A Last Minute Halloween Gift Bag

Hello,

I'm back again - this time with something a bit more up to date and definitely very seasonal!  I decided to make a quick gift bag for Iona to put her goodies in tonight!  I couldn't resist this gorgeous Tiddly Inks digi Fall Mavis which is a freebie from a joint Facebook promotion Tiddly Inks and Kit & Clowder are running, if you'd like to grab one you better be quick I think it ends sometime today!

I've coloured the image with Promarkers and the papers and fussy cut sentiment are some more from Graphic 45 Happy Haunting, unfortunately I don't have much of them left now :(  I've just added some ribbon, gems and letter stickers and the gift bag was from a set of 8 in plain bright colours I picked up in Asda.

That's all from me today, have a lovely weekend.

Shona xx

I'd like to enter my project into the following challenges:

Party Time Tuesdays - #187 Anything Goes
Penny's Challenge - #201 Anything Goes
Brown Sugar Challenge - #118 Anything Goes

Share an Oldie Friday - Christmas Cross Stitch

Good Morning,

Well there are a few bleary eyes in the Hamill household today, especially mine.  It was Halloween Disco at the school last night a good time was had by all but as I had to stick around to count up the cash and tidy up we were late getting home.  It was really hard to get Iona moving this morning thank goodness it's Friday!!!

Today I have a cross stitch picture to show you rather than a card.  Before I took up papercraft I was an avid cross-stitcher!  I do still enjoy it I just don't pick it up as often now.  I made this some years back and I've never shown it on my blog, Pinterest or Docrafts gallery before.  The pattern was from a cross stitch magazine but I can't remember now which one.  It took quite some time to complete as it's absolutely packed with detail but it was really enjoyable to stitch except the snow on the roof which was made with a blend of fibres including a metallic thread which was really hard to work with.  I'm glad I left that bit until last or I may have abandoned it!  It comes out every year with the Christmas decorations and goes up in our entrance hall.  Please excuse the dodgy photo with me in the reflection lol!  The glass made it really difficult to photograph.

I'm not sure if I'll be back later to share something more up to date, if not thank you for looking and enjoy your weekend whatever you're up to.

Shona xx

Boo!

Hello!

Oops, I'm really late tonight with my post.  School is back now and I'm trying to get back into a routine but I'm still finding it difficult to get myself to bed, at least when I get there I'm out like a light!  Also, as you might know I've been off work with stress for the last ten weeks or so.  I feel in a better place now so I'm going back to work the week after next and will gradually build my hours back up to full time over the next 6 weeks after that.  I'm starting cognitive behavioural therapy tomorrow and will have another 4 sessions after that to help provide me with coping mechanisms for stressful situations.  I'm a bit nervous about this but I'm sure I'll be fine once I'm there and if it helps it will be worth it.  If I'm honest it wasn't just work that was the problem it was just the straw that broke the camel's back.  I've been under a fair bit of stress for the last couple of years since my elderly aunt that we share a house with took a stroke.  We have always been very close especially since my mum passed away.  She's made a reasonably good recovery but she is now much more dependant on us.  I think all the emotions around that brought back memories of my mum as she died of a stroke when I was in my early teens.  Between that and problems at work things just got too much for me to cope with.  Sorry for waffling on tonight but I feel the time is right to get it off my chest.  Onwards and upwards!

So, eventually on to my card...

I fell in love with this LOTV Halloween stamp as soon as I saw it and I'm so glad I bought it as I see it is now out of stock.  

I've coloured the image with Promarkers.  I think this is the first time I've coloured an image so there's no white background.  I've mounted the image on to some purple glitter card cut with an X-cut die.  The star die is also from X-cut and the cobwebs are cut with a die from La-La Land.  The papers are all quite old ones from Graphic 45 and the round sentiment is one I've cut from the reverse side of one of the papers.  I've added foam letters, ribbon and gems to finish my card.

Thank you for stopping by my blog, I really appreciate all the comments you leave.

Shona xx

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

CHN Patterned Paper Challenge - October

Sister Act Challenge - #80 Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments Challenge - #118 - 2 or 3 word sentiment

Crafty Sentiments Challenge - Trick or Treat or Something Sweet

Penny's Challenge- #201 Anything Goes

Passion for Promarkers - #271 Add Some Sparkle

One Crazy Stamper - October - Halloween or Christmas

Sitting Pretty Birthday Card

Good afternoon bloggers!

It's another wet and windy day here Inverness or 'dreich' as we say up here!!!  I haven't been around blogger much for the last few days as we have been out and about.  On Friday we had a lovely day out at the Highland Wildlife Park and Aviemore then my daughter was invited to a birthday sleepover in a caravan on Saturday night at Grannie's Hielan Hame caravan park in Embo on the North East Sutherland Coast.  We drove her up on Saturday and went back for her yesterday and she had the best time ever!  My Aunt was really taken with the caravan park and it's facilities too and as some of the caravans have been adapted to be suitable for wheelchairs we are planning on spending a week up there next Spring or Summer if we can work around the school holidays/availability!

Anyway, enough waffle from me...  On to my card...  Today's card is one I made for the sleepover birthday girl who's birthday is today!  If you remember back a few posts I had already started making a Gorjuss card to be organised but had to quickly make it into a 21st card for my husband's colleague!  I actually think in hindsight this card is more suitable for a ten year old!

The Gorjuss stamp is called Sitting Pretty and it has been coloured with Promarkers then fussy cut.  I've used papers from the Gorjuss Ultimate Die Cut Pack, some of which have faux stitching added using a pokey tool and a Lettraset fine liner pen.  I've added a punched border to the purple stripe paper using my Fiskars Threading Water punch.  I've used circle and scalloped circle dies by X-cut, Spellbinders Lacey Circle die and Memory Box Precious Stars die.  The sentiment is by LOTV stamped onto patterned paper.  My card is finished off with buttons from the Gorjuss collection, gems and spotty ribbon.

Thank you for looking,
Shona xx

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

CHN Patterned Paper Challenge - October
Sister Act Challenge - #80 Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments - #118 - 2 or 3 word sentiment
Crafty Sentiments - Use a Sentiment
Robyn's Fetish - #235 Stitching real or faux
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Black, white & one other colour (purple)

Share an Oldie Friday

Good Morning!!!

I've decided to join my friend Kate and Erika from Snappycrafts (who came up with this fab idea) and blog one of my older cards from May 2012.  I think this was one of my first digi stamps ever and is called Pearl from Saturated Canary which of course features the artwork of the extremely talented Krista Smith.

I made it for a challenge on the Docrafts website and I remember putting an awful lot of work into it.  It was really touchy feely with the pleated ribbon, ric rac and liquid pearl bubbles.  I was really pleased with my colouring at the time but looking back now I think the Arielesque hair and my blending leaves a lot to be desired.  I'm not sure if I had completed my full set of Promarkers by then either!  I think (hope) my photography skills have improved a bit since then too!  The papers are still up there amongst my favourites, they are Tropical Travelogue by Graphic 45.  My daughter eventually gave it to one of her friends as a birthday card and if I remember correctly she wrote in it upside down and I had to do a fix up job on it!  It's a fantastic digi I will definitely have to print it off again and have another go at colouring her.

I've enjoyed my wee wander down memory lane, I'll have to see if I can dig out another oldie for next week!

Have to go now, we are heading to the Highland Wildlife Park and Aviemore today so I better get my skates on!


Bye for now,
Shona xx

Bellissima Christmas Card

Hello,

So it's week 2 of the school holidays and it's a bit dark and murky outside.  We had fantastic weather on Saturday it seemed almost tropical compared to this lol!  Anyway, bad weather is good crafting weather so every cloud and all that!

Today's card is one I coloured last week with the gorgeous Docrafts Bellissima papers in mind.

I was lucky enough to get the Christmas goody bag for my birthday last month and these papers (and ribbon) were part of it!  I'm not too sure about the image I think it's a colouring page rather than a digi or stamped image, it was given to me by one of my Docraft's buddies.  I've coloured it with Promarkers to match the papers.  I've used three papers, the green paper is actually patterned too but you can't see much of it in the photo :(  I've edged the image with some Dovecraft glitter glue and all the papers are edged with Aqua Artiste pearlescent pigment ink (my new discovery that I'm in love with, it's gives a lovely pearly sheen that again you can't see from my photo).  The sentiment is by LOTV and the ribbon is also from the Bellissima range.  My card is finished with gems and glitter domes.

Thank you for taking the time to have a look at my post and for any comments you leave, it's greatly appreciated.

Shona xx

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

CRAFT Challenge - #281 Recipe  My four embellishments are ribbon, glitter, glitter domes and gems
I Love Promarkers - #241 Snowflakes (on the papers and sentiment)
Crafty Bloggers Network October - Christmas
CHN Christmas Challenge Extra - October
CHN Patterned Paper Challenge - October

DT Call at C.R.A.F.T. Challenge

Hello!

I have decided to apply for the DT call over at the fantastic C.R.A.F.T. Challenge Blog.  I recently took up my first ever DT post and I love it.  As well as the enjoyment from making projects for the monthly theme I am also enjoying visiting all the blogs to leave comments and pick out winners and top spots.  I think I like that side of it just about as much as the crafting itself as it's given me a chance to visit blogs I hadn't come across before and I love to take inspiration from all the tremendous talent that is out there.  I am also enjoying discovering new digi designers through the sponsors of the challenges as well as the support and friendship from the rest of the DT.  As my existing DT post has recently gone from fortnightly to monthly I'd love to become part of another team, as I'm really enjoying it.

For the C.R.A.F.T. DT but also my lovely followers, who probably won't know my crafting background, here's a little bit about me:

I'm forty-something, married and mum of one and I live in Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland.  I work for the NHS and also care for my 88 year old Aunt who we share a house with.  I've turned into a bit of a craftaholic!  I blame my mum, she instilled my love of crafting in me from a very early age!  Mum, my Aunt and Gran were always making something or other.  One of my earliest crafting memories was of Mum collecting the 'Golden Hands' magazines back in the early 1970s.  She taught me how to knit, crochet, embroider, do tapestry, latch hook and lots more.  Sadly I lost my mum in my early teens but I've never lost my love of crafting, there's never been a time that I haven't had several different projects on the go at once.  I eventually got into papercrafting about 5 years ago when my husband started working in a Garden Centre that has it's own Craft Shop.  I started going to a few demos there and became hooked.  When I first started papercrafting I never ever thought I'd be able to stamp and colour in images, it took me all my time to stamp a simple sentiment.  After a while I got curious about stamping so I bought a magazine with a free stamp set and about half a dozen Promarkers and that was me, hooked again!  I think as crafters we are always learning, there are always new products and techniques to try out.  My crafting ambitions are to have a proper craft room, to see something I've made in a magazine and to have a go at scrapbooking.

I enjoy blogging and as well as my crafting blog I also now have a cookery blog and I'm in the process of setting one up for my 9 year old daughter as she is keen to take part in some challenges and possibly this DT call too!!!  She is definitely following in her Mum and Gran's footsteps!  I also absolutely adore Pinterest and love looking there for inspiration as well as to showcase my own work.

Ok, on to my card.  This is the bit I've found the hardest - what to choose.  I've eventually gone for this one from earlier in the year as it's one of my favourites.  I just love this Summer Fairy stamp designed by Sylvia Zet for Wee Stamps and these My Minds Eye papers.  I think my colouring is a little better now but I like the layout and colours of this card.  The link to the original post is here if you would like to know more about any of the products I have used.

As they say nothing ventured nothing gained but it's a fantastic opportunity so definitely worth a try!

Fingers crossed,

Shona xx

DT Call at I Love Promarkers

Due to Karen, Louise and Laney having to leave the DT for personal, family, friends, business reasons, we are now looking for 3 new DT members.

The rules are fairly simple:

* You must use ProMarkers, FlexMarkers, Tria Markers or AquaMarkers, this is not exclusively for all your work, however for work for this specific blog it is essential.

* You must be an active blogger

* You must be willing to work with sponsors images should it be necessary

* You must make one DT project per week

* You must comment on a selection of challenge entries each week.

Please click here for more information

Little Ivy

Hello,

I'm a bit late posting tonight but it's been a bit of a busy day again even though I was supposed to be taking it easy today, nothing too taxing just a lot of bits and pieces.  The best bit was Iona and I doing some crafting together, we both made quick Boofle cards which I will blog at a later date, and I helped her finish a gift bag she had started making.  She's really starting to get the papercraft bug now!  In between times I've started knitting a lacy scarf in a gorgeous random dyed metallic wool which I can't wait to finish.

Ok onto today's card well very early this morning about 2am to be precise.  I really wish I had this gorgeous LOTV Little Ivy stamp, this one belongs to a friend but I think it's definitely one for the ever growing wishlist.

I've coloured in the stamped image with Promarkers, blinging up the wings with some Stardust Stickles then fussy cut and mounted it on a die cut kraft card circle which I then ran through a Docrafts snowflake embossing folder.  I then lightly rubbed over the raised snowflakes with a white Versamagic Chalk Ink Dewdrop and added Gold Stickles to the edge.  I used a paper from the Docrafts First Noel paper pad and also edged that with Gold Stickles.  I've heat embossed the LOTV sentiment with Papermania gold embossing powder and mounted that on to kraft card.  I've added some snowflakes punched out of more kraft card and topped them with some pearls.  I've finished off my card with some glitter topped cotton lace and ribbon and randomly added some Capsule Collection dotty buttons, golden gems and the tiniest of pearls.

I'd better go now as I definitely need to go to bed earlier tonight!!!  Then again I might just pick up my knitting for a wee while...

Shona xx

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

I Love Promarkers - #241 Snowflakes

Sister Act Challenge - #79 Anything Goes

Penny's Challenge - #199 Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments - #117 Anything Goes (with a sentiment)

CCAYR October - Embellish It

CHN Christmas Challenge Extra - October

Gorjuss My Own Universe 21st Birthday Card

Hello,

It isn't often that I get a crafting S.O.S, but that's exactly what happened yesterday!  Half way through the afternoon my husband text to ask if I had a card that would be suitable for a 21st birthday for a colleague who works in the Craft Shop at the Garden Centre he works in.  I didn't have anything made up but as luck would have it I was almost finished a Gorjuss card with the intention of giving it as a birthday card later in the month (trying to be organised for once lol).  So with a few additions it was ready to be dropped off before the end of the working day!

I've used a Gorjuss stamp called My Own Universe and it's been coloured with Promarkers.  I've then die cut the image into an oval and while it was still in the die I've inked the edges with Weathered Wood and Faded Jeans distress inks.  Then once out of the die I've coloured the white edge with a black Promarker then gone back round and doodled a loopy design around the edge nearest to the image with a Letraset fine liner pen.  I've used papers, borders and number stickers from the Gorjuss ultimate die cut pack by Docrafts.  The border punch I've used is Threading Water by Fiskars. To finish the card I've used some spotty organza ribbon topped with a Gorjuss metal brad, some Gorjuss spotty buttons and black gems.  The sentiment is by LOTV.  It's a bit of a departure from my usual style with the dark inky colours, distressing and doodling but I quite like how it's turned out, the only thing that I don't like about it is the number one as it looks too much like an 'I' but it was definitely among the numbers on the sticker sheet so who am I to argue!

Thank you for looking and your kind comments are always appreciated.

Shona xx

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Sister Act Challenge - #78 Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments - Things that start with G (Gorjuss Girl)
CHN Patterned Paper Challenge - October
Penny's Challenges - #198 Polka Dots (Paper, Ribbon & Buttons)
Aud Sentiments - #117 Anything Goes with a Sentiment

Cutie Pie DT Card - Perfectly Purple

Good Morning,

Today we have a new challenge starting over at the Cutie Pie Challenge Blog, the theme is Perfectly Purple and our sponsors are the fabulous Pink Gem Designs.  We would love you to take part and you have plenty of time as the challenge has just gone monthly.  This challenge is always about cute so please don't forget to put a cute image on your card.

I've used the gorgeous Bella With Mistletoe digi from Pink Gem which you can buy here.  I've coloured her with Promarkers and added some Stardust Stickles to the hat and scarf.  I've then fussy cut her and mounted her on a die cut Snowflake Circle from X-cut.  The papers I've used are Snow Princess from LOTV, they look a little blue in the photo but they are definitely a lilacy purple and they are my new favourite!  The stamped sentiment is by Paula Pascual.  I've also added some white die cut snowflakes using another X-cut die and some punched kraft ones too.  The Precious Stars die-cut is by Memory Box and I've finished off the card with some gingham ribbon, a square gem and some pearls.

Thank you for looking,

Shona xx

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Christmas Sweet Stampin' Challenge October - Snowflakes

Top Tip Tuesday - Non Traditional Christmas

Christmas Cards All Year Round October - Embellish It

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - #280 Christmas

CHN Christmas Challenge Extra - October

CHN Christmas Challenge - #198 Something Round (Snowflake Circle Die)

My Friend Flakey

Good evening,

Well sadly I've now caught the cold, first it was Rab, then Iona, now moi.  Still, I managed to get out to a Docrafts demo at a local craft shop this afternoon held by the lovely and talented Beckie Dreyer.  I don't manage to these demos very often but I enjoy going when I can because quite often I have some of the products already at home but other people use them in ways I'd never have thought of and that's what I like most about going along.  I also managed to pick up one of the die sets that was being demo'd, some lovely mica spritzing ink and a couple of pearlescent ink pads.  These aren't the type of stash items I'd usually go for but I'll try just about anything once lol!

Ok, so onto today's card.  I picked up this gorgeous Sugar Nellie digi as a freebie a few weeks ago when they were having a joint Facebook event with Kit & Clowder.

I've coloured the image with Promarkers to match the papers which were a magazine freebie ages ago.  The sentiment is from LOTV and that has been stamped onto some of the patterned paper.  The snowflake was made using a Die'sire set and the card is finished off with ribbon, buttons and gems.

Thank you for looking and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Shona xx

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Passion for Promarkers - #268 Favourite Colour Combo (Red, Green & Kraft)

Sister Act Challenge - #78 Anything Goes

Sparkles Christmas Challenge - #45 For a Child

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes

CHN Patterned Paper Challenge - October

CHN Christmas Challenge Extra - October

Christmas Sweet Stampin' Challenge October - Snowflakes

The Sugar Bowl Challenge - #117 Use a Sugar Nellie Stamp/Digi

Something Different by Someone Different

Good Afternoon,

The sun is shining here in Inverness today - yay!  Hopefully it will stay out for the next couple of weeks while Iona is off on her October break.  Poor thing is choked with the cold so she's had a wee bit of an early start to her holidays.

Talking of Iona, the cards I'm blogging today are two that she's made.  She's becoming an expert with my Promarkers.  I gave her a little help with the fussy cutting and die cutting (AND she got to use my new La-la Land Spider Web die before me) but she's done everything else herself.  Not bad for a just turned 9 year old!  She would dearly love her own blog but I think she's still a bit young for that but she does have her own profile on the Docrafts Creativity website.

The Forever Friends digi is from the New Arrival dvd and the Witch digi was a freebie from Dearie Dolls some time back.  The Halloween papers are Graphic 45.

Hope you like them!  With a bit of luck I'll be back later to blog one of my own cards!

Bye for now,
Shona xx

You're My Best Friend

Hello again,

I can't believe it's Friday again already and that's without being at work at the moment!  I'm looking forward to meeting up with some of my work mates over lunch today to catch up with the office gossip lol!  Then later, I'm looking forward to a girly evening with my daughter as Rab is off to a gig in Edinburgh tonight.

Today's card is one I made for my daughter to give her BFF for her birthday.  The stamp is by S.W.A.L.K. from Crafters Companion.  As soon as Iona saw it in the Hobbycraft sale (months ago) she begged me to buy it for her friend's birthday card, bless.

I've coloured in the image with Promarkers then fussy cut the characters as she didn't want the text on it.  This is a first outing for my new LOTV Snow Princess paper pad, it's a Christmas pad but I've chosen some non festive papers for my card.  Iona wanted me to use these papers as purple is the BFF's favourite colour!  The sentiment is also by LOTV and I've added a die cut ivy corner by Marianne, die cut leaves made from a Stampin' Up Sizzlits die and some little punched flowers.  I've finished off my card with two kinds of ribbon and a mix of pearls by Scrapberry and Hobby House.

Hope you all have a super weekend whatever you are up to.

Shona xx

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Passion for Promarkers - #267 Make it Feminine
Penny's Challenge - #197 Use 3 or more patterned papers
CHN Patterned Paper Challenge - October
Crafty Sentiments - Bingo (Rubber stamp/Die-cut/Ribbon)
Crafting by Designs - October Anything Goes