2016 Calendars!

Just when I thought it was safe 

to go back into my craft room.

I can't believe he has done this to me.

That Pesky Elf  has only gone and left me

a pile of Signed 2016 Elf Calendars.

As he so eloquently put it in  the note that he left .

"For my loyal fans to keep you company

until I'm back."

If anyone wants one 

email me to the address on my side bar 

for details.

And on that humourous note

I bid you all

A Happy New Year.

Yellow Xanthine

It is  a new Theme

over at my Butterfly Challenge

#45 Butterflies + X is for Xanthine.

Yes the dreaded letter X has arrived

but let me explain.

Xanthine =  The yellow colouring matter found in certain plants as in Yellow Madder.
(Madder is from the Genus Rubia and has small yellow flowers, whorled leaves and a reddish brown root.)

So I would like to see Yellow butterfly/s  and  also a splash of yellow on your project somewhere.  Where and how you put the yellow is entirely up to you.  (i.e ribbon, gems, paper  etc.)

Here are my inspiration cards for you.

I recently did an on line  Different Card Folds

class by 'Shirley Pando'.

A few of the folds I already knew but I have 

been making my way through each of the 24 cards shown

These are 2 shapes I have revisited.

Criss Cross Fold Card.

Amanda who is my Guest Designer for this challenge

not only sent me the journal she made as a present 

but  enclosed extra goodies for me to play with as well.

These silver/gold foil buterflies were one of them.

I cut  the card base shape from yellow  card stock.

The digi papers are by Pink Petticoat who are 

sadly closing their shop at the end of the year.

This design is called Dandeline Clocks from 

the Isabelline collection.

I made a tag using my SU Tag topper punch

to go inside the envelope fold.

Gems and ribbon from my stash.

Thankyou sentiment is a gold sticker.

Entering into the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew #103 Anything goes.

Deep Ocean Challenge #119 Anything goes.

Through The Craftroom Door # Anything goes.

Inspiration Destination #66 Anything goes.

The Crafter's Cafe #139 Tags.

2nd card is a Z fold Card.

Amanda  also enclosed a packet of 

Burlap mini butterflies in cream and brown.

I have used a few of the cream ones here.

I coloured the top petals with a yellow promarker pen

and then  ran some platinum stickles as an outline

round the edges. They really do sparkle.

Card base is cut from yellow  pearlescent card stock.

Design paper is by Rasberry Road  a magazine freebie.

Edging is gold sticker in a rope design.

Front die cut is by Cheery Lynn Designs 

from their Sentiment Frame #2 set.

The middle and back page are Spellbinders

Medallion six die cuts .

Yellow ribbon and the  With Love gold sticker

from my stash.

Hope I have given you some ideas on 

X is for Xanthine!

Entering into the following challenges:

Cheery Lynn Designs #217 Anything goes.

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper #Anything goes.

Crafty Gals Corner #52 Anything goes.

Create and Inspire #36 Anything goes.

Mod Squad Challenge # Antything goes with  at least one die cut.

Christmas Fairy

One last card to show 

for my Fairy Challenge

that still has a few more days to go

#44 All Kinds of Fairies

I have chosen this Mo Manning digi

as my inpsiration for you.

I love this fairy image. Last year

I went with christmas colours

but this time I decided to go with pink and silver.

I coloured using my promarkers and a silver gel pen.

Then a good covering of Stickles in silver on her frills,

wings , shoes, globe and hair.

I made the bow with my bowmaker tool to make a triple bow.

I adhered the image to a sheet of sticky backed foam sheet

that I had cut down to size and made a card base from

pink card stock. 5.75 x 5.75 cm.

From the left overs I used my Britannia die cuts  

for the sentiment.

Lighting is not very good but you can see the stickles

in this close up. 

Entering into the following challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's #261 Anything goes christmas.

The Glory Of Christmas #74 Anything goes.

Cafty Hazelnut's Extra # Anything goes christmas.

A Snowflakes Promise #12 Anything goes,

Crafty Gals Corner #51 Anything goes,

Craft Rocket Challenge #5 Anything goes.

Lets Craft and Create #108 Christmas.

Natalie and Amy's Challenge #39 Christmas.

Scrap and Craft #16 Anything goes christmas.

Dream Valley #122 Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Wishing All My Followers

A Happy Christmas.

And

A Prosperous New Year.

(See post below on how I made)

Reindeer and Sleigh

I spotted some Reindeer in Poundland the other month

and much to The Docs horror stopped in front of the counter

where they had been piled up.

The Doc was even more agast when I popped  a gold

one into my shopping basket. 

"Are you sure you really want that " he said

and "Where is it going to go ?" he added.

It's OK . I have a plan  I said.

The previous week I had bought a MDF Sleigh

from NEC and I was fairly sure he would fit just fine 

First things first though.

He needed a good scrub  as he was discarding 

glitter left, right and centre and I didn't dare bring him

into the house!

Then a  good coat of paint solved the problem.

The MDF sleigh came in pieces

which I decided to decoupage with

some paper also bought at the NEC.

I have done one side of each piece and left to dry

but forgot to take another photo before I assembled

the completed sleigh. Doh!

Once all dry

The pieces slotted together very easily.

My idea was to have as a table decoration 

and to be filled with flowers.

I used Adhesive glitter foam sheets for the roses

which I die cut using Spellbinders  'Rose Creations'.

I peeled the backing paper off and turned the die cuts over 

and made the flowers up backwards so that the sticky side was up.

A quick covering of matching glitter which stuck  (like glue)

and here they are.

Ivy leaves from the garden.

The Doc I'm relived to say likes it!!

Elf commandeered  the sleigh to get  home to the North  Pole

but sent it back again. on pixie dust.

Entering into the following challenges

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #208/209  Use up your snippets (odd piece of string for reins).

Tally Ho!

There was much banging and nailing

going on in the garage all yesterday afternoon.

A sign on the door said 

Keep Out

Elf at Work

I could have sworn I heard the clip clopping of hooves

on the concrete in there as well

 but I was just being paranoid!!

Anyway this was the scene

in the side garden at 2.30am

this morning on the shed roof.

Elf said he wanted to get away up onto 

The Stratosphere early before it got too crowded. 

Personally I think he heard that Santa had said

The first elf back at the North Pole after doing all his rounds

would get a bottle of whisky and get in

The Elf's Ball for free!!!!!!

Strangely enough 

I'm going to miss the little fellow!!!!!

Christmas Card to The Doc

This is the card I gave The Doc this year.

The stamp is by Stampingbella

called 'Opal The Optomist'.

Whilst I'd love to have those slim  legs

boy did they cause much nashing

of teeth to colour in!!

I used my promarkers and a silver gel pen.

Ivy corner was a freebie magazine stamp.

Glitter paper was a piece already cut into

which I layered behind the white card.

The white card was also a snippet. 

Design paper is by Nitwits

'Fleur dk green' from their

Simplejoystoo digi collection.

Entering into the following challenges:

Crafty Creations #305 Anything goes.

Inspiration Destination #65 Anything goes.

Creative Inspirations #341 Anything goes + optional sketch.

Crafty Gals Corner #51 Anything goes.

A Bit More Time To Craft  #10 Anything goes.

Brown Sugar #177 Anything goes.

Sweet Stampin # Merry Christmas.

613 Avenue Create #155 Anything goes.

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #24 Anything goes.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #208/209 Use your snippets.

That Craft Place # Anything goes. 

Crafty Time # Anything goes.

2 Creative Chicks #5 Anything goes.

Enterprise!.

I just know I'm going to regret  this question

but

Toys?

Why is there a table set up 

outside  the front door this morning?

"It's  Elf's"

and yes I did look

and there is a  different page and picture 

 for each month!!!!

Carol Singers

We had a knock at the door

late last night and heard singing.

Now we don't generally get many Carol Singers

in our neck of the woods so we opened the door!!

I know, I know  bad idea.

Hello toys.

What are you singing ?

While shepherds washed their socks by night

All seated in the snow

The owner of the sheep came by and ........

Slam!

I can't take much more.

Selfie

Toys?

Has anyone seen that Pesky Elf this morning?

"Yes"

"He said he quite likes having his photo taken now 

so he is setting up a photo shoot"

I think we know where your camera went Brenda!

Emma and The Snowball

Challenge time once again  over at

Crafting From The Heart #91

We are being sponsored by

Fred She Said

The Theme is Anything  Goes as usual

and we would love  to see  your projects.

I chose this digi image to work with .

'Emma and The Snowball'

I have coloured using my promarkers, gold gel pen,

 pearlescent chalks and Liquid Pearls.

I decided  to make an easel card and used 3 sizes

of X Cut dies  'Square Parenthesis'

3 different matching  design papers

by Nitwits from their

'Christmas Linen Too' digi collection

were used to build up the layers .

Th fluffy snowballs were cut  from a fabric tim

in my stash along with the gold sentiment.

I cut  and coloured a second image and fussy cut

to decoupage on top and raised  up with 3D pads

Close up of the image showing the snow effect 

that was created with tiny points of liquid pearls

in 'White Opal'

Entering into the following challenges:

Tuesday Throwdown #274 Anything goes.

Creative Inspirations #340 Merry Christmas.

Inspiration Destination #64 Anything goes.

Cards 4 Galz #12 Christmas.

Cut It Up Challenge #86 Brrrrr Winter.

Digitally Sweet Challenges #145 Winter.

Scrapping 4 Fun #56 Anything goes /christmas/ winter digi.

Pile It On #98 Anything christmas /winter.

Card Mania #75 Christmas.

Crafts Galore # Merry Christmas + anything goes,

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper # Anything goes.

Lets Craft & Create #108 Christmas.

Scrap and Craft #16 Anything goes christmas.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #208 Use your snippets. (snowballs!)

Bound Over.

There was a message 

waiting for me on the answer machine this morning.

"Hello"

"Sergeant  Cross here from

xxxxxxxPolice Station.

We have an Elf in custody here

who says he is residing with you at the moment?

Well he has been bound over to keep the peace

so can you come and pick him up ASAP please

as we don't want him here causing any more 

havoc "

I'm almost too afraid to ask Brenda what happpened!

Contraband.

Several people have asked what

is in pesky Elf''s suitcase that he brought with him.

A good question as he refuses to be parted with it

and keeps it under his bed at night time.

So, whilst he was tied up with his Bungee Jumping

the other day  we decided to investigae!!!!!!

So!

Not only is he content to drink The Doc's Grappa,

scoff his Bakwell Tarts and nick the birds Nuts

He has brought  his very own

Chocklit supply.

Is there no end to his exploits!

He was caught later on camera  beind the door having a snack.

He is not here right now as 

Brenda(aka Floral Fantasies) very kindly stopped by

 on her way to the final dress rehearsal for the  

Playground Nativity play and took him off with her.

I dread to think what he is going to get up to.

Watch this space is all I can say

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cue the Lights.

Toys?

Has anyone seen that Pesky Elf this morning?

"Yes"

He said he was going to put some lights on his tree.

Snowflakes are Falling.

I was in poundland last month

and spotted these snowflake window stickers.

Not to put on the windows much to The Doc's relief

but I thought they would look super on cards.

What do you think?

They came 4 in a packet and simply peeled off 

the Acetate sheet they were on. 

I found this christmas card front  not in my stash pile

but in a box of white paper off cuts that I use up 

when stamping out images to colour. 

When I turned the card over I saw this winter scene 

and thought how well it would go with one of the snowflakes.

I simply trimmed the card front down slightly mounted onto 

shimmery white card and then in turn onto a pearlescent silver grey base

made from card stock.  A silver sticker sentiment and some silver

circles left over from another peel off that looked like falling snow

and the card was complete..

Entering into the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion #292 Anything goes.

Crafty Card Makers #154 Snow

Tuesday Taggers #  snow, Snowfalkes/ or winter whites.

Shopping Our Stash #231 Let It Snow.

Fan-Tastic Tuesday #116 Anything goes with a twist make it sparkle.

Glitter  'n' Sparkle #167 Traditional or non Traditional.

Unicorn challenge #4 Winter time.

Crafty Calendar # Let It Snow.

Crafting Musketeers #32 Use a sentiment.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #207 Use your snippets.

Two off the snowflakes were quite large 

so I felt they didn't need much else on the card.

I  layeredthis one up with snippets of white shimmer card

navy pearlescent  and light blue card stock  for the base

which matched the blue stone effects in the snowflake.

They look like gems but are in fact just part of the plastic design.

They look authentic though. 

Camera decided to have a hissy fit and the next two 

cards came out looking a bit pink  to say the least1

This was the other large snowflake which 

I made into a  7.5 x 5.5 card.

I used turquoise card stock  layering up as before

and then  trimmed with silver edging strips and 

left over bits of silver stickers  that  I placed into 

snowflake patterns.  Waste not want not!

silver sentiment sticker to complete.

I found this snippet of a snow scene in my 

used card stash and as it conveniently  matched 

the blue card stock that I had left over decided to 

pop it on the card as well!

The Greetings was cut out using a Britania die

layered up twice and then given a coating of

glossy accents  and when dry glued in place.

4 cards for a pound can't be bad.

Bungee Jump

Toys?

Has anyone seen that Pesky Elf this morning?

"Yes"

He said  he was going to try 

Bungee Jumping.

1    2    3  

Weeeeeee!

Erm.

Can somebody get me down please?

Bird Festivities

Toys?

Has anyone seen that Pesky Elf this morning?

"Yes"

He said he was going to cheer up the birds.

I think they would rather have their nut feeders back!

Elf?

You haven''t eaten their nuts have you?