My fav 5 of 2011 and Happy New Year!

Hello everyone, hope you are all fit and well. Can't believe we're at the end of 2011 already......doesn't time fly when you're crafting? Here's wishing each and every one of you a FAB New Year! I've only been blogging since August and can't believe how many wonderful people I've already met. A big thank you for all your lovely comments, too, it's so encouraging and I love reading each one. I love visiting your blogs and am inspired every day. I'm so looking forward to continuing on my crafting journey with you all. So, I thought it would be a fitting end to 2011 to enter in Debbie's Favourite 5 of 2011 - choose your fav 5, post them then link up on Debbie's blog - you get the chance to win some fab candy but even better, you can check out everyone else's fav 5!! Here's my cards...well, 5 cards, a set of ATC's and a tag!
Love Jo xx

I love easel cards - this one was made for my Son's 15th Birthday!

Couldn't resist using this adorable Tilda again!

Another easel card - for a friend's Daughter - just knew she'd love the cheeky sentiment -

Baby's due in April!

1st Christmas for one of my son's with his new Girlfriend...awww!

Won my 1st blog badge with this cutie!

Another 1st - Christmas tag.

My 1st ever ATC - I think I'm addicted lol!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

XX

Blog Hop candy winner

Oooooops!! In all the excitement of Christmas I forgot to draw a winner for the candy on my Craft Your Passion Blog Hop post...............so sorry............but better late than never, eh? Anyway's, everyone who left me a comment had their name put into a bowl and a random name was picked out. The lucky winner is..................Michelle (shells-crafts) and this is what you've won - and a few bits not in pic!

If you email me your details I'll get it in the post to you asap!
Jo x

Handy Hippo Promarker giveaway!

Hi guys! Hope you and yours are all having a lovely time and have eaten and drunk lots!! Just wanted to let you all know there's a fab giveaway from Handy Hippo - check out Jules blog for details - it's too good to miss!!

Enjoy your evening,
Jo x

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Morning friends, hope you all feeling good and not too stressed! Can't believe that after all these months of prep and anticipation it's almost time.........all we need now is some snow.......not too much, though, and the big fella in red will feel right at home!
 So onto my card...... if you're kids are anything like mine there's always one that says "Muuuummm, can you make a card for so and so, please? and i need it now". Yup, that's my boy(s)! Luckily, this fortnight's challenge over at Fairy tale Challenge blog is "easy" so this card fit in perfect for my GDT card - i used 3 papers from Papermania, red card, gems, snowflake punch, and the eskimo was a die cut......i just coloured his suit red and added glitter, the sentiment is computer generated. It was definitely one of the quickest, easiest cards i've ever made and i'm real pleased with it. The challenge runs for 2 weeks and as usual, there some fab inspiration on show, so please do pop over, have a look and join in!
Well, i think this will be my last post for a few days so i'd just like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and lots of love and best wishes for the New Year!
Jo x

entered in:
Show us Christmas at Dis digi designs
Challenge#22 at Dream Valley challenge
Winter/Christmas at Gingerloft challenges

Baby's 1st Christmas and some good news!

Morning everyone, hope you're all well and keeping warm! It's so frosty here and it's freezing cold but still no snow! Are you all ready for the Big Day?Not many sleeps left now..... I'm nearly ready -  all cards are written, just few bits and bobs to wrap, GDT cards done  and ready to post.........So, today's card is for sweet baby Mya......her 1st Christmas.......and isn't this digi just perfect? Image is from Pink Gem designs, coloured with promarkers and matted onto red card. I've used pink polka dot card, white lace, red ribbon, a giant snowflake, stickles, card candy and a few red gems.
Anyway, i said i had some good news...........last week i was honoured to be asked to join 2 design teams - Lexi's Creations and Sparkles Christmas Challenges! How lucky am I? Both terms start in January and i can't wait to join my lovely new teamies!!!! They're both FAB blogs and offer fantastic inspiration - hope to see you there!
Don't forget i have candy on my Craft your Passion blog hop post for anyone who leaves me a comment.
Hope you all have a great day.
Jo x

Challenges i'd like to enter:
Challenge#78 at Tuesday throwdown
Challenge#17 at Divas by Design
Challenge#13 at Little Darlings
Another Christmas challenge at Little red wagon
Christmas at The Sisterhood of crafters
Christmas at 4 crafty chicks
Anything goes at the Glitter Geeks
Kids Christmas at 2 Sisters
Challenge#14 at Hooked on Crafts

Holiday Havoc Blog Hop with Craft Your Passion!

Welcome to Craft Your Passion Challenges "Holiday Havoc 2011" Blog Hop!!

We are very excited about holidays and wanted to add to the chaos and havoc. 

What better way to do that, than to have a BLOG HOP!!!

If you have hopped over from Lizy's, then you are in the right place. If you just happened to stop by and would like to join our hop from the beginning, please go to Craft Your Passion Challenges and follow along for a chance to win some AMAZING blog candy along the way and PRIZES at the end.

All Craft Your Passion DT members are going to be playing along in the hop with some very special guest designers.

Each designer along the way is featuring a project that showcases a digital image from at least one of our amazing Blog Hop Sponsors.

What’s more exciting is you can participate too by creating a project and linking it up over at Craft Your Passion Challenges for a chance to win one of several prizes.

But, there’s a twist. Be sure to visit all the stops and leave a comment (we will be checking). Once you have finished the hop, we would like you to create a HOLIDAY project using at least one digital stamp and enter it with our Linky tool.

While you are hopping, be sure to check out the blog candy the designer's have to offer you. You don't want to miss out on any of it!

For my 1st card i've used Poppi penguin from Bugaboo Digi Stamps........it's a fab image for Christmas and so quick and easy to colour too! 

Items used:

Poppi digi image

red card

Christmas paper

promarkers

button

ribbon

computer generated sentiment

glitter

xx

For my 2nd card i've used the fab Viola Snoots digi from the Forest Friends collection at Stretch n Bubbles.

She's a proper snooty looking madame, isn't she? Here she is in all her Christmas finery just waiting for Santa!!

Items used

Viola Snoots digi image

promarkers

red/green card

handmade flowers

glitter

ribbon

gems

Christmas paper

computer generated sentiment

xx

Don't forget to leave me a comment ............i've got a surprise candy for one lucky winner!!!

 (to be picked at random from anyone who leaves me a comment)

xx

Next stop by Helen's blog, to see what she has in store for you today.

Remember, once you have hopped to all the stops and left your comments (we will be checking), it's your turn to show us your "Holiday Havoc" project.

Make sure to include a digital stamp somewhere on your project, and link up your project over at Craft Your Passion Challenges by Midnight CST December 23 to be eligible for the prizes. Winners will be announced on our Monday, December 26th Challenge post.

Have fun and

Good Luck!!!

xx

challenges:

Red/green at Come and get it - viola snoots

Happy holidays at Lollipop crafts - penguin/viola snoots

Use a digi at One stitch at a time - penguin/viola snoots

Red/green Christmas at Party time Tuesdays - viola snoots

Challenge#16 at Crafting for all seasons - penguin/viola snoots

Challenge#33 at Digistamps4joy - viola snoots

Christmas at the Sisterhood of crafters - penguin/viola snoots

Christmas at 4 crafty chicks - penguin/viola snoots

Christmas at Paper crafting journey - penguin/viola snoots

Christmas at Card making mamas - penguin/viola snoots 

Christmas ATC's

Hello everyone, hope you are all well and keeping warm!! It's proper cold here now, it's blowing a gale and raining although we still haven't had any snow. Wouldn't it be lovely if it snowed on Christmas Eve? It's a magical time of year, isn't it, and for me, snow would be perfect! Oh well, we'll see soon enough lol. Anyway, today i wanted to share the ATC's i've made for Ali's ATC swap stop. I've been taking advice from The Crafty Elf and have visited Poundland where i found these gorgeous chipboard toppers! 6/8 in a pack for £1 - what a bargain!! I've used lime green card and layered on lime green snowflake paper, a piece of ribbon across the middle and then the topper! Oh and some sparkly gems in the middle of the snowflakes! Hope you like them!
Keep crafting,
Jo x

I've entered in the following challenges:
Winter Fun at Wicked Wednesday Atc Challenges
Snowflakes and sparkles at The Pink Elephant

Fairy Tale challenge - GD

Morning everyone, hope you all well. Another grey, miserable day here but at least that dreadful wind has died down............for now! So, it's time for a new challenge over at the Fairy Tale challenge blog and this fortnight the theme is Gift or Gift packaging! Did you see how many entries there were for the last challenge? Hundreds!!! And they were all FAB! Hop on over and have a look at all the fantastic inspiration on show - we all need gifts/boxes/bags at this time of year, don't we? I chose the gift of a candle but i like it so much i'm going to make a matching bag!! It all came together so easy..............for once! Hope you like it! Have a great day.
Jo x
recipe:
vanilla candle - smells delicious!
cream lace
ek success snowflake border punch
poinsettia die
red/brown card
hand made green leaves
computer generated sentiment

i've entered in the following comps:
challenge#68 at 2 sisters
decorate for Christmas at My Sheri crafts
challenge#60 at Lollipop crafts
no cards! at Charisma cardz
challenge#127 at Moving along with the times

Wintercard - Hanna & friends GD

Morning all, hope you are all well and keeping warm. Isn't the wind dreadful? I hate wind, don't you? We've got rain as well, today and it's soooo cold! Anyway, onto today's card and it's another GD card for Hanna & friends. This week the challenge is "Wintercard" and it's running for a week. The prize is a FAB Edwin with heart stamp - mmmm, just in time for Valentine's cards!!! Hop on over and check out the challenge - there's some fab inspiration as always. Hope you enjoy your day and keep warm!

Jo x
P.S. - so sorry i haven't been visiting your blogs this week- my daughter has been poorly and then i've had vertigo...............but starting to feel better now so hoping to catch up with you all by the weekend.

Recipe:

Image - Magnolia Tilda

promarkers/flexmarkers

nestabilities - spellbinders

button - stash

ribbon - stash

snowflake - sizzix die

6 x 6 card blank

blue card - stash

word card - stash

gems - stash

sentiment - computer generated

I've entered the following comps:
challenge#67 at Prairie fairy fridays
anything goes at Just magnolia
challenge#68 at 2 sisters
week 160 at One stop craft
anything Christmas at Come and get it
challenge#5 at Crafty bloggers network
challenge#13 at Hooked on crafts
challenge#120 at Pollycraft
challenge#42 at Celebrate the occasion

Baby, it's cold outside!

Hi everyone, hope you all having a good weekend and keeping warm! It's proper cold here today and we had our first frost yesterday. Can't believe it's 3rd December already - have you all got your shopping done? No, me neither...........i think the best i can hope for this year is to get all pressies bought and wrapped before kiddos break up from school on Dec 16th! Wish me luck! So, today's card is my fav style  - i love easel cards - especially scallop circle ones lol! I've "stickled" all around the circles and glittered the fur on the eskimo's clothes for a bit of extra bling and isn't that snowflake die cut just gorgeous?
Have a great evening.
Jo x

Ingredients:
scallop circle die - sizzix
spotted paper - stash
lotv valley image - stash
promarkers
snowflake die - sizzix
stickles
gems - stash
sentiment - computer generated
snowflake border die cut - gift

Found lots of comps for this card:
challenge#21 at Dream valley
challenge#86 at Craft your passion
anything goes at Crafty Boots
challenge'13 at Hooked on crafts
challenge#95 at Kaboodle doodles
challenge#94 at Ooh la la creations
challenge#120 at Pollycraft
challenge#16 at Divas by Design
challenge#34 at My Mum's craft shop
polka dots at the Sisterhood of crafters
let it snow at Delightful challenges
challenge#85 at Digi Doodles
easel card at Some odd girl
challenge#111 at Crafty catz
christmas at the Poodles parlour
challenge#1 at Simply create too
christmas/winter birthday at Winter wonderland
challenge#68 at 2 sisters
challenge#132 at Allsorts

Go Team!

Morning, everyone and happy 1st December to you all!!!!!!As its Thursday it's time for a new challenge over at Hanna & friends challenge blog and i'm chuffed to say they've invited me to be Guest Designer for December.........thanks, ladies, it means a lot! This week's challenge is a sketch and i loved it! Hope you do too! Why not pop over and have a look - the challenge runs for a week and there's some fab design team creations to give you inspiration. Hope you have a fab day!
Jo x
Ingredients:
stamp - sugar nellie
promarkers/flexmarkers
gems
6 x 6 card blank
patterned paper
card
scalloped border punch



Entered in the following comps:
Anything goes at Paper crafting journey
Punches and dies at Sweet Stampin'
Sugar and spice at Pile it on
Day 273 at 365 cards
Anything goes at Crafty boots
Show some stars at Simon says Stamp
Stars/snowflakes at  the Crazy challenge
Anything goes at Divas by Design
Anything goes at Fab n funky