Snowflake Trees

I have a simple Christmas card to share today...made using one of the Christmas tree stamps from a set by Paper Artsy (Eclectica range 'EKC10'). I started by placing a strip of masking tape across a piece of watercolour paper, then stamped the tree over the top using a couple of blue shades of Distress Ink (Uncharted Marine & Broken China). Once dry, I removed the tape, then stamped a sentiment (using a stamp from an old Lili of the Valley set) in the void using 'Twilght' Versafine Clair ink. I distressed the edges of the watercolour paper a little, then added it to a kraft card blank. This was so quick and easy to do, I can see myself making more cards in this style with other stamps.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - All Occasions
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Cascading Snowflakes

I have a set of colourful Christmas cards to share today featuring a new (to me) die by Crafter's Companion called 'Cascading Snowflakes'. I used the die to cut panels down the sides of some snippets of card, then layered them over co-ordinating card balnks. I added sentiments (using stamps from a Christmas Tree set by Paper Artsy), embossing them in white.

Challenges for these cards:

• Allsorts - Christmas
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Wonderful Winter/Feeling Festive
• Creative Knockouts - Snow Much Fun
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

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 Whimsical'

&

'X is for Xerox'

There's a fab little prize from Lynda for the lucky winner:

On my 'Whimsical' card, I used a whimsical Christmas tree stamp from a set by Paper Artsy...colouring the flowers in pastel shades using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment (from the 'Winter Blessings' set by Crafter's Companion), and doodled a simple border using a black gel pen, before adding the panel to a pastel pink card blank.

For the 'Xerox' theme, I used a (very) simple design, and made several copies of the same card. These are one layer cards, with a heat embossed image...the stamp is 'Holly Jolly Christmas Tree' by Crafter's Companion. I stamped it using white pigment ink, then heat embossed it in white to get a really crisp image.

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

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Any Holiday Occasion
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge. We're also having a DT Call on this challenge, so you'll find all of the information on that over there too.

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:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• CAS Christmas - Non-traditional Colours
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Blue & Silver

Simple Trees

I have a set of simple Christmas cards to share today, featuring some Paper Artsy stamps...there are three trees in the set, so I used them all. I added some colour to the trees using watercolour pencils, then some shimmer with a Wink of Stella pen. On the two smaller one layer, cards I used sentiments from the same stamp set, and on the larger card, the sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Here are some close-ups:

Challenges for these cards:

• CAS Christmas - Trees
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Stamp
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes