Christmas Stress Levels?

Good evening all in Blogland and hope that everyone is well and starting to feel the Christmas Spirit?! Sorry for having been AWOL but I could probably do with a slightly stronger spirit as I'm starting to get my usual 'stress-head' and feel like the proverbial plate-spinning act, racing round trying to make sure everything is done or organised. It's my last day at work tomorrow before I finish for nearly two weeks - yippee! So I'm hoping that I will feel a little more relaxed when I can just concentrate on what needs doing at home. But despite all that, I am really looking forward to Christmas, a time to relax (hopefully!) and enjoy spending some time together without all the usual humdrum daily activities and routines!

However, I confess that I won't be sorry to see the back of Christmas cards for a while!  I've had to make a few 'quickie' ones too, as there always seems to be a few that I've missed or forgotten about. I've decided to leave the 'Christmas Card List' out near my crafting next year so that I can hopefully keep a better track on how many I've made and how many more I need to do! Or at least that will be one of the New Year Crafting Resolutions!

But before all that, I just thought I'd share another Christmas card today

I've used a gorgeous little digi stamp that I chose as a prize from Jellypark challenges - isn't he a cute little robin?

I've coloured it with promarkers and added some flowersoft 'snow' and glitter.  The backing papers are from LOTV 'KraftyChristmas' and the sentiment is also from LOTV. I've added some spotty ribbon from Joanna Sheen and a Tonic punched snowflake, and a button from stash. 

Mind you, any robins in my garden today would definitely be on the soggy side with the continual rain we've had lol! 

So, good luck with the last minute Christmas preparations! 

Back soon, 

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

CraftsandMe - WinterWonderland

CreativeBelli - Christmas

DivasByDesign - anything goes

FreshlyBrewed - Christmas

LadybugCrafts - Christmas

Christmas Red & Green

Hello all and hope that you're just about ready for Christmas? I can't believe that it's only a week away and I'm going through my usual psychological melt-down, convinced that I've forgotten things, not done something or overlooked something - but all the while trying to tell myself to calm down, relax, enjoy the season and smile!  Hey ho.  But regardless of my fretting, the rest of the household is starting to get into the Christmas mood - my daughter has finished at uni for her Christmas break, my son finishes school on Friday for 2 weeks and both my husband and I finish work on Friday too - Yippee!  It'll be so nice not to have to wake with the alarm clock and get up in the dark for a while!

Anyway, I've yet another Christmas card to share with you today.  This little cutie is from Wee Stamps 'Heidi'. I've used her before and coloured her with frosty blues, but thought I'd try her with more traditional red and green colours - although I'm still not overly convinced that it works! All honest opinions welcome!

I've coloured her with promarkers and pencils, with a little added stickles and flowersoft 'snow'

As I'm starting to get a bit pushed for time now (to put it mildly!) I just decided to use a simple 6" square gatefold card shape. The holly paper is from Dovecraft and the sentiment stamp is from LOTV. The holly 'button' is from stash. The inside is decorated to match

So quite a simple card really, but I do love these cute images from Sylvia Zet! 

So hope that your Christmas preparations are in full swing!

Back soon, Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Come and get it challenges - anything Christmas

Dream Valley Challenges - Christmas

Joanna Sheen Challenge - with love at Christmas

The Squirrel & the Fox - Christmas

New Beginnings

Good morning - I'm back again with a new challenge over at CraftyCatz and it's our last one for this year.  The challenge blog will be having a short break over Christmas and then we'll be back in the New Year with lots of new challenges!

But for our last challenge for 2012 our lovely Nina has chosen the challenge of 'New Beginnings' - so let's see your creations celebrating something new - New Year, New Baby, etc.!

So I've chosen the theme of 'New Home'

I've used a cute stamp from Chocolate Baroque 'Sunburst Scenes' and coloured it with promarkers

Then I used chalks to create the sky and the green hill! 

The backing papers are coredinations card and some gorgeous 'fabric' paper with the houses print that I've had in my stash for so long I've forgotten where it came from! I printed the sentiment and then used a kraft tag and added a little lace. The mulberry flower is from Wild Orchid. 

Hope you like it! 

So do think about new beginnings and then join us this week at CraftyCatz!

Kim  x

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

CraftsandMeChallenges - no blue

For Fun Challenges - home/house

Bearly Mine - anything goes

CraftyBloggersNetwork - anything goes

PennysPaperCrafty - something new

The red-nosed reindeer!

Good morning - it's Friday and time for a new challenge over at Totally Papercrafts!  This week the lovely Lisa has challenged us with a sketch



and our sponsor this week is DigiStamp Boutique, so I've used one of their images

Now you can't have Christmas without Rudolph can you?  I've used this cute 'Rudolph' from DSB, coloured him with promarkers and added a red pearl for that famous nose! 

The backing papers are from Dovecraft and LOTV, with some coredinations card for matting. The sentiment is from LOTV and the ribbon is from stash. 

So do join us at Totally Papercrafts for our last challenge of 2012 - we'll then be on a short break over Christmas until the New Year and then back with lots of great challenges and fabulous sponsors! 

Back soon ,

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Freshly Brewed - Christmas

The Perfect Sentiment - Christmas

A&T Emerald Fairies - Christmas

Creative Card Crew - star

A frosty day!

Good afternoon from a very cold and frosty corner of the UK! At least the misty/foggy conditions have cleared a bit here, but it's icy cold - although it does make the garden look very festive, with a white coating over everything!  So I just thought I'd share another quick Christmas card with you before I wrap up with hat, scarf, gloves, etc., and head off for a walk through the woods with the dog! We're meeting up with one of my best friends and her dog (which is a HUGE newfoundland dog, about three times bigger than Tilly - but they get on very well!) - but I think we might head to a nearby cafe in the park afterwards for a hot chocolate!

And can I just say a VERY BIG THANK YOU! for all the lovely comments that you've been leaving on my creations! They mean so much. I'm trying to keep up with getting around everyone's blogs, but it's such a hectic time of year I feel as though I'm running to stay in the same place! But I will get round to everyone soon - and a very warm welcome to my new follower too!

So on to today's card

I've used another one of the Whimsy Christmas sentiment digi stamps, and added a few coloured details with promarkers.  The backing papers are from Dovecraft, with a Spellbinders 'floral oval' frame and some poinsettias using a Marianne die

And the inside decorated to match

So quite a simple card, but I think it looks quite nice. And it's good to have a few cards that don't have a 'cute' image on - even though they're great fun to colour! 

Right, I'm off to get the thermals on and the walking boots. 

Back soon,

Kim x 

Yet more Christmas cards!

Good morning! Just a quick post from me today before I head off to work.  I suppose it's the same for most of us, particularly at this time of year, but there seems to be an endless list of things to do and not enough hours in the day to fit them all in!  So this was a quick card I put together, a digi 'sentiment', no colouring - but I was quite pleased with how it turned out so I can see a few more of these being made to finish off the number of 'handmade' cards I need for Christmas (although I confess that I also buy some - unless I started making them in January I don't think I'd manage to make enough!)

I've used a Whimsy digi 'Christmas Sentiment', edged with a little distress ink. The holly paper is from First Edition, with some layered coredinations card punched with a Tonic border punch. I've added a Marianne ivy die cut edged with ink, some gingham ribbon and roses from Wild Orchid. 

and the inside decorated to match. 

Hope you like it!

Well, it's "Hey ho, hey ho, it's off to work I go"!

Back soon, Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Challenges 4 everybody - anything goes

RobynsFetish - Christmas cards

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Good morning all and hope that your weekend has been going well? It's certainly beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our house now as trees and decorations were put up yesterday.  I have to confess that it was probably a bit earlier than I would normally do them, but pressure (i.e. offspring nagging) made me do it!  It does get a bit easier as the kids have got older as they help rather than hinder - most of the time. Although tying gold tinsel round the dog probably doesn't constitute decorating the house (I think she quite liked it though!).  But I now have lots of little glowing white lights and feel ready to tackle the card-writing and present-wrapping.  I do get accused of my Christmas tree looking like a shop display, as I'm very boring (apparently) and only like white lights (and not flashing ones - a certain recipe for a migraine!) and gold baubles. So I weakened this year and allowed some soft glow coloured ones on a tree in the hall - and they do look quite nice! I do like my home to look cosy and festive, with lots of greenery and candles - we just need some snow now to make it look like a film set for performing 'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...' lol!

And thankfully the building work on the bathroom is now finished - and it looks wonderful! It's fantastic to have a shower with a good strong flow and a toilet that flushes properly first time! It's quite sad really how excited a middle aged woman can get over bathroom fittings.....

Anyway, just thought I'd share a bit of cross stitch with you today. I've been busy making a last few Christmas cards as well, and will try and get some decent photos today if the light is a bit better.

This little hanger was made with a chart from Lizzie Kate. I stitched it onto gold-flecked aida fabric and added a few gold beads. I just liked the simplicity of this one, and the 'rustic' charm (although most of my cross stitch offerings have a touch of the 'rustic' about them - probably to do with dog & cat hairs!). 

And this little hanger was from a pattern in an old American cross stitch magazine

I stitched this onto ivory aida - and again, can't resist adding some beads!  I was a bit disappointed though, as it's supposed to be a heart shape, but due to my dodgy stitching up and stuffing technique, it's looking like a bit of a wonky heart! Sigh. 

Anyway, I'll be back soon with yet more Christmas cards - and much as I love Christmas, it'll be quite nice when I've finished these not to have to make any more for a while! 

Enjoy the rest of your day, 

Kim x 

I'm entering these hangers into the following challenges:-

Emergency Crafters - deck the halls

Fussyand Fancy - I love Christmas

CraftUsCrazy - Christmas/Winter