Phoenix Inspirations

.......... I hope I'm not being a killjoy but - I hate the snow. I was supposed to be going to see my Dad - he is in hospital this week but with the present conditions and the forecast - I don't think that's going to happen. Also this Saturday is the Christmas Fair - I have worked quite hard to make loads of stuff for this so I'll be very disappointed if it doesn't come off. Plus - and this is the worst - the snow has knocked out our Freeveiw box and I can't watch Neighbours. Somebody please tell me if Donna gets to Ringo's funeral on time!! OK - sad, ranting lady has now finished and I will now calmly show some mini calendars I have made. Really quick and simple to make - These have been made using Stampin' Up 'Elegant Soiree' DSP and the Boho Blossoms punch and they are just offcuts of chipboard, covered and decorated with a bit of Very Vanilla ribbon for hanging. Will leave you now with a pic of the view from our house across the valley Se...

A very long time ago I came across a blog with these delightful little post it note holders, click here  to go and see them. I downloaded the instructions - and must have forgotten them because when taking a tour around some files I found them again! I didn't make mine exactly the same - I didn't add the holder for the paperclips. I thought that they would make cute little stocking fillers. As you can see I have used the very versatile 2 Step Bird Punch and also the Scallop Edge Punch and they are so easy to make, Jo has made her instructions very easy to understand. So - only 27 more days left to the big day - is anyone excited yet? I bought some tree lights today only to get them home and find that they don't work... doh! Bye for now - Jacqueline xx.

Hello again folks. Today's effort is not a card and I hope I am giving some inspiration to the Ladies of my craft group by posting this. At the last workshop I set the last challenge of the year which was to make something but not a card. This is a calendar with a notebook and it even has a place to keep your pen. This is made from an off cut of chipboard covered with some of the new Stampin' Up DSP - Elegant Soiree. The note book is one I had bought intending to cover but it all went a bit wrong and the cover came off completely (nearly threw it through the window actually!!) anyway it looks much better now. I stuck a little more of the paper over it so that the pages didn't fall off and I stamped the first page with a stamp from Just Believe. The pen holder is again a piece of the DSP wrapped around the pen and glued securely under the note book. I printed off the calender page, cut it up and fixed that on with brads and then used some jumbo eyelets to attach the ribbon...

And I found some! I had a trawl last night through some past Stampin' Up catalogues - well they do call them idea books too - and saw a lovely card using Lovely as a Tree. It's a very close copy but I added a couple of extras - more stamping, ribbon and a different sentiment (from Just Believe). The colours that I used are More Mustard, Old Olive, Really Rust and Chocolate Chip. So that's this morning taken care of. I need to go and get a coffee now - it's so cold in my craft room this morning and my fingers are going numb! See you soon - Jacqueline xx.  

It really is getting close to Christmas now and as I have a stand at the Village Christmas Fair I am working hard to fill my table with lots of Christmas goodies. So with that in mind today I have made a card to add to the pile. I followed a sketch for this card but rotated it counter clockwise . Recipe 5" x 5" cream card blank Card stock - Stampin' Up - Handsome Hunter, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip & Very Vanilla. Ink - Stampin' Up - Handsome Hunter. Stamps - Hero Arts - Happy Holidays Trees & Stampin' Up - Lovely as a Tree. Stampin' Up - Scallop Edge Punch Glitter & adhesive stones. This card will be entered into the following challenges: Sketch Saturday  - Sketch (see above). Die Cut Dreams Christmas Club  - Christmas Anything Goes. Craft Your Days Away  - Christmas Trees. Thanks for looking - Jacqueline xx.

Brrrrrrrrrrr - it's cold out there. Just been to do the weekly shop and can't see a thing it's so foggy. I live next to a cider orchard and the boys have been picking the apples with their huge tractors. Those massive wheels have really churned up the field and everywhere is a sea of mud - not a good start to the day. However here is a card to hopefully cheer you up This is using one of my favourite Stampin' Up colours - sadly now retired - Brocade Blue. I used the Simply Said stamp set along with the tiny flower from Flight of the Butterfly. It is all the same ink although I stamped the image two or three times before re-inking to get differing tones. The main card is Very Vanilla and I have also used a small piece of Crumb Cake (mmmmmm cake). For a finishing touch I added some tiny blue sparklies to the centres of the flowers. I am off now to scrape 3" of mud from my shoes and the kitchen floor! See you soon - Jacqueline xx.

Well, we all had a good night last night making our Pop-Up Christmas cards. Most made tree scenes as I had done except one lady who made a lovely card with pop-up snowflakes - very effective. The Christmas Card and matching Gift Tag competition prize went to Louise - she made a lovely card and tag in traditional red and green and had added robins made with the 2 Step Bird Punch. The card I made was using another Hero Arts stamp - Happy Holiday Trees. I used Baja Breeze card stock and ink (Stampin' Up), and some sparkly glitter. Here's what it looks like inside - The sentiment is from the Wondrous Gift stamp set and the little twiggy thingy is from Lovely as a Tree. Now, some say ................... it's only FIVE weeks to Christmas!! Yikes how did that happen? I've only got two weeks left to prepare for the big Christmas Fair in the village. I think I'm going to very busy in the next few days! - See you soon - Jacqueline xx.