My top twelve creations of 2013

Wishing all my visitors a

Happy New Year

While blog-hopping a few years ago I found that some crafters had shown their Top Ten makes for the year and so, at the beginning of January each year, I've done the same, except I changed my choices to twelve, one for each month of the year and that's what I'm doing again this year.

Update: Catered crop are asking us to show our favourites from 2013, so this post is now being linked there:

If you click on the links, you can go to the original posts and read more about each item. The items shown aren't just my favourites, but are reminders of various techniques and things I enjoy doing. It was so difficult to choose just twelve, but here goes:

My top twelve of 2013

January 2013: Pink inspiration - I love tinkering around on the computer with pictures, so this was digitally created:

February 2013: Doily easel card - I love crafting with purple and lilac colours and I love making easel cards, hence this choice:

March 2013: Orange script - I've chosen this card to remind myself that I ought to use orange more often - a colour that I don't usually use very much. And I like the texture created by the script embossing folder as well as the simple layering of the flowers - the kind of card that is useful for any occasion:

April 2013: Congratulations - I love the simplicity of this card - it's suitable for a wedding, an anniversary, even a special one, such as a golden:

May 2013: Card for our anniversary - this has been chosen because it was for a special person on our anniversary, but I like the design too:

June 2013: Burgundy and ivory - this is a reminder to use some of the simple elements of the past that tend to get forgotten, like corrugated card. It makes a nice backdrop for the flowers with the simple striped brads and the stamp is a perfect one for saying just the right thing at a difficult time:

July 2013: Folded Christmas tree card - I belong to a Christmas card club where a group of us take it in turns to challenge everyone with a different theme every fortnight. Karen set us the challenge to make a card that included a tea bag/origami folded topper - something I didn't usually do, so it was a challenge indeed! I found this Youtube link and created this card. This is a reminder to use similar techniques again:

August 2013: the Sweet Pea stampers fantasy challenge - I was delighted to be asked to join the Sweet Pea stampers Design Team earlier in the year. This card was for their 'fantasy' challenge. I love it because of the colours, the textures and, of course, the lovely Jasmine mermaid digi by Elaine Cox:

September 2013: Vintage hat - I've chosen this card because I love the textures, the colours, the papers ... and the super image - this was a Design Team card for the Cheerful Stamp Pad:

October 2013: Let's stencil  - this is another design card for the Cheerful Stamp Pad, using stencils and my gelli plate with acrylic paints and then stamping:

November 2013: Just a note -  I've chosen this card because I love the colour combo - and I used one of my favourite Penny Black stamps, 'sparklers' 

December 2013: Snow - no review of the year would be complete without a Christmas card - regular visitors will know that I make a lot of Christmas cards and have two of my own challenge blogs CHNC challenge blog   and CHNC challenge extra blog - and I'm also on Design Teams for other Christmas challenges, including the Glory of Christmas, where this card was shown. I've chosen it because I love the landscape design and also the use of dry and wet embossing with the lovely IndigoBlue stamp:

I have found it quite helpful doing this review of 2013 - it has brought back many memories, but has also reminded me of some techniques etc that I haven't tried for a while, not just in the items that I've chosen to show here, but in many other items that have been blogged over the months.

Hobbyhome and Everybody art 259 are asking us to share our favourite card of 2013 - so I think that would have to be the one I've shown for September.

It's over to you

Perhaps you would like to do your own 'top twelve of 2013' - if you do I'd love you to add to the linky at the bottom ,and perhaps leave me a comment, so that I can come and look at your choices.

And then please encourage others to do the same.

Good old Kanban comes to the rescue

It was John's birthday yesterday and I have to confess that I wish I'd made a card before Christmas - it always seems to be the way that the 'important' cards are left to the last minute. I suppose it's a bit like the decorator who goes everywhere else and doesn't get round to decorating the room at home that needs to be done.

Anyway, having had the Christmas break, I just didn't seem to get going with enthusiasm for cardmaking. This was partly because I have a big box to the left of me in which I dumped lots of various items before Christmas. The whole lot ... and my cupboards, drawers, boxes etc ... need sorting. The trouble is that if I'd waited until it's all sorted, John's birthday would have been here and ... no card. I've got stamps that I love using, gelli plates, masks/stencils ... but I couldn't get the enthusiasm to get going with them - perhaps this is because I left it so late to make the card.

For inspiration I looked through a box of Hunkydory and Kanban toppers and card and came across the items I used for this card. The thing with making cards year after year for loved ones is that in the end you run out of ideas. There's only so many variations of certain themes that can be represented.

So here it is.  I folded a card that already had the wine bottles and glasses in the corner, adding the larger bottle and glass on the front, both of which have a holographic look with colours varyng according to the light. My own message was printed on to a different piece of Kanban card to put in the middle of the card with the little message at the bottom that says: 'Just like wine you improve with age'.

The little warning plaque at the top on the right hand says: 'The consumption of wine may cause you to think you can dance' - no danger of that!!

From the card I've made you'd probably wrongly think that we're both a boozy pair! Although we do enjoy the occasional glass of wine - John prefers white and I prefer red.

This is for the following challenges:

Facebook A card a day
The male room: celebration
It's all about the vintage and beauty 59: man or men

Whoopsi Daisy: show us celebrations
Let's craft and create 85: let's celebrate
Blogges challenge: celebrations
Sentimental Sundays 187: pick from favourite challenge - I've chosen 170: happy birthday
Crafty sentiments: birthdays
Seize the birthday: birthday
Polka doodles 51: anything goes or Christmas birthday
PumpkinSpire 52: anything goes
Kaboodle 204: anything goes
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Creative craft 26: anything goes
Challenges 4 everybody 36: anything goes
Hobbycutz 30: anything goes
Scribble and scrap 8: anything goes
Artistic inspirations 72: anything goes
Crafting from the heart 3: anything goes
The pink elephant 231: anything goes
Creative card crew 52: anything goes
Cute card Thursday 301: anything goes
Alphabet: W for whatever you wish
A gem of a challenge 109: anything goes
Crafts and me 143: anything goes
Sister act 38
DL.ART December: anything goes
Make it Monday 172

The cheerful stamp pad challenge 76: anything goes

This is my design card for the second inspiration post for the Cheerful stamp pad challenge 76. Please click on the link to see the lovely crafting of the rest of the Design Team. You can see the original challenge here. I hope you will take part. The challenge is being sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps.

A quick and simple card made with some Hunkydory card and a Lili of the Valley art pad picture edged with a red copic. The sentiment circle is from Craftwork cards and says 'From our house to yours'.

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day

Top tip Tuesday 117: Christmas
Ruby's rainbow 69: it's Christmas
MilkCoffee: any Christmas creation
Left of center 21: Christmas
Happy campers 25: Christmas
Creative moments 33: anything goes - Christmas
Let's craft and create 85: let's celebrate
Creative craft challenges 26: anything goes
PumpkinSpice 52: anything goes
Kaboodle 204: anything goes
Hobbycutz 30: anything goes
The pink elephant 231: anything goes
Alphabet: W for whatever you wish
A gem of a challenge 109: anything goes
Crafts and me 143: anything goes
Sister act 38
Make it Monday 172

CHNC challenge 157: starting all over again?

I wonder if you were in a bit of a panic towards the end of the year, realising that you needed to get on and quickly make Christmas cards? Why not make the resolution this coming year to make Christmas cards throughout the year to ease the panic later on. I'd love you to join in my Christmas challenge blogs - CHNC challenge 157 starts today (click on the link to find out about it) and there is still the December challenge on CHNC challenge extra blog - and the January challenge will obviously be going up soon - this is always  'anything goes' as long as it's Christmas.

Back to today's CHNC challenge 157 - this week I'd like to see any Christmas cards that you've made at the last minute or made earlier, but didn't have a chance to blog - or new cards that you have made to get ahead for next Christmas - it is never too early!!

Here are two cards that I made almost at the last minute using various elements from Hunkydory kits:

These are also for:

Lexi 105: snow
Parade your crafts 11: Christmas/winter
Top tip Tuesday 117: Christmas
Aud sentiments 96: Christmas
Creative Belli 185: Christmas (using Hunkydory kits I've had for some time)
Little red wagon 217: merry Christmas - anything Christmas
Ruby's rainbow 69: it's Christmas
MilkCoffee: any Christmas creation
Southern girls: Christmas wishes
Left of center 21: Christmas
Allways something creative 65: merry Christmas
Happy campers 25: Christmas
Let's craft and create 85: let's celebrate
Challenges 4 everybody 36: anything goes
Hobbycutz 30: anything goes
Scribble and scrap 8: anything goes
Artistic inspirations 72: anything goes
Crafting from the heart 3: anything goes
The pink elephant 231: anything goes
Bearly mine 117: anything goes
Creative card crew 52: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 152: anything goes
Cute card Thursday 301: anything goes
Alphabet: W for whatever you wish
A gem of a challenge 109: anything goes
Crafts and me 143: anything goes
Sister act 38
DL.ART December: anything goes
Make it Monday 172

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' challenge 9: Vintage glitter and sparkle

This is my design card for today's Suzy Bee's Bloomin' challenge 9: vintage glitter and sparkle. I've used the 1920's Winter Abbey image kindly supplied by Lacy Sunshine, who are sponsoring the challenge. Please click on the challenge link to see the lovely creations of the rest of the design team - and please join in with your own vintage glitter and sparkle.

The background is some Hunkydory foiled mirror card mounted on to some gold mirror card, then on to a kraft card blank. The image was coloured with spectrum noir pens and fired brick distress stickles was added to the fluffy collar and cuffs - sadly, it doesn't really show here. I tore round an oval perspex template and brushed the torn edges with fired brick distress ink, doing the same with the larger torn oval of embossed paisley (this was from an Embossalicious folder run through the eBosser on a piece of pearlescent pink card). Flowers are prima, with two spotted here and there with the fired brick stickles. The band of glittered netting on the left is an offcut that has been lurking in a ribbon box for some time (still have a small cutting that I'll try and use at some point).

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day
Creative finger 17: anything goes with Lacy Sunshine (I've used the sponsor's image)
Digitally sweet 68: anything goes with Lacy Sunshine
Brown sugar 74: winter
Graph it 27: anything goes
Polka doodles digi choosday 10: anything goes
Stempelsonne 105: anything goes
Crafty bloggers network December: girly
My heart pieces: can you digi it
Creative craft cottage 12: digital stamp
Challenges 4 everybody 36: anything goes
Hobbycutz 30: anything goes
One stitch at a time 194: anything goes
Scribble and scrap 8: anything goes
Artistic inspirations 72: anything goes
Crafting from the heart 3: anything goes
Melonheadz friends: anything goes
The pink elephant 231: anything goes
Bearly mine 117: anything goes
Creative card crew 52: anything goes
LEJ 84: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 152: anything goes
Digistamps4Joy 82: anything goes
The paper shelter: anything goes
Cute card Thursday 301: anything goes
Alphabet: W for whatever you wish
Stampin' for the weekend: anything goes
A gem of a challenge 109: anything goes
Kreativeinkauf 10: anything goes
Crafts and me 143: anything goes
Sister act 38
DL.ART December: anything goes
Make it Monday 172

The Cheerful stamp pad challenge 76: Anything goes

The Cheerful stamp pad challenge 76 is asking for 'anything goes' for this fortnight. The challenge is being sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps.  Please click on the challenge link to see the lovely crafting of the rest of the design team and join in the challenge.

This is a quick and easy tri-fold card using Hunkydory supplies.

The square in the right hand corner is the first verse from the carol 'We three kings of Orient are ...'

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day
Let's craft and create 85: let's celebrate
Tuesday throwdown 176: what Christmas means to you
Stamp-n-doodle 18: anything goes
Word art Wednesday 112: anything goes
Christmas card challenges 4: make it masculine
Use your stuff 115: celebrate
Creative inspirations 245: anything goes
Parade your crafts11: Christmas/winter

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas

A card simply depicting one of the wise men bearing a gift for Jesus.

In less than an hour in the UK (and I know that in some parts of the world Christmas began much earlier) it will be Christmas morning, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Among all the festivities, less us not forget that we are celebrating the birthday of Jesus Christ, who came to be Saviour.

Happy Christmas to all who happen to come and look at my blog. Thanks for the tremendous support during another year.

The card was made with Hunkydory supplies.