Something New

Good morning all!

Gosh Monday sure came around quickly didn't it!

It's time for the new challenge over at Eureka Stamps, this week it's

#175 Use Something New - to celebrate our new year.
(Don't forget we're having a DT call too!)

So, did everyone get lots of craty goodies for Christmas??

I didn't but I did get some new ribbon from Lidl & I decided to try a new technique!

Here's my card!

Sorry, the pics aren't the best but the weather is rotten & it's very dull!

I've used the sentiment Digi 8107 (455) Thank You

I did use my Chameleon Pens which I've only used a couple of times

 to colour it. The technique I have used is partial embossing with a folder.

The front of the card was staight forward enough but I wanted to try embossing 

the inside & leaving a panel to write on.

The only embellishement I've used is the ribbon which had the butterfly attached.

I followed a tutorial from Splitcoast Stampers for the inside.

The results aren't perfect but it worked fairly well for a first attempt!

Thanks for popping in! It's always nice to have a visitor!

 This card was made with the following challenge in mind:

Inkspirational -Thank you using something new
QKR Stampede  - Clean & Simple
Aud Sentiments Challenge -Thank You Sentiment 
DL ART Thursday Challenge - New Year and/or Thank You
Little Red Wagon - Thank You Card

Design Team Opportunity

Hi all! 

I'm sure many of you are aware, I am part of the DT over at Eureka Stamps!

Karal, the team leader has just posted a DT call on the challenge blog but I thought 

I'd share it with you too just incase you miss it!

Any level of crafter can apply, so don't be shy, give it a go!

Even if you've never been on a design team before, Karal would love to hear from you!

It's a fun relaxed & friendly team!

Here's the info!

DT Call

The Eureka Stamps Design Team has a couple 
of openings. No Experience is necessary.  We ask that you stay on for 6 months or longer if you like. You will need to make a card or other project each week using images from Eureka Stamps, and have it posted in the Team's Facebook album, and posted on your on blog by the deadline each week.  You will also make comments on your assigned numbers for each challenge. 

If you are interested please send an email with a link to your blog to Karal at grandmakaral@hotmail.com        I look forward to hearing from you.

Blog Follower Information

Hi everyone, have you noticed a drop in your blog followers? 

Or are you missing posts on blogs you followed?

I have & I was visiting my friend Linda's blog, when I came across a post with 

the following information, which I wanted to share with you!

This explains a lot!

In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs. 

As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other Open Id providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.

We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.

We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.

Posted by Michael Goddard, Software Engineer

~~~

This change was due to take effect on Jan 11, but as I mentioned, I've already noticed 

a drop in follower numbers, as have some of my other blogging friends 

 I apologise if this causes any inconvenience & I hope that you can create a Google account, which will allow you to continue following my blog and others, who use Blogger.  

If you do create a Google account, you will have to "Follow" blogs again, as those who didn't

 have an account will be permanently removed from our lists.  However, if you choose not

 to open a Google account, you can still follow blogs using other means such as Bloglovin', Networked Blogs, by email etc but you'll have to check each blog individually

to see what options are available to you!.

I greatly appreciate everyone who follows my blog & I hope that you'll continue 

to follow by whatever means suits you! 

Happy New Year!

Good morning all & A Happy New Year to you!

Firstly, I must apologise for being a bad blogger over the holidays & not 

posting or commenting as much as I should have!

I've just been so tired & worn out, I needed a good rest!

I'l try to get round to your blogs soon I promise!

So, now that we're slowly getting back to normal, it's time for the first challenge of 2016 

at Eureka Stamps where the theme this time is

"Birthday Cards"

Here's my card

I've made a little 6"x6" twisted easel card, using the lovely sentiment 

Digi 20601 Most Special Day

Which was cut out with a Spellbinders oval die & matted onto 

another Spellbinders, die cut, ornate oval.

The base card is green & the paisley type paper is 

 from the My Minds Eye, Best of Paisley pad.

I distressed the paper with my serrated scissors.

The flowers are from my stash & have been there forever! 

I tend not to use flowers very often as I like to make cards which can be posted easily.

They just seemed to want to be on this card though!

The colours match better IRL.

Thanks for popping in. I hope you can play in this weeks challenge.

I'm sure you all have at least one birthday coming up soon!

I'd like to enter this card in a few little challenges:

Dragonfly Journeys - They Say It's Your Birthday

Glitter n Sparkle - Anything Goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything goes with Patterned Paper

Petal Lu - Anything Goes

The Sisters of Craft -Anything Goes

Creative Corner - Anything Goes

4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T. -Anything Goes

Sieze The Birthday - Birthday + Topping: Anything Goes

Snowman Or Snowflake

Good moring all!

Is it Monday Already?

I hope those of you who celebrate Chistmas had a lovely time!

I'm not in work this week at all so, am looking forward to a bit of R&R!

Now, on to the new challenge at Eureka Stamps, where this weeks theme is

#173 Snowman Or Snowflake

Here's my card

I used the lovely Digi 23402 Snowman Circle for my card!

I kept the design simple & fairly flat for posting.

The base card is from Craftwork Cards, embossed using an Xcut snowflake folder.

I used my flexmarkers to colour the image, cut with a circle die, then outlined the 

image & the sentiment with some liquid chalk ink. The sentiment was also die cut.

The sentiment & image are popped up on 1mm foam pads for a little dimension!

In fact, I loved the image so much I made 4 cards!

They are all very similar in design but I used different colours

to ink the circles & sentiments! 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you can play in the challenge!

I'd like to enter this card in a few little challenges:

Crafty Calendar - Let it snow 

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - anything goes Christmas 

Craft for the Craic - Christmas Cheer

QKR Stampede – Snowmen or snowflakes

Crimbo Crackers - Die Cuts 

Candy Winners

Merry Christmas all!

Thanks to those of you who took the time to comment & play along in my

blog candy draw!

I've randomly picked a couple of winners from the comments left 

on my blog candy post & the winners are:

Tracy & Nikki

Please check your inboxes ladies, there should be a little something there for you!

Please let me know when you get it!

Hugs & thanks to all who commented!

Enjoy the rest of the festive seaon!

I've Got Candy

Morning all!

It's been ages since I've given away any blog candy!

I've decided to send a little surprise to someone's inbox on Christmas Day.

If you'd like a suprise, just leave me a comment telling me 

where you like to do your crafty shopping & what you'd like Santa to bring you!

I'll pick someone at random from the comments.

You don't have to be a follower of my blog, but it would be nice!

You don't have to share but you can if you want to!

Scroll down for my Eureka Post!

Santa!

Good morning all!

Not long now till the big day!

Are we all organised yet?

I most cerainly am not this year! I still have lots of shopping to do, & I'm 

working up until Christmas Eve, but I'm sure we'll all get there in the end!

So, it's time for the new challenge at Eureka Stamps, where this weeks theme is 

#172 Santa

Here's my little CAS card!

I've used the adorable little Digi 16901Santa Stuck In Chimney

& Digi 16902 (527) Darn Milk & Cookies

I've coloured the image using my Promarkers then cut with a Spellbinders oval die.

The base is an A6 white card blank & the background is from Kanban.

The image & sentiment were layered onto some Kanban CS.

I popped up the image & sentiment on some 1mm foam pads to add

some dimension but keep it within the normal UK postage limits

Not too much more to say about this quick & simple little card!

Thanks so much for dropping in!
I hope you can play in the challenge this week!

I'm sure you've all made at least one card featuring Santa!

I'd like to enter my little card in the following challenges:

My Time to Craft - Last minute Christmas makes 
Sweet Stampin - Merry Christmas 
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

Non-Traditional Christmas Colours

Good morning all!

It's Monday again, time is flying by!

It's time for the new challenge at Eureka Stamps

Where this week, the theme is

#171 Non Traditional Christmas Colours

Here's my card

I used the sweet little image, Digi 17502  Snowy Church Circle.

I used a hot pink A6 base card & printed the image and sentiment

onto some super smooth card-stock. I coloured the sky with a Flexmarker in 

Blue Grey & used my Sakura Glaze Pen to colour the rest.

I added some touches of glitter using my Sakura Clear Star pen.

The button threaded with twine was sitting at the side & cried out

to be added to my project, so I did just that!

So there you have it, a CAS Christmas Card in Non-Traditional Colours.

You can see a little of the sparkle in this side view!

Hope you like it & I hope you can play along in the challenge!

Sorry my photos aren't the best but the weather was miserable & I just

didn't have time to wait for it to clear!

This card  was made with a couple of challenges in mind:

Crafty Calendar - Let it snow 

Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers  Xmas

Brown Sugar  - Buttons

QKR Stampede - Snow Scene

4 Crafty Chicks - Non-Traditional Colours

C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas

In The Pink - Pink Christmas

Crafty Sentiment Designs - Christmas Card

Christmas Is Coming

Good morning all!

It'sMonday again!!!

The weeks are zipping by & I still haven't got myself as organised as I should 

be for Christmas this year! However, I'm beginning to clear my feet & feel 

like I'm getting there slowly!

 "Christmas is coming"

is this weeks theme for the challenge over at Eureka Stamps!

Here's my little card!

Have you got your tree up yet?
I'm putting it off for as long as possible because I fear my kitties
may well be just like the image I have used this week

Digi 22304 Kitty In Lights
Isn't he just the cutest?
I love that cheeky grin on his face!
I've used a 6x6 inch base card. I decided to go with yellow,
one of the colours I picked out of the background paper.
I used my Sakura Glaze pens to colour the lights & a
Light Fawn Flexmarker, to colour up the kitty!

A bit of matting & layering & a border punched with a Martha Stewart punch.

The sentiment was simply done on my PC.

The little sparkly bow just landed there when I was messing about,

so I decided just to add it where it was!

Thanks for popping in to look at my little card today!

I hope you like it!

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge - Christmas anything goes 

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Time To decorate 

My Time to Craft - Christmas animals

Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers - Naughty Christmas