Angels On High - for CHNC Extra

Hi there

I am back with the second card for my guest design spot at Hazel's Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra. Once again, Hazel was kind enough to provide me with another Bugaboo image of my choice. With a little coaxing from Little Miss C, I chose Christmas Words, Angel. You can find it here at Bugaboo stamps.

Hazel sent me a Christmas card using this image and Little Miss C fell in love with it. Whenever she was over during the Christmas season she would gravitate to this card and study it carefully with a big smile on her face!

I coloured this image with my copic markers and went over the halo and stars with a silver Sakura Gelly Roll pen. It just gives a little added shimmer. I also popped a teensy, clear diamond on each of those stars. I went a little brighter with the colours for this card...just a bit out of my usual comfort zone. I am trying to stretch myself a bit this year to try new things. This card will be for Little Miss C next Christmas. I tried to chose bright colours as she is only 7 years old!

The design papers are from the 12x12 BoBunny Mistletoe collection. My LSS had an open house back in the Christmas season and had a special offer on this collection. Surprisingly, the side and scale of the design papers worked for card making too.

I layered some fairly bright red and green poinsettias for the Michael's dollar bins over some dollar store chipboard snowflakes. These are more of my 25 cent clearance poinsettias...as I bought every package they had. I pulled off the huge clear diamond that was on them (crookedly), and replaced it with a cluster of teensy, red diamonds.

Here is a bit of an arty view...

I have kept to my goal of finishing up the inside of my cards before taking the pictures for my blog. I matted a left over snippet of the Pucker Up print onto a snippet of blue card stock. I then stamped the sentiment onto a snippet of white card and inked up the edges of that with a bit of black chalk ink. I mounted that trio onto the inside of my now finished card. I am starting to enjoy doing up this last step!

Recipe:
Card Base - 5 1/2 inch square card from my stash
Design Paper - Bo Bunny Mistletoe from my stash
Card Stock - snippets of red, white and blue from my stash
Flowers - Michael's Nouveau Noel Poinsettia
Chipboard - Dollar store snowflake from my stash
Bling - red and clear diamonds from my stash
Sentiment - Stampin' Up
Image - Bugaboo Stamps

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Craftyhazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover card with paper

February Guest Designer at CHNC Extra

Hello Bloggers. I have been keeping a secret and boy, oh boy, was it ever hard to keep!
Hazel invited me to be the February Guest Designer at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra. This is a monthly challenge sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps. The theme is always Anything Goes, as long as it is Christmas.
Pop on over to Hazel's CHNC Challenge Extra and check it out. If you link up one of your cards, you will have a chance to at the random drawing for $21.00 of Bugaboo images.

For my first card, I chose Poinsettia Heel. You can get it here from Bugaboo Stamps. I made this card for my eldest daughter (Glamour Girl). She owns many a pair of high heels just like this one, so should enjoy this card when she opens it in December. Luckily, she does not read my blog!

I coloured the shoe with three tones of silvery grey copic pens. I went over the striped toe detail with a silver Sakura Jelly Roll pen, to give a bit of shimmer. I printed the image twice, and then fussy cut out the poinsettia and layered it back onto the heel. I used the Jelly Roll pen on the Poinsettia berries as well.

You can see the Jelly Roll shimmer on the toe detail and the paper piecing on the poinsettia a bit better here...

I matted the image with a snippet of red mirri card and then again with a snippet of silver glitter card. I then diecut it and popped it upwards on my card. I wanted that shoe to be front and center when she opens her card! It is the first time I have tried this on a card, and I like the effect that it gives.

I added two Penny Black Holly dies and topped them with a Michael's red poinsettia. Yes, once again it is from the 25 cent clearance packages. A bit of stickles on the holly berries, and a snippet of fine silver cord were the final touches on this card.

Recipe:
Card Base - hand made, from my stash
Design Papers - Echo Park, Tis the Season stack and Heidi Swapp Peppermint Stix
Cards Stock - snippets of red and white card from my stash
Red Mirri Card - American Crafts, from my stash
Silver Glitter Paper - Multi Craft Imposts Dollar store purchase, from my stash
Dies - Spellbinders, Labels 26 mat;  Penny Black, Holly Berries
Bling - red diamonds, from my stash
Cord - ultra fine silver cord, from my stash
Flower - Michael's, Nouveau Noel Poinsettia
Image - Poinsettia Heels, from Bugaboo Stamps

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Must cover card base with paper
3. Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge - must be Christmas, theme is spots or stripes

Rudolf Day - January 2014

On the 25th of each month, Sarn at Stamping for Pleasure, hosts a wonderful challenge called Rudolph Day. You link up one post only each month...a post that must contain two Christmas cards. Yep, you heard me right...two!!!

Just think two cards every month for eleven months and you will have 22 cards finished before it is December! Links ups start on the 25th and close on the last day of that month. Easy Peasy.

Her are my two cards for January. The first is a fairly easy card that is made from stash. My goal for this new two card rule is to make one of the cards from bits and bobs in my room. Little or no stamping...just a card created from scraps and embellishments. It is so easy to have snippets of this and that cluttering up your craftroom. Hopefully, I will reduce the paper clutter by sticking to this goal.

To this end my simple card is made with some papers I had pulled out for another project. Since everything was sitting out, waiting to be filed away, I decided to put it to use on this card. A couple of banners, a couple of diamonds and an embellishment and that was that!  I'm happy with the way it turned out...I think it looks a bit masculine...it will go to a friend of Mr Scrappymo.

Here is the inside view.

Recipe Card 1
Card base and envelope - from my stash
DP -   background DP; unknown, from my stash...maybe Simple Stories or ?
DP - script banner is Paper Reflections Collage Backgrounds DMD Inc and one unknown burgundy snippet from my stash
Border - K and Co glittered poinsettia border strip, from my stash
Embellishment -  unknown,  from my stash...came with the unknown background paper
Bling - diamonds from my stash

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Marks Finest Papers Speedy TV Christmas Card Club - must be Christmas
3. CHNCC Extra - Anything goes but must be Christmas
4. Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge - must have patterned paper or card cover the whole card

5. CHNCC - #161 must be a tree

6. Stamping For Pleasure Rudolph Day - must be Christmas

My second card is a Penny Black image. It always makes me smile to see these happy looking little chaps. I coloured up a few of these images last year and had them stashed away in my Christmas Card coloured images photo album.

I made this card up on Tuesday when my next door neighbour came over to craft for the day. It was my turn to design a card and put together 2 card kits. I decided to make it a Christmas one, so that i would have this on hand for Sarn's challenge

I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday week 296. That challenge is now closed.  I liked the sketch so much that I did not mind to use it and forgo the challenge. Just as well too, as I had to deviate a small amount from the sketch. I had to add the red snowflake on the top right corner as the paper started to pull back in layers from that corner. Nothing that a generous amount of carefully applied glue and  a big honking snowflake couldn't hide. lol

 I managed to finish the inside of this one too, so I have two more done and dusted for a grand total of four so far this year. Hopefully I can manage to keep up this pace all year!

Recipe Card 2
Card base and envelope - from my stash
DP - EP Tis the Season and MME Christmas Noel
Card stock - snippets of red card from my stash
Punch - Martha Stewart Red Glittered Snowflake
Border - K& Co Black Scalloped Glitter Border Strip
Stamp - Penny Black Caroling Penguins
Bling - red diamond from my stash
Sentiment - unknown, from my stash

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Marks Finest Papers Speedy TV Christmas Card Club - must be Christmas
3. CHNCC Extra - Anything goes but must be Christmas
4. Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge - must haveatterned paper or card cover the whole card
5. CHNCC - #161 Must be a tree
6. Stamping For Pleasure Rudolph Day - must be Christmas

Crafting with my neighbour

2014 has seen a return to weekly crafting times with Lisa, my next door neighbour. We used to make cards on Wednesday evenings but now that her kids are both in school, we meet on Tuesdays while school is in session.

Once again, we are taking turns hosting a quick and easy card kit that we make up on that day. Here is the card I designed for last week.

The cards have to be able to be assembled and made in about 20 minutes. That does not leave time for colouring an image so we usually keep them to diecuts, embellies,and sentiments. I wanted to try out my never before used Memory Box Small Circle Burst Die, so looked to Pinterest for some inspiration. I liked  Melly Moo's card and here is my take on it. I did not have any stamps to make the green dots on the inside of the circular diecut hole, so I had to improvise.

I used a 5 inch square snippet of white card to diecut the Circle Burst. I stamped the Inkadinkadoo Best Wishes sentiment on the cut away circle shape and then adhered it to a slightly larger circle that I cut from a snippet of green card.I slid that under the first row of holes and then mounted that newly assembled square onto a larger snippet of pink card. I used pop dots to lift it forward and give some depth.

I added a glittery K & Co  flower and tucked some Memory box leafy branches underneath. I didn't have enough of the green left for the branches so I just cut them from left over white card scraplings, and inked them with an Ingvild Bolme inker. How I love her inker product...never smears and dries in an instant! The little holder design fits my hands so well.

The wooden bird is from Dollarama...I so love that store! I bought a package of the birds thinking I would bleach the green dye off and take them back to woodgrain. I may still do that, but the original green stain looked fine with this card.

Since the front sentiment is ambiguous, I have not finished the inside of this card. It could be for a retirement, a birthday, or...
In spite of being quick and easy, I think it makes a nice card and plan to make up half a dozen more this week. Will have to use different flowers as they were in an assorted kit, each one a little different than the other. I have some Hello stamps that might fit the circle as well. Will try to show a  desk shot of them all finished up on a later post.

I am submitting this card to the following challenges;
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets

Christmas Card Club - Card 2 - Anything To Do With Food

Here is my second Christmas card of 2014. I am following the Christmas Card Club theme set by Lizzie from Verity Cards.

I struggled a bit with this one as I needed to make a card that did not require colouring. My hands were not up to that this week, so I have made my card from bits and bobs fof my Christmas stash.

As I searched for something food related, I found this BoBunny Mistletoe collection.  It was a fabulous special at my local Scrapbook Store's Christmas Open House. The package contains the whole collection...including the brads and all the other doodads. As soon as I spied the gingerbread boy and girl, I knew I had to make this card for the little boy or girl next door. Their Mum Lisa, is the lady I craft with each week and she loves gingerbread men!

Sorry that the photo is slightly out of focus...but it is 1am so can't run downstairs to retake it!
The gingerbread house and teensy sentiment word strips are stickers from that collection and the gingerbread boy and girl are from their chipboard embellishments.

I managed to break my mitchy-matchy mold and used turquoise for the Penny Black holly branch die cut. It took every ounce of will power to use that colour. I see other bloggers whose work I love, introduce a colour that does not match their image or their background. I always like the look of it but have been too timid to try. Not sure if I like it on mine...but it is glued down...so down it is staying!
I added a generous coat of stickles...it is Christmas after all!

I used a few snippets of that holly (left over from another card) to create a bit of colour in the top right corner. I bought that white button snowflake this summer from a lovely craft shop in Whitehaven, Cumbria. I can not remember the name, but they have a fabulous selection of paper goods as well as gorgeous ribbon and buttons etc.

Managed to finish the inside too...

Recipe
Card Base - from my stash
DP - snippet of Studio Calico, Wonderland
Sticker - Bo Bunny Mistletoe
Chipboard - BoBunny Mistletoe
Sentiment - Bobunny Mistletoe
Dies - Penny Black holly
Punch - Martha Steart Snowflake
Button - unknown from Whitehaven craft store
Flower - Bazell Basic Paper Power Poinsettia
Bling - aqua diamonds from my stash
Stickles - Star Dust

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Marks Finest Papers Speedy TV Christmas Card Challenge - must be Christmas
3. CHNCC Extra - Anything goes as long as it is Christmas
4. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover your card base with patterned paper
5. Christmas Card Club - must be Christmas

Birthday Greetings

 I finally cut into some of my Wild Rose Studio design papers.  I bought them at Flutterby's on my day out with Sam @ Hettiecraft and Di @ Pixies Crafty Workshop. I am quite proud of myself for using them as I have a tendency to hoard new items that I really like.  One of my New Years goals is to continue on with using up stash. But really, stash is anything in the craft room...so  this year I shall try to not only use up VOS (very old supplies),  but to use up some of my lovely new supplies  as well.

I am also going to continue on with using NBUS (never before used supplies), so hopefully this will push my creativity a little bit.  I used the Elizabeth, Happy Birthday die  for the sentiment. It was easy to use, but a bit of a bugger to glue down.

I added stickles to the wings and the tutu...Here is a bit of a closeup...

This year, I am following the lead of my blogging friends who finish up the inside of their cards as they create them. In that light, here is a photo of the inside of my card. Not as fancy as some, but finished none the less!

This card is for the little girl next door who will be turning 7 in February. I will print out the birthday greeting for her as she is just learning to read and write. I think she will get a kick out of reading my own handwriting.
 She is quite girly and likes to dress up in costumes. Fairies, princesses and fancy gowns...that is her joy. I hope she will like this fairy birthday card. Hopefully, that magic wand will make her birthday wishes come true!


Recipe
White card base and envelope -  from my stash
Design Papers - Wild Rose Studio, Annabelle's Meadow
Cardstock - snippets of yellow and pink card and a snippet of darker rose card from my stash
Dies - Quickcuts corner dies; Stampin' Up Embosslits Beautiful Wings (butterflies), Elizabeth Happy Birthday die, Marianne die for the yellow circle doily die
Image -  Stampendous cling, Ballerina Kiddo
Bling - clear diamonds from my stash

 I am entering this card in the following challenges:

1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Emboss it (the butterflies are embossed)
3. Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover card base with patterned paper

Thanks you Mrs A

In late 2013,  I was a lucky winner at Pixies Craftyy Workshop. I won a lovely set of heavily embossed floral vellum papers along with some lovely coordinating handmade butterflies. This lovely gift was donated by Mrs A of  It's an Alien Life   The velum is beautiful. It is deeply embossed and the photos do not do it justice. The weight is wonderful too...it is the nicest vellum I have ever seen. It is very translucent yet I was able to mount my glue dots behind the flower centers and they do not show through...Wonderful!!! I know I told you before, but thanks so much, Mrs A

I have been saving these papers for Glamour Girls birthday card. She has sworn me to secrecy about how old she will be...the clue is in the number of embossed flowers in the pretty vellum papers! lol  Good thing that she does not read my blog or I would be in big trouble for that joke...

In keeping with my New Years goal to continue using up stash, both old and new, you might just remember the shabby chic painted Spellbinders Fancy Tag 2 Label I have used. I had a few painted ones leftover and thought it looked good with the floral tones. I am still soldiering on with my quest to use up some of my Prima flowers, so pulled a few of those out too.

Funny how I automatically reach for the Martha Stewart Branches punch.when I need greenery. I have several  foliage dies, but that punch is my go-to foliage maker! Here is a little closeup of Mrs. A's handmade butterflies.

I managed to stick to my goal of finishing up the insides of my cards as I make them...and here's the proof...

This was a fun card to make as it was not my traditional colours. It was fun to challenge myself to choose some greens and yellows that suited those pretty butterflies. I enjoyed planning and making this card...even if it did mean I had to cut into some NBUS (never before used stash). Hopefully, Mrs A will enjoy it too!

Recipe
Card base and envelope - from my stash, square textured card
DP - heavily embossed floral vellum from Mrs A
Card Stock - snippets of kraft card,and green and gold textured card, from my stash
Dies - Spellbinders oval and Fancy Tag 2 Labels; and Memory Box Die Debutante
Flowers - Prima, from my stash (the tiny ones are some singes layered together
Brad - gold brads from my stash
Punch - Marth Stewart Branch Punch
Sentiment - Hero Arts Happy Birthday (inside Sentiment) front sentiment is
Ink - Momento, Rich Cocoa from my stash

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes (must be uplifting)
3. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New (my prize from Mrs A)
4. Marks Finest Papers Speedy TV Inspirational Challenge - used the yellow coat as inspiration to use the butterflies and thought the pink damask wallpaper reminded me of the embossed vellum papaer)
5. Allsorts - Free and Easy Week 240

Christmas Card Club - First card of 2014

This is my first card of 2014! It is for the Christmas Card Club and Sylvie at Gibmiss chose the theme for this fortnight. It is Anything Goes, as long as it is Christmas.

Now I know it is a New Year and it may seem a little strange to see Christmas cards again so soon...But in order to have all my Christmas cards finished for next year,  it is  better to get cracking on!

Our newish laptop picked up a virus that somehow got past the Norton Antivirus installed at the store when we bought it. Luckily, it was all under warranty, but I have not had a computer for a few days. Instead of blogging, I spent the last couple of days sorting my 12x12 scrapbooking design paper. It is amazing how many of these patterns are suitable for cards. I was able to move several full sheets as well as several large snippets, over to the area I have set up as the Christmas Creations Station in my room.

This card was created from one of those sheets. I thought it was fitting to use some non traditional colours since it is still so early in the year. IRL this paper has very salmon, cream and muddy green tones. The camera flash has drained the colour on the top left  but that whole top area is greenish like it is on the right. As soon as I saw the page,  I remembered that I still had one K & Co Father Christmas 3D sticker in my stash. I thought it would be rather fitting in light of the Santa Season sentiment on the DP.

Quite some time ago, I coloured up a half dozen of the poinsettia images. I coloured each one in slightly different shades and colours. Luckily I one left that had some salmony undertones. After choosing these elements, the card came together rather quickly. Due to the unusual Christmas colours,  I had originally filed the DP with some coordinating cardstock. So it really was only a matter of placing everything together. I did plan to add some other elements...perhaps snowflakes or even a florish...but everything I added looked contrived somehow, so I decided to leave it as is.

In keeping with my 2014 goal to finish the inside of my cards when I make them, I decided to make this card a notecard. I finished the inside flap and left the inside blank so I have room to write a small letter. That way I will not be trying to write over the lumpy card elements! I can now write on the smooth inside and the back flap too.

Recipe
Card base and envelope - from my stash, white textured square card
DP - DELish INdulge Series, Seasoning Buffet from my stash
Cardstock - snippets of Wild Asparagus,Hope Dots/Lime; and snippets of MME 29th Market Bright Buddy Boy, Little Jack's Engine Paper; both from my stash
3D Sticker - K&Co Father Christmas, from my stash
Stickles - Stardust, from my stash

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
2. CHNC Extra - Anything Goes as long as it is Christmas
3. Marks Finest Papers Speedy TV Christmas Card Challenge - must be Christmas
4. Christmas Card Club - Anything Goes, must be Christmas
5. Allsorts - Free and Easy