Double Christmas

I actually have a decent stash of Christmas cards this year for the first time ever!!  Hopefully there's not going to be the usual last minute rush!

This first card uses an oldie from High Hopes that I haven't inked up for a while.  Coloured with polychromos; glitter added to his hat and skis; sparkle added to the green bits in his hat/scarf; gloss to his nose and glasses.  I added a little hint of purple to my shaded sky to pull in the colours of my snowdude.

• ABC Christmas - V is for Velocity
• Just Us Girls #510 - purple, navy, green
• CAS on Friday #166 - big sentiment

This old DP set is from Stampin'Up and I find it so difficult to use, I never really love any cards I've made with it!! 

My image is a real old-oldie from Elzybells - I know I used it in 2010 and don't think he's seen ink since.  Unfortunately Elzybell's is long closed, they had some fab stamps ;(

I added some black glittery cardstock and some silver stars and that's it really!

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch #459
• Christmas Kickstart #21 - woodland creatures

Baby girl and birdies

Just a couple of quickies from me tonight.  Well, when I say quick, this baby card ended up looking nothing like what it was supposed to!  I'd used a different sentiment, didn't like it so used this Congrats die instead.  And that meant that the image I'd originally coloured and cut out didn't look right so I had to go on the hunt for this little floating bear and colour and cut him instead.  Then I faffed about for a while trying to decide what to put on the background.  And of course I faffed about and changed so much I'm not sure it actually looks like the MFT sketch I started with - I didn't have any of the right shaped dies so I was struggling with this one before I even started!

Bear is an oldie from (now closed) Elzybells.  MFT cloud border die.

• Layout (very loosely!) based on MFT Wednesday Sketch 438
• As You Like It - His or Hers - I much prefer to make female cards, they're definitely way easier to make than masculine ones.  Plus my stash is full of cutie stamps which don't lend well to male cards!
• Moving along with the times #98 - monochrome
• Pixie's Snippets Playground #353 - you'd laugh at the little bit of pink card I had that turned out to be a perfect fit for this sentiment!

This one is for our Caretaker in work who's been off sick for a while and we just wanted to say Hi.

Don't you just love it when you find some DP that's perfect for your image!  It's the little things in life :)

I've used this seagull from an MFT set; Paper Smooches sentiment; and I had my cloud borders still on my table from the previous card so why not use one! Oh and a wave stencil for the bottom from Simon Says Stamp

• Tuesday Throwdown #432 - stencilling
• Simply Create Too #149 - anything goes
• CRAFT #514 - male

Twin Boys and March Calendar page

I'd spotted this oldie Elzybell's stamp on a recent hunt, so when I was asked to make a card for twin boys I knew what one I wanted to use :)
I went for 2 different coloured parachutes, but the darker one has hints of the lighter one so they go together better.
Nice and simple, I just popped my images up on foam pads and added a few wee blue stars.

• Cards 4 Guys #124 - clean and simple
• Pinspiration #233 - baby boy
• Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes
• The Male Room #105 - no DPs

And here's Mum's calendar page.  All our daffs are in full bloom, so I had to use these ones from Clearly Besotted.

• Allsorts #509 - your favourite season - mine's most definitely Spring!  I love to see the garden springing into life, the evenings starting to stretch and all the baby animals in the fields
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• 
  

Christmas Mouse

Well we're just about a week past mid-summer, it's been raining all day and I've had to put the heat on this evening ... so what else would I feel like making but a Christmas card ;)

This card was inspired by Marianne's beautiful blue bauble over at the Muse Christmas challenge.  I was looking for a totally different stamp (yet to find!) when I came across this oldie Elzybells stamp.  Coloured with watercolours and lots of Spectrum Noir sparkle added to the blue bauble.  I also splattered my BG with various green watercolours.
My sentiment is a partial stamp of this Eat Cake Graphics one ...
8102-M Not a creature stirring (scene)

• Muse Christmas visions #51
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• Simply Create Too #112 - Christmas in July
• CHNC #287 - use a sentiment
• ABC Christmas - M is for Mouse
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas extra - June

Baby Bear

Another beautiful sunny and warm day today ... my rhododendron has suddenly produced the most beautiful blossoms, and the weeds in my driveway have shot up too! Boo, it's a back breaking job.

My card this evening uses this sweet bear from Elzybells, now sadly closed.  I coloured him with my watercolour pencils, paper pieced his parachute and then popped him up on dimensionals.  Dienamics scribble dies and Lawn Fawn cloud die.  I used the last snippet of my dotty pink DP on this :(

• Get Creative #38 - pink plus one
• CAS on Sunday #82 - real stitching (hope I haven't added too many embellishments!)
• Layout from Retro Sketches #214
• CRAFT #362 - paper piecing
• Pixies Snippets Playground #228

Baby Boy Bear

So for Day 12 of the Daily Marker challenge, I've made this cute baby card.  It was inspired by Nina-Marie's beautiful card and tutorial over at Simon Says Stamp - I'd had a go at making these watercoloured backgrounds before, but I'm not sure why I'd used a small paintbrush instead of a decent sized one.  Duh.

My little bear is an oldie from Elzybells - coloured with watercolour pencils and popped up on dimensionals.  Lawn Fawn cloud dies.  Couple of staples to finish.  I love how this card turned out :)

• Inspiration Destination #72 - anything goes
• Crafty Creations #308 - hearts
• Crafting When we Can #112 - add hearts

Emma's card

The end of my Christmas cards is in sight .... ;)
This one uses an old Elzybell's stamp that I rediscovered when I was looking through my Splitcoaststampers gallery.  I always find that my most recent stamp purchase is my favourite and sometimes forget I have all these lovely stamps hiding in a box!

I've coloured with my watercolour pencils.  I added Wink of Stella to the branches and to the bauble, and then added some clear gloss to the baubles too.  Memory Box snowflake border die; Paper Smooches snowflakes dies.
I'm not loving this DP, but it looks a bit better in real life!

Crafty Creations #304 - happy holiday
Creative Inspirations #340 - Merry Christmas
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - die crazy
Penny's challenge #258 - anything goes
Inspiration Destination #64 - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge #260 - anything Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge extra - December

Card for Baby Oliver

So this is the last of my special requests for a baby boy card.
I'll have to get a daintier alpa set sometime, this one's a bit 'in your face', and my only other set is a Paper Smooches one but it wouldn't be one of my favourites.

My little bear is an old Elzybell's stamp - coloured with watercolour pencils and popped up on dimensionals.  I added some white bling to the centre of my blue sequins for some extra sparkle.

• Crafty Calendar - anything goes
• Penny Black and More Sept - anything goes
• Papertake Weekly - animal magic
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - die crazy
• As you like it - favourite die - this cloud die is my other favourite die, I love the shape and the stitching is just so pretty
• Crafty Catz #293 - special occasion
• Allsorts #329 - sparkle

Baby Bear

I was merrily working away on this card for the Paper Smooches photo challenge, and when I was almost finished I realised that not only had I missed the colours in the pic but I'd also forgotten to use a Paper Smooches image!  Doh!  Blame it on Monday-itis!

My wee bear is from Elzybells which unfortunately closed a few years ago; sentiment from The Alley Way Stamps, and Paper Smooches dies.  I've also added some pale blue chalk to the sky but it's not showing up in my pic.  The dark nights are upon us, it's already dark here by 7 :(

Bunny Zoe's Crafts October challenge - animals
A Gem of a Challenge #130 - create a scene
As you like it - favourite fibre - mine's baker's twine, I like all the different colours available and that it doesn't add too much bulk to your card
Crafty Girls #28 - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - October
Papertake Weekly - anything goes

Baby Girls

Just a quickie post from me tonight ... I'm absolutely loaded with the cold - not easy making cards with a tissue in one hand and your eyes streaming!  Anyway, I was asked to make a baby card for some twin girls and thought I'd get out my cute teddy stamp (from Elzybells, store now closed).  I masked off one to stamp the other - the two parachutes are 2 slightly different pinks but it doesn't show up well in pic.  Coloured with pencils and clouds chalked.

Sketch from Mojo Monday #300
Simon Says ... anything goes
Mum's Craft Shop #7 - just for girls
Oozak #17 - anything goes with a girlie theme
My Time to Craft #228 - masking
Oldie but a Goodie - butterflies