C24C - Cute Animals ....

...Good morning all! We're already half-way through February, time seems to be flying by. Your red, green and gold cards were absolutely lovely last time. This time at Christmas 24 Challenge - C24C#28 we have a theme that's always popular. We want to see CUTE ANIMALS on your Christmas cards. I have to admit that for me this was tough. In all my vast stash I only have three "cute" animals. I think this bear is adorable:

Stamps: Docrafts - Forever Friends G Stamp; MFT - Bitty Holiday Wishes

Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Summer Sky; Versafine Claire - Nocturne; Gina K - Soft Stone, Stormy Sky

Accessories: White Card; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder; Uniko Stencil - Let It Snow; Martha Stewart - Frosty Glitter

I'm submitting this card to CASology - CAS#383 where the cue word is Envelope - my little guy is clutching his Christmas envelope and is ready to hand it over.

I stamped the bear in black Versafine ink onto white card and heat embossed the image with clear powder. I used my Copics to colour him in and then I fussy cut him out. I sponged pale blue ink through a snowflake stencil to give a wintery background. I added a simple sentiment in black along the bottom of the card and the adhered the bear on the line. I finished the front by adding some sparkly glitter to the hat. On the inside, I kept things really simple. I stamped the bear image again in pale grey and added a greeting in darker grey.

I decided to make another card for the challenge - this one features a cat, more snarky than cute, but I think he's great:

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz Snarky Cat Christmas CMS416

Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Claire - Nocturne; Gina K - Stormy Sky

Dies: Lawn Fawn - Stitched Hillside Borders

Accessories: White Card; Clear Embossing Powder; Copic Markers; Glitter

I'm submitting this card to CAS Christmas Card Challenge - CASXMAS#02 where they want us to use a Dog and/or Cat, and to 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - 52CCT06-21 where they have the colour pink, blue and purple.

I stamped the cat onto white card, embossed the image with clear powder and coloured him with Copic makers. I then fussy cut him out. I used a stitched edge die to cut the hillside border, stamped a sentiment on the left corner and adhered it to the card. I added the cat and some glitter. Perfectly clean and simple and just a bit snarky! On the inside, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the card. I stamped another of the cats and the matching sentiment in grey, added a touch of colour to the image, edged the panel with a blue marker and adhered it inside.

So, I had fun with our challenge of 'Cute Animals' and I'm looking forward to seeing your creations. Don't forget to visit our blog, Christmas 24 Challenge, to see lots more inspiration cards from the rest of the team.

That's all for now - see you again soon.

Plaid Snowmen ...

... Good Morning! Three days on the trot - go me!! I like to make special Christmas cards for my family and this is the one I made for our son:

Stamps: Funstamps - Scribble Snowman; Waltzingmouse Stamps - Cabin Plaid Background; Uniko - Snowflake Serenade

Inks: Gina K - Key Lime, Sea Glass, Soft Stone; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Stampin' Up! - Word Bubble Framelits

Accessories: White Card; Uniko Stencil - Let It Snow; Taylored Expressions - Masking Ovals; Clear Embossing Powder; Nuvo - Clear Aquashimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to several challenges and they are:

• The Male Room - TMR#145 - they want to see tartan and plaid
• CASology - CAS#380 - Snowman
• Uniko Challenge - USC#62 - Christmas with the option of sparkle
• Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#260 - Snowmen

This card feature three of my all time favourite snowguys! I stamped a plaid background in soft lime and soft teal and on top of that I stamped the Scribble snowman and fussy cut them out. On white card I stamped three more snowmen and cut them out. I carefully cut out two hats and scarfs in white and adhered them to the plaid snowmen, adding a bit of colour the hats and scarfs. On the white snowman I added a green plaid hat and teal plaid scarf. I wanted to keep the card fairly simple, but still have some snowflakes in the background. I used a snowflake stencil over which I placed the Taylored Expression large oval mask and softly inked in some snowflakes. I adhered the two plaid snowmen flat to the card and used dimensional pads to adhere the white snowman. I made the greeting by typing the sentiment on my PC and used a speech bubble die to cut it out. I lightly brush green and blue ink around the edge of the bubble and used dimensional pads to attach it to the card. I finished the card by adding lost of subtle sparkle to the snowmen. On the plaid snowguys I added sparkle to the hat and scarves, and on the white snowman, I added it all over the body. On the inside, I cut a panel of white card, stamped a greeting added a swirl of soft blue and green snowflakes, and finished with a cute snowguy peeking in from the bottom of the card.

You can't see the sparkle in the photos above, so I took a close up to show all the lovely shimmer on the snowguys. You can also see the pretty plaid patterns too.

It's going to be a busy weekend. We don't put our decorations up early. No, not even this year!!! The tree goes up on Saturday and we decorate everywhere then. I'm also going to be making some homemade marzipan for our Christmas cake, I might even do a few homemade mince pies too. All a special treat for my hubby!

Anyhow, that's all for now. See you again soon. Thanks for stopping by.

Time to be a unicorn ...

... Hello! I hope that everyone is keeping well. I've been having fun in my craft room. I've got an unusual card to share with you now:

Stamps: Dylusions - I Believe in Unicorns; Stampin' Up! - Gorgeous Grunge
Inks: Gina K - Black Amalgam, Peach Bellini, Passionate Pink
Accessories: White Card; Nuvo - Clear Aqua Shimmer Brush; Copic Markers; Dylusions - Bigger Back Chat

I'm submitting this card to CASology - CAS#367 where the word is Magical, Colour Throwdown - CTD#591, Addicted to Stamps and More - ATSM#387 to make your mark, and Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#433.

This is loosely based on the sketch at FMS. I used one of the paint spatter stamps from SU to do the background and create a cloud if pink splatter. I stamped the unicorn image on scrap card, coloured it with Copic markers and added a huge amount of shimmer with a clear Nuvo aqua shimmer brush. I used one of Dyan's fabulous quotes from Bigger Back Chat for the words. I think in the current circumstances it sums it up rather well.

I took a close up of the unicorn to show all the shimmer - looks wonderful in real life. That's all from me today. I'm getting ready to join in with Dyan's online class this evening - should be such fun.

C4Glz - You are my Sunshine ...

... Hello! It's time for our new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz - C4Glz#119; for the next couple of weeks we want to see you use KITE(S) on your papercraft projects. I've made a clean, simple and fun card:

Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Sunny Skies; Unity Stamps - Born to Stand Out
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturn; Distress Oxide - Broken China, Tumbled Glass
Dies: Lawn Fawn - Sunny Skies
Accessories: White Card; Taylored Expressions - Masking Stencil Oval; Copic Markers; Shimmer Spray; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm playing along with CASology - CAS#365 who, coincidentally, has the cue word KITE, and Cupcake Inspirations Challenge - CIC#490 - such pretty colours.

I used an oval masking stencil placed towards the top of the card to create the space for the sky. I blended two shades of distress oxide, splashed on some water drops to remove some colour and then spritzed over the panel with clear shimmer spray. On scrap white card I stamped the sun, kite, ribbon and clouds. I coloured all but the clouds with Copic markers and used the matching dies to cut out all but the sun, which I fussy cut out. I stamped a simple, bold sentiment in the bottom corner of the card and adhered all the elements. On the inside, I kept it simple with another little kite and an inspirational quote.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you create that features kite(s). Don't forget to visit our blog to see more inspiration projects from the rest of the design team. That's all for now, see you soon.

Make Tea ....

... Good afternoon! I hope your morning has been going well. I've been out for my walk - I'm up to 2½ miles now, it's lovely to hear the birds sing. Since being home, I've been in my office sorting things out, listening to music and making a card:

Stamps: Uniko - I Love Tea; Waltzingmouse Stamps - Afternoon Tea, Afternoon Tea Sentiments
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Black Amalgam, Soft Stone; Memento - Angel Pink, Lulu Lavender
Accessories: White Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Highland Heather; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder; Uniko Stencils - Broken Lines, Scattered Polka Dots

I've made this card for several challenges - CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#363 - I turned the sketch, CASology - CAS#364 where the theme is Tea, Colour Throwdown - CTD#585, and Uniko Challenge - USC#58 to use spots and stripes.

I don't drink tea myself, but I do know many people who do, and I've got lots of tea stamps, so I had to play along with CASology. I stamped the teacup outline image and used two stencils to add some colour to the cup. I restamped the image in Versafine and heat embossed with clear powder. I added the lovely flower image from I Love Tea and heat embossed that too. I then fussy cut the image and coloured the opening - it's tea afterall! I made the card base from purple card. I cut a white panel smaller than the front onto which I stamped a sentiment which I think is very appropriate for our current strange time. I adhered the teacup above the sentiment and then stamped some steam curls. On the inside, I cut another white panel and added a couple of teacups along with another sentiment. I've left space for my own message.

Well, we've reached the end of our first week having to stay in the house. I suspect that many of us have been catching up with jobs that we've been putting off. I did the shed last week, and next week I'm tackling the utility cupboard. There is a strange feeling in the village - the main road through our village is so much quieter, I don't really hear planes, just birdsong and dogs. Oh yes, there's also the sound of children playing in their gardens. It's a tough time for us all - be safe. See you soon.

Beautiful Ride ...

... Morning! This morning I'm sharing a card for CASology - CAS#363 - I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I saw the prompt and this is my card:

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous - Cityscapes
Inks: Distress Oxide - Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch, Chipped Sapphire, Black Soot; Versamark; Gina K - Black Onyx; Memento - Grey Flannel
Accessories: White Card; White Embossing Powder; Dylusions Shimmer Spray - White Linen

I stamped the cityscape directly on the card in Versamark and heat embossed with white powder. I masked off the bottom of the card and then happily created a sunset sky complete with stars. I finished the front with a simple sentiment. On the inside, I simply added a bit of the cityscape stamp and some words.

Of course, once I'd finished the card I realised that perhaps it might not be considered clean and simple.  It has only got one focal image, but perhaps the inked sky might disqualify the card. Nevermind, I'm still going to submit it to the challenge as I'm so pleased how well the sky came out. That's all for now.

Happy Birthday ....

.... Good afternoon! It's another dull, dismal day in Northop Hall - we had some sleet this morning, but fortunately that didn't last. After doing some visits with Mum, I managed to get into my craft room and make a card - it's not Christmas today 😁. I've made a very clean, simple birthday card:

Stamps: Uniko - Background Builders Round in Circles; MFT - Bitty Birthday Wishes
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Amalgam Black
Accessories: Papermania - Tall Card Blank; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to several challenges. The first is The Male Room - TMR#130 to use embossing, Perfectly CAS - PCAS#6 to use shapes, CASology - CAS#362 where they want tall, and CAS on Friday - CASOF#174 using their colours.

This is one of the most clean and simple cards I've made. I used my MISTI to stamp the row of little open circles and then filled the circles using Copic markers. On some scrap card I stamped the grungy circles twice in Versafine and heat embossed them with clear powder. I fussy cut the image and added a dot of colour in the centre of each circle. I stamped the clean, crisp greeting in black and then adhered the cut out image with dimensional pads.  On the inside, I added a simple greeting and some more of the circles.

I've been very literal with the CASology challenge, simply using a very tall card. The only embossing is on the grungy circles, but it really makes them pop and I took a close-up photo to show the detail:

This card will be in the post tomorrow - it's my cousin's 54th birthday - I still can't quite get my head around that, as I still see him as my baby cousin!!! That's all for now. See you again soon.