Monday 30 November 2020

Polar Pair

Today's card features an old Lili of the Valley stamp called 'Polar Pair'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils, adding a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous. As the image is quite large, I kept the rest of the card really simple, just matting it on to some co-ordinating red card, distressing all of the edges a little.


Challenges for this card:

Saturday 28 November 2020

Golden Pinecones

Today's card features a Woodware stamps from a set called called 'Sketchy Pinecones'. I started by stamping the main branch image on to a burgundy card blank, using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' embossing glitter from WOW. I then went back and added the needles, stamping and embossing them the same way along with one of the sentiments from the same set.


Challenges for this card:

Thursday 26 November 2020

Reindog

I have a simple little Christmas card to share today, featuring a cute pup in reindeer antlers from the 'Wintertime Cheer' set by Penny Black. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I paper pieced his bandana using some plaid paper (from the 'Festive Chalkboard' pad by Craftwork Cards), and added a strip of the same paper along the bottom of my kraft card blank. I stamped & heat embossed the sentiment (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous) in white on the top of the paper, then added the pup popped up on some 3D foam pads.


Challenges for this card:

Tuesday 24 November 2020

Starry Twofer

I have a couple of cards for this month's Twofer 'Stars' Challenge to share today. The star element that I used on both cards is one of the stamps from the 'Magical Christmas' set by Creative Expressions...it's a wavy spray of solid stars.



On the Christmas card, I stamped the stars a few times using Versamark Ink on some navy card, then heat embossed them using 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' embossing glitter by WOW. I used some snippets of white hammer texture card to make a snowy landscape scene, using my 'Tree Landscape' die by Clearly Besotted, and a couple of the Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Border' dies. I added a large star, cut using one of the dies from the 'Snowy Star's set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix, cut from a snippet of gold mirror card, and a sentiment from a set by Lili of the Valley, also heat embossed in gold.


For the birthday card, I started by stamping the stars using Distress Inks (Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Festive Berries, Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire, Salty Ocean & Lucky Clover) on a diagonal directly on to my card blank in a rainbow pattern. I then layered snippets of co-ordinating coloured card on to a piece of scrap paper, then cut a star shape using one of my Nesties, adding it on to the card using 3D foam pads. The sentiment stamps are from the  Happy Little Stampers 'Everyday Sentiments' set.


Challenges for these cards:

Monday 23 November 2020

Snowflake Lace

I have a simple one layer Christmas card to share today, featuring a lovely snowflake stamp from Indigo Blu called 'Snowflake Lace', which I stamped off the top edge of my kraft card blank, using a white pigment ink, then heat embossed in white. The sentiment stamp is by Penny Black, and was also stamped and heat embossed in white.


Challenges for this card:

Saturday 21 November 2020

PBSC November - Anything Goes (Optional 'Bingo')...More Inspiration!

It's the third Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for some more inspiration for this month's Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Bingo/Tic-Tac-Toe'

Pick any row, column or diagonal...or if you're feeling really extra, go for a full house!

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:
Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used 'Patterned Papers - Penny Black Stamped Image - Clean & Simple' on my card. The image is from the 'Snow Much Fun' set...stamped on to watercolour paper, then coloured using watercolour pencils and cut out with one of my circle Nesties. The papers are from the 'Festive Chalkboard' pad by Craftwork Cards...I distressed the edges a little then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.


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

Thursday 19 November 2020

Warm Reception

I have a couple of super quick Christmas cards to share today...made using a Penny Black stamp, called 'Warm Reception', that I won over at Maureen's Rudolph Days Challenge a little while ago. The prize arrived today...and was inked and stamped almost straight away! I kept it simple, stamping directly on to navy and kraft card blanks using white pigment ink, before heat embossing in white. The sentiment stamp it from a set by the Colorado Craft Company.


Challenges for these cards:

Tuesday 17 November 2020

Funny Farm

I have another non-Christmas card to share today...this time featuring most of the animals from my Tim Holtz 'Funny Farm' set. I stamped the critters on to snippets of watercolour paper, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them all out. I made a simple field like background for them using more snippets of card, and my 'Grassy Edges' and 'Picket Fence' dies (all by Die-namics). The sentiment is a combination of stamps from the 'Critter Concert' set by Lawn Fawn and the 'All of Us' set by Avery Elle.


Challenges for this card:

Sunday 15 November 2020

Toot the Flute

Today's cards were made for a couple of my pupils...I haven't seen either of them in person since early March...all of their lessons since then have been over Zoom...and they recently took new video versions of the graded flute exams (grade 1 and grade 7) which they both passed with distinction. Their certificates arrived yesterday, and as I'm still not able to go and see them, I thought I'd make them each a congratulations card to send out with their certifiacte.


I have several stamps of critters playing flutes, but went with the original Penny Black 'Toot the flute', stamped directly on a kraft card blank. I added sentiments from the 'Critter Concert' set by Lawn Fawn, then coloured the images using watercolour pencils.


Challenges for these cards:

Friday 13 November 2020

Perfect Petals

Today's card features a Woodware floral stamp called 'Perfect Petals'. I stamped it several times on to some teal card using a white pigment ink, along with the sentiment from the same set, then heat embossed them all using white embossing powder. I distressed the edges a little, matted it on to some white card (distressing those edges too), then on to a matching teal card blank.


Challenges for this card:

Wednesday 11 November 2020

Red Squirrels Chritmas Tree

I have (yet) another Christmas card to share today...see I told you I wasn't done for the year! This one features a cute Lili of the Valley stamp called 'Red Squirrels Christmas Tree', stamped directly on to a kraft card blank. I colored it using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.


Challenges for this card:

Monday 9 November 2020

O Christmas Tree

Today's card was inspired by the 'Blue & Silver' colour option of this fortnight's Less is More Challenge. Blue is my favourite colour, and I love it paired with silver on Christmas cards, so even though I've already made more than enough for this year, I couldn't resist another - I'm sure this won't be the last either! I started by blending some of my blue Distress Inks (Broken China, Salty Ocean, Stormy Sky & Chipped Sapphire) on to a snippet of watercolour paper. Once dry, I stamped a Christmas tree, along with some snowflakes, from a set by Paper Artsy, and a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them using 'Metallic Silver' embossing powder by WOW. I matted it on to a snippet of silver mirror card, before adding it to my card blank.


Challenges for this card:

Saturday 7 November 2020

PBSC November - Anything Goes (Optional 'Bingo/Tic-Tac-Toe')

It's the first Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Bingo/Tic-Tac-Toe'

Pick any row, column or diagonal...or if you're feeling really extra, go for a full house!

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:
Prize - a $20 voucher!

I managed to combine both diagonal lines on my card: 

Die cut - Penny Black Stamped Image - Sparkle & Shine
&
Patterned Papers - Penny Black Stamped Image - Clean & Simple

I picked a pair of cute hedgies from the 'Christmas Hugs' set...stamping them on to watercolour paper, colouring them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cutting them out. I made a simple background, using a snippet of glittery patterned paper from the 'Let it Snow' pad by Dovecraft, adding a row of die cut trees over the top (cut using my Penny Black 'Xmas Tree Border' die), and a couple of layers white hammered card (offcuts from making the card base), with torn edges over the top. I added the critterd, popped up on 3D foam pads, then matted it on to some silver glitter card.


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

Thursday 5 November 2020

O Christmas Tree!

Today's card features rather a lot of Christmas trees! The background was made using my Simon Says Stamp 'Mod Trees Background' stamp...stamping it on to green card using Versamark Ink, and heat embossing it using WOW 'Emerald City' embossing glitter. The main image is 'Flourish Tree with Stars' by Hero Arts...I stamped it on to more green card using Versamark Ink, but heat embossing it using WOW 'Metallic Gold' embossing powder, along with a sentiment from the 'Foxy Christmas' set by Woodware. And just because I didn't think there was enough sparkle already, I matted everything on to green glitter card.


Challenges for this card:

Wednesday 4 November 2020

ABC Christmas Challenge - W & X are for?

It's the first Wednesday of a new month, so that means it's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge! Lynda is the host, and the themes are:

'W is for Winter Wonderland'
&
'X is for Xtra Special'

There's a fab prize on offer from Lynda for the lucky winner of this challenge:
Thirsty Brush & Co 'Home for Christmas' stamp & die set!

I got out one of my old Lili of the Valley stamps, 'Winter Bunnies' to create a clean & simple wintry card for the 'Winter Wonderland' theme. I stamped them on to watercolour paper, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then added some sparkle to the snow with some Stickles. I die cut a Chrstmas tree from a snippet of watercolour paper (using a Marianne Designs Creatable die), adding some Stickles to the branches of that too, then placed it along the edge of the card using 3D foam pads. I added a sentiment (form the Woodware 'Foxy Christmas' set), then distressed the edges a little, before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.


I used to think that 'Xtra Speacial' cards needed to have lots of 'stuff'' on them, but that's never really been my thing, and particularly thinking about postage for my Christmas cards (and I imagine that many more will be posted, rather than hand-delivered this year!), my style has become more minimal - especially with regards to layers & embellishments! So, for my 'Xtra Special' cards, I put more time and effort in to make them 'Xtra Special'. For this one, I created an embossed, inky background by stamping my 'Outline Snowflakes' background stamp (by Simon Says Stamp) on to smooth watercolour paper using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Metallic Gold' embossing powder by WOW. I then blended Distress Inks over the top (Chipped Sapphire, Dusty Concord, Wilted Violet, Stormy Sky, Broken China & Weathered Wood). I then splattered some clean water over the top, and allowed it to remove some of the ink, to create a sort of 'snowy' effect. I loved the result so much, that I decided that I didn't want to cover it up, so stamped my sentiment (from the 'Letter It - Christmas' set by Ranger), again using Versamark Ink and heat embossing it using the same gold powder, on to a snippet of vellum. I carefully tore along the edges of the vellum, then wrapped it around my background, fixing it in place behind, before mounting everything on to some very 'Xtra' gold glitter card.


It's always to difficult to capture in a photo anything shiny or sparkly, but here's another try:




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

Monday 2 November 2020

Top Hat Snowman

I have (yet) another Christmas card to share today...this one features an old Lili of the Valley stamp (why did they stop selling rubber?!) called 'Top Hat Snowman', stamped directly on to a kraft card blank, then coloured with pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Tattered Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.


Challenges for this card: