Happy News

Just before Christmas, my son Sam announced his engagement to Heather. They have been together since 6th form and they are now 25 and 24.
 It was way too busy over Christmas to get a card made right away, but here is the finished article. I've gone for a pretty 'hearts and flowers' theme.

The image is Lili of the Valley and the flowers are from Wild Orchid. Die cuts are Marianne and Crealies and the paper is from my stash.


The insert was done on the computer and then stamped with stamps from Chocolate Baroque.  

We are all out to celebrate tonight, so I'm off to do a few jobs before then.


Gina x

White Christmas 2

A second card for the White Christmas Challenge run by Glenda of Chocolate Baroque. This one is a simple white emboss of the trees from Fat Robin.

The backing paper is from the Season's Greetings CD ROM which is on special offer at the moment - too good to miss.
Good luck to everyone taking part in the challenge, the prize fund is now up to £32 and the more entries we make, the more chance we have of winning and the bigger the prize fund gets. The challenge closes December 15th.


Hugs,  Gina x

White Christmas

Even with all of the lovely new Christmas stamps I have bought this year, I've gone back to a real favourite for my first entry for chocolate baroque's White Christmas Challenge. The house stamp is from the wonderful  New England Winter themeplate, as is the dark pine tree you can see in the background.

The house and Christmas tree are a single stamp and the pine tree in the background is separate. I've done a lot of masking and overstamping to create the garden scene, with trees from Village Life, bushes from English Cottages and fence from  Townhouses. These are available separately, but are a real bargain when you get them on multibuy.

The background is done using TH distress inks in tumbled glass, stormy sky and chipped sapphire, coloured over the masked stamping. It was spritzed with water for a snowy feel and then with Cosmic Shimmer in sunlight mist. 


The house, trees and fence are coloured with promarkers and the roof and trees decorated with glitter.  The ground is covered in pinflair's ice diamond for a wintery sparkle. 


Finally, I trimmed it to size and matted and layered it onto black mirricard and another sheet of hand coloured backing paper. The 'Merry Christmas' sentiment was from one of my favourite buys this Christmas, the gorgeous Fat Robin themeplate.

Stained Glass Window

I've been playing with another of my Christmas stamps from Chocolate Baroque. This time its the stained glass window from the Stained Glass Christmas themeplate.


While it isn't perfect, I did get the effect that I was hoping for...

I've had to photograph this from a bit of an angle to avoid too much glare on the mirriboard and acetate surfaces.


The stained glass window was stamped using Stazon onto the acetate and allowed to dry.


I then added colour to the flames and the holly using promarkers - being very careful not to actually touch the stazon!!




The next stage was the gilding. I wanted to get different colour zones using different colours of gilding flakes. However, since I only have one pot of Lancashire Rose gilding flakes, that involved picking out individual flakes in different colours and applying them to specific areas that I had glued separately. I had gilding flakes everywhere but the effect was close to what I wanted.


I trimmed the acetate to the size of the window frame and then mounted it on black glitter card. Somehow, and I'm not sure how, I managed to get a little crack in the gilding after I had glued it to the glitter card. A little bronze glitter mat, some ribbon and some smokey mirriboard finish it off.


I like the card and I will do something similar again but definitely not until I've got hold of individual coloured gilding flakes.


Gina x

Fat Robins

I've made quite a few cards using this little stamp. It is part of the Fat Robin themeplate from Chocolate Baroque.

The image was stamped with memento in rich cocoa and then coloured with pro-markers.


The robins are covered in glossy accents and the pie and holly glittered with holographic glitter.


I used spellbinders labels C to cut out both the coloured image and the bronze glitter card mount.



The corners were stamped with a corner stamp from New England Winter. Again available from Chocolate Baroque, and then covered in gilding flakes. A little bow finishes it off.

This one is almost the same but with the image cut out in the different orientation.


My last one to share is just a little card. The robins are decoupaged and a sentiment added and embossed.

That's all for now, see you again soon.


Gina x

Sunrise surprise

I was blog hopping the other day, and found that my local craft shop Sunrise Crafts had donated blog candy. Hop over to Krafty - Cuts for a chance to win the Tilda with Cookies shown on the side bar. Hope I'm the lucky one though. ;-)

Hugs,

Gina

Look what Debbie's got

Debbie Dolphin's offering beautiful blog candy at the moment, part of which is the gorgeous 'Tilda with Snowheart' that you can see on the sidebar.

Yummy,

Gina

Shhhh - its a secret

The clocks have gone back and the nights are drawing in, all signs that Christmas is getting closer. I've been making Christmas cards and this one is for the MDUC challenge - to hide something in your creation.

This card uses glitter Tilda from the Sweet Christmas Dreams 2011 collection. The tree is from Stained Glass Christmas by Chocolate Baroque. Colouring is done using pro-markers and Distress inks in Old Paper and Dusty Concord. Dies are by Marianne and Crealies.

Punchy Halo Tilda

There is a new challenge at MDUC to use punches and dies in your work.
I've made this card using Halo Tilda from the Sweet Christmas Dreams collection, colouring her with pro-markers.

Decorations are a mix of Spellbinders and Marianne dies and floral punches. I really enjoyed making this one.
Gina x

Ruby Wedding

A slight departure from my usual makes in a ruby wedding anniversary card for a friend's parents.

Hope they like it..

Gina x

Fat Robin

Well I did manage to make a card this week and who could fail really when you have such a beautiful stamp to work with.

This is made using the gorgeous 'fat robin' themeplate from chocolate baroque. I've put crystal glitter on the leaves and holographic glitter on the snowflakes. The robin himself is decoupaged from a second stamping on centura pearl card to give him a bit of a sheen. I resisted the urge to put gems in the centre of the snowflakes but I'll probably make a second one with gems and compare them later.

Gina x

Steampunk

Well, I promised myself I would make a card today. It is only using a Kanban topper, but its turned out OK and since its my son's 25th birthday tomorrow, that is who it is for.

I just need to get back into a routine again and hopefully work will quieten down over the next few weeks giving me more time to craft.

Hope to be back next week with something else.

Hugs,  Gina x

Time to get moving

I haven't blogged for two months and have no idea where the time has gone.

I promise myself that I will make a card tomorrow. I have the gorgeous Klimt baubles from Chocolate Baroque just waiting for ink so hopefully I'll have something to post tomorrow.

Off out shortly for my son's birthday. Can't believe that he is 25 on Monday...

Carousel

I'm so pleased to have broken up for the school holidays - it was just manic for the last few weeks and its nice to get a lie in.
I've got a couple of cards to share that I have done with just one of the stamps from the carousel horses theme plate from Chocolate Baroque
The first is an 8 by 8 card completed with virtually all Chocolate Baroque products.

The backing paper is printed from the Essence of Nature CD. The horse is stamped in memento tuxedo black and coloured with pro markers.

The insert was printed on the computer and then stamped with the horse. The corner ornaments are from the New England winter stamp plate.


I think the horse looks good in monochrome.






Now onto a second card. It has turned out very sweet and girly, but I just couldn't help myself. These stamps are so gorgeous.

The backing paper is again from the Essence of Nature CD. As you can see, I've stamped the horse in versamark and then embossed with silver EP. The horse is coloured in shades of purples, lilac and lavender then cut out with a nestie and mounted on a scalloped oval. I've added a Marianne Creatables tag and  flowers, some punched leaves, a sentiment from Lili of the Valley and a charm. Its all a bit busy but its turned out cute so that's OK.

LIM 24 Circles

Wow, I can't beieve its been a month since I posted. One day things will slow down and I'll get more opportunity to blog.
Less is More this week are asking us to use circles and this card certainly does that.

I've had this circle and spot paper for ages it is from a scrapbook pad called Kit'nKraft that I got from TK Max. I'll be sad when it has all gone because it is so useful with small circles, squares and lines, all in co-ordinating shades of blue, turquoise and lavender.

The foliage stamp is part of the Perfect Paisleys stamp set from Chocolate Baroque, the sentiment was part of a set and the label is a stamp and punch from Stampin Up.


Get yourself over to Chocolate Baroque, they have some fantastic stamps, all really high quality. Carousel Horses is one of my current favourites. I'll make a post later if I get time with one of the cards I've made with just one of the images.

See you soon,

Hugs,

Gina x

LIM 19 - one layer

I haven't posted for a while because of holidays etc so I was really looking forward to seeing what Mandi and Chrissie had for us this week. As soon as I saw the challenge, I had an idea.

I decided that I wanted to make a door - in a frame, of course.

My first attempt is very close to what I wanted and didn't take very long either.

I measured and marked lightly with pencil, the position and size for my door and then masked it out with post-its, putting the post-it just inside the line.

Then, using TH Distress ink pads, I built up the colour on the door just by dragging the pad down over the card. I used bundled sage, vintage photo and wild honey, using the bundled sage each time between colour changes.

When the ink was dry, I stamped the hinges and knocker using Crafty Individuals stamps and vintage photo distress ink. I painted the keyhole freehand with vintage photo.

The door planks were marked on with a Sakura Gelly Roll pen.

Finally, I removed the post its, rubbed out the pencil lines and did the frame with a sandstone promarker then embossed lines around the outer edge of the door frame.

The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley.

Thank you for looking and see you again soon,

Gina x

LIM 16 - Butterflies

I'm very late making a post this week - lots on at work and I haven't felt too brilliant either, but I had to make something for butterflies. In fact I've made 2 and could have made more as I love butterfly stamps. My first one uses a flower stamp from  Glenda Waterworth's Elusive Images 'Wild Meadow' and a butterfly from 'Butterfly Dreams' by her new company Chocolate Baroque.

The butterfly is stamped first onto the white card using Versamagic Purple Hydrangea and extra colour added with pro markers. Then I stamped onto vellum and when it had dried added some glitter along the wing markings.

I cut out the second vellum butterfly and stuck it over the first to give dimension.

The flower was coloured with pro markers and a bit of glitter added to the flowers.

The edges are inked with dusty concord distress ink.


My second card uses a butterfly from Elusive Images 'Patchwork Butterfly' stamped onto acetate and embossed with silver embossing powder.

I painted the back of the acetate with Sakura Crystal Laquer and sprinkled on Beadazzles.

When it was dry, I cut it out, bent back the wings and stuck onto a card I had mat and layered with matt silver paper and black linen card.

The sentiment was stamped in versamark and embossed in silver.

The photos were both taken indoors as I've only just finished tham and wanted to get them up, so the black looks a bit grey.

Not sure if I'll make it next week as we're off on holiday (flights permitting) on Saturday.

Gina x

LIM 15 - OLC with embossing

I managed to have a quick play this morning and came up with this card for this week's Less is More challenge.

I stamped flowers from Elusive Images Big Flowers stamp set in versamark and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I masked, restamped and embossed again to build up the border. 5mm wide masking tape (available from Chocolate Baroque) was used to create the white stripe and wider masking tape to get the outer sharp edge. After all of the masking tape was in place, I inked with Spun Sugar distress ink and then used Worn Lipstick to darken the edges. Finally, I stamped the sentiment with Spun Sugar distress ink.

I was quite pleased that this turned out more or less as I had planned, with one exception. When I scored the fold line I slipped with the folding tool and left a mark on the front of the card near the bottom. Luckily I hadn't yet stamped the sentiment so I just cut off the bottom and hey presto, a square card. All it needed was a bit of Worn Lipstick DI to darken the bottom edge and it was fine.

Off now to post my link and check out some of the other entries.

Gina x

LIM 14

The challenge this week for Less is More was a tricky one; white on white. I had lots of ideas for this, but when I made the first one, I decided there was too much embossing for it to be CAS.

I'm still pondering about where to take this one to finish it off. I will probably try a sentiment on the lower third, maybe with a scroll mount?
















Mandi and Chrissie were absolutely right, taking the photo was not easy and the one of my final entry isn't great, but it was the best of a bad bunch.

I used a square linen effect card and cut out the heart aperture with a Nellie Snellen multiframe.

Behind the aperture is a soft vellum paper with a small  flower print. 

I made some paper flowers and added them on top of some foliage cut with a Marianne die.

I did wonder about adding an acetate butterfly but decided to leave it alone at this stage.

Wonder what thay will come up with for us next week?

See you again,

Gina x

Congratulations card

I can't believe I've made 3 cards for this week's Less is More challenge but a colleague at work just got engaged, so I had another congratulations card to make.

This uses Nellie's multi frames for the heart and a downloaded font called young love.
This is definitely my last card for week 13.

Gina x

LIM 13

I've missed a couple of weeks due to holidays, so I've made two cards for this week's challenge at Less is More. The challenge this week is deciding what to choose to do, since the task is to make either a congratulations card or a thank you card. I've made both since they are such useful cards to have in stock.

Here is my congratulations card.

The peacock stamp is by Elusive Images and is available from Chocolate Baroque. The sentiment is slightly off centre to allow for the bow, but I wish I'd centred it exactly now.

My second card is a thank you card using a simple pleated rosette, placed on top of another Elusive Images stamp. This one is the flourish from Patchwork Butterfly.

See you again next week now we are back from holidays.

Gina x

Happy Easter

Happy Easter is what I have chosen to focus on for the Less is More challenge to make a one layer card with sentiment.

The sentiment is computer generated and the cross is a stamp from the Elusive Images Sympathy plate coloured with watercolour pencils.

Gina x

Candy Canes

I've got to get my challenges done fairly quickly this week as I'm off skiing on Tuesday, Yay. My first one is for Bah! Humbug! where Ann and Max have asked us to use candy canes. I did think about using real ones, but Ann has proved that they are too much of a sweet temptation since she ate hers before the challenge!

  
For this one I made a candy cane background paper using clip art, building it up into a solid block using text boxes in 'Word'.

The little dog is 'Bismark' by Mo Manning, he is so cute I think he will feature on quite a lot of my cards this year.

He's coloured in using pro markers. His hat, scarf and bow are in ruby, his bone is ivory and he is in ice grey 1 and warm grey 1.



I've added sakura crystal laquer to the bow on the bone and his nose to make them shine but the photo doesn't show that too well.

A little red ribbon and bow add the finishing touches and he's ready to go.

I'll be late with my entry next week, but should just about manage it unless I'm too jet lagged to craft.

Gina x

Smile

I really thought I wouldn't make this week's Bah! Humbug! challenge as I just don't have 'funny' Christmas stash. Looking at the fabulous DT cards and focussing on the idea that it just had to raise a smile, I hope my offering will do because I think this little boy is just so cute.

Since I just couldn't afford to buy all of the gorgeous stamps on the Lili of the Valley stand at the NEC, I consoled myself with a few sheets of their die cuts, making this a very simple card to make. All I had to do was add a bit of glitter and mat it onto a piece of distressed red Christmas paper and it was done. It certainly makes me smile so I hope you like it too.

Gina x

Best Friend

Just a quick post with the card I've made using 'Secret Tilda'. She is coloured in with pro markers with the main colours being orchid, amethyst, turquose and marine.

The papers are from Red Hot Bed Contemporary Collection, sentiment is Lili of the Valley and flowers and seam binding are from Wild Orchid.

Gina x

LIM week 9

I'm nice and early with my entry for Less Is More for a change this week. I've had a free morning so I have taken some time to do a bit of crafting. As soon as I saw this week's challenge, I knew what I wanted to do.

Its my friend Lou's birthday coming up and she just adores shoes, so this card will be for her.

The shoe is designed by Jak Heath and was a digital download as part of the Help for Katie package. It was originally facing the other way, but I flipped it horizontally and removed the original sentiment because it fitted my card better. Apologies Jak that your copyright signature also got flipped.

The sentiment was done in word, using text boxes to vary the font size and alignment. The jewelled bezel was part of the new stash I got at the NEC last weekend and I added a red gem from paperchase in the centre.

I've saved this design because I think I'll use it again and it did take longer than you would think to get the sentiment and image lined up to print in the right place on the card.

Thank you Chrissie and Mandi for another great challenge.

Gina x

LIM Week 8 - Sketch

Hooray, I've finished the marking and managed to find time to do some crafting tonight. I've made my card following the sketch for Less is More and here it is. I do love this challenge and I fully expect to find in excess of 200 entries when I finally link this card.

I love to visit other people's blogs to comment on the card but there are just too many now to get around, so I limit myself otherwise I'd spend all night surfing and do zero crafting.

The specification was for a DL card which I am not normally drawn to but I did like the finished card.

The cardstock is pale blue, from Paper Mill and I've used one of my favourite spotty ribbons which I get from my local craft shop - Sunrise Crafts.

The doily and circle are cut using Nellie Snellen dies and the sentiment is one of the Lily of the Valley stamps I bought at the NEC this weekend.

The little hearts were punched from the same cardstock as the base and glittered. I also put a little glitter rim on the sentiment mat.

Not long now until the end of term and skiing in America. Can't wait.



Gina x

Christmas tree

I've had a bit of a struggle to get any crafting done this week. I spent all of Saturday at the NEC, buying lots of new stash, but I haven't yet managed to play with any of it.

However, I have managed to make a Christmas tree card for this week's Bah! Humbug! challenge which also meets the criteria for CHNC's 'square card' challenge.

I've chosen the daylight photo even though it doesn't show the glitter on the tree very well because the colours are more true to life.

Materials used were: paper from Artylicious 'Season's Greetings CD; tree stamp by Personal Impressions coloured in Ruby promarker; gems from Paperchase and ribbon from my stash. The die cut is Spellbinders labels A, extended in length and distressed with Barn Door DI.

Off now to mark more GCSE coursework. :-(

Gina x

What a challenge

Not my best card ever...

This week the 'challenge' at Less is More is entitled 'Masculine' and I'm sure Mandi and Chrissie knew just how difficult a challenge this would be.

I have made this card with a stamp from clarity stamps and I'm ashamed to admit it but this is the first ink it has seen. Its coloured in with pro markers in petrol blue, red, ice grey 1, ginger, raw sienna and sandstone.

The one thing I'm not too happy about is that the Neenah card is a more creamy white than the base card. I did try it on a brown base but liked that even less, so this is my best effort. Any suggestions about getting a good white base card to match Neenah card will be gratefully received.

Gina x

Christmas Cones

My card this week has lots of pine cones on - I always think that pine cones are part of Christmas - I've even had pine scented candles.

Unusually for me, I've managed to make a card that hits three challenges, so this card is being linked to Bah! Humbug! - use metallic, CHNC - use silver and I've based the design on the lovely Jingle Belles sketch drawn by Allison Fillo.

When I was taking the photograph, I realised that the pine cones looked better the other way up.

Too late to change it now, I'll have to try to remember next time. Mind you, the sketch looks interesting upside down so I might give that a try on something else.

Stamp by Elusive Images - which may be available again soon through Chocolate Baroque. Keep an eye on Glenda's blog to catch the launch of the new company. Papers from my stash.

See you next week.

Gina x

Less is More - Off the edge

My final post of the day is to share the card I have done for week 6 of Less is More. The challenge this week is to make a one layer card, with part of the stamping going off the edge.

The design was roughed out first and then I printed the sentiment straight onto the card.

The next stage was to stamp the butterfly - part of the Elusive Images Patchwork Butterfly themeplate.

Next, I masked off the butterfly and stamped the flower - again Elusive Images - I think its from Big Flowers.



After that I had to mask off the flower as well and add the flourishes - from Elusive Images Patchwork Butterfly again.

I didn't colour it in at first and tried out a couple of colour schemes. I finally decided on subtle colours but with added glitter on the flower centre and in patches on the butterfly wings.

This definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone but I am quite pleased with the end result.

See you next week.

Gina x

Jingle Belles - Cool Yule

My second post for this morning is for the Jingle Belles challenge. This week is a colour challenge to use kraft, white and pale blue.

I enjoyed this challenge and quite like the finished card.

 I think it might be better with something else on the left hand side but I'm not quite sure what.

Papers from Artilicious Season's Greetings CD.


Hugs,

Gina x

Bah! Humbug! Use an aperture

Just a quick post this morning to share my aperture card for this week's Bah! Humbug! challenge.

I've gone with a contemporary lavender colour scheme for this one.

The papers, sentiment and topper are all from Artilicious CDs - backing paper is Essence of Nature, topper and sentiment are both from Season's Greetings.

I've added copper perfect pearls and glitter to the wings, but I haven't decided yet whether to emboss around the aperture.




Hugs,

Gina x

Less is More 5 - Use pastels

Things are quite busy for me at the moment, but I love the Less is More challenge so much that I can always find time. This week the challenge was to use pastels. I have made quite a simple card but I just can't get a decent photo of it. This is the best one I managed.

The cardstock is white linen and the punched shapes are in pastel pink lustre. I scored a couple of lines - which you can barely see - and added gems to the centre of each 'daisy'. the sentiment was done on the computer.

Thank you everyone for your comments, I do love receiving them and try to get around as many blogs to comment back as I can and visit many others too - there are some fantastic cards out there. I don't think I'll quite manage the 125 plus that have participated this week though, so sorry if I miss you.

Gina x

Jingle Belles - Home for the Holidays

One of the main things about Christmas - particularly when my son was small - was going to the forest to choose the Christmas tree. For the Jingle Belles challenge this week, I have made a forest card.

The trees are from Clarity stamps and the backing paper was distressed and stamped with chipped sapphire, stormy sky and bundled sage distress inks. The central motif is embossed in white EP. 

Off now to think of what to do for the Less is More challenge - use pastels.

Gina x

Bah! Humbug! Emboss

A very quick post today, here is my card for Bah! Humbug! challenge 9 - embossing.

Also, thank you Hazel for telling me about your new challenge blog CHNC so I'm also linking there.

Not identical to, but inspired by one made by Eileen of Ikki's Cuttlebug Cupboard.

I love this design, its so simple and easy to make but truly stunning in real life.

Materials used:
White linen cardstock
Gold mirri card
160gsm bright white paper
Marianne creatables snowflake die
Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder
Crafts Too you - Christmas greetings embossing folder
Gem brad

Thanks for the idea Ikki,
Gina x

Jingle belles - text me

I tried out so many ideas this week before I settled on my card for the Jingle Belles challenge.
I printed out Frosty the snowman lyrics with the idea to use that as a background but then I remembered my lovely frosted lace paper that was a download from Glenda Waterworth (found here) and decided now was the time to use it.

I sprayed the sheet with sunlight mist cosmic shimmer then outlined the lace pattern with a quickie glue pen and added glitter.

I teamed it with some stripy paper from a scrap pad then pulled out my old snowman stamp and coloured it in seasonal blues and reds.

The image and mount are die cut using spellbinders labels C and the sentiment is made using publisher.

After stitching around the edge I mounted it all on a 6in square linen card.

Looking at the picture I can see that the central image is a bit wonky - they must be on a hill - hehe.

I've discovered that these challenges get harder as the weeks go by. I want to do something new but haven't got the stash to bring it off.

See you next week.

Gina x

Bah! Humbug!

This week's challenge at Bah! Humbug! is 'Things that fly'. Easy peasy - think angels, santa in his sleigh, birds - all easy if you have the kit or can find a digital download that does exactly what you can see in your head. Alas, that was not the case for me this week, so I am a bit embarrased by my offering...

Yes, you are right, it is indeed a recycled image from one of last year's Christmas cards.

It does meet the criteria I suppose - its got robins on, and they can fly - but it isn't exactly original.

Its just 10cm square, I've die cut the image and red mat using my nesties, added some red ribbon and layered it onto a card embossed with my swiss dots cuttlebug folder.

At least I was able to avoid buying something new, so that's one positive.

See you next week,

Gina x

Less is More - 3 Squares

This week the Less is More challenge is to use three squares and I knew right away that this would work for a congratulations card I needed to make.

I used the 5cm square stamp from the Artylicious Peacock Glory Themeplate designed by Glenda Waterworth. The image was stamped three times on white card and embossed with copper kettle EP, cut out and matted onto copper metallic card. The squares were brought together using an organza ribbon.

I am really enjoying taking part in this challenge and feel it is developing into a regular group. It is so nice to see everyone else's work and visit their blogs.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to visit and leave a comment, I really appreciate them.

Gina x

Wild Orchid Challenge

I have bought quite a few products from Wild Orchid Crafts recently - I love their mulberry paper flowers and they also do vintage seam binding which distresses and colours brilliantly.

Last night I came across the Wild Orchid Challenge blog and decided to make a card following this lovely sketch by Bev Rochester.

Here is my take on the sketch.

Weirdly, I had just finished a card very similar to this but without the ribbon and with the image on a circular mat.

The design papers are all Artylicious from the Essence of Nature CD - I absolutely love this CD - it has papers for so many occasions. The plain papers are from my stash.

The image is Marianne design coloured with pro markers and the lace border is done with a Marianne creatables die.

The flowers are of course from Wild Orchid and the rosebuds are from their new range. I coloured them with a tea green pro marker.

I'm off over to the challenge blog now to post my entry.

One word of advice though, be patient waiting for the page to load since there are so many entries it takes forever on my laptop.

Gina x

Bah! Humbug! Use a CD / DVD

This Bah! Humbug! challenge certainly got me thinking. I couldn't bring myself to alter a CD so eventually settled on making a gift box to hold a DVD.

This will really come in useful and I might well make a few more since DVDs make such good Christmas presents.

Here is my DVD gift box.

I made the box from blue lustre card and added a paper made by Craft Creations Ltd shaded with chipped sapphire distress ink.

My much loved poinsettia die by Marianne Creatables gets another outing, this time in blue and silver.

I added a small tag which, although you can't tell, is inked and stamped with a 'Merry Christmas' sentiment.

The red gems give a bit of contrast and hopefully add to the Christmas feel.

Well, that was another tough challenge ladies, I hope its a nice easy one next week.

Gina x

Vintage tag

While I'm still racking my brains about how to incorporate a CD into a card for the Bah! Humbug! challenge this week, I thought I would share a tag I made for a tag swap.

The image is a free download from Craft Stamper which I found recently.

The original image was rectangular so I masked the oval shape on the card before printing.

Around the image, I used Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.

For the heart at the bottom, I inked and stamped onto card and then stuck it to an acrylic tag with Crystal Lacquer.

To finish I added a few flowers, some punched leaves and ribbons.


I had started out almost framing the image with lots of flowers but felt it was overcrowded. Looking at the picture now though, I think maybe it needed a few more.

Let me know what you think,

Gina x