C24C - Ho Ho Ho ....

.... Good morning! It's time for our new challenge at Christmas 24 Challenge - C24C#05, and we want to see your Christmas cards using:

RED, GREEN AND GOLD

I made a couple of cards and kept strictly to the colours:

Stamps: MFT - Party Lights, Grand Holiday Greetings
Inks: Versamark; Gina K - Lipstick, Christmas Pine, Black Onyx
Dies: Die-namics - Party Lights
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Gold Embossing Powder; Various scraps red, green and gold foil, glitter and plain card

I'm submitting these cards to Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#378 where the theme is Holiday, and to The Holly & Ivy Challenge - H&ICC#66 where it's Anything Goes. I'm also submitting to Christmas with the Cuties - CWC#35 where it's Anything Christmas Goes with the option of clean and simple.

I cut two white panels and stamped the light strings and sentiment in Versamark ink and heat embossed with gold powder. As you can see on the green card - I got a bit close with my heat gun and scorched the card a bit, but I'm not wasting the card - I'm putting it down to the glow of the lights 😊 The stamp set comes with a matching die and I used it to cut out lots of different coloured 'lights' from scraps of red, green, and gold foil, glitter and plain card. I then had fun adhering all the pieces to the card. I layered the finished panel on to red and green foil card and attached them to the front of the card base. On the inside, I cut mat layers in the foil and on the white panel stamped a greeting and added some more Christmas lights.

Don't forget to visit our blog Christmas 24 Challenge to see more inspiration projects from the rest of the team. I look forward to see your creations. We had so many lovely creations for our winter scene challenge.

C24C - Happy Christmas ....

... Morning! I had planned to share some cards with you this week, but instead I've been finishing off a mini scrapbook that Kat started before we moved to the States! I'll share photos of that later.  However, this morning I've made another Christmas card - it's based on our theme of DRY AND/OR HEAT EMBOSSING over at Christmas 24 Challenge.  Here's my card:

Stamps: Magenta - Poinsettia; MFT - Grand Holiday Greetings
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Rhubarb Stalk; Gina K - Black Onyx
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Cordinations - Black Magic Potion #9; Spectrum Noir Shimmer Brushes; EF - Embossalicious - Poinsettia; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to some, new to me, Christmas challenges - The Holly and Ivy Challenge - H&I#64 where it's Anything Goes, and to Christmas at Sweet Stampin' Christmas - SSC#01 - where they want us to Add Sparkle.

I found some Coredination card in my stash and embossed a poinsettia background, and then lightly rubbed off some of the black to reveal the green core. On white card I stamped this bold poinsettia in Versafine black ink and heat embossed with clear powder.  I used Spectrum Noir shimmer brushes to colour the image and sentiment. You can't see the shimmer above, but I have a closeup photo below that really shows the sparkle.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of green card and on the white panel added a bold greeting and another image of the poinsettia.

You have another six days to join in with our DRY AND/OR HEAT EMBOSSING challenge at Christmas 24 Challenge - I look forward to seeing what you create.  That's all for now.

Santa's coming to town ....

... well, he will be in about 11 months!!  Morning!  I had a busy day yesterday, but still managed to get into my craft room and make another Christmas card.  I'm determined to have all my cards made in plenty of time this year and not buy cards like I did last year.  Here's my card:

Stamps: PTI - City Scene, City Scene Christmas Sentiments; MFT - Grand Holiday Greetings, Simply Snowflakes
Inks: Gina K - Black Onyx, Kraft, Slate, Fresh Asparagus, Jelly Bean Green, Warm Cocoa, Wild Dandelion, Red Velvet
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Gina K Card - Red Velvet

The idea for this card came from the current challenge at Jingle Belles - JB:20:01 where the ladies would like us to use some left over wrapping paper/tags on our cards.  I'm also playing along with Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - HLSXMAS#01, where anything goes.

My recycled item is the large glittered red bus.  This actually came from a card that I received, but I liked it so much that I kept it.  Going through my stash of stamps I came across a fun set from Papertrey Ink which had some layering stamps and included Big Ben and a London bus. I used my MISTI to line up the stamps and get crisp images.  From the co-ordinating sentiment set I stamped the Santa image and used the appropriate sentiment. 

Inside, I cut a mat layer of bright red card and on the white panel added a large greeting and some bright snowflakes.  One of the advantages of having to reorganise your craft room is that you come across stamps sets you'd forgotten about.  You might see a few more of my old Papertrey stamps sets in the coming months!!  It feels good getting back into my crafting groove!!

That's all for now.  Have a good weekend.

52CCT - Sketch ...

.... Morning! This week has flown by. It's the first Saturday of the month which means it's time for our new challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - 52CCT22-16. Our host this month is Jacqueline and she has a fabulous sketch for us. Here's my take:

Stamps: My Favourite Things - Grand Holiday Greetings; Uniko - Stunning Snowflakes
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Stampin' Up - So Saffron, Blushing Bride
Dies: Memory Box - Snowflake Arch
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Rose Red; SU DP - Blushing Bride, So Saffron; SU Glimmer Paper - Silver; SU Punch - Blossom Punch; Gems; Vellum; Clear Embossing Powder

As soon as I saw this sketch I knew I wanted to use this lovely snowflake arch die. The weather in Northville is so summery that I decided to make a card with non-traditional colours, these come from CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#176. I made the base from Rose Red card, cut a panel of Blushing Bride design paper for the side of the card and die cut the arch from silver glimmer paper. I punched some "snowflakes" from yellow design paper, added some gems and adhered them to the card. I finished the front with a bold sentiment stamped on vellum and heat embossed with clear powder. On the inside I cut a panel of white card on which I stamped pretty snowflakes and added a greeting - simple! The theme at Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#196 is Anything Goes, so I'm playing along with them.

Do visit our blog to see more inspiration cards from the rest of the team. You've got lots of time to play along, deadline is midnight (BST) Friday 10th June - that's 7.00pm EDT in the States.

The reason I've not blogged anything last week is that I had my birthday on Thursday - 56 years young! I plan on celebrating for as long a possible and today I continue with a craft class at my local shop in Northville! Enjoy your weekend! Bye for now.

52CCT - Colours ....

.... Hello from an arctic cold and rather snowy Northville. The weather is just right for making Christmas/winter cards, which is fortunate as it's time for our colour challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - 52CCT06-16. April has picked some fabulous colours - BLUE, CREAM AND GOLD. Here's my card:

Stamps: My Favourite Things - Grand Holiday Greetings, Seasonal Sentiments; Waltzingmouse - Festive Foliage
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Whisper White (pigment), Night of Navy; Brilliance - Galaxy Gold
Dies: WMS - Holly; Memory Box - Postage Rectangle Layers #3
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; SU Card - Night of Navy; SU DP - Night of Navy; Gold Mirri Card; White Signo Pen

I really wasn't sure what I was going to do with these colours, but I'm really pleased how this turned out. Over at Merry Monday - MM#191 the team would like to see the "Chalkboard Technique" and at Jingle Belles - JB:16:04 they want to see TEXT. So I thought text and chalk boards go together and my board is dark blue!! I cut a panel of design paper slight smaller than the base, ran a gold pen around the edge and adhered it flat to the card. Next I die cut a rectangle of navy card and stamped this bold greeting in white pigment ink and heat embossed with white powder. I doodled a border in white pen and then adhered the panel to some gold card and attached it to the front of the card. I finished the front with some gold die cut holly, complete with blue berries! On the inside I made a mat from navy card. On the white card I stamped a Christmas greeting and added some gold holly leaves.

Edited:  I've just added my card to the Merry Monday challenge and I think I must have been subconsciously CASing Betty!  Her card is absolutely fabulous

Don't forget to visit our blog to see what the rest of the team have created to inspire you. You've got plenty of time to play along - deadline is midnight (GMT) Friday 19th February (7.00pm for those of us in the States). I hope you all have a super weekend, I've a busy one planned with some fun stuff and some tax paperwork too! Well, it can't be all fun! See you soon.

Watercolour Christmas ....

... Good afternoon everyone!  It's another fabulous day here in Northville.  We are so lucky to be enjoying a truly wonderful Indian summer!!  And instead of being outside, I spent this morning catching up with some videos from Watercolour for Cardmakers: Exploring Mediums.  It was such fun and has inspired me to have a go at this week's Merry Monday Challenge - MM#172 - to use watercolours.  Here's my card:

Stamps: My Favourite Things - Grand Holiday Greetings; Stampin' Up! - Serene Snowflakes
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - London Fog
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Black; Tim Holtz - Watercolour Paper; Watercolours; Gelatos

I have a love/hate relationship with watercolours.  I really love the watercolour effect, but I hate giving up control and the way the paper curls!!!  After watching most of the videos this morning, I had a go at creating a random watercolour background - based on Laura Bassen's video.

I cut a square panel of watercolour paper and taped it to a work surface.  I used a wide brush to wet the paper (and that's why there's a subtle green tint to the panel - it still had some paint in) and then applied some red, yellow and blue paint.  I spritzed on some more water and allowed the paints to bleed into each other.  I dried off the first layer and, as it was very pale, decided to add some more paint.  I really like the layered look this gives.  I made sure that the paper was totally dry, and then stamped a bold sentiment in black.  I layered the watercolour panel on black card and adhered it to the front of a square card.  On the inside I used another of my practise panels.  I used gelatos on this piece - colouring directly on the card, blending with my finger and then adding some water to get them to blend.  I tried to use some silver gelato on this, but it didn't work to well.  I finished the panel with some snowflakes (sadly discontinued) and added another greeting.

I'm actually very pleased how this turned out.  Taping the watercolour paper to the work surface really helps to reduce the paper curl, and then placing it under a pile of very heavy books helps too!!  I've enjoyed the videos and will have another play soon.

It's Homecoming & Spirit Week at Northville High School and this week the kids have been able to go to school in "fancy dress".  On Monday everyone went into school in pajamas!!!  Tuesday was Detroit Sports day - each year had a different team and wore that team's colours - Kat had Detroit Pistons - the basketball team and wore blue and red. Yesterday was Colour Day -  Freshmen had GREEN (my favourite colour) and the staff got to wear tie-dye!!  Today was The Seasons and the Freshmen had Spring.  The week finishes with everyone wearing black and orange during the day, and the Homecoming Football match in the evening - GO MUSTANGS!!!

Saturday is the day that Kat has really been looking forward to - it's the Homecoming Dance - I'll put up some pictures next week.

That's it for now - see you soon.