Saturday 2 November 2013

Lights A' Chrimbo

Another card from my recent craft evening out.

While I was making up the card kits to take with me to the crop, I found this image I had previously coloured and filed away. I store my finished, coloured images in small, black  vinyl photo albums from the dollar store. I have a couple for Christmas images, and several of the same for non Christmas themes. Once coloured up, I move them to a another set of albums...brightly coloured albums to signify those images are already coloured.

They are so handy as I can just grab one of the uncoloured image books and my pens, if I am invited to an impromptu craft outing.

I coloured a couple images of this little snowman quite some time ago. The others have long since been made into cards...thought it was time he had a home too! lol I really like him with his lights all akimbo!
I managed to use some red velvet/suede paper for the image mat. It was VOS (very old stuff), many, many years old.. I have always loved the feel and the look of it. I found that it embossed the edge of the die into the texture of the velvet, quite nicely. I have not seen this paper in any of my local shops lately, so I cut every last scrap of it. Teensy pieces were even made up into corner dies. You will see these, and a few of the leftover scraps of it on my future Christmas cards.

I used snippets of the same papers on my last card. These were originally 12x12 scrapbook pages I used for a December Daily. I have a lot of snippets of them and realized the patterns are small enough to use for cards.

The red poinsettias were from a 25 cent clearance bin at Michael's. I always check those type of bins when they clear out things as I have found some great bargains there in the past. I know they are quite flat looking but this is another of the cards that will be mailed overseas so I could not use my poinsettia die to make a pretty layered one...they have too much depth to fit the standard postage slot.
Here is a close of of the leafy clusters.
For the top right corner, I layered some green card stock snippets of Sizzix branch with leaves dies with some kraft card stock Martha Stewart leafy branch punches. I was careful when I glued them to place the branches so they fit in between the leaves, rather than glued on top of them. This helps reduce the depth under the rhinestone of the poinsettia. The bottom left corner is the basically the same but I used a bit bigger green leafy branch, the Stampin Up Little Leaf Sizzlet die.
I am hoping that the rhinestone makes it through the slot but if not, I will pry it off and use stickles instead.

Thank goodness there is one lady at my local post office that is kind enough to test my cards for me and hand them back if I need to make adjustments to the depth!!! Sweet lady!

After I got my sentiment placed, I thought the card looked unbalanced at the bottom right. I needed something fairly small and found this wee 3D tag sticker in my Xmas embellies iris case. I placed it just above the sentiment and it seems to have done the trick, as my eye is not drawn there anymore.

Recipe - All items used are from my stashe
Card base and envelope -  Michael's textured square cards
Design Paper - red and green striped, Making Memories Twinkle
Design Paper - Red and white polkadots, snippets of 12x12 Making Memories Twinkle, Glitter Snowflake strip "B side"
Design Paper - snippets of 12x12 Echo Park, Style Essentials, Green Damask
Design Paper - snippet of 8 1/2 x 11, Dark red velvet/suede paper (VOS)
Card stock - snippets of green and of white, and snippets of 2 types of kraft
Dies - Impression Obsession Snowflakes; Spellbinders Hexagon; Sizzix Leafy Branch, Stampin Up, little leaves sizzlet die
Punches - Stampin' Up Word Window and Modern Label
Bling - red diamonds

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must be snippets
2. CHNC Extra - must be Christmas
3. Card and Scrap - Make a Christmas Card
4. Christmas Cards All Year Round - Winter Wonderland
5. One Crazy Stamper - Christmas
6. Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes
7. Sister Act - always anything goes
8. Marks Finest Papers Christmas Card Challenge - must be Christmas
9. The Artistic Stamper - Christmas

31 comments:

Christine Harrop said...

Gosh you are a very organized lady Maureen! This is such a fun image and a lovely card in the traditional red and green Christmas colours. Love and hugs Christine xx

Di said...

Wow Mo, LOVE this card - such a happy image and you used all those snippets perfectly. I can see that this coming week's picks are gonna be difficult in the Playground.

I ordered your mailing gauge and will let you know just as soon as it arrives here and is in the post to you. So funny, just thought, when I do the Customs declaration form I bet my friends in our Post Office will grin - sending a mailing gauge to Canada :)

Hope you had a great time at Michaels and grabbed some good bargains - remember to 'show and tell' :))

Hugs, Di xx

...the yorkshire fox... said...

...this is a wonderful fun filled Christmas card, the snowman image is super, love your foilage too, the colours of Christmas are so vibrant...love your ode to Halloween, your photo's are amazing Maureen and that scene must of taken a week to set up! great fun for the Grandchildren...Mel:)xx
Thank you as always for your lovely kind words on my blog X

McCrafty's Cards said...

Gorgeous card Mo, I like the adorable image, the papers and the flowers.
Kevin xx

Sue said...

What a super snowman! he's the cutest Maureen looks like he's having so much fun hahaha I love it. Card is gorgeous lots of huggles Sue xxx

Gibmiss said...

Fabulous Mo
Love the cute image....
Hugs Sylvie xxx

jimlynn said...

So festive and pretty! Love those pretty poinsettias - I always hit that same sale bin.
Love your card.
Lynn

MaryH said...

What an adorable little snowman. Loved reading about your organization on your images. At the moment, I'm so motivated by that! (Don't worry, it will pass!). Loved that velvet paper. I sometimes find it at JoAnn's..and tend to hoard it too. Your hexagon shape was perfect on this little fella, and I loved all your embellies too. Wonderful card. TFS the card, all the tips & I'm always chuckling over your bargain finds. I think I have a couple of those Mike's poinsettia packs stored away somewhere....Hugs

Lynn said...

Your snowman is really cute - by the look of his expression, I can't help thinking he has been at Santa's sherry, lol. Great card. Lynn x

sallysbitz2 said...

This is one Gorgeous card. Love the layout x

hugs sally x
sallysbitz2.blogspot.co.uk

cotnob said...

This is a fabulous Christmas card, I love your jolly snowman image and brilliant design.
Pauline
x

Anne Bente said...

ÅHHH så smuk ♥

10000 tak for at du deltager på card and scraps udfordring.

knuzzz ♥

Heather said...

A gorgeous card Mo, a lovely design and papers. Your image is adorable and fabulous embellishments!!

Thanks so much for joining us at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challegne
hugs
Heather xx

Words and Pictures said...

He's such fun - and I love the bold, bright take on the traditional Christmas colours with that zingy green! We've got a Christmas challenge at The Artistic Stamper too this month - did you know?!
Alison x

Emily Leiphart said...

So cute, Mo! You should make cards more often 'cause this one's really fantastic. I love how you have the image inside a hexagon. Thanks so much for playing along with the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge!

Sandy said...

I love the mix of papers with that cute snowman. I have always loved snow and snowmen. I hope we get both this year. Very Merry Christmas card!
sandy

Tracy said...

Such a sweet card.
Beautifully coloured image.
Great idea how to store your stamped images.
I keep mine in a container….which I forget to use ;)

Hettie said...

This is beautiful Mo. Love the layers and the hexagon shape is darling.
Hugs
xx

Peanut said...

Talk about being organised! For a moment there I felt compelled to follow suit....luckily I came to my senses! Maybe next year...BTW, love your card. Cute image.
hugs, Asha - Sunny Summer Crafts

Mrs A. said...

I have my official hat on today. Those boots are really something on your snowman. Made me smile to see him. Thank you for joining in at Crafty Hazelnuts extra this month. Hugs Mrs A. (GDT)

Deanne Saunders said...

Such a sweet card! Thanks so much for participating in our CCAYR challenge!! Hope to see you again for our next challenge!!
~DEANNE~
A Little Bit O' Paper

Glenda Atkins said...

Oh that is one delightful image and a fantastic card. Like the use of the poinsettias and the white snowflakes they make wonderful embellishments!
hugs
Glenda

Hjørdis said...

1000 tak for dit bidrag på Card and scrap udfordringen..

Hjørdis DT :0)

Irene said...

A brilliant Christmas card, - I love the jolly snowman - he looks as if he has had one or two too many Lol>
luv
irene
xxxx

Sarn said...

This is fantastic Mo. Love everything about it.

Hugs
Sarn xxx

Pia S said...

This is such a cozy Christmas design! The hexagon shape makes a nice frame for your image - I should use my hexagon dies more often, thanks for the inspiration!

majsan said...

Such a sweet card, with lovely christmas colors. Thank you for joining us at Card and Scrap this time, and hope to see you again. Maria

Sue - said...

This is a gorgeous Christmas card! You obviously have the same postal problems we have! Don't they make life complicated?

unni's scrappeboble said...

Wooow, dette var lekkert :)
Tusen takk for at du deltar på utfordringen vår :)

Unni
Card and Scrap

Leanne said...

Thanks for playing our Christmas challenge at One Crazy Stamper, lovely job!
Leanne DT@OCS!

Jennie -The Artistic Stamper said...

This is a gorgeous creation and thank you for joining in The Artistic Stamper challenge :)