Let It Snow (but only metaphorically!)

My card tonight is for three different challenges. Firstly for CAS Colours and Sketches. This week it is a 'Make It Christmas' challenge #104 using any previous sketch from their archive. I have chosen sketch #78 from June this year. Secondly, I would like to enter it into the Less Is More challenge. Being the second week of the month it is a one layer challenge #202 with a focus on snow. The third challenge I would like to enter is CASology where Cue Card #126 is also snow!

To interpret the sketch for CAS Colours and Sketches, I have divided the landscape into three, the sky, the hills and the foreground.


I love messing about with inks, torn bits of paper, masks, frames, stamps and sponges. This card has all those! I like to experiment with using different ways of transferring ink to paper and on this card I have used a dry baby wipe to gently rub ink directly onto the card through a frame to create the hills and the sky. For this I have used Distress Inks: Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky and Dried Marigold.

The tree stamps are all from Clarity Stamps inked in first and second generation using Versafine Vintage Sepia. The tree in the foreground has been stamped so that it extends beyond the frame which I think I quite like the look of.

The card has been finished using a silver greeting to base the frame and a few silver stars in the sky.

I would like to wish everyone that visits my blog a very Happy Christmas and, unless I get a chance to squeeze one more in before then, I'll see you all in the New Year with lots more cards to share!

Whatever you're doing, have fun!
Stef x

Pink and Grey Bauble Flourish

That's better, I like this one more than the last! Tonight's card is made for two challenges. The challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches is a Colour Challenge (#103) and you can choose any of their previous colour combos from the archive and make a Christmas card.

I have chosen combo #81 from July this year as I love pink and grey together!

The second challenge I would like to enter is sketch challenge #102 at CAS(E) this Sketch. They do come up with some lovely sketches and I knew immediately what I wanted to do with this one.

I have used the 'Bauble Flourish' stamp from IndigoBlu, one of my favourite stamp companies. I have flipped the sketch, masked off the bauble and stamped it across the corner with VF 'Smokey Gray'. I then masked off the flourish and stamped the bauble twice, once onto the card and once onto a piece of pink cardstock. The bauble has been die-cut and mounted on foam pads. The sentiment stamp is by Hot Off The Press. I found a scrap of card to match the 'Crumb Cake' lighter shade of grey and cut a frame partly with a die and partly by hand. I felt the card needed something to finish it off so without using any more colour, I have highlighted the bauble, flourish and greeting with Stickles. 

Thank you for visiting today. Having a well-earned day off tomorrow and taking my Mum Christmas shopping!

Stef x

Christmas Dots

Hmmm, definitely not one of my best! This week has been crazily busy and I haven't really got time to squeeze crafting into it. However because I want to fulfil the commitment I'd made to myself to enter the DT call at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown I have to enter a card into the challenge for the last week in November which is a 'Pick A Previous' Sketch challenge.

I have chosen sketch #26 from March 2014 and thought it also fitted very well into this week's challenge at Addicted to CAS whose code word this week is 'Dots'.

I have used a beautiful Marianne Design bauble die that came free with a magazine  and some metallic papers. I think what I don't like are the punched circles as they seem too big now they are stuck to the card! I think they detract from the delicacy of the baubles.

Three snowflake stamped images from Card-io's 'Winter Flurry' set and a couple of gems complete the sketch with a peel-off greeting in silver. Now, that's not something I use very often these days but I really need to use up some of my old stuff. Maybe there should be a challenge that makes use of ancient stash!!

That's all for tonight.
Thanks for visiting.
Stef

CAS Colours and Sketches Sketch Challenge 102

A very quick post from me tonight as I still have oodles of stuff to do for our school Christmas Market on Thursday evening and the church Christmas Fair on Saturday afternoon (and all in between going to work!) This card is for CAS Colours and Sketches Sketch Challenge 102 and the last of my entries for their DT call.

The stamp is an old favourite of mine, Flowerhead, from Little Claire. I love offsetting the image and just using bits of it. I don't care much for red but love red and aqua together. The colours haven't come out quite as they were in my head, but I am tired so will forgive myself! I wanted the blues to be a bit greener but struggled as I don't have the right colour Promarkers. The colours I have used are: Arctic Blue, Sky Blue, Azure, Antique Pink, Ruby & Poppy Red.

Red, however, is one of my Mum's favourite colours so have made this card for her birthday next week. It was nice to have a rest from making Christmas cards!

Thanks for visiting!

Stef

Embroidered paper angel

Tonight I want to share with you my entry for this week's 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge. The fourth week of the month means it's a stash challenge and this time around it's the technique of paper piercing. I have also taken inspiration from the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week and would like to enter it into sketch challenge #164.

I had the idea of paper piercing an angel and then going one step further and doing some paper embroidery. I used a pattern that I had on my computer, found whilst browsing the internet a while back, along with a piece of 350gsm white card and some fine metallic silver machine embroidery thread. I didn't have any proper instructions but with a little patience I think it's come out just fine!

I turned the sketch on its side and matted & layered the finished angel onto a piece of metallic silver paper and then onto a metallic plum-coloured square card blank. It's finished off with a piece of white ribbon with a silver Christmas greeting printed on it and a matching handmade bow.

My mum does a lot of knitting and sewing and I think she would appreciate this card for Christmas, so that's her sorted!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Stef x

C for Christmas

I haven't got much spare time this week but desperately wanted to make a card inspired by the gorgeous colour palette at CAS Colours and Sketches as it uses one of my favourite colours! Challenge 101's colours for this week are: Lost Lagoon, Smoky Slate and Metallic Silver, or if, like me, you don't own any Stampin 'Up products, then the closest you have.

I pass Card-io Crafts on my way to work in Wigan every day and love Wendy's Majestix miniature peg stamps. I stamped the bare branch from the 'Oriental Blossom' set in Versamark in a 'C' for Christmas shape and embossed with silver EP. I then filled in with the same stamp using Versa Color 'Cement'. The rest of the stamps come from the 'Festive Fir Cones' set. The pine cones and needles were stamped in first and second generation Versa Color 'Turquoise' and the holly leaves and small poinsettia flower have been stamped using VC 'Cement'. The greeting was a freebie which has been stamped and embossed in silver and for balance I put a very light dusting of turquoise ink in the background towards the top of the 'C'. 

I tried to be arty and use a couple of real pinecones in the corner of the photo as props but think I should probably have zoomed out a little bit more.

Anyway, thanks for visiting my blog today. I really appreciate all the comments you leave and try to reciprocate as time allows.

Thanks

Stef

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

I have made today's card taking inspiration from two challenge blogs. Firstly from the challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown. This week it is the November Theme Challenge {Christmas Window}. I was inspired initially by Gill's DT card that uses a window, but not an actual window!

I also decided to use embossing with metallic EP to fit into challenge 19 at Time Out. Week three of their monthly rota is a theme with a twist which this week is embossing with the optional twist of sparkle. I also thought it would make a change to be one of the first to post a card instead of being one of the last! The idea for the card is one from my back burner that I've been meaning to make for a while and I'm so glad I did as I'm quite pleased with the way it's turned out.

It uses the 'O little town of Bethlehem' carol stamp and silhouette nativity scene both from Clarity Stamps. Firstly I stamped the carol in Versamark and embossed with gold EP (I think I need to buy a finer grade EP as the words are not as crisp as I'd like and I'm sure it's not the fault of the stamp!) I masked the carol and then stamped the nativity scene, making sure to mask off the star and remembering to take the tape off the stamp first - nearly forgot! I then stamped the star in Versamark, masking off the rest of the stamp, and embossed that also with gold EP. I didn't wait quite long enough for the stamped silhouette to dry as some stray specks of EP landed on the roof of the stable and wouldn't come off. But I decided that it was a happy accident as it actually looked quite good that way and wouldn't have thought of doing it otherwise!

I put the mask back over the carol and masked off a circle around the stamp. Using two Distress Inks, Stormy Sky and Antique Linen, I gently sponged some colour into the sky and sandy areas. Finally I matted and layered the image onto a matching piece of cardstock using the best present I got for Christmas last year, my Perfect Layers rulers!

Well, that's another Christmas card made! Thanks for visiting today.
Stef x