C24C - Sketch Challenge ....

.... Good morning! It's time for our new challenge at Christmas 24 - C24C#30 - we have a fun sketch challenge for you - you can flip the sketch, so long as we can see the basic sketch layout in your card. Here's my take on the sketch:

Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Let It Snow, Merry Kissmass, Mixed Christmas Sentiments

Inks: Memento - Angel Pink, Summer Sky, New Sprout; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Versafine - Onyx Black

Dies: MFT - Mini Scallop Stitched Squares Stax #2, Squares Stax Set 2 #3

Accessories: White Card; Kaisercraft DP - Mistletoe; Clear Embossing Powder; Copics; Nuvo - Clear Aquashimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to Happy Little Stampers Christmas challenge - HLSXMAS#03 where it's Anything Goes (I've skipped the option of angels), and to Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog - MLCCB#32 - where it's Anything Goes.

I used a fancy edge die to cut the mat layers from Christmas design paper, and use a plain square die to cut pieces of white card which are 1½" square. I then stamped the holly and berries twice and the green berries once. I coloured them with Copic markers, returned the images to the MISTI and stamped with Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder. Next I used some snowflake images to stamp a subtle and pastel background. I finished by stamping a bold greeting in black. The two holly panels have been adhered flat to the card, and I used dimensional pads for the berry piece. You can see it from the photo, but I did add sparkle to the berries with a clear aqua shimmer brush. Inside the card, I used another piece of design paper for the mat layer and on the white card I stamped a greeting and added some more Christmas foliage which I coloured with copic markers.

You have until the end of the month to join in with our challenge. Don't forget to visit our blog to see more inspiration cards from the rest of the design team.

Before I go I hope all the mums out there had a super day yesterday - I had a lovely time. Cards and flowers from my children, flowers to my mum and mother-in-law, and a lovely cream tea for our special meal. It was fab! See you soon.

Christmas Tree .....

.... Good morning! I hope that you have all had an enjoyable holiday season. We had a super time with family in the UK. Jonathan and Kat are flying back to the States today, while I get to spend some extra time with my mum - always special.

Anyway, I've a Christmas card to share with you today. I made this several weeks ago when I was busy making my card as Guest Designer for the AAA Cards - AAA80 challenge where the theme was silver. I'd also been playing with the lovely emboss impressions technique that I'd seen demonstrated by Jennifer McGuire. This is one of the first cards for my 2017 stash!!

Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Mixed Christmas Sentiments; Penny Black - Yuletide Wishes; Uniko - Stunning Snowflakes
Inks: Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Delicata - Silvery Shimmer
Dies: Memory Box - Winterland Tree
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Basic Black; Silver Mirri Card; Silver Embossing Powder; Wink of Stella - Clear

I lightly tapped Versamark over the Christmas tree die cut, placed it on the black card and ran it through the Big Shot. I carefully removed the die and then added lots of silver embossing powder to make sure it filled all the impression lines and heat set the powder. This is such a lovely technique and gives another way to use our dies! I added lots more anti-static powder to the black card, stamped the sentiment and heat embossed that too. I finished the black panel by adding lots of sparkle to the open spaces in the tree with a clear Wink of Stella brush. I layered the panel on some silver mirri card and then adhered it all to a white card. On the inside I cut a mat layer of black card and on the white panel added a simple greeting and some lovely silver snowflakes.

I've just logged onto the Less is More challenge and discovered that my outline card was one of the ShowCASEd cards for the one-layer challenge 306 - absolutely thrilled and delighted. That's all for now!

Fa la la la ....

... Hi! I'm still in Christmas card mode! This morning I've a fun and cute Christmas card for you. The cue word at CASology - CAS#225 this week is SOFT. I had all sorts of ideas for this, but I was going through my stamp stash yesterday and came across this cute little teddy and decided to use him on my card:

Stamps: Docrafts - Forever Friends 9062900G; Happy Little Stampers - Mixed Christmas Sentiments
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Stampin' Up! - Smoky Slate; Distress - Tumbled Glass
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU DP - Melon Mambo; Tim Holtz Water Colour Card; Zig Real Brushes; Copics; Wink of Stella - Clear; Tim Holtz Stencil - Concerto THS067; Clear Embossing Powder

I started by stamping the sentiment in Versafine and heat embossing with clear powder. I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position the image and stamped it directly on the card using the sentiment to ground the bear. I then lightly stencilled a music pattern around the bear - echoing the musical sentiment. I stamped the image again on water colour card, coloured him with Zig Real Brushes and some copics. I added a touch of sparkle to his hat, scarf and the gift. I edged the image with a black marker and then attached it to the card. On the inside I cut a mat layer of design paper and added a simple greeting to the white panel. And the bear is peeking in at the bottom too!

Finishing this card brings my Christmas card total to 97 - I'm getting there. That's all for now - I really have to make a start on some housework!! See you soon.