Top 5 of 2017

Hello lovely peeps, I hope you had a great Christmas.

Hubby and I had a lovely day with Mum and my sister & family, then came home on Boxing Day. I was hoping to squeeze in a bit of crafting in before heading back to work on Thursday, but instead spent 3 days curled up on the sofa with a horrible throat infection where I could hardly swallow. Thankfully I'm now getting better and can eat solid food again, so (after I've tackled my massive pile of untouched Christmas chocolate) I'll be back to crafting in the New Year.

Since I have no new cards to show you yet I thought I'd run through my favourite 5 cards of 2017 instead.

Christmas Pugs and gas problems

Hello lovely peeps and welcome to my new follower :o)

Sorry for my absence over the last two weeks, but the house has been in chaos with new gas pipes being fitted and our boiler being moved. Most of the contents of upstairs (including my stuffed-to-the-gills craft room) had to come downstairs so the plumber could get underneath the floorboards.  We had a small gas leak so we couldn't really put the work off any longer, but luckily the coldest snap of weather finished just as the work started.

Hello Lovely for LOTV

Hello lovely peeps, and welcome to my new follower :o)

Just popping in to tell you about Lili of the Valley's Facebook challenge for December - it's Anything Goes this month, so nice and easy.

For my inspiration card I've used Thoroughly Modern Misses - January with a winter birthday theme.

It's Christmoose

Hello lovely peeps

It's the first Saturday of the month (aargh, it's December already) so it's time for a new challenge over at Crafty Calendar. Our theme this month is "It's Christmas".

We have two fab sponsors this month:- 

Crafty Ribbons

and 

Bugaboo Stamps 

For my inspiration card I've used Moose Ornaments from Bugaboo, which I printed onto Simply the Best card from Limetree Crafts and coloured with Promarkers/Flexmarkers (with a couple of Graph'Its/Marvy markers thrown in).

To turn the picture into a bauble I die-cut it into a circle and then cut out the cap and hook shape* from a scrap of yellow card. I edged both pieces with Antique Linen distress ink and added a green organza bow. 

* (I enlarged the 'red' bauble on my computer until it was the same size as my die-cut circle, printed it onto thin paper and cut it out to make a template)

Other ingredients:-

computer sentiment using Troutkings font

Cookin Cookies papers from Nitwit

Sizzix holly die

standard 2 hole punch

white uni-ball gel pen

red card

3D foam

I would like to enter this in the following challenges:- 

 The Ribbon Girls Any image
Catch The Bug  merry and bright
Fab 'n' Funky #373 Christmas
Crafting By Designs December Anything Goes
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog #357 Anything Goes 

Thanks for stopping by,

Katrina x

Cream Cake

Hello lovely peeps

For today's card I've used Cream Cake by Lili of the Valley which I stamped once onto thin white card and again onto my background card. I coloured the first version in with Promarkers and fussy cut it out before glueing it on top of the second version.

Forever Friends Bear on Throwback Tuesday

Hello lovely peeps and welcome to my new follower :o)

For today's card I've used a Forever Friends stamp from Docrafts, dated 2008. When I first started buying my own cards as a teenager (many moons ago) I invariably bought one with a FF bear on it so when the images came out as rubber stamps I couldn't resist buying a few.

Snowball Fight

Hello lovely peeps

For today's card I've used one of the old LOTV art pad images featuring Jack, Patch and Puss.

Tug of War

Hello lovely peeps

Just popping in to show you the birthday card that I made for my sister (Happy Birthday Clairey). She has a black labrador puppy and is spending lots of time training him at the moment so I thought this LOTV image was perfect for her card.

William Wizard on Throwback Tuesday

Hello lovely peeps

Today's stamp oldie is William Wizard by Francoise Read for Woodware from 2006.

Dear Alice

Hello lovely peeps

Today's card features the Gorjuss stamp Dear Alice. I was in need of some colouring therapy in the week so I dug out one of my pre-stamped images to play with.

Candles for LOTV

Hello lovely peeps and welcome to my new follower :o)

This is my final sneak peek of the new Lili of the Valley stamps being released next Friday. This cutie is Candles, isn't he adorable?

Watering Can for Mum

Hello lovely peeps

This is the card I made for my Mum's birthday, using Watering Can from Lili of the Valley

Sailing Boat on Throwback Tuesday

Hello lovely peeps

Just a quick post today to show you another oldie that I've stamped up - this is 'Sailing Boat' from Lili of the Valley, coloured with Promarkers.

Koala Bear for LOTV

Hello lovely peeps

Woo hoo! We now have a release date for the Novem-bears at Lili of the Valley, which will be Friday 24th November.

In addition to the Alpha-Bears there will be Num-Bears (numbers) and 16 brand new character bears. I would like to introduce you to Koala - isn't he adorable?

Floral Sympathy Card

Hello lovely peeps, and welcome to my two new followers.

This was a hard card to make because I wanted it to be perfect (which of course it isn't). One of my work colleagues lost her 14 year old daughter and everyone at work is heartbroken for her family.  This is the card I made for us all to sign.

Xmas Alpha Bears

Hello lovely peeps

I've got another make to show you using the Alpha Bears that are being released at Lili of the Valley later in the month. These bears are so versatile, I can see me using them a lot. There will also be lots of word ending stamps to accompany them - appy, ishes, irthday etc., one of which I have used here.

Apricot Poppies on Throwback Tuesday

Hello lovely peeps

This week's Throwback Tuesday features the Paint Fusion Poppy stamp set by Sheena Douglass.

New Alpha Bears sneek peak

Hello lovely peeps

Lili of the Valley have some fabulous new NovemBear stamps coming out this month, including a full alphabet set which I have used to make this door hanging.

Gifts Galore in Autumn Colours

Hello lovely peeps and welcome to my new follower :o)

It's the first Saturday of the month so it's time for a new challenge at Crafty Calendar. Our theme for November is 'Autumn Colours'.

Sister Tag

Hello lovely peeps

Today's make is a tag using the Perfect Partners Victorian Floral Anemone stamps from Sheena Douglass.

Deer to Me

Hello lovely peeps

I didn't expect to do a second post today but as I was making this card I realized that the MFT challenge that I wanted to enter it in was about to close :o)

Sketchy Flowers on Throwback Tuesday

Hello lovely peeps and welcome to my new email followers :o)

This week's Throwback Tuesday features some old scribbly flower stamps by Artemio. There's no date on the packet, but they were on QVC when Dawn Bibby was still presenting so they're donkey's years old :0)

Make you feel my love

Hello lovely peeps

Just popping in to show you a commissioned wedding card that I made.

My customer wanted the lyrics from 'Make you feel my love' as a background (written by Bob Dylan, sung by Adele) so I added them with the text tool in Craft Artist using Galeforce BTN font and put a 'material' from the Paper Town digikit behind.

Other ingredients
6"x6" card blank
Funky Heart dies by X-Cut
The Promise 8"x8" paper pad from Trimcraft
Centurion Alphabet die by X-Cut
Gorjuss 8"x8" paper pad
Ampersand die from the Cuttlebug Olivia Alphabet 
Wedding charm from Docrafts
Walnut Stain distress ink

I would like to enter this in the following challenges:-
C.R.A.F.T. #439 add ribbon and distress your card
Craft-Dee BowZ  CDB54 Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow
Get Creative Challenges #63 Wedding
Really Reasonable Ribbon #174 Anything Goes with Ribbon 
Moving along with the Times #57 add a charm or tag
Just Keep on Creating October Anything Goes

  Thanks for stopping by,

Katrina x

Computer Fun

Hello lovely peeps

For today's card I've used one of the retired art pads from Lili of the Valley, now available in digital format at Lili of the Valley as a 'Simply Print'. This image is called Computer Fun.

Fall Float

Hello lovely peeps and welcome to my new follower :o)

For today's card I've used 'Fall Float' by Stampendous, featuring the ever so cute House Mouse.

Cheesecake Message on Throwback Tuesday

Hello lovely peeps

For Throwback Tuesday this week I've used 'cheesecake message' by Penny Black, from 2008.

Double the Trouble

Hello lovely peeps

Since we have two digi sponsors this month at Crafty Calendar we are having a Challenge Reminder post. This time I've done a card with one of the fab images from All Dressed Up called Double the Trouble.

Thoroughly Modern Misses from LOTV

Hello lovely peeps

Just popping in to show you one of the twelve fabulous new 'Thoroughly Modern Misses' being released at Lili of the Valley on Monday - this is January.

A Little Bit Floral on Throwback Tuesday

Hello lovely peeps

Today's card features one of the Lily stamps from the 'A Little Bit Floral' range by Sheena Douglass.

Quick and easy Christmas card

 Hello lovely peeps

  I've made another card with the Robins Bird Box Simply Print from Lili of the Valley. 

Brusho Squirrel

Hello lovely peeps

Today's card features the Squirrel from the Little Acorn stamp set by Sheena Douglass.

Emma Shoes on Throwback Tuesday

Hello lovely peeps

I'm back with another one of the first Lili of the Valley stamps that I bought, to tie in with the Retro challenge on the LOTV Facebook page . 

Hello Freddy

Hello lovely peeps

It's time for a new challenge at Crafty Calendar and the theme is month is Halloween

We are sponsored by 

Dr Digi's House Of Stamps

and

All Dressed Up

Merry Christmas from the Penguins

Hello lovely peeps

Another quick and easy card today, using the LOTV Simply Print 'Christmas Sign'

Fairy Tiptoe on Throwback Tuesday

Hello lovely peeps

As I mentioned last week, I have run out of older cards to show you so I will showcase my older stamps on Throwback Tuesdays from now on.

By happy coincidence the theme for this month's Lili of the Valley Challenge is 'Retro' - make something with the first LOTV image you bought (or one of the first if you can't remember exactly).

Robins Bird Box for LOTV

Hello lovely peeps

  There were some lovely Christmas Simply Prints added to the Lili of the Valley website at the weekend, this one is Robins Bird Box.

Iris Folding for Leonie

Hello lovely peeps

Just popping in to show you the final sample that I made for Leonie's Christmas sale show on Hochanda.

Bloomin Lovely

Hello lovely peeps

For today's card I've used PaperArtsy's JOFY Collection 11

Chunky Snow on Throwback Tuesday

Hello lovely peeps

Today's Throwback Tuesday card features Leonie Pujol's Christmas Entwined Collection

Under the Weather in Autumn colours

Hello lovely peeps

Today's card features Under the Weather from Lili of the Valley.

Bird Crazy after Crete

Hello lovely peeps

Apologies for missing Throwback Tuesday this week - hubby and I have been in Crete on holiday and I wasn't able to get enough posts ready before we went.

We had a smashing time. The hotel was fab and the weather was gorgeous - about 34 degrees most days.

Toot Toot

Hello lovely peeps

Today's card features the Toot Toot! Simply Print from Lili of the Valley.

More from the Furry Choir

Hello lovely peeps

I'm back with another card made with Furry Choir from Lili of the Valley, and to remind you that you still have one day left to enter this month's challenge on Facebook.

Make anything using a LOTV image and at least 2 of these colours