HAPPY HOWLIDAYS

Hello.

Today I'm sharing a card for this week's MFT Stamps Sketch Challenge.

I really liked this sketch, as I got to use most of the stamps in the 'Happy Pawlidays' set on one card.

I went with traditional Christmas colours and some added sparkle.
The elements are all popped up on foam tape for dimension, but when I added the squares to the base I only popped up the squares with pups on them.

Challenge

MFT Cards Sketch

Supplies

MFT Stamps - Rectangular Stax 1, In and Out Stitched Squares, Happy Pawlidays, Itsy Bitsy Polka Dots dp

Copics. Diamond Dust

MERRY PUPMUS

Hello.

It's a good job that we are a doggie family,
'cos here's another puppy card for the Christmas pile  :-)

This is just one of those cards that does not photo well.

You get them, right?

The circle sentiment is triple layered, so it stands up more and I also scored my card panel, for some added interest.

(you can make that out a little better below).

I'm not even going to mention the disaster I had with my red Copic, that just blotched everywhere. 

The worst of which is covered up with the green bauble.

**Sigh**

Challenges

Addicted To Stamps and More

Supplies

MFT - Happy Pawlidays, Rectangular Stax 1, Merry Christmas Circular Frame

Copics. Diamond Dust

YAPPY CHRISTMAS

Hello.

This is one of those cards that I managed to make way more complicated than it needed to be.
I really wanted to mask and stamp the pups, then partially die-cut them along the top. I just couldn't figure out how to do it!
In the end I die-cut them individually, attached them to a rectangular piece, and cut away the top part of the rectangle. Does that make sense?

I wanted some depth to the background, so I attached the Christmas pups panel to my painted piece with foam tape.

Then, I cut various coloured borders to try  - patterned dp, blue/red/black card.

I opted for the black in the end, because it just made the dogs 'pop' more.

I'm just not all that sure about so much black on a Christmas card.

What do you think?

Challenges

Merry Little Christmas 

October Anything Christmas

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge

Let's Get Ready For Christmas

Supplies

MFT Stamps - Happy Pawlidays, coloured with Copics and Diamond Dust

Inside and Out Stitched Rectangles

Acrylic Paint

YAPPY CHRISTMAS

Hello.

I don't have a huge crafting budget, but for Christmas cards I usually allow myself a couple of stamp sets - with dies, obvs -  😉
and here's a card with my first purchase.

I couldn't resist the cute pups from MFTs Yappy Pawlidays.

I played along at MFT Card Challenges with this week's sketch.

My background was inked up with distress inks and splattered with white acrylic paint, for the snow. I still can't really get the hang of this splattering, but I have managed to stop it going everywhere, by placing my background in an old shoe box before flicking the paint on.

The little pup, tree and present were die cut, coloured with copics and then popped up with foam tape for some added dimension.

There's a little diamond dust on the hat and the star too - which has more sparkle IRL than the photo shows.

MFT Card Challenge

Supplies

MFT - Rectangular Stax 1, Inside and Out Stitched Rectangle, Happy Pawlidays

Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky

Copics, White Gel Pen, White Acrylic Paint, Diamond Dust

BLUE MOON

Hello

The middle aisle of Aldi called to me this week -
and I bought a cheap (£6.99) set of acrylic paints.
The trouble is, I've never used them before, and I'm not really 'arty'
so I was amazed when I managed to create this swirly background.
Go me :-)

I started by adding a separate splodge of white and blue paint onto a paper plate.
I mixed in a little water and started a small circle on my panel with white,
then I gradually kept added a little more blue into the white, swirling as I went along,
until I finished with the darkest blue.
Not perfect, but I love the look it created.

I know I need to practice the snow splatter - and also find a way to do it so that it doesn't cover the card, my desk, my hands and my clothes in tiny white spots :-)

Challenges

ABC Christmas 

S is for Snow and/or T is for Teal

Merry Little Christmas

Anything Christmas Goes

Supplies
MFT - Rectangle Stax 1, Ina and Out Stitched Squares, Stitched Scallop Basic Edges, Oh Christmas Tree, Beast Friends
Acrylic Paints. Copics

OH CHRISTMAS TREE

Hello.

I finally dragged my box of Christmas stamps and glitters out from under the table
rummaged through them, and then left them on my desk for a few days.
Nothing really leapt out at me.

So, I turned to the  Muse Christmas Visions Club for inspiration and they didn't let me down.

Muse Christmas Visions

Isn't Kimberly's card just the cutest?

I focused on...

• a trio of trees
• CAS design
• simple sentiment

Supplies

MFT - Rectangle Stax 1, Oh Chistmas Tree

Clearly Besotted - sentiment from Christmas Pudding

Distress Ink - Peacock Feathers, Festive Berries, Tumbled Glass

ARTY ANEMONES

Hello.

This week's Muse card is a real stunner, but eek! it's flowers,
so I'm definitely out of my comfort zone.

I stamped up my blooms and leaves and then coloured them with bold Copic strokes -
trying to replicate Tracey's gorgeous, arty stamping.
I love how this weird colouring turned out... :-)
but the whole thing nearly went in the bin because I just couldn't get it to look balanced.

Then, I spotted a die-cut, square window piece on my desk and putting that over the top of the flowers made them stand out more (does that make sense?).

I finished with a stamped sentiment and some flicks of a white gel pen.

Muse Card Club

LOVE LOVE LOVE Tracey's card.

A real stunner

I focused on   

• the flowers/leaves stamped in black
• bold stamping with no overlapping
• minimal colouring in orange, teal and grey

Supplies.
WPlus9 Modern Anemones
MFT - Rectangle Stax 1, In and Out Stitched Squares
Mama Elephant - Labeled Messages
Copics

WHOO LOVES YOU?

Hello.

Have you been over to the Muse card club challenge this week?
There's a stunner of a card from Anita.
It had me wracking my brains to come up with something though...

I used a birch tree stamp for my background - trying to replicate Anita's gorgeous, gradient colour by inking and spritzing - but that just ended up with a big splodgy mess.
So I stuck with solid colour and some added glitter.

The glitter is there - honest!
It just tries to hide when I get the camera out.

Muse Card Club Challenge

I focused on...

• bold stripes of colour, with added glitter
• solid black image
• CAS design

Supplies
Clearly Besotted - Into the Wood Again, You're a Hoot
MFT - Rect Stax 1, In and Out Stitched Squares, Bundle of Baby Clothes (heart)
Distress Oxide Ink - Wilted Violet.   Glamour Dust.

BOW CHICKA-HUAHUA

Hello.

Here we are in September,
and I'm sharing a fun card I made for my daughter and sil's 2nd wedding anniversary.

I just love these cute chihuahuas,
and it's been killing me to hold on to this set for a month,
just so that my daughter wouldn't see them before I made this card.
There'll be no holding me back now - I'm all over them :-)

I stuck with a CAS style, and just die cut the chihuahuas and coloured them with Copics.
I added one of the fun sentiments from the set, and a die-cut balloon.
I admit - I cut and coloured about 4 of those balloons until I finally got one I was happy with :-)

Challenges

Addicted to Stamps and More

Watercooler Wednesday

Supplies.

Hero Arts - Fiesta Time

AveryElle - Numbered Balloons Die

Copics.    MFT - Rectangle Stax 1

BIRD-DAY WISHES

Hello.

Gosh - it's been over 6 weeks since my last card and
getting back into my craft room is hard.
I've forgotten everything...   :-)

Time to turn to my favourite challenge at Muse Card Club
for some inspiration.

As you can see, I kept things nice and easy, with some 'happy birds' and leaves,  coloured simply with Copics, and popped up on foam tape for added dimension.

Muse

Supplies
WPlus9 - Happy Birds
MFT - Rectangle Stax 1 and sentiment from Party Animals

YOU'RE OLD

Hello.

Phew... it's a bit cooler here today.
Thank goodness.
I am not a sun worshipper.
Give me a good old Yorkshire, cold, dull, drizzly day anytime :-)

This week was my brother's birthday,
and he hit his milestone 60th.
Eek!!
Obviously he's a lot older than me  ;-)

I went for a lovely, bold colour with this barn door red, and then die cut my sentiment.

The little critters are popped up on foam tape,

and I tucked in a few sequins for a little touch of bling.

Challenge

Seize the Birthday

with the optional toppings of sequins

supplies

mamaelephant - 3 amigos

mftstamps - rectangular stax 1, happy birthday to you die

distress ink - barn door