Wednesday 31 October 2012

ABC Christmas Challenge - V is for...

It's time for a brand new ABC Christmas Challenge, and this week Miria is the host, with a theme of:

'V is for Vibrant Colours'

We have two wonderful sponsors for this challenge:

 Prize - a $15 Gift Certificate to spend at Crop Stop!

and:

 2 Wild Rose Studio stamps of the winner's choice!

I've used a stamp and die set called 'Reindeer' by Hero Arts & Sizzix to make my card (available here at Crop Stop)...and lots...and lots of vibrantly coloured card! For the background I used lots of different embossing folders to add some texture...'Swiss Dots', 'Snowflakes', 'D'Vine Swirls', 'Spots & Dots' (all Cuttlebug), 'Hexagon Illusion' (by Craft Concepts) and 'Snowglobe' (by Sizzix/BasicGrey). The trees were cut with dies from the same set as the stamps...I made the snow for the little scene by tearing white card, then adding glitter to the torn edges before layering up. I added a few adhesive gems to the tops of the trees, and some lettering cut using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet.


I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Oldie but a Goodie - Spots & Stripes

This fortnight at the Oldie but a Goodie Challenge, I've picked the theme, which is:

'Spots & Stripes'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Crafty Sentiments:

 
I've a cute penguin image from Crafty Sentiments called 'Christmas Penguin', which I coloured using watercolour pencils...adding sparkle to the ice with some Stickles. The spotty and stripey papers are from the 'Wonderful Winter' pad by My Mind's Eye...this card measures just 4x4 inches...so I was able to make use of some of my scraps on it!


I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Oldie but a Goodie Challenge.

Monday 29 October 2012

Hallowe'en Treats!

I have a couple of Hallowe'en 'matchbox' style treat boxes to share today...I found a template here which I used for the measurements...they're actually quite big...not matchbox sized at all! The images are from the 'Spooky' and 'Be very scared' sets by Penny Black...and were coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Whoo-ligans' collection by Bo Bunny, the googly eyes are by Craft Planet, and the little bats and spiders were in packs of Hallowe'en 'confetti' that I got in Poundland a couple of years ago.


I've crammed them full of Hallowe'en treats:


Challenges for these boxes:

Sunday 28 October 2012

Pile It On! Challenge - Birthday Card for a Man

The theme of this week's Pile It On! Challenge is:

'Birthday Card For a Man'

We are sponsored for this challenge by Dude Time Doodles:


The prize is a $10 Gift Certificate to spend at Dude Time Doodles.


I've used my trusty Penny Black 'Birthday Dog' stamp...love using him for male birthday cards...coloured using watercolour pencils.The papers are from the 'Archaic' pad by BasicGrey...I've had this for so long...and it's almost all used up...but there's probably a couple more cards left in it. I distressed the edges, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set by Hero Arts.


Here are the challenges I've piled on:

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

Saturday 27 October 2012

Batty Treat Holders

I have a couple of batty little Hallowe'en treat holders to show you today...for the one on the right I followed this tutorial...adding some googly eyes, a brad for a nose, and some hand drawn fangs...the one on the left is a simple pillow box...but I cut some more wings from the template for the fist 'bat' and added them along with another 'face'. They're filled with little chocolate pumpkins and spiders....click the photo for a better view.


Challenges for these treat holders:

Friday 26 October 2012

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Circles

This week at Christmas Stampin' All Year Long our challenge theme is:

 'Circles'

Our sponsor this week is:


Meljen's Designs

Prize: 4 (non-coloured) images from Meljen's Designs!

I've used a jolly Santa image from Meljens Designs on my card...which I coloured using watercolour pencils...then added some Stickles for a touch of sparkle. The papers are from the 'Blitzen' pad by Bo Bunny...I distressed the edges then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Reindeer' stamp & die set by Hero Arts/Sizzix, the twine is by Dovecraft, the sparkly bells are from Hobbycraft, the snowflake is a Cuttlebug die and the sparkly brad is by American Crafts.


I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.

Thursday 25 October 2012

Little Witch

The cute little witch stamp I used on this card was a birthday gift from my lovely friend Uma...she's from Sweetpea Stamps...but after much searching, I still don't know what she's called...so I'll call her 'Little Witch' for now. I coloured her using watercolour pencils, the cut her out using one my 'Deckled Rectangle' Nesties. For the background, I embossed the card using a spider's web folder by Tim Holtz/Sizzix, and a pumpkin folder by Cuttlebug. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Celebrate Everyday' set by Hero Arts, and I added a little 'spider' to one of the cobwebs using a black pearl for the body, and drawing on the legs with a black gel pen.


Challenges for this card:

Wednesday 24 October 2012

ABC Christmas Challenge - U is for...

I have another project for our current ABC Christmas Challenge today, where the theme is:

'U is for...Up to You!'
That's right...anything Christmassy goes!!

We have two wonderful sponsors for this challenge:


Our very own Lacey, with her awesome Stamp & Create store!


 The prize is a whopping $25 gift certificate - wowee!

and:


Meljen's Designs

Prize: 4 (non-coloured) images from Meljen's Designs!

This time I've made an ornament using papers in shades of blue from the 'Maddison' pad by Penny Black:


I sort of followed this tutorial...but used one of my Nestie circles to cut out all of the circles from my patterned paper...then made an equilateral triangle template from some scrap card, and drew round it on the back of each circle, so I'd know where to fold. Before gluing the whole thing together, I added co-ordinating brads (by BasicGrey) to the top and bottom, attaching a piece of blue and white Baker's Twine (from the Ribbon Girls) to the top one for hanging it on the tree.


I'm also entering this ornament into the following challenges: 
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Garden Bouquet

I had a little break yesterday from making Christmas and Hallowe'en cards to make a birthday card for my Aunt. I started by inking a white piece of card with 'Old Paper' Distress Ink...then stamping a Hero Arts music background stamp in Old Paper over the top...I wiped some of the ink off before stamping to create a distressed effect. I then used the watercolour technique to stamp the Hero Arts 'Garden Bouquet' over the top in 'Dusty Concord' and 'Forest Moss' Distress Inks. I embossed the purple Core'dinations card using my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' folder...then sanded over the dots a little. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Cupcakes' set (also by Hero Arts), the lace is from Hobbycraft, and the pearls are from Wild Orchid Crafts.


Challenges for this card:

Monday 22 October 2012

CAS Cut-out Christmas

More Christmas cards for you today...these ones were super quick to make...and make use of the 'negative' part of a die cut layered over some 'Swiss Dots' embossed and sanded Core'dinations card.


On the first card, I used the tree dies from the 'Reindeer' stamp and die set by Hero Arts & Sizzix, and a sentiment from the 'Celebrate Everyday' set by Hero Arts:


On the second card, I used my Cuttlebug 'Ice Crystal' die and a sentiment from the 'Joy to the World' set by Penny Black. On both cards the white card on top is popped up on 3D foam pads...which I think you can just about tell in the photo below:


Challenges for these cards:

Sunday 21 October 2012

The Snowman

I have a Christmas card for you this afternoon...using a sweet Lili of the Valley 'Snowman' stamp...which I coloured using watercolour pencils, then added some Stickles glitter glue to the snow, and some Glossy Accents to the baubles. The papers are from the 'North Country' pad by Prima...I inked the edges using 'Stormy Sky' Distress Ink, then distressed them a little using my distressing tool, before adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen (which looks like it needs replacing...I can hardly see the stitches!). The sentiment stamp is from the 'Joy to the World' set by Penny Black.


Challenges for this card:

Saturday 20 October 2012

Spooked Cat

Another Hallowe'en card for you today...using yet another Penny Black image...this one's from the 'be very scared!' set. For the background I embossed Core'dinations card using a Tim Holtz/Sizzix spooky text folder, and Cuttlebug sweetie one...sanding over the surface to reveal the core.


Challenges for this card:

Friday 19 October 2012

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Traditional Colours

This week at Christmas Stampin' All Year Long, we want to see the traditional Christmas colour combination of:

'Red & Green' 

We are sponsored for this challenge by:

New Badge

(Not sure what the prize is at the time of writing, so I'll update this when I find out.)

I've used a cute snowman image from our sponsor Limited Runs Digital called 'Snowman #1' on my card...which I coloured using watercolour pencils. For the background, I embossed red & greed Core'dinations card using my Sizzix/BasicGrey 'Snowglobe' and Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' embossing folders...sanding lightly over the surface to reveal the core. The stripey ribbon is from Hobbycraft.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.

Thursday 18 October 2012

Hey Pumpkin!

Boo! Bet you didn't expect to be seeing me at this time of night? I've been busy working all day...and am only just finding the time now to write the post for this cute Hallowe'en card I made last weekend. The kitty and sentiment stamp is from the 'be very scared!' set by Penny Black. The pumpkin embossing folder is by Cuttlebug, and the spider's web one is by Sizzix/Tim Holtz.


Challenges for this card:
I'll be back in the morning with my DT card for Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.

Wednesday 17 October 2012

ABC Christmas Challenge - U is for...

It's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge...Carissa is the host, and the theme is:

'U is for...Up to You!'
That's right...anything Christmassy goes!!

We have two wonderful sponsors for this challenge:


Our very own Lacey, with her awesome Stamp & Create store!


 The prize is a whopping $25 gift certificate - wowee!

and:


Meljen's Designs

Prize: 4 (non-coloured) images from Meljen's Designs!

I've used a cute James the Besr image from Lili of the Valley called 'Present Pile'. I coloured him using watercolour pencils to match my My Mind's Eye 'Believe' papers...they're sparkly and I added some Stickles to the fur trim on his hat too.


I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Oldie but a Goodie Challenge - Purple Black & Stripes

This week at Oldie but a Goodie we have a recipe for you to use:

'Purple, Black & Stripes'

We are sponsored for this challenge by Robyn's Fetish


The prize is 5 Robyn's Fetish digi stamps of the winner's choice!

I thought that the colour combo would be perfect for a Hallowe'en card...and used a cute little mouse witch image from the 'be very scared!' set by Penny Black. The purple 'stripes' are embossed with pumpkins using a Cuttlebug folder, and the little bats and sentiment are from a pack of Hallowe'en 'confetti' that I think came from Poundland a couple of years ago.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Oldie but a Goodie Challenge.

Monday 15 October 2012

Par Avion

I'm alternating between Christmas and Hallowe'en on my blog this week...and today I have a Christmas card to show you. It's a one-layer-card for this week's Less Is More's 'Wings' challenge. I've used a cute Penny Black chicken stamp called 'Par Avion'...now why is it that when there's a 'things with wings' themed challenge everyone else is entering elegant butterfly and arty bird stamped cards...and I go for chickens??? The sentiment stamp is from a Lili of the Valley set.


Challenges for this card: