ABC Christmas Challenge - N & O are for?

It's the second 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:

'N is for No Stamping'

&

'O is for Once in Royal David's City (Buildings)'

The prize for the lucky winner is the matching stamp & die from Your Next Stamp

For my 'No Stamping' card, I started by cutting a couple of baubles from snippets of watercolour effect papers (from the 'Pastel Watercolours' pad from The Works) using my Memory Box 'Classic Ornament' die, then cut the 'Snowflake Ornament' die from snippets of silver mirror card to layer over the top. I embossed another piece of the watercolour paper using an old Cuttlebug folder and matted it onto some more silver mirror card. I cut a sentiment from silver mirror card using my Poppy Stamps 'Folk Merry Christmas' die, then added it all to the embossed background using a couple of little strips of mirror card to 'hang' the ornaments.

For my 'Once in Royal David's City (Buildings)' card, I picked another Christmas Carol themed stamp - 'Bethlehem Nights' by Stampendous. I stamped it onto smooth white card using a Versafine pigment ink in dark blue called 'Twilight'. I stamped it several times to get a really clear image, then heat embossed it using 'Midnight Dream' embossing glitter from WOW. I matted it onto a snippet of navy card, then added it to a white card blank.

The card is really sparkly, and a gorgeous mix of colours, but a real pain to photograph!

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• A Cut Above - Anything Goes (First card only)
• Allsorts - Anything Goes (First card only)
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - M, N & O (O is for Ornaments) (First card only)
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Creative Knockouts - Christmas in July (First card only)
• Sparkles Forum Christmas - Monochrome (Second card only)
• Sweet Stampin' - Christmas in July (Second card only)

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - L & M are for?

It's the second Wednesday of a new month, so that means it's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge...I'm the host, and the themes are:

'L is for Let it Snow'

&

'M is for Mice'

The prize for the lucky winner is this Gemini 'Joyful Snowmen' Create-a-Card' die:

For my 'Let it Snow' card, I used one of the cute stamps from the 'Snow Bunnies' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company. I stamped it onto a snippet of white card, along with an old Penny Black woodblock sentiment, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I cut around the top of the image, then layered it over a snippet of snowy sky paper from the 'Christmas' pad by Craft Sensations. I matted it onto a snippet of grey card, then added it to a white card blank.

For my 'M is for Mice' card, I used an old Penny Black stamp called 'Holly Jolly Christmas'. I stamped it onto smooth white card, and coloured it using a sentiment stamp from the 'Holly Jolly' set, also by Penny Black. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then distressed the edges a little before adding it to a white card blank.

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

• Allsorts - Anything Goes (First card only)
• Christmas Kickstart - Snow Day (First card only)
• Creative Inspirations - Christmas in June (Second card only)
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Second card only)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (First card only)

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - J & K are for?

It's the second Wednesday of a new month, so that means it's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge...I'm the host, and the themes are:

'J is for Just Enough' (CAS)

&

'K is for Knitwear'

The prize for the lucky winner is this 'Doe A Deer' A6 stamp set from Creative Expressions:

For my 'J is for Just Enough' card, I made a really simple one-layer card. I stamped an unbranded bauble stamp directly onto a kraft card blank using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it in white. I added a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Bubble Mini Baubles' set by Wooware, heat embossing it in white to match.

For my 'K is for Knitwear' card, I used three of the cute bears from the 'Beary Merry Christmas' set by Funky Fossil. I stamped them onto snippets of watercolour paper, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them out. I stamped a sentiment using one of the stamps from the same set onto a kraft card blank, then added the bears popped up on 3D foam pads.

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

• Allsorts - Monochrome (First card only)
• Aud Sentiments - Embossing (Wet or Dry) and/or Flowers + Sentiment (First card only)
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Stamping Sensations - Cute Creatures (Second card only)

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - H & I are for?

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

'H is for Hats'

&

'I is for Image Only'

(No Sentiment)

This is the prize for the lucky winner:

A $30 Gift card to your favourite craft store!

For my 'H is for Hats' card, I used some of the critters from the 'Christmas Hats' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company. I stamped them, along with one of the sentiments from the set, onto a white DL card blank, then coloured them using watercolour pencils.

For my 'I is for Image Only' card, I used the stamps from a Penny Black set called 'Sledding Sweetness'. I stamped them onto a piece of watercolour paper, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges a little before adding it to a kraft card blank.

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

• Christmas Cards All Year Round - G & H are for? (H is for Hats)
• Christmas Kickstart - Brimming with Style (First card only)
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Second card only)
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes (Second card only)

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - E, F & G are for?

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

'E is for Elves'

'F is for Foliage'

&

'G is for Gems'

The prize for the lucky winner is these two stamp sets:

For my 'E is for Elves' card, I used a sweet Penny Black stamp called 'Bauble Balance'. I stamped it, along with the matching sentiment from the set, onto watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges a little, then added it to a kraft card blank.

For my 'F is for Foliage' card, I started by stamping a lovely background stamp by Julie Hickey called 'Holly Jolly Christmas' onto a snippet of black card using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it using metallic gold embossing powder from WOW. I stamped and heat embossed a sentiment, from the 'Festive Phrases' set by Funky Fossil, in gold, on another snippet of black card to match, then coloured all of the leaves and berries using Cosmic Shimmers mica pigments mixed with a little water. I distressed the edges, then layered the sentiment on top, before adding it to a white card blank.

For my 'G is for Gems' card, I went all out with the bling! I used a Woodware stamp called 'Trio of Trees', stamping it onto some smooth white card, then coloured it using watercolour pencils (although I didn't use any water). I added a sentiment, using a stamp from the 'Wintertime Messages' set by Hero Arts, then carefully placed adhesive gems onto the trees - there were little 'circles' representing trim or lights strung around each tree. I matted it onto some green card, then added it to a white card blank.

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

• Allsorts - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Aud Sentiments - Glitter/Bling and/or St. Patrick's Green + Sentiment (Third card only)
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - E & F are for (Elf & Foliage - First & Second cards only)
• Fab 'N' Funky - Shades of Green (Third card only)
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes (First card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - A Bit O'Green (Third card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Make It Cute (First card only)

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - C & D are for?

It's the second 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:

'C is for Crimson' (Red)

&

'D is for Ding Dong' (Bells)

The prize for the lucky winner is this stamp and coordinating die set:

For my 'C is for Crimson' card, I picked a cute Penny Black stamp called 'Jolly Xmas Kitty'. I stamped him directly onto a white card, along with a sentiment (also by Penny Black), then coloured him using watercolour pencils...giving him a 'Crimson' hat.

For my 'D is for Ding Dong' card, I used stamps from a Sheena Douglas stamp set called 'A Little Bit Festive Silver Bells'. I stamped the image and sentiment onto a panel on navy blue card using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it using 'Metallic Silver' embossing powder from WOW, before adding it to a DL white card blank.

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

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Allsorts - Anything Goes (First card only)
• CAS on Friday - Anything Goes (First card only)
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes (First card only)
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes (First card only)

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - A & B are for?

It's the second Wednesday of a new month, so that means it's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge...and today, we are starting our SEVENTEENTH(!!!) trip through the alphabet! I'm the host, and the themes are:

'A is for Anything Christmas Goes

&

'B is for Buildings'

The prize for the lucky winner is this stamp set & paper pad:

For my ' A is for Anything Christmas Goes' card, I used a lovely Personal Impressions stamp of a wintry village scene that I got for Christmas. I stamped it, and a sentiment using one of the stamps from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, onto a snippet of kraft card using Versamark ink, then heat embossed them using white embossing powder. I distressed the edges a little, then added it to a kraft card blank.

For my 'B is for Bright' card, I picked a cute Penny Black image called 'Bedecked Antlers' and stamped it onto a snippet of watercolour paper. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, then added a sentimentusing a stamp from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous. I paired it with papers from a Craft Sensations pad called (rather appropriately) 'Merry & Bright'...distressing the edges and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I matted all of the layers onto bright green card, then added it to a white card blank.

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

• Allsorts - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Cardz for Guys - Christmas Critters (Second card only)
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - A & B (Second card only - A for Antlers & B is for Bright Colours)
• Creative Knockouts - Celebrations (Second card only)
• Fab 'N' Funky - Winter Wonderland (First card only)
• Peace On Earth - Anything Christmas Goes (Second card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays)  - Something New (First card only - new stamp)
• Sweet Stampin' - New (First card only - new stamp)
• We Love Stamping - Something New (First card only - new stamp)

For more inspiration, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

ABC Christmas Challenge - Y & Z are for?

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

'Y is for Yummy'

&

'Z is for Zebra'

(Stripes and/or Black & White)

The prize for the lucky winner is these Chocolate Baroque and Woodware stamps:

For my 'Y is for Yummy' card, I used a Christmas Pudding stamp from Personal Impressions, stamping it onto a snippet of watercolour paper, along with a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used snippets of pudding-covered paper from the 'Peppermint Forest' pad by Craftwork Cards, trimming them into squares. I distressed all of the edges, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, then matted the pudding image onto a snippet of kraft card, then the paper squares onto some pink card before adding it to a kraft card blank.

For my 'Z is for Zebra' card, I went with the 'Stripes' option, choosing a piece of silver stripey paper from the 'Silent Night' pad by First Edition for my background, and matted it onto some silver mirror card. I took one of the 'plainish' pieces of paper from the same pad, and stamped the largest snowflake from a Stampendous set called 'Delicate Snowflakes' onto it using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it using metallic silver embossing powder from WOW. Using the matching die, I cut out the snowflake, then added it onto the stripey background using some 3D foam pads.

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

• Addicted to CAS - Metallic (Second card only)
• Allsorts - Anything Goes (First card only)
• CAS on Friday - (Second card only)
• Christmas Kickstart - Anything Christmassy (First card only)
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Creative Inspirations - 'Tis the Season (First card only)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (First card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Use Dies (Second card only)

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - W & X for for?

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

'W is for Wings'

&

'X is for X-Stitch'

(Any kind of stitching will do)

This is the prize for the lucky winner:

A $30 Gift Card for your favourite craft store!

For my 'Wings' card, I picked a Penny Black chicken stamp called 'Carolers'. I stamped it directly onto a white card blank, added a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then coloured it using watercolour pencils.

For my 'X-Stitch' card, I used a Stampavie stamp called 'Xmas Puppies'. I stamped it onto some watercolour paper, added a sentiment using stamps from the 'Christmas Hats' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company, then coloured it using watercolour pencils...this card is destined for a friend with two Cockapoos, so I've coloured the pups to match her two dogs. I used a piece of patterned paper from the 'Merry & Bright' pad by Craft Sensations for the background, and added two different types of stitching using my CutterBee Bugs and a black gel pen. I matted the layers onto some red card, then added it all to a white card blank.

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

• Allsorts - Christmas (Second card only)
• Aud Sentiments - Glitter and/or Christmas and a Sentiment (First card only)
• Stamping Sensations - Christmas (First card only)
• Time Out - Favourite Holiday - Christmas! (Second card only)
• We Love Stamping - Christmas (Second card only)

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - U & V are for?

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

'U is for Uncluttered (CAS)'

&

'V is for Vertical'

This is the prize for the lucky winner:

For my 'Uncluttered' card, I picked a cute House Mouse image from an old Joanna Sheen set called 'Christmas Opening Presents'. I stamped it onto a piece of smooth white card, along with a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I matted it onto some red card, distressing the edges, then added it to a white card blank.

For my 'Vertical' card, I used a Christmas tree stamp from a Woodware set called 'Trimming the Tree'. I stamped it onto a DL card blank, using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it using 'Metallic Silver' embossing powder from WOW. I watercoloured it using Cosmic Shimmers pigments mixed with a little water.

It's really shiny in real life, which means it's a pain to get a decent photo of...but here's another angle:

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

• Allsorts - Woodland Critters (First card only)
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes (Optional 'Food') (First card only)
• Sparkles Forum Christmas - Non-traditional Christmas Colours (Second card only)
• Sweet Stampin' - Feature a Sentiment (First card only)

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - S & T are for?

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

'S is for Stockings'

&

'T is for Trees'

The prize for the lucky winner is a set of Christmas tree dies, and a set of sentiment stamps:

For my 'S is for Stockings' card, I used a cute Anita Jeram stamp called 'Getting Ready'. I stamped it, along with one of the sentiments from the set, directly onto a kraft card blank then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

For my 'T is for Trees' card, I decided to use my Penny Black 'Immense Joy' die, to create an aperture for a Christmas tree. I cut the 'Joy' sentiment a few times from snippets of white card, then layered them all up. I cut the centre of the 'O' in Joy from a snippet of watercolour effect card to create a wintery sky, added it to the centre of the die cut sentiment, then added a tree (cut using a Happer Little Stampers die) and a tiny snippet of white card for the snowy ground. I embossed another snippet of white card using a Crafter's Companion 3D embossing folder called 'Glittering Snowflakes', then layered it all up on a white card blank. 

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

• As You Like It - Flat or Layered Cards (First card only - flat cards for me...especially Christmas cards so that the postage is cheaper!)
• Creative Inspirations - Christmas in September (Second card only)
• Just Us Girls - Dies (Second card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It! (First card only)
• Stamping Sensations - CAS (First card only)
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes (Second card only)
• We Love Stamping - Make It Cute (First card only)

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

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

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

'P is for Pastels'

'Q is for Quick'

&

'R is for Robins'

There are some lovely Newton's Nook goodies for the lucky winner:

For my 'P is for Pastels' card, I used a Forever Friends bear and snowman stamp. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, along with a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Beary Merry Christmas' set by Funky Fossil, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from the 'Glittering Snowflakes' pad from Crafter's Companion, and the 'Snowscape' pad from Woodware (the green one). I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and black and white gel pens.

For my 'Quick is for Quick' card, I used a Christmas tree stamp from Stamps by Chloe called 'Snowflake Tree' that I picked up in a charity shop earlier this week. I stamped it directly onto a kraft card blank, along with the sentiment that came with it, using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it all using white embossing powder.

It was so quick to do that I made a second matching card!

Finally, for my 'R is for Robins' card, I used a cute Woodware stamp called 'Robin Stack'. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, along with one of the sentiments from the set, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils. I matted it onto red card, distressing the edges, then added it toa white DL card blank.

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

• Allsorts - Animals (Third card only)
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes (First card only)
• Creative Moments - Embossing (Second card only)
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes (First card only)
• Sparkles Forum Christmas - Include a Tree (Second card only)
• Stamping Sensations - Birds, Bees & Butterflies (Third card only)

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