Apologies for the long absence

Well, I'm back - although there's no guarantee my postings will be very regular from now on. There really don't seem to be very many hours in the day at the moment.

We got back from Dublin on the 9th of January to a much colder England than we left. As we got to Oxfordshire, we hit freezing fog, which isn't much fun when your water jets freeze up too!!!

Last week we finally got round to having a look at the TV we won at the Christmas Ball - only to discover that there's no remote with it and you need a remote to tune it all in. Typical. Bet they got it at a discounted price due to the fact there's no remote!!! Just our luck! So, it's back in the box for now.

We were also supposed to have the 2.5 and 5 yearly electrical test done on our house. This was originally supposed to happen back in October but we had to cancel it, so it was rescheduled for the start of December. We both spent ages cleaning the house and making sure all the plug sockets were accessible (which isn't easy when you've got a room full of craft stash and removal boxes around the house that still haven't been unpacked since last January!!!). To cut a long story short, that was then cancelled by them and rescheduled for the 18th January - and then the 2nd of February - and then again til the 20th February. I wouldn't mind but I have to clean each time. It's exhausting!!!!

So, hence the lack of cardmaking. I've been trying to sort out the carnage of my craft room after the mad cardmaking spree of December for Christmas. (It really was horrendous - and to be honest doesn't seem that much better even now!!!)

I've only managed to make three cards since I returned from Ireland - not at all productive!!

And each of those three cards were belated birthday cards as I didn't manage to finish them until the day before their birthdays!!

Now, more for my own reference, although there might be the odd mad person out there who is still making Christmas cards and wants some inspiration (I'm certainly not one of them!!) I shall upload the rest of the Christmas cards that I made last year.

Red and Blue Edwin with Lantern

This was actually the last card I made but it's the card I made for my darling husband. I think he was actually quite impressed with it, and if I say so myself, so am I.

The image is one that was very kindly donated by Alex (Eisbaerin) that I watercoloured using the Whispers Brushstroke markers and then cut out.

The glass on the lantern was highlighted with a clear Sakura glaze pen.

A circle was cut out and stamped using the Stone Texture stamp from the Judikins Artefacts Cube using Whispers Chestnut Permanent Dye ink, which was also used to distress the edges of the circle. This was matted onto blue paper cut out with the Dovecraft Postage Stamp decorative scissors.

Patterned papers from the HOTP Christmas Ultimate paper pack were matted onto the card blank. The red paper was stamped using one of the swirl stamps from the HOTP Swirl stamp set and a mini snowflake stamp from the HOTP Christmas Motifs stamp set, both using Versafine Crimson Red Archival Pigment ink.

The greeting was cut out from the art in the HOTP Christmas Ultimate pack and matted onto the blue and red papers.

Red and Green Holly Jolly

This was the last of the Penny Black cards that I made using the images swapped with Judith B from the docrafts cardmaking forum.

I watercoloured the image the using Whispers Brushstroke markers.

Red and green papers were taken from the HOTP Christmas Creative Pack and matted onto gold mirror card.

The 'Merry Christmas' greeting circle, from the HOTP Christmas Sentiments stamp set, was stamped and matted onto the red paper.

Glittered Holly Medallion

Now this was a bit of a cheat card. I was going to just send the card that was left over from last year, but then I discovered that there was an insert stuck inside it. So, I chopped the front of the original card up and stuck the parts onto the front of an A5 card.

When I made the original card back in 2007, it was something a bit different for me.

The design was traced from a book called the Crafters' Design Library - Florals. I traced the image in pencil and then went back over the lines with an embossing pen and then heat embossed it in gold. I then coloured in the image using the Whispers Brushstroke markers and added glitter over the top. The glitter was then covered with Anita's 3D Gloss, to stop it from shedding.

The image was cut out and matted onto red and gold card, and then on to patterned paper from the K&Co Tim Coffey Christmas paper pad. Crystal Glamour Dust was then added over the top of the text on a sheet of patterned paper from the same paper pad and attached to the bottom of the card.

The last of my Christmas cards for 2008 consisted of a series of cards made using the Penny Black Twelve Days of Christmas stamp set.

Red and Green Partridge in a Pear Tree

HOTP Ultimate Christmas Creative pack

Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink

Whispers Brushstroke markers

Dovecraft Postage Stamp decorative scissors

Blue Two Turtle Doves

HOTP Ultimate Christmas Creative pack
Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink
Whispers Brushstroke markers

Anita's Metallic White 3D Dimensional Paint

Red and Black Three French Hens

Anita's Classic Christmas Black Paper pack

Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink
Whispers Brushstroke markers

Clear Sakura Glaze pen

Blue Four Calling Birds

HOTP Ultimate Christmas Creative pack

Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink
Whispers Brushstroke markers

Black and Gold Five Golden Rings

Anita's Tradional Designs paper pack

Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink

Whispers Brushstroke markers

Clear faux gem

Red Six Geese-a-Laying

Anita's Traditional Designs paper pack

Anita's Classic Christmas Gold Vellum pack
Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink
Whispers Brushstroke markers

Blue Seven Swans-a-Swimming

HOTP Ultimate Christmas Creative pack
Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink

Whispers Brushstroke markers

Blue Eight Maids-a-Milking

HOTP Ultimate Christmas Creative pack
Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink

Whispers Brushstroke markers

Pink/Grey/Black Nine Ladies Dancing

DCWV Rose Tinted Christmas Multi Stack

Anita's Classic Christmas Silver Vellum pack
Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink

Whispers Brushstroke markers

Pink Sakura Stardust pen

Purple and Green Ten Lords-a-Leaping

Anita's Naughty and Nice Christmas Paper pack

DCWV Rose Tinted Christmas Multi Stack
Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink

ColorBox Lime Pastel Fluid Chalk ink

Whispers Brushstroke markers
Papermania White Glitter Flock

Red and Gold Eleven Pipers Piping

Anita's Traditional Christmas Paper pack
Anita's Classic Christmas Gold Vellum pack

Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink
Whispers Brushstroke markers
Dovecraft Postage Stamp decorative scissors

Red and Black Twelve Drummers Drumming

Anita's Classic Christmas Black Paper pack

Versafine Onyx Black Archival Pigment ink

Whispers Brushstroke markers
Papermania White Snowflake Felt Ribbon

Well, that's should be enough to tide you over for now!!!

I'll upload the three birthday cards that I made this week later on today if I get a chance.

Also, if anyone can tell me why it is almost impossible to centre only a paragraph of text on here without altering random other paragraphs I'd be very grateful. Might have to get my html-writing hat on again - it's been a while!!!