Deck The Halls

Hello.
It's almost time to deck those halls, and I'm excited.
Last year was a bit chaotic, as we hadn't long moved into this house.
This time, I will be more organised - hopefully :o)

I stuck with traditional Christmas colours for my card 

  (my last foray into non-traditional colours was a disaster)

This die set is also designed to produce an interactive card, but after several attempts I had to give up.

I couldn't make the arm sit flat enough to look right.

(If anyone has this set and any tips, let me know)

Challenge

AAA Colourful 

• concord & 9th - tree topper dies and sentiments stamp

Holiday Happiness

Hello.
Today I'm playing with these little, holiday, die cuts again.
They are so much fun, and there are so many different ways to use them.

I went for a pale green background, but it didn't really work, so I added that dark shade, to make it pop. (you can just see a small strip of the pale green that I left showing at the top)

I also added a little bit of glitter paper here and there, for that touch of Christmas Bling.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• concord & 9th - handmade holiday dies
• my favorite things - snowglobe sentiments
• copic markers

Is It Too Early, To Put Up The Tree?

Hello.
When do you put your Christmas tree up?
I am itching to get all my decs out of the loft, but the family keep screaming that it's 'too early'.  
For now I'll make do with these cute, critters decorating their tree  :o)

Isn't this just the cutest set. All the elements come together to make a lovely, little scene.

The background is coloured card and white stencil paste, used with an 'all the stars' stencil.

Challenge

I was so lucky to be chosen as last month's winner -
 thank you so much to Tara and the team, for the voucher to spend in store.

Seven Hills Crafts 

I opted for the third row - animals and trees, stencilled background, die cut sentiment, and metallics

• mama elephant - decorate the tree stamps and dies, coloured with copics
• my favorite things - merry christmas die
• lawn fawn - stitched hillsdie border die / white stencil paste
• spellbinders - all the stars stencil

All Aboard The Christmas Care-a-van

Hello.
I missed the Freshly Made Sketches deadline last week, duh! -
so here I am, getting my entry in with plenty of time left on the clock.  :o)

I wanted to play with this cute 'care-a-van' set, but wasn't sure how it would work. So I cut the white card base pieces, and then just played around with the die-cuts until it started to come together.

This has always been a tricky stamp for me to line up, but I'm starting to be ok with the fact that it's not spot on. It's handmade, right? It doesn't have to be perfect.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

I just rotated the sketch 90 degrees

• the greetery - christmas care-a-van
• my favorite things - snowglobe sentiments
• pinkfresh studio ink - warm buff
• altenew ink - crimson / fresh leaf

Merry Nutcracker

Hello.
I've had another attempt at a nutcracker card today.
I am NOT the most delicate person, so holding these tiny die-cuts with tweezers,
adding the glue, and then sticking them down in the perfect spot, does not come easy to me.
I need more practice.

There's also a rare outing for an embossing folder  -
with that 'diamond star' background giving a lovely 3D element.

Challenge

Inkspirational

This nutcracker has a full base piece, and then the individual elements are layered on top.
I've also layered the foliage and holly, and the message on the banner.

• conocord and 9th - nutcracker
• altenew - diamond stars 3d embossing folder

May Your Days Be Furry And Bright

Hello.
I'm playing along with the As You Like It Challenge today,
where they would like to see your favourite critter.

My favourite has to be a dog. We are a family of dog owners.
My partner in crime is Buster, (a border terrier) and we have Ollie (a puggle) and Indie (a staffy)
So I am very partial to a dog stamp.

Here, I've combined an older dog set, with that new 'hand'/arm  die.
I've added some glitter paper to the sleeve and star, and some glamour dust on the dog's hat,  for some extra Christmas bling.

Challenge

As You Like It 

Favourite Critter and Why

Dog
because I can't resist this face :o)

• my favorite things - happy pawlidays / snowglobe sentiments
• concord & 9th - hand/sleeve/cuff/star - handmade holidays
• concord & 9th - baubles/star - tree topper 
• copics
• glamour dust

Can You Dig It

Hello.
My daughter got an allotment last week. It's a jungle. 
Clearing it is hard work, but lots of fun. My 2 grandsons (3 and 2) had a great time digging in the dirt looking for worms :o)

So, this is a 'congrats on your allotment' card - that's a thing right?   :o)

I used a circle die in the corner of my card panel, and distress inked a background.
Then the bunny was die cut, coloured with copics, and popped up with foam tape.

I wrote out some funny plant markers and stuck those inside the card.

Challenge

CAS On Friday

CORNER OF YOUR CARD

• colorado craft company - rooting for you
• circle nestie die
• distress ink - tumbled glass / cracked pistachio
• copics

Penguins Are The Definition Of Cute

Hello.
Social media seems to be one long video of new products at the moment. With everyone trying to get us to buy the next, big release. I wish I had the budget!
I need to remember that older products are just as good.

These Arctic penguins were released back in 2014 - and I still love them.

I used a snowfall die on the blue background, and layered a snow mound on top.
Then I added those cute penguins, with DS tape for the back ones, and foam tape to pop the front ones up.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• mama elephant - arctic penguins, coloured with copics
• my favorite things - snowglobe sentiments
• avery elle - falling snow die

Nutcrackers Everywhere

Hello.
I definitely stalked Seven Hills Crafts when these nutcrackers came out, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on some.
Here's my first attempt with them.

I remembered I had this 'door' stamp, and thought it would be fun to have the nutcrackers stood at either side of it. I'd love to do this IRL, and The Range has some 5ft nutcrackers, but jeez, they're £250!! Who's got that kind of budget? (don't tell me if you have, it will just make me cry) :o)

I added a touch of glitter to the nutcrackers, just to make them a bit more Christmassy - and then popped them up with foam tape. I didn't have a wreath stamp for the door, but thought that this mistletoe die would work instead.

I have in mind who to send this card to, and I'll probably write their door number on the door, just for an added personal touch.

Challenge

52 Christmas Card Throwdown

• my favorite things - sittin' pretty / snowglobe sentiments
• concord & 9th - nutcracker dies / handmade holiday dies

'Tis The Season

Hello.

Today I'm playing with the Concord & 9th tree topper dies again, 
but sticking with more traditional Christmas colours.

I used a beautiful, poppy red cardstock (from Concord & 9th) for the background.
My camera doesn't really capture this vibrant red very well.
The sentiment is stamped with a darker red, and some stars added, with white, heat embossing.

For that Christmassy bling, I used gold, glitter card for the star, and black, glitter card for the sleeve.

Challenge

Inkspirational  

Just playing for fun this week, as this design is one of the examples
on the Concord & 9th shop.

• concord & 9th - tree topper dies / tree topper stamp set
• concord & 9th - little white cuff from handmade holiday die set
• hero arts - red royal ink
• hero arts - white embossing powder and versamark ink

Trim The Tree

Ooh, I'm definitely not sure about this one.

I'm having fun with the AAAColourful Challenge, and I didn't want to miss one,
but their colour palette is more Halloween/Autumn this month, and I didn't need another card like that.
I gave it a try for a Christmas card.

What do you think? Yea or nay? 

I die cut the baubles and pieced them together, then added them to a card panel with that bold, stamped sentiment.
Then I added the foliage. All the overhanging pieces were trimmed off.

There's a little touch of bling on there - just to give it a lift.

I do keep going back and looking at - it's a bit 'in your face', but I think it's growing on me  :o)

Challenge

AAAColourful

• concord and 9th - tree topper dies / tree topper stamp set