Treat boxes ....

... or goodie bags - those were the instructions for the challenge set at Creative Card Crew - they want to see all those little boxes and bags into which we store surprises!! 

So I made some for fun - and to try out a template for a box that I got from Waltzingmouse Stamps.  This is a really simple rubber band box - but has so many uses!  I printed the template onto the back of my card and then printed the paper on the other side.  The papers were designed by Glenda Waterworth and come from her double CD set - Season's Greetings.  I have a hard time selecting my favourite design, but the holly leaves are close to the top!!  As these are Christmas Treat Boxes I added a little bling by using Martha Stewart Glitters.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Around Christmastime; Template - Rubber band box
Papers: Artylicious - Season's Greetings
Glitter: Martha Stewart - Garnet, Onyx
Inks:  Brilliance - Pearlescent Ivy, Rocket Red, Graphite Black
Embossing Powder:  Stampendous - Detail Clear

I think I may put these under the tree for some special young people!!

And now that I've finished that challenge - I really better get on with the ironing.  I think the pile is now about 3 feet high!!  Have I mentioned that I hate ironing?  I think I may have.  Oh well, it's no good I really will have to get it done - if only so that I've got some ironed tops!!  It's such a shame that such mundane things drag us away from crafting :))) 

After that I have to prepare for Scouts this evening.  I'm not sure how many will come tonight - it's still very cold here, although not too much snow.  We'll see - we've a fun evening in store.  See you tomorrow.

Challenges galore ...

... I've been busy making cards for various challenges, and I've made a card to fulfil the requirements for three challenges!!  They are:

• Creative Card Crew - here the requirement is to feature punches
• Little Red Wagon - requirement to use the colour red #53; they are celebrating one year of challenges
• Just Add Ink - they provided a sketch, JAI42, to follow:

I think this is the first time I've actually managed to combine challenges in one card - I'm usually too busy trying to work out how to meet the requirements of one challenge, never mind three!! 

But this time it all came together rather well.  I started with the JAI42 sketch - I liked this layout and felt that the flower could be changed a bit to a Christmas bauble.  And that led to the next requirement - punches.  I used my Christmas Bauble stamps and punch from Stampin' Up!, along with a lovely punched Bauble border from a Martha Stewart Punch.  So that was two out of three!  And the last requirement was to include red - in honour of a year at Little Red Wagon - that was easy - red backing paper, red tinsel embossing powder and red ink!! 

Overall feeling when I'd finished this card - really pleased.  And, more importantly, another card towards this year's collection.  So, here's the finished card:

JAI42;  Little Red Wagon #53; Creative Card Crew - Punches

Stamps:  Stampin' Up! - Delightful Decorations, Contempo Christmas
Card:  Anita's Classic Christmas Red Papers; Gold card from stash; Green textured foil card from stash
Accessories:  Papermania - Green ribbon;  Martha Stewart - Baubles border punch;  Stampin' Up! - Ornament punch

I hope that everyone in the UK has enjoyed the Bonfire Weekend.  In the end, we didn't go to the Firework Display yesterday; we'd been out all day and were totally shattered.  So we stayed in the warm and watched our neighbour's display from the warmth and comfort of our living room.  And that seems to me to be the way to enjoy the fireworks.

That's all for now.  I have quite a bit of housework to catch up on, but provided I get finished, I'll be back later this evening.  I plan to go shopping over at Claire's shop - it's worth a visit!!

Crafting lessons ...

... and homework sessions; that's what I've been up to this morning. Glenda Waterworth of Graphicus, is running a Rubber Stamping 101: Back to Basics on My Creative Classroom.  The first lesson was on Wednesday night, where Glenda went over inkpads, cardstock, getting a good impression and care of your stamps.  It was really good. 

So the homework bit involved making ink swatches (which I'd already started) but I finished last night, testing out the differences between various black inks, misting inks and stamped images and finally producing a floral card.  So all the homework's done, apart from the floral card which I'll do later this week.  I think it's a great course - go have a look.

I decided to combine the misting exercise with one of the challenges that I've found.  The Creative Card Crew do a weekly challenge, and this weeks it's flowers, lots of them!  So, I've had fun with flowers.  I really like this stamp, but haven't used it much.  I think is absolutely perfect for the challenge.  So I inked it up using the Kaleidocolor pad and stamped onto watercolour paper, which I then misted to get the colours to run.  I was very pleased with the effect; I dried it with a heat gun.  I used the stamp-a-ma-jig to position the black overstamp.  I then used the flowers round the face to stamp randomly around the card.  I coloured some of these flowers with the Kaleidacolor inks.  I used nesties to cut out the image and mount it on a softly coloured background.  Finally, I added a number of punched flowers from my stash along with a greeting - Just because!!

Stamp:  Funstamps - Flower Face
Inks:  Kaleidacolor - Luau; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Spellbinders Nesties:  Scalloped ovals; Plain ovals
Flowers:  From my stash
Greeting:  Craftwork Cards

That's all for now.  I might not be able to post tomorrow as I'll be getting ready for my Stampin' Up! party which should be good fun.  Will be back soon.