OSAAT challenge 42 - Anything goes

Happy Sunday everyone and now we are into advent. Isn't it exciting? I really love Christmas, my decs are down from the loft, we get our trees today and I shall spend spare moments decorating the house - I love it.

I had a little time this week to work on the new OSAAT challenge. I have been wanting to make a bird house for a while and with this gorgeous Chickadee digi from Blackberry Lane, it seemed the ideal opportunity.

I've had great fun with recycling an old box, playing with a paint crackle technique and getting some Christmas bits out of the loft to finish it off. So what do you think?

I have used my Ten Second Studio metal to make the red Poinsettia and I ran it through a texture fade, the turquoise flower is made of card. Notice the crackle effect on the box?

The instructions for this can be found HERE.

We are sponsored this week by Michelle's Scrap at http://www.michellesscrap.com/ and a $15 voucher will be given to the winner. But you could say everyone is a winner this week as there is a coupon code for our blog readers to save 10% on their order at her shop.

So with the theme 'Old Stash New Stash'  (Really Anything Goes Stash) we look forward to seeing your creations.

Have a fun week.

luv {brenda} xoxox

Challenges to have fun with -
Digital Tuesday - Animals at Christmas time
Riley and Co - Lets think Christmas
City Crafter - Blue Christmas
Creative Inspirations - Christmas Decorations
AiF - Winter - do my icicles count to show the winter theme?
Cute card Thursday - Blues
Dutch Dare challenge - Winter tag, ornament or card
Paper Romance - Winter
Alphabet Challenge - F for foliage

12 Tags of Christmas - Day 3

Are you following the 12 tags of Christmas with Tim Holtz? I am and was so pleased to be able to find a bit of time last night to make this one, which is my take on day 3.

I didn't have all the supplies so I have improvised in places. For instance I don't have the tree stamp, so I drew the branch freehand.

I added some real leaves and dried heads from a Hydrangea in my garden........

..... and I just loved playing with the tissue tape to create the flower.

So if you look at Tim's fabulous tag against mine you can see some differences - but saying that I am really pleased with the outcome.

A big thankyou to everyone who has been sending me good wishes for my Mum. Test results are coming back and things seem to be more positive than we were led to believe - but saying that we don't yet have a diagnosis. Hopefully we will have more information on Monday. She is at last receiving food through a tube, but has had six and a half days without any sustenance at all. We just hope and pray she is able to build up her strength again.

Have a great weekend everyone and I hope you and your families are all well and looking forward to Christmas or other celebrations that are important to you at this time of year.

luv {brenda} xoxox

Challenges to have fun with -
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Make a tag

MAWTT Challenge 75 - A card for someone special

Hi Everyone

Sorry it is a very quick post from me today. Mum is still in hospital and having many tests for which we are awaiting results, so I haven't had much time for making and blogging this week.

But I did manage to make a 'quick' card for Lisa's challenge over at MAWTT, which is to make a card for some-one special. So mine is a Christmas card for my Grandaughters.

I experimented with using embossing powder on a print straight from the computer. It worked, but next time I will choose my fonts, sizes and shapes a bit better.

I also tried to get an angle to show you the sparkly bits - you can see some of it here.

The sponsor this week is Whimise Doodles who make the sweetest little doodles about. They have their store where new images are released on the 5th of the month. Every Friday there is a featured image/s with 10% discount off them. Tuesday is technique day and there is often a tutorial.

We all received an image to play with and these will be launched on the 5th December.

I hope your week is going well and your preparations for Christmas.

Take care.

luv {brenda} xoxox

Blog Candy Update

Hi Everyone

Just a quick post from me. Welcome to Melissa, Pami (a new team mate over at MAWTT),  Michelle and Katy, it is lovely to see you as new followers and I have passed the 100 post - amazing in less than 12 months of blogging - thankyou to all my following friends

I have just checked on the comments for my blog candy as we are one week away from the draw. 15 people have left comments, 14 are followers and 5 have put my candy on their side bars (I can't see posts on the other blogs), so 5 people are eligible for the draw. Please let me know if you have posted and you think I haven't seen it. I want everyone who thinks they are taking part to be sure they are.

Sorry I am not around at all at the moment, my Mum is in hospital and this is now taking up even more of my time. I am sooooo looking forward to being back and in touch.

Take care everyone - have a great week and keep warm.

luv {brenda} xoxox

Stylish Blogger Award

Look 1 award and given to me twice this week.

How fantastic -  Thanx Kathy and thanx Rebekah who have both given me this award. I love it.

So to receive this award I need to
-thank the person who gave it to me (done above)
- share 8 things myself
- pass award on to 8 other bloggers
- contact them to let them know

It's hard to think of things I haven't already said before - but -
1. I have my nails 'gelled' regularly as I like the polished look
2. I just love Christmas and decorate the whole of the downstairs and have a tree in the living room and in the conservatory (and often have one on the front door step too).
3. I have just found out my job role disappears with the new education white paper so I may well be out of work by Easter next year.
4. I am going to New York for New Year.
5. I have invites to a wedding in Cyprus and another in Italy next year.
6. I have already booked tickets for the Isle of Wight Festival next June - yay Kings of Leon are playing.
7. I only drink coffee - I hate tea.
8. I need to lose weight.

Eight lovely people I am passing this on to -

Georgie, June, June, Annette, Sarah, Edith, Susie, Sue.

Hooray it's the weekend and Ella's school Christmas Fair tomorrow.

Have a wonderful weekend whatever you are doing.

luv {brenda} xoxox

MAWTT Challenge 74 - More than one fold

Sorry this is late - Mr Blogger didn't play ball with the schedule - but here we are.

Well I can't believe that not only is it the next MAWTT challenge but it's my turn to host again.

We were lucky to be given some images to play with from Robyn's Fetish who are our sponsors this week. I chose this lovely fairy to make my card with and I chose the theme more than one fold,

I had seen this design on a blog quite a long time ago and thought it would be ideal as it has 4 folds.

I had to spend some time working out sizes and I have designed it so that you can make 2 from a piece of A4 card. If you would like the sizes please email me and I will send you a rough design I made in Powerpoint with sizes and a bit of a tutorial on it.

This card also gave me the ideal opportunity to use my new TH rosette die, I think it is just perfect for the front of it and I love the pinks, greens and lilac colours. I haven't made a sentiment for it yet as I want to wait and use it for something special.

Have a fantastic week.

I will look for challenges to have fun with later.

luv {brenda} xoxoxox

Special Message over at the Stamp Man

I just had to post this - the DT at the Stamp Man have had a message from the great man himself.

Wow, wow, wow!!!

"amazing projects. bravo everyone - i'm truly in awe of the talents shared here. thank you so much! happy holidays... -tim"

Amazing - Tim Holtz visited us and left a message, I just can't believe he did that.

Thankyou Tim.

xoxox

Winner and My Blog Candy

Woo hoo I am a winner at A crafty Little Place with my tin of tags.

I still hadn't decided what to do with them  -  so I have decided that I will offer them as Blog Candy as I said I would give something when I got to 100 followers and I am almost there. See the post here to look at the tags individually as well.

If you would like a chance to win my little offering, - and I will ship worldwide,  - then please become a follower if you aren't already, post the candy on your blog on your side bar and leave me a message below with a link that I can contact you if you are the winner. The winner will be chosen by the Random Number chooser thingy.

I will add some other bits and pieces to this when I ship it out.

This will remain open until Monday 6th December so that hopefully the lucky recipient will get it before Christmas.

Have a good week.

luv {brenda} xox

Joy to the World

I know I haven't really got time for this BUT.... I had bits left from my CCC earlier in the week and I just wanted to use them up and I saw the red, black, white and yellow challenge at Just Us Girls which fitted perfectly with the alcohol ink splatter pieces I have got. I also found this great sketch at Create 4 Fun - I will definitely be using the splatter technique again (it reminded me of when I used to make a similar pattern with paint and straws when I was teaching eight and nine year olds) -.................  so here is my card.

The image of the angels is another from a Gaby Braun collage sheet and the frame is stamped from Invoke Funky Frames set. The ticket is from Stitchy Bear digi stamps. The coloured papers are a very old set of Christmas Brights from HOTP and the black and white is from an un-named stack pack. The only other bits are a pin and beads and star dust stickles.

I hope you have a good Sunday.

Luv {brenda} xox

Other challenges to have fun with.

A Spoonful of Sugar - Distressing

Tuesday Taggers - Peace, love or joy

Flutterby Wednesday - Anything Goes with a butterfly, fairy or angel

Frosted Designs - Distressing

Stamp and Create - Tis the Season
Studio L3 - Alcohol ink splatter

OSATT Challenge 40 - Any season or event

It's Sunday and do you know that in 5 weeks time it will be Boxing Day - WHAT you ask? Can't be! But it is and I have so much to do.

So on to my challenge card this week for the OSAAT -  anything goes for any season or event. I chose this racing car by Hope Jacare, (which can be found at Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps) as my image this week, knowing I have men's birthdays coming up and I still don't have enough cards in my collection to cope with them all.

When making this card I had several challenges in mind particularly the sketch and birthday card from Truly Scrumptious.

The image has been coloured using promarkers and everything edged with faded jeans and/or vintage photo.

and stickles. The papers are from my box of bits and the sentiment is from Lynne at Sentiments 4 You. The little hinges are Sissix die cuts and I used the TH on the edge scallops die.

A fairly simple card - but one that will be great for several birthdays coming up.

Other challenges to have fun with -
Creative Belli - Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
Stampavie - Monochrome
Something completely different - Numbers

Enjoy the rest of the day and the week ahead.

luv {brenda} xox