Sunday 6 October 2013

Christmas Card Club - An UPcycled card

Sunday Oct 6th, is my turn to host the theme for the Christmas Card Club. I challenged everyone to use an UPcycled item on their card.  It could be a piece of a used card, a scrap of ribbon off a gift you received,  a piece of a  coffee cup sleeve, a piece of wrapping paper, a scrap of corrugated paper...anything that you are giving a new lease on life too!!!  I  have had to post this card early, as am going to visit my Mum and will not have access to the internet until after Sunday!
I have been saving this wonderful tag for quite some time. It was the front of a store bought card I received. I loved the look of it so much that I carefully freed it from the rest of the card when I put Christmas away that year. It originally sat on a wonderful, glittery snowflake base and I saved that piece too...eventually I will use it up as well.

It is funny how card designs "come together". When I found that wonderful bargain on the poinsettia embellishments last year, I tucked these silver ones away to use with this tag! I was keeping my eyes open for other embellies but they had to be quite small to fit on this tall, portrait style card.

Recently, I went to a private crop at fellow card maker's home. It was such a wonderful crafty evening! I brought some Memory Box Dies for anyone to borrow, and another lady brought some Impression Obsession snowflake dies. She offered for me to cut a few to try, and voila, this card idea crystalized!! This snowflake die is especially sized for cards...I really liked the size of the die cuts! I used tiny snippets of copic paper for the snowflakes. I did not stickle them although I was temped...I thought there was enough sparkle on this card already.
Here is a little closeup of those embellies...I thinkthis photo has captured better the true colours of this card. The photo above makes the tag look cream coloured...but IRL it is ivory and white.
Recipe
Card base and envelope - from my stash, 5 x 6 1/2 size
DP - DCWV, Glizty Glitter blue paper and also a snippet of a blue and ivory damask looking pattern...leftovers from a scrapbook page, ID strip long gone!
UPcycled item - tag off an old Christmas car
Embellishments - silver poinsettias from Michael's clearance bins
Dies - Impression Obsession snowflakes
Bling -  cobalt blue diamonds from my stash

I am entering this card int he following challenges
1. Christmas Card Club - must be Christmas
2. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
3. CHNC Extra - must be Christmas
4. CHNC - #145 picture inspiration. I used the colours to inspire me.
5. Creative Card Corner - Tag
6. Christmas Cards All Year Round - Getting ready for Christmas (my poinsettias and snow are two things that most expect before Christmas)
7. Marks Finest Papers Speedy TV Christmas Card Club - must be Christmas
8. Crafting Musketeers - Christmas in October

I will be a bit late with return visits...but will drop by once I am back home with internet access again!
I have not been able to return visits yet from my last post, but as Arnold says...I will be baaaaack!!!

37 comments:

Gibmiss said...

Hi Mo
This is Fabulous... A lot of thought gone in to this card.... Love it ....
Enjoy your Day....
Hugs Sylvie xxx

Hettie said...

What a gorgeous card Mo. It was meant to be and worth the wait. Fabulous.
Hugs
xx

Unknown said...

Beautiful Christmas Card, love the glittered flowers...awesome..xxx

Craftin Suzie (Susan Wykes) said...

A beautiful card Maureen! Love the tag from your card last year. I do things like that but then I can't remember what on earth I did with them! Susan x

Peanut said...

Oh Maureen! What a magical card... You've outdone yourself! What a fab challenge. Enjoy your visit!
hugs, Asha
Sunny Summer Crafts

Planetsusie said...

This is absolutely glorious Maureen, I just love it all, especially blue and silver together - just gorgeous. I'm not surprised you kept the tag and isn't it amazing the way other things come along and then just fit in like this.

Just beautiful!

Hugs to you sweetie

Sue Pxxx

Shoshi said...

What a gorgeous card. I love the frosty flowers and snowflakes - a real wintry feel.

Thanks for your lovely comment and I'm sorry it's been so long before I could reply. It's been so busy here and despite being back online for the past fortnight I just haven't had much time for the computer at all! The builders are still with us and although the work is all but complete, they have certainly impeded progress as regards unpacking everything and trying to clean up. We'll get there in the end but it's a long haul.

I've been using my new ARTHaven as a dumping ground since the move, and only started to make some progress clearing it last night. At least I can get in there now, and hopefully it won't be long before it's up and running and I can satisfy my creative urges which have been forced into hibernation over the past few months!

Carol said...

This looks fabulous Maureen, love the little snowflakes and silver poinsettias. Great challenge, enjoyed doing it. Carol x

Zoe Tant said...

Hi Maureen thank you for this fortnight's challenge. This is a super card and it seems we've gone for similar themes and colours. Zx

Pia S said...

What a beautifully sparkly winter scene! What a great idea to dissemble store bought cards and use the elements and give them your own personal twist!

Sue said...

This is gorgeous Maureen its really pretty I love those snowflakes. Hope your ok lots of huggles Sue xxx

Tracy said...

Such a pretty card.
I like the silver and blue colours :)

Shelby said...

Beautiful Christmas card and love the blues and silvers together and all of the die cuts are amazing.

Shelby

debby4000 said...

Beautiful Christmas card.
luv
Debby

Mrs A. said...

This looks stunning. It has all gone together perfectly together. hugs Mrs A.

dutchess said...

absolutly lovely.....love the vibrabt blue and white ....I just love using up old christmas cards....seems a shame not to! xxxx

Hazel said...

Super upcycling for the CCC challenge - this is utterly gorgeous. Thanks for linking for both of my CHNC challenges and also for CCAYR 'getting ready for Christmas' - we hope to see you again soon. You could also enter this into the Crafting Musketeers challenge 6: Christmas in October - would love to see it there too x

Di said...

Perfect upcycling Mo - and a fabulous result!

Playing catch up on commenting - oops!

Hugs

Di
xx

Christine Harrop said...

This is beautiful Maureen. The blue and silver are gorgeous together and it is has such h a Christmas-sy feel! Sorry I'm so late this time! Love and hugs from Christine xx

cotnob said...

This is a fabulous Christmas card, such a lovely winter scene and beautifully embellished.
Pauline
x

Anonymous said...

Absolutely stunning Mo, I love everything about it and more besides, if that's even possible, lol! That IO snowflake die is very pretty, one for the wish list I think.

Hugs
Brenda

Michelle B. said...

So beautiful. I love blue and silver together, such a pretty combo. Love the flowers and sparkles! So glad you joined us for our Getting Ready for Christmas Challenge at CCAY!

Sarn said...

Hi Mo . . . ooh this is glitzy and gorgeous. Love it.

Hugs
Sarn xxx

Hazel said...

Thanks for adding for Crafting Musketeers 'Christmas in October', Hazel, DT - hope to see you again soon. x

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous card! What a fabulous bit of recycling-I would have kept that beautiful scene too!
Your flowers finish it off perfectly :)
Hugs,Nessa xx

MaryH said...

Wonderful use of this lovely Christmas recycle. I love those IO snowflakes. The ones I have cut great- even on the thicker papers. Your blue sparkle centers draw the eye into the card, and I adore those silvery poinsettias. You have a great shopping eye. Oh yes, you can join me for coffee by the water any time you wish. We could even take our crafts out and work ...it's not usually terribly windy..in the daytime at least. Hugs & glad you enjoyed the pictures. I smiled at your comment on your pink card. My card pics always look askew, even though they looked perfectly fine in the LED screen, using the camera grid. Yet when I go to edit, straighten, then post..they _Still_ look not straight! Enjoy your visit with your Mom. Hugs

Carol L said...

Way to recycle something into this spectacular card! WOW! Those flowers and snowflakes look AH-mazing!! Gorgeous card, nice work on this one!

Unknown said...

what a fab card, i love it feels like christmas, Thank you for joining Crafting Musketeers Challenge & good Luck xx

paper fun said...

So beautiful in sapphire and silver. Gorgeous!!

Thanks for joining our tag challenge at Creative Card Crew.

Mari

Angelique said...

Gorgeous. Love the touch of bling
Thank you for joining us at Creative Card Crew

Huggsss, Angelique
EngelDesignsScrap

Debs Willis said...

What a gorgeous card! Great way to upcycle. Think ill have to find that snowflake die!

Nicola Jayne Saul said...

Lovely card. Thanks for joining us at the Crafting Musketeers challenge, Nicola X

Denise @ kc242 said...

What a beautiful Tag. Love your image choice, coloring and design. Thanks so much for joining us at the Creative Card Crew this week for our Tag Challenge.
Denise
CCC-DT

Glenda Atkins said...

Gorgeous card and I love those fabulous white sparkly poinsettia's. What a brilliant way to use a tag! Love it!
hugs
glenda

Benzi said...

What a beautiful blue and silver card and a great upcycling job. Lovely poinsettias and snowflakes, too.

nwilliams6 said...

This is so pretty! You did a great job recycling/up cycling. I need to try this. Great flowers and snowflakes and layers. Hugz!

Unknown said...

what a beautiful card,I love the image, Thank you for entering in Crafting Musketeers Challenge & good Luck Pam DT xx