Merry Christmas ....

.... Good morning! It's a rather dull and quite cool day here in Northville. I went out for a nice walk around the park this morning and when I got home decided it was time to have a play in my craft room. I've been tidying up a bit and found some new stamps from Stampin' Up! that I hadn't used yet. So here's my Christmas card using some of those stamps:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Merry Patterns, Hearts Come Home; Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz - Crazy Talk
Inks: Versamark; Gina K - Cherry Red, Charcoal Brown, Faded Brick, Warm Cocoa, Kraft
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; Authentique DP - Colourful Christmas; White Embossing Powder; Um Wow - Merry Word; Wink of Stella - Clear; SU/Sizzix EF - Woodland Textured

I really like this fun stag image - it's a two-step stamp with an outline and solid image. Once stamped I carefully cut it out. I found some fun stag head design paper in my stash, cut a panel slightly smaller than the base, edged it with dark red ink and adhered it to the card. I cut a panel of cream card which I embossed with woodland trees. I used a brayer to add some ink to the tree trunks, I got a little on the background card but I like the effect as it suggests even more trees in the background. I edged this with dark brown ink and adhered it to the card. I stamped the word Christmas on red card, embossed with white powder and adhered it to the card. The die cut word is wood and I attached it with strong adhesive and added lots of sparkle with a clear Wink of Stella brush. I finished the front by attaching the stag with dimensional pads. On the inside, I cut another layer of the design paper for a mat and on the cream panel added another stag and a simple Christmas greeting.

I'm submitting this card to Christmas Card Throwdown - CCT#20 where they want us to use Wood and/or Canvas, and also to Jingle Belles - JB:17:22 where they want animals.

That's all for now - I think I'd better get on with some household type stuff - you know, doing the ironing!!! See you soon.

Winter Sports ....

.... Hello again! I've been busy building up my supply of Christmas cards. This one is based on the theme over at Christmas Card Throwdown - CCT#19 where they want to see Winter Sports:

Stamps: Uniko - Festive Sentiments, Most Wonderful
Inks: Gina K - Black Onyx; SU - Real Red
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Black, Real Red; Gems; Carta Belle DP - Snow Fun

In my vast stash of design papers, I found this really fun sheet of kids skiing, it is just perfect for the challenge. I cut it to size and adhered it to the front of the card. I cut a strip of red card and stamped a fun Christmas greeting, layered it on a strip of black card added a few gems and that's the front done. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of red card and added a simple Christmas greeting.

The layout is based on the sketch at AAA Cards - AAA#100, although I think the card might be a bit busy for them really!!

That's all for now - see you again tomorrow for my Uniko Release post.

Christmas Owl ....

.... Hi again, I'm definitely getting back into my groove, I've another card to share today. This time it's a Christmas card (you're going to see lots of those in the coming weeks) and it's really CAS:

Stamps: Dare 2B Artzy - Owl Be Home 4 Christmas, Daddy Owl; Concord & 9th - Joy; Uniko - Background Builders Chevrons
Inks: Gina K - Red Velvet, Grass Green, Black Onyx; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Black; Copics; Wink of Stella - Clear; Clear Embossing Powder

I've used the sketch from Christmas Card Throwdown - CCT#17 for the layout - so pleased to be playing along. As it's a one layer card with a coloured in element I'm going to play along with Less is More - LIM#345. There's an owl on here so I'm going to enter AAA Cards - AAA#98 as they want creatures great and small.

I used my MISTI to stamp the owl, removed the card and coloured the owl. I put the card back in the MISTI and stamped it again in Versafine Onyx Black and heat embossed with clear powder. Next I stamped the zig-zag lines to match the owl's clothes. Again, using the MISTI makes this process very easy. I finished the front with a simple sentiment. On the inside I cut a mat layer of black card and on the white panel added a Christmas greeting.

I've really settled back into my regular routine. I've recently added an aquarobics class on Monday morning - it's so much fun, but I think I've rediscovered muscles that I'd forgotten I had!!! That's it for now. Take care.

CCT - Colours ....

..... Good afternoon! I'm a bit late with my post for our new colour challenge over at Christmas Card Throwdown - CCT14. We've gone just a bit mad with our colours this time - we want to see a

RAINBOW

You have to use at least 5 colours, but you can go crazy and use all seven if you want. I've kept mine very clean and simple and gone for five colours. I actually made two cards:

Stamps: Uniko - Stunning Snowflakes, Simply Said II, Most Wonderful
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress Oxide: Candied Apple, Spiced Marmalade, Lucky Clover, Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet, Fired Brick, Fossilized Amber, Peeled Paint, Faded Jeans, Seedless Preserves
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up Card - Basic Black; Gems

I decided to keep these cards ultra clean and simple and just allow the rainbow colours to be the star of the show. The top card is the brights and the bottom is the more muted colours. In order to make sure the snowflakes all lined up accurately I used my MISTI. I layered the finished panels on black card and then adhered them to the card base. I finished the front with a very simple Christmas sentiment. I decided to add some sparkle with tiny little gems in the centre of each snowflake. On the inside of each card I cut a mat layer of black card, and on the white panels I stamped a greeting in black and added some more colourful snowflakes around the words.

There are a couple of Christmas in July challenges around at the moment, so I'm submitting these cards to them. The first is Merry Monday where we can catch up with any previous challenge and I've based the cards on MM#233 where we had to use 5 of somethings. The second is CAS-ual Friday Challenge - CFC#178.

Do visit Christmas Card Throwdown to see more inspirational cards from the rest of the Design Team - we have all gone for totally different looks! You've got slightly longer than usual to join in with this challenge. You have until midnight (BST) Friday 4th August (that's 7.00pm EDT) to play along. That's all for now, see you soon.

CCT - Sketch ....

.... Morning! Time is marching on and it's brings us to our new challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown - CCT13. We're have a sketch for you to use for the next couple of weeks. I've made an, almost, one layer card:

Stamps: Uniko - Stunning Snowflakes
Inks: Distress - Blueprint Sketch, Shaded Lilac; Kaleidacolor - Blue Breeze; Stampin' Up! - Soft Sky
Dies: Die-namics - Fishtail Flags Stax #2, Fishtail Flags Layers Stax #2
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Shimmer Spritz

I started by stamping the three large snowflakes in a bold blue diagonally across the page. Then I used the tiny snowflake and randomly stamped it all over the card background using a mixture of different shades of blue. I created the mat flag by rubbing the blueprint sketch ink over some white card; once it was dried I die cut the fishtail flag. I stamped the greeting on white card and die cut it with the layering die. Before adhering the greeting to the card, I spritzed it all over with some frost shimmer spritz - it's dazzling in the sunlight. On the inside I simply stamped a greeting and added a few more snowflakes.

I'm submitting this card to the current challenge at TIME OUT challenges - TOC#86 where the theme is Celebrations with the optional twist of a one-layer card. I almost managed the OLC!! Do visit our blog to see more inspiration challenges from the rest of the team. You have plenty of time to play along, deadline for submission is midnight (BST) Friday 14th July, that's 7.00pm EDT. Have fun!

CCT - Theme Reminder ....

.... Hello! I'm trying to catch up with some Christmas cards - I've missed rather too many lately, so I've another for our Nutcracker theme at Christmas Card Throwdown - CCT11:

Stamps: Waltzingmose - Nutcracker Sweet
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Lil Inkers - Dual Stitched Rectangles #2
Accessories: White Lustre Card; DCWV DP - Rose Tinted Christmas; Anita's - Christmas Silver Vellum; Zig Clean Colour Brushes; Clear Embossing Powder; Gems; Tim Holtz Watercolour Card

I stamped this Nutcracker soldier on watercolour card, embossed with clear powder and then used my Zig Clean Colour Brushes to add colour. I also used an aquabrush filled with plain water to make some of the colours paler. Once he was completely dry I carefully cut him out. I've used this week's sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch! - CTS#227 for the layout. I a piece of bright pink design paper and some silver Christmas vellum using a stitched edge die. I adhered the vellum over the pink paper to bring down the glare a bit, and then adhered the panel to the centre of the card. I adhered the Nutcracker with dimensional tape and stamped the sentiment in bold black.God Jul is Norwegian and Swedish for Merry Christmas. I finished the front by adding some gems. On the inside I cut a piece of co-ordinating design paper for the mat and on the white panel stamped a simple greeting, and a black outline image of the Nutcracker soldier. I'm submitting this to Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#247 for their Make Your Mark challenge.

Today is going to be a bit rough. My Mum has been on holiday with us for the last two months, but she's going home to the UK today. It's always good to have Mum visit us, and she hates going home. It's a long flight which she doesn't really enjoy. While she's doesn't want to leave, she is looking forward to seeing her garden - which should be in full bloom - and to sleeping in her own bed. That's all for now.

CCT - Theme ....

.... Hello, good afternoon! I'm finally back online! The engineer came out yesterday and gave us a new modem - and it's looking like our Wifi connectivity issue has now been fixed.

I'm here with my card for our new challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown - CCT11. We have a fun theme for your Christmas/wintery cards - NUTCRACKER/TOY SOLDIERS. I've made a really clean and simple card for this challenge, although I've still got a couple of bits on my desk - so you might see some more soon. Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Nutcracker Sweet
Inks: Versamark
Dies: Elizabeth Craft - Beaded Circle Frames #3 and#4
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant; Silver Embossing Powder; Zig Clean Color Brushes; Tim Holtz Watercolour Card

I've based this card on the sketch from this week's Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#292. This is ultra clean and simple. I stamped the image on water colour card using Versmark and embossed with silver powder. I coloured it with Zig water colour brushes and punched out the finished image with a circle punch (the actual stamped image has a wavy frame). I then die cut two beaded circle frames in shades of purple. I adhered them both flat to the card and then attached the finished image. I've not decorated the inside yet - I'm running late, so I simply wanted to get my card finished.

Do check out our blog to see more inspiration from the rest of the team - they've created some wonderful cards. That's all from me for now.

CCT - Stash .....

..... Good evening! I don't quite know where today has gone. It's a glorious day here in Northville with bright blue skies, brilliant sunshine and it's hot, and getting humid too!

I really do have to apologise to my team mates as I've been missing in action for a while - I've got my mum visiting from the UK and we tend to be busy doing stuff!! Anyway, I've finally made a card for our stash challenge - CCT12. We want you to use GEMS/PEARLS/SEQUINS on your Christmas cards. I've used a mixture of gems and pearls on my card:

Stamps: Dimension Stamps - Funky Tree; Uniko - Simply Said II, Most Wonderful, Happy Succulents
Inks: Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Stampin' Up! - Emerald Envy
Dies: Lil Inkers - Dual Dotted Rectangles #4
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Emerald Envy; Gems; Copics; Green Tinsel Embossing Powder

I die cut a panel of white card, stamped the tree in Versamark and heat embossed with Green Tinsel powder - the tree has such a pretty shimmer! I adhered the panel to some green card just a bit bigger than the white panel. I added a mixture of gems and pearls to the tree. I finished the panel with a simple sentiment. I used dimensional tape to adhere the panel to the card base. I'm submitting this card to Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - HLSXMAS06. On the inside I cut a mat layer of green card and added a simple greeting to the white panel.

Do visit our blog to see more inspiration cards from the rest of the Design Team. You've got plenty of time to join in. The deadline for submission is midnight (BST) on Friday 16th June, that's 7.00pm EDT. Have fun!!