Christmas

Black & White Christmas

Hello again. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the end of the alphabet, and therefore this challenge is for the letters ‘Y’ and ‘Z’. The Christmas themes for these letters are:

Y is for Yummy (food) and Z is for Zebra (black & white or stripes)

Here is my card:

I obviously followed the black and white Christmas theme, creating what I think is quite a dramatic card.

I took an A2 panel and stamped some Gina K Designs snowflakes on a random pattern all over it, then cut it down slightly and matting with a piece of black card to create the edge.

The black banner/label for the centre is from The Greetery, and the die cuts out this filigree frame – but I decided I wanted all the details of the frame to stay in place, so I placed them all back in and applied some double sided tape to the back – keeping them secure.

The sentiment was stamped, then die cut with the matching die.

The final touch was to add some black gems to the snowflake centres, and a couple of smaller gems in some of the white spaces.

I hope you can come and join us for our final challenge of the year with your Christmas creations following one or both of our themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations – let it snow

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Addicted to Stamps & More – Christmas

Fab ‘n’ Funky – Christmas

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Merry & Bright & Poinsettias

Hello. I have a card to share inspired by several challenges. For this card, I went back to my card making roots by using several Sue Wilson/Creative Expressions dies, and by creating an 8 x 8 inch behemoth:

I was sorting out part of my stash the other day, and found several packs of Creative Expressions card – the blush pink and the gorgeous bronze metallic – I just had to use them for this card.

I did originally have a 6 x 6 inch card base, but I just couldn’t fit everything on there, so I found some larger pieces of card – stored away ‘safely’ and found after quite a few minutes of searching….

\\teh red and two white poinsettia were created using die sets which are dated from 2016 (!!) all elements die cut from Heffy Doodle card stock for the red, and Neenah for the white. I layered them together after curling the leaves a little to create some dimension on the flowers.

The centres of the flowers were created by punching some holes and using what we would normally discard….

I remember having to create some boxed for these cards in the past as there was so much dimension – I guess I’ll have to do that again with this card.

Anyhoo – I matted the card base with the bronze piece, ‘gutting’ the inside by die cut some of the foliage, extra die cuts from another piece of card.

I also die cut some green foliage, but I didn’t like the look of these when I was putting everything together – good for another future card I think….

As the flowers were white, I used a piece of the blush card stock, ran it through my Big Shot Pro with an older Creative Expressions embossing folder, then adhered to the bronze, then the card base.

I arranged the florals and foliage, playing a little, then search through the CML app for find a larger Christmas sentiment I could create using dies only – and this Tim Holtz one seemed to fit.

I die cut the words with red, then also layered them a couple more times with the blush – in case I couldn’t glue them together perfectly.

All elements were attached – the flowers with 3D foam tape, and the foliage and sentiment with glue.

So – this card was a trip down memory lane for me. I reminded me that the products I have had for years can still be used, not to forget them, and it also took me back to my mum – she is the one who got me into die cutting for cards. I tried to stay away from die cutting for ages – but eventually succumbed – and now I prefer die cutting and creating more than stamping and colouring. Thanks Mum….miss you……xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of thanks not taken

Festive Friday – 3 items from the list – red, white, Christmas sentiment

Sparkles Forum Christmas – Christmas and poinsettia

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

A Cat Christmas

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Sue J is hosting, and she has chosen the theme of

A Cute Christmas

Here is my card:

After my sojourn into CAS cards the past few days, I went all mixed media for this one – a little messy crafting.

The blue card base was created by using glitter stencil paste through a Simon hurley snowflake stencil. This was put aside to dry, then I created a panel with mica sprays, some water droplets, some dribbling of water, let that dry, then used the same snowflake stencil and the same glitter paste on top. As the paste is translucent, it gave some shimmer and shine, whilst also allowing the background colour of both panels to shine through.

To frame the red panel I cut it down so it would exactly into a black die cut tag frame from AALL & Create, cut out of a black shimmer card stock.

The main cat image – more cats there than I actually have – but only just…….is also from AALL & Create, pre-die cut, added with 3D foam, then the foiled sentiment added to the top of that.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our ‘cute Christmas’ theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and critters

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

12 Months of Christmas Link-Up – Christmas – option of ‘sleigh it’ not taken

Creative Artiste – anything goes mixed media

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

Elf Christmas Cheer

I have another card created as I was inspired by the current challenge at Festive Friday and the list they provide, of which you have to use at least three items mentioned to create your card:

I used the Hero Arts die ‘Peeking Elf‘ and cut it out of white to use as a base layer. I then used red and green for the clothing, a light brown for the hair, and a blush card stock for the face. The die cuts the image out complete, but does have little snippy bits for you to cut so you can layer the image together, almost like paper-piecing.

The eyes were black gems. also from Spellbinders.

Once he was created, I took a piece of gold shiny card stock from Spellbinders, die cut with a stitched rec tangle die, and used one of their embossing folders, added the peeking elf to one side, then added a gold foiled sentiment.

The gold embossed panel was adhered to the card base with 3D foam – a couple of little pieces for underneath the hands – and the card was done.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Festive Friday – Christmas Colours, Elf, embossing folder,

Making Spirits Bright

I had chance to paly with a new product yesterday, and created this card – and two more……

I used the colours for the current Color Hues Challenge – Teal and Silver – and the die from Pocket Full Of Happiness – now stocked in one of our UK stores – the Folk Snowflake Background.

This is such a versatile die – you can certainly use any colours to create this, and you can paper-piece – which I did here – or use additional dies to create a more dimensional look.

The first step was to die cut the plate three times – teal, matt silver, and then some silver glitter card stock.

I then created a 5 inch square card base by cutting down a 5×7 inch card base, then added a piece of double sided sticky sheet to the card base, then attached the teal background.

The glitter and matt silver pieces were then inlaid back into their spaces – thank goodness each of the pieces are able to be pieced anywhere. I couldn’t begin to think how long this would have taken me if the shapes were all of a different size…

The sentiment is a silver foiled strip, and I thought the jaunty angle on each end was a whimsical touch.

As I had die cut three whole background panels – I was able to create a couple more cards, just by changing the background panel and the inset pieces around:

Is there such a thing as a three-fer? Well, there is now…

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

A Cut Above – anything goes with a die cut

Color Hues – teal and silver

Craft Rocket – Christmas/Winter

So Very Merry

Hello again. Having just returned from a few days away with hubby to Tenerife, I was itching to get into my craft rom and play with some new products which were part of a recent Online Card Classes class. I watched the first day of class whilst away, but still have to catch up on the rest.

I started by gold heat embossing the ‘Easy Repeat Holly‘ background stamp from Concord & 9th and Kristina Werner using the Taylored Expressions ‘Gold Sparkle’ embossing powder, then used the matching layering stencils to colour the image. On the holly leaves, I used two tones of green, the darker towards the base of the leaves to create some dimension.

This panel was then cut down slightly and attached to a white card base.

The snowman was die cut, glued together, and set to one side, whilst I gold heat embossed the sentiment, then used the matching die to cut it out.

When I placed the snowman and the sentiment on the background, they seemed to get a little lost, so I die cut a circle of vellum, attached the snowman and sentiment to the front of it, then glued it down – applying glue only behind the two die cut pieces.

I shall certainly be watching the rest of the lessons for the class, and I’m sure I shall be utilising some of the techniques demonstrated with these products.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Tic Tac Toe – top right diagonal to bottom left – snowman/snow – gold – Christmas sentiment

Creative Knockouts – time to be merry

A Cut Above – anything goes with a die cut

Stencil Fun – use stencils – option to use some gold taken

Craft Rocket – Christmas/Winter

Build Me A Snowman

Hello again. Caz is hosting the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz, and she has chosen the theme of:

Build Me A Snowman

Here is my card:

I wanted to try out the die set from The Greetery I had for a while, and finally managed to obtain a few of the honeycomb additions.

The snowman was die cut and assembled, then the honeycomb added. I used small black gems for the eyes. These honeycomb elements are fun, but I definitely have to hand this to the recipient…….

The background blue was embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder, the silver foiled panel was created by using a background toner panel – I think from Picket Fence Studio, but I may be wrong there. It’s the first time I’ve used the toner panels with my Gina K Fuse machine – how quick and easy is that? I did have to watch one of her YouTube videos just to make sure I had the correct heat setting, but I did play with several panels on this machine and therefore have a few on hand for future projects.

I cut the snowflake foiled panel with a Pinkfresh Studio die, and cut the centre out – the snowman kinda got lost without die cutting that centre out.

No sentiment, I think it’s pretty clear what time of year this is meant for….

I hope you can come and join us with your projects following our theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Addicted To Stamps & More – die cuts and/or stencils

12 Months of Christmas Link-Up – Christmas – option of sleigh not taken

Christmas Bingo – column O – no stamping – free – gems

Love To Craft – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

ABC Christmas Challenge – W and/or X

Hello again. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘W’ and ‘X’, Fabiola is hosting, and the Christmas themes are:

W is for Wings and/or X is for X-stitch – any stitching

Here is my card for the theme of ‘wings’:

The birds were created first, and by using the ‘Birdie Friends in Winter’ combo. The birds were die cut, then ink blended using the matching layering stencils. Two of the birds have hats already, but I also die cut and ink blended another couple so I could clothe all of them with those cute hats.

The background panel was put through an embossing folder and attached to a card base.

The five scalloped pieces were die cut then ink blended with a couple of pink tones – I thought these pinks would be good for the background of each bird – allowing the blue and red on the birds to stand out.

These pieces were attached to the background in a jaunty fashion, the birds attached with thin 3D foam, a gold foiled sentiment added, and some gold gems also placed around and about.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations following one or both of our themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and critters

Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge – Christmas and festive wear

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Greetings For This Holiday Season

I have another card to share after being in my craft room for a few hours yesterday – can you tell hubby has been away for a few days? Lots of crafty play time…..

I used quite a few Spellbinder products to create this card, but the skates are from Memory Box.

The card itself is a larger 5×7 inch as I knew I wanted to get more on it than usual.

For the colour scheme, I wanted a teal for the skates, and red for the cardinal and flowers, so I searched through my colour cubes to see what background colour would work with those colours. There were serval darker options, but I wanted a lighter background,

The background panel is a piece of sage card stock, cut slightly smaller that the card base to add a white border, bringing in some of the white on the other elements. This panel was then embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder.

I then set to die cutting all the things

The memory box skates were die cut using teal, white, and silver card stock, then layered together. I stitched red twine through the holes for the laces, then set them aside.

The sled was die cut in silver and white, then glued together, before turning to the flowers, foliage and the bird.

I used a combination of glue, 3D foam, and small pieces of spare card to attach all the elements, playing with the arrangement a few times.

The final addition was the sentiment, layered a couple of times for stability, then gold gems added to the centre of the poinsettia.

A lot of die cutting, but that is actually my favourite way to create.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and critters

A Cut Above – anything goes with die cuts

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Christmas (Or Not) Bingo – column O – no stamping – free – pearls/gems/enamel dots

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Fill Your Heart With Joy

Hello. I have certainly been having some crafty play this weekend. I have another card to share using products from yet another virtual event from 2024 – I really need to organise the products from these events and play more with them.

The tree image was stamped onto white card stock and white heat embossed – all the white on the tree is from this embossing. I then used three tones of green from Pinkfresh Studio and ink blended – light at the top, going darker further down the tree.

After wiping excess ink from the white embossing, I then used the matching die to cut it out.

The background panel was dry embossed using a cover-plate, then using my green blending brush – no further ink added – I then lightly went around the edges to create a subtle halo effect in the centre of the panel.

The sentiment was heat embossed in silver, and cut out with a circle die. I used the same silver embossing powder to create a panel out of which I die cut some foliage. I also ink blended a smaller panel in the green, and used that to cut out more foliage.

After sticking the background panel down, I die cut two more trees from white card stock and layered them together, adding the coloured tree on top. This was stuck down to the panel, the foliage added, and then the sentiment added to the top of the tree – I didn’t want it obscuring too much of the tree – hence the placement at the top.

The final addition were three clear drops – just three – I restrained myself…..