Monday, December 31, 2012

The Year that has been!

Good Evenings all :) 

I remember recalling last year some crafty bloggers posting some of their favourite cards and creations that they had made through out the year.  At the time when I was reading many of the posts, it was already well into the new year and it seemed a little late for me to do something similar, so I made a note of it in my diary.

Here we are a year later,
and I would love to share with you all some of things 
I have made this year that I really have cherished and fallen in love with! 
 Bear in mind, I make a Christmas creation once a week! 
So this list could be a little Christmas biased :$

Scripture Love is card
 original post can be found {HERE

The 3 Ribbon Christmas Trees
original post can be found {HERE

Angel Christmas Card
  original post can be found {HERE}

Paper Christmas Tree 
 original post can be found {HERE}

Stitching you well soon card
 original post can be found {HERE

Handbag Card 
 original post can be found {HERE} 

Va Va Card
 original post can be found {HERE}

Teddy Bingo Card
original post can be found {HERE} 

A world full of beauty card
original post can be found {HERE

Scrap war, create peace tag
 original post can be found {HERE
 
 Tag #6 for The Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas
original post can be found {HERE}

The fairy wand made with Spellbinders!
original post can be found {HERE}

Now I could easily list more! lol 
But I thought it would be nice to cap it a 12 for the 12 months in a year :) 

It was really interesting to go back through this years posts and see where my crafting style was at the beginning of the year, to where it is now.  I also found it a little amusing to read and note some of the 'trends' my crafting has had through out the year, like my 'have to heat emboss everything stage', must sew on every card ect ect.  It really is quite funny to scroll back through! 

Anyways! 
Thank you for sharing these with me :) 

I would also like to wish each and every one of you a
 
May this new year find you
healthier and happier,
peaceful, content, satisfied,
looking forward
to fresh, revitalizing interests,
a variety of pleasures,
interesting new people,
material and personal successes
to make this new year
the best one yet.
Happy New Year!
By Joanna Fuchs
 
Have a wonderful evening folks! 
Cheers xx 

Sunday, December 23, 2012

#4 Jingle All The Way @ Christmas Card Challenges

Mornings People!
It is time for a new challenge at

And this week’s theme is....
#4 Jingle Bells

I am busy busy busy at the moment, 
So I am just going to swing by with my inspiration card 
and leave you good folks to it! 



A little C&S piece for me today, 
pulled all the papers from my stash, used an old sketch from Mojo Monday and wella, took just a jiffy! 

Now we would love you to play along with us!  
And you have it rather easy as 
The challenge theme is optional, the only real rule is you must create a new Christmas Holiday, winter or Hanukkah card / creation. 

So pop on over to
link up your creations and play along with us! 
We would love to see your creations!
I shall see you over there!

Thanks for dropping in to see me today!
Recipe -
Stamp(s)- Sentiment - Kaisercraft
Paper(s) - Scraps
Embellishment(s) –Ribbon, bells, peals.
- - - - - -

Friday, December 21, 2012

Bon bon Tutorial - no fuss no cut! @ Inspired Stamps

Good Mornings beautiful peoples :)
I know today is Friday and not Tuesday!
So what am I doing here sharing a creation with
Inspired Stamps

Well ... as part of the Inspired Stamps 12 weeks of Christmas post specials,
this week it is my turn! - Lucky you!

So today I am going to share with you how I make my Chirstmas Bon Bons!

Now these are super easy to make!
No Fuss & NO CUT!
You will be making crackers in no time with this method and ...
I think they look pretty fabulous too!
Wanna see what cha going to make ?







I may be a little bit biased but I think they look 'oh la la!'
And I know they not only look better than the store brought ones, 
 but they also have some yummy goodies inside!

So ... I am here to tell you the how to ...
So lets get cracking! (ha ha .. corny but cute! )

You will need -
(to make as per the example)
Inspired StampsVintage Christmas Set & Sing for Joy Set
Bon bon snaps
Empty toilet roll(s)
Paper – the thinner / lighter the better – Cut to size of 13.5cm x 30cm - (As toilet roll sizes can vary slightly, I suggest you cut a test stripe on waste paper and ensure the 13.5cm length will comfortably fit around your roll with a slight overlap – If necessary add on a few extra centimeters to allow for your roll.)
Double sided adhesive
Ribbon
Lace
Treats to go inside the bon bon(s) – small chocolate(s), party hat, joke ect
Versamark Ink Pad
White Embossing Powder
Heat gun

Now the How To -
1. Firstly you have to decorate your bon bon paper as you desire – For this tutorial I have used plain brown paper, Versmark ink & white embossing powder; & I am going to use the emboss resist technique to ‘age’ my bon bon. - We all know me; I love the vintage / shabby chic look.

2. Along both the shorter edges I have stamped the music staff from the Sing for Joy set, & in the middle of my bon bon I have stamped the Shepherds from the Vintage Christmas Set. I have then sprinkled over some white embossing powder and heat set it. To achieve the ‘aged’ look I have taken Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress ink and sponged over and around the embossed area, focusing on darkening the edges and getting lighter towards the middle & for the shepherds, darker in the middle and getting lighter as you get further out.

3. On the reverse side of you paper, run a strip of double sided adhesive all the way along one of the long edges. Take a toilet roll & a bon bon snap & center the snap in the middle of the roll (you can use a little sticky tape and tack it down if you would like). Stuff your bon bon tube – In mine I like to include 2 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, a party hat & a joke, but it is up to you what you want to throw in yours :)



4. Next we have to roll the bon bon. Take two more of the toilet rolls & add them onto either end of your stuffed bon bon & center in the middle of your paper. Placing the two other bon bons makes rolling the bon bon together very easy! Remove the strip of double sided adhesive & roll your bon bon together.



5. Next we have to ‘twist the ends’, to do this, partly remove both of the end toilet rolls (I pull about 4cm of mine out), then holding the middle bon bon roll in your left hand & the partly exposed roll in your right, twist – this will ‘scrunch’ & close your bon bon. Turn the bon bon around & do the same for the other end.



6. Next we have to tie off the bon bon so it doesn’t fall apart – The tighter the tie, the sturdier your bon bon will be. To do this, I get my diary & my stamp cleaner pad & squish the bon bon between the two (any thick heavy book(s) will work). Take your ribbon around the ‘squished’ part & tie tight in a knot. Do this for both ends, then remove your toilet rolls from the ends.


7. Lastly to finish off my bon bons, I like to add some lace around the inner ends. I just adhere some double sided tape to some lace & adhere it to the inside ends. Tidy up your ribbon ends, if any of your bon bon snap is exposed or poking out from the ends, give them a little snip and .....
wella ...
One bon bon ready for the Christmas table :)

See I told you these were SUPER EASY! 
And with just 4 more days till Christmas, 
you got plenty of time to make some of these up! 
With Christmas just about on our doorstep this is sadly the last feature post of 12 for the 12 weeks of Christmas with Inspired Stamps.
If you have missed any of the previous weeks post they are also available at the
The girls have shared some spectacular tutorials over the weeks!
So there is plenty of inspiration & ideas!
And lastly before I go,
Antoinette, the Inspired Stamps DT girls and myself
would all like to wish you
A Merry Christmas & 
A Safe & Happy New Year

Recipe -
Stamp(s) - Inspired Stamps - Vintage Christmas Set & Sing for Joy Set
Paper(s) - Brown paper
Embellishment(s) -white embossing powder, versamark, bon bon snaps Stash - Ribbon, lace.
- - - - - - - - -

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Quick Christmas Gifts @ Inspired Stamps

Mornings all :)

Wow!  Christmas is now under a week away!
Are you ready for the mad season ?
Well if you still have a few gifts to grab, let
help you out with some cute and quick gifts to make!

Yeppers!
This week we are sharing with you some quick gift ideas that you can whip up in a few minutes and also help the budget by not having to go out spending or face the all the crazy people at the shops!

I needed to top up my mums stocking
so I took this opportunity to make her a corner bookmark.
My mum loves scripture and I love this scripture from the Vintage Christmas set. 


I also could not dare to part with my Fifty Shades of Grey set:( and if I posted her mine, they would most likely end up in her bookshelf, so throughout the year when I have seen them on special I have brought mum her own set :)    The bookmark compliments the set of books perfectly!

Making one of these has been on my to do list for a long while and I am so glad I finally took the time to make one!  This was so quick and easy to make, and best of all, I had all the supplies on hand (mostly all in my scraps basket for an added bonus!).

The girls have all come up with some amazing creations too!
If you are finding yourself in the pickle with a few presents short, then head on over to the blog for a peak.  And if you are all set to rock the festive season, why not pop over and see if a few ideas strike you for the list next year!


I will be back on Friday to share with you my Inspired Stamps tutorial on how to make your own Christmas Bon bons! I hope to see you then :)
Happy Crafting ! 

Recipe -
Paper(s) -   Scraps
Embellishment(s) -Ribbon, lace, flower, Tim Holtz Distress Inks.
- - - - - -

Sunday, December 16, 2012

#3 Doilies @ Christmas Card Challenges

Mornings People!
It is time for a new challenge at

And this week’s theme is....
#3 Doilies

Ohhh!  Love!  <3 
I am surprised though that I don't use these in more of my crafting! 
Something to work on for the new year! 

Anyways ... Here is what Mr Mojo and I put together. 


Close up of the sentiment. 

Embellishment close up! 
Ohhh that Prima goodness!

Side view - the sentiment is popped up, 
and yep, I followed the theme through to the middle as well. 


The music DP for this card is from Kaisercraft, has been ink distressed around the edges and some stiching added.  I then added the doily that also got some light ink distressing and I added some pearls.  The sentiment is stamped in black and from Stampin Up and the snowflakes are also stamped from a stamp in my stash.  To add a touch of lightness into the sentiment area I added some liquid pearls to the snowflake centers and have also popped the sentiment up on some pop dots. The ribbon I borrowed from my stash and I topped the bow with a lush Prima flower from a Vine set.


Now we would love you to play along with us!  
And you have it rather easy as 
The challenge theme is optional, the only real rule is you must create a new Christmas Holiday, winter or Hanukkah card / creation. 

So pop on over to
link up your creations and play along with us! 
We would love to see your creations!
I shall see you over there!

Thanks for dropping in to see me today!
Recipe -
Stamp(s)- Sentiment - Stampin Up, Snowflakes - Unknown
Paper(s) - Kraft cardstock, Kaisercraft DP, Doiley from stash
Embellishment(s) – Tim Hotlz Distress Inks, Prima Vine Flower, Pearls, DMC Threads, Liquid pearls, Pearls.
Challenges this creation is entering with the help of the Feline Playful Girls:
The Perfect Sentiment - Christmas Wed
Deep Ocean Challenge - Christmas Tues
Ribbon Carousel - Holiday Spirit Mon
- - - - - - -

Friendship / Thank you - the last ever challenge @ The Crafty Pad

Good morning my friends and followers. 

Today I write you with a very heavy heart. 
As the day that I have tried so hard to avoid becoming, 
has finally seen a morning dawn!  

It is with great sadness that today, I post, and share with you, 
my last, and the last 

I have had the most wonderful privilege over my time with The Crafty Pad Designs to work with the talented Ms Debbie Moore and her adorable images.  However Debbie feels it is time to move on, and has not lightly come to the decision to close Crafty Pad Designs shop and the challenge blog. 

In my time on the team I have designed alongside some of the most fabulously talented and gifted crafters both on the team and with guests we have had visit.  I have admired their works and enjoyed visiting so many wonderful creations that have been submitted each week to the challenges and I will greatly miss my weekly Sunday with The Crafty Pad. 

We will not carry on in sadness though, 
and in honor of friendships and good times that have been established at 

We bring you our last challenge ...
Friendship / Thank You
 We would love if you played along with us / or just stopped by to say a goodbye!

 I am revisiting a Crafty Pad favourite of mine and I have finally decided to make this one 'just for me' to have on display in my crafty little room!
I really do adore the Butterfly Verse and Border set with all my heart! 
The frame I pulled from my draw of stashed things.
It's been given a coat of pain, some distress and lace and pearls.

I printed the verse on some cream cardstock and lightly distressed.


I added a simple embellishment of a nest made from wooden fibers, flower from my stash, some left over stands of pearls and some homemade pins.  This does look really gorgeous up on my shelf next to my spectrum noir pens *if I say so myself lol*

We also have a super duper prize from
Prize £10 to spend in her fabby online shop. :)
But you have to play along for your chance to win it!

The girls and I at The Crafty Pad would really love if you 
dropped in and played along with us! 

Thanks for dropping in to see me today!
Recipe -
Paper(s) - N/A
Embellishment(s) – All from stash - frame, lace, pearls, paint, pins, wood fibers. 
Challenges this creation is entering with the help of the Feline Playful Girls:

Crafty Creations Challenges - Wise words Wed
Creative Moments - Anything But a Card Wed E1/3
Word Art Wednesday - uplifting sentiment Wed E1/5
- - - - - - - - - -

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Christmas @ Inspired Stamps

Evening folks :)

Well we are not far out from Christmas now!
So to celebrate the festive season
are this week sharing and showcasing with you
some more Christmas Cheer!

 Ohh Christmas!  Love it!
So Mr Mojo and I had great fun with this!

 I am in LOVE with this postage stamp die!

The Elegant Dotty Alphabet Set from Inspired Stamps is great to bling up 
to add a bit of oh la la too! 

Minimal embellishments for me again this week :$ 
But the alphabet is so pretty I didn't want to take the focus away from it :) 


There really is not a lot to this card! I started with a black card base, added a layer of red and then cream and then the entire postage stamp die cut that had some ink distressing to the edges. I then cut out some individual postage squares and stamped my sentiment using black embossing powder and bling-ed up the pretty dots of the alphabet with an assortment of red and clear rhinestones. For the spare square left over, I wrapped it with ribbon, added a handmade flower with a Kaisercraft Sprakle center and popped a handmade pin in behind.

As always the team have been busy too! 
They have some very gorgeous and merry creations for you to peak at so please stop on by and share some love with them too :)  I know they would love to see you!

Thank you for stopping into see me today and sharing my Inspired Stamps creation with you!
I look forward to sharing another with you next Tuesday :) 
Happy Crafting till then! 

Recipe -
Paper(s) -   Cardstock - black, red and cream and white
Tools -Amazing Paper Grace - September kit (die cut)
Embellishment(s) -Ribbon, Kaisercraft Sparkle, Handmade flower & pin


Challenges this creation is entering with the help of the Feline Playful Girls:
Sweet Stamps - Sparkle & Bling Tues C10 E1/1
Top Tip Tuesday - Christmas Tues E1/3
Cupcake Crafts - Merry Christmas Mon
The Crazy Challenge - Christmas Time Mon E1/4
Christmas Card Challenges - Die Cuts Sun E1/1
-- - - - - - -