Kool Kitty Musings

DCM - December elemental inspiration

Good morning,

It's the first Friday of the month, so not only is it a break from my Christmas countdown, but the last opportunity to play along with the elemental inspiration challenge on the Daring Cardmakers blog this year.

This is the image we're playing with - plenty to inspire you in December:

For my elements I went with snowfall, a little house, trees, and a star.

Paper: Crate Paper - Hey Santa, Basic Grey - Juniper Berry (r)
Sticker: Crate Paper - Merry Days (r)
Stamps: Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages
Dies: Essentials by Ellen - Home & Hearth, Hello Bluebird - Glacier Peaks, Hello Bluebird - Hill and Dale, Memory Box - Stitched Village (r), MFT - First Place Award Ribbon (r), MFT - Tall Snow Globe
Other: Glitter paper galore

I started out by selecting the lovely starburst pink paper from the Hey Santa pad from Crate Paper to cover my card base.

For my little wintry scene I decided to use the Tall Snow Globe die from MFT to house the entire scene.

It's a great alternative to apertures and all the elements I chose to use fit so nicely in this space.

I used lots of scraps of glitter paper. I'm usually very frugal with glitter paper and use it sparingly if possible so it has maximum effect. This has meant that I'll still be using the sheets of glitter paper I have for decades to come!

For my greetings I wanted to use up a fishtail banner I had in my scraps bowl and found the perfect sticker from Crate Paper Merry days to adorn the bottom of the snow globe so that I could split the greeting between the two.

It's a relatively flat card to post despite the dimension, so that's always good. :)

Make sure you check out the wonderful creations from the rest of the design team and play along if you can.

Happy crafting!

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Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	Essentials by Ellen - Home & Hearth dies Shop at: EH	Hello Bluebird - Glacier Peaks dies Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Hill and Dale dies Shop at: MISC
Memory Box - Stitched Village dies (r) Shop at: MISC	MFT - First Place Award Ribbon dies (r) Shop at: MISC	MFT - Tall Snow Globe dies Shop at: EH | SHC	Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SHC
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Taffy Shop at: AZ | EH	Simon Says Stamp - Fog cardstock Shop at: SSS	Simon Says Stamp - Slate Gray cardstock Shop at: SSS
Crate Paper - Hey Santa - 6x8 paper pad Shop at: MISC | SBC	Crate Paper - Merry Days - Cardstock stickers (r) Shop at: MISC	Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 34 (A Merry Little Christmas)

Good morning!

Well you knew it wouldn't be long before I had to return with a little wintry village scene. ;)

This time using the Townhouse dies from Poppystamps to create a rather minimal look:

Paper: Pebbles - Cozy & Bright - Home for Christmas
Stamp: Mama Elephant - Holiday Messages
Dies: Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars (r), Poppy Stamps - Townhouses, The Stamp Market - 1/4" Quick Strips, The Stamp Market - Jumbo Tag

I thought those little townhouses would look great on a jumbo tag - specifically, my favourite jumbo tag of them all from The Stamp Market.

I had a notion of using a sentiment strip to separate the paper wintry night village at the top, complete with a single stitched star in the night sky, from the big glittery white space that is the bottom of the tag.

This is also a great way to use those longer typed sentiments in my stash. I tend to use the shorter sentiments on cards, as they always fit the labels I use. But I loved using this apt sentiment that stretches right across the jumbo tag as though it was designed with this project in mind. And it's a good way to use up any spare 1/4" die-cut strips from other projects. ;)

I still needed to inject a bit of colour, so of course I turned to my trusty supply of festive papers and added some bright berry Nuvo drops.

This is also a great way to use some of the longer typed sentiments in my stash. I tend to use the shorter words on cards, but I loved using this apt sentiment that stretches right across the jumbo tag.

It's simple and minimal and I just love that look for little scenes like this. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

 

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Mama Elephant - Holiday Messages stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC	Poppy Stamps - Townhouses dies Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - 1/4" Quick Strips die Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Jumbo Tag dies Shop at: MISC | SBC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Pebbles - Cozy & Bright - Home for Christmas paper Shop at: MISC | SBC
Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops - Red Berry Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 33 (Joyful Wishes)

Good morning!

It's time for a bit of a botanical/winter foliage card.

Stamps: Neat & Tangled - Foliage Frame (r), PTI - Words to Live By: Joyful (r), WPlus9 - Merry & Bright (r)
Dies: Neat & Tangled - Foliage Frame (r), WPlus9 - Merry & Bright (r), The Greetery - Nordic Frames

Now, the colour choice does look better in real life, but this project was all about experimenting with some tone on tone stamping.

I wanted to use the Sea Glass cardstock from Concord & 9th, which is an aqua with a greeny tint - it's not a proper mint green, but seems to look that way in this photo with the Tropic Teal foliage leaves stamped over it.

The Foliage Frame stamp set also has a matching die that creates a shaped aperture frame opening to showcase a sentiment inside.

To emphasize the aperture frame I used leaf stamps and dies from the Foliage Frame set plus another retired stamp set that comes out every year. The Wplus9 Merry & Bright set has some great little accents in it like the pine cones used here. They are the perfect size for adding to wreaths and borders, and I always think the multi-step stamping aspect adds a touch of interest.

I wanted a break from black ink for the sentiment and used Silver Stone grey ink that looks quite light here, and Peony ink for the contrasting Joyful part of the sentiment.

The background panel was also cut with a Nordic Frame die before I finally assembled everything on a grey card base.

There was still something missing, so I added clear Nuvo drops around the foliage frame for added interest.

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Neat & Tangled - Foliage Frame stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	PTI - Words to Live By: Joyful stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	WPlus9 - Merry & Bright stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Neat & Tangled - Foliage Frame dies (r) Shop at: SHC
WPlus9 - Merry & Bright dies (r) Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Nordic Frames dies Shop at: MISC	Altenew - Silver Stone dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Lawn Fawn - Doe ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Lawn Fawn - Walnut ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	The Stamp Market - Peony ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal ink pad Shop at: MISC	Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	PTI - Soft Stone cardstock Shop at: MISC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Jewel Drops - Grey Mist Shop at: EH | SBC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 32 (Merry & Bright)

Good morning!

The first day on the advent calendar calls for some festive rainbow colours that are full of cheer!

Stamps: The Stamp Market - Merry & Bright (r)
Dies: The Stamp Market - Lovely Labels, Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles

On my Pinterest board I had a project saved from The Stamp Market website that I wanted to try out when I purchased their Merry & Bright stamp set last year.

But, due to limited time, I hadn't managed to make it.

But this seemed like a good time to get the rainbow colours out.

The main sentiment is made up of two separate stamps - so selective inking was needed for the Merry/Bright words. And when you do selective inking, it's a lot easier to use ink cubes for the job.

I only have The Stamp Market inks in full size pads, so I reached for my trusted Lawn Fawn ink cubes which offered up some great substitute colours.

I used Scotch magic tape to mask off the letters I didn't want to ink and this also did a good job of conditioning the individual letters ready to take ink.

Once stamped out, I cut the sentiment out with a label die and stuck it down temporarily so I could freestyle stamp the pine bough border around the edge of the card panel I'd cut with the Pinkfresh Studio diagonal stitched rectangle die.

Once that was done, I mounted it on a pink card base and popped up the sentiment label on 3D foam tape.

Finally, I added lots of festive white snowballs to the background - just make sure you avoid adding white Nuvo drops on top of the ink as the Nuvo drops take on the colour of that ink. You'll see one slightly green tinged dot on that card. ;)

Happy crafting, until next time!

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The Stamp Market - Merry & Bright stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Lovely Labels dies Shop at: MISC | SBC	Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	Altenew - Pink Diamond dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC
Altenew - Pinkalicious dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Lawn Fawn - Ballet Slippers ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Bubblegum ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Carrot ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Lawn Fawn - Chili Pepper ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Cilantro ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Freshly Cut Grass ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Merman ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Lawn Fawn - Sunflower ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	The Stamp Market - Cactus ink pad Shop at: MISC	Altenew - Cherry Blossom ink cube set Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS
PTI - Sweet Blush cardstock Shop at: MISC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops - Simply White Shop at: AZ | EH	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Card Challenge - December prompt

So here we go, the final prompt of 2020 for this challenge!

I hope you've enjoyed playing along with all the prompts and have managed to make a card or two along the way. :)

 

{Pinterest pin}

For our December prompt we are definitely embracing the cosy indoors and the wintry view from our window.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Christmas cookies and ornaments - you can get the look of piped icing with a white gel pen on brown die cut "cookie" shapes. Alternatively use circle or heart dies to make an ornament embellishment or an aperture that masquerades as an ornament.
• Red, kraft, ivory and grey make a great colour palette
• Tied up with string - feature twine on a tag, as a button and bow combo, or wrapped around your card. Embellish it to the max with winter foliage die cuts or keep it nice and simple.
• Bundled up for the winter - feature knitwear, a scarf, a fun Christmas jumper, mittens or other winter finery whether as stand-alone elements or on a critter, snowman or person.
• Tree landscapes - whether as a border, stamped background or a silhouette to contrast against a blended ink sky, trees can be a beautifully minimal design feature or the main focus of your card.
• Scandi Gud Jul - feature traditional Scandi or other folk art styles. Perhaps you have a Christmas gnome at the ready?
• A smattering of sparkle - whether loose glitter, embossing powder, glitter paper, sequins, confetti - 'tis the season to SPARKLE and shine!
• From our/my home to yours - send Christmas wishes across the miles from one house to another.
• Rustic Christmas charm - deer, buffalo plaid, wood textures, kraft paper...
• Hot cocoa, marshmallows, and a candy cane for good measure
• A window aperture - this could be created with an actual window frame die or using nesting dies looking out onto a wintry scene

I hope those initial ideas help get you started. :D

Happy crafting!

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 31 (Christmas Bauble)

Good morning!

Today's card features a slightly different take on an aperture:

Paper: Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa (r)
Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs - Merry Ornaments
Dies: Waffle Flower - Nesting Hexagons

I was wanting to use my Hexagon nesting dies from Waffle Flower to make an opening on a square card, and also a way to add a glittery inside border.

And hey presto I found a great stamp in my stash that would look great framed in a larger aperture like this one.

The retro style Merry Ornaments stamp set from Lil' Inker Designs features a great word art style bauble with some multi-step stamping accents, plus lots of little elements to build the background - like the little dot and star stamps I used here in grey and aqua tones.

I used three colours of pink for the bauble: Peony for the main stamp, Raspberry for the darker accents, and Bubblegum pink for the top of the bauble.

I thought these colours would pop against the teal blue snowflake paper from Crate Paper's Snow & Cocoa collection.

The finished project definitely has that retro vibe to it. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Lil' Inker Designs - Merry Ornaments stamps Shop at: SHC	Waffle Flower - Nesting Hexagons dies Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Altenew - Industrial Diamond dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Altenew - Limestone dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC
The Stamp Market - Bubble Gum ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Island ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Peony ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Raspberry ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: MISC	Altenew - Rock Collection ink cube set Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa - 6x6 paper pad (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC
Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 30 (Winter Wishes)

Good morning!

Today's card is taking on a decidedly wintry feel. Brrr....

Stickers: Pebbles - Winter Wonderland (r)
Stamps: Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages, The Stamp Market - Simply Stripes
Dies: Pinkfresh Studio - Ornate Oval Frame, Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles, MFT - Fishtail Flags Layers STAX (r)
Other: Distress Oxides

This card is actually inspired by the July prompt of the 2020 card challenge, which featured many elements with diagonal stripes. This summer seems to have been the time for me to experiment with DIY striped backgrounds.

Because I actually made this background panel with my then new Simply Stripes stamp set from The Stamp Market and using the Cool Summer Night ink cube set from Altenew to see how just using 4 inks from the same set would work.

Well the background made with those cool blue tones actually made me think of a wintry scene rather than something for a summer's night. ;)

I used the largest Diagonal Stitched Rectangle die from Pinkfresh Studio to cut it to size for my card then worked out what to showcase....

I'd also recently added the Ornate Oval Frame to my supplies and I thought I could create a little scene inside it with Distress Oxides and some old stickers.

And hey presto, with just a little Tumbled Glass and Faded Jeans ink blended onto the oval aperture cut with the frame die I had a wintry sky and snow scene. I added some Hero Arts white ink splatter and used my white pen to bring out some of the snowflakes.

For my sentiment I stamped out a greeting from Mama Elephant's Merry Mixed Messages set, which contains lots of stacked sentiments that are perfect for adding to tags or little pennants like I have done here.

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	The Stamp Market - Simply Stripes stamps Shop at: MISC	MFT - Fishtail Flags Layers STAX dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Pinkfresh Studio - Ornate Oval Frame die Shop at: AZ | EH | MISC | SBC
Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Altenew - Desert Night dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Altenew - Dusk dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC
Altenew - Ocean Waves dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Altenew - Sea Glass dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Faded Jeans Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Tumbled Glass Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Altenew - Cool Summer Night ink cube set Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Hero Arts - Liquid Watercolor - White Shop at: EH | SHC
Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Cosmetic blending brushes Shop at: AZ	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ | SBC | SHC	Taylored Expressions - Blender Brushes Shop at: MISC
Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 29 (Christmas florals)

Good morning!

Today's card is inspired by the July card challenge prompt which features text in a foreign language (French in the photo) so I thought it was time to create a card with a Polish sentiment. :)

Earlier this year I enjoyed an afternoon stamping out lots of Just Mason Around jars in lots of different shades of ink, but using the same ink pad for each of the layers. I find it useful to have a little stockpile of these sorts of elements ready to go on projects as they go so perfectly with many floral sets in my stash.

The jar I'd stamped with Bubblegum ink from Lawn Fawn was looking like a great candidate for a festive project:

Stamps: Agateria - Zestaw do napisów na każda okazję 3, The Greetery - Just Mason Around, The Greetery - Pine Blossom
Dies: The Greetery - Just Mason Around, The Greetery - Pine Blossom, Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine, Simon Says Stamp - Sentiment Labels, Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens, The Greetery - Nordic Frames

I stamped the main bouquet from the Pine Blossom set in Altenew Moss ink, with Lawn Fawn Butter and Minty Fresh florals, plus PTI Sweet Blush and Melon Berry for the flowers and berries that are popped up.

To fill in some of the gaps, I cut the Holiday Greens dies from Ripe Avocado cardstock and blended a little Oregano ink on the edges here and there.

I covered the card base with a subtle snowflake paper and used Fog cardstock as the main background. I cut it with the largest Nordic Frames die and then splattered white liquid ink all over. The white ink isn't very opaque once it dries, so I used a white pen to bring out some of the dots.

Finally, having assembled the jar bouquet and adding the sentiment I cut a bow from Sea Glass cardstock and used my Wink of Stella pen to add some glimmer here and there.

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Agateria - Zestaw do napisów na każda okazję 3 stamps Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Just Mason Around stamps Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Pine Blossom stamps Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Just Mason Around dies Shop at: MISC
The Greetery - Pine Blossom dies Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine dies Shop at: MISC	Simon Says Stamp - Sentiment Labels dies Shop at: SSS	Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens dies Shop at: AZ | SBC
The Greetery - Nordic Frames dies Shop at: MISC	Adirondack dye ink - Oregano (r) Shop at: SBC	Altenew - Moss dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Lawn Fawn - Bubblegum ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Lawn Fawn - Butter ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Minty Fresh ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Storm Cloud ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	PTI - Melon Berry ink pad Shop at: MISC
PTI - Sweet Blush ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Altenew - Tropical Forest ink cube set Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS
PTI - Ripe Avocado cardstock Shop at: MISC	Simon Says Stamp - Fog cardstock Shop at: SSS	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass cardstock Shop at: MISC	Hero Arts - Liquid Watercolor - White Shop at: EH | SHC
Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Zig - Wink of Stella glitter brush pen - Clear Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Cosmetic blending brushes Shop at: AZ	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ | SBC | SHC
Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

DCM - Boxes & Bags

Good morning!

Friday has come around quick again and so too has a new challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog.

This week we are taking a break from cards to make gift boxes or gift bags.

One of my go-to die sets for making pillow boxes is the Xcut A5 Pillow Box die set that is now discontinued.

I rarely make my own gift boxes or gift bags as I am still working through the ones I bought several Christmases ago, but a pillow box can be a great way to gift little treats...

Given the vintage of this die set I decided I also needed to reach into my very vintage scrapbooking papers and embellishments.

A few years ago, My Mind's Eye released a pretty pastel tone collection called Sugar Plum and the paper weight is great for boxes. It's between a paper and cardstock weight and is printed on both sides, with one side in this case being embellished with platinum glitter dots.

I wanted to contrast the frosty blue with a bright and striking red paper - and I had just the right length left over from My Mind's Eye 12 days of Christmas collection featuring these red peppermint swirls.

And continuing the peppermint theme, I used a standout sticker from Crate Paper's Peppermint Collection.

It comes already glittered around the edges and embellished with diamanté. :D

Love it when a project is quick and easy - for a change!

Make sure you check out the lovely inspiration from the rest of the design team here.

Happy crafting!

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 28 (Fa La La)

Good morning!

Today's card is another combination of patterned paper and die cuts.

No stamping! Shock horror. ;)

Paper: Crate Paper - Falala (r), Pebbles - Cozy & Bright (r)
Dies: MFT - Fa La La, Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine, Mama Elephant - Dainty Bow, Avery Elle - Double Pierced Squares

Like many of you I still have plenty of papers untouched from Christmas collections of years gone by. They may no longer be available in pre-printed form, but a lot of the collections from companies under the American Crafts brand have digital offerings of these collections - so if you really love a design and want that paper, well you can thankfully print your own.

Where possible I've provided the link to the full collection but the papers are available separately as A-side and B-side packs if that's all you would like.

For this card, the green paper is one I hadn't cut into yet, and I was feeling that it was about time for a little winter foliage and greenery. It provides a nice backdrop to the red and white stripes behind the Fa La La die cut.

I finished off the look inspired by the colours of the Mistletoe paper, adding pine boughs in green, berries in pale pink, a couple of pine cones that are backed with black cardstock, and finally a festive red bow to bring it all together.

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Avery Elle - Double Pierced Squares dies Shop at: AZ | EH | SHC	Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine dies Shop at: MISC	Mama Elephant - Dainty Bow dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	MFT - Fa La La die Shop at: EH | SHC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Crate Paper - Falala - Mistletoe paper (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC	Pebbles - Cozy & Bright - 'Tis the Season paper (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 27 (Season of Joy)

Good morning!

Today's card is a very simple affair - in fact it's the kind of Christmas card I make every year when I'm short on time and can use a few papers and dies to do the work for me. ;)

This card is also my take on the May 2020 card challenge prompt that combines pink and aqua tones.

Paper: Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa (r)
Dies: The Stamp Market - Scalloped Frame, Lil' Inker Designs - Holly Jolly (r)
Other: Enamel dots

I chose a nice colourful and busy pattern from the Snow & Cocoa 6x6 pad from Crate Paper and combined it with elements from the cut-apart 12x12 sheet also in that collection.

That includes the polar bear in his scarf, which fits perfectly in the Scalloped Frame die from The Stamp Market.

It's a great die size that goes nicely with the 3x4 cut-outs in scrapbooking collections.

Rather than use 3D foam tape, I cut the die from white cardstock 5 times and glued the frames together.

As a finishing touch I cut holly leaves from Emerald cardstock and added enamel dot berries.

It couldn't be simpler. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Lil' Inker Designs - Holly Jolly dies (r) Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Scalloped Frame dies Shop at: MISC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle cardstock Shop at: MISC
Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa - 6x6 paper pad (r) Shop at: SBC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 26 (O Christmas Tree)

Good morning!

Today's card is definitely a 2020 take on a previous card design of mine. You certainly can't invent the wheel when it comes to cardmaking, so why try? lol

But it's always a fun folksy design to create:

Paper: Pebbles - Cozy & Bright - 'Tis the Season (r)
Stamps: Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas, WPlus9 - Heartfelt Holiday (r)
Dies: WPlus9 - Heartfelt Holiday (r), WPlus9 - Pretty Patches: Tree (r), Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles

I don't think I will ever manage to pass up a paper design featuring candy cane red and white diagonal stripes! lol Its such a perfect backdrop to layers.

I stamped out the wreath border and the heart and foliage elements from the Heartfelt Holiday stamp set by WPlus9 - incidentally my first ever festive set from WPlus9, which I bought direct from their store all those years ago.

I then created a tree aperture with the Pretty Patches tree die also from WPlus9 and found some vibrant green paper to fill the space for contrast.

The star is an enamel dot from an old My Mind's Eye Holiday collection called Sugar Plum. It was just the right size and colour to provide a finishing touch for the Christmas tree and worked perfectly with the colour I'd chosen for the sentiment banner.

A happy coincidence. :)

Finally, I used light pink Nuvo Drops to add berries around the garland and to complete the sentiment banner.

And yes, there will probably be a 2021 take of this card coming next Christmas!

Happy crafting, until next time!

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Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC | SSS	WPlus9 - Heartfelt Holiday stamps (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC	WPlus9 - Heartfelt Holiday dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC	WPlus9 - Pretty Patches: Tree dies (r) Shop at: MISC
Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Altenew - Mountain Pine dye ink Shop at: EH | MISC	Altenew - Sea Glass dye ink Shop at: EH	Lawn Fawn - Black Licorice ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Lawn Fawn - Chili Pepper ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Taffy Shop at: AZ | EH	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Pebbles - Cozy & Bright - 'Tis the Season paper (r) Shop at: SBC
Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops - Bubblegum Blush Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 25 (Sending All the Cheer)

Good morning!

This time of year in particular I think it's always nice to start the week with some bright and happy colours. :D

Stamps: The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas, WPlus9 - All the Cheer
Dies: The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles

I took inspiration from a sneak peek for The Stamp Market's Candy Cane set that was the original reason why I bought this set.

I loved the rainbow of candy canes and added Crystal Stickles between the colour stripes for a touch of sparkle.

The background is then peppered with the clear Nuvo drops and white glitter Sprinkles from Doodlebug. :)

Finally, I needed a fun sentiment to go with all that colour and reached for the All the Cheer mini stamp set from WPlus9 that I bought last year but didn't manage to use in time.

Happy crafting, until next time!

 

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The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC	WPlus9 - All the Cheer stamps Shop at: MISC | SHC	The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas dies Shop at: MISC	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
The Stamp Market - Folding Banners dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	The Stamp Market - Blush Pink ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Bubble Gum ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Cherry Kisses ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC
The Stamp Market - Citrine ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Leafy ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Melon Orange ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC
The Stamp Market - Party Pink ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops - Morning Dew (clear) Shop at: AZ | EH | SHC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 24 (Merry Little Christmas)

Good morning!

It's a day of experimentation for today's card project:

Stamps: The Stamp Market - Merry background, The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas, Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party
Die: Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars (r)

I made my own background paper with the aid of the Merry background stamp from The Stamp Market filled in with the coordinating word stamp from the Candy Cane set using a selection of festive ink colours.

I didn't want to cover up the background I'd created, so instead showcased the sentiment with an aperture and popped up the panel on 3D foam tape.

It also made a nice change to use a non-white card base and the aqua tones really brought out the other vibrant colours. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

 

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Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Merry background stamp Shop at: MISC	Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC
Hero Arts - Charcoal ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	The Stamp Market - Blush Pink ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Bubble Gum ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Cactus ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC
The Stamp Market - Cherry Kisses ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal ink pad Shop at: EH | MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	PTI - Aqua Mist cardstock Shop at: MISC	Avery Elle - Hemp Twine - Raspberry Shop at: EH | SHC	Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 23 (Jingle with Joy)

Good morning!

Yesterday's card reminded that it was time to use a word die that I simply have to feature at least once on my Christmas cards each year:

Paper: Elle's Studio
Dies: Concord & 9th - Joy,  WPlus9 - Scalloped Joy Tag

I paired that favourite die with a new tag die I picked up for 2019's Christmas cardmaking fun. It's the scalloped Joy tag from WPlus9 that is a great frame or background for scenes or sentiments.

For added festive cheer I added jingle bells to the tag and this will probably be one of the cards I give in person rather than post. Those bells can be quite lumpy. ;)

Happy crafting, until next time!

 

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Concord & 9th - Joy die Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC | SHC | SSS	WPlus9 - Scalloped Joy Tag dies Shop at: EH | SHC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Simon Says Stamp - Lipstick Red cardstock Shop at: SSS
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

DCM - All dressed up

Good morning!

It's Friday so another break from my Countdown to Christmas to share my card for this week's new Daring Cardmakers dare. :)

The current challenge is to make a card featuring Christmas jumpers or any other winter wear (including flip-flops if you enjoy the sunshine in winter). :D

Papers: Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa (r)
Stamps: Avery Elle - Starry Scene (r), Mama Elephant - Holiday Messages, Simon Says Stamp - Critter Sweaters
Dies: Avery Elle - Starry Scene (r), Simon Says Stamp - Critter Sweaters, Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars (r), MFT - Grounding Elements, Neat & Tangled - Skinny Strips (r)

One of the sets in my collection that I always reach for if Christmas jumpers are needed is the Critter Sweaters set from Simon Says Stamp.

I used a mix of teal and pink ink colours from the Concord & 9th ink cube set to create the jumper pattern, with just a little buff ink for the cheeks on the cat's face.

For the background I used one of my favourite patterns of paper from the Snow & Cocoa collection by Crate Paper. I'm so glad I bought a few sheets of it as it is really versatile and the fact it has a sort of knitted stitch to it ties in well with this theme.

I created a winter backdrop scene with elements in my bowl of die cuts (always handy to have these ready to go this time of year).

Finally, I needed a small sentiment that would fit on a sentiment strip that I could just attach at the top and hey presto, Mama Elephant Holiday Messages came up with the goods. :)

And just to provide a touch of festive red, I added a berry red Nuvo drop next to the sentiment.

Make sure you check out the wonderful projects from the rest of the design team, and play along if you can. :)

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Avery Elle - Starry Scene stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Mama Elephant - Holiday Messages stamps Shop at: MISC | SHC	Simon Says Stamp - Critter Sweaters stamps Shop at: SSS	Avery Elle - Starry Scene dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC
Simon Says Stamp - Critter Sweaters dies Shop at: SSS	Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC	MFT - Grounding Elements dies Shop at: EH | SHC	Neat & Tangled - Skinny Strips dies (r) Shop at: EH | SHC
Gina K Designs - Obsidian Amalgam ink pad Shop at: EH | SSS	MFT - In the Buff ink pad Shop at: SHC	The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Concord & 9th - Ink cube set Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ | EH	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa - Rosy Cheeks paper (r) Shop at: MISC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops - Red Berry Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Zig - Wink of Stella glitter brush pen - Clear Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC