Wednesday, 1 December 2010

ABC Christmas Challenge - Y is for...

I can't believe that we've reached the penultimate ABC Christmas Challenge of the year...and it's Lols' turn to choose the theme, which is:

'Y is for Yule Tide'


Here's some info on Yule Tide from my lovely DT buddy Annie:

Yule Tide, the darkest time of the year when we wait for the old solar year to pass in order to celebrate the birth of a new sun. It takes about 3 days after the Winter Solstice, the longest darkest night of the year, before the days gradually start to lengthen again and the celebrations can begin in earnest – and can carry on for almost a month! There are many folk traditions from earlier times that are now incorporated into the more modern Christmas and New Year celebrations, but in villages across Northern Europe and Scandinavia many of the old traditions survive as we wish you all a “God Jul!”

The tradition of decking the halls with boughs of holly is reminiscent of the pre-Christian times when the evergreens in the depths of winter represented life and the red berries the seeds of life to come. Candles were associated with the Roman festival of Saturnalia when Ops, the wife of Saturn, was remembered with the giving of gifts as a token of love and respect on her sacred day of 20th December. All over Northern Europe and Scandinavia candles are lit, especially on the night of the Winter Solstice, in celebration of old customs and beliefs that still linger.

So, as the old solar year passes and we start anew, we remember our ancient past and celebrate the Yule Tide with the giving of gifts, lighting of candles and decorating our homes with greenery. We celebrate with family and friends, giving thanks for the feast at our table that was raised and grown in and from the earth nurtured by the rain and the sun. We toast to a new year and a new growing season and hope that the new sun will shine, the rains be gentle, the winds soft and the earth rich and abundant once again. Wassail!


So with this in mind, we're asking you to include one (or a combination, if you like) of the following on your project:
Holly & Berries
or
Red & Green
or
Candles

We are sponsored by our lovely teamie Lacey from Wags 'n Whiskers and she will be giving one lucky entrant this fab prize!!
4 of their most popular Christmas digital stamps!!

Ok, so on to my card. I've used the colour scheme of 'Red & Green', with this fab Penny Black image and sentiment from the 'Holly-Jolly' set. I coloured the image with watercolour pencils, and added some 'Tiara' Stickles to the star, and Glossy Accents on the baubles. The papers are from the 'Wonderful Winter' glitter pad by My Mind's Eye, I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the border, and the Large red gems are from Paperchase. I'm not sure where the gold ribbon came from...it was buried in my messy ribbon bag!


I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous creations by my lovely ABC Christmas Challenge DT buddies.

Monday, 29 November 2010

Aqua Christmas

I wrote my first Christmas cards at the weekend...I have a lovely big stash of cards to use this year, thanks to my resolution to 'make at least one card a week' this year...but I still need a few more...and I can't resist joining in with some of the Christmassy themed challenges around at the mo! lol

I've used an adorable Penny Black image (called 'On My List') that I received in a swap...not 100% sure who it was from...but I have a feeling it was from my lovely friend Carol. The papers are a mixture of My Mind's Eye 'Colourful Christmas' and Bo Bunny 'Tis the Season', the sentiment is from a Lili of the Valley set, and I used an EK Success punch for the scalloped border.



Challenges for this card:

Sunday, 28 November 2010

Pile It On! Challenge - Fur or Feathers

Our theme for you this week at Pile It On! is:

'Fur or Feathers'

We are sponsored by Prairie Fairy for this challenge, who have also very generously supplied the DT with images to use. The image on my card is 'Deer Lenny'...isn't he adorable!? I coloured him with watercolour pencils, and added some Glossy Accents to his nose. For the background, I embossed plain card with my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' and 'Ice Crystals' folders, then lightly inked over the raised areas with a chalk inkpad. The scalloped border was cut using my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch, and the snowflake cut using my Cuttlebug 'Ice Crystals' die.


Here are the challenges I've Piled On!:
For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely Pile It On! DT buddies.

Saturday, 27 November 2010

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Recipe

It's Mel's turn to set the theme for this week's Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, and she has cooked up a recipe of:

'3 Snowflakes, 2 Circles & Some Lace'

We are sponsored this month by Kenny K Downloads, who have also very generously given the DT members some images to work with this week. I chose this fabby Santa, and coloured him with water colour pencils. I used my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' & 'Swiss Dots' folders (available here at the Secret Crafter) to emboss some Kraft card for the background. I used Cuttlebug dies to cut the snowflakes (for once not adding any glitter, as I wanted this card to have a more masculine feel), and Nesties (available here from the Secret Crafter) for the circles. The raffia lace is from Hobbycraft, and the sentiment stamp is by Cuddly Buddly.


I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge DT buddies.

Friday, 26 November 2010

Christmas Bunnies

Normal service has resumed...after yesterday's 'Birthday card blip', I'm back with a Christmas card today. I've used an adorable Lili of the Valley stamp called 'Christmas Bunnies - Stocking', which I coloured with watercolour pencils, then added some sparkle with 'Crystal' Stickles.The funky papers are 'Colourful Christmas' by My Mind's Eye, I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamond' punch for the border, and the sentiment is from Cuddly Buddly.


Challenges for this card:

Thursday, 25 November 2010

Toby with Flowers

Just a quickie post from me today...have to dash out to work in a mo...this is card I've made using the fabby sketch for the Wild Rose Studio blog hop. I've used 'Toby with Flowers'...and papers from the 'Penny Lane' glitter stack by My Mind's Eye. The sentiment is from the CCSR set by Papermania.



Wednesday, 24 November 2010

Wishes for Kisses

This card uses 'Wishes for Kisses' by Penny Black...one of my all time favourite Christmas stamps. I coloured it with watercolour pencils, and added some 'Polar White' Flowersoft for snow. The papers are Bo Bunny 'Tis the Season', and I distressed the edges with my distressing tool. The snowflakes were cut using Cuttlebug dies, and the sentiment is from a set by Lili of the Valley.


Challenges for this card:

Tuesday, 23 November 2010

Bronson & Beaker

I've used another of the Pollycraft images I won recently on this card...it's called 'Bronson & Beaker Gifts Galore'. I coloured it with watercolour pencils to match the 'Colourful Christmas' papers by My Mind's Eye. The die cut shapes are from the accessory sheet from the same collection...and I love how there's a little bird to match Beaker on the sentiment.


Challenges for this card:

Monday, 22 November 2010

Skating Along

I'm back in Christmas card mode...this one uses 'Skating Along' by Lili of the Valley. I coloured it with watercolour pencils, to match the sparkly papers from the 'Wonderful Winter' pad by My Mind's Eye. The sentiment stamp is by Cuddly Buddly, and I added even more sparkle with Glamour Dust and 'Crystal' Stickles.


Challenges for this card:

Sunday, 21 November 2010

Just Cute Bears & Friends - Winter Birthdays

The theme for you this week at Just Cute Bears & Friends is:

'Winter Birthdays'

I've used an adorable little mouse digi stamp from Pollycraft (that I won on another challenge last week) called 'Mimi's Gift'...she looks so cozy wrapped up in her coat and hat! Rather than use Christmassy/Wintry coloured papers, I decided to go bright, and coloured her to match these bold Heidi Grace ones. I distressed the edges, and added some faux stitching with my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The flowers are by Prima, and the sentiment is from the CCSR set by Papermania.


I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration, please check out the gorgeous cards by my lovely Just Cute Bears & Friends DT buddies.

Saturday, 20 November 2010

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Hand-made Christmas Gifts

It's Jane's turn to choose the theme this week at the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, and she has chosen:

'Hand-made Christmas Gifts'

I've decorated a photo frame using metal embossed using various Cuttlebug folders.


My frame started out like this:


First, I painted it using acrylic paint to match the colour of the metal sheet I was going to use:


Then I cut squares of the metal to fit around the frame, and embossed them usinng my 'Victoria', 'Kassie's Brocade', 'D'Vine Swirls', 'Textile' and 'Floral Fantasy' Cuttlebug folders (available here at the Secret Crafter), sanding the raised areas to reveal the silver:


Then I glued the metal squares to the frame and added a photo:


For more fab gift ideas, please visit the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge.

Thursday, 18 November 2010

Blue Birthday

At last...a non-Christmas card! I have a birthday card to share today, using one of my favourite Penny Black stamps 'Rainin' Daisies'...although I ashamed to say it hadn't seen ink in a while. I've paired it with some gorgeous Heidi Grace papers that I picked up in TK Maxx for the bargainous price of £2.99 for a pad of 24 double-sided 12x12 sheets! I used my Cuttlebug 'Flower Fantasy' to emboss one of the papers, sanding the surface to reveal the white core. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts, and I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamond' punch along the edge of the embossed panel.


Challenges for this card:

Wednesday, 17 November 2010

ABC Christmas Challenge - X is for...

We're on the home straight now, having reached the letter X this fortnight at the ABC Christmas Challenge. It's Lacey's turn to host the challenge, and the theme she has chosen is:

'X is for Xmas'
(Optional extra 'Flowers')

 We are sponsored by Wild Orchid Crafts for this challenges...and here's a photo of the gorgeous prize they've donated for the lucky winner:


The image I've used on my card is 'Winter Love Birds' by Whiff of Joy...sent to me by my lovely friend and ABC Christmas DT buddy Samantha. I went for one of my favourite colour combos...Blue & Brown...although it's not one I often use on Christmas cards. The papers are by BasicGrey ('Blitzen' & 'Figgy Pudding'), and I distressed all of the edges with inks and my distressing tool, before adding some faux stitching. The sentiment stamp os from a set by Lili of the Valley, the large blue flower is by Prima, and the white flower is a Cherry Blossom from Wild Orchid Crafts.


I'm allso entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous creations by my lovely ABC Christmas Challenge DT buddies, and our wonderful Guest Designers.

Tuesday, 16 November 2010

The Cuttlebug Spot - Thank you!

This week at the Cuttlebug Spot it's time to say:

'Thank You!'

The challenge is to make a 'Thank You' card to send to your Thanksgiving dinner host/hostess, but as I made Christmas themed items for our last couple of Thanksgiving challenges, I've continued with my snowflake theme, and have made a set of little notecards...perfect for sending as a little thank you for a Christmas gift.


I've used the same colour scheme as my Invitations and Table Decorations, cutting the card blanks using the largest of my scalloped square Nesties. I used my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' folder again to emboss the blue card, adding a touch of Glamour Dust to the edge.The snowflake was cut using my Cuttlebug 'Ice Crystal' die, and coated with yet more Glamour Dust. The sentiment is from the Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet set.

Here's a close-up of one of the cards:


For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous creations by my lovely Cuttlebug Spot DT buddies.

Sunday, 14 November 2010

Pile It On! Challenge - Holidays with Family & Friends

The theme of this week's Pile It On! Challenge is:

'Holidays with Family & Friends'
(This doesn't have to be your actual family...images of familes of animals, snow people etc are welcome too)

I've used a cute Penny Black image (from the 'Christmas Critters' set)...I don't know if these mice are actually related to each other...but they could be! lol I coloured them with watercolour pencils and added Glossy Accents to the lantern, and 'Crystal' Stickles to the snow. The papers are from my all time favourite paper pad...'Wonderful Winter' by My Mind's Eye, and I used aa Cuttlebug die to cut the snowflakes.


Here are the challenges that I've piled on:
For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely Pile It On! DT buddies.

Saturday, 13 November 2010

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Sparkle & Shine

This week it's my turn to choose the theme for the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenges, and I have chosen:

'Sparkle & Shine'

Well...glitter says Christmas to me...so I've used one the latest Secret Crafter manga digi stamps...'Christmas Sledging' on my card. I coloured it with watercolour pencils, then added Glossy Accents (available here at the Secret Crafter) to the eyes, and 'Crystal' Stickles (available here at the Secret Crafter) to the snow. The glittered papers are from the 'Wonderful Winter' pad by My Mind's Eye...and to add even more sparkle, I glittered all of the edges with Glamour Dust, and some gems from Paperchase.


I'm also going to enter this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge DT buddies.

Friday, 12 November 2010

Recipe Challenge Blog Hop

The Cuttlebug Spot is taking part in a recipe challenge blog hop this weekend, with three other blogs. The idea is that pick up an 'ingredient' at each of the blogs with which to create a project.

The first stop is Sassy Lil Sketches, where you will find a sketch to follow...it's quite a detailed one, and was designed for a scrapbook layout, but I've used it to make a card...just to show it is possible! lol


Instead of two photos, I've used two small Penny Black images (from the 'Christmas Critters' and 'Holly Jolly' sets), with papers from the '29th Street Market' collection by My Mind's Eye.

The next stop is ScrapFIT...who are asking you to use 3 of something...I've used three snowflakes, cut using a Cuttlebug die.

Then it's on to Crop Suey...for Ink, Paint, Mist or all three! I used ink to distress the edges of the images and sentiment.

After that you head to Scrap Tiffany to pick up some lace...mine's from Hobbycraft.

And finally, you reach the Cuttlebug Spot where you add...what else...but Embossing! I used my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' folder to emboss the little mosaic of papers behind the images, sanding the raised areas to add definition.

And here's the card I 'cooked' up:


The pompom trim along the top was from Tescos last Christmas...it was with the giftwrap, and the sentiment is a Penny Black stamp.

For more information, and details of the prizes on offer...please visit the Cuttlebug Spot.

Wednesday, 10 November 2010

Let It Snow!

It would seem that I'm having another Christmassy week...it's been ages since I uploaded anything non-festive...and I'm afraid it's not going to change any time soon! Despite the fact that I started making this year's Christmas cards on Boxing Day last year...I still need more...and then there's all the presents I plan to make too! Today's card uses another of my favourite Penny Black stamps...'Snowy'...he's been rather neglected lately, so I thought it was about time he had an inking. I used my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes', 'Snow Dots' and 'Ice Crystals' folders for the embossing, distressing the edges to add definition to the layers. The sentiment is from a Lili of the Valley set, which I embossed in silver, and mounted on a snowflake cut with my Cuttlebug 'Ice Crystal' die. And because every Christmas card should have some sparkle, I added some 'Ice Crystal' Stickles to the fur trim on Snowy's hat.


Challenges for this card:

Tuesday, 9 November 2010

Cuttlebug Spot - Decorate the Table

As a follow up to last week's 'Invitations' challenge, the theme for this week's Cuttlebug Spot Challenge is:

'Decorate the Table'

I've made a set of place cards, favour boxes and a luminaria that match the invitations I made for last weeks challenge.


I used my Labels One Nesties to cut the place cards, cutting the blue layers in half, before embossing with my 'Snowflakes' folder, and glittering the edges. The snowflakes were cut using my 'Ice Crystal' die, and then coated with Glamour Dust.


I used my EasiScore Board to make the little favour boxes, decorating them with the same embossed pattern and snowflakes.


The luminaria took a bit more time...I layered up two pieces of card to make it more sturdy, using my Labels One Nesties again to cut the apertures. I embossed the frame with my 'Swiss Dots' folder, and added some more glittered snowflakes. I used tracing paper, embossed with the 'Snowflakes' folder to cover the apertures, before placing a few battery operated tealights inside.


Here's a photo of it in the dark...you can still just about make out the embossing.


For more inspiration, please check out the fabulous samples by my lovely Cuttlebug Spot DT buddies.