Phoenix Inspirations

We are Picking a Previous..... today at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  and the theme is a Previous Colour. I didn't delve too far back but went for this traditional colour palette from back in July I decided to have fun with this and dug out a couple of retired sets - take a look Materials - Stampin' Up Stamps: Bells and Boughs, Pines and Poinsettias (Both retired) Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Early Espresso Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler Accessories: Floral Frames (To order any of the above current items or items from the Annual Catalogue please e-mail me on deezinesart@icloud.com - a catalogue pdf can be found in the side bar along with the NEW SPRING/SUMMER MINI. Items can be delivered direct to you - just £4.95 p+p any size order. Also see the special offers above in the top tabs - thanks). You can also shop now directly from my Stampin' Up website - click  HERE  to take a look. Have a great weekend xx

Hello - it's Saturday and that means another Christmas challenge over on the  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  and this week Patricia would like to see some stitching on our cards - real or faux Here is my card Needles and thread are hard to find in my house so I went with the faux stitching! I drew the stitches on with a fine end of a marker pen. Materials - Stampin' Up Stamps: Delightful Dozen, Pines and Poinsettias (retired) Ink: Early Espresso, Chery Cobbler, Always Artichoke Card Stock:Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke, Naturals Ivory Accessories: Big Shot, Window Framelits (To order any of the above current items or items from the Annual Catalogue please e-mail me on deezinesart@gmail.com - a catalogue pdf can be found in the side bar. Items can be delivered direct to you - just £4.95 p+p any size order. Also see the special offers above in the top tabs - thanks). Please don't forget to pop over and see what the other DT ladies...

I think the heat is getting to me a little as I was not feeling too good yesterday. Too ill to craft even!!! So my post for the  52 {Christmas} Card Challenge  is late - sorry! The challenge this week is to use these fabulous colours Now we do have some very strict rules when it comes to our colour challenges so please do check them out before you link up - of course we would never delete a card from our challenge but if you would like to be considered for an Honorable Mention (and who wouldn't?) you must follow the rules. Ok - enough talk - here is my card This is my favourite style of card - I love squares and repeating patterns so much! My ribbon is seam binding and I applied my double sided tape to the card first and then ruffled my ribbon as I went along - love this effect too. Materials - Stampin' Up Stamps: Pines & Poinsettias Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Always Artichoke Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Cherry Cob...

It's time for another challenge over on the  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  and this week Danielle has chosen the theme of Hearts and/or Love Here is my card All items are Stampin' Up Stamps: Pines and Poinsettias (retired), Come to Bethlehem Ink: Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler Card Stock: Whisper White Paper: Subtles DSP - Old Olive (All current Stampin' Up items from the Annual catalogue or Spring/Summer Mini can be ordered through me and delivered direct to you door - please see the details in the top tabs - thanks). Please don't forget to pop over to the blog and see all the LOVEly work created by the DT and leave them some HEARTfelt comments!! See you soon - Jacqueline xx

That's right folks - it's Saturday and time for a new challenge at  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  and this month Danielle is choosing our challenges. This week it's Sketch week - take a look For my card this week I have used some retired stamps and my Stampin' Write markers Such a lovely set don't you agree? I decorated inside too - take a look Materials Stamps: Pines and Poinsettias (retired), Sassy Salutations Ink: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green, Lucky Limeade - all Stampin' Write Markers Card Stock: Whisper White, Naturals White, Early Espresso Paper: Candlelight Christmas DSP Accessories: Dimensionals (See the tabs at the top of the page for all the details on placing orders and special offers). I'm off now - visiting my Mum and Dad, they are finding it hard sorting and closing granddad's house so I am going to lend a hand. Granddad's ashes are also going to be interred while I'm there but...

Good morning - it's time for another challenge at  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  - it's a new month too and it's my turn to choose the challenges. The first week of the month is always a sketch and here's what I have for today Here is my card Now I thought that I was being very organised when I made this card a few weeks ago, unfortunately this stamp set - Pines and Poinsettias has since been retired from the Stampin' Up catalogue but I do love it - so I thought that you might indulge me and not mind if I used it! I used markers to colour my stamps and Chocolate Chip ink to sponge around all my edges.  Please do pop over and take a look at the rest of the dt's amazing work - we have a fabulous Guest Designer this month and she has brought prizes too! See you soon - Jacqueline xx

I should have posted this a while ago but have been dealing with a personal 'thing' for the last 24hrs so I'm sorry if you have visited expecting to find my  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  project for this week. It's a special week as it's week 5 - we don't get many of those and so we have a special challenge reserved for these weeks - take a look Take a look at what I have made and then I will explain how I made it.   I've decorated a wooden peg with some scraps of Christmassy paper and then attached some pine fronds which I punched from green card stock. I stamped an image from the Pines and poinsettias set and added some glitter. Finally I punched a bird using the 2 Step Bird Punch and made him into a robin. And that's it - just the thing for clipping together all those Christmas lists and receipts don't you think? Please pop over to the blog - there are some wonderful creations there this week and not one card amongst them! Bye...

It's that time again - oh yes and Mynnette has given us a cracker of a sketch to start the month with - take a look Here is my card The gorgeous background paper of course is Stampin' Up from the soon to be retired Holly Berries Bouquet DSP. To compliment it I added some Real Red card stock and a couple of stamped image from the Pines and Poinsettias set. I stuck rigidly to the sketch and even added a tiny sparkly heart to my centre panel. Hope you enjoy this week's sketch and please pop over to the blog  HERE  to check out the challenge and the rest of the dt cards - bye for now - Jacqueline xx

It's 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  challenge time again, Mynnette has chosen a lovely theme for us this week come and take a look I love wreath cards and had so much fun making this one to show you today I really must get some new Christmas stamps as I keep going back again and again to this set - Pines and Poinsettias - it is lovely though isn't it and perfect for this kind of card. I have stamped the pine cone stamp repeatedly in a circle and then stamped some more on separate card stock, cut them out and attached them with 3D foam pads to fill the gaps. Colours used are Creamy Caramel, Lucky Limeade and Poppy Parade. Don't forget Mynnette is giving away a prize this month so please do pop over and have a go - my fellow team mates have also got some dazzling examples to show off there too - see you soon - Jacqueline xx

Yes that's right it's Colour Challenge time at  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  and here are the lovely colours that Mynnette has chosen for us And here is my card I have used one of my favourite Christmas sets - Pines and Poinsettias and I have stamped my images in black. My splash of blue is around the edge as I used blue card stock to make my card and I have coloured some of the flowers in using a Pool Party marker pen. I have also added Liquid Pearls to the centres of the poinsettias. Well how are you doing with your Christmas cards? If you have joined in with us since we began at the start of the year you should have at least 27 cards by now all ready for posting in December - just think no last minute panic!! Have you seen that we have a whole design team now too? Please pop over to the  blog  - they have made some wonderful cards and there are links to their personal blogs too - well worth a visit. See you soon - have a great weekend - Jac...

It's our third challenge at  Addicted to Stamps challenge blog  and the theme for you this week is 'Christmas in July' My card for the dt is an easel card cut on my Cuttlebug using a set of nesting bunting dies - they make a splendid Christmas tree shape - take a look I cut out the 4 largest and ran them through the 'Bug again - this time in a snowflake embossing folder. I then layered them up using 3D foam pads. Here's what it looks like stood up The littlest die was used to make the 2 props - they were all decorated with emerald coloured flat backed gems and a S'U sentiment was added from Pines and Poinsettias. Do please hop across and take a look at what the rest of the dt have made for this challenge and I will see you soon - Jacqueline xx

That's right this week at  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  we have an Anything Goes challenge - as long as it's Christmassy though! For this challenge my dt piece is an easel card using my stamp of the moment - my Clarity bicycle - take a look I have used a mixture of X-Cut and Marianne Creatables dies and a couple of paper punches. The holly in the basket is stamped with the tiny stamp in the Pines and Poinsettias set - the pile of presents was hand drawn. We announce our new design team members today so please pop over and make them feel welcome and check out the wonderful creations from fellow team mates Mynnette and Ruth bye for now - Jacqueline xx

This week over on the  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  I have chosen the Embellishment theme and it is Here is my card I had added my glitter to the holly leaves and berries - maybe a couple of close ups will show it off better I have used Poppy Parade, Basic Black and Very Vanilla card stock and my Young Vermillion and Pines and Poinsettias stamp sets. I really hope I see you over there - you can check out my team mates Ruth and Mynnette too. Our DT Call is still running - we've two talented ladies already and are looking for possibly two more - could it be you? Have a great weekend folks, see you soon - Jacqueline xx 

News item no. 1 - we have a new member on our design team. Her name Ruth and her blog is  Flower Sparkle  - I do hope you will pop over to her blog and welcome her. News item no. 2 - we are also having a DT Call - you too could be joining Ruth, Mynnette and myself on the team. And where is all this happening I hear you ask? .........  RIGHT HERE . So - it's my month and I have this sketch for you to follow And here is my card I think my flash was a bit strong on this photo as the colours looks a bit washed out! I have again used my new set Pines and Poinsettias along with Poppy Parade, Blushing Bride and Lucky Limeade inks. Don't forget to visit  Mynnette's Blog  too and I will see you soon - Jacqueline xx

I have just bought some new Christmas stamps and what better place to try them out than the  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  challenge. This week we want to see Heat or Dry Embossing on your Christmas cards - here are mine Yay - my new set is the Pines and Poinsettias from Stampin' Up! My image on this first card has been inked up using markers - Close to Cocoa, Lucky Limeade and Poppy Parade and I have dry embossed my white panel. Again I have used the same set this time heat embossing my image with gold embossing powder - I've also added some red gems too. Please pop over and take a look at the lovely cards created by my partner in crime  Mynnette  and I will see you soon - Jacqueline xx

OK - who's the numpty that prepared her post last night and forgot to schedule it and left it in draft? Hmm yes well.........any way very late here are my cards for this week's challenge at  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown . We have an Anything Goes theme this week as it's the 5th week of the month. This being so I have (for one week only) decided to go 'off piste' somewhat and create a couple of 3D objects instead of cards. Please take a look This is a little treat cup hanger that I made at a workshop just before Christmas. It's die cut on the Big Shot and then decorated using the Stampin' Up set Pines and Poinsettias. I've made quite a few of these little birdhouses - they make great holders for choccies!! This one has been decorated with robins made with the S'U 2 Step Bird punch. Some of the leaves have had Liquid Pearls added to look like mistletoe berries. I've also added some frosting to the roof. Mynnette  - my partner in crime...

Last week I went to craft with my friend Jane and she had found a cute little bird house template. It was really easy to cut out and she had used some of the gorgeous Stampin' Up Ivory card stock to print it on. Jane also has one of the new Stampin' Up Christmas sets - Pines and Poinsettias so of course I had to have a go with it! As you can see I added my owl to the front of the birdhouse but the 2 Step bird punch works just as well. The leaves are scraps of card stock inked with Old Olive ink before being punched out. Here is a view of the side And the back I had so much fun making this that I have joined Jane's workshop classes - we are called the Powick Paper Dollies - I went to my first workshop yesterday and I will show you what I made when I have finished adding the final touches to them. Off now to curl up in front of the fire and watch T.V - oh maybe not it's football :(     See you soon - Jacqueline xx