Cardz 4 Guyz - where Challenge No: 48 is 'Winter Critters'

Thanks for looking and for any comments you would like to leave, would be most appreciated, Luv Sam x

Winter Snuggles!

Hi,

I had a fantastic time in London on Saturday night at 'White Christmas', starring Tom Chambers and Aled Jones and i managed to get myself a lovely sparkly handbag from 'Hobbs' (my Christmas present to myself ;-) ).  At the moment i have one very tired, full of cold 7 year old, who managed to loose a brand new pair of gloves yesterday and is on a school trip today to 'Butser Farm' with cold hands, as he hasn't got a spare pair.

CAS cards feel me with dread, but i thought as the postage has cost me rather alot this year (especially to Australia, where it was £4 to send a birthday and Xmas card), i thought i would give it a go - although it feels a little bear to me, what do you think ? the stamp is: Penny Black - 'Winter Snuggles / 2999J / 2004', i've framed the image with : MS - 'Snowflake round the corner Punch', the papers are : Dovecraft - 'Winter Wonderland', the sentiment is : Penny Black - 'Christmas Banners /40-253', which i embossed with: Papermania / Heat It Up - 'Blue Glass'.

The Challenges I Would Like To Enter Are :

Dream Valley - where Challenge No: 96 is 'True Blue'

Sparkles Christmas - where Challenge No: 47 is 'A Blue Blue Christmas'

Without Words - where December's Challenge is 'Christmas - Modern Look'

Allsorts  - where Challenge No; 288 is 'Animal Magic'

Penny Black Saturday - where the December Challenge is 'Snowing'

Thank you for looking and for any comments (and i'm sorry Mr Blogger is messing around at the moment too, but if you ignore the number verification and just click yes to publish your comment, you can bypass it), would be most appreciated, Luv Sam x

Christmas Tree

Hi,

Well as this post goes live i am hopefully chilling out, as i wouldn't have got in till midnight, as i went to see 'White Christmas' in London starring Tom Chambers and Aled Jones with my dancing group and today H is off with the Beavers, for a Santa Experience at 'Amberley Museum', so Alan and I are going for lunch.

Today is the first Sunday in December, so it's the start of the Penny Black And More  Challenge and it's 'Special Occasions - which can include Christmas' and as usual we have some fabby sponsors :

Penny Black

Crafty Ribbons 

Flonzcraft 

Nicecrane

And one lucky person using a Penny Black image will be picked to be Guest Designer for next month so pop over to Penny Black And More, so go check out the other amazing inspiration the very talented team have come up with and join in the fun - but please remember you can use any image you like, except Digi's - if you use a Digi, you will not be entitled to a prize'

I needed a card for Alan's Dad and i thought this stamp would be perfect : Penny Black - 'Christmas Tree / 819K / 1996' the image is a lot more sparkly, then the picture shows, as I stamped it in Versamark and then covered it in Crystal Embossing Powder and have added glossy accents to the candles, baubles and beads, as he is 75, i thought he would prefer a vintage style and thanks to the lovely Brenda who recommended these fabby papers : First Edition - 'Vintage Noel', the sentiment is: LOTV - 'Christmas Tags', the tree brads are : Woodware and the ribbon is from my stash.

The Challenges I Would Like To Enter Are :

The Ribbon Girls - where the December Challenge is 'Anything Goes'

52 Christmas Card Throwdown  - where the Challenge is 'To Pick A Previous Challenge' and i have gone for Challenge No: 21 from September 2013 - 'Christmas Trees'

Papertake Weekly - where the Challenge is 'Anything Goes'

Christmas Cards All Year Round - where the December Challenge is 'Anything, but sqaure or rectangle'.

Kreativeinkauf Challenger  - where the Challenge is 'Christmas Trees'

Thanks for looking and if you would like to leave a comment, it would be most appreciated, Luv Sam  x

Santa Claws Sleigh Ride

Hi,

Well the it's starting to look like Christmas in this house, the tree is up and i've been over to The Range to get a little tree for H, so he can put all the decorations on, that he has made - he wanted a tree as he thinks Santa won't know where to come to deliver his presents, if he doesn't have one :-).

I so love the old Penny Black stamps and this is one of them : 'Santa Claws Sleigh Ride / 824H / 1995', i've cut the image with : Die-namics - 'Pierced Squares', the card shape is : Go Kreate - 'Large Frames Frilly #9', the papers are : Cosmo Cricket - 'Jolly By Golly', the panel going down is : Die-namics - 'Fishtail Flags Stax', the bell banner is : Whiff Of Joy - 'Bell Festoon', the round snowflake is : Martha Stewart - 'Deep Edge / Skyland Snowflake', that is an edging punch, but ages ago i was shown how to turn into a circle, the sentiment is : Traditional Christmas Tag-Its, i didn't have gold pearls, but i did have gold embossing powder, so covered them and heated, the bell and ribbon is from stash.

 

The Challenges I Would Like To Enter Are :

Divas By Design - where the Challenge is 'Jingle Bells'

Winter Wonderland - where the Challenge is 'Dies And Punches' - the punch i've used is - MS - 'Deep Edge / Skyland Snowflake', the rest of dies

Fab N' Funky - where Challenge No: 239 is 'Anything With Die Cuts'

ABC Christmas - where 'X is for Xmas Music' - use some music paper 

MAWTT - where the Challenge is 'Inspired By A Song' - mine is 'Sleigh Ride'

Sweet Stampin' - where the Challenge is 'Let It Snow'

Thanks for looking and for any comments you would like to leave would be most appreciated, Luv Sam x