Ditzy days, cats and cards

Today card is an example of how not to take a photo for your blog..lol I was in the middle of removing my nail varnish and suddenley decided to take some photos. As you can see my thumb decided that it wanted to be immortalised in the shot. That's the case when you have too many things floating round your head and you've got a list in your head of things you want to do. So instead of hiding my stupidity..I thought that I'd share the fact that I'm just as ditzy as I sometimes sound!
But now to the card. It's made using the Father Christmas cdrom by Crafters Companion. It's a wonderful cd showing many of the iconic images from the film. For some reason I adore this back view of Santa. There is something magical about it and I have made many cards using this particular design. When we were children what would we have given to have had this view of Santa? For an embellishment I have used some die cut snowflakes. I have also added some jewels onto the snowflakes. And of course I just had to add some glitter onto Santas coat.
I'm still playing with my Grand Calibur and having a great time. I have been cutting more mats with the Tonic dies. And they are truly fabulous. Clean cuts every time...and when you're diecutting..that's what you want but don't always get. That's why on this blog I will always be honest..we only have a certain amount of money available for craft goodies and it's important to share what we find to be really good or as is sometimes the case..really bad.
One thing that I can really recommend is JB Crafting Supplies...for good service, quality and choice. If you ever need any craft goodies pop along and speak to Julie..there are links on here that will take you straight there..and have a look.
The cats are driving me slowly crazy today. Back and to out of the window and round and round the computer. Jeff..our youngest cat is chocolate crazy..if you have it, he can smell it at twenty paces and will hound you without mercy. Jeff is a black boy who is convinced that he is a panther. And by the size of his feet may well be growing that way. He loves all my lady cats and gets a smack most days from one of them. All my ladies are very opinionated girls. My ginger tom..called Icabod loves a dominant lady. The boss lady cat was an old girl called Pyewacket who sadly passed away last year and he was heartbroken. It has taken him a while..looking around all the house ladies and now his heart has settled on Twinkle. She is a black and white who arrived with brain damage and the temper to end everything. Well since she arrived  Twinkle has hated everyone but now she has given in  and now loves our Icabod. She would never let another animal touch her before, but now Iccy is allowed to wash her and lie with her. It's a very wonderful thing. And she slaps him every now and then...so he's also really happy..lol It takes all sorts.
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing..take care and happy crafting.

Fawn in the snow

Todays card is from Joanna Sheens Giordano Christmas cdrom.The backing paper is from an earlier Joanna cd and the embellishmentis made from the Signature die range and the Tattered Lace range. I put the embellishments on and then painted and glittered them.
Well it finally happened at 10.30 last night. It arrived. The it being my new Grand Calibur. I was so excited..I have only managed to have a little play and it was fab. I'm still trying to remember the plate order. It won't take long..I got to the point with my Cuttlebug that I didn't have to think. I have bought my first A4 embossing folder and it was great. I can see a hole arriving in my purse as I spot more embossing folders that I would like. I also bought some tonic dies..I've had a go and they were fabulous..a clean cut after only one pass through the machine. There are quite a few makes out there that I often want to throw through the window...you end up making multiple passes and adding more shims and it still isn't a perfect cut. Not the case with the Signature die range or the Tattered Lace. Nor it seems with Tonic.
So I'm off to play. The weather here in Snowdonia is glorious..all the cats are outside. No doubt trying to terrorize the local geese..it's a quest that they are going to lose. The geese will put up with it for so long and then you will see cats fleeing. An angry goose is enough to make anyone run. I hope that you have a great day..take care and happy crafting.

The Black Cat

Todays card is a very plain card for me but I felt that the image was so beautiful with so much detail that I added nothing apart from the glitter. The image is from Magical Christmas Moments from cupcake crafting..which is now Creative Crafting World. Their site is well worth a look..I've bought some really fab cds from there as well as having some really good deals on card. I have to say that on this cd there is not one image that I wouldn't be happy to use and in fact, I think that I have.
 As most of you will know by now, I'm a big cat and dog fan..I always have been..and just can't resist a lovely image.At this very moment I'm being walked over by one of my cats..they really do like to be involved in everything you do. And another one has just jumped over my shoulder! Of course as far as they are concerned any time spent doing anything that doesn't involve fussing them is a waste of time. The worst time I have is when it's raining and I'm crafting...they can drive me crazy. Being disabled I have made myself a crafting corner by the window which gives me a view of the mountains and where I can watch the changing seasons. I have the window open most days and now the cats think that it is the biggest cat flap in the world. They go in and out by the window onto the studio roof (my parlour is upstairs by the way), down the holly tree and into the wild world. And then they come back. On warm days they all stretch out on the studio roof. All day they go back and to..always checking what is going on...they're so scared of missing something.
I'm still excited about the arrival of the Grand Calibur..I've had abother email stating that it should be here within the next 24 hours..we shall have to see. Keep your fingers crossed for me. So wherever you are I hope you have a great day..take care and happy crafting.

Garden birds in the snow

Todays card is from the Joanna Sheen  Victorian Christmas Cards cdrom. There is a section of the cd that features different birds and this is one of those images. I have a lot of friends who are into bird watching and nature and they really like to get this kind of christmas card. I have glittered the image and made the embellishment to match. All the embellishment is made using Tattered Lace dies.
I'm still waiting for the parcel..but I know that it's on it's way..it could be the next couple of days..everything is crossed. I just want to have a play. I have ordered some A4 embossing folders that I will share with you shortly...hopefully.I have seen some 8x8 embossing folders which look really useful which may be finding their way home to me..as I make mostly 8x8 cards it will give me a chance to look very differently at the way I create cards. I've also recently purchased some dies that cut patchwork shapes and am really looking forward to having a play with all the little scraps of pretty paper that I have kept. As you do. So until tommorrow...take care and happy crafting

A Very Traditional Christmas Card

Todays card was a request from a customer for a very traditional christmas card. The image is from from my stash. It reminds me of many a view I have in the fields around where I live. There is a large group of pheasants that live in the fields here and we often see them walking down the lane. The colours of the male are fantastic and seem to shimmer in the daylight. On the card the backing paper I've used is from a Joanna Sheen cdrom and seems to me to be a very gentlemans club kind of pattern. When doing any card..christmas or otherwise it can be difficult to find something suitable for the men in your life. I really don't want to send a fishing, football or big ship image for a friend..unless of course they are really into that sort of thing..so I spend alot of time searching for something a little bit different based on their likes or interests. The last 2 cards that I've made for male friends have involved meercats and racing tricycles. To be honest I never knew that racing tricycles existed until I started to research them. But they do and it looks a fabulous sport. As for the meercat card..the gentleman involved loves meercats and has even been a meercat keeper for a day. It seems to me ..somtimes you just have to look a little bit more for a mans card..that fishing, football and big ships are just an easy route. A route that many of us don't want to go down..and it's worth that extra bit of time not to.
Well I'm on parcel watch for the Grand Calibur..every time a van comes up the lane...I'm there, looking out of the window. The excitement is getting to me now. I'll have to have a coffee and get on with crafting and calm down! Wherever you are I hope you have a good day..take care and happy crafting.

House mouse christmas wreath

 

Todays card involves two of my favourite things.

 

The christmas wreath, which I've been playing with a lot this year and house mouse. I loved this little image of the two mice cuddled with the candle. Because of the shape of the image I knew straight away that I wanted to surround them with the wreath. The house mouse image is from the Joanna Sheen House Mouse cdrom. The wreath is made up from die cuts from Crafters Companion, Joanna Sheens Signature die range and the tattered lace die range. I mix and match all my dies to get the look that I want. And now for my big news.
Well I've finally done it..I've ordered a Grand Calibur. The urge to be able to emboss A4 size sheets finally got the better of me. Last night I took a deep breath and ordered it. Hopefully it will arrive some time this week. I have looked at lots of reviews for A4 die cutting machines and the grand calibur won the review. I shall be letting you know how I get on. I know a lot of people to whom paying for this machine would be nothing...that they spend more than that on a night out..but to me it's a lot of money. I've also ordered some more dies and punches from Tonic. This will be the first time that I've used any of this range so I'll let you know how I go on. I'm so excited..I'll be twitching until they arrive.
It makes me laugh just how little it takes to get me excited..I don't want a lot in life..most of the time as long as my family and friends are well and happy, my animals are happy and healthy and I can get through the day without too much pain...then all's well with the world. My Gran used to say to remember to count your blessings every day..and I do. Small things always make me happy..I've learnt to find my joy in life..I get to see the mountains every day,watch the seasons changing and get to share the joys in my friends lives. I get to laugh at the antics of my animals, get to enjoy a good cup of coffee with a piece of cake and I get to craft. Small joys but joy non the less. So as my Gran used to say ..search for your blessings, no matter how small...you may have more than you realise
Well I hope you have a good day...take care and happy crafting.


*Challenges entered*
Joanna Sheen - So sweet

Snowman above the rooftops

Hello everyone. Todays card is made with an image from Joanna Sheens Giordano Christmas cdrom. The snowflakes are made using an All Occasion die. One of my things at the moment is to cut the dies on plain white card and then paint them with H2Os. I use different colours of blue and when they are dry I glitter them using a Crafters Companion Spray and Sparkle. It works really well because no one snowflake is the same. Even if the shape is the same it will look totally differently because of the colour blends.
Over the past few weeks I have been on a journey into the world of blogging and sharing my cards. And I have to say that I love it. I've been meeting many wonderful people who are as passionate about crafting as I am. Being disabled is hard sometimes because you can feel very isolated and the pain sometimes make you feeel as if you can't be a productive or creative person. Crafting has helped me so much...I can support my family and be creative even though I can't move very well. When the pain gets on top of me sometimes crafting helps to take my mind off everything. I know the pain will not leave but I can make myself as comfortable as I can and look to losing myself in a world of beautiful things. As a crafter you will know the joy of fabulous papers or when a new idea arrives in your head. I'm sure that sometimes I even dream card ideas. One of the funniest things is when I've done a card that I'm not really happy with..I will go to bed and it will peck at my head until I've come to a conclusion on how to alter it so that I'm happy with it. So whatever your circumstances give crafting a go..it doesn't need to cost alot. To begin to zentangle for example all you need is a black pen and some paper..find a design that you like and off you go. Once you've done one that you like..stick it on a card and you're off. I hope that you like todays card and wherever you are take care and happy crafting.

The heart of a mouse

Today there is not a holly berry or christmas bauble in sight. In fact my crafting today is all non christmas. I've got orders for 5 birthday cards, so it will be a change but having to change your mind set can be a challenge. Because I've been doing christmas for over a month, all my stash that is round my work area is christmas based so I'll have to go on a ferret for what I'll need. The orders are for very individual cards..featuring orangutans, racing tricycles (I never knew such a thing even existed until I started doing this ladies cards) and super cars. I'm also thinking of doing two other orders which are a ladies that lunch card and a card for a diy fanatic. So I intend to have a coffee, watch a bit of create and craft and then begin.
The card featured today is another House Mouse image from a Joanna Sheen cdrom. The die cut ivy garland is from Crafters Companion. This is a 6x6 card.
Well the kettle is now boiling so I'll head off and make that coffee. Have a great day..take care and happy crafting.

House mouse christmas

I hope you are all having a good day. Here in the mountains the sun is shining, the birds are singing and the cats and the ducks are having a stand off in the lane. Todays card features an adorable house mouse image. The image comes from The House Mouse triple cd collection. The art work is the work of Ellen Jareckie. In this collection there are 3 discs..one of which is solely christmas. I love this image of the two mice cuddling up..it makes me want to cuddle under a quilt drinking hot chocolate with someone special. Mind you with me that someone special would probably be a cat. I have of course just had to glitter the image. The backing paper is from the cd but not the one that shows with this image. I love looking through the backing papers...I will use my favourites in lots of different ways, with lots of different images..not just with the one suggested. I hope you like it. So wherever you are I hope you have a really good day...take care and happy crafting.

Cat in a Santas Hat

As most of you know, I am a cat lover and as such have a lot of friends who also adore the furry beasts, so I am always looking for a christmas card with a cute cat to send over the festive season. Well I found this one. It is from a Joanna Sheen cdrom. I have mounted the image onto red mirri. The backing paper is from the Crafters Companion 'Father Christmas' cdrom. I like to mix and match..getting value for money is something I'm addicted to. The embellishment is made with a mixture of dies...the ivy swirl and the holly leaves are from the Joanna Sheen Signature range and the poinsettia is from the tattered lace range. Today the mists have covered the mountains from view, the cats are on the couch and my craft stash is calling and saying come and play. So wherever you are take care and happy crafting.

O Christmas Tree

The card today is from the Joanna Sheen 'Hollypond Hill Christmas' cdrom. I just loved the original Hollypond Hill cdrom, so I was thrilled that a christmas one had been released. Even though the cdrom features alot of rabbits (which I adore), there are many images that are not. The card is a prime example of this. The baubles at the side are made using 'Tattered Lace' dies which are actually chinese lantern dies which I have cut the bottoms off. I love the shape and detail of them and as soon as I saw them I thought christmas baubles. I love to look at dies and see how I can use them in different ways as I think the more ways that I can use them the more value for money. I cut the dies in mirror board and then mounted them onto glittercard. I look out of the window today and can see the mountains..which is always a good sign...if the mists are down, it usually means that the rains are on their way. You can tell how good the weather is by the number of cats on the couch. Today there are none. They are probably circling the duck pond..hoping that the ducks will suddenley become the size of sparrows. Well it's time to go and craft...I have had some new dies arrive this morning..so it's time to play. I hope you have a great day...take care and happy crafting.

Farm Cat

Todays card is from a Joanna Sheen cdrom. I have glittered the snow..well I so love the glitter. A bit of a sparkle goes along way on a dull day. The cat looks a little like my cat Sprout. Sprout was a cat that was dumped at my door...well thrown at the door and knocked out. He was so scared and had suffered very badly at the hands of a human. He let me tend his wounds and joined our cat family. He has become such a happy little cat...he is still very nervous of strangers but with the family he has started to come for fuss. He loves the dogs and the other cats..it makes me happy to watch him. He was called Sprout because he arrived just before christmas. Back to the card..the embellishment is made using holly leaves and mistletoe dies from the Tattered lace range. The greeting is also from the Tattered Lace range. Well I'm off to look at some new images that I will be sharing with you next week. Wherever you are take care and happy crafting.

Holly Cottage

Todays card is from a Joanna Sheen cdrom. Again I've had the glitter pot out. I've bordered the image with holly leaves and berries. For a change I used an A5 card. Most of the time I use an 8x8 but today I thought that image suited this size card. I tend to use the larger cards because of the postage. That may sound strange but I resent paying the cost of a normal first class stamp for a small card when it does seem you get a better deal sending a large card. I feel that on a 8x8 you have a good size to work on and many people feel as if they are getting something really special. And let's be honest, it's so nice to have something drop through the letterbox that isn't a bill. The weather here seems to have calmed down today...the wind has dropped and the rain has been coming in small showers. All my cats have gone out to play...they have sulked for days due to the heavy rain. The weather hasn't bothered me as I've been lucky enough to be able to stay in and craft. I hope wherever you are the weather is being kind to you. I'm now off to find the glitter pot..so take care and happy crafting

Lady with a bow

 

 

 

 

This card is using a wonderful image from the Joanna Sheen cdrom 'Age of Elegance'. Time and time again I go to this cd just because of the wonderful images. The border is made using a signature die from the Joanna Sheen range. I thought that I would post this one today to give you a break from christmas cards but they will be coming in droves...I've been making them for weeks and it seems as if I have loads more to do. I have a lot of orders to complete so every time I make one for an order, I try to make one for my own use. It seems to be the only way I'll get them done. I'm surrounded by lists of christmas cards with what people would like. This year even more than normal there seems to be so many orders for traditional images. A lot of the requests simply said that they wanted 'classic' christmas cards. I have been die cutting for Britain making boxes of holly leaves, mistletoe, pine branches and poinsettia. This year my 'thing' is making garlands and swags on the cards. What is really funny is that how now people expect to get a handmade card from me..if they don't get one for either christmas or their birthdays, they seem to think that I have fallen out with them! When I first began making cards many people thought it was because I couldn't afford a 'proper ' one..it's so funny how things change over the years. Thank goodness that people have started to realise just how much work can go into a handcrafted card. I get so much enjoyment from making cards..over the years buying good quality items for card makers has become so easy and it's thanks to all the proucers out there. To me there is nothing more exciting than looking at new products and thinking just how I can use them. Well I suppose I'd better be off and settle down to do some crafting. Wherever you are I hope you have a good day..so take care and happy crafting

 

 

A Robin in the holly

This is a card that I'm asked to make every christmas. It is from a very unlikely source...Joanna Sheens Ivory Cats cdrom. I've matted the image and the backing paper onto a christmas red card. The image itself I've glittered. I've embellished using holly leaves from the Signature die range. It is a great christmas in the country image. It is very similar to a view that I see every day. I am very lucky to live here in Snowdonia and when I look out of my windows all I can see is the mountains. Today the tops are covered in mist, the rain is falling and all my cats have decided that the couch is the best
place to be. It's an ideal day to spend crafting. So whatever the weather is like with you..take care and happy crafting.

A cup full of christmas

 

 

 

 

 



This card really sums up everything christmas for me. The image is from a Sheena Douglass stamp. I have coloured it with H2os. The backing paper is from a Joanna Sheen cdrom. One of my favourite things to do on this years cards is to make the corners using die cuts. I have used some of all my different dies..holly leaves,mistletoe,pine branches,pine cones and poinsiettas are from Tattered lacedie collections. Other pine branches and hooly leaves are from the Joanna Sheen Signature die range and the ivy garlans are from Crafters Companion. As I've said before always look at your dies and see what you can use together. It makes sense because you always want to make sure that you get the most use possible and therefore the best use of your money. Because lets be honest buying dies is not that cheap and as always with crafters we want value for money but we also good quality. Over the years crafting I've found that buying cheap you often get what you pay for and sometimes it's so much better to spend that little extra to ensure you get the quality. The weather here is rather bleak but as always it's a perfect afternoon for crafting. I am working on some cards from the Hollypond Hill Christmas cdrom by Joanna Sheen..I will sharing them with you soon. Whatever the weather with you, take care and happy crafting

 



Saturday..Age of Elegance 2

This has got to be one of my most loved images. It is from the Joanna Sheen 'Age of Elegance' cdrom. The image itself is from a painting by Waterhouse The backing paper is a William Morris design...on this cdrom there are 3 collections of backing papers, one of which is a collection of William Morris designs which are gorgeous.The lattice in the backgroun is made using a Joanna Sheen Signature Die..Planter with lattice. I cut off the planter section, which I will use on another card and used the lattices on this. The rose leaves are also from the Signature die range. The actual image has been decoupaged. This is really one of the reasons that I love cdrom crafting..you have the privilege of using such amazing artwork. My collection of cdroms must be around 200 and when I think of the library of artwork that I'm lucky enough to have to use..it really does amaze me. Well I have lots of crafting to do today which I will be sharing with you soon. I hope you all have a great weekend..so take care and happy crafting

Friday...Age of Elegance 1

This is from Joanna Sheens 'Age of Elegance' cdrom. It is a fantastic cd with alot of my favourite images on it. The die cut is from Crafts-too and is called 'Entwined'. I use this die in lots of different ways as you'll see in the coming months. Sometimes you have a card and it just 'needs' something. This die seems to fill that gap. Today has been a day when the computer nearly got thrown out of the window. I've been having problems with my home hub..so I changed it and got to the point that I wish I hadn't. My best friend had to spend all day reconnecting the printer. Here I was with a new cdrom (Joanna Sheens Hollypond Hill Christmas) and it just wouldn't let me print. If it wasn't for my friend..the computer would be on the path and I would be shaking in a corner. I will always admit that I'm no good with technology but how are you supposed to get better when doing anything new is enough to send you to the caffeine? But onwards and upwards. So now I'm calm I'm off to print to my hearts delight. Take care and happy crafting.

Thursday...Cute christmas animals

Todays card is a lovely image from Joanna Sheens Giordano Christmas cdrom. What you can't see on the photo is that I've glittered the image (you know I had to!) and it twinkles beautifully. The embellishment at the bottom is made using die cuts. The holly leaves and pine branches are from the Joanna Sheen Signature die range and the pine cone is from a Tattered lace die. Sometimes it is very hard to find the right embellishment for a card, but I've found this is where diecuts come in. You can make it as simple or elaborate as you wish. I adore looking at new dies and thinking of the ways I could use them. I shall have to admit here and now that I'm a snowflake collector. I just love them and am quite happy for them to sit in my collection to be used only once a year. Most of my dies I want to be able to use in lots of ways. So always look at different possible ways of using your dies..that way you get more for your money. I'm off now to play with my rubber stamps..which I will share with you soon. Take care and happy crafting.

Wednesday..Another wreath

I really enjoyed my lesson in photography and it seems that when I take a photo I shouldn't be using the flash..just alter the settings on the camera. We'll  see how that one goes. I have decided that I love making these wreaths..they seem to sum up christmas for me. The poinsettia dies and the holly leaves are from a Tattered Lace set. The ivy leaves are from Crafters Companion. The holly berries are docrafts papermania shimmer dome stickers. They really do what they say on the box..shimmer. They catch the light really well. I'm off to make some cards for the http://jb-craftingsupplies.blospot.com design team blog. They are going to feature the Crafters Companion 'Father Christmas' cdrom. It is a really lovely disc with some beautiful images. So bear with me and they will be on here soon. Happy Crafting

Tuesday..The blue house

Hello everyone. The car for today is a stamped image. The stamps are from a collection by Glenda at Chocolate Baroque. The stamps stamp a lovely clear image and are a joy to use. I have stamped using distress ink. Then I have pulled the colour out using a waterbrush. And then of course I had to add a little bit of glitter. I'm off now to a lesson in photography so I hope that my photos will improve over the next few weeks. As I've said before blogging is still very new to me and it has been an adventure which I have been loving. I find that you always want to improve the way that you are doing things and hopefully I will. So happy crafting...I'm off now to learn more about my camera!

Mondays Snowmen

Two cards for today, both featuring one of my favourite christmas images..snowmen. The top one is an image from the Joanna Sheen Giordano Christmas cdrom. The second with the lovely snowman couple is from the Joanna Sheen Enchanted Christmas cdrom. This image has to be one of my all time favourites and is so popular with my friends. I get requests for this image every christmas. The snowflakes are a mixture from my ever growing snowflake die collection! The dies come from Robert Addams All Occasion die collection and the others are from Crafters Companion. Sadly you cannot see it on these photos both are glittered. I am really getting into the spirit now, working every day on new cards. I'm also working on some cards for the jb-craftingsupplies design team. They will be featuring the wonderful Father Christmas cdrom from Crafters Companion. The more that I stick my toe into the crafting world, the more I come to realise what a wonderful group of people that crafters are. I continue to meet people who share my love of crafting and creating and they also love to share their passion with others. One of these people is Nicole from Nicolebretherick designs. She has given me so much help and advice, even though we have only just met. She is also a wonderfully talented crafter..so please take a look at her blog http://nicolebretherickdesigns.blogspot.com and share in even more crafting ideas.

Two cards

First Christmas Card

I so enjoyed making my first christmas card...and this is it. It is a very simple card to make (once you've done the die cutting) but I love the look. On this card I have used 3 dies from 3 different companies. The ivy leaf garland is from Crafters Companion. The pine boughs are from the Joanna Sheen Signature Die range and the pine cones are from Tattered Lace. I love the fact that I'm using a range of dies yet they work so well together. When buying dies, I always look at the way that I can hopefully use them with what I already have. Of course I always have a list of ones I would like and am always on the lookout for new ranges. Well I'm off now to get covered in glitter..Happy Crafting

Exciting News

I haven't blogged for about a fortnight because I've been trying to get organised for the making of christmas cards..yes even though I've fought it..the time to get glittery has arrived. I've spent the time die cutting holly leaves, snowflakes, pine cones and the like until boxes are full. In the middle of all this I received the most wonderful news. I am now a member of the design team for jb-crafting supplies. I will be sharing the cards I make on this page and also on http:// jb-crafting supplies.blogspot.co.uk. Please have a look on their blog as it is a wonderful site for inspiration. There are some very talented ladies who besides being great crafters, adore what they do and love to share ideas. I also now have a facebook page dedicated to my cards called Vixenvarg cards and creations. Please come and have a look. I've never been into computers..just learning what I needed to and was even nervous then. Then I got into cdrom crafting and learnt a little more. Then I took the step of starting this blog and I love it. When I first began blogging, my son said that I had a look of absolute terror on my face and laughed a lot taking the mickey out of me. I don't know why but at first I was terrified but it is so much easier now. So if you are toying with the idea of starting a blog..please give it a go. If I can do it anyone can. Happy crafting.