Watching the Snow Fall

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American blogging friends.

The Lavinia Stamps challenge this month is 'Christmas'.  I haven't made an easel card for ages, so I decided to use one of my favourite Lavinia dies, a recent birthday present, for this easel card.

The Lavinia die is 'Star Gazing'.  The white background behind the die is embossed with a snowflake embossing folder, although it doesn't show up very well in the photos.  The papers are from a Lili of the Valley 'Frosty Christmas' paper pad.  I attached two snowflake brads to the sentiment panel, which is raised up on foam tape.  A punched snowflake was added to the top right hand corner with tiny foam pads.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Lavinia Stamps Challenge # 11 ~ Christmas

Country View November Challenge #33 - The Colour Blue
The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge ~ Snowflakes

Beccy's Place ~ A Month of Holiday Cards

Cuttlebug Mania ~ Embossing

Deep Ocean Challenge ~117 ~ White and other colour
Merry Monday Challenge #181 ~ Blue, White & Texture

Cute Little Owls

Welcome to my new follower, Viv of 'Viv's Visuals'.  I hope you come back to visit again soon.

Another Christmas card today.

 For this card I used a Sizzix Circle Flip-Its #2 set of dies.  The paper was from a paper stack I bought recently in a craft shop closing down sale.  I always find it sad when craft shops close, there's nothing like browsing around a craft shop and this shop was one I frequently visited and bought from. For the snowflake, I punched the shape out of red card, then die cut a circle around the snowflake shape, using the negative effect.  All the dies I used were from the same set.

The next two photos show the card open, from different angles.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:
The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge ~ Snowflakes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper November challenge
CHNC challenge 256: things with wings
Beccy's Place ~ A Month of Holiday Cards

Crazy Robin

So, we've come to the last Rudolph Days Challenge for 2015.  The November challenge is open from 25th November until 30th November, so just a few days to get your entries in to have a chance to win a fabulous die.   Thanks to Mo for running the challenge all year.  It's certainly made me start my cards early and make them throughout the year.

I used a Presscut Step Card die with Lili of the Valley patterned paper panels.  The image is one of the Crazy Bird stamps I was lucky enough to win in the Playground earlier in the year, coloured with Promarkers.  I went over the white on the hat with a Wink of Stella Glitter pen.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Rudolph Days November Challenge ~ Make a Christmas Card 
Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 204 ~ Used red snippets 
CHNC challenge 256: things with wings
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper November challenge
Beccy's Place ~ A Month of Holiday Cards


A second card today using the same embossing folder I used here, 'Frosty Ice Border' by Sheena Douglass, but this time I turned it round to make a portrait card.

First I covered the front of the base card in the same card as I used for the tree.  The tree is die cut using a Memory Box 'Frosted Christmas Tree' with white glitter added along the embossed part.  The glitter actually look whiter IRL.  The centre of the embossing folder is plain, but I wanted to give it some texture, so I added tiny punched snowflakes.  

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Memory Box Challenge #6 ~ Glitter!

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge ~ Snowflakes
Cuttlebug Mania ~ Embossing
Deep Ocean Challenge ~117 ~ White and other colour

Santa is a Gashead

Before I go any further, I'd better explain what a Gashead is.

The name comes from when Bristol Rovers football club's old ground was next to a gasworks and the deep smell of the gas often wafted across the pitch during matches. This led to the team becoming known as The Gas and the fans as Gasheads, names that are still used today.  Rovers play in blue and white quartered shirts and every good Rovers fan knows that Santa is a Gashead and his favourite oufit is really blue and white.  I've made a few of these cards to send to Rovers fans.

I first saw this Cheery Lynn's 'Santa's Laundry' die on Di's blog over in the Playground HERE last year.  I resisted temptation then, but decided as it was still one of my favourite Christmas dies a year later, I would add it to my collection.  I've CASE'd Di's card, with the twist of the colour of the outfit.  The trees are die cut with a Poppystamp 'Snow Flocked Tree' die with glamour dust added them, as well as the snow drift, to make them sparkle.  I added tiny white dots to the blue background for the snowflakes.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 204 ~ Used blue and white snippets 
Country View November Challenge #33 ~ The Colour Blue

Deep Ocean Challenge #117 ~ White and one other colour

I also made a few cards with Santa's traditional red and white outfit.

Beautiful Blue

Two birthday cards to make today for my brother and sister-in-law.  Both will be sent to Ireland, so I needed the designs to be flat for posting.

The first is a 50th birthday card for my sister-in-law.

I've had the pearlised, lightly embossed blue card for a couple of years.  It really the most beautiful shade of blue and I decided I've been stroking it long enough and it needed to be used!   I cut off about 4cms from the right hand side of the front of the base card.  The border is cut with a Memory Box 'Kensington Border' die and attached to the inside of the card.  I added a thin strip of the blue card to the outside.  I had a snippet of embossed card left from the card I made in my last post, so attached this to the main part of the front of the card.  The Stitched Hexagons are by Memory Box - a birthday present from last week.

The next photo shows the card open.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Less is More challenge # 251 ~ Theme - Numbers

Country View November Challenge #33 ~ The Colour Blue

Butterfly Challenge #43 ~ Butterflies + Q is for Quadruple (four butterflies)

CASology -Week173 ~ Pretty

Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 204 ~ Use snippets 

My second card is for my brother.  As he lives near the sea, I decided on a nautical theme.  I had some of the blue card left, I used it on this card as well.

The backing paper is by Anna Marie Designs.  The Little Claire 'Silhouette Lighthouse' stamp is stamped in Versafine 'Onyx'. I used Memory Box 'Stitched Square' dies to mat and layer the image and the waves were die cut with a Memory Box 'Oceana Border' die.  A punched anchor and sea shell finished off my card.  

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge -Week 338 ~ At least three die cuts (two stitched square and the wave)

Butterfly Thank You Card

The Butterfly Challenge this fortnight is "Butterflies + Q is for Quadruple", so I've included four decorative butterfly corners on my card.

The embossing folder is Spellbinders 'Dainty Dots'.  The corners are Nellie's D. Dies.  They came in a set of two, for matting and layering. The butterfly in the centre is a Spellbinders 'Les Papillions Two' die.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #43 ~ Butterflies + Q is for Quadruple

Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 203 ~ Used purple snippets

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Thanks/Thank You

Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Thanks/Thanksgiving

SOS #228 ~Thanks
Deep Ocean Challenge #117 ~ White and one other colour

White Christmas

I love white on white cards, but have never attempted to make one before.  The embossing folder and sentiment stamp were presents I received recently and seemed perfect for a white on white card.

 The embossing folder is 'Frosty Ice Border' by Sheena Douglass and the sentiment stamp, is part of a Visible Image set of stamps. The Christmas Tree is die cut with a Poppystamp 'Snow Flocked Tree' die and is attached with foam pads to raise it up.  I love this die because it embosses as well as cuts and I've added some 'Glamour Dust' to the embossed part.  'Glamour Dust' was also added to the punched snowflakes, the punched star on the top of  the tree and all around the edge of the card.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Poppystamps Challenge #14 - Home For The Holidays

Little Claire's Monthly Stamp Challenge # 63 - Christmas in White Theme

Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 203 ~ Used white snippets

CHNC challenge extra for November 2015
The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge ~ World Record - well it might be a World Record if we get a White Christmas where I live.  I don't recall it snowing on Christmas Day before.  :-)
Beccy's Place ~ A Month of Holiday Cards

Back Home.....

I've been AWOL for a few days, enjoying an end of summer season break in our caravan in North Devon.  No time for crafting for a week, so I'm trying to get creative again this weekend.  I'm so behind with my blog visiting too, so that's another job for the next few days.

I missed last week's Less is More challenge, but this week it's back to a One Layer card, with the theme of 'Santa'.  

I wasn't sure what Santa stamps I had, so my first job was to go through all my stamps.  I must find a way of organising them! I found NBUS Papermania Christmas set of stamps, which I think I bought some years ago in a January sale, which included all these stamps.  The image is stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured with Promarkers.  The white trim on Santa clothes is covered using a white Wink of Stella glitter brush.  The sentiments are stamped with Versafine 'Onyx'.  I added just one clear gem to the star on the sentiment.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:
Less is More - Week 250 ~ One Layer - Santa
Penny Black and More Challenge ~ Anything Christmas
CHNC challenge extra for November 2015
Beccy's Place ~ A Month of Holiday Cards

The Butterfly Challenge finishes in a couple of days, with the theme 'Butterflies + Z is for Zig Zags'.  I knew which embossing folder I wanted to use and I've finally had time to make a card.  

The embossing folder is 'Chevron' by Couture Creations.  The sentiment is layered using Spellbinder Nestabilities,  the yellow die cut was using one of the 'Square Swatches' set.  I added a strip of yellow card to the plain part of the embossed card and attached three punched butterflies, coloured with a white Wink of Stella glitter brush to add a little sparkle.  Four green pearls were added between the butterflies.  Apart from the base card, the green, yellow and white card I used were all snippets, so I'll be popping over to the Playground to share my card.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:
Butterfly Challenge #42 ~ Butterflies + Z is for Zig Zags
Pixies Snippets Playground - Week 203 ~ Use Snippets
Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Thanks/Thank You

It was my birthday on Wednesday and I had a lovely selection of new crafty goodies from family and friends.

I had a lovely day and we were blessed with perfect weather for a walk along the best beach in the UK.  It looks so different at this time of year.  We had to share the beach with a dozen or so other walkers, a couple of dogs and a party of surfers, but there was plenty of room for us all! 

It's about two and a half miles long and we walked the entire length and back, stopping for lunch overlooking the beach.  The day was finished off with a trip to the theatre to see an excellent production of Ghost the Musical.  

Paper Pieced Flower

The Less is More Challenge this week is paper piecing ....which I find so much harder than even a one layer!  Firstly, it took me ages to find a suitable stamp, but eventually I decided on a Personal Expressions Zendoodles stamp 'Flower'.

The patterned paper I used for the petals, flower centre, leaves and stem were from my box of oddments.  The green Promarker I used is a pretty good match IRL, but looks totally different in the photo - so frustrating! 

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Less is More Lucky Dip Challenge - Week 248 ~ Paper Piecing

White Poppies

A birthday card for a friend this week.  I know she won't look at my blog, so it's safe to post it on here. :-)

The panel on the left was die cut with a Poppy Stamps 'Trudeau Border' die and tiny white pearls added to the centre of each flower shape.  The flowers are die cut from a snippet of white linen card with Memory Box 'Row of Poppies'.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 201 ~ Use snippets
Country View November Challenge #33 ~ The Colour Blue

Christmas Scene

Another Christmas card - not many more to make now!  

The stamps I used were all by Card-io.  The people were from the set 'Christmas Scenery 3' and the trees from the set 'Woodland Walk' and were all stamped with a Versafine 'Onyx' ink pad.   I used Adirondack inks, 'Denim' and 'Sunshine Yellow' for the sun and snow drifts.  Two Memory Box Stitched Rectangle dies were used to make a white frame and a larger one to die cut the yellow mat.  'Glamour Dust' glitter was added to the snow drifts for a little sparkle and also to the punched snowflake, which I attached with foam pads.  The embossing folder is by Sue Wilson 'Frosted Stripes'.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Lisa B Designs Monthly Challenge ~ Stamped Christmas Scenes

Memory Box Challenge #6 ~ Glitter!

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 201 ~ Used white and yellow snippets
City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 286 ~ Getting Ready for Christmas!
Penny Black and More November Challenge ~ Anything Christmas
Allsorts Challenge - Week 335 ~ Christmas
CHNC Challenge Extra for November 2015
Beccy's Place ~ A Month of Holiday Cards

Butterflies

Welcome to my two new followers, Sylvia-Anne of Poppy's Papercraft Patch and Jo of A Little Piece of Me...my Crafting Corner. I hope you visit again soon.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to share an idea at the bottom of this post that I saw recently. 

The Butterfly Challenge this fortnight is 'Butterflies + N is for Numbers'.

The embossing folder I used for the background is by x-Cut.  I punched a white butterfly strip using a Martha Stewart Double Edge Monarch Butterflies Punch. The sentiment was layered using Memory Box Stitched Circle dies. White pearls in the corners finished off my card.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #41 ~ Butterflies + N is for Numbers

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 201 ~ Used white snippets

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has an embossing folder addiction!  I can take no credit for this idea of organising my embossing folders, I saw the idea HERE on Enfys' blog 'Going Buggy', and thought it was too good not to share. 

I started by die cutting a pile of tags with a red Sizzix die. 

Then I embossed each tag with a different embossing folder, labelling the tag and embossing folder with the same letter and number.

I organised my folders by size, giving each size a different letter and put the tags on split rings.

Several of my embossing folders have big designs/frames, so I embossed larger pieces of card to show the whole design and put these on a separate ring.

My embossing folders are stored in boxes by size and each set in numerical order.  It's now much easier to find the one I need.