Guest Designer - Seize the Birthday Challenge (CAS + Dies)

I'm back with another Surprise Party Guest card for the Seize the Birthday Challenge.

The theme this fortnight is:

Any regular visitors to my blog will know that I'm a stamper at heart, but I do have a little collection of dies, and this theme was the perfect excuse to dust off a set of cupcake dies (by Marianne Designs) that I have had for a very long time! I cut the 'cupcake case' from a snippet of spotty paper from the 'Happy Colours' pad from The Works, and the 'frosting' and 'cherry' from snippets of papers from the 'North Country' pad by Prima Marketing. I assembled the cupcake on a piece of kraft card using 3D foam pads of varying thickness to add dimension, then added some adhesive pearl 'sprinkles'. I added a sentiment using a stamp from the Hero Arts 'Cupcakes' stamp set, then distressed the edges of the kraft panel before adding it to a matching kraft card blank.

For more inspiration from the fabulous Design Team, please pop over to the Seize the Birthday Challenge!

Ice Cream Cone

Today's card was inspired by the recent hot weather and features an ice cream cone made from lots of little snippets of card. I cut the 'cone' freehand from a snippet of kraft card, then embossed it using a Sizzix/BasicGrey 'Plaid' embossing folder to make it look like a waffle cone. I cut the 'scoops' of ice cream from snippets of different coloured card using one of the dies from a set of cupcake dies by Marianne Designs, then embossed them using my Cuttlebug 'D'Vine Swirls' folder. I used 3D foam pads to attach it all to a DL card blank...using thicker pads in the centre of each piece to give it some dimension. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS on Friday - Summer
• Can You Handle the Pressure - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - CAS
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Embossing
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

Driving Home for Christmas

Today's card features one of the critters from the 'Joy to the World' set. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut around the top of the image. I made the background by stamping my Simon Says Stamp 'Falling Snow' background stamp on to a piece of paper from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using white embossing powder. I die cut a few trees using an old Marianne Designs die and snippets of green card, then added some 'snow' to their branches using a white paint pen, then layered everything up and added it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Wheels
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Use a Background Stamp
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes (Optional 'Trees/Leaves')

Simple Embossed Christmas

I have a set of simple one layer heat embossed Christmas cards to share today. I used image stamps my Marianne Designs (the 'Bauble Border') and Chocolate Baroque (the reindeer is from the 'Damask Reindeer' set), stamping them directly on to my card blanks using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them using metallic WOW embossing powders...silver on the blue cards, and gold on the red and green. I added matching heat embossed sentiments, from the 'Very Merry Christmas' set by Hero Arts, and the 'Festive Panel' set by Woodware.

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Embossing
• Krafty Chicks - Stamp Act
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Bauble Border

I have another one layer Christmas card to share today...feauring a bauble border stamp by Marianne Designs. I stamped it along the top of a black card blank, along with a Lili of the Valley sentiment, using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them using 'Rich Metallic Silver' embossing powder from WOW. I used some metallic watercolours (from Hobbycraft) to colour the baubles...super shiny & pretty in real life, but a real pain to photograph!

Challenges for this card:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Less is More - In a Row
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Bauble Border

According to the tally in my sidebar, I made 119 cards for Christmas this year. Today, I'm starting over and have a couple of cards to start my Christmas Card tally for 2021. I must have been a very good girl this year, as I received a lovely little pile of stamps and other crafty goodies for Christmas, including the gorgeous bauble stamp (by Marianne Designs) I used on these two cards. I kept them really simple, stamping the images and sentiment (from a Lili of the Valley set) using white pigment ink, then heat embossing them using white embossing powder to get a really crisp image.

On red card:

And on teal:

Challenges for these cards:

• Christmas Kickstart - Anything Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• Lil Red Wagon - Merry Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Celebrate

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:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes (just the first card)
• Crafter's Cafe - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (snippets used on both cards)
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• We Love Chocolate Baroque - Christmas

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

Guest Designer - Twofer Card Challenge

I was picked as a winner of a Twofer Card Challenge a little while ago, and asked to guest design for this month's challenge. Today, I'm excited to be sharing my cards for September's challenge, where the theme is:

As you may know, the idea of the Twofer Card Challenge is to use the same stamp, stencil or die to create two distictly different cards for two different occasions.

I picked a Penny Black tree die (called 'Xmas Tree Border') as my supply to use on both cards, and used it to a Christmas card and a birthday card.

On the Christmas card, I used the die to cut rows of trees in a couple of different shades of green. I layered them up over a wintry sky background (a snippet of paper from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations), adding some snowy hills in the foreground (cut from snippets of white card using Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside' border dies), and a couple of deer (cut using dies from the Tim Holtz/Sizzix 'Winter Wonderland' set) to complete the scene. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Very Merry Christmas' set by Hero Arts.

On the birthday card, I used just one of the trees from the die (the one on the far right) flipped up the other way, to make ice cream cones. I cut the 'cones' from snippets of kraft card, and then used a die from a set of cupcake dies by Marianne Designs to cut the scoops of ice cream. They were a little too wide for the cones, so I trimmed them down using one of my oval Nesties, then gave them a little texture using my Cuttlebug 'Divine Swirls' embossing folder, adding a few adhesive pearl 'sprinkles'. The sentiment stamp is from the Hero Arts 'Cupcakes' set.

Thanks so much Darnell for inviting me...it was so much fun trying to figure out how I could use the same supplies to get a totally different look! For more inspiration from the awesome design team, don't forget to check out Twofer Card Challenge.

Skating Snowy

I have a scenic Christmas card to share today, featuring a Penny Black image called 'Skating Snowy'. I made him a snowy background using a mixture of stamping and die cutting. For the sky, I smooshed 'Broken China, Salty Ocean, Stormy Sky & Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks on to some watercolour paper, then stamped and heat embossed my Simon Says Stamp 'Falling Snow' background stamp using 'Sparkling Snow' embossing powder from WOW. I used a mixture of Taylored Expressions 'Mountain Tops' and Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Border' dies on snippets of white card...distressing the top edges a little to add some definition. I used more smooshed Distress Inks for the trees (Mowed Lawn, Forest Moss & Peeled Paint), then cut them using a Marianne Designs die. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Christmas
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Rudolph Days - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

ABC Christmas Challenge - S & T are for?

We have another fun ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...this month Lisa is the host and we have two fun themes for you:

'S is for Sketch'

(Use a sketch from a current challenge)

&
'T is for Trio'

(Feature three of something)

Our sponsors this month are:

Bugaboo Stamps

Prize - 4 Images of the Winner's Choice!

&

Crafty Ribbons

Prize - £10 Voucher!

I followed the sketch from this week's Sketch Saturday challenge on my first card:

I decided to make an all white card, adding some texture with some embossing folders (Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots', 'Feather Illusion' (border) and Sizzix 'Snowflakes'). I cut the snowflakes using Marianne Designs dies, and the sentiment was made using stamps from the 'Graffiti' alphabet set by Paper Smooches.

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

• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Cardmakers - Monochrome
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sketch Saturday - Sketch #479

My second card features a 'trio' of chickens...it's a stamp by Penny Black called 'Par Avion' which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from a Christmas with Barkley set by Crafter's Companion.

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

• AAA Cards - All Creatures Great & Small
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Clean & Simple
• Gem of a Challenge - Use Kraft
• Penny Black & More - Get Ready for Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies...including our lovely new member Sharon...please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Xmas Crafts

I have a Christmas card to share today featuring another stamp that I picked up in a charity shop last week...it's called 'Xmas Crafts' by Penny Black. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, and paired it with some glittery papers from the 'Recollections - Simply Stated' pad by Michaels (found at TK Maxx). I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The snowflakes were cut using Cuttlebug and Marianne Designs dies, and the sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Lots of Layers
• Incy Wincy - So, So Cute!
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Cute Christmas

Let it Snow!

I have a Christmas card to share today that I made over the Christmas/New Year break. I re-discovered an embossing powder in my stash...'Peppermint Stick' by Sparkle N Sprinkle...and tried it out stamping and heat embossing some snowflakes (a Hero Arts stamp) on to some watercolour paper ('smooshed' with various blue Distress Inks). I die cut some snowflakes from snippets of white card using Marianne Designs and Cuttlebug dies...then gave them a generous coating of the embossing powder too...it's a really pretty mixture of super sparkly pink, red and green glitter...but of course trying to get that to show in a photo is virtually impossible! The sentiment stamp is from a Penny Black set.

You can just about see the colours in the embossing powder on the white snowflakes on this close-up:

Challenges for these cards:

• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes
• Come & Get It - Good Ol Winter
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Cut it Up - It's Snow Fun
• Cute Card Thursday - Cool Colours
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Chill
• Sparkle N Sprinkle - Anything Goes with Loose Glitter/Embossing Powder
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Inky Christmas

I have a set of Christmas cards to share today...inspired by these cards by Sandy Allnock. I started by smooshing three different combinations of Distress Inks on to watercolour paper...adding a few layers of ink, allowing each one to dry before adding the next. I cut panels of plain white card just a little smaller than my A6 card blanks, then used various Christmas dies to cut an aperture. I mounted the white panels over the inked paper on 3D foam pads, then attached them to my card blanks. The sentiment stamps are from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

I made a couple of each design:

Challenges for these cards:

• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Christmas Cards - Anything Goes
• Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Use a Sentiment
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Hiding in my Craft Room - Any Holiday

Pile It On! Challenge - Use Red & Green

We have another fun Pile It On! Challenge starting today...the theme is:

'Use Red & Green'

Our sponsor this week is Dr Digi's House of Stamps:

Prize - 2 Digi's of the Winner's Choice!

Although it's not one I use very often, the red and green colour combination screamed 'Christmas' at me...so I picked a cute Penny Black image called 'Wishes for Kisses' to use on my card. The papers are a mixture of My Mind's Eye (the reds - 'Winter Wonderland' and 'Bright') and a magazine freebie set (the green). I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I cut some snowflakes from some Core'dinations glitter card using Cuttlebug and Marianne Designs dies...adding adhesive gems to their centres. For more sparkle and bling, I added some Stickles glitter glue to the 'snowy' ground, and some adhesive pearls. The sentiment is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Use Red & Green
• Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes
• As You Like It - Favourite Season (Winter - I just love cold, frosty mornings!)
• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Artistic Impressions - Anything Goes (Twist of Pearls)
• Clear It Out - Christmas & Glitter
• Come & Get It - Anything Goes with a Sentiment
• C.R.A.F.T. - Winter
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Dies/Punches
• Crafting for All Seasons - Brr...it's Cold Outside!
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crazy Challenge - Everything Goes
• Creative Card Crew - Cold Outside
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes (Bling it up)
• Hiding in my Craft Room - Any Holiday (Christmas)
• Incy Wincy - Bingo (Pearls - Free - Use a Die)
• Inky Impressions - Traditional Christmas Colours
• Not Just Cards - Anything Goes
• Papertake Weekly - Take Your Pick (Red & Green)
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Something from Your Stash (The glitter card is ancient!)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Sparkle & Shine
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Sparkle & Bling

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