Two shaped cards

Rather than rectangular or square cards I decided to make a couple of 'shaped' cards.

I seem to have used these two digis a lot this Christmas - the Snowman is a Free Dearie Dolls image and Santa in Bugaboo's 'akvsantapresents'.

The first card I cut into a 'sweater' shape for

Catch the Bug's Holiday Chaos Celebration

'My Ugly Sweater - use red, green and silver and a snowman'

I just cut around the Snowman, coloured him with Promarkers and stuck him to my card base.

I added green buttons and Silver stars and Stickles.

My second card has a rectangular back and a 'parcel' shaped front.

This is also for 

Catch the Bug's Holiday Chaos Celebration

Favourite Holiday Treat

I picked

Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles - Make your card a shape other than Square or Rectangle, 3 pieces of Bling & Ribbon

Again I used Promarkers to colour the digi and added glitter.

I used some Bobunny DP from the Mistletoe collection, and green card from my scraps.

I added various pieces of ribbon, red gems, a silver bow and a glass bead for the hat 'bobble'.

I am also going to link this to

Holly Jolly's Christmas Challenge

and

Polkadoodles & Studio 12 Christmas Cheer

Happy Crafting!

Little gift box

It is so good to have access to my Big Shot and my dies again -

 they have been in storage for 4 months

 between packing in Abu Dhabi and unpacking in Mumbai!

Anyway I was thinking about putting up the Christmas tree and maybe making some little gift boxes to hang on it - maybe for a few sweets, or a walnut whip (ever my favourite!)

In my die box I have the Sizzix Box, long triangle.

I chose some pretty paper and...

I attached the ribbon with a brad (from Naif Street in Dubai) before glueing two side flaps - the base folds in and can be opened.

I then thought about decorating. During the Summer I came across the Tim Holtz snowflake rosette die - I have used his plain rosette die a lot - see my photo to the right.

 

You really need a glue gun to make these as the folds need 

a quick drying glue to keep them in place.

These were made using the same double sided paper as the box.

Version #1 

My next version uses Bugaboo's akvsantapresents - I printed it quite small, cut it and a backing oval with nesting dies and decorated it with Promarkers and glitter.

I am going to link this to Catch the Bug's Holiday Chaos Celebration

December 2nd - gift wrapped

and also

Stamping Dragon Design Challenge - gifts and decorations

Happy Crafting!

Thin dies

Over the last few months I have added several 'very thin' dies to my collection - I have been waiting patiently for my stuff to be out of storage so I could get at my Big Shot!!

I first used the 'poppies' and found it pretty hard to remove the image - so many thin stalks!!

However my friend Stella suggested 'powdering' the die before using, with my anti-static embossing bag - and yes, it was much easier!

So what did I do with them?

I will show you some of my makes...

Firstly with the 'Cheery Lynn' 'Owls with gears' - just a square card blank matted with Christmas red card. I printed  HOOT HOOT HOOT on my computer, cut it to size and added it with some twine and three owls. Hope it amuses you!

I am submitting this to

Crafter's Cafe Anything goes #40 - red and lots of it

My next cards all feature the lovely flourish - the one that I think looks like fireworks!

I thought this could be a New Year card.

I used blue and silver shiny card in the die and glued it to black card on a blue base.

I used the same black and blue cards for the sentiment which I stamped using the chalkboard technique (Here is a Splitcoaststampers tutorial showing how)

I am linking this to Merry Monday Use the Chalkboard technique

at Always Playing with Paper

I still had three flourishes cut in different colours so I chose three different coloured card blanks:

I am submitting this design to 

Catch the Bug Holiday Chaos celebration

The image is a Freebie for the December 3rd challenge.
I used non Christmas colours and bling - "Christmas Treats and a glass of milk"

The sentiment is a free stamp from Get Stamping magazine. I used Promarkers for the mouse and black Versafine for the sentiment. The toning matting card is from my scraps - and I added a few gems.

So this is linked to Catch the Bug December 3rd Challenge

I am also linking it to

Seemacrafts Challenge 

and

Treasured Times Challenge #9

Happy Crafting!

A couple of sketches or so...

My first sketch is from Seize the Sketch Challenge #9

A lovely simple sketch...

 I always have lots of 'bits and bobs' around my craft room -

 I save everything and like to recycle!

I came across this tag that had been on a Mother's Day gift from my daughter - very sparkly!

I layered it up and trimmed it and adhered it to a card base matted and layered with black card then a turquoise DP (from my scraps).

Finally I stamped the 'Christmas gift' stamp from 'Stampendous' in the corner.

I am submitting this to

Seize the Sketch Challenge #9

My next sketch is Stella Says Sketch #147 and is part of Bugaboo's

Holiday Chaos Celebration

I decided to use Digi Darla's Holly and Berries again -

 coloured with Promarkers and with gems added.

Although I bought this digi it is available as a Freebie with

Digi Darla's Copy Cat Challenge 91

The image and its matching oval mount were cut using the Big Shot and nesting dies.

I used white card, Christmas red card for the banners, DP from Papermania's 12 Days of Christmas and a Paperchase Christmas paper ribbon.

I am submitting this to 

DDC#91 Copy Cat

Stella Says Sketch #147

Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes

Scrapping Everyday Miracles Christmas Challenge

Through the Purple Haze Challenge

I am just going to add one more card to this post...if you have been reading my blog before you will know that I recently moved to India - but still wanted to make and post all my usual Christmas cards. I was rewarded by a couple of my first batch arriving in the UK in 4 days! Fantastic! Not sure about other parts of the world!

 I am now about to post my 3rd batch.

Anyway because of posting around the world I have been trying to make small, light cards as far as possible. This is a very simple one using a purchased tag to complete it. Just some red card, Papermania DP and a stamped image:

I am submitting this to

Shabby Tea Room #195

and Crafter's Cafe Anything Goes #40 - Red and lots of it

Happy Crafting!!

Gertie Goose

If you read the comments on my last post you will see that Kris B surprised me with gift of one of her digi sets as I was first to enter the Imagine That  December Challenge

I chose the Gertie Goose set!

I noticed one of the example cards on the website had this cute sentiment:

'Snow Much Fun'

Usually I use the outline digis and colour them myself but for these cards

 I used the pre-coloured image...

I printed the sentiment on my printer with a few snowflakes. I added glitter to the images and matted them and layered them as shown. All the papers were from my scraps and the ribbons with paperclip were the final touch.

  

The next set of cards - simple easel cards - used the same matted and glittered images.

This time I just added a bow...

I then saw this digi lying on my table...this digi is a Free Dearie Dolls one.

All is did was add a little colour with Promarkers and cut it out.

I mounted it on blue card which I had matted onto a white card base.

Finally a few gems and 'buttons'.

I am submitting this to Delicious Doodles Challenge 'Inspired by a Movie'

'The Snowman'

Happy Crafting!