Countdown to Christmas

This Saturday I have a stall at a local fundraising 'Handmade Craft Fayre'.  I'm making a few of these as an alternative to an advent calendar.  I almost sold out at the craft fayre I was at last Saturday, so I had a quick trip down to IKEA today to buy a few more inexpensive frames.
  

The Santa is made from a die I bought on eBay.  (Thanks to Di for her useful tips HERE on the quickest way to assemble them. I managed to make 15, Di! )  The little blackboard came on a wooden stick, which I snapped off, before attaching to the non-shed glitter card from Poundworld with a glue gun.  The glitter card is a bit too brassy for cards, but was perfect for this.  The glitter card comes in a mixed pack with four other colours and I've been trying to thing of a way of using up the gold.  I've layered the text onto a snippet of silver glitter card.  I add a stick of chalk to the pack when I'm selling them for writing the number of days until the 25th December. 

I am joining in the following challenges:  
Double "D" Here Comes Santa Claus Challenge
Deep Ocean Challenge Challenge #169 ~ Santa is Coming to Town

Sparkle and shine

Two cards today, as I'm trying to catch up with a few challenges.  I don't use glitter card very often, but it IS nearly Christmas!  All the non-shed glitter card was bought from the local pound shop, a bargain at 10 sheets for £1.   

Beccy's Place Challenge this month is up to the letter 'Y', so my Christmas card has 'Three 'Ys' Men' ! 😉

The stamp is by Lavinia, 'Three Kings', stamped with Versafine' Onyx Black' onto a background made with Adirondack ink pads and Ink dusters.  The image is die cut with a Memory Box 'Stitched Rectangle' die and matted on non-shed glitter card. The panel is die cut with a Die-namies 'Peek-a-boo Stars' die on white card.  A strip of silver glitter card was attached behind, before attaching to the card blank.  The three larger stars are punched with an X-cut punch.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Beccy's Place Challenge - A Month of Holiday Cards (Y for Three 'Ys Men!)

Cards In Envy ~It's Only Paper Card Challenge

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #201 ~ Animal Magic

Moving Along with the Times Challenge #59 ~ Christmas Animals

Onto my second card.

I've used the same stars die for the panel, but this time attached strips of silver and pinky/purple glitter card behind the star apertures.  The fairy is a Poppystamps die, 'Posing Faerie' which I've matted and layered onto memory Box 'Stitched Oval' diecuts.  This was a quick card to make and I'm hoping there is enough white space for the Less is More Challenge this week.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:
Poppystamps Challenge #38 - Faerie Kingdom
Less is More Challenge #356 ~ Let it shine
HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

When Santa got stuck in the chimney.....!

The last couple of weeks I've been on an unexpected emotional rollercoaster, so I've not done as much posting on my blog or blog visiting as usual.   Things are thankfully more or less back to normal, so I'm hoping to get back on track with my crafting and blog visiting this week. 

The Christmas card I made today was supposed to be quick and easy, with the plan to make a few of the same design.  However, the  die I used didn't cut out quite as I expected, so I think this design may be a one off!  I have got this die design as a stamp which I bought earlier in the year in a bargain bucket at a craft fair and if I had found it, I would have used it instead! 

 The die I used is a Dovecraft Christmas die called 'Chimney'.  I thought the die would emboss the chimney and leave an outline of the snow, trousers and boots.  However, it cuts out all the bricks and leaves the trousers and boots as a solid piece of the die cut.  So, I decided to use a snippet of black for the main die cut, which left the boots and the trousers black. A snippet of red was used for the trousers which I attached on top of the original die cut - after all, Santa doesn't have black trousers!  All the white and brown pieces were die cut and inlaid.  The patterned paper is from my snippets drawer and I suspect it's from a LOTV paper pad.  The background is embossed with a Creative Expressions 'Frosted Stripes' e/f.   I'm sure Santa said "XXXXXX!" when he got stuck in the chimney, so I'll be hopping over to Beccy's Place Challenge, where the theme is up to the letter 'X'.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Beccy's Place Challenge ~ A Month of Holiday Cards
 Rudolph Days November Challenge
Allsorts Challenge - Week 443 ~ Inspired by a Christmas Carol or Winter Themed Song (When Santa Got Stuck in the Chimney)
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Weeks 309 and 310 ~ Use snippets
HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
HLS November Christmas Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Cards in Envy ~ It's Only Paper Card Challenge
Double "D" Here Comes Santa Claus Challenge

Blue Santa

Beccy's Place Challenge of a Month of Holiday cards is up to 'S' today, so I've included Santa, Snowflakes and a Sentiment.

The image is a pre-coloured digi stamp from Beccy's Place, 'Skating Santa'.   Santa dressed in blue is perfect for the friends who support our local football team, as the team play in blue and white.  The card base is die cut with a SB 'Happy Days' set of dies.  I die cut the image with one of the dies from the set and another in plain white card, before embossing it with Creative Expressions 'Frosted Stripes' e/f.  I added several MB 'Twilight Snowflakes' die cuts, cut with non-shedding silver glitter card from a pound shop. A computer generated sentiment finished off my card.

This photo shows the card from a different angle.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Beccy's Place ~ A Month of Holiday cards

Allsorts Challenge -Week 442 ~ Glitter

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Masculine

HLS November Christmas Challenge ~ Anything Goes

HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Dies R Us Challenge #85 ~ Snow

CHNC Challenge #360 ~ Anything goes as long as it's Christmas - optional theme: use some blue

CHNC Challenge Extra ~ November 2017