Moose & Bear

I have a couple of Christmas cards to share today, made using die sets by Elizabeth Craft Designs, that I picked up in a charity shop yesterday. I used snippets of kraft and white card to cut the pieces of both animals, with tiny bits of grey and black card for eyes, paws, ears and nose), then inked around the edges using Distress Inks ('Brushed Corduroy' and 'Gathered Twigs' for the Moose, and 'Hickory Smoke' for the Polar Bear) to add some definition. I embossed squares of kraft and white card for simple backgrounds using embossing folders from Couture Creations (for the Christmas trees behind the Moose), and Sizzix (for the snowflakes behind the polar bear). I stamped sentiments (using a stamp from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz) onto snippets of kraft and white card, then distressed all of the edges before assembling.

Here's a better look at the two cards:

Challenges for these cards:

• Allsorts - Embossing (Second card only)
• Can You Handle the Pressure? - Die Cuts
• Cardz for Guys - Monochrome (First card only)
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Dies & Punches
• Peace on Earth - Anything Christmas Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (First card only)

ABC Christmas Challenge - W & X are for?

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Fabiola is the host, and the themes are:

'W is for Watercolour'

&

'X is for Xylophone'

(Photo Inspiration!)

The prize for the lucky winner is this gift certificate:

For my 'W is for Watercolour' card, I used stamps from a Woodware set called 'Sketchy Pure Branch'. I inked the two branch stamps using three shades of green Distress Inks (Evergreen Bough, Pine Needles & Forest Moss), spritzed then with a little water, then stamped each several times on to watercolour paper, inking again each time before stamping. I then spritzed it all with some more water, and allowed the inks to bleed into each other to create a watercolour effect. Once dry, I mixed gold and red Cosmic Shimmers mica pigments with water, then splattered those over the branches, and added a die cut sentiment...cut from a snippet of gold mirror card using a Creative Expressions die. I matted the watercolour panel on to some more gold mirror card...distresssing the edges a little before adding it to a card blank.

For my 'X is for Xylophone card, I took inspiration from the bear shape, and picked a Little of the Valley stamp called 'James the Bear - Little Star'. I stamped him on to a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. For the background, I took inspiration from the multicoloured bars on the glockenspiel, and picked a piece of watercolour effect paper from the 'Pastel Watercolours' pad from The Works. I embossed it using the 'Jolly Christmas' embossing folder by Couture Creations, then matted it on to a snippet of black card before adding it to a card blank. I stamped a sentiment (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous) on to a teeny snippet of black card using white pigment ink, then added that and James the Bear on to the background using 3D foam pads.

I'm also entering these cards into the following challenges:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas' - First card only)
• Aud Sentiments - Glitter and/or Christmas & a Sentiment (First card only)
• Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Elliebelle's Crafty Wednesday - Anything Goes (First card only)
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Incy Wincy - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas Card with Handmade Background' - Second card only)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (Second card only)
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas' - First card only)

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Embossed Thanks

I have a set of simple embossed thank you cards that I've made to give as a gift to share today. I picked sheets of watercolour effect papers from the 'Watercolour Feelings' pad from The Works, and 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations, and embossed them using Cuttlebug, Craft Concepts and Couture Creations embossing folders. I lightly distressed the edges, added a simple die cut sentiment (cut using one of my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet dies, from snippets of white card), then added the embossed panels to some A6 card blanks. I made two of each colour & embossed design, so there are twelve in total:

Challenges for these cards:

• Allsorts - Add a Sentiment
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - Make Your Own Background
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

Flower Bear

Today's card features a cute Woodware stamp that I got for my birthday earlier this month, called 'Flower Bear'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I embossed a snippet of bright pink card using my Couture Creations 'Crazy Daisy' embossing folder, and matted that on to a snippet of bright blue card. I cut a little speech bubble from some light pink card, then stamped my sentment (from the 'It's Your Day' set by Penny Black), and added that along with the bear popped up on some 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampers - Embossing and/or Stencils
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Daisy Hedgie

Today's card features one of the hedgies from the 'Wonderful Day' set by Penny Black. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I used an embossing folder called 'Crazy Daisy' (by Couture Creations) on a snippet of yellow card to make a simple background...layering it on to a snippet of orange care to echo the colours of the centre of the daisy. I stamped a sentiment (from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual) on to a die cut speech bubble (cut using a Sizzix die), then added that, along with the hedgie image, to the card using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Cute Card Thursday - Embossing
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoddles - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Oh So Cute

ABC Christmas Challenge - P, Q & R are for?

We have another fun ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Lyndsey is the host, and the themes are:

'P is for Pine Trees'

'Q is for Quiet'

&

'R is for Robins'

Here's the prize on offer for the lucky winner:

I have lots (and lots!) of tree stamps...but opted to go use a couple of Penny Black stamps (the big one is called 'Before the Snow' and the smaller one is from the 'Wonder Collection' set). I started by watercolouring a simple background using lots of green Distress Inks (Mowed Lawn, Lucky Clover, Forest Moss, Evergreen Bough & Pine Needles) on watercolour paper. Once dry, I stamped the trees over the top using more of the same inks. I added some splatters of the inks, and a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous, before distressing the edges and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

For my 'Q is for Quiet' card, I picked a Penny Black image of a sleeping mouse from the 'Jolly Friends' set...stamping it on to watercolour paper, colouring it using watercolour pencils, then carefully cutting it out. I made a simple background using my 'Jolly Christmas' embossing folder by Couture Creations and some snippets of red and green card. The sentiment stamp is from a set by Lili of the Valley.

For my 'R is for Robins' card, I found this Lili of the Valley stamp simply called 'Christmas Robins', which I stamped directly on to a kraft card blank. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, extending the ribbon to the top of the card, and added a sentiment (also by Lili of the Valley).

I'm also entering these cards into the following challenges:

• Christmas with the Cuties - Christmas Animals (second & third cards only)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Tic Tac Toe (Embossing-Image-Sentiment) (second card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

ABC Christmas Challenge - A & B are for?

Happy New Year!

Over at the ABC Christmas Challenge, we're starting our tenth (!) trip through the alphabet...I'm the host, and the themes for this month are:

'A is for Anything Christmas Goes'

and

'B is for Berries'

This year, we're changing things up a little, and have gone sponsor free...so I've donated a couple of little prizes for this challenge:

I had some new Christmas crafting goodies to play with, so made a card for each of the two themes. On my first card, I used stamps from the 'Let it Snow' set by Happy Little Stampers (which I won recently on one of their challenges). I stamped the largest snowflake from the set using Versamark Ink on navy card, then heat embossed it with 'Sparkling Snow' embossing glitter by WOW. I stamped one of the sentiments from the set on to my card blank, and heat embossed it using the same powder, then used more of it to make a matching mat for my snowflake image. It's so sparkly in real life, but impossible to capture in a photograph!

I used a die I received for Christmas on my second card...'Candy Canes & Holly' by Sweet Dixie. I cut the image three times, from red, white and green card, then carefully pieced them together. I embossed a piece of kraft card fro the background using my 'Jolly Christmas' folder by Couture Creations, matted it on to a piece of red card, then added the candy canes on top. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Sentiments' set by Hero Arts.

I'm also entering these cards into the following challenges:

• Always Fun - Something New (New stamps & dies)
• CAS on Friday - Christmas Cards
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• My Time to Craft - Something New (New stamps & dies)
• Sweet Stampin' - New (New stamps & dies)
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Pile It On! Challenge - Shaped Cards and/or Add a Charm

It's the third Sunday of the month, so that means it's time for some more inspiration, and an additional theme for this month's Pile It On! Challenge:

'Shaped Cards'
and/or
'Add a Charm'

Our sponsor this month is Crafty Sentiments

Prize - 3 Digis of the winner's choice!

I made a cute little circle card this time, cut using the largest of my scalloped circle Nestie dies...making sure to leave one of the edges outside of the die so it would hold together. I cut a smaller circle from a piece of green card, distressed the edge, added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, then embossed it using a folder by Couture Creations called 'Jolly Christmas'. The pup is from the 'Wintertime Cheer' set by Penny Black...I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out, adding him to my card using 3D foam pads. The sentiment stamp is from a House Mouse set called 'Sleepy Stocking'.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Shaped Cards and/or Add a Charm
• 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Pick a 2017 Challenge (I picked Embossed Impression from August 2017)
• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes and a Sentiment
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Celebrate
• Fab 'N' Funky - Cute Christmas
• Fussy & Fancy - Christmas or New Year
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Traditional Christmas Colours
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Warm Winter Wishes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Christmas
• Sweet Stampers - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Pile It On! Challenge.

Bird Watching

I've used some more new birthday goodies on today's card...this time it's the papers (which are by Craft Creations). The image I've used is a cute House Mouse stamp called 'Bird Watching'...I stamped this a couple of years ago whilst visiting my lovely bloggy friend Samantha...and it's been waiting patiently to be used since then! I inked the edges of everything using 'Faded Jeans' Distress Ink, then distressed them before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Critter Party' set, and the Card Candi is from Craftwork Cards.

Challenges for this card:

• Card Crafter's Circle - Winged Things 
• Crafty Ribbons - Three of Something (Papers & Card Candi)
• Creative Corner - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - Colours of the Sea
• Inky Impressions - Things with Wings
• Joanna Sheen - Embossing
• One Stop Crafts - Pastel Colours
• Penny Black & More @ Allsorts - In the Garden
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday

• Totally Papercrafts - Favourite Colours (Blue/Aqua)
• Tuesday Morning Sketches - Sketch #211 (forgot the twist...oops!)