Cards for the troops

I got my issue of 'Quick Cards Made Easy' today and it came with a bumper pack of christmas stuff. Another Docrafts member had asked for christmas cards to send to the troops a while ago, so I thought I'd make some for her collection. I made these 10 cards in 2 hours tonight!

Sketch and Stash challenge

My first attempt at a Stamp and Stash challenge, for one of James' friends.

The 'new' things on here are the embossing powder and stamp. In fact the embossing itself is completely new to me!

The rocking horse is from a pack of Anita's christmas stamps and I've embossed it using silver 'Heat it up' powder. The papers are from Dandelion and Daisy's 'A Winter's Tale' collection and I've used Dovecraft brads. I've finished it off with peel off corners and borders.

My first embossed card!

I got an embossing heat gun on ebay a week ago and I finally gave it a go tonight on this card.

I've used copper ink and embossing powder with a butterly from See Dee's stamps and a sentiments from Clare Curd's signature stamps.

The backing card is from the 'Whitewash Collection' by core'dinations and the other backing papers are from the 'My Mind's Eye' collection by Bloom & Grow.

I think I'm converted to embossing already!

James had a long nap!

I took James swimming today and he wore himself out enough to have a two hour nap this afternoon. :) I used the time to make these three cards for the hospice shop.

I've used the Nancy Watt papers, vellums and embellishments that came free with this month's copy of 'Making Cards' magazine. I've got loads left still, so I think I'll be adding to this lot before they get as far as the shop.

On a different note, this is my little man with his latest toy, a hand knitted Paddington Bear that my auntie won in a raffle. He finds it hilarious!

MAWTT Challenge #11

Two cards for the challenge this week, as I got a little bit carried away... Good job I'm trying to build up my christmas stash now!

I went to a closing down sale at a craft shop today, and got a pack of the handmade red and green papers for £1. The stamp came free with a magazine and the sentiment was a bonus with the daisy and dandelion christmas papers I've used in the second card. Bargain!

Pink Charity Cards

October is breast cancer awareness month. My mum died of breast cancer in 2007, so this is something really close to my heart.

The paper's were a free gift in this month's 'Cardmaking and Papercraft' magazine, so I've used them to create cards to donate to my local hospice shop.

It was lovely making these for charity, and something that I'll now be doing on a regular basis.

Clare's Challenge ('Within arms' reach')

Clare's weekly challenge is to make a card using whatever's already lying around on the craft table, so...

I'd just bought the 'Pickles and Onion' football clear stamps, so they were there already. I cut out the 'Onion' label on his shirt so that I could create my husband's uncle's team colours (expect that I didn't have the right pens at hand, so I've improvised with purple rather than claret).

Not having anything suitable 'at hand', I've made my own backing paper with the small football stamp and a dovecraft marker.

'Onion' has ended up being a bit pale, as I'd normally use a grey marker, but only had my new promarker skin tones at hand.

I'd normally have used a peel-off for the sentiment, but used a stamp instead as my stamps box was out already. I've cut down the card to fit as I didn't have one out in the size I wanted.

I think that this challenge has taught me to clear up after myself more often!