Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way ...

... oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh, hey!!!!

Well one down and god knows how many more to go, but hey at least I've made a start on my Christmas cards a hell of a lot earlier than last year!!!

I'll keep it short today as OMG I've just checked the time and the kiddies aren't even dressed yet, not that they're complaining. So no waffle and here are the piccies:-

and a front view:-


A quick low down, sketch is from The Sugar Bowl, stamp is 'Jingle Bells' from Sugar Nellie, papers are old ones from last year I think they're Anita's Classic Christmas Blue. Punch border I think is a Fiskars and die cut sentiment is from a pack by Forever Friends from last year.

I'm going to enter this into The Sugar Bowl challenge which this time you can choose your favourite of their sketches.

Well gotta dash I've also just remembered I'm meant to be going to the library so best get my bum in gear.

Take care folks and hope you all have a great start to the week.

Ann-Marie
xxx

Distressed at distressing!!!

Afternoon to all you lovely peeps out there I hope you're having a good week so far. This is the second week of my kiddiewinkles school holiday so I've not had much of a chance to craft and blog or do much hopping around to see what you've all been up to but I must say we're so enjoying not having a routine and just coming and going as we please. Hubby is home today so I've managed to jump on the computer and load my latest card and hopefully manage to enter a few challenges.

I've so wanted to have a go at the 'vintage' look for a while now and this is my first attempt. All you lovely peeps seem to pull this look off beautifully but as the title suggests I find the vintage thing a little harder to achieve. I must say, however, I am fairly pleased with the outcome and will definately be having another go. Well my first piccie shows the overall package of an easel card on top of a one drawer box and the presentation box I made for it to go in and my next piccie shows the card/box a little closer.

My last piccie at a different angle with the drawer open. All the edges have been distressed with my scissors and inked and then stickled. My little maggie was coloured with copics and the white areas of her dress have all been stickled as well and what with all the pearls and gems added my card is well and truly blinged up!

A quick low down on the stash - the papers are all Papermania matted on black cardstock. Little gold charm and pearls from The Works. Sentiments from a pack of diecuts I bought from Lakeland a couple of years ago. Flowers are a mixture from Wild Orchid Crafts and Hobbycraft, ribbon from my stash and my maggie was from Sir Stampalot.

Challenges I am entering this into are:-

Cupcake Craft - distressing

Sunday Sketch and Stamp - fabby sketch

Sir Stampalot challenge - bring on the bling!

Well folks gotta dash the kiddies and hubby are now sending daggers my way as I'm taking too long on the old comp and we promised them we would take them to their favourite play area! Hopefully catch up with you all later and wherever you are hope you're having a great day too.

Take care.

Ann-Marie

xxx

Another wedding!!!!!

Happy Saturday to everyone, I hope you're enjoying some fabulous weather where you are - its hot, hot, hot here in sunny Bournemouth.
Anyway folks I have another little wedding set to show you and this is the last of my wedding commissions for the time being. I have certainly got my moneys worth out of my Greetings Farm 'cake topper' stamp set. Anyway, I was asked for something lilac and cream and this is what I came up with.
The very first piccie shows it all together - the little chocolate box that opens so you can put a gift inside, the bigger box to house the easel card when folded and lastly the easel card itself and then a couple of extra piccies to show you everything close up.
I won't waffle too much about what I did but the papers used were Papermania Capsule collection, I love these papers but I do wish that you had more than just one sheet of each design! The flowers were a mixture of Wild Orchid crafts and some from my local haberdashers. Went a little crazy with the old stickles but not really sure you can see it in the piccies. The brides dress was completely stickled and all the edges and flowers, like I said stickle crazy!!! The sentiment is a die cut from somewhere but can't remember where and the doily lace punch got an outing.
I'm also entering this into a couple of challenges:-

The ABC challenge - Y for you and me

Anyone for Anya - which is 'anything goes'

Right gotta dash now as I have to go collect my little girl from a birthday party, its the first time I've actually left her at one so I'm hoping she enjoyed herself.

Catch ya later guys. Take care wherever you are.

Ann-Marie

xxx

Hello - me again!!

Hi all, me again said I wouldn't be long!
This is the gift box I made to complete the set. I won't bore you with all the details but I will leave you with the fab links where I got the ideas for everything and the stamps and flowers.

Stamping on a candle - Whiff of Joy Tutorials and Inspiration blog

Gift tube for candle - Whiff of Joy Tutorials and Inspiration blog

Gift box - the very talented Kirstens' blog

'Picking Apples' stamp - Funky kits

Roses - Wild Orchid Crafts

Okay folks I'm off to bed now.

Take care

Ann-Marie

xxx

Finished Candle & Gift Box

Hi everyone really hope you've had a fantastic weekend. We had a good one, the weather was a bit plop but that didn't matter. We took the kiddiewinkles to see the latest Shrek movie and had a thoroughly good time.
Anyway, this will be another quick one from me as its even later tonight and I should really get some nap time. This is the candle and gift tube I did to go with my earlier 'Picking Apples' card for my auntie. I've been wanting to do a candle for a long time and I'm really glad I did it was so easy and something I will certainly being doing again. I've also made a tube for it to go in which was a little more fiddly but well worth the effort and finally a gift box to complete the set.
Well for some reason blogger won't let me add another piccie so I'll have to show you the gift box in another new post.
So I'll be back shortly with the gift box.
Take care.
Ann-Marie
xxx

The Sugar Bowl Challenge

Evening folks, this is just a fleeting visit today from me folks as I've just finished a card using the fabby sketch over at The Sugar Bowl and if I'm quick and mr. blogger plays nicely I think I may just slide my card in by the skin of my teeth!!!!

This one was made using the so so gorgeous stamp 'Picking Apples' and it was a dream to colour. I've made this card for my auntie as its her birthday in July and for once I'm ahead of myself and there will be no last minute rush to get one made. I've also decorated a candle with the same image and once I've completed the box for it to go in I'll show it on here.

Well better dash as its now 11.45 p.m. and the challenge ends at 12 midnight so gotta go and enter my card over at The Sugar Bowl.

By for now folks, apologies again for not visiting you all recently, but I hope to get round real soon. Wherever you are I hope you have a good rest of the week and find time to do something crafty.

Take care.
Ann-Marie
xxx

Who said pink was for girls!!!

Hi folks happy Monday to you all! Its a quieter day here as my son has gone back to school but I still have my little girl at home until Wednesday.

Anyways about a week ago I was lucky enough to win a spot prize from Sugar Nellie and I received this cute little fella in the post...Isn't he adorable and such a dream to colour. Anway as soon as I received him I knew I was going to make by youngest brother's birthday card with him and then I saw the fab sketch over at The Sugar Bowl with the added theme of black, white and pink for inspiration. Well I then got thinking that my brother actually likes a little bit of pink in fact his favourite shirt is pink so I thought I could squeeze a little into the card just for an accent. I didn't have any matching buttons so I vaguely remember seeing somewhere about making your own (sorry can't remember where but if I do I will put the link in). All I did was to cut out with my 'bug' some circles in matching colours and then I punched two holes like a button and glazed them and when dry put the layers together. I must admit I quite like them and at least they match. The sentiment was made using peel offs which I happen to have loads of as it was one of the first things I bought when I first started crafting but they don't get used much now!

Papers - DCWV black/white stack

Card stock - Bazzill/papermania

Stamp - Sporty manga from Funky Kits

Medium - copics

Lastly I'm going to enter my card into a couple of challenges:

The Sugar Bowl - Fab sketch and colour theme

Create 4 Fun - Colour theme (black/white + 1 other)

Well folks thats all from me, hope you're all okay and I'll catch up with ya soon.

Take care.

Ann-Marie

xxx