Happy Christmas

Just a quick post to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas.

Here is a photo of my decorations here in Spain - very different from my ones back home, but I think they fit in well with everything here.



I know that you have all been having terrible weather back home, so I hope that it will soon get a bit better for you. It has been raining here in Spain today, but the sun is back out again and it has been really warm today - the forcast for tomorrow is also good.

I hope you all have a lovely time over the festive period and that Santa is good to you all.

Karen x

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp - challenge 28 - last miunute Christmas Cards

Sorry to be a day late with this post but I have had a problem finding internet facilities here on holiday.
This is our last challenge of the year at Dare U 2 Digi Stamp and this time around we are looking for all those last minute Christmas cards. I know that I was certainly at the last minute getting all mine ready before heading off to Spain.


I have used the same layout for these last 3 cards that I have made. All the DP is by My Minds Eye and the images are from various sources.



I do hope that you are all managing to get a bit of time to get all your preparations done. I now have all my decorations up here in Spain. Had hoped to get a photo posted, but can find anywhere to load it onto the system - my laptop appears to have some sort of problem, will try to get it sorted on Monday.


Have a great weekend,

Karen x

Nutty Nutshells Wednesday Challenge #6

Hello and welcome to our last Nutty Nutshells challenge of the year - our next challenge will now be on 6th January as we have decided to cancel the one on 30th December so as to give everyone time to celebrate the season with family and friends.

Yet again we have a fab prize up for grabs for one lucky winner as Katie and Colette have donated a £10 gift voucher for Nutcrafters - how fabulous.

Our challenge this week is really simple - create a Christmas card and you can check out what the DT have been up to Here


On my card I have used one of the angels from the Christmas Angels download which is still available Here, the papers are by Imaginsce and the flowers by prima.



Have fun with the challenge.

Karen x

Copics Colour Challege 44

Here at this weeks colours at Copics Colour challenge. We are sponsored this week by In Style stamps - I so love these images and you can read all about the prize Here along with seeing the fab cards from the DT this week.

I so love this InStyle image and it made a lovely change from all the Christmas cards that I have been making. The papers are by making memories and the flowers are by prima which I have sprayed with glimmer mist.


Hope you are all getting on well with your Christmas Shopping, by the time that this scheduled post appears I should be well relaxed and enjoying a bit of sunshine in Spain.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Karen x

A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge 82 - sketch my Nikki

This will be our last challenge at A Spoon Full of Sugar this year, but we will be back again in January. We just thought that everyone is so busy that we would have a little break until January.
This challenge our sponsor is Wags 'n Whiskers Rubber Stamps and Nikki and Lacey were kind enough to send all the DT a stamp to work with. You can check out what the rest of the team did with their stamps Here. This challenge the lucky winner will win two Wags 'n Whiskers stamps of their choice.


The sketch to follow this week was designed by our own Nikki - thanks for a brill sktech Nikki.



Well today is the day that I am heading off on my Christmas Holidays - I won't be back until 30th December, but I have scheduled a few more posts with DT cards this week and hopefully I will be able to get onto the internet at some point while I am away so that I can catch up with what everyone is up to.

It just leaves me to wish everyone who reads my blog a wonderful Christmas Holiday.

Karen x

Whimsy Doodles Wednesday Challenge #10 & Pink Elephant Challenge

Here is a little box that I have covered as my entry this week to the Whimsy Doodles challenge. I just love this little image and have already used it on quite a few cards - so easy to colour in, but looks so lovely. Over at Pink Elephant Challenge they are looking for something Christmasy - so this will also fit the bill there.

I got these cute little cardboard boxes from Hobbycraft some time ago but have never got round to doing anything with them. I was looking for something to put the little socks into that I had made for my sister and decided that this box was just the perfect size. The DP is all by Bo Bunny and I have added lots and lots of glitter and stickles. The scalloped square and circles were cut with nestabilities.



I think this box would be perfect with any type of paper and I am sure you will see more of them on my blog soon.



Have a great week.

Karen x

Combined Challenge - Friday Sketchers and Stamp Something

Well this is my last weekend to get all the Christmas preparation finished and all the cards in the post on Monday before we head off on Tuesday. So I have taken the opportunity this morning to combine a couple of challenges. I have used the fab sketch this week at Friday sketchers and Stamp Something are looking for a Winter Wonderland card. This cute little image is a digi that I bought some time ago and is by Heather Ellis from her pure innocence range and is just too cute. The papers are by Crafts House and the snowflakes cut with my purchases of the season - my Martha Stewart snowflake punches.


We are just heading into town now so that I can pick up some more wrapping paper and perhaps have a nice lunch!!

Have a great weekend.

Karen x

Some more Christmas Tree decorations - by me this time

I mentioned yesterday that I was almost finished some decorations that I have been making for my tree in Spain - well here they are - little knitted socks. I got the pattern off the Little Cotton Rabbits website and they are just adorable. I have done them in traditional Christmas colours, but you could do them to match any colour scheme. They take no time to knit up, but I must admit I am useless at the sewing up and it takes me longer to do that than to knit them. All worth it though I think!


Also in the pictures are some of the ceramic tree decorations that I have painted, I think my favourites are the Santa heads, but then again I do so love the teddies and the gingerbread girls - can you tell - I just so love anything Christmas!




I also have a project to finish making some decorations with cinamon sticks, but whether this gets done this year or not is another question. If I get them done, I will post a photo - It may be that I will take the bits and pieces on holiday with me and get them finished in Spain.

Karen x

My clever crafty sister

I thought you may like to see some Christmas Tree decorations that my sister Linsey has made and sent to me. They are just gorgeous and all stitched by hand.


I am not sure if you can tell from the photo, but the felt has glitter through it and when the lights on the tree shine on these hearts they are just goregous.

Thanks so much for these Linsey - they will not be finding a home on the tree here in Elgin, but will be making the journey to Spain to decorate the tree there - I will upload a photo of the tree there when it is all decorated - can't wait and this year I will have my daughter Stephanie there to help me decorate - oh what fun - roll on next Wednesday.


I have just noticed that one of my ceramic gingerbread girl ornaments is also in this picture. I have made quite a few of these ceramic decorations myself and will take a photo of these later along with some other decorations that I hope to finish later tonight.

See you soon.

Karen x

Copics Colour Challenge 43

At Copic Colour Challenge this week we have another lovely colour combo for you to play with! This week, we are sponsored by the one and only My Favorite Things! - read all about it and see the fabulous cards from the DT this week Here

To be in with a shot at winning, all you need to do is create anything using the following Copic marker combo....



If you do not have any of these colours, please do not worry. We still want you to play along so please just use your nearest shade to those stated. As long as it is a Copic then that is OK by us.



The DT were lucky to be given the chance to pick a MFT digi image to work with and I have chosen this cute one with a snowman so that I could get another Christmas card out of the way. DP is by My Minds Eye and the snowflakes are a combination of Crafts House and Martha Stewart punches. Was not too sure at first about these iamges with no heads, but it is certainly growing on me and quite quirky I think.
The sketch that I have used is this weeks one from Stamp with Fun


I am at home today as I am not feeling too good. Was away at a meeting all day yesterday with work and just felt miserable when I got home, so am having a day at home lazing around today - just hope that it is a 24 hour thing as I really have too much to get done before heading off on holiday on Tuesday.

Enjoy the colours this week.

Karen x

A Spoon Full of Sugar #81 - Monochrome

Our challenge this week at A Spoon Full of Sugar was set by our own Joanne and she has challenged us to make a monochrome card - not necessarily black and white, but variations of any colour. Check out the blog to see that great inspiration for this challenge from the DT and our Guest DT member this week - Kellie.


I have used a Stampin Bella stamp and all these papers are from a Making Memories pad and the sentiment is also by Making Memories, flowers from my stash and these lovely flat back pearls were in a mixed bag that I bought from Bunny Zoes Crafts - they are just brilliant and thanks Nikki for such speedy delivery on my order - it came the next day - to the Highlands of Scotland!!

Before I go, can I just remind you that my good friend Nikki who is joint owner of Wags 'n Whiskers stamps has her 2nd release taking place on Friday 11th December!!!! That's right this coming Friday!!!!


To celebrate this launch they will have a blog hop which will begin at 5am GMT/12am EST!!!! The new release will be available to purchase Friday at 12pm GMT/7am EST!!!

There will be tons of prizes along the blog hop!! So you may want to become a follower of their blog if you are not already, so you don’t miss any of the action!!

There will be a chance to win a complete set of the new release and you can read all about it Here - you certainly don't want to miss out on this one.

Anyone for Anya? -Anything Goes and Allsorts challenge - purple

I still have quite a few cards to get finished for orders this week and I am now trying to do the ones that take the least amount of time. This Anya one fits the bill as it was a nice and easy quick one, with not too much to colour on it. Papers are by Craft House and snowflakes cut with Martha Stewart punches.


The challenge this week at Anyone for Anya is anything goes which is great for getting caught up with all sorts of things.

This card also fits well with the challenge at Allsorts Challenge where they are looking for you to have purple somewhere on your card.

I just can't believe how quickly the time is going and I really think that I don't have time to work as well!!

Have a great week.

Karen x

Magical card for Friday Sketchers

There is a lovely sketch by Beatrix to follow over at Friday Sketchers and I have made this card using the gorgeous Holly Fairy by Mo Manning. I have used this image a few times now and I just love her as she really has a magical feel about her. The papers are all by Heidi Grace and the flower is by prima.



We are now heading off to Aberdeen to deliver the last of the Christmas Presents and see the grandchildren. I think they are putting up the Christmas tree today so they will all be really excited.

Hope you are having a great weekend.

Karen x

Card for Sunday Sketch and Stamp

While blog hopping this week I cam across a challenge that I have not seen before called Sunday Sketch and Stamp and they have a brilliant sketch to follow this week which was just perfect for a new Whimsy Doodles digi stamp that I got this week.


This really cute image was a freebie to Whimsie Doodles followers a few weeks ago and I was really disappointed when I could not get it when it first came out - it is now available to purchase on their website and I am really pleased to have it now. The papers are all by My Minds Eye, the ribbon and jemstones are from my stash.


What a great sketch this is - I will certainly be using this one again!

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp Challenge #27 - red, green and your choice of neutral

We have another challenge for you today at Dare U 2 Digi Stamp this time around we are asking to to use the colours red and green with your choice of neutral. These colours lend themselves to Christmas, but you will see from the samples from the DT that these colours also look fab on any other type of card. This card also fits in with the challege at Stampin for the Weekend where they are looking for you to use red, green and gold on your cards, and lastly All That Scraps Wednesday Challenge are looking for anything Christmas.


I have a few gift-cards to give as Christmas presents this year as lots of the kids are now getting older and like to choose their own clothes etc, so I decided to make a giftcard holder this week. The digi images that I have used are both from CC Designs and the papers are by Making Memories (I think). The little tree charm is one that I picked up ealier in the year in the States.



I have used the same papers on the inside also and the trees were cut out from a piece of the DP.


These little holders are so simple to make. I piece of doubled sided paper 11" x 4.5" which is then scored 3" in from both sides and also down the centre. I have used a nestability to cut the aperture for slipping the giftcard in - but it could be cut by hand of by using any punch. I have then attached the ribbon to the base of holder before adding the mat on the front and back.


The cute little Santa I have been good sentiment was also cut from the same set of DP.


I hope you have a good weekend.

I am putting our Christmas tree up at home tomorrow - a bit earlier than usual, but I want to get the good of it before we head off on holiday.

I put the one in the office up on Wednesday so we are looking really quite festive and have already received a couple of Christmas cards at work.

Karen x

Nutty Nutshells #5

I am a bit late with this post today, but as it is Wednesday it is time for another challenge at Nutty Nutshells Wednesday and this week the challenge is to use Ribbon on your card.
Check out the Nutshells blog for some great DT inspiration Here
Oh and don't forget to come play along. You have a chance to win the items below.
Head on over to the Nutshell blog and enter your card to win! Good Luck!




I have used one of the Nutshells Digi Angels on my card this week. The papers are all from My Minds Eye and the snowflakes by crafts house. Ribbon from my stash.


You have 2 weeks to get your cards done to be in with a chance of winning this fab prize and we look forward to seeing your creations.

Karen x