Saturday 12 July 2014

Christmas Card Club - Teddy Bear (card 41)

This fortnight is was Sue P's turn to chose the theme for our little Christmas Card Club. She chose such a fun one...Christmas Teddy Bears. I have tried to make the best of it but my card is on the plain side.  I may just have to jazz it up a bit once I am home again.

I am up at the lake and made this from the bits and bobs that were left up here from our last few visits.
I did not realize how little DP I had left here. Basically I had a wee bit of Xmas DP , a snippet of brown card, and a couple of felt embellishments. No diecuts, no stamps, no image and no ribbon! Silly me...

Thank goodness, I did manage to find 3 square cream coloured cards.

So from a fat lot of nothing, my very basic card emerged. With a decided lack of dies of any sort, I free form cut the first layer, a snippet of burgundy poinsettia DP. I tried to keep the edges random as I did not have a guillotine with me either.

I had an old birthday card that I managed to pilfer the teddy bear image from.  I free form cut the bear image off it and then did the same to create a brown mat. I cut up one of the extra square cards, just to create a cream mat to help the image pop a bit off the paper.

With that done, I now had a birthday bear on a Xmas background. I placed the felt Xmas wreath in his paw and cut two tips off some felt branches...now they looked like felt corner pieces!

Whew! Now my birthday bear looked a little more like Xmas...
I thought I was going to have to hand write a sentiment, but I found a snippet of Christmas word DP and fussy cut out "Merry Christmas".

Finally...my Xmas teddy bear card was done and dusted. In retrospect, I wish I had roughed up the edges of the image and of the layers of matting and DP! Oh well... I may try to add some bling once home...perhaps outline the edges of the random cutting with generous lines of stickles!

****************This is card #41 of 50.  I have been on a consumables spending freeze until I made 50 cards (Sook Wang tape and heavy weight card stock exempt).***************

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

1. Christmas Card Club - Teddy Bear theme
2. MFP Speedy TV Christmas Card Challenge - must be Christmas
3. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets
4. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must cover card with paper
5. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - must be Christmas

34 comments:

Mary said...

I love it yes I do. How smart you are to take a birthday bear and turn him into a Christmas bear. I think you should get an "A" for thinking outside the box. And then an "A+" for creating such a sweet little card. Very nice young lady!

Christine Harrop said...

Well Maureen, that is so impressive. We have come to rely on our dies so much that we forget the things we did before we had them. Your card has taken us right back to our roots and I think it's fabulous. Your teddy certainly looks like a Christmas bear, not a birthday bear, and I love your felt wreath. Hope you are having fun up at the lake and hope your mum is okay. Hugs Christine xx

brenda said...

He's a happy teddy Mo, makes a super crimbo card.

Have a good Sunday.

B x

Brenda Brown said...

Love your Christmas teddy, he's so cute.
Happy Sunday. hugs Brenda xx

Craftin Suzie (Susan Wykes) said...

Wow inventive Maureen! Out of little bits of nothing you have created such a cute Christmas card. I'm afraid I would have been stumped! Susan x

Rainey's Craft Room said...

I love it. Well that's a very good lesson for us all that you don't have to have lots of stash and crafty bits to create a beautiful card, this one is gorgeous. I only wish I had been so resourceful.
Lorraine

Planetsusie said...

Well Maureen, I think he is bloomin' gorgeous and I wouldn't have known he wasn't strictly Christmassy if you hadn't said! I love his waistcoat and think he looks verrrry cuddly!

Hugs to you Sue Pxxx

aussie aNNie said...

Very impressive to have a birthday bear now a Christmas bear, very inventive and gorgeous card.xx
♥aNNie xx
The Journey is the Start

Granmargaret said...

Lovely card

Hazel said...

Gorgeous teddy for Sue's CCC challenge - love this card. Thanks for sharing it for my Patterned Paper July challenge and also CHNC extra for July - hope to see you there again soon. x

Carol L said...

Making a card from what you have on hand is real dedication! What a cute way to turn a birthday bear into a Christmas card! Well done!

Mrs A. said...

I had to resort to using a recycled card myself this time too. I think your self cut matting looks very professional and your bear very Christmassy. Hugs Mrs a.

dutchess said...

well done...upcycling and making a perfect card for the challenge...what a satisfying feeling....no expense! xxxxxx

Sue said...

Awww Maureen this is so gorgeous I love it! what a fab card for Sue P's challenge:))) lots of huggles Sue xxxxxxxxxxxx

cuilliesocks said...

Hi Maureen, lovely card, I love the image and your colours. Great how you have created it without loads of stash, but with lots of imagination, Kate x

Pia S said...

You've really challenged yourself with this card, using what little you had at hand. I think the way you feel about this card is influenced by the challenging process, because. I would have found this totally cute even if you had everything at hand. Leave it for a bit, look at it again, and then I'm sure you'll see this card doesn't need anything else:)

Karen Petitt said...

Fabulous upcycling! Gorgeous card Mo, you rocked the challenge! Karen x

Sarn said...

Hi Maureen this teddy bear card is great. Xxx

Zoe Tant said...

Sweet card Maureen with lovely embellishments. Zx

jimlynn said...

So cute and I love all the felt pieces you put on here. A sweet and cute card.
Lynn

Greta said...

Your random cut pieces are absolutely perfect! Your creativity with little to work with is inspiring & I think your card is great just as is!

Carol said...

Your card is fab Maureen, so creative with limited ingredients. Carol x

Hettie said...

This is just lovely Mo. He looks like a Christmas bear to me. Maybe he likes Birthdays too!
Hugs
xx

MaryH said...

Oh I love it! Enjoyed reading how you adapted and created, and it turned out fantastically. That is some great free-hand cutting too. I dub you the Queen of Adaptation, cause you always find the best bargains, then know exactly the best way to use them to create a fab card! You did it again, with all the bits you selected to turn a birthday bear into Christmas Ted and this is just delightful. TFS & Hugs

Liz said...

Gorgeous card ! Hugs xx

Di said...

Fantastic Mo! I just love your beautiful teddy card and the determination you showed making it. Proof that the old ways are every bit as good I think!

Hugs

Di
xx

Elizabeth said...

Fabulous card, Maureen. Love the teddy image. The limited materials you had reminds me of just how little was available to us only a few short years ago. Well done on creating such a great card despite your lack of goodies. Elizabeth xx

cotnob said...

This is a gorgeous card made from a few bits and bobs Mo. I love your adorable bear and such a great idea to create the wavy edges.
Pauline
x

MagsB said...

My goodness, I am really impressed by your creativity with such limited stash! This is such a cute Christmas card! I love how you free-form cut the mats, too, it looks so original!!

love Mags B x

Bonnie said...

You are amazing! Cutting these layers by hand and they look so pretty! Even better than a die cut! And such a sweet teddy bear!

Tracy said...

I would never had guessed that that bear was on a birthday card.
With his red vest, he fits perfectly into the Christmas theme of your card.
Great job, especially with limited supplies :)

Sassy Raggedy said...

How cute this is. Card 41 I am so proud of you....Hugs, joann sassy raggedy

Helen said...

Great card - very cute.

Thanks for joining us at Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra.

Helen x

Unknown said...

I'm impressed with what you managed with a "fat lot of nothing." The bear is cute and the felt wreath is fabulous.