Saintly?

Don't you just love a digi stamp... easy to use.... easy to get it in the size you want and if you are lucky, you can even buy ready coloured versions as part of your pack.

This is a digi that I bought from One stitch at a time and I coloured her myself.  I think she is ideal for this weeks "Sassy Christmas" challenge over at One Stop Craft Challenge.  I have used a sketch from Friday Sketchers and will be entering this one for the "December Digi Day" challenge at Stamp Something.

Nearly all of the papers used are shiney.  I will have to try to remember how hard they are to photograph next time I think about putting so much shine on one card lol.  The back ground colour is navy blue and the rest is silver and lilac.

Doggone Xmas

I don't use a lot of shop bought toppers, but I really like this one... It is one of a set of six I bought earlier this year.  This card is based on the sketch for this weeks challenge over at Sketch and stash.  

The only new thing that I have used on this card it the topper.  Everything else that I have used was bought last year or even earlier (some of my stash dates back 5 or more years).  

I have covered the front of a shop bought card blank in lilac card and then embossed with snowflakes.  I have added glitter glue to the white bits on the hat for extra sparkle and dotted more around the image to represent snowflakes.  The ribbon and sentiment are ones that I have had for ages.

I am also entering this card for the challenge at Allsorts.  As it is a last minute commission card.  

Sorry for the poor colour on the pic, but I really couldn't get the lighting right :o(

Black and white xmas

I wanted to make a card which was outside of my comfort zone, so I decided to do a black and white card.

Choosing the stamp to use was actually the hardest part of making this card.  I wanted to add colour to all of the other stamps.  The black card is textured co-ordinations, the snowflakes are peel offs and I have added clear and black gems.  

I am entering this card for the following challenges:

A Spoonful of Sugar - Christmas card

Papertake Weekly - No red or green

Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Christmas, but no red or green

Crystal Chocolate Box

I've been making gift boxes this year and this is a variation on the ones that I made previously.  They are really easy to make once you work out the first one and can be an effective way to give cheap gifts this year without them looking cheap.

This box is made from one A4 sheet of acetate.  I have fastened the flap at the back with brads, but eyelets would work just as well.  I have taken the colour scheme for this project from the challenge over at One Stop Craft Challenge who wanted us to use tea or coffee as inspiration.  I have used coffee coloured ribbon and tea die distress ink.

I will also be entering this project for the following challenges:

Just Cute Bears - Anything but a card

Crafty Creations - A beary project

Xmas Vintage

Now I'm not really sure what I am doing when it comes  to vintage, but I love to have a go.  This is my first card for a while and it was so good to do some crafting for a change.

I went with a red green and cream theme as, to me, these are classic Christmas colours.  I bought the decoupage boy last Christmas and the papers were my one paper treat to myself this year.  I have 3 drawers full of paper and have promised myself that i will use some up before I buy any more.

I am entering this card for the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Light up the night.  The little boy is carrying a candle lamp

My Time To Craft - Vintage Cards

Saturday Challenge - Christmas

Box of Love

One of my new years resolutions this year was to try to learn new crafting techniques each month and to push myself.  I've decided to try making gift boxes.

I like things that are a little bit different so this one doesn't fasten at what you would assume is the top of the box.

This box is made from one sheet of A4 thick card.  We had a photo inspiration challenge over at Everybody Art so I have taken the red and black colour scheme from there.  The card was originally black and white, so I have coloured a few of the hearts and squiggles in red to lift the pattern a bit.

I've used a circle punch to cut a notch near the opening and a corner punch on the flaps of the box.  I have added gems for some sparkle and a die cut chip board heart from last years stash.  The little flowers were originally  lilac, but I held them against my fired brick ink pad until they picked up enough colour to use.

I have eyeletted the two flaps and attached red ribbon to tie the box closed.  I don't actually have a use for this box yet, but I had one of those moments where a challenge puts a picture in my head and I know what I want to make for it.

I will also be entering this one for the Die cuts/ Punches challenge over at A spoonful of sugar.

Hidden Message

This one is a traditional red and green Christmas card with a twist.

I'm still using up last years stash.  The papers used on this one are all form the Daisy and Dandelion "Christmas Collection - A winters tale" paper pack that I bought last year.  I loved them so much that I bought 3 pads.  I ran out of crafting time before Christmas, so there is still some left over for me to use now.

My apologies for the quality of the pictures, but I had problems with getting the lighting right.

The image is a stamp from Penny Blacks "Jolly Follies" collection.  I have added glitter glue for snow and have added a few star shaped gems.  This is my first attempt at one of these cards.

I am entering it for the following challenges:

Creative Inspirations - Christmas in September

Paperplay Challenges - Hidden Extras

Papertake Weekly - Sketch

Three Bears

Have you ever seen a sketch and been immediately able to see in your head how the finished item would look?  This card came from one of those sketches.  I got it close to what I imagined and I'm quite pleased with it. Thank you JUGs.

 This stamp has featured on quite a few of my Christmas cards this year.  I think it's so cute.  It was a freebie on a magazine last year and has had plenty of use since I got it.  I have edged the die cut circles in worn lipstick distress ink and have added silver string to the back of each to create the look of Christmas tags.  All three of them have been attached using 3D glue dots to give them a slightly raised effect.

I will be entering this cards for the challenge over at A Spoonful of Sugar - who asked us for spots and stripes and for the challenge at SCSC who asked us for an easel card.

Vellum Xmas

I love the fragileness of vellum on cards, but I don't use it as much as I would like.  I have set myself the challenge of using vellum in a new way on this card.  I have recently started die cutting vellum (don't know why I didn't think of it before) so I knew that I would be doing a bit of that.

I have covered a card blank in green and gold paper from a pack I bought years ago.  I added a strip of pink vellum that I border punched and then added my stamped topper.  I didn't like the way the two layers of vellum overlapped so I punched a couple of vellum snowflakes to cover the joins.

I've edged the stamped topper in tea dye and vintage photo to give it a bit of an aged look.   I'm quite pleased with how this one has turned out because I was worried about the colour combo.

I'm entering this card for the following challenges:

Card Patterns - Sketch

BBCC - Pink, brown and green colour combo

Die Cut Dreams - Vellum

Plain and simple

Purple and silver is my favourite colour combination so being asked to make a card in that colour combination is no hardship.  I started off by embossing a pale lilac card blank with a Christmas tree design.  I then picked out the snowflake design in the centre with a silver pen and some gems.

The card didn't feel like it had enough on it so I used part of the recipe list on Moving Along With the Times to add glitter and a snowflake button.  I don't think that I am really cut out for minimalist cards as I keep thinking that I haven't done enough.  I reall like this one though.

This card will be entered for the following challenges:

Allsorts - Plain and Simple
Moving Along With the Times - To do list
SCSC - Purple and silver
One Stop Craft Challenge - Snowflakes

Sorry about the photo

Jolly Xmas

I've been wanting to make a stair step card again for ages.  This time I went for the traditional red and green, but I wanted to use them in a non-traditional way.  The basis of the card is red mirri board and I have raided the scraps drawer for the black and green papers.

I have punched silver and red snowflakes and stuck them onto black buttons.  I've had the reindeer topper since last year.  It is one from a pack that I bought in the pound shop last year.  I'm finding lots of great stuff in my stash.

This card will be entered for the following challenges:
JUGS - Green Red and Black
A Spoonful of Sugar - Anything goes
Papertake Weekly - Animal Magic

Christmas Corner

I was itching to make something today and I haven't had much time, so this one is a quick make.

The paper is from a pack that I bought last year. I also bought the ribbon, sentiment and charm for last years Christmas makes too. The image is from a stamp that was on one of last years magazines, so this is all old stash stuff. I'm trying to use up what I already have rather than buying new this year. Not doing too bad so far.



I am entering this card for the following challenges:

Just Cute Bears - Punches or dies
Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge - Anything goes

All Tied Down

I really enjoy making Christmas cards in non traditional colours. I find it more of a challenge as the papers can be harder to come by (limited craft shop availability when I usually start in June/July) and I have to think a little bit harder about what I am going to use as a focal point.


This one started life as an ordinary rectangular card blank which I die cut to get the shape. I have continued on with the same set of dies through out the card.

I'm not sure where I am going wrong, but whenever I use glitter glue, my page warps. This time I decided to use this to my advantage and have curved the edges a bit before applying the glue. As a result none of the coloured pieces lay flat which emphasises the textures that I have used.

I've raised the topper with foam pads to help to give the cards some depth.

This card was inspired by:

Everybody Art - Different shaped cards

Moving Along With the Times - Christmas theme

Paper Play Challenges - Shaped card

Papertake Weekly - Photo Inspiration - I took the colours from this one.

Amber Fashionista

Allsorts Challenge Blog and Paperplay Challenges both asked us to use Autumn colours this week, so I went picking through my paper packs and found some paper that reminds me of 70s wallpaper.

The colours are very earthy, so I was originally going to go with a garden theme, but then I saw the Fashion Challenge over at One Stop Craft Challenge and decided on this Charmed Digi instead, because lets face it...... what girl doesn't like to shop.

I've added amber gems to pick out the flowers and circles and the Digi has been edged with Tea Dye distress ink.

Prezzie Time