Taking it easy

There is a strange mix in the themes of recent challenges with Christmas in July sitting happily beside summer fun. The progressive freebie image from From the Heart is of Birdbrain relaxing in a swimming ring with something nice to drink.

Materials used:
Inner Tube Birdbrain
Fancy labels die set
Copic pens
A5 white card blank
dark red and green card
X-press it blending card
black peel off greeting

Method:
I printed out the image and coloured it with the pens then matted and layered it onto red and green card die cut with the labels die. I attached my topper to the card base and added the peel off greeting.

I am trying to finish all the progressive challenges for this month in the next few days before we go off on holiday for a couple of weeks. At the same time I am attempting to sort out and down size my craft room in the on going preparations for when my husband retires next year and we have to vacate the spacious vicarage and return to our little cottage. Being ruthless and getting rid of things that have not been used for ages is quite hard but very therapeutic. Earlier in the year I took a box of crafting items to a craft retreat and managed to pass a lot on to loving homes and raise some money for the British Heart Foundation at the same time. The intention is to repeat the process next year so the gathering together is going to be an on going process.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter my card into:
From the Heart Progressive Challenge - July

End of the School Year

It's been a long year but we made it! An emotional end this time because after 14 years in Reception I am on the move to work with the older children from September. It's not a choice I would have made for myself but recent health issues have meant it is better for the school if I am in a less active place.

I usually give the children a little gift at the end of the summer term and this year I decided to make a bookmarker each for them all. So I made 14, 7 for the boys and 7 for the girls and put their names on the back.

The Path of Positivity challenge this time around has the theme of 'Sharing'. I have been thinking about what to do for a while, the problem was not lack of ideas but having too many. When I decided to make the bookmarkers I knew that had to be my entry for POP. One of the joys of working in Reception is being able to share a love of books with them. When they first come into school we do not give them a reading book but allow them to choose one from the class to take home and 'share' with mummy or daddy. In fact most of the time we talk about sharing books rather than reading a story.

Because of health problems I had when I was born I spent a lot of time alone and unable to go outside to play so I learned to read very young and have been the stereotypical bookworm ever since. While I was a guide I even ran a library for the village children. I trained as a librarian but life's circumstances took me into working in schools.

So next year will be different with new challenges but I hope there will still be opportunities to share a love of books with the older children along the way.

Materials used:
Deedee's Digis set - Little Readers
Clarity Stamps - Letter Box Kit
Stamping card
Copic pens
Archival Black ink pad



Method:
I printed out the images and wording using a template on Word so that I could fit two bookmarkers to an A4 sheet of card. I used the Copics to colour the images in then cut them apart and scored the fold line. I then used the letterbox kit to write the children's names on the backof the bookmarkers. Finally I folded them in halves and glued them down.



It took a while to do the colouring and the stamping but I think it was worth it. I hope the children like them and that they are encouraged to use them in the ongoing discovery of books.

Thanks for sticking it out with my ramblings today. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter my card into:
The Path of Positivity Challenge #28 - Sharing
Anything But a Card Challenges No. 49 "Anything Goes"
Ike's World Challenges #42 - Anything but a Square
Through the Craftroom Door - Anything goes
Word Art Wednesday: Challenge #192

Catch the Bug #7

Well I made it, the last challenge! It's Freebie Friday with a present, you pick a present and add the elements in it. There was some issue with the image not coming up as a freebie on the website so the deadline has been extended for 24 hours, every cloud has a silver lining!

Materials used:
Bugaboo Digi Stamp - Rudolph-Rudolph
Docrafts Christmas greetings stamp
black archival ink pad
Copic pens
Papermania Christmas DP - 3 designs
gold trim cream ribbon
gold brads
eyelet
A5 white card blank
stamping card

Method:
I printed out my image and coloured it with Copics. I cut a large tag shape from white card and covered it with designer paper before setting an eyelet in it at the top. I matted and layered Rudolph onto another design of paper having run a black pen around the edges of both. I attached a strip of the third paper to the left side of the card blank and covered the join with a length of ribbon and added a small piece of the same ribbon to the tag. I set a brad in both left hand side corners and stamped the Christmas greeting in the top right corner of the card. Finally I attached my tag using 3d foam pads.

I really enjoyed the challenge of trying to get 7 projects made in just a week but feel I may need a little rest now! Apart from everything else my study is in need of a good clear up with the remains of the crafting frenzy scattered everywhere and my end of school year clear out from school dumped in the corner waiting to be sorted ready for September. I also have a little collection of lovely goodies to enjoy from the children I have taught over the past year- some of which look very yummy!

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter my card into:
Catch the Bug CIJ – Friday – Freebie Friday/Pick a Present!
Morgans Artworld Challenge #3 Christmas in July
Week 29 -Crafting Challenge at Polkadoodles - 2 or more Patterned Papers

Catch the Bug #6

Almost there! The sixth challenge in the series is Oldie but Goody with a photo inspiration. Being a new comer to Catch the bug challenges I am not certain what an oldie but goodie is, but I do recognise a snowman when I see one! Having made cards up to now I decided to go with something a bit different and made a gift tag. I hope the image I chose is an oldie, it is certainly a goodie.

Materials used:
Bugaboo stamps - Snowman Block
white stamping card
Copic pens
silver metallic pen
Wink of Stella - clear
snippet of green Christmas ribbon
silver eylet

Method:
I printed out two copies of the image and coloured them in with the Copics and the silver pen. I added the Wink of Stella to the silver frame for a little more sparkle. I fussy cut one whole image and just the snowman from the other image. The whole image was glued to some thicker white card and cut out with a small border around it. I put a silver eyelet in the top and threaded through some green ribbon. Finally I attached the second snowman over the top with 3d foam pads.

So six down and one to go. I think I may just make it if the time difference works in my favour! I always get so confused about what the different time zones are compared to the Uk but I think I still have until tomorrow mid-day to finish the last one. As it is getting late here now I may not manage to start it until the morning so it is going to be tight timing. Still I am going to give it a shot, fingers crossed!

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter my tag into:
Catch the Bug CIJ – Thursday – Photo Challenge
Pennys challenge 236 - Anything goes
Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #28: Christmas in July
Morgan's Artworld Challenge #3 Christmas in July

Catch the Bug #5

The race is on! Will I manage all the challenges before it closes I wonder. Here is number 5 with the theme Humour me Wednesday and bingo added in.

Maerials used:
Bugaboo Stamps - Snowball penguins
Fancy labels die set
White enamel accents
Copic pens
Let it snow . . . acrylic stamp
snowflake background paper
A5 white card blank
stamping card

Method:
I printed out my image and coloured it in with the Copics before cutting it with the die. I cut a mat from the snowflake paper with a slightly larger die. From the scrap left over I used the acrylic greeting stamp and made a matted banner. I layered up my elements and attached them to the front of the card. Finally I added white enamel accents to the round snow dots in the sky on the image.

So confession time, I made my card and then realised I had completely forgotten about the bingo part of the challenge. Fortunately all was not lost because the central diagonal line had two elements I had used - a Bugaboo Image and Snowflakes (on the backing paper) so I just needed to think of something to fulfil the players choice, good old enamel accents to the rescue. I just hope it counts!

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa
I would like to enter my card into:
Catch the Bug CIJ – Wednesday- Humor Me Wednesday/Bingo

Catch the Bug #4

Back again with my fourth card, still got some catching up to do and not sure I will be able to do all of them before the deadline. This time there is a recipe to follow: 3 embellishments, 2 designer papers, 1 ribbon/twine.

Materials used:
Bugaboo Stamps - Christmas 25
Copic pens
2 scraps of designer paper from stash
sheet of Christmas tartan card
tartan ribbon from stash
black candi
silver metal snowflake
Happy Christmas stamp
black archival ink pad
A5 white card blank
circle dies
Cosmic Shimmer Diamond Sprinkles

Method:
I printed out my image, coloured it in with the Copics and cut it with a circle die. I also cut two pieces of designer paper with larger dies and stuck them together offsetting them. I cut the corners off the card blank to make it into a giant tag shape and covered the front with the patterned card. I attached a length of ribbon around the card front and attached my topper on top. I attached the snowflake with it's brad and the black candi. Finally I stamped my greeting at the bottom of the card.

The eagle-eyed among you will have no doubt noticed the error in that I cannot count and ended up with 4 embellishments. By the time I noticed it was too late to alter it and too late to start again so I hope it does not disqualify it from entry. Fingers crossed! The card can actually be used as a greetings card or as a tag for a very large present.

Thank you for visiting. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter my card into:
Catch the Bug CIJ – Tuesday – Recipe Challenge!
Addicted to stamps Challenge #153 - Holiday
Inspiration Destination Anything Goes Challenge No. 42
The Paper Shelter Challenge 212 - Use some circles