One Layer Christmas ....

..... Morning!  I've a Christmas card to share with you this morning - it's not too late to get some handmade cards done.  This one combines a few challenges:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Rustic Christmas
Inks: Distress - Festive Berries, Mowed Lawn; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versamark
Dies: Spellbinders - Ovals Petit Sm (S4-140) #6
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Real Red; Clear Embossing Powder; Pitt Pen - Gold; Sharpie - Gold

I love the silhouette images that Claire created for the Rustic Christmas set and I used a couple on this card.  I stamped the stag head in Versafine Onyx Black and embossed it with clear powder.  I wanted to emphasise the image, so die cut a mask and inked around the image with red and green.  I put the die over the image and drew around the edge with a gold pen - I moved the die around a bit to create some doodled lines and used two different shades of gold pen.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of red card.  On the white panel I stamped another of the silhouette images with Versamark, heat embossed with clear powder and then went over it with some green ink - love resist emboss!!  I finished by drawing a faux stitched border.

I used a few challenges for this card.  It's a one layer card, so I'm submitting to One Layer Christmas Card Challenge - OLXCC#22 where the theme is Anything Goes with the optional twist of a silhouette - done!  The colours are from Just Us Girls - JUGS#320 - so festive.  Finally, The photo at Inkspirational - INK#96 gave me the idea of a stag head.

That's it for now, but I'll be back later today with my post for the new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More!  Do drop by and check it out!  See you soon.

52CCT - Colours ....

... Morning!  It's time for our colour challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and April and picked some gorgeous colours for us to use.  You can use EITHER BLUE OR PURPLE and ANY METALLIC.  Here's my card:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Flurry of Wishes
Inks: Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress - Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Silver Mirri Card; Silver Embossing Powder; White Orchid Embossing Powder

I've used one of my favourite techniques to make this card - emboss resist.  I stamped the sentiment and snowflakes in Versmark and heat embossed them using silver on the sentiment and white on the snowflakes.  If you look closely you'll see that the snowflakes sparkle - the embossing powder contains silver glitter.  I added colour to the background by blending two shades of blue inks.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of silver card and added some more snowflakes and a greeting to the white panel.  As this is a one layer card, I'm submitting it to the new One Layer Christmas Card Challenge - OLXCC#19 where anything goes, this time with the option of silver.  And it's a CASE of Kimberley's lovely card too at Muse: Christmas Visions - MCV#23.

Don't forget to visit our blog to see what the rest of the team have made this week.  And I don't want to panic anyone, but there are only 10 more Saturdays before Christmas!  So now's the time to get going with your Christmas cards!  Have fun.

Warm Winter Wishes ....

....  Hello again!  If you want to see my card for this week's 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - click here.

I'm on a bit of a roll with Christmas cards.  I made a very clean, simple and elegant card for a few challenges:

• AAA Cards - AAA#47 - to use embossing - darn, missed the deadline!!
• Merry Monday - MM#170 - to use holly
• One Layer Christmas Card Challenge - OLXCC#17 - anything goes, optional twist family

Stamps: Chocolate Baroque - Holly Flourish; Uniko - Pure Floral Poinsettia; Kaisercraft - Mistletoe
Inks: Versamark; Versafine - Vintage Sepia
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; Gold Mirri Card; Gold Tinsel Embossing Powder

I stamped the holly in Versamark directly on the card and heat embossed with gold tinsel powder - it has a lovely sparkle in real-life!  I finished the front with a simple greeting.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of gold mirri card and added a greeting and more holly on the cream panel.

Kathryn has finished her first week of High School - it's gone well.  She has some homework, but not too much - I think they're settling them in gently.  It is also the start of Kathryn's Birthday Week!  I say week as there are several things happening this week.  Tonight it's out to dinner with some of her friends.  Later in the week we're having a family dinner and then it's her actual birthday on 17th September!  So, as you can see, it's a whole series of events!  That's all for now - see you soon.

52CCT - Pick a Previous .....

.... Colour!!!  Hi, good morning!  We have a fifth Saturday this month, which means that we have a Pick a Previous Colour challenge for you this week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown.  You can check our Colour Archive to see previous colour challenges; simply pick one, make a card and tell us which challenge you've used.  I went right back to the very first colour challenge we had in January 2012 to use black, white and a splash of red.  Here's my card:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Sassy Salutations, Many Merry Stars, Bright & Beautiful
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; SU - Real Red
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Real Red; Glamour Dust - Crystal

This card is about as clean and simple as it gets.  It's a one layer card featuring lots of stars, so I'm submitting it to the current challenge at One Layer Christmas Card Challenge - OLXCC#10.  I stamped stars directly on the card in black and then used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position the sentiment which I stamped in red.  To make the card more festive I used a glue pen and some ultra fine glitter - sadly not visible above.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of red card and stamped another star and a Christmas greeting on the white panel.

I took a few ultra close-up photos of the card in order to show the sparkle - it really is beautiful when the sun hits the card!!  I've found that by taking a photo slightly out of focus, you can just about see the shimmer and shine.

So visit our blog to see which colour challenges the rest of the team have picked.  You've got plenty of time to join in the fun - deadline for submission is midnight (UK) Friday 5th Jun, that's 7.00pm EDT for those of us in the States.  Have fun!!

Christmas Sparkle ....

...  Hello, good afternoon!  It's been a really good day today - got lots of tax admin sorted out this morning, then I headed to my local craft shops in Livonia and Northville and got a few new goodies.  I've been trying to grow my hair for the last several months, but today I'd had enough and as I was passing my hairdresser I popped in to see if Jessie could cut it.  I feel so much better now and I look more like me!!!  I must NEVER try to grow my hair again.

I've got a fun Christmas card to share with you this afternoon - it is quite clean and simple, but has lots and lots of sparkle:

Stamps: Woodware - Christmas Bubble Tree; Waltzingmouse - Twas The Night Before Christmas
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! - Daffodil Delight
Dies: Die-namics - In & Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangles #4
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Melon Mambo; Martha Stewart Glitter - Yellow Barite, Tourmaline, Periodot; SU Glitter - Dazzling Diamonds; Copic Markers

I got the idea for a bubble Christmas tree from the graphic for One Layer Christmas Card Challenge - OLXCC#6 where the theme is anything goes, but with the optional twist of circles, this stamp is perfect!!  The colours, bold and bright, are from CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#116 and I'm also playing along with Merry Monday - MM#151 where the team would like to see a tree.  I embossed the diagonal stitched frame on the front as a frame for the tree (the dies are my new goodies).  I stamped the tree in the frame and then added lots of glitter to the baubles.  I added clear glitter to the tree trunk.  I finished the front with a simple sentiment.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of pink card and on the white panel I added some very pale yellow snow, a tiny tree and a Christmas greeting.

Here's a close up of all that glitter.  I took this photo outside in the sunshine so that you can really see the sparkle!

I've been very busy making Christmas cards, and I've just realised that Easter is just round the corner, so I'd better get cracking on some Easter cards!!  That's all for now.  See you soon.

Edited to add:  Lizzy has just told me about The Glory of Christmas Challenge - GCC#55 where the theme is Tannenbaum/Christmas Tree, so I'm submitting this card there too.  Thanks Lizzy!