A Gloomy Christmas?

Black on a Christmas card - classy or gloomy?- Discuss.

Either way, I'm about 35 cards short of a Hallmark multipack, so I'd better speed up my Christmas card-making with some quick and easys like these.

I'd like to enter this for:
Little Red Wagon Trim the tree
Simon Says Stamp Anything goes

Merry Shopper

Another vintage photo from Joanna Sheen Fashion CD.

I'd like to enter this for:
One Stop Challenge Vintage Christmas
Tuesday Alchemy Anything Goes   

Snow People

What's really annoying is that. although I made this card to fit in with Charisma Cardz colour challenge, the photograph makes the colours look wrong! That red is really a maroon.

The other challenge I made this for is A Day for Daisies and they have provided the snowman image to use for this challenge.

Paper-Pieced Santa

Yesterday some (usually non-crafting) friends came over to use my stuff to make Christmas cards. Guess who did the least card-making? Yes, me. In fact, I spent most of my time trying to stop my little boy glittering the floor and providing refreshments.

This paper-pieced Santa was the only thing I made and I had to finish it off after they all left. The image is a Stamps Happen rubber stamp.

I'd like to enter this for:
A Gem of a Challenge  Paper Piecing
Christmas Card Challenges Paper Piecing

Merry and Very Bright

 These papers were a free gift with a magazine year/s ago and I thought I'd try to use them up. The car is from a clear stamp set (Woodware?) and I used green glitter glue on the tree.

I'd like to enter this for the Non-traditional Christmas challenge at Dream Valley Challenges.

Layered up

This week's CD Sunday challenge is :'Layer it up'.

I used a decoupage sheet from Papermania Enchanted Christmas CD,and built up 6 layers while watching TV with my little boy.  I sprayed it with glitter, but it doesn't show in the photo.

The background papers are also Papermania - Jesse Edwards, Home for Christmas. I do have this set on CD but in fact, these were from a paper pack. I also added another layer with an offcut of snowfall acetate. The sentiment was cut from a freebie paper kit I had hanging around.

As well as CD Sunday, I'd like to enter this for Crimbo Crackers Anything Goes.

Vintage Cute

I'm enjoying playing with vintage style photos at the moment.

The papers I used here are by Cosmo Cricket.

I'd like to enter this for:
Simon Says Stamp Sketch
Craft Creations Christmas is Coming

Boy Fairy

This is a new image 'Acorn Boy Fairy' from A Day for Daisies.

I printed it onto vellum and cut it out and stuck it onto a vellum background, stamped with Stampin Up leaves. The acorns bottom right are Stampin Up too.

Vellum is a tricky little creature whenit comes to sticking but I do like how smoothly the alcohol pens went on and the way the colours seem both soft and vibrant (if that isn't a contradiction!)

I'd like to enter this for:
Make My Monday - Autumn, vellum
Corrosive Challenges Flutter By
Di's Digi Designs Fall colours  

Self- Assembly Christmas Trees

I'm still playing with my Christmas tree die from Dee Distinctively. It cuts 5 separate triangles, so you can vary the size of the trees depending on how many triangles you use and how you overlap them.

Once again, I used my trusty spotty embossing folder, and also an Echo Park sentiment sticker. I made a dome front using acetate.The acetate is from Hunkydory and is pre-printed and embossed with a snowfall design.

I'd like to enter this for:

Charisma Cardz Cool colours

Crafty Pad It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas



Embossed Tree

I'm over-using the spotty embossing folder, but I just can't help it. There doesn't seem to be much that wouldn't be enhanced by some embossed spots!

This self-assembly Christmas tree die , by Dee's Distinctively, is one of my latest purchases. The girl is by Dearie Dolls.

I'd like to enter this for :
Desert Island Craft Challenge 1,2,6
Little Red Wagon Texturise it.
Digi Haven Anything free goes

Deer deer!

This is very sparkly in real life - doesn't show up in the picture!

 

 

This deer stamp, from Non Sequitur , has been a fixture of my Christmases for about ten years (longer than my partner or son!) - but I can still think of ideas to use him.

 

For the top card I used Prima 'North Country' papers, a circle die, Memory Box snowflake corner die , silver embossing powder (for the stamp and also randomly sprinkled into white ink on the edges of the background paper) and Glamour Dust. I just wish all my sparkles showed up in the photo!

 

For the bottom card I used the same stamp and circle die, gold ep, a Sizzix architectural accent,

a Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folder (Xmas trees) that I then cut out and Kaisercraft papers.

 

I'd like to enter the top card into these challenges:

Craft-room Challenge Punches and die cuts

Polkadoodles Square card with a round element

Crafty Cardmakers More than one punch or die cut 

 



Rainy Day

I think I may have taken a little artistic licence with this week's theme from CD Sunday  - Rainy Days. It doesn't look as if this umbrella has ever seen a drop of water!

This image is from Joanna Sheen's Fashion Boutique CD. I slightly recoloured it in My Craft Studio and printed it onto photo paper. The frame is a Docrafts Triboss embossing folder, embossed on Coredinations card, trimmed down and sanded. The backing paper was free with Making Cards magazine. The sentiment is a Unity stamp and I think it would work as a 'thinking of you' card for someone having a difficult time.

As well as CD Sunday, I'd like to enter this for:
Dream Valley Challenges Anything goes
Clear it out challenge  Red

Chef

I'm in clean-and-simple mode now.

This chef is a digi-stamp (sorry can't remember who made it - I think I won it in a challenge).  On the chef's tray is a cupcake , but I covered it over with a Christmas pudding. The backing paper was free with a magazine - so overall this was a real cheappie to make.

I'd like to enter :
Craftpunked  Occupations
Pinsperational Challenges Challenge 32
WinterWonderland One for the boys.  

Fake

I have a little confession to make - and I hope this doesn't get me expelled from the Less is More challenge. This card is a fake. It is supposed to be a one-layer-card for the challenge 'houses' but in fact it is just a card front.

You see.....my usual technique, when I make a mistake (which I usually do) is to slap another layer over it. But in this challenge, I couldn't do that, so each time I made a mistake I got out another card blank and started again. I soon realised I was going to run out of blanks and started cutting the backs off and using them. So this card is a card that could be a one-layer-card in the hands of someone more efficient.

I sponged lilac Brilliance ink through my favourite Stamposaurus bricks stencil. I stamped the Paper Artsy house, masked it and stamped the Hero Arts dots circles. The sentiment is from Unity stamps. It did say 'enjoy - savor the moment' but I cut off the 'savor' as it's an American spelling and I'm English and I just couldn't do it! (I'm a teacher!) Finally I hand-drew a border round the card.

Best supporting act

Angel

Back to the Christmas cards.

Both the stamps used here are oldies-but- goodies: the angel is Non-Sequitur and the music is by Toybox. I also used Distress Ink pads and a music embossing folder.

I'd like to enter this for:
Fashionable Stamping Challenges  Musical
Our Creative Corner make your own background

Kraft and Twine

I fancied making (another) autumnal card and as my inspiration, used the challenge theme at Make My Monday, Kraft and Twine.

The angle of the twine was supposed to enhance the feel of leaves blowing into the air, but I'm not convinced  it worked very well!

I used an A Day for Daisies image, Basic Grey paper from the Mellow range, gems and a leaf- headed hat pin. I embossed the apron with a leaf embossing folder.

As well as Make My Monday, I'd also like to enter this for:
A Day for Daisies Blog - Autumn colours
Tuesday Throwdown- Autumn Leaves

Yellow and Grey

I've been busy with Christmas cards, but when I saw Papercraft Star's challenge 'Yellow and Grey', I thought I'd join in, as I love this colour combo.

I thought this might be a good card to have put by in case I have to send a card for a not-so-happy occasion.

The flower stamp is by Stampin Up and I stamped it in grey ink onto yellow card. Then I stamped it again, three times, onto pearlescent yellow card, cut the bits out and layered them up. The background is pearly-grey card run through an embossing folder.

As well as Papercrat Star, I'd like to enter this for:
Simon Says Stamp Thinking of you/ sympathy
Addicted to Stamps Flowers
 

Snowball Pop-up

The front of the card.

This pop-up card was made using free-gift papers and a Sizzix pop up die. The image is from Dearie Dolls- I coloured it with Promarkers and paper-pieced the snowball with embossed card.

I'd like to enter this for:
The Pink Elephant Favourite colouring medium (alcohol markers)
Use your stuff Christmas  

Pink Christmas

This week's CD Sunday challenge is Christmas in Pink.

All these elements were printed from Papermania Christmas Past CD - Henbury Lane Poinsetta. I decoupaged the main image and added pink gems and glitter glue . As usual the glitter doesn't really show in the photo, so I did a little close up.

Christmas waves a magic wand

Yet another cute A Day for Daisies digi for a Christmas card- although I don't think this image is specifically Christmas. The window is a Poppy Stamps die and the scene behind it was from a freebie Forever Friends paper pack, which I've liberally blobbed with glitter glue. I coloured the little girl with Promarkers and paper-pieced her pyjamas. The sentiment stamp is by Crafty Individuals.

I'd like to enter this for:
Christmas Stampin all year long - Anything goes
A gem of a challenge polka dots/spots

Time to drink champagne...

I've always fancied making a clock but my one attempt failed when I couldn't fit the mechanism on. Must try again!

I thought this card might be a nice one for New Year. The background is a paper from Glitz, the clock is a Sizzix die and the sentiment stamp  is by East of India.

I'd like to enter this for:

Craftroom Challenge - Timekeeping
Artful Times - Orange, brown and white
Desert Island Crafts Challenge 1,2,3,9

Stars

Another A Day for Daisies image, combine with some Sizzix die cut stars.

I'd like to enter this for:
Totally Papercrafts Twinkle, twinkle little star
Addicted to stamps challenge  Bingo (dies, silver, white)

Hot Drinks

Getting going with the Christmas cards now!

This image is from A Day for Daisies. I used Promarkers, Papermania patterned paper, Xcut border punch , Woodware small heart punch and Stampin Up larger heart punch.

I'd like to enter this for:
Papercraft Star A warm beverage
Fab n Funky Die cuts/punches

Making a Scene

I have very rarely tried 'scenic' stamping because there are some amazing stampers out there who do it to a standard I could only dream of. 

But I decided to have a play with my three scenic stamps - moon, sea and mountain. I decided not to bother with realism and to just have fun layering colours of alcohol inks and stamping over them. I kind of like the effect.

I made this card for the Out of a Hat Creations challenge - Nature.

The Princess and the Pea

I thought I might put this in a frame and give it to one of my little nieces. 

The image is a digi-stamp by Tracey Malnofski of the Stamping Boutique.  I printed it onto distress-effect, pink scrapbook paper (yes, I've not just spilt my tea over it! ) to give the effect of an old (pink) castle Then I added colour and more pattern by using Promarkers and paper- piecing (lots of paper piecing).
I'd like to enter this for:
Oldie but Goodie- Spots and Stripes (all those paper scraps are my old items)
Raise the Bar Challenge Anything goes

Watching the neighbours

If you look out this window you will see the neighbours, having a great time, decorating a tree in their snowy garden.

The window stamp is by Little Claire and I paper pieced it with Papermania At Christmas Time papers.  The background papers and the picture behind the window (which is just part of a bigger picture) were from the same set.  The banner is cut from a My Mind's Eye border.

I'd like to enter this for:
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge Not just an ordinary card (I hope my opening windows qualify!)
City Crafter 3+1= cute

New Home Tag

My friend's 23-year-old son has just moved out and I thought I'd send him a good luck wish. I was aiming for simple and contemporary - I hope I've achieved that!

I used a luggage tag, kraft paper and I cut the houses out of Echo Park patterned paper. The sentiment is by Little Claire.

I'd like to enter this for:
CAS-ual Fridays Kraft on
Crafty Boots Tag or invitation