Guest designer for Outlawz challenges.

I was honoured to be asked to be a guest designer over at Outlawz Challenges this week. You will find this to be a very active card making website with different challenges running each day of the week. Each days challenge runs for one week before it changes, so there is plenty of time to enter one of your own creations. Great prizes too.
I used a digital image from Stichy Bear Digital Stamps who are one of this months sponsor's. The deep blue card was dry embossed and the digital image I reproduced 3 times before I cut out different parts to create a 3D image. The stamped words were from Sparklensprinkle. The die cut was a negative cute from Spellbinders. For final touches I added punched snowflakes and stick on pearl studs. Happy Christmas to all my followers, I appreciate each and every one of you.
Love and blessings Joan

Busy, busy,busy.

Like everyone else at this time of year, I am ultra busy. Not only have I been making all my own holiday greeting cards and entertaining family visitors, but I always decide to give the house a "winter clean". Goodness knows why. I suspect I am just an old fashioned girl who likes to have all the cobwebs out of the way before I am inspired to get the Christmas decorations out!
The card above was just one of the many I made using these adorable penguins from Sparklensprinkle. Always happy to use  stamps from my dear friend Margaret in Florida.

Just had to share

It is not very often I post personal photographs on my blog, but I just had to share this one with you.
We have not had a baby in the family for about ten years, so of course we are all delighted with this little one. She is my great niece Eloise. The photograph shows her enjoying her very first visit to Santa. He is a nice looking Santa too isn't he?

Are you making Christmas cards?

Are you designing and making hand made Christmas cards this year? If you do, how many are you sending to the people on your list?
I can honestly say I have made all my own since 1997 and never bought a store card in all that time.
Sometimes it has been hard when things in life have delayed me occasionally. But I have spent too much money on my hobby, not to make good use of everything in my stash.
My husband helps too and where possible hand delivers all the ones in our immediate area.
Most of my cards are always different in creativity, but this one I made yesterday I like a lot!
I would love to see your views and comments.

Apologies for not posting recently.

My apologies for the lack of posts recently! After having some holiday time in Cornwall, the following week we went to a family wedding. It was alternative and fun for everyone. The theme was vintage, from the brides dress, to the bridal car to the reception afterwards. There was live music, food from a fast food van parked outside that served various wraps all nice and fresh, followed by homemade wedding cake and donuts.
There was sweetie jars where children could fill small bowls when ever they felt like it, much to their delight, and a swing park on the grass to keep them busy. Afterwards on departure we were all given vintage ornaments and flowers that had decorated the tables, along with homemade jams and hand sewn  hearts filled with pot pourri made from the brides mothers garden.
In honour of that occasion, and because over on the Outlaws website was a colour challenge to make a vintage card, I thought I would post this design to share with you.

My second week as a guest designer.

This is my second week as a guest designer over at the

Outlawz
We were asked to supply a card design representing Autumn, so I designed mine around the love all fall colours shown in the border (JOY). A short verse
is included along with a gold embossed leaf , one die cut leaf, two punched leaves and an autumn coloured flower complete with a brad centre. My image shows a cat dozing  in the last rays of sunshine.
Take a look at the talented design team who are also show casing their designs on Tuesday's 8th October colour challenge. Enjoy!

I am a guest designer this month

A couple of months ago I joined the very active website of Outlawz. This is a huge card making site, and one with challenges running each day, along with some great prizes to be won. In July I was fortunate enough to win a couple of their prizes donated by various sponsors. The fabulous off shoot of that was that I was invited to become guest designer for the month of October on the Colour Challenge team. The challenge this week is to make a card using grey, red and soft turquoise. The added twist is to include flowers vegetables or fruit, that will give you two chances to win a prize.

 I would love some of my stamping buddies to join me, how about it?

 

Holiday view

We are home from holiday, and we have had a lovely chill out time.

  This is the view we had from our sitting room right on the cliff top in Marizion Cornwall.   The whole house was absolutely beautiful, complete with a four poster bedroom, a rainfall shower and juczucci in the bathroom, a flowered terrace to sit and chill with a bottle of wine, and of course my DH. What a place to spend our wedding anniversary, I felt truly blessed!
The island you can see is called St Michaels Mount and the castle ( previously a monastery) has been there since the 15th century. It is part of the pilgrims way and many people make the journey. The island can be reached by a causeway at low tide, but otherwise you need to make the crossing by boat.
The whole area is a wildlife paradise with lots of seabirds, and the occasional dolphin pod or seals to watch. We were very fortunate to have lovely warm sunny weather, with only a brief misting or sea fret.

 

       

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

Just a quick message tonight

Just time for a quick message tonight.

Here is a card I have submitted for a challenge over at The Outlawz.
We had to create something with "wings"! Usually if you know me at all well,  you could have been forgiven for wondering, "Why hasn't Joan created a bird card".
Well there is such a nice verse to go with these fairies, I could not resist. A chance to add a little sparkle too!
Enjoy.