Season's Greetings to all of you

First January birthday

Good morning everyone, I hope all is well in your world...hugs

I don't know about you, but I am not at all comfortable with these unseasonable temperatures, it was 13c when I went to work yesterday afternoon, and they have promised 14c today!!!

My card for today is for a friend whose birthday is at the beginning of January, I cannot believe it is so nearly 2016!

Quite a simple card. 

8x8 basecard from Papermania.

White pearlised card embossed with 8x8 Embosslicious Distressed folder.

Sentiment cut with Die'sire dies.

Flower cut with Sue Wilson dies.

Foliage cut with Memory Box dies.

Red pearlised card from PDA

Pins and pearl flower centre from stash and coloured with Copic marker.

I think this is my favourite embossing folder ever, and it is suitable for many occasions :o)

Jackie xx

A few from our Friday night workshops...

...these were kitted up for us by friend Pauline.

Good morning everyone, I hope all is well in your world, with not too much rain or snow for any of you...hugs.

Still coughing, but feeling so much better, thank you for your concern and best wishes...at least I can give you cyber hugs without giving you the germs LOL.

At the moment, I have run out of my own cards to show you so I have fallen back on my Friday night workshop makes. These were designed by Pauline and we enjoyed making them with her, but I won't be making the lantern again, too fussy and fiddly for my taste LOL although it is very pretty!

Sorry I can't give you any details because the were cut for us, but I suspect that there may be some SU and Tonic there because Pauline has lots of both.

We each put them together in our own ways so there were slight variations. 

Would you believe that I already have a 40 Christmas card order for 2016 :o)

Jackie xx

Last two cards of the season...

...just making a start on Christmas 2016 LOL.

Good morning everyone, I hope all is well in your world and your Christmas plans are coming together...big hugs.

I had a peek out of the window and it is very dark but dry out there so far (everything crossed it stays dry but I doubt it)

I decided to save a couple of my robin cards for the end :o)

Both basecards are approx 6x6, folded and cut from A4 sheets of white linencard from The Range.

Both red and white pearlised cards are from PDA, the red one has been embossed with 8x8 Crafters Companion Leaf Vein folder, and the white one with 8x8 Embossalicious holly folder.

I gave the white one a light  dusting with chalk.

Both robins are my own photographs of course, the first one being played with in PSE5 and the second on in PSP7. Both were cut with Die-namics stitched circle dies.

Computer generated sentiments, the first one was cut with Die-namics stitched Fishtail die.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas :o)

Jackie xx

Commisssion x 2

Good morning everyone, I hope all is well in your world...hugs

I am having to type in between coughing, sniffling and sneezing so I will be brief! Hopefully it will be over in time for Christmas...

So, onto my cards for today, both very simple, this customer does love CAS.

  Both cards are 7x5, folded and cut from my usual white A4 linencard.

Silver fluted card is from PDA.

Blue card is from scrapobox.

You have seen my snowy teazel photograph before, taken about 8 years ago in my daughter's garden. I think, apart from my robins, this is my most used photograph over the years LOL.

Image and mat cut with Spellbinders dies.

Computer generated sentiment cut with SU punches, probably my most used punches ever!

This money wallet is for a 14 year old boy.

Name cut with Memory Box Alpha dies.

Stitched fishtail s cut with Die-namics dies.

snowflakes stamped with? Had the set since the year dot and I didn't save names in those days :o)

Jackie xx

Christmas 63 and 64

Good morning everyone, I do hope you are not affected by the severe weather conditions at the moment, my thoughts are with those of you who are...big hugs

I have made many more Christmas card than my title hints at, but these number are just mine. I finally managed to get them posted yesterday! I have got a few spare "just in case" LOL.

Both base cards are my usual white linencard from The Range.

All red card used is pearlised and from PDA.

White pearlised card is also from PDA.

Gold linencard was given by a lovely crafting friend.

Embossing folder used on the first card is 8x8 Crafter's Companion leaf veins.

Embossing folder  on the second card is A6 size and it's so old I can't remember who it's by, maybe Cuttlebug!

Marianne diecut poinsettias on both cards.

All leaves diecut with Memory Box.

Tiny flowers punched with Woodware.

White pearls coloured with Copic marker

Sentiments are computer generated and cut with SU :o)

Jackie xx

3 very different cards

Good morning everyone, I hope you have all battened down the hatches ready for the fourth big storm in such a short time, the world's weather has gone mad, and it isn't even cold yet, at least not here in the Midlands!!!

At last, I have started writing my cards out, envelopes named and stamped but I still have to add the addresses!!! I did manage to get my overseas ones posted yesterday LOL.

As my title suggests, I have 3 cards to show you this morning, and all quite different from each other, so here they are.

 The first is a very simple card, approx 6x6, folded and cut from an A4 sheet of my usual white linencard from The Range.
Leaves cut with Crealie dies from a bit of green card from my scrap box.
Marianne poinsettia diecut from red pearlised card and the same green card as the leaves, and the centre from a scrap of pearlised buff card.
I used the same red card for the sentiment backing.
Sentiment is computer generated using the Smarty Pants font.
Stitched fishtails cut with Die-namics dies. 
Pearls from stash and coloured with Copic marker pen.

 Although it doesn't look it, this one is brown, ivory and gold.
It is 7x5, cut from A4 sheets of card.
Ivory Papermill linencard I bought from the Lovely Christine L
Brown linencard is from PDA.
I used Stampendous detail gold embossing powder for the stamped sentiment and images, all freebies from a mag.
Marianne poinsettia die again. 
Gold linen card was kindly given to me by the lovely ChristineL.

This one is quite a small A6 size. Not my size of choice but I had printed the photograph too small for a larger card.
Basecard is PMS hammered white, bought in the days when the PMS were still open!
Pewter textured card is from PDA.
My photograph, which I took about 7 years or so ago in my daughter's garden, is printed on my usual whit linencard, along with the sentiment using the Dauphin font.
Holly cut with Memory Box :o)
Jackie xx 

Christmas penguins

Good morning everyone, I hope all is well in your world...hugs

OMG, I have normally finished all my cards and written them out by now, but I still have inserts to print then fold and cut and attach. I have to get the overseas ones finished by the weekend or they may not get them in time!!!

Oh well, onward and upward!

For my cards today I couldn't let Christmas come and go without my penguin photographs seeing the light of day again so here they are LOL. 

 

 Oh wow, I didn't know we could drag and drop our images now, brilliant

I said photographs, but it is actually one photograph that I took at Twycross Zoo about 2007! I feathered it then mirrored it in PSP7 to get the pair above.

Both basecards are folded and cut from A4 sheets of white linencard, one to approx. 6x6 and one to 7x5.

Both sentiments are computer generated.

Penguin pair cut with Spellbinders pierced square dies.

The single penguin cut with Spellbinders die too but I can't remember the name of it!

Mats on both cut from gold lincard, as is the Memory Box ivy.

 

 That's all there is to them, very simple cards indeed :o)

Jackie xx

Friday night workshop

Good morning everyone, I hope all is well in your world...hugs to all of you who want or need them.

1st of December already and the shoppers are out in force, it was manic at the tills last night!!!

It was my turn to host our Friday night workshop a couple of weeks ago, and I didn't have time to make a sample, so I just made up 3 identitical kits (apart from colours) and we each 'did our own thing' with them LOL

Below is what we came up with :o)

Pauline's on the left, Sandra's in the middle and mine on the right.

Pauline left space on hers for sentiment.

Photograph taken in artificial light so true colours difficult to determine.

This is mine close up and taken in natural light so the colours are pretty much true!

Basecards are approx. 6x6, folded and cut from A4 sheet if white linencard.

Grey layers are from a DCWV sheet, embossed with Crafters Companion 8x8 Distressed folder, mine is grey Coredinations so I was able to sand it.

All leaves cut with Memory Box dies from DCWV card.

All flowers cut from pearlised card with Sue Wilson dies.

We raided my gems box and each used different stuff from it.

Tiny brad (had them for many years) used for my flower centre, the girls used pearls for theirs.

I pierced the white panels with Spellbinders :o)

Jackie xx

Commissioned baby's first Christmas

Good morning everyone, I hope you are all well or getting there...hugs.

The weather can't make up it's mind again, it seems quite mild and damp at the moment, but earlier in the week it was -4c and I had to scrape the car windscreen when I left work at 10pm!

I am off to Ilkeston tomorrow morning to meet up with a Docrafter, I am quite looking forward to putting a face to her name. We are meeting in a supermarket cafe, and it's a compitor to the company I work for  so I had better not mention any names LOL.

Anyhow, I am here to show you a card I made earlier in the week for a work friend to give to her baby grand-daughter so here it is :o)

 Basecard folded and cut from an A4 sheet of white linencard.

Image and paper from an old Dorcraft's Digital Designer CD.

As you probably know by now, I don't usually use CDs except those produced from our own photographs by myself and my very good friend Pat (we used to be known as J & P Pictures but had to give up for various reasons) but I keep this one just on the offchance that I may be asked for a card with FF on it!

I printed onto the same linencard and added computer generated sentiments, then stamped with little snowflakes from an old Crafts UK set.

Ribbon from stash.

That's all there is to it folks.
I am hopeful that I have now finished making my own Christmas cards, and just have three more commissioned cards to make, but methinks it may be wise to make a few more "just in case ones" :o)

Jackie xx

Christmas x 5

Good morning Bloggers, I hope all is well in your world...hugs for all of you.

I am very late this morning so I will get on with it!

I have 5 cards for you today, all digi images merged onto my own photographs.

My photographs taken at Elvaston Castle about 5 years ago. All printed onto white linencard. Photographs and digi images merged in PSP7.

All digi images from Karen's Doodles and coloured with Copics and Sakura Pens.

All cards started off as A4 sheets of white linencard from The Range, which I folded and cut to 7x5 and just under 6x6.

Various card colours/types from stash used for layers, mostly from PDA.

A mix of sentiments, some computer generated and some stamped. Computer generated ones punched with SU.

Not really much else that I can say about them :o)

Jackie xx

40 card commission

Good morning everyone, I hope all is well in your world...here's a few hugs for anyone who wants or needs them {{{{{hugs}}}}}

When I went out to work at about 3pm yesterday, the temperature was a chilly 4c. When I came out of work I expected to have to scrape my car but it was still 4c and it was raining!

I finally finished my 40 card order, took me 5 days to make them and here they are.

They are smaller than my usual 5x7 or 6x6 ish because the size of image demanded that they should be A6.

Luckily, when looking for somthing else, I discovered a long forgotten box chocful of A5 ivory hammered card which I bought when The Papermill Shops were still open, so I didn't have to cut, just folded them in half!

I laid them out in fours, stamping the SU church first, then the Stamps and Smiles sentiment, all stamping done with Memento rich brown inkpad.

I then printed and fitted the inserts, again in fours, and attached them.

Once more, I laid them out in fours and added a smidgin of gold Glamour Dust and 'Bob's yer Uncle', they were finished. Just got to deliver them on Friday and have a pub lunch with my cousin (customer).

I can't say that I am sorry they are finished :o)

Jackie xx

 

Robins x 4

Good morning everyone, I hope you are all well or getting there, and that you are warm and dry...hugs

OMG how the temperature plummeted last night, down to 1c when I left my friend's at about 10pm! Since then the heavens have opened and the rain is practically horizontal, the wind has gone to gale force again!!!

My title? Well I am uploading 4 robin cards but they are 4 different robins too, taken at various times at Attenborough Nature Reserve and St. Chad's Water. 

Basecards are 7x5 and 6x6 ish.

 All basecards are white linencard from The Range, folded and cut to size.

All images feathered in PSP7, but starburst created in PSE5, then printed in MS Word onto same linencard and three of the sentiments printed at the same time using various fonts. One sentiment printed in Word then punched with SU.

Panelled layer on third card is pearlised card, embossed with Embossalicious folder.

Diecut on last card cut with Memory Box die.

Pearls coloured with Copic marker pen :o)

Jackie xx

 

10 card commission

Good morning everyone, I hope all is as well as it can be with you...hugs

The wind is still blowing here but at least it is drying up again, and it isn't really cold yet, although the forecast says it soon will be!

My cousin asked me for 10 of these cards in brown and Ivory, she does so love her browns, and I do too so it was a real pleasure making them for her. Having said that, it is always a real pleasure making cards :o)

Basecard is ivory linencard from the PaperMill shop before they all closed a few years ago, folded and cut to 7x5

Brown textured card is from PDA.

Own photograph of course, you have seen the original when I posted my white version of this card.

Photograph feathered in PSP7 onto same ivory card, an cut with Spellbinders pierced oval die, then raised with sticky foam strips.

White pearlised card used for the panel which is embossed with Darice then lightly chalked.

I added a smidgeon of golf Glamour Dust which isn't very noticeable here, but is very twinkly IRL.

Sentiment stamped with Stamps and Smiles.

I had a little play with paperpiecing, long time since I last did any, and this little card is the result. I dug out an old Stampendous, Retro Trees, stamp for this one.

This is just a little A6 card, a size I rarely make. While I was looking for something else, I came across an A5 box full of hammered card which I had folded into A6 cards years ago and forgotten about, so it looks like I will be making lots more this size for a while LOL.

Green paper background is from my scrapbox, and I stamped the trees onto white linencard scrap, then onto the same green paper. I fussy cut them and stuck them on, then stamped the sentiment with the same stamp as on the set of cards.

I quite like the effect and will possibly do it again :o)

Jackie xx

 

 

Great-grandson's money wallet

Good morning Bloggers, I hope all is well in your world and you haven't been affected by the extreme weather conditions...hugs to all of you

My Great-grandson Ryan was 10 years old at the beginning of November, I can't believe how the time has flown!!! This is the money wallet I made for him.

It's really very simple, Ryan loves to see his name on a card, but then it get's tossed aside for what is inside!

7x5 basecard folded and cut from A4 sheet of white linencard from The Range.

Banners cut with Die-namics die from a scrap of brown card.

Name cut with Memory Box dies from a scrap of striped paper.

Sentiment is a mix of stencil and 2 stamps.

As I said, very simple :o)

Jackie xx

 

Christmas 46 and 47

Good morning Bloggers, I hope all is well in your world...hugs.

My heart goes out to the people of Paris, especially to the families of those killed or injured.

I think I told you that my cousin wants 40 Christmas cards, all the same onelayer cards thank goodness! Well, I had a wonderful pub lunch with her yesterday and guess what, she wants another 10, all the same but different from the 40!!! I have made a start LOL.

On to my cards for today.

 Both basecards are 7x5, folded and cut from A4 sheets of white linencard from The Range.

Both mats are gold fluted card from PDA.

The first image of the Magi is a silhouette from my very old CorelDraw Software but I changed it to brown, added the words using papyrus font in MS Word and printed onto the same white card.

Hand drawn star and random stars done with gold pen and a smidgin of gold Glamour Dust.

For this image I googled public domain Christmas images last year and changed it to sepia.

Cut image and mat with Grand Nesties and added gold Glamour Dust.

Sentiment stamped with Stamps and Smiles (I think) 

Both are very simple cards :o)
Jackie xx

Narrowboat reflections

Good morning everyone, I hope you are all enjoying the unseasonal mildness, can't really say that I am, its not right. I prefer it when the seasons are defined by the weather!

I thought I would give you a brief break from the Christmas cards today, only today mind you :o)

Had a phone call from my cousin yesterday, she wants 40 Christmas cards so I had better get my skates on then. At least what she wants is a very simple design and all the same so I can set up a production line LOL.

How many of you knew that there were hands free can openers around. I didn't until I saw my daughter using one so I thought it would be ideal for Stephen as he is one handed since his stroke.

He is much more independent now, 2+ years after, but of course, tins defeat him. Anyhow, it arrived yesterday and it is the best invention ever, absolutely brilliant. You just put it on top of the tin, press the button and watch it do it's thing, amazing LOL.

Oooooops! I digress so on to my card for today :o)

My usual 5x7 card, folded and cut from an A4 sheet of white linencard.

My photograph,  taken at Trent Lock in June this year, feathered in PSP7 and printed onto the same white linencard, then cut with Grand Nestie, as is the blue layer.

Sentiment stamped and punched with SU.

This is my original photograph. The colour of the tarp on the boat seems to have changed with feathering :o)
Jackie xx

 

Christmas 45

Good morning everyone, I hope you are all well or getting there...hugs

The rain has finally stopped, it didn't even rain overnight!!! Of course it's because I am back at work now isn't it!

My offering for today should have been Christmas 44 and 45, but I seem to have deleted 44, how divi can I get? Don't answer that LOL.

I used my usual white linencard, folded and cut to 7x5, I promise I do occasionally make other sizes and shapes LOL.

Pearlised white panel embossed with one of my new Darice folders and lightly chalked, then layered onto gold fluted card from PDA.

Own photograph taken last winter at St Chad's Water, feathered in PSP7.

Sentiment stamped with Stamps and Smiles (I think).

 This is my original photograph taken in 2011 :o)

Jackie xx

A break in the rain

Good morning everyone, I hope all is well in your world, sending hugs for those who need or want them {{{{{hugs}}}}}

Today is the last day of my week off work, and yesterday we had a break in the rain for a short while so I managed to take my camera for  walkies, but not for long before the rain came back!!!

St. Chad's Water is only about 3 miles from where I live so off I went like a shot out of a canon!

This is just a few of the 30+ photographs thast I took :o)

 This splash of red was quite something, there were berries aplenty, said to be a sign of a bad winter!

 I couldn't believe how clear the water was, didn't see any fish though!

 It was blowing a howling gale but it was quite mild.

15 minutes after I took these photographs it was raining yet again, I had managed to blow the cobwebs off for a few minutes though :o)

Jackie xx

Thinking of you

Good morning everyone, and what a soggy one it is too with the rain lashing the windows! I hope all is well in your world...hugs

Well, my holiday week is coming to it's end, it's back to work on Monday. So far it has either been thick fog or pouring rain every day, with no chance of going out with my cameras, and according to the forecast it is going to get worse!!! Still, I have spent lots of time in my craftroom, and went out for lunch one day so it has been all gloom, and yesterday I went browsing at PDA and of course one or two bits fell into my basket LOL.

It was lovely to see you last night Lesley, it's been a long time...hugs

On to my cards for today.

They are both very simple, indeed, they couldn't be much more simple!

Both are 7x5, folded and cut from an A4 sheet of white linencard from The Range.

For the first one, I used an old Crafts Too embossing folder on white pearlised card, then cut to size and rounded the corners with my Corner Chomper, what a wonderful tool that is, then layered it onto ribbed gold card from PDA. Sentiment stamped with My Creative Time.

For the second one I used one of my new Darice folders and ribbed pewter card, also from PDA

Sentiment stamped with, I think, SU.

As for the weather, it looks like another day in the craftroom, not that I am complaining :o)

Jackie xx