ACROBATIC NINJAS

Hello
I've been playing with ninjas again today ;-)

This is probably one of the quickest cards I've made in a long time.

I inked up a die-cut  background, attached my sentiment and ninjas with foam pads,  

and scattered a few sequins. 

Jobs a good'un    :-)

Challenge

 Addicted to CAS

Mama Elephant - Tiny Ninjas and Labeled Messages

MFT - Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Die

Versacolor - Cyan

NINJA BIRTHDAY

Hello.
I finally got time to ink up my new tiny ninjas - aren't they cute?  :-)

Argghhh... this cloudy weather is playing havoc with my photos,
and these colours just don't want to play.
In real life this is a much brighter orange and the letters are shocking pink.

I think you're going to see a lot more of these ninjas from me,
they stamp and cut beautifully and need no extra colouring.
Great for quick cards.

The Card Concept Challenge

Fresh and Bold.

I took my inspiration from the black and white prints,

and the splashes of orange and pink.

Supplies.

Mama Elephant - Tiny Ninjas and Labeled Messages

MFT- Stitched Scalloped Edge Die and Stitched Alphabet Die

Memento Ink - Tangelo

FIESTA

I thought this random design using the llama love set would be fun to do.
It's not as easy as it looks is it?
I ended up with spaces that just looked a bit odd, so I filled them with little grey dots.
Hmmm... not sure how successful that was.

So, this card has to kind of grow on you...  :-)

I usually shy away from colour challenges, but I did enjoy this one.

It helps that My Favorite Things has a chart that matches their colours to Copics.

I didn't have the exact shades, but I think it's close enough.

MFT Colour Challenge.

Supplies

MFT stitched scalloped border die and llama love stamps and dies

Copics

NO PROB-LLAMA

Hello.
I don't know why it took me so long to notice this stamp set.
It's perfect for us.
Our family whatsapp group is called The Drama Llamas  :-)

I've used it here on a card for my SIL. That sounds so strange to say.

My dd Annabel has been married for just 4 months and I'm still getting used to

 being an official mother-in-law.  Haha!

I inked up the background with a couple of colours of distress inks and

added a few water drops.

Then I followed the sketch at SevenHillsCrafts, using my die cuts to replace the circle shape.

Sorry about the picture. 

I take the pics in my conservatory and the snow lingering on the roof gives it a dull, blue-ish tint

Challenges

Seven Hills Crafts Sketch

Supplies

MFT - stitched scalloped frame, llama love

Copics.         Distress Inks - Mermaid Lagoon, Cracked Pistachio.

HONEYMOON

It's all about the girls this New Year.
My previous card was for my eldest daughter Maria,
and this one is for my youngest daughter, Annabel -
who is currently have an awesome time on her honeymoon, in snowy New York.

Annabel's wedding stationery included trees and leaves, so I wanted to continue that theme for her card.
I chose a couple of leaf designs from a flower set, stamped them and heat embossed them in white.
Then I blended some inks over the top.
The stitched alphas are die cut in metallic card and popped up on tiny pieces of foam tape.

Challenges.

Dies R Us - Anything Goes Using Dies
Challenge Up Your Life - Self Made Background

Supplies
Leaf stamps from Lawn Fawn Penelope's Blossoms
MFT - stitched scalloped rectangle and stitched alphabet dies
Hero Arts shadow inks in bubble gum, butter bar, neon red.
'Happy' is from Mama Elephant labeled messages

YOU ARE AWESOME

Happy New Year.
I'm going to start the year with some shameless bragging :-)
My eldest daughter Maria is a superstar.
She completed her Masters degree last year and has just been awarded a research fellowship.
Her field is cardiology.
She gets her brains from me... obvs :-)

I like really clean cut lines and definition on cards, so I never thought I would get into inky backgrounds, but after trying a few out on my Christmas cards, I'm hooked. Here, I blended a simple inky background and added water drops.

The sentiment is cut in gold metallic card and popped up on foam pads. (fiddly to cut the tiny pieces, but worth the effort)

Challenges.

Crafty Creations - Anything Goes 

Craft for the Craic - Pick Me Up - This news was just the pick me up that Maria needed. Working at the hospital after Christmas she picked up the winter vomiting bug, and spent the New Year in bed. She's recovered now, and can't wait to get started on her new challenge.

MFT - Stitched scalloped rectangle die and stitched alphabet

Distress Ink - abandoned coral

PENGUIN TREE 2

Mostly, my Christmas cards are one offs,

but sometimes I manage to make a design that just resonates with  me.

This is one of those designs.

I think one of the reasons I love these penguins, is that they are so easy to stamp and die cut, and colouring them is a doddle.

Even with a 're-make' card, I like to change things a little. 

Here, I've opted for a warmer background colour and a different die-cut panel.

(You can see my original card  here)

Challenge

Addicted to Stamps - CAS

Mama Elephant - Arctic Penguins, coloured with Copics and Labeled messages

MFT - Stitched Scalloped Border Rectangle and Star from Oh Christmas Tree ( gold heat embossed)

Distress Ink - Fossilized Amber

TRIM THE TREE

Would anyone mind if we just move Christmas back a couple of weeks??
I am so far behind.
I haven't even had chance to buy any Christmas presents yet!  Eek!

At least all my cards are finished.
Here's another with - yep - you guessed it - more penguins :-)

I die cut my 'postage stamp' panel and inked the centre up with distress ink - flicking on some water drops (they show up a little better below).
Then, I tried to make a little 'trim the tree' scene with my penguins and the tree.
That poor penguin at the bottom is losing his footing :-)

Challenge

Addicted to Stamps - Holiday

Supplies
Mama Elephant - Arctic Penguins, coloured with Copics and Labeled Messages
MFT Stamps - Oh Christmas Tree, stamped in Versacolour Green Tea. 
The star is heat embossed with gold Wow embossing powder
Avery Elle - Postage Stamp Die    Lawn Fawn - stitched hillside border

AMELIA

Today, I'm sharing birthday wishes for my niece, Amelia, who is 6 today.

I can't tell you how much I LOVE these arctic penguins.
They have featured in a lot of my Christmas cards this year, and I think they look equally cute, on this winter birthday card.

My idea was for a penguin group selfie, with that one penguin tilting his head, just as the picture is snapped.
Don't we all have one friend who always does that?  :-)

For the ombre letters I inked a piece of card, blending the inks along the centre
and then die cut my letters. They are popped up on tiny foam pieces.
The background is also distress ink, with water drop splatters.

Challenges -
Simon Says Wednesday - Ice Inspiration (ice-skating penguins, cool colours and a little sparkle)
Allsorts - Clean & Simple
Fab 'n' Funky - Make Someone Smile

Supplies.
Mama Elephant, Arctic Penguins - coloured with Copics
MFT - Stitched Scallop Rectangle and Stitched Alphabet Dies
Distress Inks - Spun Sugar and Shaded Lilac.        Sequins

MERRY AND BRIGHT

Hello.
Most of my Christmas cards are made now, so the pressure is off and
I can have some fun with the final ones.
I went a for non-traditional colour combo, for this merry and bright card.

I started by stamping my birch trees and heat embossing them in white.
Then I inked over them with shades of lilac and green.
I added a stitched hillside border, stamped with my sentiment and a couple of die cut birds.
I can't capture it with my camera, but the white embossing does give this card a lovely sheen, and I added a few sequins and gems for some extra sparkle.

 52 Christmas Card Challenge

Pick a Previous Challenge

#51 June

WPlus9 Winter Woodland
Avery Elle - Sentiment (merriest) and Postage Stamp Die
Distress Ink -  Cracked Pistachio, Shaded Lilac     Versacolor - Magenta
Lawn Fawn - Stitched Hillside Border

Penguin Club

This week has been a blur.
I've had a rotten cold - sneezing and shivering all over the place.
It's on it's way out now, but I'm still not firing on all cylinders.

This is my week's work!!

I'm not sure when I started making all my cards 'top fold', but that seems to be the norm these days.

So much so, that when I made a mistake with this one, and had the fold on the side, it just looks all wrong to me!!

How do you fold yours?

Challenges.

Simon Says Wednesday - Anything Goes 

Supplies

Mama Elephant - Arctic Penguins, coloured with Copics

MFT - Postage Stamp Dies + Itsy Bitsy Polka Dot DP

Wplus9 Sentiment