ABC Christmas Challenge – ‘W’ and ‘X’

Hello there. I am hosting the new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge for the letters ‘W’ and ‘X’. The theme chosen for these letters are ‘Winter Wonderland’ and ‘Xtra Special’.

I have a prize on offer for the winner – chosen by a random generator – so every entry has a chance to win:

Thirsty Brush and Co – stamp and die set – Home For Christmas

You can enter as many times as you like – as long as you follow the winter/Christmas holidays or festivals – and you have followed the theme for the current letters.

Here are my cards:

Both of these cards are a combination of ink-blending, die-cutting and adding glittery stuff, with the second card also including some Copic colouring.

The Winter Wonderland card is utilising the new die set from Tim Holtz – Colorize Holiday Village – but changing the colour of my village to two shades of red instead of brown – I wanted a brighter look to the card. I did have to watch YouTube to figure out what to glue where – and in what order!

I added some mountains behind the village and an ink blended sky – which actually came about quite by mistake……. I did the ink blending, then used a Lawn Fawn stencil and some glitter paste to try and create some stars – but when I took the stencil up it moved and scraped along the sky. I tried to take the glitter paste up with a spatula – but it just swept the glitter across the sky………my idea of a happy accident. A very glittery sky now, with the distress inks showing some of the stars anyway. Oh yeah!

The Xtra Special card was also ink blending, but with Distress Oxides – two red colours and Wilted Violet along the edges to darken them. I liked the look of the violet so much, I used that as the main colour for my characters. Purple penguin and bird anyone!

I decided to add some white acrylic splatter to the background, and then also added some white gel pen into the areas which I thought looked a little open.

There is some glitter and sparkle on this card too – once I have the stuff out then I’m gonna use ’em! Nuvo drops on all the itsy bitsy tiny tree lights, sparkle pen on the other baubles and the snow on the lodge – oh, and the pompoms on the hats too.

I hope you can come and join us – it’s getting closer to the time when we have to think about what Christmas cards we have and also think about sending them cards out…….I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Winter wonderland card:

Aud Sentiments – anything goes with a sentiment

Christmas 24 Challenge – Christmas Landscape

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Xtra Special Card:

Jingle Belles Rock – Christmas and Creatures

Color Crazy Challenge – week 43 – anything goes colouring

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with critters

Crafty Animals Challenge – anything goes with animals

Christmas Cards All Year Round – for or with family or friends

Penguin Christmas Cheer

Hello everyone. I have a jolly and fun card to share today:

I wanted to make a card using these three penguins from Simon Says Stamp – and kinda started from there really.

Die cut and put together, I turned to making a scene for them.

Using some Crafters Companion glitter card stock, I die cut two hills from a Lawn Fawn stitched hillside set, then took some light blue card stock and three blue Distress Oxides to create the sky. This was then splattered with some white acrylic paint.

Once the card was put together, I decided to put some winter/Christmas hats on the penguins, so I searched in Color My Life app and came up with these three hats – stamped, Copic coloured, and attached as you see.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Christmas Blog Challenge – Christmas and Penguins

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – atg Christmas

Crafters Café Blog Challenge – atg

Christmas 24 Challenge – Christmas Landscape

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – atg Christmas

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CAS Christmas Joy

I have a very CAS card to share today:

As with most of my CAS cards, it took me ages to get what I wanted. In the end I used a combination of dies from several companies, layering each of the letters and even the wreath with several layers of card stock.

I knew I wanted glittery letters, and that wreath from Sue Wilson fits in perfectly. The nit too me a little while to find a bow thw right size…..but I out the ‘bow’ word into the search part of the Color My Life app – and it came up with this Mama Elephant bow from a tag die set – the perfect size for what I wanted.

Onwards with my card making – after a lunch time MS Teams meeting.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – atg Christmas

Craft Rocket Challenge – add sparkle

Color Throwdown – Kraft, red green, chartreus

AAA Cards – CAS maxi white space – option of stars not taken

Christmas Fairytales

Hello once again. A new challenge has started at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. As always, the theme is anything goes Christmas. Here is my card:

I may have mentioned previously that I have been buying a lot of Christmas ephemera packs – and not knowing what to do with them. This is a card made using several items from several packs.

The sledding paper was not altered in any way, just adhered to the card base. I didn’t think it needed anything doing to it there is vintage colours and splatters galore so I left that alone.

I added the flower, leaves, and sentiment as you see – no messing, no fuss.

I hope you can come and join us for this challenge. I look forward to seeing your creations.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper – atg with patterned paper

Crafty Creations Challenge – atg

Crimbo Crackers – atg Christmas

Alphabet Challenge – Old Folk

Hi there. A new challenge has begun at The Alphabet Challenge. We have reached the letter ‘O’ – and Dawn has chosen the theme of ‘Old Folk’.

Here is my card:

Aren’t these couple of ladies looking like they’re having fun? The image is from Jan’s Digis, manipulated a little in ‘Word’, adding the sentiment – playing with the layout and layering options – then printed, coloured with Copics, and die cut with MFT ‘Wonky Squares’ – just for a little more craziness…….

When I saw this digi stamp months ago, it reminded me of my bestie. We have always said we would be old and grey and still partying…..just like these two ladies here.

Just to say – we are already grey – though the hairdressers we have do a marvellous job :) :)……….and the ‘old’ bit? Well – it’s a frame of mind and not birth years I find….though sometimes I definitely feel older than my years.

Anyhoo – I hope you can come and join us for this challenge – I can hardly wait to see your creations using this theme – I am sure there are going to be some laughs along the way……………. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge – birthday cake or cupcakes

Crafty Sentiments Designs – anything goes

Colour Crazy Challenge week 41 – anything goes colouring

Jan’s Digi Stamps Challenge – anything goes colouring

Cardz 4 Galz Fall/Autumn

Hello. A new challenge is beginning at Cardz 4 Galz, and this time the theme is ‘Fall/Autumn‘ – but not Halloween……….!

Here is my card:

The background is embossing paste through a Catherine Pooler stencil, one I created previously – so I’m not sure which paste I used – but it does look golden and metallic!

For the the leaves, I used Concord & 9th ‘Thankful leaves‘ stamp and die set, and Concord & 9th card-stock.

The two leaves are using purple and orange, and for each leaf I inlaid the cut-out pieces to create reverse coloured leaves – if you see what I mean. Purple leaf with orange inlaid pieces, and orange leaf with purple inlaid pieces. These leaves came together quite easily, it was the placement of the leaves and sentiment which took me a little while to sort out…….

The sentiment banner is from a Concord & 9th ‘Everyday Bouquet‘ die set, and once die cut, I used my Misti ‘Cut-Align’ to just cut a tiny little piece off of each side – even the ends – so that it layered nicely.

I use the cut-align tool quite a bit when I have sentiments and die-cut banners for which I don’t have one slightly smaller – it is a great tool for that kind of thing.

Once I had placed the leaves and banner, I thought the card needed just a little more – just a little – so I die-cut the sprig from the ‘Everyday Bouquet’ die set and added as you see.

And there’s more – I added some clear cabochons. To me, these represent the rain which will fall in Autumn – well – that’s how my mind works sometimes…..

I hope you can come and join us with your fall /autumn themed cards – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Shopping Our Stash – Autumn/Fall

Use Your Stuff – Autumn/Fall

Stamplorations stencil Challenge – use a stencil

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – layer it up

Ephemera Christmas

Hello once again. A new challenge has started at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. The theme is always anything goes as long as it’s Christmas. Here is my card:

This card is completely outside of my comfort zone….I have been so loving the kits and packets of die-cut Christmas ephemera from Craft Box UK and 14 Craft Bar – that I bought them without knowing what the heck I was going to do with them!

I don’t use ephemera like this, I don’t know what to layer with what – but I had a good time making this card. I just dumped the three packets in front of me and played. I actually made three cards – but this one I particularly like with the deer and her baby.

The wood effect behind the deer is actually part of the packaging for one set – I liked the neutral distressed look to highlight the two deer – and then the sentiment and branches and mistletoe and pine cones – I just had fun placing them.

I hope you can come and join us for this challenge. I can’t see to see what you create. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Crimbo Crackers – anything goes Christmas

Moving Along With The Times – animals and/or birds

CAS Christmas Cheer

Hello there. I have a CAS card to share today utilising some new goodies. Here is my card:

Using the colours for the current challenge at Color Throwdown, I first stamped the Stampin Up trees using Concord & 9th inks cubes, then die cut them with the matching stitched triangle dies – also from Stampin Up.

As these trees had a pattern, I die-cut the Tim Holtz deer – a new die set just released – out of dotty paper from Clearly Besotted. I die cut all the deer, but these are the two I chose for this card. The rest I put back into the packet of dies for future uese.

I placed them on the card, then decided I wanted to created a hillside, so as this card measures 7 x 5 inches – my go-to card size – I find the slimline dies more than adequately cut the length. I used the Lawn Fawn die set, decided which part of the hillside I wanted, then stuck down as you see here.

I didn’t stick the deer down fully, as well as the feet and legs being quite thin and narrow – I like to leave them and the antlers unstuck. I think it creates some movement on the card.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – purple, green, khaki

A Bit More Time To Craft – anything goes

Allsorts Challenge – winter scene or snow

Stamplorations CAS October Challenge – CAS – option of grey and orange not taken

Looking for latest Challenge Here Click Badge Below

Alphabet Challenge – Navy Blue

Hello there. The new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge is ‘N’ for Navy Blue – the creation must have navy blue as the dominant colour. Debbie is the host this time round. Here is my card:

I decided to play with my alcohol inks for this card and create the background panel. I don’t have much luck when I combine colours, so I thought just using the one colour – Denim – would be perfect for my limited skills.

I think I did about 4 or 5 layers to this – waiting for the drying in-between – it took me a while because I had to watch a Tim Holtz video again on the difference between using alcohol itself and blending solution – and even now I couldn’t tell you the difference – it may sink in at some point -no pun intended.

Once I ad created the background panel and it was drying, I die cut the Simon Says Stamp Crocus flowers three times for each one – then stuck them together for dimension. Three layers to each flower – which actually came together quite easily, despite the numerous gaps and holes in the die cut.

On the off-cut from the panel, I die cut the sentiment, then backed it with a white layer.

I wanted a frame around the panel, so I cut a piece of card slightly smaller than the card base, and die-cut a rectangle for the window, and assembling all as you see.

I hope you can come and join us for our ‘Navy Blue’ challenge – I look forward to seeing you there. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Fab’N’Funky Challenge – birthday

Through The Craft Room Door – anything goes

Crafty Friends Challenge – use more than one die

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Crafters Castle Challenge – anything goes

Arty Divas Challenge – anything goes

Cardz 4 Galz ‘Retro’

Hello once again. A new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz, and this time the theme – chosen by Dawn – is ‘RETRO’.

The main aim of our challenge to create cards or other paper-craft items for the girls in our lives. Some of the entries to our more recent challenges have not fulfilled this requirement – unfortunately – and we have not been able to comment on those entries. Please be sure to read the rules before entering.

Here is my card:

I should let you know – I had to contact the rest of the Design Team about this challenge – I have no idea what ‘retro’ means, especially when it comes to card making.

Here are the explanations I was given:

Retro is old but not old enough to be called vintage or antique. Think back to fashions, toys or sweets from your childhood. Or design styles and icons from the 60’s 70’s 80’s etc. Kind of a modern vintage…………

I have given it a go with this card.

The background is a Uniko stamp set called ‘Mid Century Modern 2‘ and I feel has a vibe to match in with the explanantion I was given above.

I stamped twice – side-by-side – in Concord & 9th pink ink, then clear heat embossed. I’m not sure why the embossing was uneven – maybe the powder is off or I didn;t get full coverage – but I quite like the effect actually. I little more interest.

I then used the Uniko ‘Big and Bold Happy’, stamped in grey ink, then used the matching die to cut it out, and using the saem ink of the ‘everything’ word from the same stamp set.

I like the mix of grey and pink, and think the whole card is ‘girlie’ but bold with it – maybe a little like me! :)

I hope you can come and join us with your creations – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Bit More Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafty Friends Challenge – use more than one die

Inkspirational – angle it

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes