Happy New Year To You All.......

Happy New Year To You All.....

I hope that 2012 brings you lots of joy and laughter, hope and inspiration...happiness and peace too.

I want to thank you all for following me on my creative journey in 2011, and I look forward to the year ahead in 2012 to exciting times and the continuation of my crafty journey.

I have some exciting ideas that I am planning to bring to my blog in 2012.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog so far, I for one have enjoyed chattering to you all and showing you my crafty makes.

I absolutely love what I do, I love to share it with you all. I wear my heart on my sleeve, I am happy, I love my husband dearly, I love my family and I love my friends. I feel lucky that I have them by my side as I enter a New Year. I also will be remembering my Beautiful Dad, he fell asleep last year and is now tending Heaven's Garden.......my Daddy, Happy New Year, with love to you always your Titch...............you are always in my thoughts and will be as we see in the New Year.........

So, my friends.....I am grateful for my wonderful husband....my memories of my Dad, my family and my friendships..........wether old or new.........

I wish you all lots of love and happiness and I look forward to sharing

2012 with all of you,

Happy New Year,

much love from me,

NJ XXX



My Design Team Card for Glitter Geeks -Brand Spanking New....

This is my design team card for the Glitter Geeks this week.

http://glittergeeks.blogspot.com/

The theme is...

Brand Spanking New....

make something with crafty goodies

you got from Santa!

My lovely hubby bought me lots of nice crafty goodies so I used them for this card. I made a twisted easel card using 8x8 card blanks. I used Tilda paper pad to cover the card. The stamps is Belles n Whistles which I have coloured using my new Letraset Flex Marker pens. I have stamped the image using Memento Rich Cocoa ink and stamped it onto Bristol Board.

I have matted it onto decorative paper. I got bought some nesties, but as we were staying with my family...I didnt have my Grand Calibur with me...so I did the next best thing and drew round the nestie and carefully cut it out to matt the image onto.

The Spellbinders nestie is Fleur De Lis Rectangles.

I have then embellished with my new lush ribbons and bling that I know my hubby bought me from Polka Doodles

http://www.polkadoodles.co.uk/ 

Finally I embellished with lace, decorative pins, flowers and a button that I already had in my craft stash....and as I am addicted to crafting...yes....I take my craft bag away with me!LOL

Hope you like the card and I would love to see your creations with any new crafty goodies you got for Christmas. Look forward to seeing them over at the Glitter Geeks challenge.

Thanks for looking and a very happy crafting and a very Happy New Year....

lots of love

NJ XXXX



diddy doodles challenge blog for kids........

Diddy doodles is an exciting new challenge blog brought to you from the talented Nikky Hall from Polka Doodles....the difference with this challenge blog is...its for your kids only!

So if you have kids, or friends with kids, spread the word about this exciting chance to be a part of the crafty community. Its a great way for the kids to get creative and show everyone their makes...your never too young to craft!

Heres where its at.......

http://diddydoodles.blogspot.com/

Have fun and very happy crafting,

NJ XXX



Sponsorships for the Glitter Geeks Blog Challenge...

A happy hello to the fantastic crafting world!

I am a Design Team member for the fabulous

Glitter Geeks Blog Challenge

http://glittergeeks.blogspot.com/

We are asking if there is anybody out there that would be willing to sponsor some of our challenges in return for us to advertise your company.

If you are interested please contact Steph on

PepperyApple@Gmail.com

Look forward to hearing from anyone who may be interested in sponsoring us...

thanks for taking the time to read this

and a very happy crafting from me and the rest of the

Glitter Geeks Design Team

XXX

Exciting news from Nikky at Polka Doodles...

Woooo hooooo I just had to share this news with everyone. The fab and very talented Nikky from Polka doodles has launched this pen and paper circle club.....

http://www.polkadoodles.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=5115

I have ordered my kit!

It looks fantastic, brilliant value...it will be like having Nikky and the fab Design Team teaching you in the comfort of your own home.

I think the price is excellent, you are getting a lot of projects, papers and a stamp set too!

The great thing too is you don't have to be committed to each issue, you pre-order if you want the next kit.

Here's where you can find it, I would really recommend you hop along and order it now, I know its selling fast....so dont miss out on a great opportunity to learn some new ideas, get help and inspiration from Nikky and her team.....

http://www.polkadoodles.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=5115

go on treat yourself, you know you want to.....

happy crafting,

lots of love

NJ XXXX



Another Christmas pressie.....

For a while now I have been trying to learn how to crochet without much success. I want to be able to make flowers and other embellishments for my cardmaking. I added this book to my Christmas wish list and I was lucky enough to have been bought it for Christmas.

Woo hoo, I have now been able to practice my crocheting and at last understanding what the stitches mean. I am going to keep practising the stitches for a few more days, then hopefully attempt a flower. Watch this space....I will hopefully show you the first flower as long as it looks like a flower and not a butterfly like my previous attempts!LOL

Hope you have all had a lovely Christmas,

Happy Crafting,

lots of love

NJ XXX



Santa brought me these.........

I have been wanting the Flex markers for a while now and some Belles n Whistles stamps too. My lovely hubby bless him bought me these and I have been playing with them this afternoon. I absolutely love them, if you havent tried them yet I urge you to do so.

I'm a lucky girl!

Love NJ XXX 



Merry Christmas To You All.......

Well as I am typing this I do believe that Santa is on his way!

I want to wish you all a very

Merry Christmas.

I hope you have a lovely time however you may be spending this Christmas time.

Don't forget to leave a sherry and mince pie for Santa and something for Rudolph and his friends too lol....and when you hear the jingle bells, don't peek!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

LOTS OF LOVE

NJ

XXXXX



Design Team Project for the Glitter Geeks Challenge - Happy New Year

Well a very warm hello from me my lovelies and a wish to you all for a very Merry Christmas. I just wanted to post my latest Design Team project for the Glitter Geeks challenge.

Happy New Year

http://glittergeeks.blogspot.com/

I have used a Papermania A5 stepper card blank.

The backing paper, picture and label are all printed from the Polka doodles Magical Winter 1 disc. The stamp set is the free one with Crafts Beautiful Magazine Jan 2012 Issue 236.

I used Memento ink and sponged the edges with Distress Ink peeled paint. I have embellished with buttons, ribbon, crochet flowers, candi and hat pins.

Hope you manage to find time to enter the challenge in between all the festivities. I would love to see your creations.

Have a fantastic Christmas and a Very Happy New Year,

lots of love

NJ XXX

Christmas Card for my Husband - entering into the Joanna Sheen Challenge

Hello my lovelies, this is the Christmas card I have just made tonight for my lovely husband. I am also entering it into the Joanna Sheen challenge

Christmas Card

http://joannasheenchallenge.blogspot.com/search/label/Joanna%20Sheen%20Challenge%201

I have made the card blank using Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities Labels Eleven.

I matted and layered using the various sizes in the set. The decorative paper is Forever Friends Retro Collection A Christmas Tale. The stamped image is from Tatty Button Tattys Christmas Tree which I have coloured with whispers pens and sakura pens. I have embellished with hat pins, stick pins, ribbon and greetings.

Thanks for looking, I hope you like it,

love NJ XX

My Glitter Geeks DT Project - Anything goes

Hello and a very happy Friday to you all!  Well over at the Glitter Geeks we have another fab challenge for you all this week.

The theme is

Anything Goes........

here is my creation.....

Hat pin holder...........

Which I made using these........

A cotton bud container and a polystyrene ball......and here's how I did it...

Cover the ball with tissue paper using double sided tape on the underside only

This is the side that will sit in the bottom of the container.

Cut a strip of decorative paper to fit round the sides of the container, ink the edges first then stick using double sided tape

Put some crumpled tissue paper in the bottom

Add pearl trim around the top edge

Cover the ball with lace using double sided tape, but make sure you stick at the bottom of the ball that will sit in the pot. If you use any adhesive anywhere else on the ball it will make it difficult to stick your pins in and out. Sit the ball into the pot

Cut out your chosen image and use pins to stand it on the ball

Wrap a length of organza ribbon around the ball, tucking any overlapping lace in. Tie a bow

Cut out three paper flowers and use stick pins to attach them to the front of the pin holder

Finally, stick in your pins

You can now store your pins in this ready to use them in your projects. When you pull one out make sure you hold the ball.

The decorative paper,image and paper flowers I have used are what I bought from the sponsor for this week

Willow Designs

http://www.willowdesignstamps.com/catalog/

I have used the Winnie downloads for this.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing how I made this

Hat pin holder

for my Design Team project for the

Glitter Geeks

http://glittergeeks.blogspot.com/

Myself and the rest of the Design Team would love to see your creations, so hop over and take a look at what we've made.

Have fun and happy crafting,

lots of love NJ XX



PanPastel UK Challenge 12 - Gift Tags

I am entering this tag into the

PanPastel UK Challenge 12 - Gift Tags

http://panpasteluk.blogspot.com/

I stamped the image onto the tag using Fairy Doodles from Buzzcraft Clear rubber stamp in Memento Ink Cocoa. I coloured the hat, jacket and mittens using PanPastel Permanent Red and the ribbon on the present. The present itself I coloured using PanPastel Diarylide Yellow. I wanted to create a soft dewy image with this tag so to achieve this, I used Dew Drop Brilliance Fast Drying Pigment ink in Platinum Planet and wiped it over the stamped image. Now this effect smudges the PanPastel colours but this is what I wanted to achieve to soften the look. I then used the Dew Drop inks in colours Pearlescent Lavendar and Pearlescent Purple to randomly create a mottled effect at the top of the tag. I also sponged the string too in the same inks. I then used Ranger Stickles in Diamond, Xmas Red and Green to highlight the trim on the hat, jacket and mittens and also the fairy wings. Stickles was used on the trees and also the holly on the present. I used Diamond Stickles below the present to create a shimmery snow effect. Finally embellished around the image with dots of Baby Blue Liquid Pearls and Gems.

Hope you like this Christmas gift tag and thanks for looking,

Merry Christmas,

Lots of love NJ XXX



Design Team Project for Crafty Bloggers Network - Christmas Gift

Every year I always make my hubby a calendar. So I thought this was the perfect project to use for my Design Team project this week.

The calendar is by Papermania and it is 12x12.

I have used photos of us both from the last couple of months.

My hubby always looks forward to this every year. Over the years I varied the theme. Some of the themes I made in the past have been Dolphins, our late dog..she was a golden labrador and everything to us...that was a favourite year for his calendar!

Holidays, golf and fishing. The great thing with making a calendar as a Christmas gift, is you can make it really individual to suit the recepient. I also mark in the dates for my hubby too....particularly handy  for when it's my birthday month...he cant forget then can he! LOL

So, without further ado...here it is.......I hope you like it......

The paper pad I used for the calendar is DCWV The Once upon A Time Stack.

The great thing about this is not only is it gorgeous but it is also glittered on some sheets too, which is great for saving time on embellishing. I wanted to keep the theme masculine but with some embellishment so I have used Craftwork Candi.

I hope you like this as much as I enjoyed making it, thanks for looking and if you fancy entering the challenge...here's where it's at....

http://craftybloggersnetwork.blogspot.com/

have fun and happy crafting lots of love NJ XXXX



Christmas Cards

Good evening my lovelies,

just thought I would show you these Christmas cards I have made this afternoon.

I have used a mixture of products to make them...

Fizzy Moon decoupage,pyramage and papers,First Edition Festive Treats paper pad,

Papermania Deck the halls paper pad,elements and holographic lace stickers

and Craftwork Candi...

Hope you like them and thanks for looking,

lots of love NJ XX



My Design Team Card for Glitter Geeks

Here is my Design Team card for this weeks Glitter Geeks Challenge...

http://glittergeeks.blogspot.com/

the theme is

Let It Snow........

I have used papers and images from the Polka doodles Christmas Boutique magazine.

Thanks for looking,

love NJ XX



My Design Team Card for Crafty Bloggers Network

Over at the Crafty Blogger's Network Challenge the theme this week is

Shades of Winter

http://craftybloggersnetwork.blogspot.com/

We would love to see your creations.

Why not hop over and take a look at the Design Team work for inspiration and check out the other entries too, lots of stunning ideas.

Here is my DT card, the stamped image is from the Forever Friends Retro Collection A Christmas Tale. I have coloured using whispers pens.

Matted and layered with mirri card.

Thanks for looking and dont forget you still have time to enter,

lots of love NJ XX



PanPastel UK Challenge 11 - The Great Outdoors

I am entering this card into the

PanPastel UK Challenge 11 - The Great Outdoors

http://panpasteluk.blogspot.com/

The stamp I have used is Inkadinkado Gardenia. I have coloured it using PanPastels Diarylide Yellow and Permanent red.

These are from the trial kit that I won a couple of weeks back. I only have the two colours so I have tried to be a little inventive with how I used them. Using an applicator I put the yellow and red separately on my craft sheet, then on another area I mixed them both together to create orange.

I have used water to paint them onto the sunflowers, and I used a wash of PanPastel over the background.When dry I sprayed a fixative over the image.

I cut out the image and then inked the edges with Distress ink Rusty hinge.

I covered an A5 landscape card blank with decorative paper. Attached organza ribbon down the sides and seam binding along the top and bottom. I matted the image using foam pads. I have embellished with the quote and two buttons and a seam binding bow!

The reason I have chosen this stamp for this challenge is because to me..

The Great Outdoors reminds me of my Dad, bless him, he passed away last year...he worked as a gardener so this is why I like this stamp, it reminds me of when he used to tend all the flowers.

I hope you like the card, thanks for looking

love Nicola XXX



My Creative Tidyness......

Hello my lovelies, well this is a quick post following on from

'My creative mess.......'

from the other evening!LOL

So after spending a few hours tidying up my craft room, this is what it looks like now....for how long who knows lol .....

Now does'nt that look neat!LOL

Have a great week-end,

have fun and happy crafting,

lots of love NJ XX



My Creative Mess............

Hehehehe I just could'nt resist showing you a picture of my craft room. I've been working on some Design Team projects this evening, look at the mess I've made!

I'm calling it my creative mess.....lol........I think I know where everything is.

You see it is a working craft room and not just pretty to look at lol.....I love it!

Now.....better have a tidy up!

Love NJ XXX



My Design Team Card for Glitter Geeks

Well over at the Glitter Geeks we have another fab challenge this week. One that I think most of you will enjoy......Decoupage. So, dig out your decoupage......if it's die-cut all the better...if it is'nt then get snipping away!LOL

Myself and the rest of the Design Team would love to see your wonderful creations, so go on give it a go.

Here's where you need to hop over to,

http://glittergeeks.blogspot.com/

I used Fizzy Moon for my Design Team card this week, I just love this range!

Hope you like the card I made.

Have fun, lots of love NJ XXX