January Thanks

Challenge #280 at Time Out Challenges has just gone live and this fortnight we have an Inspired By Challenge!  This fortnight we would like your project to reflect Your Favourite Things to Do in January!

This challenge is generously being sponsored by Lawn Fawn and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design teams a $25 credit to the store!  The Top Pick will also be invited to join Time Out as a guest designer in a future challenge!

Speaking of guest designers, our guest designer this fortnight is Verena Shapiro!  Be sure to check out her gorgeous interpretation of our quote as well as my talented team mates over on the Time Out Blog!

So, what do you like to do in January or what would you like to do?  Personally I like to play with all the fun stuff I got over Christmas and the other thing I like to do in January is thank people for their thoughtful gifts!  This year I bought the Spellbinders advent calendar so I've made up this card using a few of the little surprises within it - Day 4 (Banner),  Day 5 (Spiral Border used for texture on the vase) and Day 8 (the vase with flowers)!   

I do hope you can take Time Out and join us for some fun - I'm looking forward to reading what you like to get up to in January in your part of the world!

I'd like to enter the following fabulous challenges

Snippets Challenge #497 - Snippets used for everything except panel and base;

NBUS Challenge #70 - NBUS Vase, Banner, Border;

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday January Challenge - Anything Goes!

Die Cut Divas January Challenge - use something new (all new dies);

Triple B January Challenge - Just blooms, no birds or butterflies!

TWOFER

I couldn't resist making another while I had the die set out - this time using the Happy Birthday Inset for the banner die!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and should be able to find you!

Kate

Window To The New Year

 

Happy New Year!  Challenge #279 has just gone live and this fortnight we are welcoming 2025 with a theme challenge of Beginnings

 This fortnight we are generously being sponsored by Doodle Bugs and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design team a very generous $25 store credit and our Top Pick will also be invited to Guest Design with us in a future challenge.  

Speaking of guest designers, we're joined this challenge by the very talented Ellen Coats as our guest!  Be sure to check out her gorgeous interpretation of our quote as well as the rest of the team on the Time Out Blog!

The Beginning of a New Year is how I was inspired by Beginnings and I made this card to welcome in 2025 - though I'm still scratching my head and wondering what happened to 2024!

I pulled out this lovely window die (Poppy Stamps Gothic Arched Window) and added foam tape so it would sit higher than the "wall"!   This die didn't leave a lot of space on an A2 panel for a sentiment but one of the sentiments from an NBUS set I bought earlier in the year (Concorde and 9th Season of Cheer) fitted perfectly on the window sill!   

Of course, you can't celebrate the New Year without fireworks and I cut these from various snippets of iridescent card stock that I'd been saving up just for this purpose (unfortunately I didn't have the presence of mind to photograph said snippets in my rush to finish all my Christmas crafting and tidy everything away to make room for my guests and have somewhere to all sit down together on Christmas Day).  The fireworks die was bought from Amazon and is unnamed.

So here's to Beginnings - whether that be the beginning of a new year, a new relationship, a new baby or something else entirely!

I'd like to enter the following fabulous challenges

NBUS Challenge #70 -  The sentiment die was NBUS;

Snippets Challenge #496 - Snippets of iridescent card stocks used for the fireworks;

In{k}spire Me Challenge #552 - New Year Special;

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge  - Something New

Daring Cardmakers - Word prompt of "HAPPY" and fireworks always make me Happy and the promise of a New Year!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Cosy and Warm Christmas

 

Happy New Year!  I hope Santa was good to everyone and you enjoyed your Christmas break in the company of your loved ones.

Sparkles Christmas Challenge 168 has just gone live and it was my turn to choose the theme this month and I have chosen

Cozy and Warm

which gave me the perfect opportunity to use this cute fireplace die (Poppy Stamps Whittle Fireplace) that I've been wanting to break open for over 2 years now!  The sweet "whittle" mouse was included with the set which gave me the idea to use this sentiment (WMS 'Twas the Night Before Christmas).   The stockings (Poppy Stamps Whittle Stocking) were bought at the same time (because they're perfect together) and are also NBUS.

The fireplace body was cut from Kraft card stock and coloured with alcohol markers, the mantel was cut from brown card stock as was the fireplace "grill".  The flame and mouse were cut from white and coloured with alcohol markers.  The stocking bodies were cut from some snippets of tartan and the fur trims were cut from white felt.  All die cut pieces were stacked at least twice - it makes such a difference to the finished card!

The sentiment wasn't a good fit for any of my labels and was going to use the partial cut technique when I had the idea to use another snippet of tartan to fill in the blank lower third of the label.  I'm quite happy how it turned out and I think I'll use this solution again!

I'd like to enter the following wonderful challenges

NBUS Challenge #70 - NBUS Whittle Fireplace and Whittle Stocking;

Day of the Month Club Challenge #70 - National Sock (hopefully stocking counts) Day;

Allsorts Challenge Weeks 812-13 - Use Your Dies;

Papercraft Challenges #113 - Under the Mistletoe (Christmas related);

Peace on Earth Challenge #78 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Festive Friday Challenge;

Thanks for visiting, I hope you go away a little inspired!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Happy Ho Ho Ho-lidays

 Challenge #278 has Time Out has just gone live and this fortnight it's an Inspiration Photo Challenge!

 

Here's a closeup

Challenge 278 is being sponsored by Gina K Designs and they are very kindly offering our top pick as chosen by the design team a $25.00 store credit.  The Top Pick will also be invited to join Time Out as a guest designer in a future challenge!

  

Speaking of guest designers, our guest designer this fortnight is Arlene Rose of Sunday Stamper Papercrafts!  Be sure to check out her gorgeous interpretation of our quote as well as my talented team mates over on the Time Out Blog!

What inspires you in this pic and where does it lead your imagination?  We hope you can take Time Out of your busy schedule to come play cards with us!

There was almost too much inspiration in this photo and it took ages before I finally decided to focus my attention on spelling out the sentiment, the cute red nose on the "H", the red bow, the Ornament in place of an "O" and particularly the Santa hat - giving me an opportunity to use this NBUS Santa Hat border die!  This lovely die was in last year's Gummiapan Advent Calendar, and despite making Christmas cards throughout the year, it's still taken me a year to get around to using it!   

I cut it twice from red card stock and stacked these.  Then cut it again from white card stock and snipped off the trim and bobble, then cut it again from white felt and again snipped off the trim and bobble - I added double sided tape to the back of the felt before cutting to make it easier to adhere it to the hat!  I also blended some dark red alcohol marker in the creases of the hats for depth.

The "H"s were cut using the MFT Bottle Cap Letters set and the ornaments and bows were from a Love2Craft set.  The tiny Rudolph noses were eyes from a snowman die that just happened to be handy at the time! 

I'd like to enter the following challenges

NBUS Challenge #69 - NBUS Santa Hat Border;

Make My Monday #240 - CAS Winter Card;

Traumfabrik Challenge #134 - "Christmas Again" is the featured movie!

Word Power #12 - My red-nosed "H"s and Bauble "O"s should grab a fair amount of attention I hope!

Challenge #117 at the 12 Months of Christmas -Anything Christmas Goes!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my crafty friends a blessed and sparkly Christmas and a bright and prosperous 2025!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Sleigh Bells Ring

 Sparkles Christmas Challenge #167 has just gone live and this month we're challenging you to 

feature a Christmas Carol or Song

Winter Wonderland is one of my favourite Christmas songs and this sentiment (from WMS Compliments of the Season) featuring the opening line was a great starting point!  It also gave me an opportunity to break open this wonderful sleigh die set  (Spellbinders Delivering Joy Sleigh) that I purchased in the Summer and I'm smitten!  The sleigh came together so quickly and I mounted it on foam tape and was able to cut the presents from some candy striped DP and the foliage from various green snippets and tuck these under the sleigh and I added the poinsettia to the back of the sleigh! 

I had already stamped the sentiment on the blank panel without properly considering the orientation of the sleigh and the problem with stamping directly on the panel is you can't change your mind later!  I added some crystal gems off to the right of the panel to try and balance it a little better but I'm more than a little annoyed with myself!

I'd like to enter this card in the following fabulous challenges

NBUS Challenge #69 - NBUS Spellbinders Delivering Joy Sleigh;

52 Weeks to Christmas Challenge - Red and Green Christmas;

The Four Season December Challenge had this wonderful inspiration;

Twofer (and Threefer, Fourfer, Fiverfer and Sixfer);

I couldn't resist making a few more cards while I had this die set out and this time opted for pink!

This time I centred the sentiment and was much happier!  I stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa and Brilliance Galaxy Gold ink (using a stamping platform).

I had snippets of pink patterned papers that had patterns small enough to pass for wrapping paper and used these to cut the four presents loaded on the sleigh (and some white snippets).  I also found a snippet of gold glitter card that was (almost) the perfect size for the sleigh trims and blades for all four cards (I did need to cut into a larger snippet for the last trim)!

 

I'd like to enter this design into the following wonderful challenges

Snippets Playground Challenge #494 - Snippets shown;

Traumfabrik Challenge #134 - Christmas Again;

Fab'n'Funky Challenge #605 - Use dies or Punches;

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #59 - Anything Christmas Goes;

The 12 Months of Christmas Challenge #117 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Peace on Earth Challenge #77 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Krafty Chicks Challenge #744 - All Occasions;

Thanks for visiting, I hope you go away a little inspired!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Mr Fabulous

 

Challenge #277 at Time Out Challenges has just gone live and this fortnight we have an Inspired By Words Challenge with this quote from Emma Straub

"There truly is not an occasion that is not improved by wearing something festive"

Inspired By Words challenge works exactly as you would expect - you take the words from the featured quote and use them to inspire your creation!   You can use one word, multiple words or just the general idea of the quote.

This challenge is generously being sponsored by Poppy Stamps and they are offering our Top Pick as chosen by the design teams a $20 credit to the store!  The Top Pick will also be invited to join Time Out as a guest designer in a future challenge!

Speaking of guest designers, our guest designer this fortnight is Tenia Nelson and you can check out her wonderful creations at Jazzy Paper Designs!  Be sure to check out her gorgeous interpretation of our quote as well as my talented team mates over on the Time Out Blog!

How do these words inspire you and where do they lead your imagination?  We hope you can take Time Out of your busy schedule to come play cards with us!

The word festive means of or relating to a festival and at this time of year Christmas is probably utmost in our minds!  But it also means cheerful and jovially celebratory and happily I was able to break open this NBUS and very dapper set (Tailored by Tim Holtz) to really celebrate in style!

The lapel of the tuxedo was coated in glossy accents and sprinkled with glitter for extra pizazz.   The gear was stacked a few times for stability and coated with Topiary Tapestry Embossing Powder (which has flecks of gold in it - lovely) and UTEE.  Finally I stacked a few of these "fabulous" sentiments from Honey Bee Stamps to finish off the card.

I'd like to enter the following fabulous challenges

NBUS Challenge #68 - NBUS Tailored Set from Tim Holtz;

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday November/December Challenge - Anything Goes!

Word Power Challenge #11;

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge is to Sparkle and Shine!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and should be able to find you!

Kate