Christmas

A Quartet of Penguins

Hello there. A new challenge has started at ABC Christmas Challenge. We have reached the letters P, Q & R, and we want to see your Christmas creations featuring the following themes:

P is for Penguins and/or Q is for Quartet and/or R is for rectangles

Here is my card following the Penguin and Quartet themes:

For the four penguins, I chose to use the Tim Holtz/Sizzix die set called ‘Winter Critters’. Die cut and layered as needed.

I die cut them all in white woodgrain card stock, then used Copics to colour what I wanted – the dark grey for black, red, and orange.

The four squares are die cut from a gold foiled panel, using Spellbinders ‘Dazzling Diamonds‘ hot foil plate.

The background is a red panel, run through with a Spellbinders embossing folder ‘Nordic Noel’, then some gold wax run gently over the top to bring out the details.

The sentiment is gold foiled and die cut, layered a couple more times for dimension.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations featuring one, two, or even three of our themes, and you can enter up to five times. The challenge finishes on Sunday 5th September.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas (or not) Bingo – column B – Christmas/red/free

Critter Crazy Challenge – anything goes with a critter

Daisy Chain Challenge – animals


A Deer Christmas

Hello once again. I was intrigued by the current colour inspiration for a Christmas card at 52 CCT to use brown, red, and green, and came up with this card:

I wanted to use this new deer die set from Spellbinders, which I thought would cover the brown part of the colours, and as you can see – I fully embraced the brown…..

I started by die cutting and assembling the deer, and then used several tones of green and a red to cut the foliage and flowers from another Spellbinders die set, as well as red for the buds. I also die cut some white flowers. I did die cut quite a few of all the elements, as I didn’t know how many I was going to use on the project.

I used a 5×7 inch card base and added a piece of brown card stock which had been run through with a Spellbinders embossing folder – I also swiped some white pigment ink over the top to catch the raised areas – almost like adding a touch of frost.

To further enable the deer to stand out a little more, I added a white circle behind him, and then arranged all the foliage and flowers around the edge of that. I just kept adding to create fullness, and am quite pleased with the outcome.

I did want to add some gold, but that isn’t included in the neutrals you can use, so I stayed with the three colours and white.

The sentiment is from a Spellbinders/Simon Hurley die set.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

52CCT – Christmas with red, brown, green

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas Bingo – column B – free/Christmas/red

CYHTP – embossing folder, option of ‘tie it up’ not taken

Critter Crazy – anything goes with a critter

Jolly Holiday at 52 CCT

Hello everyone. I was lucky enough to be the winner for previous challenge at 52 CCT, and as such took them up on their offer to be Guest Design team member.

They have started a new challenge, and it’s a colour challenge – as long as you create a Christmas card using these colours (some neutrals are allowed) – you are good to go:

Here is my card:

I used a stamp, die and stencil set from Pinkfresh Studio called ‘Berry Branch‘, stamping the image in a brown ink for a softer outline, then used the layering colouring stencils, then the matching dies.

The two inks I used you can see in the picture, making the first layer a lighter touch, and the second layer a darker touch of ink blending for the two colours.

The background panel was embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder and attached to a card base.

I stamped the sentiment – from the same suite – in a dark brown ink, then die cut that piece and added a dark brown layer behind using a smaller Pinkfresh Studio ‘Fancy Labels Frames’ die set.

I did snip the branch a little so I could paly with the layout, and attached all the elements using 3D foam.

I couldn’t decide whether to use silver or gold gems, so I thought an ombre mix of the two would work. These are also from Pinkfresh Studio and some of my most used gems.

I hope you can come join the challenge, and I look forward to seeing what Christmas cards you create using these colours. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

The Card Concept – summer by the sea or Christmas in July

Snowy Greetings

Hello there. What better why to take your mind off the extreme heat we are having in the UK – make a snowy Christmas card whilst sitting in the air con in your craft room:

This was created following the current theme at 52 CCT.

The background was created using a snowflake cover plater from Pinkfresh Studio, die cutting, pushing the snowflakes out, then backing that panel with white glitter card stock.

The two snowmen are from Waffle Flower, die cut then layered as required. The die set comes with presents for the snowman to hold, but I left them as they were -the centre of the show.

The added sentiment was foiled, then the ends cut at a diagonal.

52 CCT – Christmas and Snowman

Pink Poinsettia

I have created a Christmas card inspired by the non-traditional colours for the current challenge at 52 CCT:

For some reason, when I saw the colours required – orange, pink, turquoise – I immediately thought of a poinsettia. I’ve no idea why, but I went with it.

I searched the CML app for the key word ‘poinsettia’, and this inlay die from Simon Says Stamp jumped out at me. It is called ‘Poinsettia Cover‘ and I have had it for quite a while, maybe played with it once before.

This time, I die cut the whole plate in white, light pink, and turquoise.

I used ‘Press’n’seal’ to take each colour out of the die, which left all the pieces in place. so I could pick and choose which I wanted to take off and ink blend.

I stated with the leaves of the poinsettia, placing them onto a grip mat, and ink blending Pinkfresh Studio light pink, then a slightly darker pink onto each petal.

I then took the leaf elements and ink blended a turquoise, and put them aside to dry.

Taking a white card base, I added the turquoise frame first, then the white background panel from the white die cut, and then inlaid each of the floral ink blended elements.

I also placed back into position the small white dots, but covered each of those with ombre gems from Pinkfresh Studio.

The centre of the flowers was ink blended in orange, and placed back into position, then a clear enamel dot – from Altenew – added on top for a little more shine. This also allowed the orange to show through.

The gold foiled sentiment was added – from a previous crafty foiling session, and some more of the ombre gems.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

52 CCT – orange, pink, turquoise

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Floating Bay Window Christmas

Hello again. It seems really strange to have created a Christmas card when the temperature in the UK was over 30 degrees – but I was so inspired by the current technique challenge at 52 CCT that I just had to have a go.

The challenge was to create a floating bay window card, a couple of videos were provided to follow, and here is what I created:

Now – this card was really hard to photograph – I used a lot of silver and shiny papers, and it just wouldn’t happen whilst indoors, so I too the photos outside in daylight – though in the shade.

I followed the instructions for the base card – quite easy to follow, then found a paper pad with lots of silver and shiny Christmas sheets. The papers were cut and matted with brushed silver card stock, then attached where instructed.

For the acetate front panel, I used a piece of acetate – a long time in my stash – which had white polka dots on it, almost like falling snow, then die cut a couple of larger Pinkfresh Studio snowflakes out of white glitter card and attached them

This is how it closes to be able to be posted – please excuse the fingers holding it closed – it did like to pop open:

A great fancy fold, quite easy to put together once you understood where it was going, and could be used for all kinds of occasions.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

52 CCT – Christmas & floating bay window card

Love Those Pretty Papers – patterned papers, option of fancy fold taken

Peace On Earth – Christmas anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – Christmas anything goes


All White Christmas

I have a card to share which took me a while to make – going back to my die-cutting roots of more than 10 years ago. This is the kind of card I used to create all the time – lots of die cutting, lots of movement, lots of dimension – and large. I usually had to make boxes for these cards to go into.

I followed the current theme at 52 CCT – the theme is ‘All white‘. I wanted poinsettia dies – of which I seem to have quite a few – and used Honey Bee Stamps ‘Winter Bouquets‘ for the flowers.

I die cut the flowers out of white and also out of a white glitter card stock from Pink Frog Crafts – a local crafting shop. I created three poinsettia – alternating white and glitter card for the layers – slightly curving the petals on each layer before sticking them together.

Then for the card base – an 8 inch square ‘ice white’ card, matted with glitter card, then a frame die cut from Sue Wilson square dies. This frame has three layers for added dimension, then glued onto the glitter card.

I arranged the flowers, then thought about foliage and the sentiment.

The foliage is die cut from other Sue Wilson die sets using white card. The sentiment is from Concord & 9th – the shadow layer from white card stock and the words from glitter card.

I first arranged how I wanted everything, then glued the base of each of the foliage die cuts which would under the flowers, then stuck the flowers down with 3D foam – that way the foam could also ‘catch’ each the base of each of the foliage layers, leaving the other end of each to have flow and movement.

The sentiment was attached with a glue and 3D foam, then the finishing touch was to add some white gems – from Phil Martin – which I have had for ages. The larger of the three sizes for the centre of the flowers. with the medium and small gems for each corner of the frame.

I enjoyed going back in time to create this card – lots of dimension and movement……

I shall be entering the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown – Christmas and all white

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Mix It Up – anything goes with option of die cuts taken

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

12 Months of Christmas Link-Up – anything goes Christmas – option of Nordic Noel not taken

Christmas Crafts All year Round – Christmas with G or H – G is for Glitter

ABC Challenge H & I

Hello everyone. The new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge has started. Fabiola is hosting, and the Christmas themes for this month are:

H is for Hats, I is for Image only

Here are my cards:

H is for Hat

I is for Image only

For my first card, I used a stitching die from Spellbinders. This hat came in their Stitchmas 2025 box and was die cut with light blue and white sparkle card stock, then stitched as required with dark blue thread. I also added a couple of pearl gems to the hat.

The background was created by dry embossing a piece of dark blue card stock and a Spellbinders embossing folder, cutting the panel down slightly to leave a white border on the card base.

The sentiment is also from the same Stitchmas box, and die cut from the same white glitter card, adhered flat. More of the pearl gems added.

For my second card – I is for image only – I thought that a stand-alone Santa would be a good way to go. For that, I turned to a Simon Hurley/Spellbinders die set, cutting out the layers – of which there are plenty – and some very small elements (definitely what I enjoy doing most) and assembled him

The background is using the same Spellbinders embossing folder and the same dark blue card, but this time I ran a white pigment ink gently over the top to catch the raised areas.

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:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – Christmas anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes, option of die cuts taken

Peace On Earth – Christmas anything goes

12 Months of Christmas Link-up – anything goes Christmas

Christmas Crafts All Year Round – Christmas with a G or H item – H is for Hat


Cardinal Slimline

Hello everyone. I have a card to share for the new challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. I was lucky enough to be chosen as winner for their February 2026 technique challenge with THIS card, and as such invited to be Guest Design Team member for this challenge.

The theme is Christmas and slimline.

Here is my card:

I wanted to use this cardinal layering die set from Honey Beet Stamps, so I first created him, using three tones of red card stock adding the black for the face and feet.

The slimline card base was created – 3.5 x 8.5 inches – then a separate piece of white card added for the background, which I ran through with a Spellbinders embossing folder.

I wanted the cardinal to be framed somehow, so search through the CML app, and saw this set from The Greetery.

I die cut the oval, then used the layering stamps to create the holly frame with the berries.

Something else was needed behind the bird, so I used a ‘Filigree Capsule Border‘ die, also from The Greetery to create the second smaller oval, and used the same embossing folder to add further detail.

I wanted to add more – you know me – so I also used other products from The Greetery – the ‘Hang It Up‘ die set using Spellbinders matt gold card stock, and the ‘Ornamental Tags‘ die set for the foliage.

I wanted even more, so I also used their ‘Regency Bow No 1‘….

I then thought I was done with the die cutting and started to put the card together.

I first added the embossed smaller oval to the larger oval, added the bird with 3D foam, nipped then tucked some of the foliage behind him. The tag hanger-up thingy was attached, then the bow on top of that.

The final step was to added the gold foiled sentiment, previously created on black card stock – to tie in with the black details on the cardinal.

I really enjoyed making this card, all the techniques – stamping, die cutting, embossing – make me happy…

I hope you can come and join the team with your Christmas creations following their theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

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

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of die cuts taken

Blue & White Christmas

Hello there. I have a card to share for the new challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. I was lucky and fortunate enough to win their February colour challenge, and as such was invited to be Guest Design Team Member for this challenge.

The theme is: Blue & White Christmas

Here is my card:

I first started by stamping the image from Kristina Werner/Concord & 9th in black, then heat embossing with a clear powder. I prefer to do this if I am going to ink blend straight away, to stop any smudging.

The matching layering stencils were used to colour the image in, using blue inks from Pinkfresh Studio, adding a light shade to the whole flower petals, then a darker shade towards the centre.

The foliage was ink blended using a light grey ink, and a lighter blue for the holly leaves and berries.

Once the image was coloured, it was die cut using the matching die, and a second piece die cut out of white card stock to add some stability and thickness.

Onto the square white card base, I added a shimmery blue piece of card, then glued the coloured image straight onto that.

The sentiment is also from the same stamp/die/stencil set, die cut and attached as you see.

For added interest and a little sparkle, I glued blue gems from Pinkfresh Studio onto the centre of the poinsettia, and three smaller gems surrounding the sentiment.

I hope you can join the team with this colour challenge. I look forward to seeing you in their gallery. xx