Happy New Year , Thank You and 2009 Review

Wow is it me or has 2009 flown by, it only seems not that long ago we were all celebrating the millenium, can't believe that it really is a decade ago. 

I want to thank everyone for your support and kindness throughout 2009, I have made some of the most wonderful friends through blogging, friendships to truly treasure, and I have been so lucky to have met some of you in person, hopefully I will be able to meet more of you in 2010.  I know I have been one of the worst bloggers for a few months now and one of my new year resolutions will be to try and keep up with blog hopping, I really do feel bad when people take the time to visit and comment on my blog and that I can't seem to keep up with it myself.

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2009 REVIEW

Well 2009 has been like a high speed train for me in the crafting world, I started getting hooked on stamping and digi-images and haven't looked back since.  I landed my very first DT slot with Funky Fairys, and though no longer with FF, I will always remember FF for being my first DT and ever so grateful for getting me on the DT ladder.  Next I found myself on the Stamptacular DT, oh what fun it was and I was sad to leave after my 6 month term, though I had the opportunity to continue on the team I had to make the difficult decision to stand down to allow for other things.  I was also lucky to have been both a guest designer and official designer for Making Handmade Cards.  I throughly enjoyed my time as a guest designer for two challenges with the Sketch and Stash team.  And here I am now about to start 2010 as a DT for Pollycrafts, Magical Crafts Fortnightly Challenges, Doodle Palace and remaining as a GD for Making Handmade cards, I consider myself very lucky to be on all these teams and to be working with such wonderful people.

Now I have spent a few days going through cards I have made through out this year to pick out a few of my favourites to show you, boy what a hard task.  But here are some of my favourites for you...

I hope you have enjoyed the peek at some of my favourites from 2009, so all there is left for me to say now is.....

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

To each and everyone of you.

Love and Hugs

Joanne

xxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Magical Crafts Fortnightly Challenge #5

Hope everyone has had wonderful Christmas.

Thank you to everyone who took part in our last challenge, I must apologise for not getting around to visiting everyone's entry, there really hasn't been enough hours in the day lately.

Here at MCFC we decided for this year we wouldn't take a break for the xmas period so here's a chance for you to use some of those crafting goodies you might have recieved from santa.

Our theme for you this fortnight is.......

Thank You

Many of us need 'Thank You' cards after Christmas so this is another perfect opportunity.  You can use anything you like and do any craft, it could even be a thank you gift if you like.

This week we are being sponsered by 'Incy Wincy' a children's charity who do such wonderful work raising money for local children's charities in Australia.  They have a wonderful gallery of images to purchase and have very kindly donated TWO images for the winner of this challenge and the DT have been lucky enough to use these images on our projects also.  Please help support Incy Wincy by visiting their shop and there is also a fab weekly challenge also on their challenge blog. 

The DT as alwayshave come up with some wonderful projects to help inspire you and here is mine....

This is one of the gorgeous digi-images one lucky winner could win, it's so versatile and would be ideal for many occassions, as you can add your own text to the note paper, I have handwritten the text for this 'Thank You' card.  

RECIPE

Digi-Image - Incy Wincy Designs

Papers - Kaban

Colouring Medium - Promarkers

Embellishments - Flowers, Ribbon, Card Candy and Charm all from stash.

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We do hope you will be able to join us for the challenge and the MCFC DT would like to wish everyone a

Happy New Year and best wishes for 2010.

A Merry Christmas to One and All

Well, being organised with all my xmas cards for the first time ever this year, we have been so disorganised with everthing else, is it really possible not to get so stressed and have everything finished way in advance?  I don't think so...lol.  Thankfully the end is in sight, we are nearly organised and it's already Christmas Eve, where did it spring up from so quickly?

I will be trying to get round to as many of my wonderful blogging friend's through today to individually wish you a Merry Christmas, but it will be impossible to visit everyone so I would like to wish everyone old and new who takes the time to visit my little old blog......

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hoping this festive season brings you and your loved ones joy, peace and happiness.

Joanne & Family 

xxxxxx

Snowy Times

Good Morning All

Sorry I'm still being slack on the cards but as you can imagine the Christmas preps just seem to take up so much time, as it does for many of us I'm sure.  I still have a few special cards to do, so I should have some for you soon.

Well, the UK is in the grip of a big freeze and there seems to be plenty of snow especially along the eastern side of the UK, with more forecasted later today to sweep across most of the country.  We've had plenty here and this morning looked like a picture postcard, so I have some piccies to share with you.

 

 

I could of taken so many more but I was outside on the porch in my jim jams with the thermometer reading -10!!!  The lake at the bottom of garden is frozen, so funny seeing ducks trying to waddle across it, they slip slide everywhere especially the moor hens and coots...lol

If you have snow I hope you are able to enjoy it, but if you are venturing out, please take care and keep wrapped up warm.

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Hugs

Joanne xx

3 in 1 Challenge Card and Doodle Palace Sneak Peek

This cutie is one of the new images to be released this coming Wednesday from Doodle Palace.  I'm also entering this card into three challenges...

Sketch Saturday - Sketch

Cupcake Challenges - 5 x 5 Birthday Card

Basic Grey Challenges - Colour Combo 'Cream, Pink & Blue'

RECIPE

Digi Image - Doodle Palace 'Beary Special Flowers' (Released 16th December)

Papers - Basic Grey 'Indian Summer'

Colouring Mediums - Copics and Promarkers

Embellishments - Flowers, Ribbon, Brad and Card Candy all from stash

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

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Hope everyone is keeping well and aren't getting too stressed with all the xmas preperations.  We've not really even started our xmas shopping yet, but we have set aside Thursday, Friday and Saturday to get it done.  Hate leaving it this late and normally we would be virtually finished by now apart from a few small bits.  At least I only have the family xmas cards left to do, now that really is a first to be that organised on the xmas card front....lol.

Looks like we are set for some real wintery weather by the end of the week here in the UK, shame it couldn't be a week behind so some of us could have a white christmas, though you never know!!!  In the meantime I hope you all enjoy the fluttering of snow on my blog, hope no one thought there was something wrong with their eyes...lol.

Thanks for stopping by and as always your comments are much appreciated.

Hugs

Joanne xxx

Magical Crafts Fortnightly Challenge #4

Thank you to everyone who took part in challenge #3 we hope you enjoyed the sketch, there were so many wonderful creations.

For our next challenge over on MCFC it is the theme of.....

TO SOMEONE SPECIAL or A SPECIAL OCCASSION

You can make a card or other project as long as it's for a special occassion or for someone special, feel free to make it christmassy or not as we are sure many of you maybe a bit sick of Christmas stuff now, but if you are yet to make a card or gift for that someone special this is the perfect opportunity. 

The DT have all been busy with their creations and all will be sure to give you some wonderful inspiration.

Here's mine.....

I am loving these easel style cards and this was a special xmas card I made for my mum and step-dad.

RECIPE

Digi Image - Chris Dark "Partirdge in a Pear Tree"

Papers - Dovecraft

Colouring Medium - Promarkers, Sakura Stardust (using a waterbrush)

Flowers - Prima

Other Embellishments - Ribbon and Gems from stash.

Ovals cut using nesties in the bug.

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We do hope you'll be able to join us for our latest challenge.  This is our last challenge before Christmas but we will be back with our next fortnightly challenge as normal on the 27th December.  In the meantime the MCFC team would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

xxx

Back from my Scottish travels and some exciting news.........

I arrived back today from my lovely few days away to Scotland visiting my mum, step-dad and brother.  It was lovely to see my mum again, time just seems so to fly by from when I last saw her in April.  We spent the day shopping yesterday and taking a drive up through the hills, which can't have been far off being classed as mountains...lol.  Couldn't believe when travelling back today that there had actually been some snow since Wednesday as the tops of the hills near Penrith were white with snow, was expecting to maybe of seen that in Scotland not England...lol.   Anyway I'm back now and hope to be getting some more cards on here to show you over the next couple of days, after being a little slack the last week or two.

I also have some fabulous news to share with you.  As many of you were aware I have been very lucky to have been a guest designer for Pollycraft for last few months, well I am even more lucky and so very excited to share with you that Paula and the DT girls have asked myself and two other of my fellow GD's (Becky and Michele) to stay on and become fully fledged DT's...woohoo!!!  If you never realised before I have always been one of Pollycraft's biggest fans and it was through joining in with the challenges that I made a wonderful friend, Emma.  I am so thrilled as you can imagine and I couldn't wait to get back and shout out this news to all.  Congratulation also to Becky and Michele and thank you to Paula and the DT, I loves you all xxx.

I have one card to share with you, which isn't for any challenge, it's just a card for fun using one of the gorgeous new Pollycraft images that were released this week and hey it's not a Christmas card.

The image is 'Felicity About Town' from the new Codi & Felicity collection available now from Pollycraft.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Hugs

Joanne xx

Pollycraft Monday Challenge #30

Good Morning Everyone

I can't believe I've not posted anything for a week, gosh it's flown by, just been so busy with Christmas preperations it just seems to take up all the time at the moment.  I am off up to Scotland for a few days either on Wednesday or Thursday to visit my mum, step-dad and brother, so got to get all the xmas pressies bought and wrapped ready for the go.  Thats my job for today!! But before I go it's time for the last challenge of the year over on Pollycraft Monday Challenge.  It's also the last challenge for all of the GD's.

Challenge 30

It's a wonderful sketch this time round by Paula.

Here's my last GD card for you....

Remember you can enter the challenge using any products but of course please do use a Pollycraft product if you so wish and it will give you an extra entry into the monthly prize draw.  The DT and GD's have all come up with some amazing creations for you so be sure to check them out.  We do hope you will join us for the last Pollycraft challenge of the year, this challenge will run until the challenges resume again on Monday 4th January 2010.

RECIPE

Digi-Image - Pollycraft 'Thomas with Puppy' (Enchanted Noel Collection)

Digi- Sentiment - Pollycraft 'Roundabouts Christmas Sentiments 2'

Papers - Basic Grey

Colouring Mediums - Copics, Promarkers and Sakura Stardust

Embellishments - Rik Rak and Card Candy all from stash.

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The Pollycraft DT & GD wish all our participants a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!!