Plaid Snowmen ...

... Good Morning! Three days on the trot - go me!! I like to make special Christmas cards for my family and this is the one I made for our son:

Stamps: Funstamps - Scribble Snowman; Waltzingmouse Stamps - Cabin Plaid Background; Uniko - Snowflake Serenade

Inks: Gina K - Key Lime, Sea Glass, Soft Stone; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Stampin' Up! - Word Bubble Framelits

Accessories: White Card; Uniko Stencil - Let It Snow; Taylored Expressions - Masking Ovals; Clear Embossing Powder; Nuvo - Clear Aquashimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to several challenges and they are:

• The Male Room - TMR#145 - they want to see tartan and plaid
• CASology - CAS#380 - Snowman
• Uniko Challenge - USC#62 - Christmas with the option of sparkle
• Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#260 - Snowmen

This card feature three of my all time favourite snowguys! I stamped a plaid background in soft lime and soft teal and on top of that I stamped the Scribble snowman and fussy cut them out. On white card I stamped three more snowmen and cut them out. I carefully cut out two hats and scarfs in white and adhered them to the plaid snowmen, adding a bit of colour the hats and scarfs. On the white snowman I added a green plaid hat and teal plaid scarf. I wanted to keep the card fairly simple, but still have some snowflakes in the background. I used a snowflake stencil over which I placed the Taylored Expression large oval mask and softly inked in some snowflakes. I adhered the two plaid snowmen flat to the card and used dimensional pads to adhere the white snowman. I made the greeting by typing the sentiment on my PC and used a speech bubble die to cut it out. I lightly brush green and blue ink around the edge of the bubble and used dimensional pads to attach it to the card. I finished the card by adding lost of subtle sparkle to the snowmen. On the plaid snowguys I added sparkle to the hat and scarves, and on the white snowman, I added it all over the body. On the inside, I cut a panel of white card, stamped a greeting added a swirl of soft blue and green snowflakes, and finished with a cute snowguy peeking in from the bottom of the card.

You can't see the sparkle in the photos above, so I took a close up to show all the lovely shimmer on the snowguys. You can also see the pretty plaid patterns too.

It's going to be a busy weekend. We don't put our decorations up early. No, not even this year!!! The tree goes up on Saturday and we decorate everywhere then. I'm also going to be making some homemade marzipan for our Christmas cake, I might even do a few homemade mince pies too. All a special treat for my hubby!

Anyhow, that's all for now. See you again soon. Thanks for stopping by.

52CCT - Technique & DT Call ....

.... Morning! It's time for our new challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown (52CCT42-16) and we have a really fun technique for you. Kaja has picked EMBOSSING - you can you dry embossing or heat embossing. I've used both on my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Cabin Plaid Background, Tis The Season, Folk Art Christmas Additions
Inks: Kaleidacolor - Fruitcake; Versafine - Onyx Black; Delicata - Golden Glitz; Versamark
Dies: WMS - Folk Art Christmas
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! DP - Cherry Cobbler; Cuttlebug EF - Snowflakes; Embossing Powder - Silver, Gold Tinsel

I've used one of my all time favourite stamps on this card - the plaid background from Waltzingmouse Stamps - sadly this is no longer available. I used a Kaleidacolor inkpad to give this wonderful ombre festive background. I dry embossed a scrap of white card with some snowflakes and then cut them to size. I added a touch of gold to the embossed snowflakes. I stamped the bell in Versamark and added silver and gold tinsel powder and heat embossed - I love the shimmer this gives. I cut the bell out with the co-ordinating die. I finsihed the front with a bold Christmas sentiment from Waltzingmouse. This set, Tis The Season, is available from Gina K Designs as Claire Brennan now designs for Gina. On the inside I cut a mat layer of dark red design paper and on the white panel added a greeting and a gold bell.

I'm playing along with Merry Monday - MM#218 where they want to see plaids. And also with Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#259 as I used their sketch for the layout.

Do visit our blog to see more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team. Just a reminder that we are having a DT Call - do check the blog for full details. That's all for now!

52CCT - Theme ....

.... Hello and Good Morning!  It's time for our new challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - we've reached the third Saturday of the month and that means it's time for our Theme challenge.  This week we'd like to see your Christmas/Winter creations based on the theme of FAMILY & FRIENDS.  As you know we're living in the US, but our family are all in the UK, so to me this theme is about home too, here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Alpine Christmas, Cabin Plaid Background
Inks: Kaleidacolour - Fruitcake; Memento - Rich Cocoa
Dies: Die-namics - Zig-Zag Stitched Ovals Stax #5; Waltzingmouse - Snowflake #2
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Crumb Cake; SU DP - Crumb Cake; Copic Markers; Glitter; Washi Tape

I've used the layout from this week's challenge at My Favourite Things Wednesday Sketch Club - MFTWSC#255.  The photo at Card Concept - CC#44 inspired me to use a plaid background and go for a really festive colour scheme - reds and greens, with sparkle.

I used Crumb Cake card to create the base.  I stamped the plaid background using a Kaleidacolour pad - love the variation in colours.  I stamped the foreground of snow hills, snowman and trees first, masked them and then added the lovely chalet.  I cut out the image with a fancy edge die and coloured the image with Copic markers.  I kept the colours simple and added three different types of glitter to give some texture to the image.  I adhered the image to the card, added some festive Washi tape and finished with a snowflake.  On the inside I cut a piece of cream card, added a Christmas greeting and lots of snowflakes.

I also took an out-of-focus photo of the chalet to show the shimmer and sparkle of all the different glitters:

The tinsel glitter on the rooftop really catches the light and sparkles so much!

Don't forget that we're running a DT Call - see our blog for full details.  The rest of the team have some fabulous cards to inspire you, so please drop by and leave them a message.  Have fun!!

52CCT - Colours ....

.... Hi!  It's time for our colour challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and Julie has picked traditional RED AND GREEN.  I've made a quite clean and simple card - there's not much white space, but it is very quick and easy to make:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Jolly Old Elf, Cabin Plaid Background, Tis the Season
Inks: Kaleidacolor - Fruitcake; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Real Red; Martha Stewart Coarse Glitter - Crystal

I've used the layout from this week's CAS(E) this Sketch - CTS#135.  I inked up the plaid background with my Kaleidacolor pad - shades of red and green and stamped the card.  I then stamped Santa (the Chief Elf) using only the two shades of red.  I fussy cut him out and then added glitter to his beard, hat and gloves.  I finished the front by stamping the sentiment directly on the card.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of red card and stamped a bold Christmas greeting on the white panel.

Don't forget to visit our blog to see inspiration cards from the rest of the team.  And while we've got traditional colours for you this week - you don't have to be traditional in design - can't wait to see what you make.  Have fun!!

52CCT - Theme ....

......  Morning!  It's time for our new challenge at 52{Christmas} Card Throwdown.  This week is our theme challenge and Danielle picked it before she stepped down from the team.  I really love the the theme, so I'm hosting today - what's the theme?  We want your Christmas or winter cards to feature Christmas Elves, and I guess that includes the Chief Elf too!!  Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Cabin Plaid Background, Elf Made, Candy Jar Christmas Fillers
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Pear Pizzazz, Real Red; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Spellbinders - Wonky Rectangles (S4-306) #5 and #6
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU DP - Real Red; Copic Markers;  Wink of Stella - Clear and Gold; SU Marker - Basic Black

I decided to feature one of Santa's little helpers on my card and I have the perfect set of stamps too.  I stamped the background with a lovely plaid pattern.  I stamped the elf on white card, coloured him with Copic markers and then cut him out.  I ran a black marker around the edge to cover any white card.  I die cut a red panel and white panel for the centre of the card.  I stamped an elf made certificate on the white panel using a number of inks and then adhered it to the card.  I stamped the extra candy canes on white card, coloured them to match the one the elf is holding and then covered them clear Wink of Stella.  I stamped a Christmas greeting using my MISTI (love that machine) and then adhered the elf and candy canes. On the inside I cut a mat layer of red design paper and on the white panel I stamped another elf and a Christmas greeting.

Do visit the blog to check out what the rest of the team have made.  I'm really looking forward to seeing what you make featuring Christmas Elves!!

By the time this post goes live, we will be on our way to Las Vagas airport to catch our flight home.  The week has gone really fast.  That's all for now, see you soon.

TMR - Christmas ....

... Hello!  It's time for our new challenge at The Male Room.  Our challenge this week is really simple, we want to see your masculine styled projects with the theme of Christmas.  Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Tis the Season, Cabin Plaid Background, Elf Made
Inks: Kaleidacolor - Fruitcake
Dies: Spellbinders - Mega Rectangles Sm (S4-144) #3
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Stampin' Up! Card - Basic Black

This card came together so quickly.  I used the large plaid background stamp from Waltzingmouse, inked up with Fruitcake (very festive colours) and simply covered the whole of the card.  I think the plaid works really well for a masculine card.  I kept it simple by stamping a bold sentiment in the same colours, cutting it out with a die and layering onto some black card.  Simple!  On the inside I cut a mat layer of black card and a multicoloured greeting on the white panel.  Done! 

For more inspiration with masculine themed Christmas cards - check out the blog and see what the rest of the team have made.  This is the last challenge this year, we're taking a break over Christmas and will be back with new challenges for you in 2015.  Have fun!