Christmas Cheer!

Well we had a lovely Christmas Day (allowing for the fact that both Mr Eiglas and I were not, and are still not, well) and all the family arrived at one point or another. It was a particular success on the present front with none of the presents being either duplicate or lame!

We have an understanding in our family. We each have a Christmas list featuring everything from a chocolate bar to a Porche so all coveted items are listed but no price-range and no indications are there so the surprise isn't spoilt.

The baby, Ada, was amazingly well-behaved and enjoyed herself thoroughly, ripping open mountains of prezzies and holding court with a motley collection of adoring adults.

Ada loves Pluto

...and with Dolly's feeding stuff.....

....and opening more prezzies!

The Eiglas Clan!

Our beautiful daughter Bev cooked dinner, with the assistance of the lovely Antony, and it was really, really delicious! A total triumph! Bev's only 25, not particularly domesticated and has never cooked Christmas dinner before. In fact, she rarely cooks at all, having a good cook in Antony to hand. But it was lovely!

She did Turkey, Lamb, roast parsnips, carrots and two different roast potatoes, carrot& swede, sprouts with pancetta and the creamiest mashed potato I have ever tasted!

Two different gravies, pigs in blankets and two different stuffings completed the main course. Starters was brown toast with two different pates and afters were provided by our number two son Michael and his girlfriend Raechel who brought all home-made produce - carrot cake, yule log and berry jelly (which was made form scratch, not Rowntrees) and they were all gorgeous but my fave was the jelly - very juicy and thirst-quenching on my sore throat!

I really hope you had as good a time as we did. It was only family and it was quiet - no partying or fighting - just the way we like it!

Lovely!

Hugs,

Ei

x

C.R.A.F.T 30 - Reindeer Template Card

This week at C.R.A.F.T the theme is 'Free For All', which is a description of my house at the moment!

Between the deccies, the pressies, the wrapping paper, the craft-stuff, the Christmas card making stuff and an 18 month old granddaughter trying to cuddle an 18 year old cat whilst an on heat Bichon Frise awaits an opportunity to mount either of them and me with a lurgi, it's a madhouse!

I didn't think I'd make it this year - I'm usually well-ahead of the game at this time of the year, but I'm afraid there's a certain charming young lady who, although perfection in herself, has stopped my crafting gallop decidedly!

This week her Mama has been doing her preps for Christmas. She's had her hair done, her various important little places plucked, waxed, threaded and tweezered. She's been exfoliated, moisturized, teased and moulded into a vision of scrummy Mummy perfection whilst yours truly is dessicating and generally ageing by the nanosecond! I've no idea where my mirror compact is, let alone have an idea what my eyebrows look like! I'm covered in ink, glitter and glue, my nails are broken and stained and I have milk soaking into my top, just above my left boob, but ya know what? Ada is happy and enjoying her crafting and can use felt-tip pens and 'real' scissors not to mention the weaker of my paper punches and on a foray into TKMaxx, preferred the paper punch of a Scottie Dog to a teddy bear - how cool is that?! My gorgeous daughter is naturally beautiful but I'm very happy swapping pampering with quality brainwash time with my fabulous and very cool granddaughter!

My effort for this week is a steal from a card I saw at my friend's house years ago. I thought it was very cute and so here's my version of it. If I knew the origins of it, I'd credit them but I'm afraid she didn't know either!

The reindeer is a very simple shape which folds at the shoulder and head and the blanket folds back to reveal your greeting.

You can leave it plain at the back or face it with another piece of card but as the shoulder-fold bends the back 'forward' you'll need to decorate at least that bit. Even better, use double-sided card! I just didn't have any ds card of the right colour so I stuck the first reindeer shape to another piece of tan card and cut round it.

I used a bit of wool for the forlock and red glitter paper for the antlers.

I've made a black line template for it so if anyone wants it just leave a comment and I'll forward it to you.

I think it would be easy enough to change the head and feet to represent lots of different animals too!

Hope you like him!

Hugs,

Ei

x

Three Cards of Non-Traditional Colours

A Spoonful of Sugar want us to use Non-traditional colours this week so I have a bronze and ice blue card......

..........an orange and chocolate card.......

.................and a pink and lime card.........

...so take yer pick!! LOL!

The bronze and ice-blue card has a Magenta stamped image which I matted onto bronze stardream card.

The chocolate orange card has an image of Santa which I think is an Anita's stamp and on a further stardream card in champagne.

The pink and lime card is mainly Bazzil and Sizzix!

Thanks for looking!

Hugs,

Ei

x

Monique.....

....is Mo Manning's angel and I think she's pretty special! Coloured with Copics and matted onto gold barked mirri card the onto a texted vellum and mounded onto an A5 card.I may tak eanother phot tomorrow in the daylight as ths one's not so good!

Hugs,

Ei

x

Snowman Kiss

Challenge 20 over on Incy Wincy has a green & red theme and just by coincidence I have indeed made a card with a....red and green theme! How good is that?

I would say they suit each other!
Well, back to the cutting mat.....!

Hugs,

Ei

x.

Blue Sparkle Santa

Sophisticats 13 have a fab challenge this week requiring 'Snowflakes & Sparkle' which I have on this card. I've also used this week's sketch from Sketch & Stash and think they suit each other really well!

Sketch & Stash also want a little info on the stash used!

The background paper was a freebie about two or three years ago in Scrapbook Inspirations and I've never got around to using it!

The glitter card is from DCWV and is having it's first airing this Christmas alhtough I've had it well over twelve months - same goes for the blue peel-off greeting. That was in a bundle from C&C a good three years ago - how can you tell I don't use peel-offs very often!!

Hope you like it!

Hugs,

Ei

x

It's Prizegiving Day at C.R.A.F.T !!

Here's a copy of the e-mail I sent to Claire, the boss over at C.R.A.F.T this evening!

Hi Claire!

I've done the mammoth task of going through every entrant and comm for the last two weeks and visited every blog and tested every link!
It was a very difficult and carefully thought out decision but all in all I think Doreen made me laugh the most - the woman's crackers! So she's first place for my digis.
However, it was not a straight-forward decision and I AM a Libran, so I also want to give Craft-Princess some digis !!
Jacqueline (Jack-in-the-box) definitely deserves the Candy for managing to follow and link despite not having a blog! LOL!
I have an extra two awards, however.
I have a set of photopolymer stamps for the lovely Neon Rainbow for her delightful meanderings and an extra-special award for Rozzy, for being the only entrant to actually do everything I asked exactly correctly, including technique suggestion, a logo and linking! LOL! She was the exception that I managed not to confuse!

I enjoyed, totally, visiting everyone's blogs (...and I did visit them all despite not leaving comms on all of them due to lack of time...) and consider myself privileged to be in the midst of so much talent! I wish I had more candy to give! Perhaps some more digi's later on.....!

So, If I could have everyone's addresses, cyber and terrestrial, I'll pack up all the little prizes!
If it makes life easier, you can just copy and paste this e-mail into the blog!
Hugs,
Ei
X

PS I just got my new PC today and I haven't even put it up yet because I was doing my duty first! LOL!

...so we have our winners!

Congratulations one and all!

I've already despatched the digis to the peeps I have e-mail addresses for and am just awaiting address details for the rest.

Hope you all enjoy your booty and I look forward to seeing your creations!

Hugs,

Ei

x

C.R.A.F.T 28 DT - Happy Christmas Birthday

This week over at C.R.A.F.T, the theme is 'A Christmas Birthday'.

My cousin's birthday is on Christmas Day and it's always driven her mad that everything is Christmas themed and many times peeps have said 'I just got you the one big pressie...' when it's not been any posher than a normal present!

But I couldn't just use a plain birthday card for this demo card - that's not the brief! I hope my cousin forgives me.....!

Plain white cardstock scored, folded and added to to make my usual 21cm square card. Papermania's Home for Christmas range provided the backing paperand the rest of the stuff from stash.

It's a Mo Manning image and is coloured in Copics then mounted on lipstick red pearlescent paper and then onto green Astralux. The green nat I created by using a Nestie to draw around to make a mat bigger than the Nesties available.

The flowers are cheap spray from Wilko and the branch punchies are from Martha Stewart.

Hope you like it!

Hugs,

Ei

x

Winter Twins

For my 'Making Cards For Christmas' thread over on Trimcraft, last week's winner Cardmaker has chosen a theme of traditional 'red, green and gold plus some flowers' for her theme this week.

Every week the winner receives one of my digistamps as a prize and this week the prize is 'Winter Boy' which is the boy in this image below. In this image he's seen with his twin sister and they've been having fun with a sled!

It's a very simple composition using a text background from DCWV (...I think...!) and flowers & ribbon from stash.

The image is coloured with Copics - of course!

Hope you like it!

Hugs,

Ei

x

Super Candy from Wiccababe.....

The lovely Weewiccababe (Debbi) is celebrating her 20,000th hit on her blog with some amazing candy from Lettraset! Debi has been lucky enough to be involved with creating a fab new craft gift box from Lettraset and is offering this giftbox as candy on her blog plus three other prizes including two runners up!

I haven't really used ProMarkers - as you know, I'm a Copics girl - but I'd love a set to try out and this gift-box looks the business!

Pop over to 'The Crafty Cuttings of Wiccababe' and see if you can win!

See ya there!

Hugs,

Ei

x

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge 27 prize

I am sponsoring this week's C.R.A.F.T Challenge and have some text stamp sets for someone to win!

The winner can choose between Wedding Words, Christmas Cheer or General Verse and they are made from photopolymer, a material which stamps well in most media and unlike some of the cheaper acrylic stamps, you can use them with Staz-On. I've been using my brand logo stamp with Staz-On for over six years and it's still clear & distinct.

Here is the 'Wedding Words' set in Edwardian Script (app. 28 point) which is perfect for wedding cards, invites etc. and below is the 'Fab Wedding' set which is a bit fancier.

Fab Wedding
This is the Fab Wedding set.

Look forward to next week !

Hugs,

Ei

x

C.R.A.F.T 27 - Christmas Gift & Secret Saturday 61

For this week's theme on C.R.A.F.T we have 'Christmas Gift' so I've made a Journal/photo album/scrapbok and a matching giftbox.

I have taken photos and will upload instructions when I get another nanosecond to myself!

I'd like also to enter this into Secret Saturday's Challenge which this week is matching sets!

Hope you like it!

Hugs,

Ei

x

Eiglas Digistamps

Who would like a set of my Christmas Digistamps for free?
As you may know, I don't sell my digis - I make them mainly for my own use and I give them for prizes on my thread but as it's now getting quite close to Christmas, I wondered if anyone would like the full set - for free - to use on their Christmas cards.
I know not everyone likes digistamps or sometimes, don't really know how to use them but I'd be happy to help with instructions if required.

If you would like:-
Rufus the Reindeer,
Bear Hugs,
A very Cheeky Snowman
Merlin up the Christmas Tree
Merlin Mesmerizing A Chocolate Santa
and/or
Puss In Boots
or a selection thereof, just pop over to the C.R.A.F.T. challenge and tell us why you'd like them!

The offer runs until Wednesday 2nd December

All these digis are on my gallery here and on my Trimcraft gallery too so have a lickle look if you're not familiar with them. The reply that makes us laugh the most will get them!

Hugs,
Ei
x

Some lovely Eiglas Candy......!

As a special Christmas bonus, I've decided to give one lucky C.R.A.F.T follower the stash in this photo.

There are no less than eighteen Christmas-themed peel-off sticker sheets - six each of gold, silver and white, which include borders and corners.

In addition to this I'm offering an exclusive set of Eiglas clear photopolymer (not to be confused with the cheaper acrylic) stamps. They aren't on sale anywhere so you can't buy them and they're a nice large text so they are great for titles on both cards and scrapbook pages.

They include the following words which can be used in any order on an acrylic block.

Christmas Greetings Across The Miles From Loving Daughter Partner Mum & Dad House My All !! With Love Special Us A Wishes At Best To You Family Your Our Son Time.

The font is 'Black Chancery'.

If you fancy this bit of Christmas Cheer, all you have to do is to go over to C.R.A.F.T, make yourself a follower and tell us in the comms section what you'd like to see as a challenge on C.R.A.F.T.

You just then link back to your own blog so we can see what you do!

Simple!

For an extra mystery prize, add the C.R.A.F.T logo to your sidebar!

This candy will run until Wednesday 2nd December when we will announce the lucky C.R.A.F.T -er!

Hugs,

Ei

x

Look......Snowballs!

This week on Trimcraft, the Making Cards For Christmas thread's theme is Snow, Silver and a Christmas Creature.

I'm pushing a point here and using my own Very Cheeky Snowman digistamp!

He's coloured with Copics (of course) and glittered and mounted on a large round Nestie which in turn has been trimmed with a glitter border.

This has been mounted on 3D foam and stuck on a previously prepared 21cm square white cardstock. The silver foil square is edged with my Martha Stewart Gingerbread man border stamp (...okay, it's not a snowman but it's near enough...LOL!).

I think it's fairly clear that the 'snow' is cotton wool!

......I'm laughing my socks off at the moment because I've just realized that it looks like the snowman is creating the snowballs from his bottie! LOL! Totally unintended naughtiness there! So I'm leaving it in!

Hope you like him!

Hugs,

Ei

x

Award from Eiyiyi

A recent good buddy, Eiyiyi has very kindly given me this lovely award, which I've placed in my sidebar. I've had this same one from both Spyder and CraftyCheryl too and cherish it from all of them - it's lovely to know peeps think well of you and your work.

Thank you Eiyiyi - much appreciated!

Hugs,

Ei

x

The Four Seasons - Secret Saturday 58

This is my entry for Secret Saturday's Challenge 58 the theme of which is 'The Four Seasons'.

I was chuffed this theme was chosen because I have this set of stamps, which were amongst the first I ever bought, and I love 'em! I've made a set of pictures for my hall walls with them and have been dying to use them again. I already had them stamped up and coloured meaning them for just this opportunity.

I made up a little verse to suit each of them and hope you like the mini-book I've made with them.

I took four pieces of plain 'rustic' white cardstock and put them through my Bind It All, one side each on two of them and both edges on the other two.

I then started to decorate the cards and used a very similar method on each, just changing the colours chosen to suit the season mentioned.

I used Cut and Dry foam and Adirondack, Archival and Tim Holtz distress inkpads in a 'distress' style all over the edges of the cardstock.

I stamped random edges of Spring, Summer and Autumn with some lovely 'swirl' stamps from La Blanche and Winter with a large Snowflake stamp, all in complimentary colours.

Then I mounted the image on 3D foam to the decorated A5 cards.

I then created some paper 'ribbon' by taking some quilling strips and cutting them lengthways into thirds.

Using this 'ribbon' I joined the four cards together, stapling the ribbon together.

(You could also use brads for this or 'real ribbon and tie it.)

This done, I now finished off the decorating with flowers, butterflies, leaves, berries and glitter.

Oh, and I must just mention, the images were coloured BEFORE I discovered Copics! I used Marvy-le-plume, Zig photo-twins and Sakura pens! So there! LOL!

I hope you like it, because I really enjoyed making it and even have an idea for a variation, so may well do it again!

Thank you for looking!

Hugs,

Ei

x

C.R.A.F.T. DT 26 - Insprational Photo

For this week's C.R.A.F.T 26 challenge it's an inspirational picture of a Georgian Pillar-box in the snow by Liverpool University, that my husband took about two years ago.

I wanted the photo because the pillar-box is in Abercromby Square where my great great grandparents lived in the early 1800's.

It was an extremely swish area in those days and residents each owned a key to the gated garden in the middle of the square.

I found it really interesting and not a little weird that these great-great- grandparents lived in such a magnificent building - the whole thing, not a flat -

and must have used this little pillar-box regularly!

(I was going to upload a photo of the house but my external hard-drive has just fallen over!)

For the card

I used a lovely pearlescent deep red card for the base but being thrifty, I gutted it!

I then used a printed & embossed cardstock in blues and whites with snowflakes on, scalloped the edges and with my Martha Stewart snowflake border punch, made a white border which I attached to the printed mat with sticky-dots.

This was then adhered to the red 'frame'.

Another white border came out of my 'bit-box' and was married to a red organza ribbon and topped with a red velvet ribbon, the whole being adhered to the completed double mat which was adhered in turn onto a plain white scored & folded 21cm square cardstock.

My image was next.

The photo my husband had taken, was opened up in my Paint-Shop Pro graphics program and 'fannied about with' (...techie term...LOL!) until I got the effect I liked.

I then printed this off in duplicate, coloured them both with my Copics and decoupaged the pillar-box, shaping it by folding slightly on the lines of the hexagon. I stuck it on with silicon glue to keep the deep shape (though you can't see it well in the photo)

I then used Liquid Applique in white to make the snow and glitter to create the frost on top and snowflakes falling.

When I punched my border, it had created little star-like confetti, so I stuck a couple of those in the sky and topped them with little white gems.

Lastly, I drew a little robin and decoupaged that too.

I then mounted the picture onto red glitter paper, stuck it onto the card and finished of with three big snowflakes and a selection of frosty branches!

Hope you like it!

Thank you so much for looking and for leaving the lovely comms you do!

They're all appreciated and I do try to get back to each of you personally .....eventually!

Hugs,

Ei

x

Winter Wonderland 24 - 'Wishing you a Purrr..fect Christmas!

Here's my Winter Wonderland entry - not sure if I'll be in time but here goes!

I actually made the other card first then realised I'd forgotten the sketch! So I started again and here's the sketch!
I had nothing in my stash relating to panto, so I created this Puss In Boots digistamp especially for the challenge.

I coloured Puss with Copics and the papers are from Paper Adventures ' Holiday Joy'. I've mounted the rectangles on Bazzil Bling in the light green to tone with Puss's coat and hat and the red ribbon, feather and flowers are from stash

Hope you like it!

Hugs,

Ei

x

Wishing you a Purr-fect Christmas...! Allsorts 27

The lovely Winter Wonderland have a theme of Panto this week. I had absolutely nothing in my bought stash that would come close to translating so I created a new Eiglas digistamp for the occasion!

Allsorts 27 have their challenge up today and theirs is 'something for the kids'. I cast my memory back about thirty years and recalled 'Puss in Boots' as being one of my children's favourite panto heroes, so 'Puss in Boots is was!

The fly in the ointment was I forgot the Winter Wonderland sketch! LOL!

Never mind eh.....! I'll try to do another quick one for WW.....

Hugs,

Ei

x

My Nic's Christmas Card

I've made my Hubby's Christmas card using two of my Merlin digistamps. Nic misses our big boy too but blokes don't express it very well, do they?

I've used K&Co's Swell Noel papers and coloured my digistamps of Merlin with Copics .

I hope you'll excuse a re-do of these two images - I'm afraid I really like them! LOL!

Thank you for looking and I hope you like it!

Hugs,

Ei

x

Colour Create 31 - Blue, Silver & White

Colour Create 31, this fortnight, has a theme of Blue Silver & White, with additional options of Winter & Glitter.

I've used another of my Eiglas digistamps on this card - Bear Hugs - and coloured the image with Copics.

I've used torn white card and Bazzil Bling, mounted over blue Bazzil Bling to make the snow, bordered with Martha Stewart 'Snowflakes' border embossing punch. I've added glitter with a glue-pen to make the frost and stars, simple silver glitter-paper trees and finished off with a silver organza ribbon.

Thank you for looking and hope you like it!

Hugs,

Ei

x

C.R.A.F.T 24 DT card - '....come to me...come to meeee....'

For this week's C.R.A.F.T challenge 25 we have a recipe! One ribbon, one tag and one sentiment.

For the image I've used another of my own digistamps 'Merlin Mesmerizing a Chocolate Santa...' coloured with Copics.

I'd also like to enter this card into the Secret Saturday Challenge 60 where the theme is ........Christmas Trees! LOL!

I hope my greedy Springer Spaniel doesn't put Mr Linky off!

Papermania 'Home for Christmas papers are used, the lace was from the local market, the ribbon from stash and I hand cut the scalloped cardstock with fancy edged 'Cloud' scissors. The punched border is a Martha Stewart snowflake border punch.

Hope you like it!

Hugs,

Ei

x

A Lovely Award from Peggy.......

I had a lovely surprise when I came on here just now. As well as some lovely comms on Rozzy's Snowman card there was a message from my team-mate Peggy, who has kindly selected my blog for an award!

It also appears, I have a few questions to answer.....!

1Where is your cell phone? On charge at the other side of the room.

2.Your hair? Auburn and long with 'blonde' bits creeping in...

3.Your mother? No longer with us but completely crackers when she was!

4.Your father? Also gone and much missed.

5.Your favorite food? No favourites - I like anything & everything provided it's beautifully cooked.

6.Your dream last night? Remembered! I dreamed about my lickle granddaughter

who has recently had her bottle banned by her Mummy and I was trying to give her milk from a water bottle with one of those spouts on! She's only 18 months and I guess it bothers me even more than I thought!

7.Your favorite drink? Water

8.Your dream / goal? World peace & love.

9.What room are you in? My studio.

10.Your hobby? Crafting/writing/reading/painting.

11.Your fear? Harm to my family.

12.Where do you want to be in 6 years? Same but a bit richer, perhaps another grandbaby!

13.Where were you last night? Crafting until approx 5:15 am

14.Something that you are not? Jealous, mean, dishonest, unkind, materialistic....thin.....

15.Muffins? Shouldn't but do.....

16.Wishlist item? Bungalow (....sore knees!)

17.Where did you grow up? Liverpool

18.Last thing you did? Eat Bananas & ice-cream with family!

19.What are you wearing? Easy clothes

20.Your tv? Which one? My studio one is small Pacific with built-in video for craft-recording

21.Your pets? My beautiful dog died last year but I have a cat, Tabitha and I 'borrow' my daughter's Bichon and my son's Labrador.

22.Best friend? I don't have just one. I have three. I also have some very very good cyber-buddies.

23.Your life? Very full & busy! Grandbaby Ada sees to that!

24.Your mood? Mostly happy.

25.Missing someone? My beautiful Merlin. I will never stop missing him......

26.Vehicle? Meriva

27.Something you are not wearing? My watch.

28.Your favorite store? TK Maxx

29.Your favorite colour? Don't have one. Depends on what the subject is. I like my grass green, my earth red-brown and my sky various colours. White is good for snow.....etc....etc...

30.When was the last time you laughed? Earlier with my son & his girlfriend and my Hubby.

31.Last time you cried? When I wrote about Merlin five minutes ago. I cry about him all the time.

33.One place I go over and over? Calderstones Park, Knowsley Safari Park, Scotland

34.Facebook? Not much

35.Favorite place to eat? Home

Apparently I have to pass this one to five other victims -- I mean good friends with nice blogs! LOL!

Cheryl, who has had a bad time this week but who is mega-talented whether she know it or not.

Pattie Who has the most amazing projects

Lisa Who always has something nice to say

Eiyiyi A new buddy!

HopeJacare Always has time for her team-mates

I hope you all enjoy your awards!

Hugs,

Ei

x