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

Its Been A While!

 Hello, Its been a long time since I last blogged, nearly a year in fact, I am going to try and do better.  Sorry I haven't been visiting your blogs either, again, I will try and do much better with that too!

I have a card today that is for a really good friend's 70th birthday. Jean's birthday isn't till Sunday but she doesn't use the Internet so no fear of her seeing this before then.  

The stamps are all Crafty Individuals, the number die is Sizzix, the circle die is The Works, the banner die is Elizabeth Crafts, the main lattice die is Positively Papercraft and the technique I used for the main image was from Ann at Positively Papercraft's YouTube channel.  She has some amazing ideas.  The inks are Versafine Clair and I chose colours that Jean likes.  The circle, numbers and banner are all snippets of card.  

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Snippets Playground - use Snippets - mine are the numbers, circle and banner.

Allsorts Challenge - Summertime.

We Love Stamping - fabulous floral.

Stamping Sensations - summer flowers.

Thank you so much for visiting me!  It feels very good to be blogging again.  I hope I manage to keep it up!  Fingers crossed. 

Take care and have a good week. Hugs Chris xxx💖💖💖

Reindeer!

 Hello and thank you so much for visiting me!

A Christmas card today.

The background is a Cuttlebug embossing folder and the Reindeer and sentiment are both Sizzix dies.  I managed to find enough Snippets of red card to make five of these - it was tricky making sure I matched the right red to the sentiment on each one though but I managed it!  I wasn't even sure I would have a big enough snippet for one Reindeer,  it's amazing how much we keep over the years!

I added dots of silver stickles to the stag and fine clear glitter to the background.  I made the A6 card bases myself.  I didn't think to add stickles to the 'noel' before I took the photo, but will do that later on.  The reds all match on this one but the base card doesn't quite match on all five! 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Snippets Playground - Use Snippets. 

NBUS - Never Before Used Schtuff - mine are both the Reindeer and noel! 

Christmas Crafts All Year Long - Anything Christmas 

Thank you again for visiting me!  Have a lovely weekend.  

Take care. Hugs Christine xxx

You Are Dino-mite!

 Hello and thank you for visiting me! Today I have a card I made for my Son Michael's 40th birthday last month.  He is my youngest, his sister Sarah is 41 - doesn't time fly! 

I Iove this image which is from Pink Ink and is stamped in Nocturne Versafine Clair, embossed and watercoloured.  The leaves are a Funky Fossil stencil.  The balloon and numbers are dies cut from snippets of card as was the sentiment.  I drew the string on the balloon to tie round his tail and added glossy accents to his horns and eye.  

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Snippets Playground - use Snippets.

Stamping Sensations - make it masculine. 

Allsorts Challenge Blog - any stamped image.

Darnell's NBUS Challenge - Never Before Used Schtuff - my lovely dinosaur stamp set is by NBUS.

I am not sure what happened to the edge spacing above but I am using my tablet instead of my laptop and it seems to have a mind of its own and will not let me correct it, sorry!

Thank you again for visiting me.  It's very sunny and hot here in Bournemouth today.  According to the weather lady its going to hit 30 degrees by Friday.  That will please lots of people - I am an autumn/winter girl (ok, old lady!) myself so won't be out enjoying the rays!  

Have a fabulous week whatever you are doing and take care! Hugs Christine! xxx