My favourites of the year

I hope you all had a really great Christmas - I had a nice, quiet family Christmas with lots of lovely pressies.  The snow has meant that I haven't ventured too far from home; fortunately it has started to melt today, which is a good job as it is back to work tomorrow for me!

I can't do any crafting at the moment, my craft table (AKA dining table) is having to be used as a proper dining table over the Christmas holiday so I decided to look through my blog and pick out my favourite projects from the past 12 months.  I would like to thank everyone who has visited my blog and a big thank you to my lovely followers too.  So, here goes, as we say Bye Bye to 2010 ....

January

This tiny bear that I made is almost my favourite one so far, but not quite.  I won't be parting with this one for the forseeable future.

February

Pollycraft digi images are amongst my favourites and I just like the bright, fresh colours on this Easter card.  Oh no, I can't believe we'll be making Easter cards in just a few weeks!!!



March

This panda is definitely my favourite teddy bear that I have made.  She is about 6 inches tall and is even prettier in real life and she won't be leaving my collection, ever!

April

I love this Whiff of Joy rubber stamp with a plate full of warm cookies, plus it is purple and has some lovely glitter paper on too.



May

Same stamp as April's favourite card.  I did say that I loved that stamp!

June

June was a great month for me - my family went on our first cruise around the Mediterranean and loved every minute.  I was also asked to be a DT member for the One Stitch at a Time challenge blog and this was my first card.  I don't really make many male cards but I did like this one - the beer monster image is by Pollycraft.  I'm sure that we all know a Beer Monster, or two!

July

I fell in love with Magnolia's Tilda stamps earlier this year and this one is still one of the favourites in my collection.



August

I didn't get too much crafting done in August because this was the month that I had corrective laser surgery on my eyes - the best thing I ever did and I only wish that I'd have plucked up the courage to have it done sooner!  For August's favourite it was almost a Tilda Christmas card, but this one just beat it.  I really like this fairy digi, which is from Pollycraft, I like the natural colours an the slightly vintage style paper by My Mind's Eye.

September

Another Tilda card for September's favourite.  The scallop circle cards were a challenge prize from Die Cut Dreams and I must find them out to make some more round cards.

October

It is another of my hand made teddy bears for October's favourite.  It is made from a lovely soft mohair and, at 10" tall, is one of the larger bears that I have made. 

November

My cousin got married in November and this is the card that I made for her.  Lili of the. Valley are amongst my favourite stamps and I also love the circular date stamps by Cat's Life Press.

December

Shame on me - I've just noticed how little I've have posted in December.  I'm sure so many of you are in the same position though - spending weeks getting ready for Christmas.

Anyway, here's December's favourite - my DT card for the current Craft Your Days away challenge.  I've recently discovered Pink Gem stamps and this reindeer image is a real cutie!

So, that's my review of my blogging year.  I am going to have a look at some of your blogs now and try and catch up with what everyone has been up to.  I would like to wish you a Happy New Year and look forward to another year of crafty blogging!

Thanks for looking,

Amanda



I intended to make some cards this weekend ....

I intended to make some cards this weekend but, what was forecast as "light snow showers" turned out to be about 7 inches of snow when we work up on Saturday morning, with the lowest temperature I clocked was -11C.  The above picture is the view from my front window.  All plans for last minute Christmas shopping, as well as last minute card making, were thrown out of the window because we just had to spend the time sledging at the local park.  I had intended to visit the German Christmas Market in Birmingham City Centre this weekend but there was now way I would get there, or get back, because of the snow.

This picture is looking out towards the main road, which was almost deserted.  The road I live in is completely covered in snow and hardly anyone has driven up the street so the snow is still quite deep on the road.

Youngest son seemed to enjoy throwing himself out of the sledge, rather than staying inside it:

We were all cold, wet and tired but had a great time at the park:

This is the reason why our cars remained on the driveway at home...  the main road was completely grid locked - 4 buses stuck trying to go up hill, and three stuck trying to come down hill, with no one going anywhere.  In the middle of the 7 buses, and out of picture, was a gritting lorry desperately trying to clear the snow from the road so that things could get moving again.  It took my father seven hours to drive home from work yesterday afternoon - a journey of 20 miles!!!

And last night, a bit out of focus but I'm no expert photographer!

So, we have spent today digging my OH's car out of the snow, ready for the drive to work tomorrow morning and have been to a kiddies Christmas party this afternoon.

If I haven't made enough Christmas cards, then I'm afraid it will be bought ones.  I have been ill for the past two weeks and so I am really behind with my Christmas preparations.  I think my craft stuff will need to be cleared from the dining table now until after Christmas, which should give me a bit of spare time to visit around your blogs!

I want to say a big "Hello" to my new followers and a huge "thank you" to all of you who have visited my blog this year - I truly appreciate it.

I hope its not too cold where you are and thanks for visiting!

Amanda

OSAAT Challenge #43

Well, it is our last challenge of 2010 over at One Stitch at a Time and we do hope that you will be able to join us.  This challenge is going to run over the Christmas period and we will be setting off 2011 with a new challenge on 9th January so there's plenty of time to join in the fun.

Our current challenge is "SURPRISE, SURPRISE" so you can make anything at all that you think we'd like, surprise us!

We are being sponsored by One Stop Card Crafts who are offering a $10 voucher to one lucky winner.

For my card, I have used is Snow Globe, by Floppy Latte Designs, which is availabe here from the Stitchy and I Did it Creations store.  The polka dot paper is also by Floppy Latte from the store, and it prints out perfectly. 

I have coloured the image with pro markers and added some glitter for snow.  The tag, peeping out from behind the snowflake, is by Stitchy and is also available in the store.

So, I can't wait to see what you surprise us with for this challenge!

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:

Sweet Sketch Wednesday - I used their sketch
Sparkles forum - Christmas
Crafty Ho - Red and Green
Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes
Cards for Men - Christmas card for a man

Thanks for looking,

Amanda

Craft Your Days Away #10 Challenge

Hi Everyone, here's my card for our new challenge at Craft Your Days Away - do try and join us for our last challenge of 2010.  A big thank you to everyone who has supported our challenge blog since we launched in August.

Our challenge this week is:

PUNCH IT OUT

So we want to see you sort out your paper punches for this card. 

I have used 3 on my card: a corner rounder, an X-cut heart and an X-cut fancy corner which I've made in to a border.

We are giving you plenty of time to get your cards done for this challenge because we know that you'll all be busy over the next few weeks.  Our next challenge, the first one for 2011, will launch on 8th January 2011.

For this challenge we are being sponsored by Craftbrulee who are offering one lucky winner a $10 voucher to spend in their online store.  Jennifer has the most wonderful online shop selling gorgeous flowers, lace, stamps and many more crafting supplies, the store is well worth a visit if you've never visited it before and from now until the 20th December shipping is free.

I must start writing my Christmas cards out now - I am starting to mildly panic, once again, that I have not made enough!  I guess I'll be frantically making and posting a few more Christmas cards on the blog before the big day.

How cute is this reindeer image?  I just love him!  The image and sentiment I have used are digis by Pink Gem.  The reindeer was really easy to colour in, with my pro markers, and I love the style of the Pink Gem stamps and digis.  The papers are all by DCWV and the snowflake is a Sizzlits die.

I can't wait to see how you "Punch it out" for the challenge at Craft Your Days Away!

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - Last minute Christmas cards

Pink Gem - I have used their sketch and image/sentiment and slightly distressed the edges
Ooh La La - A Christmas Song (Rudolph the red nosed reindeer)
A Spoonful of Sugar - Christmas card
My time to craft - Reindeer Greetings
Timbroscrapmania - Christmas in green and pink

Thanks for looking and do pop back soon!

Amanda

Fab 'n' Funky GD Week 2

Firstly I must apologise for not having been around Blogland for the past week.  It has been a busy week for me - I celebrated my birthday and promptly caught a nasty cold and sore throat, right on time for my birthday!  Also, life in general seems to be getting more hectic by the day as Christmas draws closer, as I am sure everyone else's is too.

I was lucky enough to be asked to be a Guest Designer at Fab 'n' Funky challenge blog and this is my second week.  Their challenge this week is "Christmas is for the Children" so I couldn't resist using my LOTV stamp of the little singing children.  The talented design team have come up with some lovely children inspired creations over at the challenge blog. 

I found some Papermania papers from a couple of years ago which fitted in with vintage look that I was aiming for and the image has been coloured with  pro markers and glittered with Stickles and Cosmic Shimmer glitters.  The flowers are some I've had years and are a bit crumpled and creased, but again, fitted in with the "aged" look that I wanted.  I added Icicle Stickles to the flowers and found a little red bell in my sewing box which makes a nice Christmassy jingle when you pick up the card.

TOP TIP: I know I've said this before, but it is a useful one.  The ribbon and bow was originally white - I coloured it with my pro markers for a perfect colour match.  No need to buy loads of coloured ribbons, just use your pro markers!

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges: 

I love pro markers - A Christmas Carol

Secret Crafter Saturday challenge - Christmas

Wild Orchid - Old Fashioned Christmas/Victorian Christmas

I did it Creations - Vintage Christmas

Stamp something - Christmas colour combo (red and green)

Thanks for stopping by,

Amanda

It's Snowing and Fab 'n' Funky GD

It is snowing (again) outside and so my Tilda snowdome is very apt for today!  I am very honoured to have been asked to be a guest designer over at Fab 'n' Funky Challenge blog.  They are celebrating their birthday this week and so have a Happy Birthday challenge and an amazing blog hop with some wonderful prizes.

I hear you ask, why a snowdome for a Happy Birthday challenge?  Well, I think they must have changed the theme of their challenge from what I was originally asked to make, to coincide with their birthday celebrations.  So, my snowdome may not be for a happy birthday, but who cares?  I am just so pleased to be a GD at Fab 'n' Funky!!!

I used a Tilda stamp from the Magnolia Winter Stamp Club and she is coloured with pro markers and added Stickles.  The snowflakes are an x-cut punch, covered with a textured "snow" paint with jewel centres (although they don't show up too well on the picture).  The blank snowdome was only about £2 from The Range Home and Garden - but I think they are fairly readily available at most photo processing shops too.

Do take a look at the Fab 'n' Funky challenge - they are a great talented bunch of ladies over there! 

I am going to enter this into the following challenges:

Corrosive - Things that move (the snow moves when you shake it!)

The Crafty Pad - Snowflakes

Crazy Challenge - Anything goes

A Crafty Little Place - Anything goes

City Crafter - Blue Christmas

Hope the snow's not too bad where you are!

Amanda