ASM - Anything Goes ....

... Evening all!  It's time for our ever popular ANYTHING GOES challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More!  As it's only just over 10 weeks to Christmas, and I need still more cards, I decided to make a Christmas card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Opera Tags Christmas, Alpine Christmas, Warm Fuzzies, Tis the Season
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Bermuda Bay, Lucky Limeade
Dies: Spellbinders/WMS - Opera Tags
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Bermuda Bay; Crafter's Companion EF - Star; Glitter; Thread; Quickie Glue Pen

I used the sketch from CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#145 for the layout and, as there's lots of sparkly glitter on this card, I'm submitting to Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#74.

I stamped the gorgeous Opera Tag image in two shades of green and added the sentiment in the middle.  I used my glue pen to add glue to the image and then applied lots of glitter.  I cut another tag and adhered them together.  I embossed the panel with some stars, brushed the ink pad across to bring out the stars and finished by adding more glitter.  I found some thread in my stash that went with the colours I used, lay it on the card and then adhered the finished tag with dimensional gel.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of teal card and added a sentiment and snowflakes to the white panel.  I've taken a close up of the card to show all the lovely sparkle.

Our sponsor for this week's challenge is Sweet Pea Stamps - where you can find a wonderful selection of both rubber stamps and digital stamps.  The winner of our challenge will get a prize of 4 digi images from the shop.  Now don't forget to visit the blog to see what the rest of the team have made to inspire you this week.  Have fun!!

52CCT - Sketch ....

....  Hello!  It's time for our first challenge of the month at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown.  As it's the first Saturday of the month, it's our Sketch challenge.  I kept to the sketch, but if you need to flip it, turn it, feel free - but we must be able to see the sketch in your card.  Here's my take:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Santa's Coming to Town, Flurries, Opera Tags Christmas
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black, Olympia Green; Stampin' Up! - Real Red, Certainly Celery
Dies: WMS - Stitched Tag, Folding Tag (Star)
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU DP - Real Red; Clear Embossing Powder; Ribbon; Washi Tape

I'm playing along with a couple of challenges with this card.  The colours come from this week's Colour Throwdown - CTD#345 (so perfect for a Christmas card).  And over at Jingle Belles - JB:15:12, the ladies would like us to make a card with a shaker or to feature Santa or both!!  As you can see I decided to make Santa the feature of my card, but on tags, not as a shaker.  I stamped some snowflakes and stars randomly over the base.  I die cut two tags, one red and the other white.  On the white tag I stamped a Santa silhouette and simple greeting.  The sentiment is actually a very dark green, although it looks black in the photo.  I heat embossed both images with clear powder.  I covered a scrap of white card with green Washi tape and die cut a little star for the tag.  I edged the tag with soft green ink.  I created the sentiment banners by adding two strips of Washi tape to the top of white card and then stamped the sentiment.  The bottom banner is covered with musical Washi.  I attached the tags with dimensional tape.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of red design paper and added a simple Christmas greeting on the white panel.

Do visit the blog to check out what the rest of the team have made.  You've got plenty of time to join in - deadline for submission is midnight (BST) Friday 12th June (that's 7.00pm EDT).  Have fun! That's all for now - see you soon.

52CCT - Stash ....

....  Good morning all!  It's been a bit quiet here - still recovering from a fabulous trip to Washington DC and my brain just hasn't got back into the groove!!!  Anyhow, it's time for our Stash challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and Patricia would like us to use ribbon on our cards.  I have a huge selection of ribbon and really don't use it often enough!  Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Yonder Star Background, Opera Tags Christmas, Alpine Christmas
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Cucumber Crush, Mint Macaron, Real Red
Dies: Spellbinders/WMS - Opera Tags
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Cucumber Crush, Real Red; SU Ribbon - Real Red; Black/White Bakers Twine

I made a tag for my Christmas card.  I used a couple of the new in-colours from Stampin' Up! and paired them with bright red - a very festive combination.  I cut a mat layer of bright green card, and stamped a background pattern in mint green on the white card.  I stamped the tag in green, cut it out with the matching die and added a sentiment in red.  I layered the tag on red card, cut around to leave a thin red border and added a bold red ribbon.  I used dimensional tape to attach the tag to the card.  On the inside of the card I cut a mat layer of red card, stamped a Christmas greeting in green and finished with some mint green snowflakes.

For more inspiration using ribbon on your cards, check out the blog to see what the rest of the team have made.  Have fun!!

52CCT - Technique ....

....  Good morning!!  It's time for our last challenge of March - can you believe it's the end of the month already?  This week, at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown, Gill would like us to create a Christmas card using our punches.  I have to admit that I've been a bit worried about this challenge - I'm not good at creating with punches.  Fortunately, the Internet is an amazing source of inspiration and this card owes much to Dawn's lovely angel.  Here's my card:

Stamps: Uniko Studio - Simply Said Christmas; Waltzingmouse - You're A Doll, Opera Tags Christmas
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Old Olive, Wisteria Wonder; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Dies: Die-namics - In & Out Diagonal Squares #3
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU DP - Winter Frost, Blushing Bride, Wisteria Wonder; Copic Markers; Wink of Stella - Clear, Gold; Vellum; SU Punches - Tree, Butterfly, 1" Circle, ¾" Circle

The layout is based on this week's sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch - CTS#116 and the colours are from Colour Q - cQc#284.  I used a die to cut the square - I like the way this die has the pattern on the inside and outside of the die cut.  I put a piece of design paper on the inside of the card and, as it's double-sided, I have a nice pattern on the inside too.  I used punches to cut the angel's body, face, wings and halo.  I stamped a face on the smaller circle and coloured it with Copic markers.  I added lots of sparkle to the reminder of the angel and then adhered the pieces together.  The halo was made by colouring some vellum with gold Wink of Stella and punching out a circle slightly larger then the angel's head.  I adhered the angel to the card with dimensional gel.  I finished the front with a simple sentiment and some sequins.  On the inside I cut another piece of design paper and on the white panel stamped a bold Christmas greeting.

I've taken a close-up photo of the angel so that you can see all the sparkle and shimmer.
 

For more inspiration using punch art on your Christmas cards, do check out the blog and see what the rest of the team have made for you.

I've got a very quiet, crafty day lined up as Jonathan and Kathryn will be out pretty much the whole day.  In the morning they are off to a photo shoot which Jonathan will enjoy lots!  The rest of the day they'll be at a pop concert.  Jonathan is taking Kathryn to a concert at The Crofoot in Pontiac - featuring one of her favourite bands - Set It Off, along with lots of other bands too.  Jonathan loves his daughter very much indeed :)  That's it for now - see you soon.