August Rudolph Days Challenge

It is finally time for the August Rudolph Days Challenge. Please have a quick peek at the rules before you play.

1. The Rudolph Days Challenge will start each month (January to November) on the 25th, and will close at midnight PST, on the last day of that month.
2. The theme is always Anything Goes, as long as it is Christmas.
3. One entry per person and you just need to enter one Christmas card or Christmas project.
4. You may combine your entry with other challenges (maximum of 10 in total).
5. Your card (or Christmas project) should not have been previously posted to your blog. It should be posted to your blog during the current months Rudolph Days Challenge, (between the 25th and last day of the current month)
6. Please link back to or at least mention, the Rudolph Days Challenge.
7. Please leave a comment on the challenge post.
8. The winner will be selected by random draw and announced on the first day of the following month. Prizes will be mailed anywhere in the world.

9. A special draw will be held at the end of the year, in December,  for all those who submitted a card or project every month that year, January to November.

First up is Jenny at Cardsrus. Jenny has made a fabulous chipboard album, I think it is so wonderful and also feel that it will inspire many others to give this type of album a try. I know that I will be grabbing a couple of these albums from my craft room and earmarking them for a Grandma/Grandchild craft session! Check out Jenny's blog as she always gives good, clear directions on how she created a specific project.

Sam at Whispers Cards has made us two really adorable cards this month. This wee fox asleep in the wreath is so sweet.  I love the look of him all snuggled up like that!

Her second card is another cutie.  These little dogs frolicking in the snow are darling! The Santa dish with the gingerbread is the perfect finishing touch. You will have to pop over to Sam's blog to see how she made this, and just what other treasures appear in the apperure when you turn the viewing handle.

No card from me this month, as shortly after I got home from Britain, my eldest daughter asked me to accompany her to Scottsdale, Arizona. We are here for medical reasons which is never fun,  but we are having a wonderful time in their 105 degree weather!!! Thanks goodness this house has a pool...  

Our prize this month is this Recollections, Tree and Truck stamp and die set...

Christmas Card Club - Nativity

A fortnight has flown by since my last Christmas Card Club post. GranMargaret  chose a Nativity theme for this fortnight.

I decided to make a  Three Wise Men card as the stamps I used here are quite precious to me. I can not take any glory for this design.  I copied a card that a fellow crafter was selling at one of our infamous paper craft garage sales. I spied that card and bought it for the pattern,  about a year ago. I then attended every paper craft sale last summer and again this year, to try and find those stamps for sale. I managed to get the Stars and the background Bethlehem scene last summer, and luckily I found the Three Wise Men this year!

I stamped the Bethlehem scene direct to card and then heat embossed with an Antique  Gold powder.  It gives a dark gold satin finish. I then cut a second card base from heavy weight vellum. I stamped the stars and the Wise Men the same way and embossed with that same Antique Gold powder. I coloured the Wise Men with pencil crayons on the back of the vellum.

I folded and creased each layer one by one and then lined them up and punched two very small holes through the folded edges. A wee bit of white shimmery ribbon was threaded through and tied quite simply in a knot.

The  sentiment is on the back of the card and reads...Wise Men Still Seek Him.

July Rudolph Days Challenge Winner

I am really happy that we had 58 entries, despite the unexpected change of dates! Thanks to each and every one of you for supporting this challenge with your entries and being to kind about the strange dates this month.

I used Random Org to chose our winner and the winning number is  #45, Mrs A

Valerie Anne, could you please email me at maureenkane@telus.net and let me know which prize you would like. Could you also please give me your mailing address? Thanks so much and... Congratulations!

Christmas Card Club - Sleigh, Sleds or Ski

I am finally back to making cards and hopefully meeting the deadlines for the Christmas Card Club. We are a group of ladies that take turns choosing the theme for a fortnighly Christmas card. It really helps build up the finished cards box and has the bonus of having a very fun group of ladies to work with. If you would like to peruse any of the other members cards, their hyperlinks are on my right hand sideboard. You will not be disappointed!

I chose the sled, sleigh, ski theme for this fortnight,  and as I just received this lovely sleigh die cut from a friend, I felt my choice was made! This is really a card made from gifts. The kraft card base was a gift from a dear friend that I visited while in England. I love these scalloped kraft cards! They are a lovely weight and are made by Jelly Bean Crafts, UK.

I used a snippet of red glitter paper, and a Bokeh look sky paper called Snow Days from Lawn Fawn.
As mentioned, the red sleigh was mailed to me from a die cut swap I did with a friend, and the presents are a combination of VOS dollar store present stickers, and some K&CO acrylic toy stickers that were also gifted to me, from another friend. I wanted to use presents that were as bright and shiny as possible, as this card is for a small child. Sadly, they are making terrible glare on my photo as the light bounces off the acrylic sheen. Sorry about that!

The stars are Making Memories glitter Star Stickers and I hilighted them with some teensy rhinestones. The sentiment is from Michael's 25 cent bins. I picked up a couple of packages of these heavily glittered chipboard words last January, in the after Christmas clearance bins.

Although this is a very quick and easy card, I enjoyed making it and it was fun to dig out those stickers which I never seem to use anymore. In fact, I managed to use up the paper present stickers!

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

1. Christmas Card Club - sled, sleigh, ski
2. Pixies Crafty Workshop - must use snippets