Sometimes All You Need Is A Hug!

Hello and welcome to my blog, it's a pretty dull day here in Bournemouth and has been raining but it's been so dry, it's much needed.

A simple card today but I adore this image - I made it for someone going though a tough time.  Excuse the wonky photo!

The image comes with the sentiment and is a rubber stamp from Creative Expressions by    Andy Skinner called, you guessed it, 'Sometimes all you need is a hug'.  Unfortunately              Creative Expressions has now closed down due to retirement but this stamp may still be available if you search around for it online.

I stamped and embossed the image using Versafine Clair Nocturne and Wow clear detail embossing powder and coloured with watercolour pens adding a touch of clear Wink of Stella which you can't see in the photo.  The scallop die is Julie Hickey but I can't remember the name of the set and its mounted on a 5 x 7 Kraft card blank which I made myself.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Allsort Challenge Blog - Anything Goes - It's the Allsorts 16th Birthday! Happy Birthday!

Stamping Sensations - Our Furry Friends - A teddy is definitely friendly and very furry!

Darnell's NBUS Challenge - Never Before Used Schtuff  - Mine is the gorgeous stamp and sentiment set.  It's the NBUS 75th NBUS Challenge - Happy Birthday! 

Darnell's IDEAS Calender - I - Ink/Colour Mediums - I used watercolour pens. 

Thank you again for visiting me and take care. Chris xxx💖💖💖

Hello!

 Hello and thank you for visiting me today.  I have a bright and colourful 'Hello' card today - I like making these as they can be used for any occasion,  just add a suitable sentiment inside. 

The flower die from Sizzix Wildflower Stems #2 by Tim Holtz is cut twice from black and white card using the black as a shadow.  I used the Slatted Square Die from Craft Addictions UK for the background. The set is out of stock at the moment but I am sure they will be restocking.  The stencil is Grid by Tracey Hey and the circle dies are from The Works.  I think the 'Hello' is Tracey Hey too but I can't remember which stamp set, sorry.  I used Distress Oxides to add colour through the stencil and added clear Wink of Stella to the flower and the scallops round the sentiment.  

I would like to enter the following Challenges:

Darnell's IDEAS Challenge  -  Die Cuts.

Darnell's NBUS Challenge - Never Before Used Schtuff - mine is the Slatted Square Die.

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Paper Piecing or Anything Goes - mine is Anything Goes.

The next Allsorts Challenge is their 16th birthday so certainly one to join in with! 

Thank you so much for visiting me today and I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Take care, Chris xxx💖💖💖

Time for Tea!

 Hello and welcome to my blog after another long break from me!  Today I have a card recently made for a friend's birthday who had a lovely afternoon tea to celebrate her 65th.

I used Tim Holtz Papercut Cafe Thinlet dies,  Eileen Hull Lace 3D Embossing Folder and Craft Addictions Postage Stamp die set along with papers and card etc. from my stash.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Darnell's NBUS Challenge - Never Before Used Schtuff  - mine are the teacup dies, embossing folder and postage stamp die set and mat.

Darnell's Weekly Ideas Calender - Anything Goes.

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Inspired by a song - mine is Tea for Two by Doris Day and many others too! 

Thank you so much for visiting me and take care! Chris xxx💖💖💖

I am back and with Crafty Individuals!

Hello, welcome to my blog!  It's such a long time since I last posted - its so bad.  Things just seemed to get away from me.  

I have still been crafting though and one of the companies I have been a keen follower of is Crafty Individuals.  I have been involved with them a lot on social media and Jean, co-owner with Malcolm, asked me to join their Design Team.  I was so excited!  I wasn't sure at first because of my health problems but there is no pressure so I said yes.

This Friday on Create and Craft TV channel at 7am and 11am UK time Crafty Individuals

have shows with awesome stamps, stencils and other fab goodies along with Jean's amazing demonstrations, well worth a watch! 

Here are a couple of Sneak Peeks of what is coming on the show:

The rest of the Design Team are amazing and their samples are wonderful!

Here is a previous card from an earlier release so you get to see a full card today as well:

The beautiful main image is Crafty Individuals CI-648 Blue Tit. And the sentiment is from CI-605.  I used a Lavinia Stamps stencil for the background - CI products work with everything you will already have.

I still use all my other companies stamps, stencils etc. so I hope to be posting more regularly now I have started, fingers crossed!  I am also looking forward to catching up with all your blogs too!  Sorry I have been away for so long. 

Thank you so much for visiting me!  Take care, hugs. xxx💖💖💖

Snowflake Card!

Hello and welcome to my blog.   Its been a while since I posted, I seem to struggle getting things done at the moment, so sorry! 

Here we have a Christmas card with no stamping at all.

The background is made using a piece of card from my 'bits of previous coloured card' shelf.   It started life as a much larger piece, 12 x 12 I think, and this was part of what was left.  I can't even remember if I used sprays or ink pads to colour it.  I embossed it with a snowflake folder by Lisa Horton then gently went over it with a neutral wax to add extra shine.   The 'let it snow' is a Stamplorations die and the snowflake is Sizzix.  I glued it to a card base and voila!

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Snippets Playground - use Snippets - mine are the sentiment and the snowflake.  The piece of card I embossed is part of what was left from a larger piece of card I had previously coloured - think it is too big to be a snippet though!  I forgot to photograph the pieces the Snippets came from, silly me!

Darnell's NBUS Challenge! - Never Before Used Schtuff  - Mine is the gorgeous embossing folder!

I am really looking forward to Christmas,  I love this time of the year.  I am definitely a big kid!  

Thank you again for visiting me and take good care of yourselves. 

Hugs Christine xxx

Christmas Wreath!

 Hello and thank you so much for visiting me, a Christmas card today.

The background is made using the Natural Woodgrain slimline embossing folder by Lisa Horton, the wreath is using Sizzix thinlets die set Wreath and Snowflake, the labels for the sentiment are Sizzix Layered Labels and the sentiment is from a clear stamp set from Creative Expressions called Joyful Wishes.  I added a couple of sparkly stones and some gold sparkle pen.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Snippets Playground  - use snippets - I forgot to take a photo of the snippets I used but everything except the card blank and the embossed panel are snippets - the wreath is made of four layers of snippets alone before the berries, ribbon and bird!

Darnell,s NBUS challenge - use never before used schtuff - the wreath set, labels set, sentiment set and embossing folder are all NBUS.

Allsorts Challenge - Anything but square - mine is a DL card.

Thank you again for visiting me and have a fabulous weekend!  Take care.  Hugs Chris xxx

First Christmas Card for 2023!

Hello, and thank you so much for visiting me!  I have finally got round to starting my Christmas cards for this year - it is really late for me, oops!

I used Sue Wilson's Triple Layering Christmas Tree die on an embossed snowfall background - I can't remember the make of the folder, then added sparkles and little pearls from my stash.  The sentiment is from Woodware Christmas Extras stamp set. The card is 5 x 7 inches with a little chopped off the bottom.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Snippets Playground - Use snippets. Here are mine -

It was this Snippets challenge that got me going on my Christmas cards at last - Thank you so much!!!

Darnell's NBUS Challenge  - Never Before Used Schtuff - mine are the Christmas tree die and the sentiment.

Well, hopefully now I have started on my Christmas cards I will keep going and get them all made in time, fingers crossed!

Thank you again for visiting and take care. Hugs  Chris xxx