Today's effort.....

In comparison to the last few days, today has been relaxing (except for a minor kerfuffle this morning, caused by me thinking it was time to start Daylight Savings [WHICH IT IS NOT]...and hubby changing all the clocks in our house because of what I told him.....Ooooops ;-).

We have a little birthday party to go to next week, and I have been meaning to make a pirate card for ages...having seen plenty of really beautiful one's all over the place.

This is mine.



I've cheated a tad, and incorporated non-SU.....using my Cuttlebug to emboss the Not Quite Navy layer with bubbles. I was very pleased with the end product though. I hope you like it too.

The Lucky Door Goodies.....

Using this design.....




I made the Hostess thank you gifts and Lucky Door prizes as shown below.




There are four 60 cm pieces of the Narrow Organdy Ribbon in each sampler.

Preparing Christmas Make n' Takes......pt.4

Ok.....so that's one down, one to go!

After a bit of scrabbling around with scrap of card here and there. I came up with the following design....the night before the workshop!!!



I was feeling pretty darn pleased with myself...let me tell you! Hubby got home late, and I showed it to him and he hummmm'd and haaaa'd and said, it's maybe a bit bland. By this stage I was way too tired to make another one, so I went to bed. I got up early the next morning, and managed to make this one....



Feeling all.....'I CAN DO THIS', I showed it to hubby who said......uuuummmmmmmm, I like the first one better. AAAAAaaaaarrrGGGgghhhhhhhhh. Deep breathes...Ooooooom ;-).

So the workshop guests made the first one, and I think they liked it. Looking back at it...the first one is my favourite. As one guest said...definitely more Christmas-y colours!

Preparing Christmas Make n' Takes......pt.3

Feeling pretty desperate, just three days out from the workshop, and with neither of my Make n' Takes sussed...I spoke to the hostess. She said she was really keen on some that Jayne Mercer had produced using Holiday Spirit too. I went and checked them out...and I loved them.....so, I CASE'd one! Well, pretty much CASE'd it...I've made a few changes.



In hindsight...this card was just fine as it was.....but could I leave it at that? Noooooooooooo.....




I had to go and make it very.....BUSY!

So we ended up making the first card, and I think everyone really liked it! Thanks Jayne :-).

Preparing Christmas Make n' Takes......pt.2

Not happy to leave it there though.....I forged on with the same idea...burying myself deeper and deeper ;-).

Too plain...and the colours just don't do it for me...


Making it way too busy didn't help make me feel any better about the colours either!



At this point, the design was abandoned. About time you say!!

Preparing Christmas Make n' Takes......pt.1

This whole process has been a bit Goldilocks....too hot, too cold, too big, too small....you know what I mean?

So let me start with some of the ideas I did not use...



A bit too plain IMO.



A bit too.....much???

Been a bit quiet here, hasn't it?

I've been busy this last weekend, getting my EIGHTEEN...yes, your read it right, EIGHTEEN Christmas Card swaps finished. They went off in the mail today...thank goodness!

The design I chose in the end was the following one:



The colours are Bravo Burgundy, Not Quite Navy, More Mustard and Naturals Ivory. The stamps are Holiday Print, Twinkle wheel and Itty Bitty Backgrounds. I have edged the Not Quite Navy layer with Encore Gold ink...but you can hardly see that on here. The ribbons are Narrow Organdy - Gold and Gold Cord. That darn bow in the centre was very fiddly to tie!

I was happy with my swap in the end, but it took the following variations to get there: