Today's cards

Today a new friend came over and I showed her how to make a couple of cards.

The first used a mask and the second was an easel card.

This is an easel card that I made:

I had already embossed the card base using an edge die to say 'with love'.

I used red card and DP from a Papermania Capsule Collection by Jesse Edwards to cover the base, the folded portion and the stopper. The image is a Free Dearie Dolls digi, just highlighted with Promarkers. I stamped Merry Christmas at the front edge and added buttons and pearls to finish.

I am going to submit this to 

LEJ Designs Buttons, Bows or Beads

Patties Creations Challenge #81

Crafter's Cafe #39 Anything Goes

I then started on a sketch - Stella Says Sketch #146

This is my take on it - very simple - banners from papers out of my scraps

 and the image is from Bugaboo's MSChristmas Tags.

Just a little bit of colour added - in particular to make the bird into a robin!

 I am submitting this to

Less is More Week 147 Use a bird

Stella Says Sketch #146

Happy Crafting!!

Yesterday's cards

Only just getting round to writing about these cards that I made yesterday!

I saw this saying when I visited Sudbury Hall Toy Museum last month -
 I wondered then how I might use it!
I printed it on my computer and then stamped the ducks - from Stampin Up's Every Little Bit. 
 I put it together with this Bugaboo image (WINFAIRskates), coloured with Promarkers.
I matted each element on red card then attached as shown to a card base, matted with Christmas paper.
I am submitting this to 
Less is More Wk 147 - Use a Bird

The second card I made yesterday uses a Free Dearie Dolls digi.

I'm afraid it is not a brilliant photo - but the image was coloured with Promarkers,

 with added glitter.

I used red card and some festive paper out of my scraps for matting,

and added three pieces of Christmas ribbon tied together at the top.

I am submitting this to 

Seemacrafts Bright and Colourful

Happy Crafting!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For anyone who is celebrating today,

Happy Thanksgiving!

I made this card for a new friend here in Mumbai...

Happy Thanksgiving, Brenda!

A simple easel card using a 6x6 square card blank -

 I matted it with both sides of an autumnal paper from my scraps.

The stamps I used for the upper motif were from Tim Holtz Nature's Elements. I stamped around a mask in different colours and stamped the quote in the centre.

The 'thank you' is a clear Mini Stamp from Dimensions Crafts with a touch of Promarker added.

My final touch was to add gems and pearls.

I am submitting this to the following challenges:

Catch the Bug November Photo Inspiration Challenge

Digi DarlaChallenge #90 - Inspirational Photo and Quote

 Pattie's Creations Challenge #80 - Giving Thanks or Thank You

Happy Crafting!

More Christmas cards

The Shabby Tea Room's current challenge is

Week #194 'Christmas is coming'

The inspirational photo shows 

a cup of cocoa and festive treats.

I thought 'warm winter wishes'  from the Bugaboo MSChristmas tags!

The card must contain red white and brown.

Red and white - I thought gingham!

Here's my card:

A simple easel card using the red card and gingham to decorate and make the 'stopper'.

I coloured the tag with only brown and a little red for the robin.

I added a few reindeer, Candy Bonbon and gems.

As well as the

Shabby Tea Room challenge

I am also submitting this to

CHNC Challenge extra for November

So...back to trees (this years general theme for my Christmas cards!)

And this time I decided on a folded tree.

There is a tutorial for one on Splitcoaststampers

Basically you take a semicircle and fold it to make a tree.

I don't have any huge circular nesting dies so I drew around a tea plate!

I had a preshaped crad base to start - I cut and matted a matching shape out of some

 Papermania 12 days of Christmas.

I punched two holes to tie the ribbon through.

I found some golden cardstock with which to make the trees and back the sentiment.

I embossed some gold paper stars and cut them out roughly -

 these were added to the top of the trees.

The shape of the folds were defined with rhinestones.

I am submitting this to 

Scribble and Scrap 'Anything goes' Challenge #6

This card didn't really meet my criteria of being light and easy to post...

so these were my next versions...

 This time I used double sided paper which added another dimension!

I then went on to a white on white (or ivory) version:

I used an edge embossing die to first emboss my card blank.

I tried it with the mistletoe pointing both up and down - but I prefer this way.

I added rhinestones, a small star and NOEL in sparkly foam letters.

I am going to submit this to 

Always Playing with Paper - Merry Monday #85 - all white and ivory

Happy Crafting!

More trees!

OK, so I am back to the Christmas cards...

Had I made the three per week that was my New Year's Resolution,

 I would not be still Christmas card making!

Next Year!! Being part of the Christmas Fun Challenge Blog DT should help...

If you would also like to be on that DT, take a look here

So back to the trees...

I found this digi at Polkadoodles - "Camper Christmas" - very appropriate for my family!

So with a bit of colouring and matting with papers I soon made a few cards!

 Polkadoodles and Studio 12 Challenge 47 is 'inspired by a Christmas carol'

so I thought I would submit this compilation!

O Christmas tree!!

I really can't decide which I like the best - but this one I will submit to

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - One for the boys

as I will be sending this to one of my boys!

I also made a few more cards using the delicious Celtic Christmas tree

 from Delicious Doodles.

Before, I printed on white card and coloured with Promarkers

 or printed directly onto Design Paper without any added colour.

This time I printed on Design Paper and then coloured with an appropriate Promarker.

I think it really emphasises the colour of the card bases.

I think this is my favourite of these - I like the little purple stars...

I am going to submit this to 

Treasured Times Challenge #6 Non traditional Christmas Colours

Finally, still using that Celtic Xmas Tree

I started with a pink card base. I then took a piece of my lovely 

'shaving foam and food colouring' backgrounds and printed the digi directly onto it.

 Having cut the rectangle down I distressed it around the edges (with Christmas berries) and mounted it on the base.

I 'coloured' in the tree with stickles.

I then added Bugaboo's Friday Freebie of this week 'aksantapresents'

coloured with Promarkers.

I am going to submit this to 

Delicious Doodles #63 - no DP

and

CHNC 152 - for a child

Happy Crafting!

Use your craft stash...

Just to get away from my mad November Christmas card making...

I decided to use some of my craft stash...

This background paper was just in my box of 6x6 pieces.

I was given this stamp in the Summer by my friend Angela but have yet to use it -

 it's a Chloe Endean Design.

I decided on a purple theme...

I coloured the shoe with Amethyst and Orchid Promarkers and highlighted it with cool grey 1.

I printed the sentiment on my computer and cut both it and the shoe

 with nesting dies on my Big Shot and then distressed the edges.

I layered it up as shown - the sentiment is on dimensionals.

The gem flower...was in my stash...

"You can't have too many friends or pairs of shoes"

I am going to submit this to Through The Purple Haze Challenge

Happy Crafting!

Design Team Call for "Christmas Fun"

Design Team Call for "Christmas Fun"

 

Eight people are required to join this challenge blog.

 

It will go live on 1st January 2014 and there will be two teams of eight. There are already  six people (Including me) joining from Just for Fun.

 

Team A will produce a Christmas Card for the 1st of every month and Team B for the 16th, so although it is a fortnightly challenge you will only need to make one card per month! The challenges will run for 14 days each, with the day(s) in between used for judging and getting the new blog post ready.

 

There will be no sponsors and no prizes other than winner and top three blinkies. There will however, be a substantial prize to be won, for those that enter all/majority of the challenges throughout the year!

 

If you would like to be considered for a DT position go Christmas Fun Challenge Blog, please add your details to the linky and e-mail Elaine your details.

 

The DT call will run until 9th December and everyone, whether successful or not, will hear from Elaine later that same week.

 

Good luck!

 

Happy Crafting!

Holly

Last Christmas I made a lot of triple stamped cards - this holly one was one of my favourites, using a rubber stamp.

This year I found a lovely holly digi at Digi Darla Designs

These two images I coloured with Promarkers and then mounted them on red card.

But then what to do with them?

This is Seize the Sketch #8

Using this sketch I made the following:

I have some lovely Christmas red card in my stash - so I used this to fold a card base and cut one horizontal strip. I matted the starry card, also in my stash, on to the base and layered up as you see. The holly paper is from Papermania's 12 days of Christmas.

 I added red Candy Bonbon to the holly berries and a tag for the sentiment.

The stamp on this is a Stampin Up one.

I am submitting this to Seize the Sketch #8

The second sketch I am going to use is this one from Sketch~N~Scrap

Using similar elements, I made a Christmas red card base and layered it up as follows:

I am submitting this to Sketch~N~Scrap Card #13

Happy Crafting!

One more CAS with DP

I bought this Santa stamp (from Woodware)

when I attended the Harrogate Craft fair earlier in the year.

I have been waiting to use it...

But rather than stamp it and colour it I decided to stamp it on DP -

 from Papermania's 12 Days of Christmas - and cut it out!

The stamp already had a Santa hat on the S

 so I just added some felt in red and white and a white flower with a pearl...

I am going to make this a second entry in

Less is More Week 146 - CAS with DP

Having 'designed' this first one, I then realised my 12 x 12 had space for 7 more Santas...

For these I decided to use different media for my Santa hats - can you see?

I thought 8 cards from one piece of 12 x 12 was quite good - and that reminded me of the 'Christmas cracker card' - three can be made from one piece of 12 x 12.

I found a piece of two sided Christmas paper in my stash and scored and folded away!

For instructions take a look at

this

 

I used a BoBunny stamp for my motif on the front of each 'cracker',

 punched into a round and mounted on a punched scalloped circle.

The finished article...

I am going to submit this to

Polkadoodles and Studio 12 week 46 challenge - a shaped card and no die-cuts!

Happy Crafting!

To die for

This is Sketch~N~Scrap's most recent card sketch

I decided to combine this with a Polkadoodle digi I have just come across:

'Emma Canning To Die for'

As this digi features the Big Shot I decided I needed to make shapes

 with several dies for my card!

Lots of layers, washi tape and buttons!

"Keep Calm and get Crafty" is a favourite quote - this stamp is from Technique Tuesday.

I am submitting this card to

Polkadoodles Digi Choosday! Week 5 All About Craft

and

Sketch~N~Scrap card sketch #14

Keep calm and get crafty!!

Three cute cards

All three of these cards feature digis, coloured with Promarkers and

variously mounted and embellished...

The first uses Lucy Lion from Dragons Lair

I decided to make this into a Christmas card for my granddaughters adding

a sparkly bauble and a Santa with his sleigh sticker.

 The second is a Kris B design - Birthday Seahorse.

I mounted this on this beautiful paper - blue and green with a dash of silver!

The fish were in my 'bit box' and there are a few pearl embellishments.

I am going to submit this to the

 Imagine That Challenge #14 - Birthday Sea Horse

My third card is a 'Lacy Sunshine'

This is 'Little Peanut'.

The butterflies are one of my signature 'add-ons'!

From Stampin Up's Beautiful Wings I tie three together with twine.

For this card I also added three pretty pins and bling.

I am submitting this to 

Lacy Sunshine Challenge #21 - it's bling

Happy Crafting!

Today's makes!

I recently came across

Stamping Mathilda and her Sunday scraps.

Today her idea was Sunday Scraps 243

It certainly inspired me to have a go!!
This is my version - the paper tape is from Paperchase.

I then used the punched snowflakes to make these quick cards.
The stamp is a Papermania one coloured in with Promarkers.

 
But what I wanted to do today was make some ATCs,
The theme is 'triptych'.

Well, this to me suggested three panels on each ATC...

My first  was just a Stampin Up flower stamp stamped three times, coloured and layered up.

My  second - a stamp, coloured in, sliced into 3 and again layered up,
 plus a few embellishments

My third - this time I added embossed hearts in gold to a stamped image,

 again with a few embellishments.

I then started looking online at Triptych ATCs and found all manner of tri-folds and such!

So my next one opens up to see a second image inside.

This is a Lavinia Stamps digi - Zen tree, coloured with Promarkers.

I used washi tape to stick the pieces together and decorate the inside.

 

For my 5th  I used a window die-cut which I have been waiting to use!
I hope this stays together as it only has small 'hinges'!

I may yet colour in the puppy and the bird...

I sent these off to ATC SWAP UK on facebook - and India Post did me proud as they arrived!!

Happy Crafting!