52CCT - Technique .....

.... Hello! We've come to the last Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for our technique challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - 52CCT38-16. Fabiola has picked a really fun technique for us to use this week - MASKING. This technique allows you to build depth into your card without adding too many layers - great for posting. Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Candy Jar Christmas Fillers, 2011 Holiday Ornaments; Winnie & Walter - Party Hangover; Clearly Besotted - All Occasion Sentiments; Stampin' Up! - Watercolour Wishes
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; SU - Real Red, Hello Honey, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Black; SU DP - Real Red; Copics; Wink of Stella - Clear

I've used the colours from this week's Colour Q Challenge - cQc#360 for my card. I'm also playing along with Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#212 where they want us to make our mark. I pulled out some much loved Waltzingmouse stamps to create the jar of gingerbread kids with pretty Christmas ornaments in front of them. I used scrap paper to work out the layout and to determine which order to stamp the images. The red ornament was stamped first as it is foremost in the picture. Using masks I continued to stamp the other ornaments and then the jar of cookies. I created the lid added another mask and then stamped the decorations. I coloured the cookies and decorations with Copic markers. I finished the front of the card by stamping the greeting and adding some sparkle with a clear Wink of Stella brush to the decoration. On the inside I cut a mat layer of red design paper. On the white panel I added a sentiment along with some more decorations and a little gingerbread kid.

Do visit our blog for some more inspiration with the masking technique. You've got plenty of time to join in with us - deadline for submission is midnight BST (7.00pm EDT) Friday 30th September. Have fun!

Just because ....

.... Good afternoon! Thanks so much to everyone who has stopped by recently to read my posts and leave me comments, I don't say it often enough, but I really do appreciate all your comments - they mean a lot to me.

I've had a fun time in my craft room today making a card for three challenges - a couple of which I haven't played for ages. Here's my card:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - A Dozen Thoughts, Watercolour Wings
Inks: SU - Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sugarplum, Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake, Soft Sky; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: SU/Sizzix - Swirly Scribbles, Bold Butterfly
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Soft Sky; SU DP - So Saffron; Wink of Stella - Clear; Gems

I got my parcel from Stampin' Up! yesterday with goodies from the new catalogue - I ordered the new in-colours. I think they're just fabulous and I used a couple of them on this card.

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

• Less is More - LIM#275 where they want us to use PASTEL colours
• Retro Sketches - RS#214 - really like the sketch
• Just us Girls - JUGS#342 - where the word of the week is BUTTERFLY

I stamped the butterfly using my MISTI to ensure that the images were all in the right place and cut it out with the matching die. I added some frosted gems to the butterfly's body. I die cut a scribble circle from some pale yellow design paper. I cut a strip of soft blue card for the top of the card and echoed the colour in the dots at the bottom of the card. I finished the front by stamping a bold sentiment and adding a few gems. On the inside I cut a mat layer of soft blue card and on the white panel added some texture stamps, but left lots of space for a message.

That's all for today. I'm off to have a coffee before heading to school to pick up Kat. See you soon.