Well plenty of crafting lately, but none of it the 'take all evening over a card' kind. Here are some I made to go in a decorated tin for a Christmas present.

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

I really should get a move on with my Christmas card making - this is only the 3rd one I've made so far!
I used the sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You for the card layout, and made some of the lines from the sketch with the extra fold at the front of the card - went for a really traditional look, with papers from K&Co Christmas Cheer.

Thanks Nicki

It was a nice surprise to receive this award from Nicki today - I haven't come across her blog before, so have been enjoying looking at her lovely cards.
It made me realise that I have been a really anti-social craft blogger for quite some time - I couldn't think of people to pass the award on to even, except 2 friends that I made when I was a more committed craft blogger! (see below). I changed my old craft blog ('Madness at the Malting') into our family blog, when I felt that crafting was taking over a bit, and wanted to re-prioritize things. I started this blog because I still love making, but I suppose I kind of forgot that there are so many great bloggers to mix with!

1. Copy this award to your blog

2. Link to the person who gave you this award

3. Identify 7 interesting facts about yourself

4. Choose 7 other bloggers to pass this award on to

5. Link to their blogs

6. Leave them a comment to let them know about this award

OK, these are the friends I would like to pass the award to: Pesc and Mariska - lovely people and great crafters!

I nearly forgot my 7 interesting things! Just read my other blog and see if you come across 7 things interesting enough. (Sorry - I have a cold right now, and it hurts to think!)

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

I started on Christmas cards at last! I stitched a felt gingerbread man together, and filled

it with wadding to make a Christmas ornament that can be removed as a little gift (It is just stuck on lightly with a couple of glue dots). The card layout is based on the 2 Sketches 4 You sketch.

PP: DCWV Christmas stack

Scallop edge cut with Sizzix scalloped card die

Cuttlebug Snowflake Embossing folder

Art Warehouse Christmas circle stamps

Martha Stewart craft paper stickers

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

My brother and sister-in-law had a baby girl this week - hurray! I'm an Aunty again! I'm so glad things went smoothly for them.
I wanted to make a very pink 'fluffy' card, and based this on the sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You.

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

I really should be starting some Christmas cards at some point, but this card just kind of made itself! I saw the sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You, and it shouted Window Card to me...

Card Patterns Sketch Card

I had some nice Melissa Frances products come in the post today, and made this card with them using the sketch from Card Patterns.

Daring Card Makers Punch Challenge

The challenge at DCM was to use a punch, so I used a Stampin' Up one that I've hardly ever used. I also decided to use up lots of old alphabet sets that I have accumulated - rub-ons, chipboard, stickers and stamps - and thoroughly enjoyed making it!

Papertake Weekly Challenge card

I used the sketch at Papertake Weekly Challenge for the layout for this card. My little nephew's birthday is coming up...

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

Another baby card - a very simple one this week, based on the sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You.

Mojo Monday Challenge Card

Lots of friends' birthdays coming up this month - I need to get making some cards because I have nearly run out somehow! I made this card based on the sketch at Mojo Monday, with K&Co Tag Pad, glitter shapes and spotty ribbon, and Basic Grey Papers.

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

I've been feeling a bit left out lately - it seems most my friends have either just had babies or are pregnant! I thought this card could be used as either a baby girl or baby boy card - with the lovely colours from the Cosmo Cricket Earth Love range. The card layout is from 2 Sketches 4 You's latest sketch.

2 Sketches 4 You - Bonus Sketch Card

My daughter is 12 at the weekend, and is having a Cupcake themed party, so I made her this birthday card to match! Kim's Bonus Sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You was helpful for it.

All the papers are from K&Co Sparkly Sweet, with Sizzix Alphabars chipboard numbers.

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

I have been working on some cards for Christmas gifts recently. I bought some nice tins to decorate and fill with blank cards. I've kept the designs fairly simple, and have had the challenge of including a few male cards. I used the 2S4U sketch this week for another male card. These are the ones I've made so far - will do another few yet.

PP: Cosmo Cricket and K&Co

Chipboard: Sizzix star

Sentiment: Fonts printed from www.dafont.com

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card (Book!)

I love books and am often borrowing them and lending them. I made this book so I can keep track of them. I used the sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You, turned on its side, for the front cover.

PP: K&Co & MM
Chipboard: Cut with Stampin' Up Sizzix Alphabet & Flowers

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

A birthday card for Scott's Nan, using the sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You. Using a challenge sketch really makes me have a go at different things! It's the first time I used my new Stampin' Up Sizzix Alphabet, and I love how simple the letters are - other Sizzix alphabet styles have never really appealed to me that much, but this I like!

All shapes: Sizzix
Chipboard: Mountboard cut with Stampin' Up/Sizzix
Papers: Bazzill and Basic Grey Sultry
Ribbon & Brad from stash

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

I think this card is going to be for my sister - she has a very cute sock monkey collection, and I've been meaning to use this K&Co paper for ages for her. For the circle, I cut out an old frosted plastic notepad cover that I'd saved, and stamped it with the sentiment from Art Warehouse (I think). I cut the scalloped edge with one of the big Sizzix card dies.

Cute Card Thursday: Stitching Challenge

I treated myself to some new crafty stash this week, including the massive Sizzix die that cuts out these scalloped cards. I also bought the little square Cuttlebug embossing folders, and a couple of things from the new K&Co Madeline range - tried them all out here!

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

I was a bit stuck with the sketch at first... thought it had a more masculine look, so no bows/flowers/scallops on this one!

I used 2 of the new Cuttlebug embossing folders, and sprayed the corrugated one with silver Glimmer Mist, and layered it onto some Crate Paper. I cut out stars from the other embossed cardstock, and raised up the ones behind the sentiment with foam pads.

The monsters and sentiment are from Dafont fonts, printed out and covered with different coloured Stickles.

Caarvarks Challenge Card

Amazingly I'm running out of birthday cards!! Here is one using the cute sketch challenge from Caardvarks.
Card stock - Bazzill edges
Paper - Stampin' Up
Chipboard - Colorbok XYZ, and Sizzix Stars with Stickles
Sentiment - printed on PC using a Dafont font

Baby Shower Gift / Papertake Weekly Challenge

I'm going to a baby shower for a friend tonight - I got her some Sanctuary goodies, and wanted to make a little wall hanging for her baby boy when he arrives too. I wouldn't normally put orange into a baby boy colour scheme, but it matched the Sanctuary packaging colours really nicely! I started off using the Papertake weekly Challenge, though it got rather adapted I'm afraid...

'Thanks for the TV' card!

I haven't done any crafting for a while, but wanted to make a Thank You card for some friends of ours who gave us their old telly, after ours blew up!
I had a look at some challenge blogs for inspiration, and actually based this card on four different challenges - so much help I didn't really need to do anything myself :) The layout is from 2 Sketches 4 You (always love them!), the Caardvarks challenge was to make a window card, Cute Card Thursday was to use stitching - real or faux, and Daring Card Makers was to use Blue and Green together. Anyway, here is the result....

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card & Father's Day

Some more Father's Day things (I'm pretty sure they don't look on here!) - the top one for my Dad used the 2 Sketches 4 You Sketch. I wanted to do like the acrostic poems you used to do at school, with each letter of the word standing for something. I really liked all the definitions which went with the letters FATHER, from the Stampin' up Define your Life set, so used them here. I also made my Dad a blank recipe book - he is collecting together recipes that he uses in France when he is out there working on his holiday house without my Mum.

The bottom card is one I worked on with Harry, my 3 year old yesterday for his Dad. Apparently Scott has a slight rick in his neck!

Cute Card Thursday: Tag Challenge

A Father's Day card for my Father in law, using the Cute Card Thursday challenge to use a tag.

Cute Card Thursday and Daring Card Makers Challenge

The DCM challenge to use some kind of Music on your card had me thinking... I liked the idea of blasting the message out, so came up with this, and combined it with Cute Card Thursday's challenge to use Numbers or Letters. I used K&Co Amy Butler papers, a cornet printed on cardstock, from a music font on Dafont (tonnes of great free fonts!), and Autumn Leaves and SU stamps.

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

I adapted the 2 Sketches 4 You sketch to make this birthday card for my nephew. I used a white uniball pen for the stitching details and put some of the segments up on foam pads. The papers were old DCWV glitter ones, and just other scrap stuff.

Card Positioning System Challenge Card

I'm making some Thank you's for my birthday at the moment - this one is using the CPS sketch - for the circle in the sketch, I cut a window using a Sizzix Clearlit, and glued on a string of buttons I had threaded together. The card is all from DCWV Blossoms & Butterflies, with Stickles coating the butterfly punchies. I don't know what it is with me and orange at the moment...I used to NOT like orange, but I've used it on every card lately!

Mojo Monday Challenge Card

I started off with a really loud MAMBI paper for the background of this sketch, and when I added the extra panels it looked too much, so I made one of the panels from clear acetate and stamped on some simple Stampin Up images instead. The acatate is stuck on with mini foam pads, which are hidden with dots from a Doodlebug glitter alphabet. I used some Doodlebug Sugar coating at the top and bottom edges of the card too. I seem to really be into glitter and bright colours lately!

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

I had fun making this one - lots of sparkles (using Stickles), and free-hand rainbow and flower. The flower is kind of meant to be like the sun to go with the rainbow. I put acrylic paint round the edges and sprinkled white glitter on while it was still wet. The rainbow and leaves are stuck on with about 300 mini foam pads! (Slight exaggeration...)

Caardvarks 'Quote' Challenge Card

The postlady bought me some new Gel-a-tin stamps today, and some Doodlebug Design Sugar Coating Glitter, so I hade a nice little play on this card. I stamped the Stampin' Up quote with Staz On, onto acetate, and stuck it onto the card with a chopped up foam pad. I hid the foam by glueing gems over the top. You can't see it too well, but I finger-painted the edges of the card with acrylic paint and sprinkled more Sugar Coating on while it was still wet, so it's quite a sparkly card. Some of the other glitter details were done using Stickles.

Caarvarks 'Trees' & Wednesday Stampers Card

I wanted to make a birthday card for Scott's Grandad, and the challenges from Caardvarks to use Trees, and from Wednesday Stampers to use orange, gave me the idea for a more masculine card. The stamps are from Stampin Up - for the trees, I peeled the rubber off a roller wheel, cut the images to separate them and mounted them on EZ Mount. I got the leaf cutter from Stampin Up too (a Sizzlit). The paper is Basic Grey.

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge Card

Wow I am so fickle...I've taken up vegetable gardening in the last few weeks, and not had a single thought of cardmaking. I think I'm finally getting a bit bored of peering into my new beds every 3 hours or so now though, to see if anything has grown, so last night had a look at the challenge blogs.

I made this card with the 2 Sketches for You sketch.

Also, I saw the idea of printing digital papers onto ribbon, so I had a go, but my printer wasn't very impressed with having ribbon fit through it, so I tried stamping onto ribbon instead. It works pretty well! I used chalk inks onto cotton twill. You can't really tell in the picture, but I added Stickles to the ribbon too, on the butterfly wings - it's pretty. I liked making this presonalised ribbon for a birthday present!