TOP TIP TUESDAY...Still another week to enter..

Hi everyone, sorry I've been awol for this week I'm still running up and down to the hospital to visit my Mum. She has had another operation and hopefully this time she will make a full recovery. She has now been in hospital for 7 weeks and looks likely to be in for another 3 or4 .

We have a fortnightly challenge this time so you still have plenty of time to get you entries in. The challenge is use your EMBELLISHMENTS, now that's a really easy one for you. Please pop over to the TTT blog and see the fabulous Aperture Card tutorial from Maggie, it's really easy to do using your punches.

For my card I have used a long forgotten stamp my Gorgous Girl....Isn't she lovely...... The papers are Basic Grey, and In used Labels 2 Nesties and various flower embellishes. The swirl and leaves were cut using my Craft Robo.
Looking forward to seeing all your lovely creations.
Happy crafting

Christmas wishes .........

Just a short post to say Merry Christmas to everyone.
Sadly my Mum has taken a turn for the worst and will have another operation today or tomorrow, so I will not be on here for a while and will be spending Christmas at the hospital. She is so weak and frail looking now, it's been a long hard road for her these past 6 weeks, I'm hoping and praying she has the strength to come through this.
Thank you to everyone who visited my blog this year and for all your wonderful comments. I hope you all have a peaceful and Happy Christmas and hopefully I will be back in the New Year.

HUGS

Incy Wincy challenge, non traditional colours

Hello again, 2 post in one day......wooohoo!!!. I just found this challenge and it fits a few of my recent makes with non Traditional colours for Christmas. So I would like to enter this one.

Image is James from LOTV  my fav at the moment....

Papers are Anita's from last year 

Circle Nesties

Martha Stewart Snowflake corner punch

Ribbon from Stash

This is a really quick card to make, I might add some snowflakes , what do you think...? thanks again for taking the time to pop into my blog. I really do appreciate it.

New Year creations at Charisma............

Good morning all!! Apologies for my post being a day late, my head is in the clouds these days, I put it in draft instead of scheduled......Duh !!!

This week the lovely Joanne has set our challenge and she would like to see your 
New Year creations
. As always we have some fab prizes on offer so why not pop over and see the DT's inspiration for you this week .
My DT card was made using my own sketch #40  on Vee's Sketch Pad. The image is a digi I won from Digital Delights called Party Pippin isn't he cute? Coloured with Copics.  Papers and ribbon are from my stash, the bells are a glitter peel off stuck on to acetate and cut out. I used circle and oval Nesties and Martha Stewart Arch border punch. Sentiment is computer generated.

Hope to see you all at Charisma this week. Thanks for popping in.
 

Challenges entered with this card
Colour Create.....Plum and white option frames (Thurs) 
the ribbon is plum and the hat. The colours did not come out well when photograpged.

Top Tip Tuesday Tutorial....A Coaster Box

Apologies to everyone for being late with my Top Tip Tuesday post don't know where my brain is these days...lol .....I think like most of us at this time of year there is just too much going on in my head. Anyhow enough waffling. 

This week at Top Tip Tuesday it's my turn to submit a tutorial and I've decided to do a Coaster Box. It's really quite easy to do and you can make them as unique and individual as your imagination will allow. Make them for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Christmas, Easter....etc  whenever you need a little pressie for someone or even just to sit on your desk holding your pencils or other crafty stuff. To find out how to make one click the HERE 

and you will be taken straight to the Top Tip Tuesday tutorial. 

As always we also have a fabulous challenge for you and this week we would like to see anything CHRISTMAS  related.  More lovely prizes this week for you to win and of course there is the Top Tip prize also.  Hope to see you all there and thanks for your continued support of the Top Tip Tuesday blog.

Ribbon wreath using Top Tip Tuesday Tutorial.....and a sneak peek....

Hi there,  only 12 sleeps to Christmas and I've not got enough cards made yet.....Ahhhh!!!

I don't suppose I'm the only one....lol I have the important ones covered and I'm afraid I'm going to have to buy a box for the rest if I don't get time to make more cards.
A short post this evening to show you the ribbon wreath card I made.

This is the first time I have attempted making a ribbon wreath, I used my friend Leanne's tutorial over on 

Top Tip Tuesday this week. It's a lot easier to do than I thought, I finished it off by adding a few dew drops and a red organza ribbon. I really like the finished result, what do you think? 

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Tomorrow is a new challenge and tutorial on Top Tip Tuesday and as it's my turn this week to do the tutorial I just thought I would give you a sneak peek.

 Any Ideas ?!!!  Well you won't have to wait long to find out, just remember to visit 

TOP TIP TUESDAY tomorrow and find out what the tutorial is and of course the new challenge for this week as well. Hope to see you all there.!!

WEEK # 49 @ Charisma

 

Good morning everyone, this week at Charisma it's Allison's turn to set the challenge, and she would like to see a Christmas Gift / Bag or Box.

I have made this little gift bag with papers I've had for years I'm afraid I don't have the name of them but they are heavily embossed and really gorgeous. This one is a burgundy pearl background with a pale pink embossing all over. The label came from a Christmas set I bought last year at Lakeland Plastics and mounted it on gold Mirri card. I added some gold and burgundy cord for the handles and some burgundy organza ribbon, and gold paper ribbon curled.

Please pop over to Charisma and see the wonderful projects the DT have made for your inspiration, you won't be disappointed, and as always we have some fabulous prizes for you to win.

I hope you are all keeping safe and warm in this terrible weather.

Thanks for taking the time to pop in.

Challenges:-

Secret Crafter Saturday....Christmas

Creative Card Crew.....Anything goes

Top Tip Tuesday Tutorial....A ribbon Wreath

Hi! it's Leanne's turn to share a Top Tip this week and she has a fabulous tutorial showing how to make

A Ribbon Wreath.

I've always wanted to know how to do one of these so I'll be having a go at this one. 

Our Challenge for you this week is to USE A RIBBON on your entry.

Thank you for all you fabulous entries to last weeks Anything Goes challenge, you are such a talented bunch it was a pleasure viewing all of your entries. Please pop over to the TTT blog to find out this weeks winner and to see Leanne's fabulous tutorial.

Don't forget to be in with a chance of winning the Top Tip Prize you must leave your tip in the 

comments section.

Above is my DT card using Ribbon.

Recipe...

Anita's papers from last year

 Soft Pencil Image

Various snowflake punches

Ribbon and Pearl from stash.

Hope you are all safe and warm in this terrible weather. I'm walking to work again this morning.  Brrrrrr!!

Challenges:

Simon Says....Christmas no red or green Tues
Creative Card Crew...Anything goes Tues (fortnightly)
Digital Tuesday....Baby it's cold outside
Secret Crafter Saturday...Christmas

A Pink Christmas........James LOTV

Yet another Christmas card, I love this LOTV image he's my fav at the moment. The papers are from the Kate Knight Christmas collection free with Quick Card Mag. Senntiment free from Pollycraft. The snowflake border is a Martha Stewart punch and the charm and ribbon are from my stash. Since I took the pic I have added a few snowflakes at the top, but I have passed the card on now and I forgot to take another photo...lol.. My brain is all over the place right now...must be an age thing..ha ha.

Thanks for popping in I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges

Secret Crafter Saturday......Christmas

Totally Papercrafts....Christmas Punches

WEEK # 48 A SKETCH WITH A TWIST @ CHARISMA

Hello there!!, it's Thursday again and my turn this week to set the challenge at Charisma  and I would like you to use my sketch. .....and the TWIST  is to use it with a Sentiment instead of an image. So dig deep into your stash and find all those poor  forgotten Sentiments and have a play. As always it's your interpretation of the sketch,  as long as you follow the sketch and do not use an image, you can make anything you like.

Here is my Sketch for Week #48

 This is the recipe for my DT card

Paper..... Kate Knight Christmas collection free with Quick Cards

 Sentiment from my stash

Poinsettias...Marianne Creatables

Snowflake border....Martha Stewart

Circle Nesties and Mirri card.

Thanks for popping into my blog today I hope you enjoyed browsing around. Don't forget to visit the Charisma challenge blog to see this weeks fabulous prizes and also last weeks lucky winners. It could be

YOU!!!

Looking forward to seeing and commenting on all your lovely creations again this week.

Have fun and above all keep warm and safe in this freezing weather.

Challenges for this card

 Lots to do....Words on your card

Secret Crafter Saturday......Christmas

Totally Papercrafts....Christmas Punches

Top Tip Tuesday....an easy one for you this week

Hi there, this week at TTT we have a open challenge which is nice and easy for everyone and great at this time of year when we are all so busy, so no excuses for not entering. 

My DT card this week as you can see is a Christmas card and I have used a fab image from Whimsy Designs called Warm Winter Wishes. It's so easy to colour and I think it's really cute. I used the snowflake CB folder for the background and mounted the image onto circle Nesties. the ribbon is from Wild Orchid Crafts and the sentiment is Forever Friends.The snowflake was cut on my Robo.

At the moment I'm snowed in, it's been snowing here since Friday and we have over 12inches.  I'll have to get my winter woollies and boots looked out as I'm walking to work. Brrrrrr!!

 Don't know if I'll make it but I'll have a go.

Keep warm

LOTV James bear with presents...

Hi all, just a quick post tonight before I'm off to bed. Work in the morning and looks like I'll have to trudge through the snow as we can't get the car up the hill. We now have way over 12 inches and it's still falling. I've not seen this much snow since I was little. My Son came through from Dunfermline on Sat morning and has been here since. He can't get back through .

So on to my card I made this for an order for my friend in work.

I have used James bear from LOTV, he's so cute and coloured him with copics. Papers are from a stack I bought in TK Max. Poinsettias are Mariane Creatables, Ribbon from my stash. After I took the photo I realised I hadn't put the charm on....Ooops. It's on now but I never had time to photograph it again. I added a little candy cane charm just under the bow.

Christmas..............

Hi there! , hope you are enjoying your weekend so far. The snow finally hit us here overnight and we have it now about 4inches thick. I love the snow but it's no use trying to travel about in it, we can't get the car up the hill as the Gritter has not been coming down our street at all this time. Looks as if they are concentrating on the main roads, which is fine but how can you get on to the main roads if you can't get up the hill?????? Mmmmm!!

Anyway here is my card for you today, I made this one for an order.

 Here is the recipe

Paper...... free from Bearly Mine Designs Donna has some really stunning digi papers.

Snowflake border......Martha Stewart punch

Kanban Christmas topper

Christmas tree charm....The Works
Poinsettia.. Mariane creatables

Ribbon from stash

Oval nesties

Sentiment free from Pollycraft
****
I would like to enter this card in...
ABC...I is for Ice and Snow
Simon Says Stamp....Let it Snow

Thanks for popping in 

Something a little different....

Hi there, as I was just sitting here sipping my glass of wine I decided to share my Wine Glass Charms with you.
I made loads of these a few years back when I had the family over for a New Year Party. As I have loads of female relatives who are partial to the odd glass of Vino..... I decided it would be nice to make some wine charms to identify each of the glasses. You know what it's like at a party ....you put your glass down go off to chat to someone and then can't find your own glass among all the others on the table so the charm helps you find your particular glass.

They are so easy to make... here's the recipe...

Take a piece of craft wire any colour approx 3cm long...make a small loop at one end, thread your chosen colour of beads on to the wire and make another small loop to close. Make a coil of wire big enough to go around the stem of the glass, I coiled it three times to make it secure and thread your charm on to it.
Try and make each one unique so that your guest knows their glass. Imade mine very simple but you could add a little butterfly, heart, strawberry, fairy charm etc to make them really fancy. They look really lovely and festive and everyone knows their own glass and they are so much fun to make.

Please remove before placing the glass in the dishwasher.

ONE FOR THE GIRLS @ CHARISMA

Good morning all, over at Charisma this week the challenge is

ONE FOR THE GIRLS....

I don't know about you but I love making girly cards you can go crazy with flowers and embelishment, so lets see all your fab projects again this week.

Remember it's your choice what you make as long as it follows the challenge. We have some fabulous prizes up for grabs again from our regular and also new sponsors.

Our very talented DT have come up with some fabulous creations for your inspiration so why not pop over and see them and the great prizes too.

Looking forward to seeing all your Girly cards this week.

Thanks for popping in.

Oooops!! forgot to add the details of my DT card this is what I used
Image....LOTV Rosie Posie
Circle and Oval Nesties
Joy Crafts butterflies die cut set (there's also a smaller one inside the card)
Marianne Creatables swirl
Nellies Choice small branch punch
Wild Orchid flowers and Ribbon
Pearls from The Hobby House
Papers ... Bearly Mine download Shabby Vintage 1 (gorgeous papers)

Carly's fab Candy

Just a quick mention to let you all know that Carly has fabulous Candy up for grabs and there are two....yes two lots. So get on over there and enter, It ends on Christmas Eve 9pm London time. Good luck everyone.

TOP TIP TUESDAY use more than one layer and a fab paper piecing tutorial...

Hi there, this week over a TTT the lovely Anne has a fab tutorial on Paper Piecing and the challenge is to use more than one layer on your project. I don't know about you but I have only done this once and I really enjoyed it and loved the finished effect it gives. So why not pop over and have a read and don't forget if you have a Top Tip you can leave it in the comments section below the post. As always there are fabulous prizes to be won for the challenge and a separate one for the Top Tips.

I'll be back  later with a few Christmas cards to share.
Thanks for popping in

A fab new Award....

Hi ! I have been given this fab award by my lovely friend Carly. I have known Carly now for nearly 2 years since she asked me to be on the DT at Charisma when it first started. She's just so sweet and has worked really hard to make Charisma Cardz one of the top challenge blogs on the net. Thanks so much Carly this it's fabulous.

The rules of this Award are simple, I have to tell you three things about myself that you may not know and then pass it on to 5 lucky people, so here goes....

1. I taught myself how to play the guitar when I was 17, I don't play much now but I really enjoy listening to my youngest Son Matt play he's much better than his Mum ever was...

2. I once met the Fabulous Rod Stewart(swoooon!!!) back stage at the Apollo in Glasgow. He had on his famous leopard skin suit and had his hair spiked and coloured bright orange. Hanging on his every word was Britt Ekland his partner at the time. We're talking way back in the seventies here when I was just in my early twenties, what a night!!!!! Fabulous concert too.

3. My Hubby and I lived in Donegal Ireland for the first year of our marriage in a small village called Dunkineely.

I'm passing this on to the following five bloggers

Elaine..... who has been my friend for many years and I love her unique style of card making. She has an amazing nack of finding craft shops wherever she goes. A special friend.

Leanne...We were DT buddies on Charisma together and now we're blogging buds again on

TOP TIP TUESDAY. She's such a lovely sweet lady and makes totally gorgeous cards.

Allison....is also a DT buddy at Charisma, I love her special style and her creations always leave me thinking..." I wish I could do that!!"

Fiona....has a fabulous blog and makes the most amazing cards. She is very sweet and kind and always leaves lovely comments that make my day.

Joanne...is also one of my DT buddies at Charisma. She always makes the most amazing cards and projects, and reading her blog always leaves me smiling.

Have fun with your award ladies, and if you follow all the rules and visit HERE first, you can qualify for a $5 Gift Voucher from Digi's With Attitude.

TOP TIP TUESDAY...Seeing things differently

Good morning all, this weeks TOP TIP is from Leigh and she has some really fabulous ideas and tips on how to use buttons on your projects. Please pop over to the blog and see the gorgeous creations by the DT. It's put me in the mood for using all my button stash now. You tend to forget how good they look on your cards and the vast variety of buttons now available is amazing.

So lets see all those button projects this week and don't forget if you would also like to leave a Top Tip you can do so in the comments section and be in with a chance of winning a lovely prize from our Sponsors.

I don't have a card to show you today but I will try and create a button project within the next couple of days. I'm afraid my Mum is still very ill and in hospital so all my time is being spent going up to see her.

Looking forward to seeing all your lovely cards, projects and Tips this week.

Happy crafting

Charisma Cardz...Sympathy

Finally I've managed to get a minute to post this weeks challenge at Charisma.

It's Leah's first challenge for Charisma and she would like you to create a Sympathy card. Not an easy one this week but unfortunately we all need them at some time in our lives. If you are looking for some inspiration then pop over to the challenge blog and see the lovely cards that the DT have made.

As always we have some fab prizes for you and of course there's also the top three badges.

Now onto my DT card this week....

DP free Kate Knight from Cardmaking & Papercraft

Rose frame stamp from PSX

Sentiment done on Computer

Prima flowers

Thanks for popping in, happy crafting

I am aslo entering this card into the Lily of the Valley challenge and blog hop..Anything Goes

4 Crafty Chicks.....With Sympathy

Grannie's first cuddle.........

Big Brother Christopher with Niamh

Big Brother Daniel with Niamh

Grannie Vee and Niamh

My little Grand Daughter Niamh Emma arrived this morning at 10.51 am and I just had to share a picture with you. This is my first cuddle, she's just beautiful I could have held her all night.

It's not a very clear photo but I'll have plenty more in a few days, hopefully a bit better. I really need a new camera.

I made a Nappy Cake, my first attempt I was really pleased with it and my Son and Daughter-in-Law loved it so that's what counts.

I've had a day of mixed emotions today as my Mum was in Hospital for an operation too at the same time Niamh was born. My nerves are shot to bits. My Mum is 90 years old and had to have an emergency op this morning she is now in High Dependency Unit and hopefully will make a full recovery but she will be in hospital for a while yet.

I've got a busy week ahead and will try and keep up with my blog as well but if I'm awol for a while I'll be off getting more cuddles...lol

Thanks for popping in