CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #81 - hosted by Pamela

I am still with the digital cards although I am noticing some improvement in my wrist after the jab.  A little less pain and almost no terrible pins and needles.  So hopefully it will continue this way.

I had a lot of fun making this card using one of my favourite characters - Boofle - from Docrafts.

So here he is.

It was fun choosing some favourite poses, changing sizes etc, and then thinking of some appropriate text/sayings.  The border was from my graphics programme.  Everything else was  'Boofle' from Docrafts Digital Designer.

The card was made for the Card For Kindness group on UKSN and is winging its way to its recipient in Australia. I am hoping that by the time this post appears it will have reached Sue.

I will be busy next week choosing my Top 3 for the last challenge and with the improvement hoping to find it all a mite easier.

I have a little story to relate  about my son - true - it happened last week.

I am taking a drug called Gabapentin.  Supposed to help with Carpal Tunnel Pain.  I am on quite a heavy dose and one of the side effects is to make you dizzy and unsteady.  I have been suffering - in spades - as they say, and had a long chat with medics about it and it is being reduced.

That bit is just background.  Yesterday afternoon I went outside the front door to the post box (separate from the house) to see if there was any post and when I bent down I started to lose my balance - big time.  In fact, in my mind's eye, I could see myself hitting the box and ground.  Anyway, I manage to get back up straight and all was well.

Later on, Chris  came home just for a moment and he asked how I was.  I told him about the incident and what I needed was one of those alarm bells you wear round your neck if you do fall.  But I said I couldn't have one of those because I am not on my own.  What I needed was one that just connected to him but such a thing would be impossible.

Ah says he. What you need is a Cow Bell.

I am just about still talking to him.

Hugs to all and please still be careful.

Carol xx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #80 - hosted by me (Carol)

 Yes, it is my turn again to host the challenge and choose the Top 3.  I have some treatment starting on Tuesday for the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and I am hoping it will be taking effect when I have to do some concentrated mouse work when choosing the winners.

In the meantime here is my contribution for #80.  Very simple again - I am afraid - but not long now I hope.

This was a digital download - printed twice - so that I could very carefully cut out the central oval.  This I decoupaged using sticky pads.  I had added 'Margaret' and the borders before I printed it all out.

This card is for a member of a Birthday List to which I belong.

It gets very tiring using the mouse and keyboard so I will just say that I look forward to visiting your blogs and choosing my Top 3.

Hugs

Carol xx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #79 - hosted by Jocelyn.

Another completely digital offering from me again I am afraid.  I am longing to be able to get back to 'making 3D style cards' again but having said that I am just glad that I can at least create something. I have been given some consultation appointments so I may have better news by the next challenge. 

I enjoyed making this card.  It is for a member of a group I belong to within the UKSN.  I used  my Serif Craft Artist 2 again.  The same folder as last time - just a different image.

I love the ghostly white fish. There are a few in the folder but I liked these best of all.  It was all part of  the same folder  I just added the borders with my ACDSee programme.  The outside border is just there to show the edge of the card for the posting.   It is not part of the card itself.

The wind is absolutely howling as I type this (Friday).  I noticed earlier on the news that the  S.E was the only area left with a red warning and the edge started just left of us - Guildford/Farnham.  I hope all are safe and everything is still in one piece.

Hugs

Carol

xx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #78 - hosted by Margaret

Here is another digital only card from me again - I am afraid.  I can't wait to start playing with my die cutting machine etc but I will just have to be patient.

Today I have used my Docrafts Digital Designer  and I present to you a 'Tatty Ted' card.

The Tatty Ted folder in the programme is great. There are some super images.  Although they are 'cute' you don't get tired of them.  Here are some that I have used in the past

This one is simply made choosing a background and then adding an image. The balloons are from the extras and I added words to the border strips.

It does look better in real life than as a computer image and will be one for my 'go to' box.

I look forward to your visits and I am visiting all your blogs and commenting when I can.

Please keep taking care.

xx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #77 - Anything Goes - hosted by Jo

 I hope all are well and enjoying your crafting.  I have noticed a very very small improvement in the pain from the double Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that is plaguing me.   I had a phone consult with a Pain Consultant and he told me to up the dose of the medication and I think that is working.  Fingers crossed - if I could.

This means that I have an all digital card to show you for this challenge:

I found an image of a vase of roses and used it to make a background using my Kaleidoscope CD.  I then added a border to the original image using my ACDSee Graphics programme and then printed it out to use as a topper.  I added the sentiment to the topper with the same ACDSee programme.

The flat sparkly enamel type gems were used in the corners.

I love the old fashioned oil painting look to the image. 

I would usually be starting my Christmas cards by now but instead I am having to source images to use digitally.  Not quite what I intended but actually I am enjoying it.

I will be visiting all the entries and making comments when I can.  Happy crafting.

Carol

xx

CFK for the UKSN

 Here is my first Card for Kindness for 2022.  I was sent my 'name' a few days ago and I have managed to make a card but it had to be a digitally produced one I am afraid.  It could be that way for a while yet but I couldn't not make one.  If that makes sense.  Card making and crafting is what I do and I am so bored with the TV - I can't tell you.

Anyway I used my Serif Craft Artist 2 and produced this card.

 I did find some synthetic water drops in my stash to add for effect.

This is winging it's way in the post and I hope the recipient likes it.  I had to do the inside greeting using my Dymo Letratag.  A boon when you can't do any handwriting.

Hugs

Carol

xx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #76

I hope that a good and safe Christmas and New Year was had by everyone.  My Christmas plans were changed at the last minute. I was due to host a family Christmas at my place but due to daughter, son in law and nephew all testing positive I had to go down to Bristol to spend Christmas with my sister.  Not a hardship but she was supposed to be coming to me.

My first CD Sunday Plus card for 2022 is a birthday card for one of my Great Nephews - Arlo.  I remember that I started off last year with a card for the same nephew.  Last time it was a spaceship and this time it is a puffer train.

 

The image - which I have decoupaged -  comes from the La Pashe Big One CD  - Volume 1 - Remember When?

This has made a 6" x 8" (almost) card and I love these big and bold images.  They make such great cards for little ones.

Now that Arlo has a new younger brother (there are now three little terrors) I will have to find some  more and different images for future cards. I am sure that I will find something on La Pashe.

So a latish Happy New Year from me and I look forward to your visits chez-moi.

Carol

xx
                           

ATC Swop UK

I haven't posted my entries for this swop for a wee while.

Here is the latest that are going in the post tomorrow for the December 2021 to January 2022 swop themed -  'Festivals'. They will be shown beautifully by the organisers,  who do always do a fabulous job displaying them all.

I am sorry that these are all single layer ATCs. The wrist problems are making any crafting painful so I am doing what I can.

Here are ones I made for earlier swops - starting with swop no: 69

69. The Colour Yellow

70. 'J' is for....

71. Black and White and one colour

72. Olympics

73. 'K' is for .....

74. Poppies

CFK for the UKSN

The coded heading stands for:

Card for Kindness for the United Kingdom Stampers Network.

Here is my card that I made for a fellow member of our club.  I have mentioned before that the members are monthly each given a name with whom to swap a Card for Kindness

Because of my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome I am - at the moment - using my graphic CDs and programmes more than usual in my card making.  Even typing this today is a problem as my whole arm and hand is tingling like crazy.

Here is the card together with a matching calendar.

I don't find it onerous to be making cards this way as I love all the Card Hut CDs and programmes. 

I just feel bad that I haven't managed to fulfill my commenting duties for CD Sunday Plus.  I can manage occasionally but not all the time.  With the major problems that the NHS is facing it will be many many months before I can get treatment for the Carpal Tunnel. I will just have to be patient.

In the meantime may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a good safe New Year.

Positively the last Christmas cards for 2021

Some of you may have picked up from some of my postings that I am a member of the UK Stampers Network.  This lovely group are primarily about all things stamping but they do have certain internal little groups that you can get involved in and not use stamps - like the ATC group .  They also do craft retreats and on one of these they learned some card shapes - one of which was a 3 point card.   It was talked about on the blog and I loved what they had done.  I am known amongst some of my friends as an 'any shape as long as it is square' kind of crafter but I did like the cards they showed me.  So I had a go and here are my last two Christmas cards for 2021.   I love them and plan to use the shape more often when I am making my 2022 Christmas cards.

Now the blue one was my 1st go and I still have that one but the second is in an envelope ready for the postbox.

For them both I used backing paper from stash.  The images are die cuts.  The meeces are from Carnation Crafts and the Santa is from Tattered Lace.  The sentiments were cut with dies I have had for ages.

Admittedly I made the basis of the cards  some time ago (September) but with help of the new pain medication from my GP to help with the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome I managed to complete the red one yesterday but only because I had already cut out the images and they were safe and ready in my die cut stash.

I think I like the shape more each time I look at them.

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Carol

xx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge - #75 - Anything Goes hosted by Moi.

This is the last challenge for CD Sunday Plus until after Christmas and the New year.

I have saved one of the Christmas cards I made with the new Tattered Lace dies and charisma sets - Christmas Tidings - that I bought a little while ago.  I showed you one that I had made (here) and this is the second I kept under wraps until now.

Out of the two I made at the time I think this is my favourite.  I found the background on the net but couldn't find to whom to attribute it to.  Who ever it was - thank you - and I only used a very little.

I love finding images to use that say Happy Christmas without always having to add the  words - and I think this is one of those.

So for the card I used the aforementioned background over which I placed the bauble made using the die cut charisma in two embossed layers,  over the extra bauble die cut,   and then a die cut bow.

As always I look forward to browsing through the entries we receive.  I am still hors de combat with the carpal tunnel syndrome and will do my best to get back to commentating asap.

This won't be my last post before Christmas but it is not too early to wish all a very happy festive season.

Carol

xx

CD Sunday Plus Challenge - #74

I have a special card to share for this challenge.  During this month my beloved Granddaughter - Ellie - celebrated her 18th birthday.  Ellie was named after my own mother - Eleanor.

It certainly doesn't feel like 18 years ago that we welcomed her into the world - but it was.

This is the card I made especially for her:

This was created using a Card Hut CD -  'In the Doghouse'.  The poem was written by the CD artist Mark Bardsley, and is in his illustrated book 'Dogs' of which I have a signed copy. 

Ellie has a wonderful Cockerpoo named Alfie.  Here he is sitting on the arm of my sofa.  He was waiting for Chris to come home and here he could see out of the window.:

Alfie comes to stay with us occasionally.  He adores my son Chris and will follow him everywhere.  They look like a comedy duo as Alfie is barely 18" tall and Chris is 6' 2".

Ellie didn't have a big celebration because of Covid but we did have a family tea and get together and Grandma was asked to make a couple of cakes. 

Here is one of the cakes - I was asked to make two and they were exactly the same.

All this happened last Tuesday and we did have a lovely time - as special as it could have been.

I have been told since that both the cakes have been consumed and not a crumb left.   Alfie, I am told, was not pleased.

Carol

xx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #73 - hosted by Margaret - 'Anything Goes' (as long as Rule 3 has been obeyed)

 This is the card I have made for Challenge #73:

I went to La Pashe again for the image for this card.    From 'The Best of La Pashe - 2012' - Disc 2 -  Decoupage plus -  'On Manoeuvres'.  The tank and soldiers are decoupaged. The cacti  were found on the internet - downloaded and cut out and attached with sticky pads.  The two background mats were die cut using Carnation Crafts 'Shabby' dies.

This is for my son-in-law who has a birthday in November. He has many hobbies and is a very talented builder of models.  All working ones - like helicopters that fly and tanks that manoeuvre.

I just now have to find out - via my daughter - what little something he needs for the next model.

I look forward to visiting the entries to the new challenge.  In the meantime please be careful out there.

Carol xx

Christmas is coming.

 There isn't much serious crafting I can do at the moment with my right wrist in a splint but I have been able to do some very gentle craft work for a little while with the splint off.  Only in little spurts - I promise.

A while ago I bought some kits to make tiny Angel and glass bauble hanging ornaments to make up.  I went a bit mad with the Angel kits and bought 5 kits (10 in each) in Poppy, Ivy, Honeysuckle, Heather and Harebell.

The Angels came from here  and the glass baubles came from Amazon.

Then on Amazon I found some small Pre-lit little trees to use as table centres or coffee table displays.  So I bought some of those to display my new Angels and baubles.  Here is a photo of the first one I have made.  Still to be played with a bit more.

The little trees are beautifully made and as I have so many Angels and baubles I have bought several and intend to give them as Christmas gifts.  I even found Christmas Ted  to be in the photo.

Carol

xxx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #72 - hosted by Jo

 As always the challenge is Anything Goes as long as Rule 3 has been followed - see here in the sidebar.

For my DT card for this challenge I am presenting a card I made for my lovely nephew on his recent 43rd birthday.  He has been an Arsenal supporter since he really knew that there was such a thing as football.  We sometimes tease and embarass him by reminding him that when he was very little he used put on the kit when he was watching matches on the box.  I read this out to my son Chris  - his cousin - who commented  that it wasn't much fun being an Arsenal fan at the moment.  Much better to support his team - Liverpool. 

I don't understand the game - I was a golfer!

It all came from the La Pashe CD -  'Big One' Disc 2.  From the Football Birthdays folder.    It took a bit of fiddling and adjustments to get the 'strip' right before I decoupaged it.  It must be OK though as I haven't heard any complaints.

The red and white mats were cut using Carnation Crafts dies and I used the small centre oblong from one of the sets to make the sentiment.

As always I look forward to visiting many blogs.

Hugs

Carol xx 

A Halloween special

I  have received a fabulous and unexpected Halloween card from my friend and fellow CD Sunday Plus  teamie  - Pamela.  It is wonderful and I wanted to show it off.  Thank you Pamela. xx

More for Christmas 2021

Because at CD Sunday Plus we now accept cards and projects made using digital stamps and images I have become much more aware of what - in the digital world -  is out there and available to purchase.

When I see a new to me site mentioned as a source used in an entry I go off to investigate.  Such a site I found the other day - HettyClare.  I have added the site - with a link -  to my side bar.

I purchased a few images and one in particular was a Christmas one.  I have made three cards using the purchased image.  I used a background from MCS and my graphics programme, ACDSee, to add the borders and text.  I really do not know what I would do without ACDSee.  Here are the three.

Later I might add  a little glitter or even some enamel type colouring to the fairy lights.  I try to make all my Christmas cards different but I do choose one each year to be my go to one in case I have not made enough.  I like this one so it may well be the one I choose.

I am so glad that my cards for the rest of the year are now complete - touching wood - as I am suffering a recurrence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in my right hand.  I had cortisone injection back in 2017 and was fine but it seems to be back.  Now I will start the long process of trying to get treatment.  Unlikely but we will see.

Hugs

Carol

 xx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #71 - hosted by Pamela

As always the CD Sunday Plus Challenges are anything goes as long as the challenge rules are followed - which you can find here.

Sadly my card for this challenge is a Sympathy card.  In these uncertain times we are making more of these than we like or would wish.

I made this card for a friend on the forum that I talked about, back in Challenge #70.  I had found the image of the Forget-me-nots sometime ago - as a download - and I think they are the perfect flower for such a card.   They have always been one of my favourite flowers with which to craft.  The Victorians used them a great deal.  I have a Kaleidoscope CD and it is this that I used to make the card.  I entered the image into the CD graphics programme and 'played' until I created the image that I wanted to use.  Here is the card:

The little square centrepiece shows the original image and the rest of the card is the kaleidoscope.  I added the border with my ACDSee programme and then some toning crystal gems.

I look forward - as always - to visiting your blogs and admiring the wonderful creations.  Aren't we lucky to be crafters at such a time?  Keeping us busy and sane.  Certainly the first but not sure about the second.

Hugs, Carol

xx

Halloween

I have dipped my toe into the world of Halloween card making.  It is not a 'festival' that I have ever really been interested in except that I have always enjoyed making Halloween ATCs.  So I joined a group of Halloween card swappers and set to with - I must admit - enthusiasm.  I enjoyed every minute and am quite pleased with the results.  I am now going to bore you with them all.

The scene came from ?  The ghosts and sentiments are a download purchase from Jans Digi Stamps. The book and candle are from Tattered Lace.

 

The crypt scene is from Tattered Lace, as is the cauldron. The others are cut using dies that I have had for ages.   May be from Tattered Lace.

The scene is a Tattered Lace background. The gravestone is also from Tattered Lace. The ghosts and 'Boos' are from dies I have had for some time and the tree is a download from Jans Digi Stamps.

The ghosts and cats are cut using  dies from stash and the rest are downloads from Beccys Place.

The scene is from ?.  I have added the sentiment using my graphics programme.

Another background from Tattered Lace. The die-cuts made using dies from stash.

Background from stash. The window, spider and web are all peel offs. The ghost is from Tattered Lace and the black cat.pumpkins  and sentiment are cut with a dies from stash.

Tattered Lace background. All the die-cuts used dies from stash.

All this was made using a pyramage from an Ooh La La CD called 'Faithful Friends'

  I have mentioned everything I used  under the appropriate image.  I used my graphics programme (ACDSee) for any borders and for adding my name to each image.  The font- in case you are interested is - chiller.  Looks good in red -  doesn't it?                                 

I am looking forward to receiving my swaps for this first venture into 'Halloween'.

Carol

xx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #70 - hosted by Carol (me)

 I belong to a craft forum and have done so since it's inception back in 2006.  It has got smaller over the years but there are still a hard core of us who still chat about crafts, card making and all sorts of other things.  We have even been known to have meets and visit each others houses.  We have become firm friends over the years.   Amongst other things  I have visited and stayed a few times with a friend in Northumberland.  Had meetings in Cardiff.   Been to Cambridge and  Essex and organised quite a few meets at Wisley (Royal Horticultural Gardens) and Covent Garden - and had a few come stay with me.

All these lovely people I have met through the forum and I am delighted to say that they include fellow CD Sunday Plus teamies Pamela and Jocelyn.

My card today is a birthday card for one of those friends. It is her birthday today.  Sadly I have never met Yvonne but over the years I feel I have got to know her.  I know she makes lovely cards and I hope she likes mine when she opens it. 

The card is from one of  The Card Hut CDs  -  'A Burst of Celebrations'  and I used my graphics   programme - ACDSee  for the borders and Yvonne's name.

I look forward to some more blog hopping.  In the meantime please stay safe.

P.S. Two of these lovely friends I have met through the forum are coming to visit me tomorrow and Tuesday.  I am so looking forward to their visit. 

Carol

xx

CD Sunday Challenge #69 - hosted by Jocelyn

As always the CD Sunday Plus Challenges are anything goes as long as the challenge rules are followed - which you can find here.

This is my card for this challenge:

Now I have made a very very similar card before and shown it on here.  There seems to be a thing about camper vans.  Actually I think this is the 4th time I have used this image as the base of a card.

This was a special request from my DIL for her to give to her neice at her wedding.   My granddaughter Ellie was one of the bridesmaids.  As the other wedding card  was for the same family my DIL was very familiar with it and wanted one as like it as possible - with one or two tweaks.  The wedding itself was to take place on a cliff top but that I couldn't do so the beach it had to be. The groom was in the army and a Scot.  I couldn't find a suitable groom in a kilt so we settled for tartan bows and sentiment.  The wedding colours were green and navy.  This time I managed to hide the extra face between the bride and the chaplain.  The date of the wedding was on the number plate.  Last time it was the name of the camper van.

I was quite surprised that I enjoyed making it all again - well almost.  I am blowing my own trumpet I know but I was told that the happy couple want to frame the card.

So if you need a wedding card and have a camper van - I am your gal.

Carol xx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #68 - hosted by Margaret

Here is my 'make' for this new challenge.   It can be used as a Birthday card or perhaps a Get Well card.   In fact - on reflection - for almost any greeting.

This is made using the 'Vibrance' die set and vignette (download) from Carnation Crafts together with background dies from the 'Equinox' blooms collection - again from Carnation Crafts.   The dies for the little sentiment tags are also with the background set. This was all done using glossy photo paper.

There are at least another 4 colourways for the flowers and several background colours with the Equinox Blooms so many more combinations can be made.

I hope all are well and still being careful.  I don't think that we can relax yet.

Hugs

Carol

xx

Another for the Christmas box

This time I have made a 7" x 7" card.   I needed the space to get everything on.  I have used all Carnation Craft goodies, for this one except for one sheet of backing paper:

It took me quite a while to design and stick.  A slightly new style for me but I enjoyed the playing around.

The gold and cream backing sheets were printed from Carnation Craft (lets call them CC for short) and Tattered Lace (TL). The gold comes from 'Illuminating' (TL) and the cream from 'Christmas Time'  (CC) - which is also where the circles and centres come from.  The Christmas Roses, Sherry and glasses are from CC Christmas Accessories.  I chose to use a sentiment die that I have had for some time.  Where from I disremember.

There are three circles in the Christmas Time collection and I have made up the other two but haven't decided how to present them yet.

I hope you are all well into your Christmas Card making.  This makes my no: 52.

Carol

xx

Christmas 2021

Back in February this year I made a Christmas card for a CD Sunday Plus Challenge - here.

At the time I said that I would probably make some more as I enjoyed making them, and the 'look'.

Well, I have made another 3 with just a tiny difference on each.

 

I still think that the charisma for the stag is fantastic.  There are another two decoupage layers that could be used but I prefer the single layer on this occasion.

Happy Christmas!

Carol

xx

Christmas 2021

I think this is possibly Christmas card no: 48.  For this I have used a new to me  collection  by Tattered Lace called 'Christmas Tidings'.  There are six die sets in the collection - each comes with  two outer rings and the image die. The Charisma image is in a download as usual and, I believe, on a USB.  To make it look like a bauble with a hanger you have to buy another die from the same set - The Festive Bauble.

I have made a couple so far and but am only going to show one of the two at the moment.

I found the background from somewhere and cropped it and added a couple of toning borders with my graphics programme.

Here is a picture of the die that I used for this card.

 

These dies and images do make lovely cards and am now off to make some more.  I will show you these later.    It is just the first one I cannot show you as I have made it for CD Sunday Plus and 'rules is rules'.

Hugs

Carol

xx

CD Sunday Plus - Challenge #67 - hosted by Jo

 As always our challenges are Anything Goes as long as our Rule 3 has been followed - here

For this challenge I have made a card for one of my cousins who lives in France.  His birthday is this month so it is already winging its way.

I used Carnation Crafts Shabby (rectangular) dies for the two backgrounds and then the 'Naughty but Mice' dies and vignettes.

It is obviously a very simple card but I enjoyed the overall effect.  Have you guessed his name yet?

I look forward to plenty more blog hopping.

Carol

xx

 

Another Christmas Wreath but different hues

 I haven't added any Christmas wording yet.  I haven't decided what to say or where to say it.  I have though added a little glitter to the centre of the Christmas roses.

As before I used the Carnation Crafts 'Christmas Wreath' maker but with a different selection of colours.  I also used less items than with the first wreath.

Hope all are well.

Carol

xx