ABC Christmas Challenge - I is for...

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

'I is for Ink'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Wild Orchid Crafts:

Prize - £10 Gift Voucher!

I got out some of my Distress Inks and created a set of colourful snowy cards. I heat embossed a snow background stamp (from a set by My Paper World) using clear embossing powder on white card, then blended my Distress Inks over the top. I simply added a sentiment (from the 'Merriest Wishes' set by Hero Arts) popped up on 3D foam pads over the top.

Colours used on the 'pink/purple' card: Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves, Wilted Violet & Blueprint Sketch:

Colours used on the 'blue/green' card: Broken China, Mermaid Lagoon, Peacock Feathers, Lucky Clover & Chipped Sapphire:

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

• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Christmas Cards - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Use a Sentiment
• Creative Card Crew - Embossing
• Merry Monday - Let it Snow!
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas
• Shopping Our Stash - Think Ink

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

Monochrome Lucky Dip

As a complete contrast to yesterday's bright & colourful card, I have something a lot more subdued today, inspired by the blog header over at Less is More. I used a Heros Arts stamp for the background...stamping it in 'Old Paper' Distress Ink, then stamped a swirly flower from a set by My Paper World in black Versafine over the top. I used a mixture of 'Old Paper', 'Pumice Stone' and 'Brushed Corduroy' to colour in the flowers, then blended more 'Old Paper' around the edges. The sentiment stamp is also by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• Just Some Lines - Clean & Simple
• Less is More - Inspired by the LIM Blog Header

Musical Agapanthus

Something inky for you today...I started by blending 'Dusty Concord', 'Chipped Saphire' and 'Stormy Sky' Distress Inks on a piece of white card...before stamping 'Agapanthus Clusters' (by Stampendous) over the top in black. I stamped my Hero Arts 'Music Background' stamp over the top...I inked it with 'Weathered Wood' Distress Ink...removing some of the ink before stamping to create a distressed effect. I 'coloured' the outline flowers with 'Chipped Saphire', then added a butterfly (from a My Paper World set) coloured using 'Dusty Concord' popped up on 3D foam, before spritzing everything with a Cosmic Shimmer spray...it's really sparkly in real life, but I couldn't get it to show in a photo. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set by Hero Arts, and the pearls are form WIld Orchid Crafts.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Bingo (Pearls-Purple-Blue) 
• Pink Elephant - Flowers
• Simon Says Stamp & Show - Use a Lord T!m Technique (I blended Distress Inks and removed some ink from my background stamp before stamping to create a distressed effect)
• Squirrel & the Fox - Things with Wings
• Totally Papercrafts - Bingo (Flowers-Die cut-Blue)

CAS Flowers

A quick post from me today...I'm in the middle of making some Hot Cross Buns...if they turn out ok, I'll pop back to show you later. I had a play with some new stamps on this card...the flower and butterfly are from a set by My Paper World (called 'Flowers & Butterflies' strangely enough!). I masked of a strip across the centre of the card, and blended 'Bundled Sage' Distress Ink over it, before stamping the flower and butterfly uaing a 'London Fog' Memento inkpad. I stamped them again on some scrap card, coloured them using 'Tattered Rose' and 'Victorian Velvet' Distress Inks, then layered them over the top...I don't think I'd cleaned my brush properly since using a Cosmic Shimmer pigment last week, so they're slightly sparkly! The sentiment stamp is from the 'Wonderful' set by Penny Black.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - CAS
• Digi Doodles - New (The flower & butterfly are from a new stamp set)
• Flutter By Wednesdays - Open
• Less is More - Picture Inspiration 

**Edited to add - the Hot Cross Buns have just come out of the oven**

Despite the splodgy crosses...they still tasted yummy!

Happy Easter everyone!

Christmas Pringle

I have another Christmas card to share today...don't say I didn't warn you! This one uses a Sugar Nellie stamp called 'Pringle'...he's not really a Christmas image...but his present doesn't have to just be for birthdays. I coloured him with watercolour pencils, then stamped around the edges using a My Paper World snowflake stamp in 'Stormy Sky' Distress Ink...then blended a little of the same ink over the top. The papers are from the 'Festive Frost' collection by My Mind's Eye...I inked and distressed the edges, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The snowflakes were cut from kraft card using Marianne Designs and Cuttlebug dies...I inked the edges of those too..then added a some adhesive pearls, and lace.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Crafting - Use a non-Christmas Image
• Lollipop Crafts - Anything Goes
• One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
• Sugar Bowl - Sketch (and optional 'Spots & Dots' theme)
• Totally Stampalicious - Critters

A Very Wordy Christmas

I'm afraid my blog's going to look a bit Christmassy this week...this is the first of three Christmas cards I'll be showing you over the next few days! I started off by masking off a strip across my card, and blending 'Stormy Sky' Distress Ink over it. I then stamped a Christmas text background stamp (by My Paper World) in Memento 'London Fog' ink over the top. After I removed the masks, I stamped a sentiment (by Penny Black) and a few silvery pearls (from Wild Orchid Crafts).

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Combine Three Previous Challenge Themes (I've used: 28 - Use Ink; 58 - Script; and 59 - Masking)