CHRISTMAS CARAVAN

Hello.

Here's my last Christmas card of this season,
and it's for my husband.

This year we bought a caravan.
We've had some really fun trips in it and been so lucky with the weather.

Maybe next year we'll get to re-create this snow scene somewhere :-)

I started by distress inking a background sky.
Then, I added a stitched border, with some die-cut trees and a fussy-cut caravan.
The little, individual fairy lights were so tricky to stick on  - they are such tiny pieces.
To finish, I splattered on some white acrylic paint for the snow.

Challenge

Addicted to Stamps and More

I've used distress inks on the background, and versacolor ink for the trees,

Copics on the caravan and the fairy lights, and acrylic paint for the snow.

Supplies

Caravan, from Avery Elle, Home Sweet Home

Trees from MFT stamps Oh Christmas Tree, Rectangular Stax 1

Fairy Lights are Memory Box Dies, 

Distress Ink, Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Stormy Sky

Versacolor Turquoise and Cocoa

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Hello.

Here's a new home card for those crazy enough to move house
in the middle of winter.
(you know who you are).

I had fun with this card.
Imagine being all warm and cosy in your new home with the snow falling thick and fast outside.
Perfect.

I started by embossing the sentiment and using distress ink for the background,
then added the stitched hills and other elements.

The snow splatter was added last, so that it covered the trees and home.
I'm not great at that splatter stuff, but I love how this turned out.

Challenge

Addicted to Stamps and More

Supplies 

Sentiment - Clearly Besotted, Home Sweet Home

Trees - MFTStamps, Oh Christmas Tree in Versacolor Turquoise and Cocoa

House - Stampendous, Holiday Home, coloured with Copics

Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders.

Distress ink - Peacock Feathers

SANTA PAWS

Hello.
Despite most of my craft stuff being packed up, I've managed to make another couple of Christmas cards.
It's taking me twice as long though.
Trying to remember which box all the different supplies are in.

I'm still happy playing with these cute pups, which are coloured with Copics and

attached to the background with foam tape.

For the backgrounds I stamped and embossed the sentiment, and then added some distress ink. 

My 'snow' is a splattering of white, acrylic paint - which also ends up all over my hands and up the sleeves of my jumper!!

Challenge

Muse Christmas Visions

Any Holiday Card

Supplies

MFT - Happy Pawlidays, Rectaguar Stax 1, Stitch Scalloped Basic Edges

Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean

Copics, Glamour Dust, Wow Embossing Powder

PUDDINGS

Hello.

I'm trying to get in some more card making before I have to pack up my craft room.
It looks like our two daughters, plus one son-in-law, 2 cats, and one dog are going to be staying with us for a while.
It's going to be a squeeze, but I am looking forward to having everyone at home.
Remind me I said that in a month's time :-o)

So, here's another couple of quick cards for the pile.

I used the cute Christmas puddings from Clearly Besotted and teamed them up with a simple mftstamps sentiment.
The pretty, red background came from a rummage through my card box. It's actually a valentine card blank (no idea of the make) that I die cut to fit,

I added lots of sparkly glamour dust to the puddings.
Hopefully you can make this out a little better in the photo below.

Challenges

Addicted to Stamps and More

Supplies

Clearly Besotted Christmas Puddings, stamps and dies

Distress Inks, walnut stain / mowed lawn / festive berries

Glamour Dust

PUPPY LOVE

Hello.

Phew!
I FINALLY found time to get into my craft room today.
I was beginning to think I might have to BUY my Christmas cards.

So I'm happy I have another 3 for the pile.

I've kept them all nice and simple, and just had a play with some different backgrounds.

This first one uses distress inks for the background, splattered with white acrylic paint.

Next I used Copic markers.
For some reason I have NEVER used markers like this for a background - but it was easy to get them to blend and I like the result.

My last card uses a snowfall die on some blue cardstock.

All the pups, trees and parcels were die-cut, coloured with Copics and popped up on foam tape.
I added a touch of glamour dust in places (very sparkly irl)  and went a bit mad with a white gel pen.

Challenge

Merry Little Christmas

Anything Christmas Goes

Supplies.

MFT - Rectangle Stax 1, Stitch Scallop Basic Edges, Happy Pawlidays, Snow Globe Sentiments.

Avery Elle Falling Snow Die

Copics. Distress Inks - Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean. Glamour Dust.

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

TWEET

Hello.

It's my 33rd Wedding Anniversary this month. Yikes!
Obviously, I was very young when we married  :-o)

Here's the card I made for hubby.

Over the years I've probably made every type of anniversary card - 

romantic, funny, traditional, rude :-) , CAS... etc.

This time I went with cute and fun.

My inspiration came from Steffi's pretty card, over at the MUSE Challenge.
focusing on the central, striped heart, and the pink border.

Supplies.

WPlus9 - happy birds

MFT - peek-a-boo striped heart die, rectangle stax 1

Copics

LITTLE BUDDIES

Hello.

I'm playing with the 'little buddies' set again today -
it's just so damn cute.  :o)

My inspiration came from Muse card club, and the cutest card from Kim Heggins.

I just love those layered pups.

It's definitely one of my 'go to' designs, but if you don't have an all-in-one stamp, all that masking can be tricky.

I took the easy way this time - and just layered up some die cuts :-)

It's hard to tell from the photo, but this card has lots of dimension.
The frame, and little boy are popped up on double thickness foam tape.
Then, the first row of pets have one layer of tape, and the back ones are stuck flat.

Muse Card Club Challenge

I focused on...
1. the black frame
2. layered pets
3. the placement of the sentiment

Supplies.

mft - little buddies, rectangle stax 1

copic markers

HAPPY BARKDAY

Hello.

We've just had a new addition to our family.
My nephew has had a bouncing baby boy - Theo Arthur -
who came in at an eye watering 11lb 7oz.

So, I had boys on the brain when I got into my craft room today,
and I inked up this cute 'little buddies' set.

I played along with the MFT Colour Challenge.

MFT Challenge 

Supplies

mft - little buddies, rectangle stax 1

distress inks - tumbled glass, mustard seed

copics