Merry Christmas ....

.....   Hello!  I've had a busy year making Christmas cards, so I thought it would be a good idea to count how many I've actually made.  I'm on the design team for 52 Christmas Card Throwdown so I knew I'd have a good amount of cards - well at least 50!  I'm pleased to say that I've made 88 cards, which is brilliant.  However, I actually need about 115!!!  So I need a few more cards!  Here's one I made yesterday afternoon:

Stamps: Stampendous - Mega Merry; Uniko - Simply Said Christmas; Waltingmouse - Alpine Christmas; Snowflake Tree (don't know the company)
Inks: Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress - Lucky Clover, Cracked Pistachio, Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Pacific Point; Ranger - Holographic Embossing Powder

I started by stamping the snowflakes in Versmark and embossing them with Holographic powder.  I sponged on two shades of blue and two shades of green ink blending to reveal the sparkling snowflakes.  I cut a panel of white card, slightly smaller than the card, and stamped the word "merry" and "Christmas" in black ink.  I used a scalpel to cut out the inside of the letters in merry and then went round the cut edges with a black marker.  I adhered the panel over the inked snowflakes and attached the whole panel to the front of the card.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of blue card and on the white panel added a Christmas greeting and lots of blue and green snowflakes.

I've actually managed to combine four challenges to make this clean, simple card, and they are:

• Less is More - LIM#253 to use GREEN and BLUE
• Just us Girls - JUGS#322 where the word is "MERRY"
• CAS-ual Fridays - CFC#146 - Snowflakes
• Inkspirational - INK#97 - Flakes

I think I'm going to have to come up with a really quick, clean and simple design that I can mass produce over the next few days!  But not today.  Today, I'm off to a photoshoot with Jonathan - should be lots of fun!  And that's all for now, see you tomorrow.

52CCT - Colours ....

.... Hello!  It's time for our new challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown; this week we have some gorgeous colours for you to use - a blue, two shades of pink, teal and green.  You only have to use three of them, but it would be great if you could try to use them all.  Here's my take:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Gorgeous Grunge, Wondrous Wreath; Stampendous - Mega Merry
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; SU - Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Copic Markers; SU DP - Rich Razzleberry

I'm submitting this to CASology - CAS#116 where the cue word is SPLATTER.  I stamped the sentiment directly on the card and then stamped on the splatter images.  I restamped the word Merry on some scrap card and coloured the letters with Copic markers, cut them out, edged them with a black marker and then adhered them directly to the card.  On the inside I made a mat from dark pink design paper and added a simple greeting.

For more inspiration using these fabulous colours, check out the cards from the rest of the team.

While I had the Stampendous set out, I decided to make another card .  This one is for Merry Monday - MM#129 to use neon colours, and the layout is based on the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch! - CTS#96.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! -  Wondrous Wreath; Stampendous - Mega Merry
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versamark; Hero Arts - Neon Pink
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Copic Markers; SU Card - Night of Navy; SU DP - Night of Navy; White Embossing Powder

I stamped the word "Merry" on some white card and coloured each letter with a neon Copic marker.  I cut way some of the white card to leave the top of the letters free and then adhered the rest of the panel to the card base.  I cut a dark blue panel of card and adhered that to the base too.  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position the word "Christmas" and stamped it and the snowflakes in Versamark and heat embossed with white powder.  I carried the neon through to the inside by edging the white panel with a neon green marker and stamping the sentiment in neon pink.

That's all for now.  We're off to a cider mill today - should be lots of fun and a great opportunity for more photos!!  See you soon.