Snowy Penguins

Usually by this time of year I have all my Christmas cards more or less sorted. Not this year. Not even close! I suspect this will be a year when some of the old, store-bought, cards up in the loft may need to supplement the handmade ones (oh the horror!). Oh well, if you get a hand-made card from me this year, you are in the top tier of my favourite people. I'm confident in writing that on the blog as I suspect of all the recipients of my Christmas cards, only my Mum reads this blog.

Today's card was inspired by the colours over at Color Throwdown and the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches. I'm also linking up over at Crimbo Crackers where Anything Goes. 

Card and patterned paper: white 200 gsm card, scrap of aqua Stampin' Up card, Lawn Fawn Let's Bokeh in the Snow, Hobbycraft 190 gsm white card

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Snow Cool and matching dies

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Other: Papermania Silver embossing powder, Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside border dies

4 Crafty Chicks - Christmas Winter Critters

It's my second week guest designing for 4 Crafty Chicks. This week the theme is Christmas Winter Critters. Hop over to the blog to see what the talented ladies of the DT have created for your inspiration. 

I couldn't imagine using anything but Lawn Fawn stamps for a Christmas Winter Critters theme. I used paper from Let's Bokeh in the Snow for the background, then built up a scene using mountains and snowy hills inhabited by some happy Christmas Critters. 

Card: 260 gsm white card, Hobbycraft 190 gsm white card, light grey card from my stash
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters in the Snow, Toboggan Together, Hats Off and matching dies
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Mountain Borders, Stitched Hillside Borders, Stitched Square Frames
Other: Lawn Fawn Let's Bokeh in the Snow paper

Christmas Is Coming...

Well, it's dark outside and days are getting shorter (and sadly it's getting impossible to find enough daylight for card photography...). That can only mean one thing - Christmas is coming! Forget your pumpkin spice lattes and yellow leaves, and start panicking. As usual, despite the promises you made to yourself, you didn't start your Christmas card crafting in the summer. By now, you thought you would be finished with the little buggers. And by you, I mean me (and maybe also you?). 

I have to admit, I'm not much of a Christmas person, apart from the food. The only Christmas decorations we have in our house is a table runner with elves and some fairy lights in the living room. We haven't had a Christmas tree for at least the last three or four years (all those pine needles around the house...) And every year I try (and fail) to inspire my family to a Christmas without presents. There are no kids in the family, so my logic is that all we need is good food and a chance to rest and relax. But as a card crafter, I do feel the responsibility to send out home-made cards. After all, wasn't that how we all (well, me at least...) justified this hobby - "This way I won't ever have to spend money on cards ever again". Well, true, I'm not spending £5 on that pack of Christmas cards. Instead, I spend hundreds of £s all year long. That worked out great, didn't it?

I was inspired by the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches and the Reindeer theme over at Crimbo Crakers. I'm also linking up with Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where Anything goes. Getting there, one card at a time!

Card: White 250 gsm card, Neenah Solar white, scrap of black card
Patterned paper: Lawn Fawn Let's Bokeh In The Snow, Perfectly Plaid Christmas
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Toboggan Together and matching dies, Christmas Unicorn
Ink and colouring: Tsukneko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Dies: Lawn Fawn Forest Border Die, Stitched Nesting Circles, Everyday Banners, Stitched Rectangle, Merry Christmas Border

First Christmas Card of the Year

Compared to last year, I'm late getting started with my Christmas cards this year. But luckily there is still almost nine months to go, and to be honest, I really don't send that many cards, so I should still be fine. I think I even have a few cards left over from last year to be honest. 

Today's card was inspired by the current Lawnscaping challenge where the theme is to include something sweet on your card. I thought I would use the adorable Party Animal and some Christmas goodies from Holiday Party Animal. It's all very simple to be honest, I coloured the stamped images with Copics and die cut with matching dies. Then it was just a question of die cutting the tag from Let's Bokeh in the Snow paper and some vellum snow using the Stitched Hillside Border dies. I stamped the sentiment using the Happy Everything stamp set and die cut a panel from the red Let's Bokeh in the Snow paper. I'm also linking up my card with Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is "We can see clearly now" (use something clear, like acetate or vellum), Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge where the theme is to use a sentiment, Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra where anything goes and Sweet Stampin' Christmas where the theme is Cute Christmas.

Card: white 300 gsm textured card, Neenah Solar white card, Dovecraft 110 gsm premium vellum
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Party Animal and Holiday Party Animal and matching dies, Happy Everything
Ink and Colouring: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Other: Lawn Fawn Let's Bokeh in the Snow paper, Stitched Hillside Border, Stitched Rectangles and Tag You're It dies

Happy Birthday from Fox and Hedgehog

I really am good at procrastinating, so I spent a lot of time in the craft room this weekend as I really would have needed to clean the house. This is another card I made while feeling guilty about all the dishes piled up in my kitchen. I did end up cleaning a few rooms after making this card so fear not, I won't drown in filth. Just wishing the weekends would last longer so I would have more crafting time. I will do my best to leave work on time at least one day this week, so hopefully I will manage some more crafty time soon!

This card was inspired by the tag over at Tag You're It. I loved the cute fox and hedgehog on the inspiration tag, so I thought I would make my own tag with a cute Lawn Fawn fox and hedgehog. My other inspiration was the sketch over at Retrosketches which worked perfectly with the tag theme and the colours over at Chocolate Baroque challenge. I'm also linking up with Daring Cardmakers where the theme is to use a resist technique. 

Card: 300 gsm textured card, Hobbycraft 190 gsm white card

Paper: Lawn Fawn Let's Bokeh In the Snow, Let's Polka

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Sending Hedgehugs, Party Animal and matching dies

Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Inks Festive Berries, Mustard Seed, Picked Raspberry and Spiced Marmalade

Colouring: Copics

Other: Lawn Fawn Tag You're It and Stitched Rectangle dies

Welcome baby!

Our first daffodil blooms are out in the garden. In early February! This world is going absolutely wacky. Will this mean the winter is not coming at all this year? Or will it mean it's still coming? I could do with an early spring for sure. I know February is too early to dream of spring, but I could really do with some sun and warm weather right about now. Is it just the UK who are having these unusual weather patterns or are you seeing the same where you live as well? 

I've had minimal crafting time this weekend due to work commitments.  But I wanted to create something for a bunch of challenges which are about to run out, so I managed to squeeze in a really quick crafting session this morning. Unfortunately the pictures came out with a blue hue to them, and I didn't get home until after dark, so no chance to re-take them so sorry about that!

I was inspired by the following challenges:
Freshly Made Sketches - sketch (see below)
Color Throwdown - colours (see below)
Lawnscaping - Sending Love - use hearts or love sentence
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Have a Heart 

Card: 300 gsm white card
Paper: Lawn Fawn Let's Bokeh In the Snow, Let's Polka
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters in the Jungle, Love You Tons, Critters from Down Under
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Abandoned Coral
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies, Wink of Stella Glitter pen