It's Hogmanay

Hello my friends. Where did 2023 go, it's New Year's Eve already, known as Hogmanay to Scots around the world when we get together with family, friends and neighbours to reflect on the old year and toast the arrival of the new with a dram of the water of life. I created a card to wish you all Health and Happiness in 2024 using Simon Says Don't Flurry, Be Happy stamp set, House Border Frame dies, Hero Arts Holiday Message Strips Rub-Ons and Simon Says Home for Christmas stamp set for the sentiment.

I trimmed Distress Watercolor card to 4" x 5.1/4" and stamped the snowflake border from Simon Says Don't Flurry, Be Happy twice, inked with Simon Says Embossing Ink, sprinkled with Simon Says White Detail Embossing Powder and heat set.  I applied Black Soot Distress Oxide ink over the panel using a mini round blending tool and wiped the ink off the embossed detail with a soft cloth.

I fixed Sizzix Adhesive Sheets to the back of Distress Black HeavyStock and Distress Watercolor card and die-cut Simon Says House Border Frame. I removed the adhesive carrier sheet and fixed the Black HeavyStock frame and insert to the panel.

I added the Distress Watercolor card frame on top and added the roof lines die-cut from the Black HeavyStock. It doesn't show in this photo but I replaced the Black Heavy/Stock door pieces back into the negative spaces.

I stamped the sentiment from Simon Says Home For Christmas, inked with Simon Says Embossing Ink, on to a scrap of Simon Says Lipstick Red cardstock, sprinkled with Simon Says White Detail Embossing Powder, heat set and trimmed to create a sentiment strip.

I added Hero Arts Holiday Message Strips and snowflake Rub-Ons and added the stamped sentiment, popped up on foam squares.

To finish I matted the panel on to Simon Says Lipstick Red cardstock trimmed 1/8" larger and fixed to a top folding A2 white card blank.

I'm looking forward to tucking in to our traditional New Year's Day dinner of Roast Beef, Yorkshire Puddings, Roast Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, Mashed Turnips and lashings of yummy thick gravy followed by Trifle, Clootie Dumpling and Biscuits and Cheese. I'll be back tomorrow to share my DT project for the first Simon Says Monday Challenge of 2024.

Hugs Kath xxx

My Favourites 2023 - Part 2

Hello my friends, I'm back to share my favourite makes from the second half of 2023 and you can find details of all the projects by clicking on the individual photos.

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

   

I don't know about you, but I'm suffering from the dreaded "I have no idea what day of the week it is" syndrome, common at this time of year. I think it's time to head back to the cubbyhole and have some play time with a pile of new goodies that arrived just before Christmas. 

Have fun with the crafting goodies that Santa brought you for Christmas.

Hugs Kath xxx

My Favourites 2023 - Part 1

Hi my friends, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and as we get ready to say goodbye to 2023, I'm continuing with my annual tradition of sharing some of my favourite makes from the year starting off with January to June. The details for each card can be found by clicking on the individual photos.

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

I'll be back tomorrow to share my favourites for the second half of the year, in the meantime, have fun with whatever you're making.

Hugs Kath xxx

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Hello my friends, it's Christmas Eve and it looks like we are going to have a White Christmas in my little corner of the planet after heavy snow overnight on Friday turned everything into a magical Christmas wonderland.

But I was looking forward to visiting the magical Christmas wonderland at my local Garden Centre and had the Cookies From Santa deliveries to make, so I uncovered the car from it's wintry blanket of snow and set off. By the time I delivered the cookies and arrived at my favourite place, it was snowing heavily again so I popped in briefly to say hello to Santa, who looked like he was doing his own personal Christmas shopping

grabbed a quick coffee and delicious wholemeal cinnamon scone

and headed for home before the weather got worse. Disappointed but hey, there's always next year.

I'll be taking a little break from my blog and social media but would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to my followers for all your love and support in 2023 and I hope you all have a very Happy Christmas, a wonderful time celebrating with your friends and family and that Santa pops down your chimney with all the things on your crafting wish list.

Hugs Kath xxx

Cookies from Santa

Hello my friends, it's Friday and I'm taking a break today from the crazy Christmas food shopping and prep to visit the Christmas magic at my local garden centre and deliver some Cookies From Santa to friends using the Kraft Zipper bags and Tag Bundle from the Simon Says Limited Edition Christmas Holiday Tag Kit, decorated with Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Jolly Holiday/Festive Print, Bakers Twine , Ribbon and a Wax Seal.

I stamped the Santa image from Jolly Holiday, inked with Hickory Smoke Distress Archival ink, on to kraft tags and coloured with Barn Door and Picket Fence Distress Watercolor Pencils. I inked the sprinkles image with Versamark, sprinkled with white embossing powder and heat set. 

I stamped the peppermint stick image, inked with Barn Door Distress Oxide ink, on to Distress Watercolor card, trimmed and fixed behind each tag. I stamped "25" from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Festive Print, inked with Barn Door Distress Oxide on the tag and added the left over section of the peppermint stick.

I created seals using Spellbinders Red Wax Melts and Honey Bee With Love Wax Stamper. I highlighted the detail on the seal with a Spellbinders Decocolor Gold Pen.

I filled the zipper bags with cookies, wound twine around the top and stapled on the tags, threaded with the twine. I fixed the ribbon bows and seals in place using my hot glue gun.

I'll be back before Christmas to share photos from Santa's Grotto at the Garden Centre. In the meantime, if you are feeling a bit frazzled, hang in there, WE CAN DO THIS.

Hugs Kath xxx

Simon Says - Let It Snow

Hi Everyone...welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog. Thank you for joining us for last week's challenge and we hope you can join us this week too because

The  challenge will run for two weeks, so you have until January 1st to join in the fun. I hope you all have a very Happy Christmas with your family and friends and that Santa will pop down your chimney with all the things on your crafting wish list.

The theme for this week is...

LET IT SNOW

I created a card with a Scottish Winter theme, inspired by the recent snowfall on the Cairngorm Mountains and the resident herd of Red Deer who have made their way down the mountains into the forests in search of food and shelter. I used Tim Holtz/Sizzix Pine Branches 3D Texture Fade on the background, Forest Shadows, Cool Yule and Festive Words Thinlits with colours of Distress Oxide Inks inspired by the heather that grows on the mountains. However, I have yet to see any of these magnificent creatures wearing spectacles or a scarf, just saying.

I coloured a panel of Distress Watercolor card using Shaded Lilac and Wilted Violet Distress Oxide inks.

I spritzed the back of the panel with water, placed in the Tim Holtz/Sizzix Pine Branches 3D Texture Fade, ran through my die-cutting machine and dragged the Wilted Violet Distress Oxide ink pad lightly over the raised detail.

I die-cut Tim Holtz/Sizzix Forest Shadows from Distress Watercolor coloured with Twisted Citron and Rustic Wilderness Distress Oxide inks and layered across the bottom of the panel. I die-cut the deer or I should give him his correct title of stag, from Distress Watercolor card, coloured with Antique Linen, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Oxide Inks. I die-cut the moustache, nose and glasses from Black Distress HeavyStock and the scarf from Simon Says Royal Purple cardstock and added a checked pattern with a Sakura White Gelly Roll Pen.

I fixed the deer to the panel, popped up on foam squares. I die-cut the Festive Words Thinlits and snowflakes from Twig and Stump Thinlits from Simon Says Purple Cardstock and one from Distress Watercolor card, fixed in place with Distress Collage Medium. I added splatters of Dina Wakley White Gloss Spray and added Trinity Stamps Frosty Snowflakes to the centres of the die-cut snowflakes.

You can find all the products I used over at Simon Says Stamp, just click on the links below

Why don't you pop over to the Monday Challenge Blog and check out the amazing creations from my very talented Design Team mates and as always you have until Monday 1st January, 2024 - 8am Ohio time...1pm UK time...2pm CET to join in with the chance to win a $25 voucher to spend online at Simon Says Stamp

You can also follow Simon Says Stamp on Instagram

and if you use Instagram...

please add #sssmchallenge to your entry uploads so we can see them on there too

I look forward to seeing what you create this week...

Have Fun and Happy Crafting

Hugs Kath xxx

A Happy Accident Trio

Hello my friends, after all the hectic Christmas card making and present wrapping, I decided to have some me playtime with Simon Says Stamp Embossing Folders and Distress Oxide ink backgrounds. Things didn't quite go according to plan but I had a bit of a "what if" moment and embarked on a rescue mission with my Black Soot Distress Archival ink pad and here are my trio of "happy accident" cards.

I began by colouring 3 - A2 panels of Distress Watercolor card with Distress Oxide inks using mini round blending tools. From Left to Right - BluePrint Sketch/Evergreen Bough/Wilted Violet - Twisted Citron/Lumberjack Plaid/Rustic Wilderness and Twisted Citron/Rustic Wilderness.

I misted the back of the first panel, placed it in Simon Says Verdant Ornaments Embossing Folder and ran through my die-cutting machine only to discover I had placed it the wrong way round and the pattern was debossed instead of embossed on the colour side. 

Just as I got ready to start over, a distant memory of an old technique jumped into my head and I  grabbed my Black Soot Distress Archival ink pad. It was a nothing ventured, nothing gained moment as I dragged it repeatedly over the panel and I confess the rescue mission result definitely had the wow factor.

I repeated the process on the second and third panels using Simon Says Holly Jolly Embossing Folder, added flicks of Distress Resist Spray on all 3 panels, sprinkled with Simon Says White Detail Embossing Powder and heat set to create a snow effect.

The embossing folders were definitely going to be the stars of the show so I kept the sentiments simple, die-cut from Distress Watercolor card using a mix of Simon Says Handwritten Christmas, Holiday Cheer and Merry Frame Wafer dies and fixed in place with Distress Collage Medium.

The motto is, don't be quick to give up on the disasters my friends, take a minute, sit back and wait for that "what if" moment to turn things around.

Hugs Kath xxx