Ready for next year...

I've had this Belles N Whistles image - Star of Bethlehem - coloured up for a few days now and I couldn't let her go to waste because they both look so pretty!! So I made up a quickie card all ready for next christmas... I hope you like it, as for me, I wish I'd continued the border along the bottom of the circle mat & I definately wish I hadn't coloured baby sister in a pink nightgown!!

I wonder though what will be in vogue next year, there are quite a few on trend elements to this card at the moment, think tulle, charms, pearls & embossing... but how many of these will still be popular in 12 months time & what new trends are going to emerge? I'm the first to admit I have absolutely no idea but it will be quite exciting to find out...

I didn't make this card with any particular challenge in mind but lucky for me there are a few 'free for all' challenges running at the moment one over at the Creative Card Crew and another over on... well okay I guess I was too late for that one, oops!!

Image coloured with promarkers, DPs Golly by Jolly...TFL! xxx

Crafts 4 Eternity #13

Good Morning!! I hope you're all enjoying christmas! With the sun shining outside & the snow all gone it almost seems like a distant memory for me, how wonderful to have a proper white Christmas for a change though, I hope you did too.

So, if you don't fancy braving the sales today & you're not nursing a hangover like my OH, why not try the latest challenge from Crafts 4 Eternity? As always it's a recipe challenge & today's ingredients are to follow the sketch, use a song title & use a tag.

This is the final ATC in my series of four & don't forget you have a chance to win the whole set if you enter the challenge this week (everybody say, "oooohhh!!!!" - Lol!!!!)

Look forward to seeing you there...

Crafts for eternity Challenge #12

Oops!! A bit late with this post but things have been manic this weekend with final preparations being put in place for Christmas. Cue fevered Christmas shopping, wrapping, Christmas Party getting-readying, Son's first Birthday - family round, house a mess - chaos all round *deep breath*

Still, that's all in the past now because today I broke up from work and I'm not back 'til 6th Jan...WOOHOO!!

So, onto Sunday's Challenge over at Crafts4Eternity and number 3 in my series of shabby Christmas ATCs, I have followed the recipe & used the sketch, a journalling spot & netting on the ATC.

Why don't you come on over and play? There's a totally gorgeous stamp up for grabs from Crafty Sentiments this week, take a look at it here

*sigh* Wish I could win it!! Lol!!

Belle N Whistles Advent Calendar - Day 15!

Oh oh oh!! she's sooo cute don't you think standing up on tippy-toe to reach the christmas door? I would love to have a wreath like that hanging on my door but it's never been a tradition of ours to put out a wreath, I think I will have to look into it for next year, I feel a crafty project coming on, lol!!

But thinking of family traditions at christmas, it got me pondering about the goodies families leave for Santa on Christmas eve... Now I grew up firmly believing that Santa enjoyed a sherry & a mince pie after his trip down the chimney at each house so each year we set out a glass of Mom's favourite & a homemade pie... it only occurred to me in much later years that this might not be true of every home, afterall, some Moms don't even like sherry & may not have it in stock...!!

Why don't you hop on over to Belles N Whistles and tell us what you leave for Santa on Christmas Eve? There's a chance for you to win a goody bag every day this month, you gotta be in it to win it (heh heh heh!!)

Roses On Paper challenge

Good Evening Bloggers!

Today is the start of another fab Roses on Paper challenge, I do hope you can join us!!

A colour challenge this week, using the rich, traditional shades of christmas, hunter green, cranberry & gold...
We would love to see your card, tag, box or bag creations incorporating these colours!!

My submission this week was made using the utterly gorgeous Two Turtle Doves stamp from Belles N Whistles Christmas release II. I just adore this image, it reminds me of a fairytale illustration, so whimsical & pretty, it completely appeals to the little girl inside me!

My project is a bottle-tag treat box from Splitcoast stampers, don't be afraid to try this one out... I used the most basic of tools (think ruler, mouse-mat & ball-tool!!) & it really did come together quite easily.

Thank you so much for looking, see you soon!!

Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge

Only me!!

And over at Crafts 4 Eternity this week there's another recipe for you to try.

Simply follow the sketch, use red & green & use a stamp over a year old. I have to say, I love the sketch this week, it comes together beautifully! There are some fabbie digi-images up for grabs if you enter, adorable little christmas elves, sooo cute!!

I'm continuing my shabby Christmas ATC theme and expect there to be a set of four by the end of my guest design spot so I've decided that I will be giving this set away to anyone who enters a C4E challenge in the month of december.

Simply leave your entry over on the C4E blog and I'll randomly select a winner using the very technical 'names in a hat' technique at the end of the month.

Hope to see you there!!

Nikki xxx

Only 2 weeks 'til Christmas!!

EEk!! Starting to panic yet?! There seems to be so much still to do & not much time to do it in! Fortunately I managed to get a significant proportion of my shopping done this weekend & the decorations are up too, no christmas cards written up yet though & I suspect wrapping will be done christmas eve!!

I was so good last year *sigh* almost all my cards were handmade & I custom-wrapped all the gifts for my close family. I was on maternity leave though so I had lots more free time than I do this year...

Still, with the free time I do have I'm just about managing to squeeze a few cards in, and this little Christmas Hearth image has to be one of my favourites, how cute do these two look peering up for Santa? I have to say that if I allowed my youngest anywhere near the fireplace he would be chomping on the charcoal, infact now I come to think about it my eldest was quite partial too..

and here is the evidence!!

Awww... butter wouldn't melt eh? Rubbish picture though, taken pre half-decent digital camera days!!

Anyhoo back to crafting & christmas... have you checked out Belles n Whistles lately? Don't forget our advent calendar giveaway!! Look forward to seeing you there! xxx

Crafts for Eternity Challenge #10

Hi all, I'm returning to Blogland after a brief spell away... goodness doesn't Chrsitmas get in the way of crafting!?!!

However I mark my return by proudly announcing that I am a guest designer for Crafts 4 Eternity for the month of December!!

This weeks challenge is to follow a sketch, use brads & a santa image, I don't know if you can spot my santas hidden away under all that inking but they are definately there I promise!! And talking of Santas, Michelle has provided a free Santa digi-image for you to download, how cool is that?!

I fancied getting a bit shabby for this challenge which for some reason I feel more confident about when I work in minature so this is an ATC. Made with papers from Michelle's gorgeous November kit & paper artsy stamps.

Thanks for looking, I can't wait to see what you come up with!!