Santa & Penguin

Despite the baking temperatures at the weekend, I was making Christmas cards! This one is for quite a few challenges, so I'll list them at the end of the post. The image is from a set of stamps by Craft UK called 'Santa & Penguin'. As it's quite large, I kept the card really simple, using my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' folder for the embossing.

 Challenges entered:

• Truly Scrumptious: Sketch (And 'Strawberries & Cream' optional extra)
• Bah! Humbug!: 'Father Christmas'
• DCD Christmas Club: 'Arctic Winter'
• My Time to Craft: 'Yuletide in June'
• Winter Wonderland: 'Strawberries & Cream'

Moo'd Swing!

I haven't used this Whipper Snapper stamp (called 'Moo'd Swing') for ages...but there are a couple of  'Black, White & One Other Colour' challenges around this week...and I thought she'd be perfect! lol I followed the sketch from Truly Scrumptious, and used 'Red' as my other colour, as per the following challenges: Crafty Creations - 'Black, White & a Splash of Red'; and Create4Fun - 'Black, White & ?'. I used my 'Victoria', 'D'Vine Swirls' and 'Swiss Dots' Cuttlebug folders for the embossing (which is the 'optional extra' for the Truly Scrumptious Challenge this time). The sentiment stamp is by Cuddly Buddy, and the roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

 

Little Girls - Swing Time

It's another Lili of the Valley card today...this image is card 'Little Girls - Swing Time'. I followed the sketch from Truly Scrumptious, and have included the optional extra of 'Hidden Messages' on a pull-out tag behind the image. I've also included the themes of a couple of other challenges: Stamp with Fun - 'Friends'; and Totally Gorjuss 'In Stitches'. The papers are by PinkPaislee (from the '365 Degrees' pad)...and they were distressed around the edges, before I added some faux stitching. The flowers are a mixture of Poppicrafts, Prima & Wild Orchid Crafts, and the pearl brad is by Papermania.


Here's a view showing the tag with my hidden message (sentiment stamp from the CCSR by Papermania), which I decorated using some Whiff of Joy swirl stamps:


This card is going to my partner for this month's friendship card swap on the Docrafts forum.

If you haven't already entered...I have candy here.

Swirly Girly

I haven't played along at he Truly Scrumptious Challenge for a while..but I do like a bit of stitching (which is the added extra this time)...so I thought I'd have a go. I've combined it with the Just Cute Bears first challenge theme of 'One for the Girls'...the Allsorts Challenge of 'Hearts & Flowers' and Crazy4Challenges 'Pretty in Pink' theme. My 'cute bear' is Penny Black 'Dream a Dream'...and the papers are by BasicGrey - the pink one from the 'Blush' collection, and the aqua coloured one is from the 'Two Scoops' pad. I used my Cuttlebug 'D'Vine Swirls' folder for the embossing, sanding the raised areas to reveal the detail. I distressed the edges of all the papers, added some faux stitching with my Cutterbee Bug and a white gel pen, and a couple of Prima flowers.

Christmas Candle

When I saw that the theme for this week's Winter Wonderland Challenge was 'By Candlelight'...I knew straight away that I was going to make a stamped candle...which also fits in the 'Anything BUT a card' theme of the Truly Scrumptious Challenge. I made a few of these last Christmas to give as gifts, but I used watercoloured images then, so I thought I'd try something a little different, and do some heat embossing. I stamped my images (Hero Arts 'Flourish Tree with Stars', and some snowflakes from a set by Lakeland) with Versamark, on to white tissue paper, then embossed them with silver powder. I then cut carefully around the images (cutting as close to the edges as I dare!), and laid them on to my candle, using a small amount of PVA glue to help hold them in position. I wrapped a piece of grease proof paper tightly around the candle, then moving fairly quickly across the images, used my heat gun to 'fix' the images into the wax...it only takes a few seconds...the image appears clearer through the grease proof paper when it's done.


I wasn't sure whether it would work using heat embossed images, but I'm really pleased with the way it turned out...and it's certainly a lot less fiddly than trying to watercolour on tissue paper!

Holly Jolly

I've used another of my new Penny Black stamps on this card...it's from the 'Holly-Jolly' set. I followed the Truly Scrumptious sketch...adding the 'extra' theme of 'Bling' in the form of glitter on the baubles on the tree and adhesive gems in the centres of the snowflakes (cut using my new Cuttlebug die). I'm also entering this card for the Winter Wonderland Challenge, where the theme is 'Twinkle & Sparkle'. All of the papers are from the 'Figgy Pudding' collection by BasicGrey.

Truly Scrumptious meets Cute Card Thursday

I've made a 'diamond fold' card for the Truly Scrumptious 'Multi fold' challenge...and as I always think these look like crackers, have made a Christmas card...see I told you that there would be some more this week! lol I've used a cute little Penny Black image called 'Lamb & Mistletoe', and Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' folder on white card. I added some adhesive gems to the centres of some of the snowflakes, and a touch of glitter to the sheep's hat for the 'Bling' challenge over on Cute Card Thursday.


There's a fab tutorial for this shape of card on You Tube...I love it when her doorbell rings! lol

Truly Scrumptious meets Cute Card Thursday

I've combined the fab Truly Scrumptious Challenge sketch with the Cute Card Thursday Challenge which this week is to use 'something shiny' on our cards. I received this gorgeous Gruffie stamped image ('Cake Walk' by Stampabilities), from my ABC DT buddy Jen in the post yesterday, and I couldn't resist having a little play. For my 'something shiny', I thought I'd add a touch of glitter to the cake...but I got a bit carried away...no wonder he's staggering under the weight of it! lol
I've used papers by BasicGrey ('Blush') and My Mind's Eye ('Adore')...and as I was uploading the photo of the sketch, I've realised I've layered up one of the strips of paper wrong...ooops! The sentiment is by Woodware (from the 'Circular Greetings' set), and I've added a few bits of Craftwork Cards 'Card Candy'.

Truly Scrumptious Challenge #5

I had a bit of a thing about monkeys when I was little (still do, if I'm honest! lol), so I couldn't resist this stamp ('Birthday Monkeys' by Rachelle Anne Miller) when I saw it in the new releases for Stampavie. I've used it to make a child's card using the Truly Scrumptious Challenge sketch, which I've rotated to fit the image. The papers are all from the 'Cupcakes' pad by BasicGrey, and I've embossed the plain ones using the 'Spots & Dots' and 'Swiss Dots' embossing folders. The sentiment is from the 'Circular Greetings' set by Woodware, and the star, circles and deckled border around the image were all cut using Nesties.

Truly Scrumptious meets Colour Create

I've combined the fab sketch from the Truly Scrumptious Challenge with this week's Colour Create colour combo of 'Chocolate, Coffee and Cream'. I've used 'Confirmand Melinda' (by Whiff of Joy) as my main image, and as I didn't have any suitable papers, have used some Core'dinations card and embossed it using the Cuttlebug 'D'Vine Swirls' and 'Textile' folders. I've added a few flowers (from Poppicrafts) for the 'Flower Power' element of the Truly Scrumptious Challenge, and distressed the embossed card, and inked around the edges for the Colour Create extra of 'Distressing'. I've left off the sentiment (for now), but will probably add one before I use the card.

Truly Scrumptious Challenge #3

I seem to be making a habit of messing up sketches this week...although I was able to salvage this one, and add the missing element (the paper strip underneath the ribbon...although because I'd stuck the ribbon too close to the bottom, I couldn't fit in a scalloped edge, as the brads were in the way!)
I did, however manage to remember the extra for this fortnight's Truly Scrumptious Challenge of 'Something shiny' - I used 3D gloss on the balloons. I received the image ('Michelle - Celebrating Donkey' by Whiff of Joy) in a swap, the papers are from the BasicGrey 'Cupcake' pad, the sentiment is by Hero Arts (from the 'Cupcakes' set), and the ribbon is from Poppicrafts.

Truly Scrumptious Challenge #2

I've used the sketch for the second Truly Scrumptious challenge to make a card for my flat-mate to give to a friend, who's jetting off for six months travelling next weekend. She really had me stumped when she asked me to make a card for this, as I thought I hadn't got any suitable images or travel themed papers...but then I remembered this Paddington bear image I received in a swap ages ago (can't remember who from...sorry) - I think it's a stamp that was a freebie with a magazine some time last year. The papers are from the 'Christmas' stack by DCWV, the ribbon is from Hobbycraft, I used the 'Spots & Dots' folder to emboss the white circle, and the sentiment (I know it's much larger than the sketch! lol) was cut using the 'Olivia' alphabet. I did make a button (tied on with the ribbon)...although I'm not very happy with it, and will probably remove it...I had several attempts, but just couldn't manage to doodle the white detail, without going wonky!

New Challenge...it's Truly Scrumptious!

There's a fab new challenge blog that launched yesterday called Truly Scrumptious, and they've got a great sketch for their first challenge, with some gorgeous creations by the DT too. I've used it to make a birthday card using one of my favourite Penny Black images (from the 'Critter Party' set). I've gone spotty dotty mad, with my Papermania papers (from the 'Sweet Nothings' pack), and 'Swiss Dots' embossing on the blue strip. The sentiment is from the Hero Arts 'Cupcakes' set, the flowers are from Poppicrafts, the brads are also by Papermania, and the multicoloured ribbon was part of a birthday gift from my lovely friend Pauline.