cake anyone?

Hello friends..........shall I save you a piece? It's fruit! and even though it doesn't really show on my terrible photo(sorry) it is very sparkly. It is not the funny shape it looks either...that's down to the camera angle...........and being in a hurry.

So what is your tipple with cake?...wine? sherry? oh and cheese?  YES I know... but here in Yorkshire it is quite an old tradition to have cheese with your fruit cake. Not my taste I have to say even though I am quite partial to a bit of cheese.

OK on to the table ..........1/2 crackers.....NO not me........mmm  not everyone might agree on that one. They are crackers from Paula at Whichcraft and I chopped one end off......using them for place names..... here's mine.....

Two sides are covered in the red paper where I picked out part of the design and added Glamour Dust for sparkle,(lousy photo again) and the other two sides are silver..........go on .....guess the colour scheme of the table.....got it?
The name tags are a Spellbinder die with added glitter...well it is Christmas..........oh yes... and there is something inside...not telling.....just in case any of the partakers might be sneaking an early peek!

As the sun is shining here today I am popping over to the playground again with this one.....used snippets for the tags and sides.

Thank you for taking time out if your busy schedule to stop by and visit me.Your friendship and the lovely comments you leave me is humbling.
SO

I wish each and every one of my wonderful blogging friends, a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS and WONDERFUL NEW YEAR. Be safe and well, and I hope that you enjoy whatever you are doing over this festive season.

See you later
Big hugs...........and love
Carole xx


Challenges entered:-    Snippets Playground 208/209.........entry 2

Mice and Holly

Hi friends!

Well I don't know about you but I am all Christmassed out! I have now drawn a line under everything...apart from the obvious stuff you have to get at the last minute! Yes the MDF baubles that have sat on my desk for a year are still there!  Maybe they will still be there next year too!.... I hope not as in the New Year a clean of the craft room is on the cards, a good tidy up and a cull (well maybe) of some things. I can't believe it will be 2 years soon since I had a sort out and I still have loads of stuff unused since then. Are you the same?

My last Christmas card...different to all the others I have made this year. It is a digi image I won an absolute age ago, I think it is such acute image. I coloured it with copics and added Glamour dust  for sparkle.

and a close up

The holly die is ...you guessed it!....Sue Wilson and the sentiment is a Craftwork Cards I found in my stash and mounted on gold mirri. I kept this card flattish in dimension as it had to go in the post.

There are a lot of snippets on here...paper ribbon trim, holly and mirri and the green backing paper (same as the holly) ..........so a last dash to play with my mates in the Playground this year is on the cards! (sorry about the pun there..I can hear you all groaning).

I do hope you are not all too stressed out this week and will find the time to pop back again for the table favour and cake! I really do appreciate you taking the time when you are so busy, to stop by my humble ramblings and say hello.

I will leave you to get on with your plans......take care, I have ironing with my name on it!..........funny no matter how often I look no-one elses name shows up on that one!

See you again soon
Crafting and Christmas hugs
Carole xx

Challenges entered :-

Snippets Playground..................Most of card made from snippets.

All things Christmas.

Hi Friends.
Here with a quick post today...yes you can just see me flash by in my haste to complete todays tasks!

Another card using Sue Wilson dies and a Sweep poppy stencil this time.

The card is Navy bazzill and I embossed through the stencil with Imagination crafts diamond sparkle paste. The white backing behind the die cut is actually plain white card made sparkly with the same embossing paste and a brayer! thought you cannot see it on the photo. The strips are red back tape (very strong double sided for those that are not familiar) covered in Glamour dust glitter....perfect match.

Right off to get on with icing that cake and the finishing touches to the table favours. Do pop back again soon to see the finished results , and hear me breathing a sigh of relief no doubt.
I know you are all busy too,so do hope you are all on track with your preparations.Give me a wave as you rush past!

Take care friends, keep well and thank you for taking the time to pop by. Please leave me a quick comment if you have the time....then I know you have been!

Must dash...see you soon
Carole xx

Dizzy Dizzy on the Merry go Round!

Hello my friends! how are you all?

Well we are at the end of another week and just 2 weeks from the big event! Aaaagh I hear you all shout.......me too......still whizzing round and round in circles. I think someone put me on a Merry go Round and I can't get off because it won't stop!

OK .....another card based on creative expressions and Sue Wilson dies again....I have to say I love her dies.

I used a Crafters Companion embossing folder for the holly background.... stamped first with the Merry Christmas also Crafters Companion.

The tile is a double layer as the top layer is cut from the white card with the outer edge in place.It's a two piece die.Underneath I did another layer but this time I just embossed with the inner die first and then cut the embossed piece out with the outer die. It was a bit of a juggle to get the pressure right so as to see the outline but not cut into my card at all...even with the rubber mat in place. This was so that I could see where the holly leaves would be and colour them in on the embossed piece, which I did.... with copics and a 'wink of stella clear' on top. ......Then I mounted one on top of the other and then on to my card.
Gems for the berries!  Holly bottom right...... and that's it!

If I did it again I would try maybe grey for the sentiment as I think it is a bit too bold in the black.

Still got a list of chores (note they have progressed from jobs now) in front of me and housework is on it too...sadly neglected of late....best not to wear my specs then I can't see the dust! So by Monday I hope to have them all crossed off the list bar icing the cake.How are your jobs coming along?

Thank you for calling in...I know you are all busy too, I have passed a few of you this last week..... whizzing.... just like me................and then someone put the Merry go Round in the playground! Guess a few of you might be leaping on there with me too. Bags I the horse with the Gold saddle!......please....

Your time and lovely comments are all so much appreciated and I hope you will visit again next week when I will have some more cards to share.

Have a lovely weekend everyone......whatever the weather and wherever you are (try saying that after a few mulled wines).

Yawn yawn...time for bed.....night night
Love Carole xx

Busy busy, let's get whizzy!

Whizzing by..........oh! just passed myself coming the other way.........Oh Hi there!!....fancy bumping into you..how are you? I do hope you are well and haven't succumbed to any of the bugs that are around. If you have...I wish you well very quickly.....get rid for Christmas!

I can't believe we are half way through another week and it's December. The more organised I am , the more I find to do. It isn't helped by the fact it was my birthday last week.........thank you for those that sent me good wishes..............and it's hubbies tomorrow (only just finished his card, I couldn't buy him one again this year now could I ) so there are those festivities in the middle of Christmas planning. We had a nice day out at that big Garden Centre in Manchester with a nice lunch and hubby is celebrating tomorrow............by going to work! big aahhhhhhhh. I might do him egg and chips for tea as a treat (only joking).

So today it's a Christmas card.I know I haven't blogged more than a couple unlike the rest of you...I have just whizzed round blog land and what a feast for the eyes....where do you all find the time and the inspiration.....such a clever lot you are...........take a bow.

Here we go..........a tweak of a Creative Expression card again but I like the end result very much and it's not often I say that!

It probably speaks for itself, but I used mostly sue Wilson dies............she does design some fabulous ones, a dotty embossing folder and the poinsettia is a Creative Expression stamp on vellum and white heat embossed, then die cut. I cut the snowflakes off the sentiment die to leave me with ...you guessed...just the sentiment!! A touch of Platinum Stickles for a tiny bit of bling and the star.

I had a bit of trouble die cutting the embossed vellum...the embossing chipped off the vellum.......has anyone else experienced that or is it just me? In the end I fussy cut them in order to avoid it.

Just before I go I must tell you that a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to win a voucher from Clearly Besotted in the comment draw. How chuffed was I as I love Stephanie's stamps and dies. So I was able to go shopping...yippee and my prize arrived last week near my birthday. The presentation of your package from CB is a present itself...all beautifully wrapped and their Customer Service...second to none. So..........if you haven't seen their stamps pop over and take a look.........hang on to that plastic though , it will be raring to go!..................and thank you Clearly Besotted for a wonderful surprise and treat.  Just need to find some time to play now!!

Don't know if I will have the time to source any challenges this week.....Oh there I go again in the other direction..........meeting myself coming back again......must go and try and catch up!

Take care friends till I bump into you again!
Love Carole xx

Challenges  TBA (maybe)