Bark the Herald Angels Sing

Hello.
Yikes! Where has September gone?
As usual, I'm late getting started on my Christmas cards, so this is a nice easy one to get going.

The sketch over at Freshly Made screams large Christmas Tree so, obviously, I went with caroling pups ;o)

I managed to mask my pups, the lectern and the tree, so the card is kept flat for easy posting.

The background is distress ink and, because I am rubbish at splatter, the snow is a white gel pen through a snowfall stencil.

I did have a problem with that stripe across the card - because it was flat I couldn't use paper or ribbon, so in the end I went for the little 'fa la la' stamp. Not a complete disaster, but not great.

Freshly Made Sketches

• clearly besotted - howl it's the holidays
• ranger distress ink - tumbled glass
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• copic markers / sakura white gel pen

Snow Falling, Fizz Flowing

Hello.
Well, what a change in the weather this week.
Here in Yorkshire, we've had just about non stop rain. It's lovely.
No sarcasm here - I LOVE the rain :o)
And it gives me time to play in my craft room.

I've kept things simple with this cute, penguin image.
I'm afraid it might be the last outing for this guy - it's one of my older stamps and is just starting to disintegrate around the edges.

I coloured him with copics, then added distress ink around him, and some snowfall.
I'm not sure why he's drinking fizz in the snow, but he's having a lovely time!

For the recently restarted

CAS Christmas Challenge

• wildrose studio - pickle with tipple
• distress ink - tumbled glass
• wplus9 - winter wonderland sentiment
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• copic markers - white gel pen

Fun In The Snow

Hello.
Today I'm an elf!
I'm excited to be joining Jo, over at the 

Christmas Kickstart Challenge 

This month I've chosen the theme of Snow Days.

I'm thinking...  building a snowman, kids on sledges, penguins with scarves, birds on snowy branches, you get the idea.
I'm looking forward to seeing all those snowy scenes, so I hope you'll play along.

Here is my card, using one of my favourite stamps.

I stamped my image and coloured it with copics. 
For the landscape, I found a little stamp with those flower tufts on,  which just helped to ground the image a bit.
The sky is distress ink and my snow is made with a white gel pen, through a snowfall stencil.

Thank you Jo, for letting me join you this month.

It was fun xxx

• purple onion designs - happy mail
• fa la la stamp - sorry! Can't remember the make
• landscape stamp - my favorite things - frost loving friends
• distress oxide - salvaged patina
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• 
  

When A Dog Turns Up On Skis - You Buy The Set!

A dog on skis?
Yeah, that went straight into my basket :o)

Can you believe this was my first time using stencils like this? You lot make it look easy don't you?
I've got a few basic stencils, like stripes and circles, but this was my first layering type.
I didn't manage to quite line it up right, so copic markers helped me out a little.

Also, I realised you probably need a good supply of inks if you're going to use these - something I'll have to be careful of for future purchases.

Challenge

Inkspirational

The dog comes with a stencil for adding shadows and details
Then I used a snowy hills set ( 2 stencils ) for the background

Here's Buster - waiting for Amazon to deliver his skis  :o)

• waffle flower crafts - cool pup die and stencil, snowy hills stencils
• mft - snowglobe sentiments
• ranger distress inks - salvaged patina/twisted citron/mowed lawn/walnut stain
• copic markers
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil

Father Christmas In The Snow

Hello.

I think I've cracked Christmas cards.
Usually all my cards are different, but this year I've had production lines going of the same design,
with just a little twist.

This Father Christmas is on different coloured, snowy backgrounds. 

Which one is your favourite?

This design and colour combo is for the AAAColourful Challenge - where the palette is reds, white and a touch of gold. I hope I'm forgiven for the little bit of green in there on the present!

The backgrounds are all made with distress ink, some water splatter, and a white gel pen and snowfall stencil.

Challenge

AAA Colourful

• spellbinders - dancin' st nick
• lawn fawn stitched hillside borders
• ranger distress ink - festive berries / salty ocean / salvaged patina
• mft - snowglobe sentiments
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• white gel pen

Snow, Sparkle and a Tangle of Tails

Hello.
I'm back in the craft room today - one day it's spooky, the next it's sparkly :o)

I can't resist a card with dogs on - and these festive pals are having fun in the snow.
One is carrying his own stocking, whilst the other is getting tangled up in the fairy lights. Classic!

I've followed the sketch over at Freshly Made, with my pups and the tree representing the circle shapes.
The background was inked with distress ink and for the snow I used a white gel pen with a snowfall stencil.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches 

• my favorite things - happy pawlidays / stitched scallop edges
• ranger distress ink - tumbles glass / salty ocean
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• copic markers / white gel pen

Bear and Penguin Mischief

I had lots of fun putting this snowy scene together.
The penguin is clearly the troublemaker - tangling his friend up in fairy lights! :o)

The background was inked up with distress ink, and misted with water.
Then I stamped my sentiment, and added the die-cut festive friends.

I wasn't sure if the 'snow' would be too much - but in the end I went for it, using a stencil and a white gel pen.

Challenge

AAA Colourful

I have used a touch of orange on the penguin, that's not in the colour scheme,
but it's only a small bit, so hopefully I can get away with it ;o)

• spellbinders - festive friends
• ranger distress ink - salty ocean
• hobbycraft - knit pattern embossing folder
• sentiment stamp - I love this little stamp, but I've had it forever, and can't remember the make.
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil

A Little Wobble And A Lot Of Joy

Hello.
Today I'm sharing a cute Santa card, with a body that wobbles with joy.
You can't help but give it a little wiggle - I think my grandsons will love it.

Santa is on a distress inked background, splattered with some water drops and snow.

The snow is a white gel pen, used through a snowfall stencil. This simple way of doing 'snow' has been a revelation for me this year. It makes it quick and easy, but still looks random, and no more of me trying (and failing) to do the dreaded splatter.

Challenge

As You Like It

Anything Christmassy

• spellbinders dancin' st nick
• distress ink - salty ocean
• my favorite things - snowglobe sentiments
• lawn fawn - stitched hillside borders
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil

Frost Loving Friends

Hello.
I'm sending a big thank you to Tara and the team at Seven Hills Crafts today.
I was the lucky winner of their October Challenge and they kindly sent me a £10 voucher to spend in store.
Oooh - what to buy - so many goodies.
I finally settled on this cute frosty friends set. It's an older set, but it had all the elements to make a pretty, winter scene.

I inked up a background panel with some distress ink. Then I used the trees die to cut the foreground and layer it on top. It was a bit stark in plain white, so I did a very light smoosh over with the same colour distress ink.

The die cut friends and elements were coloured with copics and attached with foam tape.
I held my breath whilst I stamped the sentiment, then used a stencil and white gel pen for the snow.

Challenge

Seven Hills Crafts 

December Winter Themed Challenge

• my favorite things - frost loving friends
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• distress oxide - salvaged patina
• altenew ink - fresh leaf
• white gel pen / copic markers

Deck The Halls With Nutcrackers

Hello.
I have a trio of nutcrackers for you today,
as I'm following the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.

I've gone for a soft pink, and blue combo for these guys, with a snowy backdrop.

Just looking at the price of stamps today. Eek! It's £2.60 for a first class, large letter.
I think next year I will be ditching the foam tape, and making everything flatter.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches 

• concord & 9th - nutcracker dies
• distress ink - tumbled glass / salty ocean
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• white gel pen / copic markers

Fa La La

Hello.
I am doing the happy crafter's dance today 💃
I have finally cracked SNOW    :o)

I am totally useless at splatter. I have watched endless videos of people doing it, but I just can't get the hang of it myself. But now I have the perfect work around.
When my card was finished, I placed a 'snowfall' stencil over the top, and used a white gel pen through the holes.  Perfect, random snow! 
Don't tell me you've all been doing this for ages :o)

Challenge

Double D Challenges 

I took inspiration from the pale blue colour palette, the snow, and the knitted gloves
(using an embossing folder to give that knit pattern on the bear's jumper)

Playing just for fun, as an international entry 💙

• spellbinders - festive friends
• rangers distress ink - tumbled glass
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• stickles glitter
• sentiment stamp - catslife press
• copics / white gel pen / hobbycraft embossing folder knit pattern
  
  

 

Deck The Halls

 Hello. I'm continuing the 'Christmas in July' theme today, with this cute, tinsel teddy.

I stamped my teddy in the corner, and masked him, whilst blending some distress ink as a background and using a snow stencil with some white paste.
Then I coloured my teddy with copic markers and added a heat embossed sentiment.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• lili of the valley tinsel bear
• distress ink - salvaged patina
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• lawn fawn white stencil paste
• mft - snow globe sentiments
• versamark ink and white heat embossing powder
• copic markers

Songbirds on Branches

Hello.
Just a quick post this morning.
I have my spot on the sofa booked, and snacks at the ready,
for this afternoon's Wimbledon semi-finals     :o) 

I have to say thanks to the super talented Michele for this card.
I saw her use this stamp and just fell in love with it. Thanks for the inspiration, Michele.
Here, I've used just one of the branches for a Less is More card.

This was also my first time using embossing paste. Oh wow! How much fun is it? I love it and it works so well for snow, giving some lovely texture to the card. I think I need to be a bit more generous with it though - the distress ink colour shows through a little bit.

Challenge

Less is More

pinkfresh studio - songbirds on branches, perfect sentiments
pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
distress ink - salvaged patina
copics