Black and White Snowflakes

 

Good evening. What about this, eh...nothing for many months, then posts on two consecutive evenings.

Although I have more DSP than most stores, I am a 'sucker' for beautiful paper. A few months ago I bought two 12 x 12 DCWV pads. They were so gorgeous, I just couldn't decide which one to buy, so they helped me out by both jumping into my basket. Does that sound vaguely familiar to those of you who are paper addicts like me? 😁

I have had this large die for many years, and it is still one of my favourites. The aforementioned paper pads had several pages of wide strips that coordinate with the main papers, and this is part of one of those strips. I loved the 'clean' look of this card, so made several cards using the various strips.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

ABC Christmas -'Z' is for Zebra (black & white and/or stripes) (2nd entry)

Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Snowflakes

The Holly and the Ivy #153 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Die - Memory Box Grand Merry Christmas

DSP - DCWV 12 x 12 December 25th

Peel off sticker - from my junk stash

Wouldn't it be great if I could keep up a regular flow of posts 😏, but time will tell, won't it.

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs, Jennifer. x

Birthday Thank You

 

Good afternoon.

It was my birthday a couple of days after Christmas, and 2020 saw a

milestone...70! HOW did that happen???

There was nothing I could do about it, but I'll just pretend it didn't happen.😁

Each Boxing Day some beautiful friends always have us to their home, and we

always have a lovely time. After the beautiful meal, I received a BIG surprise.

They had made a yummy cake with candles, THEN presented me with two 

very beautiful and extravagant gifts. I shed a few tears of joy, as I have 

only ever had three birthday cakes in my 70 years.

This is the card I made to thank our friends for such a wonderful

birthday/Christmas evening. 

A close up look at the tiny hand-made flowers, and the stamped "Thank You".

Challenges I would like to enter:-

As You Like It - Favourite Colour Duo and Why. (Soft pinks and greens as they remind me of spring, which I love)

Little Red Wagon #585 - 'Die-ing To Get Crafty'

My Time To Craft #448 - 'Thank You'

Simply Create Too #166 - 'Fave Colour Combo (soft pinks and greens)

The Funkie Junkie Boutique - 'Something Delicate'

Dies - Creative Expressions Scarlet; Tim Holtz Alterations Sizzix Thinlets 661806 (mini florals); Cuttlebug Vintage Corners (negatives used in corners)

Ink for sponging - Tim Holtz Distress Inks Aged Mahogany, Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint

Paper - DCWV The Lace and Linen Stack

Sentiment - Stampin' Up Cling Set Peaceful Moments

Tiny beads are from my junk stash

It's time to bring the washing in from the clothesline, and feed our fur baby kitty (who turned 16 at Christmas), so until next time "thank you" for visiting.

(Socially distanced) Hugs

Jennifer.  x 

Heroes Without Capes

Here we are again, the second Wednesday of the month. You know what that

means...it's time for another challenge at Words 2 Craft By.

In the U.S. (home of W2CB), National Super Hero Day is on April 28,

so to honour all non-caped heroes in our communities, our quote this month 

is a fab one by Gerard Way...

"All the best heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary"

I can think of so many people about whom this quote could apply, not least 

nurses, paramedics, doctors and 'fireies'.

I have had this digi image for several years, and thought it would be 

perfect for this challenge.

Now wouldn't a home visit by this little guy cheer you up no end??

I just adore the look on Clyde's face.

Image - Bugaboo Digi Stamp Clyde Get Well

Colouring - Promarkers

Die - Spellbinders Classic Rectangle

Paper - DCWV Citrus (8" x 8" pad)

For a chance to win a great prize pop over to Words 2 Craft By, check out my teamies' creations, then enter your own interpretation of our current quote.

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer.  xx

Doves Of Hope

Once again it is the 2nd Wednesday of the month, and therefore it is time for a new

challenge at Words 2 Craft By. This month our quote is by Emily Dickinson, 

a famous American 20th Century poet...

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches on the soul 

and sings the tunes without the words, and never stops at all"

I chose this image for several reasons, the first being that doves represent peace, and 

I desperately hope that in this troubled world we find peace. The second reason is

that for almost 20 years we had a pair of beautiful doves (identical to this pair) 

that were rescued from the most hideous conditions at an unscrupulous 

bird breeder's establishment.

The 'weird' lighting in my photos is caused by the sun being partially obscured by

dense smoke from a huge nearby bushfire, which thankfully has now been extinguished.

Inside my card co ordinates with the front.

A close up look at the gorgeous pair. I have had this stamp for many years, and bought it

just after Camilla and Torc came to live with us. Sadly, they both crossed the 

Rainbow Bridge not long before we moved from our farm. Despite their 

cruel beginnings, they quickly learned to trust us, and were such sweet 

gentle little things. We miss them very much.

Image -  PSX  K1567

Colouring - Promarkers

Dies - Spellbinder Labels Eight; Joy Crafts 6002/0135; Cheery Lynn Anastasia Border; Cheery Lynn Celebrate

Paper - DCWV The Lace and Linen Stack  (12"x12")

Pearls and silver tape are from my junk stash

Challenges I would like to enter:-

2 Crafty Critter Crazies #22 - 'Always Anything Goes'

Passion For Promarkers #475 -  'Use Dies and/or Punches'  WINNER

Stamping Sensations - 'Absolutely Feminine'

Sweet Stampin' - Spots and Dots' (background paper has glitter dots)

For a chance to win a great prize, check out my Words 2 Craft By teamies' fab creations, then enter your own interpretation of our lovely quote.

Until next time, thank you for visiting.

Hugs,

Jennifer.  xx

Touchdown

My goodness, we are already almost half way through 

January. Where do the days go??

Yesterday, a dear little boy who lives near where used to live on the farm, 

turned 11. It seems such a short time ago that he was excited about 

starting 'big school'. Like most little boys he loves ball sports, 

so this is the card I made for him.

I have had this cute rubber stamp for several years, and am very ashamed

to admit that it has never seen ink before. The image is coloured with 

promarkers, which I have not used for a long time.

Inside the card co-ordinates with the front.

I created the greeting with my computer, but cannot remember

which font I used. The stars were silver, but I coloured them

with promarkers to match the paper.

Challenges I would like to enter

Brown Sugar #274 - 'Birthday'

Little Red Wagon #428 - 'Boy Oh Boy'

Passion For Promarkers #426 - 'Masculine'

Image - Lili Of The Valley Rugby Mad

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Die Cuts With A View The Glitter Stack

Sentiment - Computer generated

Stars - Peel-off stickers are from my junk stash

I hope you are all beginning to settle nicely into your 'normal' routines after a probably hectic festive season.

Until next time, thank you for your visit.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Little Robot

Hi all. 

Although John and I don't celebrate Halloween, I hope 

those of you who do so, had a lot of fun yesterday.

When we used to live on our farm, we regularly baby-sat a

sweet little guy called Russell from when he was only a few 

months old. It is hard to believe that he turned 6 yesterday!

The embossing folder is in a set of 4, and co-ordinates with a Cricut

cartridge. There are another 4 vertical 'images' on the folder, but I 

removed them so the panel would fit on the card. I stamped the

'Happy Birthday' using my new hinged stamper, which I 

LOVE!!  I re-inked and over-stamped 4 times to 

achieve the lovely crisp, dark words.

The cute little robot is a digi stamp, and I coloured him with 

Promarkers.

Inside our card for Russell.

A close up of the inside panel.

Challenges I would like to enter

Challenge Up Your Life #78 - 'Die Cuts and/or Punches'

Crafty Friends #69 - 'Cute'

Dream Valley #166 - 'Birthdays'

Image - Un-named freebie digi on Pinterest

Colouring - Promarkers

Sentiment - Un-named clear stamp set from $2 store

Greeting inside card - computer generated (can't remember the font)

Dies - Memory Box Mini Gears; Cuttlebug Olivia

Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug Robotz

Paper - DCWV stack The Generation Tech 

Must be off now to feed my kitty, water my little garden, and then prepare dinner so until next time, thank you for visiting.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Hang In There...

This card is for someone quite dear to both of us, who has been going through

a very difficult time. He is normally a very happy soul, with a great sense of

humour, but lately has not had too much to laugh about.

Hopefully my card, with this cute little monkey and my words of

encouragement inside, will cheer him up.

I found this little guy (sentiment included) on Pinterest, but could not 

find any link to his ownership, so if that is you could you please 

let me know so I can give due credit.

Image - Pinterest freebie Hang In There

Colouring - Promarkers

Papers - DCWV stack Animal Crackers 

Die - Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish (cut into small pieces) 

Stickles - Platinum 

Challenges

Freshly Brewed Designs - 'Animals'

I Love Promarkers #257 - 'Make Us Laugh'

Passion For Promarkers #285 - 'Letters Of The Alphabet' (M for Monkey)

Shopping Our Stash #189 - 'The Big Screen' (Planet of the Apes) (die & papers 3 years old) 

Thank you for visiting, and until next time "happy crafting",

Hugs

Jennifer. x

On Tiptoe

At Crafty Little Fairies we have a new challenge, and this week it is the Pink Fairies

who ask you to create something that is

'PRETTY IN PINK' 

We know you will love this theme, so we can't wait to see your entries.

Our lovely sponsor is

****Don't forget, we have a new address at Crafty Little Fairies.****

It is http://craftylittlefairieschallenge.blogspot.com 

I have used one of LOTV's older stamps, Fairies-Tip Toe. It is such a sweet image

and judging by the number I times I still see it in blogland, it remains very popular.

A closer look at little Tip Toe. She was so easy to colour. 

Inside my card co-ordinates with the front.

Challenges:

Tammy's Scrappin' Corner #83 - 'Inspired By A Song Title'

(Tip Toe Through The Tulips)

A Creative Romance - 'Fairytale or Winged Creature'
The Squirrel and the Fox #54 - 'Things With Wings'

Stampin for the Weekend - 'Fairies and Fantasy'
Ooh La La Creations #140 - 'F is for......' (fairy)

Paper Creator's Crafts #15 - 'Dies or Punches'

Addicted To Stamps #66 - 'Create A Scene'

The Ribbon Girls - 'Make It Sparkly'
Papertake Weekly - 'Two By Two'
(2 butterflies, 2 fences)

Card Mania #31 - 'Pastel Colours'

(ribbon inside card)
That Craft Place - 'Colour Pink'

Lexi's Creations #100 - 'Pink'

Image - LOTV Fairies - Tip Toe
Colouring - Promarkers
Paper - DCWV Nana's Nursery
Dies - Spellbinders, Marianne, Cheery Lynn, Memory Box
Punch - Carl
Ink (sponging) - Versacube, Momento
Ribbon and seed-beads from my junk stash

For a chance to win a lovely prize, why not visit us at Crafty Little Fairies, and enter our 'Pretty In Pink' challenge.

"Happy Crafting",
Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Raccoon Friends

Hello fellow crafters, and a big welcome to my newest followers, Mamma Mia and Debi. Thank you for taking the time to sign up, and I hope you enjoy your visits.

There is a new challenge for you at Penny's Paper Crafty, and our theme this week (my card may give you a clue) is

'CIRCLES'

Our 2 generous sponsors this week are

and

The image I have used is 'Most Adorable Raccoons' by The Paper Shelter. 

I think I have mentioned before that I love recycling. The silver layers are actually the underside of yoghurt lids. The darker one is the same brand as the others, but reflected the top I was wearing.

Racoons are not found here in Australia, so I had to look them up on the internet to see what colours they are. I coloured them with my Promarkers. They really are the cutest little critters, aren't they.

I'm not really happy with the inside of my card. Rather than adhere a piece of the DP to the bottom of the card, I decided to split the piece, for a change. The 'corners' are just a circle I cut into quadrants.

Challenges I would like to enter are:-

An Oldie But A Goodie - 'Inspired By A Song' (Rocky Raccoon) 

(DP is about 4 years old)

Kaboodle Doodles #172 - 'Stripes and/or Circles'

LEJ Designs #54- 'Die Cuts and/or Punches'

Try It On Tuesday - 'On The Wild Side'

Digi Makeover #89 - 'Friendship'

Image - The Paper Shelter digi Most Adorable Racoons

Colouring - Promarkers

Sentiments - Stamp it, and unknown (Hello)

Paper - DCWV ?Glittered Stack

Dies - Spellbinders Classic Circles

Embossing - Cuttlebug Swiss Dots

Ink (sponging) - Memento London Fog

For a chance to win great prizes, why not visit Penny's Paper Crafty and enter our challenge.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Dancing Piggy

Hello fellow crafters,
To say the weather is strange would be an understatement! Last Friday, we had a sweltering 36 degrees C, but yesterday and today have been FREEZING - 10 degrees without the icy wind contributing to the chill factor. We have had the fire blazing, and are dressed in multi-layers of clothing. Many parts of eastern Australia are blanketed in snow for the first time in more than a century. We have also had dangerous gale-force winds, but so far we have not had any of our hundreds of huge trees on our property blow over.

I have not been able to do too much crafting this week, as I had to have a cortisone injection into a tendon in the palm of my hand on Tuesday. I have had a 'Trigger Finger' on my right hand for about 6 months, whereby my finger 'locks' if I bend it (a tad painful), and since the injection it is very bruised and sore. Hopefully, the condition will improve somewhat, or surgery is the only other course of action.

This happy little girl is Party Pig, a Beccy's Place digi stamp. The DP is DCWV The Glitter Stack. I bought the felt flower at a craft fair in London 2 years ago in a packet of 5 (no name). IRL, it is very similar in colour to the purple cardstock with which I have layered everything, so I don't know why it looks so different in the photo. I printed 'Celebrate' on my computer, and again the colour is more purple IRL. The font is Curlz.

I coloured Party Pig with my Promarkers, and used 'Star Dust' Stickles on her beads and party hat.

The card base is a standard opening card. The hat is a Cuttlebug die, the Double Loop border is a Martha Stewart border punch, and the squares were cut with a Spellbinders Classic Square die.

I would like to enter the following challenges-

Crafty Boots - 'Use Three of Something' (3 Spellbinder dies, and 3 swirl offcuts inside card)

Di's Digi Downloads - 'Animals Acting Like Humans' 

Papertake Weekly - 'All Creatures Great and Small'

Beccy's Place - 'Use Beccy's Place Image'

Until next time, thank you for visiting, and welcome to my new follower.

Hugs,

Jennifer.

A Very Special First Birthday

Hello fellow crafters,
A baby's first birthday is always special, but I believe sometimes there is a reason for one to be extra special, and I have made this Fun Fold Card to celebrate one such occasion.

If you have been reading my blog since it began in April, you may remember several posts about a dear little baby boy John and I baby-sit on a regular basis. (John calls him "Tiger", because he is such a little fighter). He has had an incredibly difficult start in life, having had to undergo major heart surgery when 6 months old, which was followed by several serious complications in the ensuing 5 months. In a few weeks time he will celebrate his first birthday, and I finished this card for him last night.

His family don't look at my blog, as they are here at least weekly and see my crafty endeavours first hand, so it is safe to post it now, as I wish to enter it into several challenges.

The card is larger than those I usually make - A5 - thus giving me plenty of room to 'play'.

Isn't this resin bear the cutest little chap. I found him 8 years ago at Esher, at my first ever craft show, while on a visit to London. I bought 2 boy bears, and a cat sitting on a brick wall, but could not bear (ha ha, pardon my pun) to part with them, as I loved them so much. I think however, I have found an occasion special enough to use one of them.

Inside the card, showing where John and I will write our birthday greetings to this dear little boy.

I 'flipped' the image, and 'fussy-cut' a portion of it for the left-hand panel. The image, coloured with Promarkers, was a freebie digital stamp by Beccy Muir at Beccy's Place. Thank you Beccy. I found her blog a couple of weeks ago, and she has lots of lovely images for sale in her shop, including this little cutie.

For the 'detail label' on the back of the card, I used the second smallest die in my new SB 'Floral Ovals'.  The tiny cut-outs are stars, and some of you may have noticed, I glittered a few of them and attached them to the main image panel on the front of the card.

Challenges I would like to enter are -

          Use It Tuesday #40 - 'Use Your Scraps' (yellow backing card, 

                                             mini stars, white fence card, eyelets,)

          Daisy Doodles Creative #68 -'One For The Boys' (Digi)

          Cute Card Thursday #236 - 'Feature Letters/Numbers'      

          Pennies Paper Crafty #95 - 'More Than One Fold'  (Winner)

          Tammy's Scrappin Corner #29 - 'Kiddes Card'  (Top 3)
        Beccy's Place - 'Use One of Beccy's Images'

          Ready Teddy Go #14 - 'How Many Fingers?'
          Charisma Cardz #38 - 'For The Guys'

          My Mum's Craft Shop #76 - 'Stars'

          I Love Promarkers #136 - 'Male'

DP - DCWV  'Glittered Stack'
Alphabet Stamps - Hero Arts 'Balloon Alphas' (coloured with PMs & Stickles 'Stardust')
Dies - Marianne 'Fence & Birdhouse'; Spellbinders 'Floral Ovals' (back of card); Cuttlebug 'Party'
Glittered star (ex Christmas decoration), star eyelets, from my junk stash

Until next time, thank you for visiting and leaving your kind comments. Also, welcome to my new followers.
Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Coastal Getaway

Hello Fellow Crafters,

I do appear to be on a seaside 'kick', don't I, what with my last post and this one. I am hoping that John does not see this before Father's Day, which is on the first Sunday in September, here in Australia. This image reminds me of the wonderful late spring, and summer I spent in the UK in 1989, much of it in the seaside villages and towns of Cornwall, Devon and many other counties. Many UK residents may remember that it was the warmest summer in several decades

This is the first time this stamp has seen ink. I bought it during our recent trip to New Zealand in a lovely shop, The Papercraft Room, in beautiful Wanganui. It was fun to colour, but kept me busy for ages. I have added 3D Lacquer to the windows of the beach huts, and the glass of the lighthouse. The jury is still out on my choice of designer paper. I am still trying to use up my HUGE collection of peel-off stickers - with a fair stretch of one's imagination, this border peel-off looks like waves.

Several years ago I wanted to add some twine to a card with an old sailing ship image, so surfed the net and came up with here. For the knot on this card, I modified the Carrick Bend knot by using 2 thicknesses of twine, and at times I have even used 3 for a larger knot. I am fond of this knot and have used it on quite a few other cards with a nautical theme. I'm sorry for the 'yucky' colours of the above photo, but I forgot to take a close-up of the knot today when I took the other photos - this one was taken under a lamp placed on the dining table. The cardstock is actually dark blue, on white, and the twine is off-white.

The inside of the card is very basic.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges - 

Daring Cardmakers - 'Get Knotted'

Crafty Catz - 'Anything Goes'

Paper Crafting Journey - 'Anything Goes'

The Squirrel and the Fox - 'The Sea'

Here Come the Boys - 'Boy's Toys' (Boats)

Kenny K's Krafty Krew - 'Sun/Sea/Sand'
Creative Belli - 'Vacation/Travel'

Stamp - Docraft 'Coastal Getaway' by Michael Powell
Paper - DCWV 'Generation Tech'
Colouring - Promarkers
Dies - Spellbinder
Corner Punch - Carl
Twine, Peel-off stickers, 3D Lacquer, from my stash.

Until next time, thank you for looking,
Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Time to Celebrate

Hello fellow bloggers,
Today is an important date! My blog turns ONE today (month that is)...ha ha ha...scared you didn't I...you thought "Oh my giddy aunt, has Jennifer been blogging for a whole year...I didn't know a year could fly by so fast!!!"  In some ways, it feels much much longer than a month - I have learned so much, and in other ways it feels as if I only began last week.

Today I made a card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, but with the days being so short, the light beat me before I could take photographs for tonight's post. I will post it tomorrow morning, and tonight show you a couple of layouts I did for my Granddaughter Scarlette's scrapbook.

My scrapbooking style is much less ornate than for my cards, because I feel the photos (and the subjects in them) should be the focus.

The spotted paper is an old Kaisercraft one, Pina Colada, and the watery looking vellum, was loose, and unnamed in a local store. I rarely use my Cricut (love, love, love it) for cards, but use it extensively for my scrapbooking, and this page was no exception. I used a silver pen to create faux stitching around all the letters, and Occy's hat was actually a mushroom cap from the same cartridge.

This page didn't take me long to finish, and was fun to do. I just love the bright colours! The paper was from a DCWV 8x8 pack, and the birds and the fine line border are heavily glittered - I couldn't pick it up in the photo. The elephant, sun and flowers are all cut with my Cricut, and the leaves were fussy-cut from a Kaisercraft paper, to match the jungle leaves on Scarlette's walker. The elephant and sun are also on her walker. I coloured the chipboard alphas with my trusty Promarkers, and sponged around the edges of the page with a Versacube inkpad (I think it was Peony).

........Just an update on the little baby boy we have nicknamed 'Tiger'. His heart surgery yesterday was successful, and as per standard treatment, he will be kept in an induced coma for 3-4 days.See post, Tiger, on 7/5/12.

Well that's all tonight folks...I must go and put dinner on. Thanks for looking, and until tomorrow morning...happy crafting.

Jennifer. x