Kool Kitty Musings

18th Birthday Wishes

Good morning!

It's a change of scenery on the card front today, as I received a very special request from my crafty partner in crime (and also a rather sobering reality check of how many years have passed...) because she needed a special birthday card for her son's milestone birthday... and I cannot believe he is turning 18 this year!

Where has the time gone? I remember him when he was a tiny baby.

Sigh.

But the brief was black and gold, and thankfully I had the elements to make that work. :D

It was rather fun getting out of my more feminine comfort zone with colours.

But I have to say, thank goodness for The Greetery items I used for this card, as they really made all the metallic and sparkly elements come to life:

Paper: Simple Stories - Claus & Co. (r)
Stamps: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Birthday, The Greetery - Sparkler Background
Dies: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics, The Greetery - Takes the Cake, The Greetery - Takes the Cake Stand, Lawn Fawn - Oliver's Stitched ABCs, The Greetery - Bold Numbers, The Greetery - Ribbon Maker: Petite Scallops, The Greetery - Twisted Crepe

The big surprise for this card is that the best patterned paper for the job was actually from a Christmas collection by Simple Stories. It worked perfectly to frame the cake and was a bit lighter than the black cardstock I used to personalize the cake.

I also used a black and gold glitter cardstock from Memory Box to add sparkle to the cake.

There's matt gold cardstock used for the crêpe streamers and metallic gold used for the numbers.

And hurray for Wow Platinum Sparkle embossing powder, as it was the perfect shade to create the Sparkler background. But I did have a minor mishap and some clean-up to do with all that glitteriness!

I'm really pleased with how this 5x7 card turned out, and hope the birthday boy loves it, as he has always been so kind about my cards. :)

There's a big birthday sentiment inside cut with the Big Happy Birthday die from Mama Elephant to bring it all together.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Birthday stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Sparkler Background stamp Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Takes the Cake dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - Takes the Cake Stand dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Lawn Fawn - Oliver's Stitched ABCs dies Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Mama Elephant - Big Happy Birthday die Shop at: SHC (UK)	The Greetery - Bold Numbers dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - Ribbon Maker: Petite Scallops die Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Twisted Crepe dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SHC (UK)
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ (UK)	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC	Simon Says Stamp - Ivory cardstock Shop at: MISC
Lawn Fawn - Gold metallic cardstock Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Silver metallic cardstock Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Memory Box - Majestic Hues glitter pad Shop at: MISC	Wow! - Platinum Sparkle embossing powder Shop at: AZ (UK)
Zig - Wink of Stella glitter brush pen - Clear Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Crafter's Companion - Gemini machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

DCM - Light

Happy Friday!

There's a brand-new challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers Blog today, continuing the countdown to Christmas with one-word prompts.

This week, the theme is Light, and of course I had to go with a favourite "light" technique using masking paper!

Stamp: Lil' Inker Designs - All The Christmas You'll Ever Need (r)
Dies: Hello Bluebird - Hill and Dale, Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars (r), Simon Says Stamp - Village
Other: Distress Inks

I really love the effect masking paper can provide when combined with dies.

Just take a white card base, select some dies that work well as silhouettes like a hillside and little houses, cut them from masking paper, stick the masked images over your card base, then get blending with your chosen inks over the masked areas.

I went with a starry sky that has extra white Distress ink blended in a circle over the star mask to create extra glow.

While the masking pieces are still in place, splatter the background with white paint.

Peeling back the masking paper to reveal the silhouette outline never gets old. It's magical every time!

Finally, I added a nice and big sentiment from an old favourite festive set from Lil' Inker Designs. I also love the All The Christmas You'll Ever Need 2 set, which has some great movie quotes on it, and I use that set to stamp the back of cards and envelopes for some extra festive fun. It always makes people smile when they see the Home Alone quote... keep the change you filthy animal! ;)

Make sure you check out the projects from the rest of the design team here, and play along if you can!

Happy crafting!

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Lil' Inker Designs - All The Christmas You'll Ever Need stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Hill and Dale dies Shop at: MISC	Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Simon Says Stamp - Village dies Shop at: MISC
Distress ink pad - Black Soot Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Distress ink pad - Dusty Concord Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Distress ink pad - Picked Raspberry Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Distress ink pad - Picket Fence Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Distress ink pad - Wilted Violet Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Jackdaw Express - AM440 - White Ivory Bristol Board 335gsm Shop at: AZ (UK)	Dr. Pj. Martin's Bleed Proof White watercolour Shop at: AZ (UK)
Simon Says Stamp - Masking Paper Shop at: MISC	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC
Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Crafter's Companion - Gemini machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Christmas countdown - Holiday Cheer

Morning!

Today's card sees the return of a favourite Christmasy frame:

Stamps: The Greetery - Curio Labels, The Greetery - Ornament Box Top Vertical
Dies: The Greetery - Ornament Box Top Vertical, The Greetery - Big Branches Pine, The Greetery - Jumbo Curiosity Bell Ornament, The Greetery - PreText Banners
Stencils: The Greetery - Frosty Flakes

I love stamping the Ornament Box Top in red and using the coordinating window die to create a really striking frame for a wintry scene.

For this card, I combined it with a background created with the Frosty Flakes stencils and the jumbo bell ornament hanging from a pine branch.

I used glitter paper and silver metallic card on the bell for a really frosty touch, and finished off the card with a simple sentiment from the Curio Labels set.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Curio Labels stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Ornament Box Top Vertical stamp Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Ornament Box Top Vertical dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Big Branches Pine dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - Jumbo Curiosity Bell Ornament die Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - PreText Banners dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Frosty Flakes stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Distress Oxide ink pad - Tumbled Glass Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Distress Oxide ink pad - Uncharted Mariner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	The Stamp Market - Cherry Kisses ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Silver metallic cardstock Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Memory Box - Festive glitter pad Shop at: MISC	Dr. Pj. Martin's Bleed Proof White watercolour Shop at: AZ (UK)
Ranger - Glossy Accents Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC
Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Snipped Snowflakes

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with a few festive cards.

Now that we're well and truly into December, this is the time when simple Christmas cards are definitely on the agenda!

And it couldn't get much simpler than these.

You can't go wrong with a nice big snowflake as the focal point on your card.

Paper: Basic Grey - Juniper Berry
Stamp: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas
Dies: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics, The Greetery - Crimped Circle Tags, The Greetery - Loopy Bow Builder, The Greetery - Snipped Snowflakes #1, The Greetery - Snipped Snowflakes #3

For my cards, I opted for the new Snipped Snowflakes #1 and #3 sets from The Greetery and cut the smaller of the two dies in each set from white cardstock.

Then all you need is a tag or circle die, a fancy bow, some patterned paper, and the sentiments of your choice.

I started out by giving the white snowflakes a splattering of pearlescent paint in frosty white so that they sparkle a little when they catch the light.

For my tags, I went with the Crimped Circle Tags from The Greetery. I cut them from kraft, blended some brown ink around the edges, and added a splattering of white paint. With the snowflakes added, they almost look like gingerbread cookies.

I then used the Loopy Bow die from The Greetery to finish off the tags. For some subtle sparkle, I added some glimmer to the knots of the bows with a Wink of Stella pen.

I covered my card bases in patterned paper that would be a nice neutral backdrop for the tags.

Finally, I grabbed what has to be my most used festive sentiment set this year, the Sentiment Suite Christmas stamps and coordinating dies to finish off the cards.

And there we have it, two more cards made and many more to go!

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Crimped Circle Tags dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Loopy Bow Builder dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - Snipped Snowflakes #1 dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Snipped Snowflakes #3 dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Lawn Fawn - Doe ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Alpaca Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Neenah 80 lb smooth Desert Storm cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK)	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC	Basic Grey - Juniper Berry collection Shop at: MISC
Kuretake Gansai Tambi 36-pan watercolour set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC
Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Crafter's Companion - Gemini machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Christmas countdown - Merry Christmas to You and Yours

Morning!

Today's card has a bit of a rustic feel.

Stamps: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas, The Stamp Market - No Peeking (r), WPlus9 - Holly Jolly Christmas (r)
Dies: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics, The Stamp Market - No Peeking (r), Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine, PTI - Tag Sale #10, The Greetery - Crimped Frame

It was definitely time to get red and white stripe in on a project, so I made my own striped background with the Holly Jolly Christmas set and cut it out with a crimped frame die.

The Christmas tree is decorated with pearlescent sequins as baubles/lights, and I simply attached it to a kraft tag that has had a splattering of white snowy paint. It almost looks like a gingerbread cookie that has had a sifting of powdered sugar.

Yet again, the Christmas Sentiment Suite from The Greetery provided the perfect greeting to fit on this card. :)

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Stamp Market - No Peeking stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	WPlus9 - Holly Jolly Christmas stamps (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Stamp Market - No Peeking dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine dies Shop at: MISC	PTI - Tag Sale #10 dies Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Crimped Frame dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
Altenew - Limestone dye ink Shop at: MISC	Lawn Fawn - Chili Pepper ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	The Stamp Market - Cactus ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ (UK)	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK)	The Stamp Market - Kraft cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass cardstock Shop at: MISC
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Christmas countdown - May Your Days Be Merry

Good morning!

Today's card features a favourite wintry stencil set and colour combo I use with these stencils:

Stamp: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas
Dies: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics, Hero Arts - Wood Frame Infinity
Stencils: The Greetery - Stencil Scapes: Winter

I still prefer to use dye inks to colour in the Winter layering stencil scapes set with full sized blending brushes and mini ones for the smaller details.

Once the panel was finished, I cut a wood frame from brown cardstock and stamped a simple sentiment on a coordinating sentiment strip to place within the scene.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Hero Arts - Wood Frame Infinity dies Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	The Greetery - Stencil Scapes: Winter stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
Lawn Fawn - Black Licorice ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Chili Pepper ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Freshly Cut Grass ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Guava ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)
Lawn Fawn - Manatee ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Noble Fir ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Peacock ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Storm Cloud ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)
Lawn Fawn - Walnut ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	The Stamp Market - Blush Pink ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Fern ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Gravel ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Greenery ink pad Shop at: MISC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK)	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | TG	Tombow - Mono Aqua liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK)
Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)
Detail blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Peace on Earth

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with another festive make using the recently restocked Greetery 2023 Christmas release.

The Christmas Sampler stencil set makes some lovely wintry scenes, and this time I've used all the stencils in the set on Ivory cardstock with a mix of muted shades.

Stamps: The Greetery - Christmas Sampler Sentiments
Dies: The Greetery - Christmas Sampler Sentiments
Stencils: The Greetery - Christmas Sampler
Other: Puffy paint and Stickles

Once complete, I went in with some puffy paint to add snow to the house and added Stickles over the puffy paint and as frosty details on some of the sampler "stitches".

I then selected a sentiment from the coordinating Christmas Sampler Sentiments stamp and die set, stamped in forest green on white cardstock, and added some of the stitched details too.

The sentiments were cut from two extra layers of white cardstock to create a little dimension, enough to make the sentiments pop but still keep the card nice and flat for posting.

I love how the look of this sampler set can be changed up by using different shades of cardstock for the background and selecting ink shades that are more muted or super bold depending on the look you want to achieve.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Christmas Sampler Sentiments stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Christmas Sampler Sentiments dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Christmas Sampler stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Lawn Fawn - Hippo ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)
Lawn Fawn - Manatee ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	The Stamp Market - Blush Pink ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Fern ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Forest ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Papaya ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Sage ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Salmon ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: MISC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC	Simon Says Stamp - Ivory cardstock Shop at: MISC	Cosmic Shimmer - Fluffy Stuff Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)
Detail blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Crafter's Companion - Gemini machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Christmas countdown - Festive Mail

Morning All!

While I had the supplies out on my desk from an earlier card, I came across a large ephemera piece in the Merry Days pack that got my imagination going.

I wasn't sure how else I'd use this ephemera, but the idea came to me to make a card in the style of festive mail.

Paper: Crate Paper - Bundled Up (r), Crate Paper - Merry Days (r)
Ephemera: Crate Paper - Merry Days (r)
Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Postmarks (r)
Die: Papertrey Ink - Postmarks (r), Magnolia - ZigZag and Scallop Lace Border (r)
Other: Stickles

I started out by covering my card base with the B-side of the Tinsel paper from Merry Days. I added a striped border with an off cut of paper from Bundled Up, but before I stick it down I cut a white border with an old Magnolia border die.

Then I created the festive postage stamp with the Postmarks set from Papertrey Ink, adding the festive cancellation detail from the same set directly to the card base.

Finally, I glued some scrap cardstock to the back of the main ephemera image to give it some pop.

Once everything was in place, I added some Platinum Stickles to the snowflake for a little festive sparkle.

And that's it!

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Lawn Fawn - Kiddie Pool ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Manatee ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Sage Leaf ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK)	Crate Paper - Merry Days - Tinsel paper (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC	Crate Paper - Merry Days - Ephemera (r) Shop at: MISC	Tombow - Mono Aqua liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK)
Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Christmas countdown - Have a holly, jolly Christmas

Morning all!

I'm back with another Christmas countdown card, and this time it's the special festive card for my purple-loving niece!

Stamps: Mama Elephant - Holiday Messages, The Stamp Market - No Peeking (r), WPlus9 - Most Wonderful (r)
Dies: The Stamp Market - No Peeking (r), WPlus9 - Most Wonderful (r), Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine

I have to say, I was really pleased that The Stamp Market released some new shades of purple in their line-up. It's not a colour I gravitate towards, but when you do need to use it, it's good to have the right shades on hand.

I've used all three of the new shades here for the candy canes: Pale Plum, Sugar Plum, and Plum.

I have had some issues with this new release of ink pads though. (The ones that were released late September 2023 and shown here). I've not seen any similar issues posted online, but I did reach out to the UK store I purchased them from back in October, and they said they'd contact The Stamp Market to see if they'd had similar feedback from customers.

Not heard anything back re a response from The Stamp Market, but long story short:

I always order the full size pads as they become available and was really excited to get this new line up - especially Fresh Mint and Aspen!

However, on initial stamping many of the inks had a really frothy consistency and don’t stamp at all like the other ink pads I’ve got from The Stamp Market or indeed some of the other pads in this batch. The Cranberry, Begonia, Fresh Mint, and Pale Plum inks were the worst affected.

When I touched a stamp to the surface of the ink pad (even very lightly) it frothed up with tiny bubbles that then distort your stamped image and the froth sort of sits on the ink pad. I know foam pads can be juicy at first and bubbles of ink aren’t that uncommon, but this is more like a froth that stays frothy and the bubbles don’t pop.

I’m very familiar with using this brand of inks and foam ink pads, in fact I my Stamp Market ink pads are my go-to ink pads having invested in the full colour line-up over the years. And what I have always liked about the new generation of foam ink pads is that you don’t always need to stamp with a Misti to use them, as inking once on a block is sufficient to get a nice and crisp image.

But this batch of pads has been totally different. I left them to settle since I swatched them, thinking maybe something separated during transport and the ink needed to settle down into the pad, but almost 2 months on I’m still getting a frothy consistency for the worst affected pads (Cranberry being the main problem).

I basically always have to stamp at least twice in the Misti with these new colours, but don't get the same high-quality results as the other Color Crush shades when inked once and using an acrylic block for direct stamping.

I'm posting this here in case anyone out in stamping land encounters similar issues. You are note alone!

These inks are not cheap, and it's disappointing after all the excitement of the new release of colours that they have fallen short of the ink performance I have come to enjoy with my other Color Crush inks.

That being said, I am just grateful that I can still get solid impressions after 2 or 3 goes with my Misti. It's just a shame that the colours are inevitably darker as a result.

Anyway, back to the card project!

I created a dimensional background with all those stamped candy canes and then decided I needed a tag focal element.

Well, the perfect opportunity to use the snowman from WPlus9's Most Wonderful set.

It's only a shame that I totally I forgot to add the colour detail for the gloves and hat! Oh man, I was not with it when finishing this card. And I kept looking at the hat and gloves once I'd glued the snowman down, thinking hm, he doesn't look quite as detailed as I remember...

Never to mind!

A little puffy paint detail soon restored the festive look, and I finished off the tag with a bow cut from the lightest of the new purple cardstock shades. :)

Oh, and for more frostiness, I added glittery Nuvo drops in the gaps between the candy canes.

I really hope this card ticks all those purple boxes for my niece!

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Mama Elephant - Holiday Messages stamps Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - No Peeking stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	WPlus9 - Most Wonderful stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - No Peeking dies (r) Shop at: MISC
WPlus9 - Most Wonderful dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine dies Shop at: MISC	PTI - Tag Sale #10 dies Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Lakehouse ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Mango ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Pale Plum ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Plum ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Poolside ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Rusty ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Slate ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Sugar Plum ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Waterfall ink pad Shop at: MISC
Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC	The Stamp Market - Pale Plum cardstock Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Plum cardstock Shop at: MISC	Dr. Pj. Martin's Bleed Proof White watercolour Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tonic Studios Nuvo Glitter Drops - Silver Moondust Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Cosmic Shimmer - Fluffy Stuff Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Zig - Wink of Stella glitter brush pen - Clear Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC
Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

DCM - word prompt: Wish

Morning all!

It's time for a brand-new Christmas countdown challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog.

The prompt word this week is "Wish" and so immediately I knew I wanted to feature some festive wishes on a card and at least one sparkly star.

Paper: KI Memories - Winter (r)
Stamps: Avery Elle - Starry Scene (r), Concord & 9th - Sweater Season, Mama Elephant - Scripty Xmas
Dies: Avery Elle - Starry Scene (r), Concord & 9th - Sweater Season, Neat & Tangled - Scandinavian Prints Christmas (r), Essentials by Ellen - Home & Hearth (r), Hello Bluebird - Hill and Dale, Simon Says Stamp - Sentiment Labels, Sizzix - Animal Portraits (r), The Greetery - Bold Alphabet

This card is a riff on an old favourite, in fact "old" might as well be the prompt word for this card, as I've used a super old winter collection from KI memories originally released in the mid noughties!

I'm on a bit of an Odessa to reconnect with older papers in my stash, since very little seems to tick my boxes for Christmas releases at the moment. :(

But it's all good, as there is plenty to use, and there are also digital papers available of some of my favourite past collections. Here's to scoring some Black Friday digital deals!

The other older elements on this card are my ever faithful Starry Scene sky from Avery Elle, the Scandinavian Prints Christmas trees, and Sizzix bear.

But I did add in some new touches. I was determined to give the bear a Christmas jumper, so used the new Sweater Season stamps to add the knit pattern and used the dies to create the scarf detail. But the necklines tin the Sweater Season set weren't wide enough for this bear... so enter a moment of inspiration!

I grabbed the lowercase "L" from the Bold Alphabet set by the Greetery and with a little snipping managed to make it fit as a collar.

Glad all those elements came together, and hope my nephew likes his card. ;)

Make sure you check out the projects from the rest of the design team here, and play along if you can!

Until next time, happy crafting!

---

Avery Elle - Starry Scene stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Concord & 9th - Sweater Season stamps Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Mama Elephant - Scripty Xmas stamps Shop at: SHC (UK)	Avery Elle - Starry Scene dies (r) Shop at: MISC
Concord & 9th - Sweater Season dies Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Neat & Tangled - Scandinavian Prints Christmas dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Essentials by Ellen - Home & Hearth dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Hill and Dale dies Shop at: MISC
Simon Says Stamp - Sentiment Labels dies Shop at: MISC	Sizzix - Animal Portraits dies (r) Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Bold Alphabet dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Stamp Market - Forest ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Lakehouse ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Rosy ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)
Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SHC (UK)	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Taffy Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC	Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Hero Arts - Azalea cardstock Shop at: SHC (UK)
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC	Memory Box - Majestic Hues glitter pad Shop at: MISC	Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Over the Rooftops

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with more festive projects from this year's Christmas release from Concord & 9th.

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Over the Rooftops
Dies: Concord & 9th - Home for the Holidays, Concord & 9th - Over the Rooftops, Lil' Inker Designs - Silly Stitched (r)

Today, the spotlight is firmly on the Over the Rooftops die set and coordinating stamps.

I don't know about you, but I am definitely a sucker for tiny houses that can make sweet little wintry scenes.

Last year, I spent many an evening cutting and assembling all the pieces I needed to make 20 cards with the Home for the Holidays Stacks dies and Card Stacks Base.

As someone who isn't usually a fan of assembly line card production, it has taken me a good while to recover from that project!

However, I was definitely ready to snap up the wonderful Over the Rooftops set, which can actually coordinate with the Home for the Holidays and Card Stacks dies.

Home for the Holidays was all about dimensional cards, while the Over the Rooftops set features an interactive element – the sky can be rotated to reveal another sentiment or go from day to night.

For my first outing with this set, I kept things simple. (I was still having some flashbacks to this time last year...)

With detailed die sets like this, I like to get a feel for the products by using inspiration from the manufacturer as a starting point.

Once that first card is made, I use it as a template and I can then quickly determine how many of each element I'll need to methodically die cut.

Let's just say, there were a lot of elements!

As you can see, I used neutral greys for my card base so that all those colours could pop. A stitched or fancy edge around that background panel adds a nice detail that brings the design together.

The sky elements were all cut with the insert that cuts snow into the disc. I had intended to just let white cardstock peek through the holes, but in the end I filled the holes with white Nuvo drops for extra pop.

Once the road and hill were assembled, it was time to put all those small elements together.

I used a few different colour combos.

This is definitely a set that can make use of all those colourful cardstock scraps, many of which were from the Concord & 9th cardstock sampler pack.

All the elements except for the lamp post are from the Over the Rooftops set – the lamp post is from Home for the Holidays.

Once I'd finished assembling everything (including the stamped coordinating sentiment at the top), I went in with the wintry details, aka white puffy paint and Stickles. Where would we be this time of the year without Stickles?

Those little finishing details really bring the cards to life. Sadly, the photos taken in wintry light conditions don't do them justice.

But I'm so pleased with how these turned out, and I think next time I reach for this set, I will be giving it the Stacks treatment!

Until next time, happy crafting!

---

Concord & 9th - Over the Rooftops stamps Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Concord & 9th - Over the Rooftops dies Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Lil' Inker Designs - Silly Stitched dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)
Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops - Simply White Shop at: AZ (UK)	Cosmic Shimmer - Fluffy Stuff Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Christmas countdown - Holly Jolly Christmas Letter

Morning all!

I'm back with another Christmas countdown card!

Stamps: Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas, Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages
Dies: SugarPea Designs - You're My Type (r), Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles, MFT - Tall Snow Globe (r)
Stencils: Concord & 9th - Boughs & Holly

You're probably tired of seeing my staple typewriter festive cards, but hey, I had the typewriter and other elements still left over from other projects.

And while I had those Boughs & Holly stencils to hand, I had to use them, with a cooler colour tone this time. :D

I'm happy to see how perfectly the typewriter and tall snowglobe elements nestle inside the stencilled frame. A match made in heaven!

Hope you're having a nice crafty weekend!

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Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC	Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages stamps Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	SugarPea Designs - You're My Type dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
MFT - Tall Snow Globe dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Concord & 9th - Boughs & Holly stencils Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	The Stamp Market - Coastal ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Minty ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Raspberry ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Rosy ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SHC (UK)	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ (UK)	Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK)
Lawn Fawn - Vellum Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Tombow - Mono Aqua liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)
Detail blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

DCM - word prompt: Wood

Morning all!

There's a new challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog as we continue our Christmas countdown with a prompt word as inspiration.

The word this week is wood, so the perfect opportunity to combine the lovely Wood Slice Hearts from The Greetery with other supplies:

Paper: Crate Paper - Falala (r)
Stamps: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas
Dies: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics, The Greetery - Deco Frames, The Greetery - Wood Slice Hearts
Stencils: Concord & 9th - Boughs & Holly

I started out cutting and assembling the wooden heart, adding a good splattering of white paint for wintry detail.

While that was drying, I got on with blending the wreath on white cardstock using bright festive ink shades from The Stamp Market.

I cut the wreath panel out with the large Deco Frame from The Greetery and mounted it on a card base covered with my quickly depleting stash of Fa La La paper from Crate Paper.

I then grabbed the Sentiment Suite Christmas stamps and stamped a sentiment on pale pink cardstock cut with one of the coordinating sentiment strip dies.

Then it was time to assemble the rest of the elements, and hey presto, card made!

Make sure you check out the rest of the design team projects here, and play along if you can!

Happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Deco Frames dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Wood Slice Hearts dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
Concord & 9th - Boughs & Holly stencils Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	The Stamp Market - Cactus ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cherry Kisses ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Forest ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Greenery ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Rosy ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK)	Crate Paper - Falala - Very Merry paper (r) Shop at: MISC	Dr. Pj. Martin's Bleed Proof White watercolour Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tombow - Mono Aqua liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK)
Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)
Detail blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Wishing You Joy

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with another festive card project, this time using the lovely Christmas Sampler stencils from The Greetery.

Stamps: The Greetery - Written in Ribbons Holiday
Dies: The Greetery - Written in Ribbons Holiday, Lawn Fawn - Zig Zag Rectangle (r), The Greetery - PreText Banners
Stencils: The Greetery - Christmas Sampler

I started out by grabbing a panel of light grey cardstock to use as the "fabric" for my sampler.

I kept the colour palette minimal with a sage green, darker green, light grey, and light brown.

The Christmas Sampler stencils have a total of 6 steps to create the full background which includes trees, birds, baubles, and a little house. However, you can skip some of the elements and mask them off to pick out the designs you want to feature.

I just needed something to allow my sentiment to pop against a subtle background.

I also wanted to include some texture paste for the snowflake elements and fair isle border to add a little wintry detail, and I added additional snowy details with a white pen.

For my sentiments, I pulled out the Written in Ribbons Holiday stamps and coordinating dies. I love the hand-lettered look of these sentiments and how you can create different phrases with the stand-out words.

For festive pop, I used two tones of red to stamp the "Joy" sentiment.

The smaller greetings also fit on the PreText Banners dies, or you can simply stamp directly onto your card, or mix it up like I did!

Before assembling everything, I cut the sampler background down to size so that it would fit inside the largest of the Zig Zag Rectangle dies from Lawn Fawn (currently in the Bargain Basement - so once they're gone, they're gone!). The zigzag edge goes so well with the stitching theme.

The panel really stands out nicely against the jade card base.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Written in Ribbons Holiday stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Written in Ribbons Holiday dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Lawn Fawn - Zig Zag Rectangle dies (r) Shop at: SHC (UK)	The Greetery - PreText Banners dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - Christmas Sampler stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Altenew - Limestone dye ink Shop at: MISC	Lawn Fawn - Pizza Crust ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	The Stamp Market - Aspen ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Cranberry ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Lipstick Red ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Matcha ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC	PTI - Soft Stone cardstock Shop at: MISC	Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste - White Shop at: MISC	Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Detail blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Christmas countdown - Joy, Love, Peace

Morning all!

Today's countdown card is a riff on a favourite festive design.

I always love combining negative die-cutting with Christmas papers. :)

Paper: Crate Paper - Snowflake (r), Pink Paislee - Together for Christmas (r)
Dies: Mama Elephant - All Prettied Up, MFT - Joy, Love, and Peace (r)

I started out by cutting the scalloped panel from the Snowflake village paper from Crate Paper using the large die in the All Prettied Up set from Mama Elephant.

Then I ran it through my die-cutting machine with the Joy, Love, and Peace die from MFT.

I cut the die a few times from white cardstock to add dimension behind the scalloped panel.

Then I covered my card base with the woodgrain paper from Pink Paislee and inked around the edges with Walnut ink.

And the card was done!

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Mama Elephant - All Prettied Up dies Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	MFT - Joy, Love, and Peace die (r) Shop at: MISC	Lawn Fawn - Walnut ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Crate Paper - Snowflake - Village paper (r) Shop at: MISC
Pink Paislee - Together For Christmas - #05 paper (r) Shop at: MISC	Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Christmas countdown - Sparkly Season's Greetings

Morning all!

It's time for a super clean and simple card today.

Dies: Avery Elle - Season's Greetings (r), Memory Box - Country Landscape (r)
Media: Distress Mica Stains

There isn't a year that goes by without me using the Country Landscape border die from Memory Box. It must be over a decade old now, surely, but I've used it every Christmas on a card and often with a starry or snowy background behind it.

This time I combined it with a background I created to test the colour of the 2023 Holiday Mica stains. This one features Wonderland sprayed on Neenah neat, now I know better and should have sprayed the stain on wet watercolour paper or similar. Not Neenah. But we live and learn, and this background has now been put to good use.

The sentiment die is an old one too, cut from dark blue glitter cardstock.

But sometimes simple is best, and this card has already been earmarked by the recipient. :)

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Avery Elle - Season's Greetings dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Memory Box - Country Landscape border die (r) Shop at: MISC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC	Memory Box - Festive glitter pad Shop at: MISC
Distress Mica Stain Set 6 Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

DCM - word prompt: Cosy

Morning all!

This week over on the Daring Cardmakers blog, we continue our Christmas countdown with the new one-word prompt challenges.

Basically, you can make anything inspired by the prompt word, which is "Cosy" on this occasion.

Of course, I had to go with a Christmas jumper!

Stamps: The Stamp Market - Everyday Greetings
Dies: The Stamp Market - Everyday Greetings, The Greetery - Aida Cloth, Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine, The Greetery - Big Branches Pine, The Greetery - Hearts at Home: Sweater, The Greetery - Hoopla Oval, WPlus9 - Under the Mistletoe
Stencils: The Greetery - Frosty Flakes

Lots of festive supplies thrown at this card! I definitely didn't read the less is more memo this week. LOL

It all started with that sweater die from The Greetery, then things gradually grew - out came the hoopla dies, then the Aida cloth texture die, then some snowflake stencils and the embossing paste and glitter.

Then I found some greenery I'd previously cut and thought about using it all up on this card, fair enough it looks like the hoop has antlers now, but never to mind...

But it's another card made ready for the festive season!

Make sure you check out the rest of the projects from the design team here, and play along if you can!

Until next time, happy crafting!

---

The Stamp Market - Everyday Greetings stamps Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Aida Cloth texture plate Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Stamp Market - Everyday Greetings dies Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine dies Shop at: MISC
The Greetery - Big Branches Pine dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Hearts at Home: Sweater dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Hoopla Oval dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	WPlus9 - Under the Mistletoe dies Shop at: MISC
The Greetery - Frosty Flakes stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Stamp Market - Blush Pink ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ (UK)
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC	Simon Says Stamp - Ivory cardstock Shop at: MISC	Lawn Fawn - Gold metallic cardstock Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
Memory Box - Festive glitter pad Shop at: MISC	Tim Holtz - Distress Glitter - Clear Rock Candy Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Dr. Pj. Martin's Bleed Proof White watercolour Shop at: AZ (UK)	Kuretake Gansai Tambi 36-pan watercolour set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops - Morning Dew (clear) Shop at: AZ (UK)	Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste - White Shop at: MISC	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Detail blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)
Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Christmas countdown - Bring on the Merry

Morning all!

Today's card comes with an earworm warning...

I always associate the festive image of a little red car with a tree on the top with Chris Rea's Driving Home for Christmas.

So if that tune is now in your head, you're welcome!

Paper: Crate Paper - Bundled Up (r), Crate Paper - Snow and Cocoa (r), Elle's Studio - Joyful (r)
Stamps: Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas, The Stamp Market - So Mini Hellos (r)
Dies: The Stamp Market - So Mini Hellos (r), Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles, Mama Elephant - Landscape Trio, MFT - Stitched Arch STAX (r), MFT - Tall Snow Globe (r), WPlus9 - Snowflake Trio (r)

It's another delve into my dwindling collection of "vintage" Christmas papers. I sure hope more Crate Paper Christmas releases are in our future, otherwise I am going to have to start buying the digital papers from past releases that I still love and will print what I need.

The So Mini Hellos stamp and die set have been retried by The Stamp Market, but this is a set I will be using for Christmases to come. :)

I created a snowglobe scene for my little red mini and added some Fluffy Stuff to create a snowy look.

I had the "Bring on the Merry" sentiment from Hello Bluebird already embossed on the snowglobe base from previous crafting sessions, so put it to use here.

As a finishing touch, I cut a small snowflake and used up a scrap of patterned paper rather than putting it in the bin. And there we go, card made!

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - So Mini Hellos stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - So Mini Hellos dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
Mama Elephant - Landscape Trio border dies Shop at: SHC (UK)	MFT - Stitched Arch STAX dies (r) Shop at: MISC	MFT - Tall Snow Globe dies (r) Shop at: MISC	WPlus9 - Snowflake Trio dies (r) Shop at: MISC
Gina K Designs - Obsidian Amalgam ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Greenery ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SHC (UK)	Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa - 6x6 paper pad (r) Shop at: MISC
Memory Box - Festive glitter pad Shop at: MISC	Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Cosmic Shimmer - Fluffy Stuff Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Ranger - Glossy Accents Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Figgy Pudding

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with another festive number!

This week, I thought I'd take a break from my usual US A2 card format and go square!

Also, if you're getting short on time, this card is definitely a quick and simple make and is a good one for using up scraps and for making multiples.

I started out by creating the backdrop for my festive focal element.

Stamps: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas
Dies: The Greetery - Christmas Pudding, The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics, Avery Elle - Double Pierced Squares (r), Spellbinders - Fluted Classics Squares
Stencils: Concord & 9th - Boughs & Holly

The Boughs & Holly stencil set from Concord & 9th contains two styles of greenery, one being a wreath that cuts down perfectly to be used on a square card and only involves a couple of steps with two shades of green ink, two shades of red/pink ink for berries, and brown ink for the twigs.

I then cut the wreath panel to size with a square die that has a pierced detail around the edge, similar to Lawn Fawn's Small Dotted Square dies (currently in the Bargain Basement so grab it while you can!). The die I used cut the square to 4 inches, so the wreath fits nicely inside. The Large Dotted Square dies are also still in stock here if you'd prefer a wider border.

One of my favourite things to combine with the wreath stencils is the Christmas Pudding die from The Greetery (which also features a nice fancy bow!).

It's not often we see US companies come up with something that seems to be so quintessentially British, but a Christmas pud is definitely a Christmas staple round here!

I cut the main pudding from kraft cardstock and blended brown inks over it, with a splattering of water between ink layers.

It wouldn't be Christmas without a bit of glittery sparkle, so I cut the sauce on the pudding and bow from scraps of left-over glitter card and presented the pudding on a gold platter befitting the occasion. And of course, the pudding had to be finished off with a sprig of holly!

Next up, I grabbed the Sentiment Suite Basics dies and used a sentiment from the Sentiment Suite Christmas set that would fit on the pierced banner die.

The pierced edges on the wreath panel and the sentiment strip bring the look together, and I just needed some festive candy cane stripes for a finishing touch.

The Diagonal Stripes stencil from MFT will achieve a similar look if you don't have any patterned paper in your stash, and of course will make nice backgrounds all year round!

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Avery Elle - Double Pierced Squares dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Spellbinders - Fluted Classics Squares dies Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC
The Greetery - Christmas Pudding die Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Concord & 9th - Boughs & Holly stencils Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Walnut ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	The Stamp Market - Aspen ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Begonia ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cranberry ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Gumdrop ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Gold metallic cardstock Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Memory Box - Festive glitter pad Shop at: MISC	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)
Ranger - Mini Mister Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Christmas countdown - Nutcracker Wishes

Morning all!

As I may have mentioned elsewhere on my blog earlier this year, I set out to make at least one Christmas card per week in 2023 to ensure I'd have enough cards to go round this festive season.

Well, some weeks I made none and others I made multiples of the same design.

But today is the day I'm kicking off my festive countdown.

We're starting off with a fun return to Christmas paper collections of the past. This time the paper I've used is from Crate Paper's Hey Santa 6x8 paper pad (including the tag) and I've paired it with ephemera from an even older Crate Paper Christmas line called Merry Days.

Paper: Crate Paper - Hey Santa (r)
Ephemera: Crate Paper - Merry Days (r)
Stamp: The Greetery - Christmas Time Sentiments
Die: The Greetery - Christmas Time Sentiments

I trimmed the Nutcracker figure to fit inside the ephemera frame and used scraps of cardstock to pop up various elements to add some dimension.

Finally, I stamped a sentiment from the Christmas Time Sentiments stamp set from The Greetery on the coordinating die and finished off my card with some twine and a button from October Afternoon.

Yes, plenty of those lovely October Afternoon buttons still to use! Thankfully!

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Christmas Time Sentiments stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Christmas Time Sentiments dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK)
Crate Paper - Hey Santa - 6x8 paper pad (r) Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Merry Days - Ephemera (r) Shop at: MISC	Ranger - Glossy Accents Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tombow - Mono Aqua liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK)
Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

DCM - November elemental inspiration

Morning all!

It's the first Friday of a new month, so we've got a new elemental inspiration challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog this week.

But it's not just any elemental inspiration challenge, this is the first challenge in our new series leading up to Christmas.

You can make whatever you want in these Christmas countdown challenges: tags, cards, boxes, decor, whatever you fancy, as long as it's inspired by the challenge theme.

And here's the image to get us started this week.

For my three elements I went with a bow, fair isle pattern, and a mix of a bold and scripty sentiment.

Stamps: The Greetery - Opposites Attract Holiday
Dies: The Greetery - Opposites Attract Holiday, The Greetery - Opposites Attract Holiday Script, The Greetery - Big Beautiful Bow
Stencils: The Greetery - Fair Isle

It wasn't going to be long before I used the Big Beautiful Bow from The Greetery on another card... it was just too tempting to pair it with the Fair Isle stencil set to mimic a pile of PJs or Christmas jumper tied up ready to go under the tree.

I blended the stencils on cream cardstock for a softer look, but stuck to the festive reds, greens and a hint of light pink and aqua.

For my bold sentiment, there was no option but to use the Opposites Attract Holiday set.

Everything was then mounted on a red card base and the card was done. :)

Make sure you check out the projects from the rest of the design team here, and play along if you can!

Happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Opposites Attract Holiday stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Opposites Attract Holiday dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Opposites Attract Holiday Script dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Big Beautiful Bow dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - Fair Isle stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Stamp Market - Aspen ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cheeky ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Fresh Mint ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Gumdrop ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Lipstick Red ink pad Shop at: MISC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ (UK)	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC
Zig - Wink of Stella glitter brush pen - Clear Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC
Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Big Beautiful Bow

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today sharing a couple of cards with the oh so popular Big Beautiful Bow die set from The Greetery, which was restocked just yesterday along with a few other festive favourites.

If you watched the Intro video that Betsy created for this die set, you'll have seen that you can easily make two cards in one go by cutting the bow elements from two coordinating shades of cardstock and swapping over the layered details when you assemble the bows.

I chose forest green and fern green for my bows and found a great colour to pair them with: pale pink.

Stamp: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas
Dies: The Greetery - Herringbone Parquet, The Greetery - Big Beautiful Bow, The Greetery - Big Branches Eucalyptus, The Greetery - BotaniCuts Juniper

I ran the two pink panels through my die cutting machine with the Herringbone Parquet die and splattered the background panels with copper metallic paint for extra sparkle.

For a touch of greenery, I grabbed the Big Branches Eucalyptus dies (released last year) and the new BotaniCuts Juniper dies.

Any of The Greetery's Big Branches would work perfectly here. They were originally designed with festive gift wrapping in mind, but the larger size is great for filling the white space on cards, and you can cut the branches to the length you need to pop behind the bow.

Stamp: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas
Dies: The Greetery - Herringbone Parquet, The Greetery - Big Beautiful Bow, The Greetery - Big Branches Eucalyptus, The Greetery - BotaniCuts Juniper

For each card, I cut two of everything in the greenery sets I used.

I blended some green ink on the eucalyptus branches and splattered them with white paint.

For the juniper branches, I found a nice and dark pine green cardstock in my stash and splattered the branches with pearlescent white paint. I cut the berries from cream cardstock and added Clear Rock Candy glitter for a touch of wintry sparkle.

Top tip: Save time by cutting and prepping all the greenery first, so that the paint splatters, glitter and glue are all well and truly dry before you start assembling everything.

The tags from the Big Beautiful Bow set are cut from cream cardstock and stamped with sentiments from the Sentiment Suite: Christmas stamp set, which I find super handy for little tags like these.

The tags have silver thread tied to them and are attached under the knot of the bow.

And there we have it, two cards with a slightly different look - but full of festive charm.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Herringbone Parquet die Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Big Beautiful Bow dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Big Branches Eucalyptus dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - BotaniCuts Juniper dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ (UK)	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	The Stamp Market - Fern cardstock Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Forest cardstock Shop at: MISC	Tim Holtz - Distress Glitter - Clear Rock Candy Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Dr. Pj. Martin's Bleed Proof White watercolour Shop at: AZ (UK)	Kuretake Gansai Tambi 36-pan watercolour set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Christmas Cloche

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with a new Christmas card project.

This year's festive line-up from Concord & 9th includes something for snowglobe addicts like me!

The Christmas Cloche die set and matching stamps can be used to create various Christmas scenes - I just love it when you have plenty of options in one set!

For the first outing of this die and stamp combo, I decided to make an aperture window to frame a wintry scene reminiscent of a snowglobe I saw in a shop the other day.

Stamp and dies: Concord & 9th - Christmas Cloche

I often find with these types of projects that once you work out what elements and colours you want to use, it's much easier to prepare everything before starting on the actual assembly of your card.

Here's the full list of supplies I used:

• Concord & 9th Christmas Cloche dies and stamps
• Concord & 9th cardstock from the Assorted pack in the following shades: Tidepool, Juniper, Sweet Pea, Artichoke, Wheat, and Nutmeg
• Lawn Fawn metallic cardstock in gold and silver
• Hero Arts White embossing powder for the stamped sentiment (I reach for the handy Versamark ink cube to emboss smaller detailed sentiments like those in this set)

Plus:

• Coordinating inks to add some shading to the bow, pine boughs, tree, and deer
• White paint for snowy splatter
• White glitter cardstock for the ground
• Silver thread to attach the bells
• Patterned paper for the backdrop
• White gel pen to add highlights to the deer's nose and back

Assembly steps for the aperture:

1. Cut the large cloche from a panel of Tidepool cardstock.
2. Cut the gold cloche frame by taping the two cloche dies together to run through your die cutting machine.
3. Cut the smaller cloche from a piece of white cardstock that is smaller than the Tidepool panel.
4. Attach the gold frame around the white cardstock aperture, leaving the bottom unglued so that you can still stick the base under it later.
5. Attach the Tidepool panel to the white panel so the frame is nested inside.

Then it's just a matter of piecing in the elements at the bottom of the cloche by adding the base under the bottom edge of the cloche frame and also building up the layers with scrap cardstock on the reverse to create all the dimension.

The scene soon comes together and the dimension from the aperture creates the illusion of depth, without all the bulk of using foam pads or tape.

You could of course create a similar look with an acetate shaker window and mica flakes, sprinkles, or sequins for snow. The possibilities are endless!

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Concord & 9th - Christmas Cloche stamps Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	Concord & 9th - Christmas Cloche dies Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SHC (UK)
Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Gold metallic cardstock Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Silver metallic cardstock Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Memory Box - Festive glitter pad Shop at: MISC
Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Dr. Pj. Martin's Bleed Proof White watercolour Shop at: AZ (UK)	Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Zig - Wink of Stella glitter brush pen - Clear Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)
Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC
Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Detail blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

DCM - Alphabet Soup

Morning all!

It's my turn to set the challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers Blog this week, and what better way to grapple with one of my crafty pet problems.

I don't know about you, but I'm always a sucker for a lovely font whether in stamp or die form. I always have great ambitions to use alphabet sets to do more than just personalise the odd card here and there. I fancifully think I'm going to create loads of striking sentiments and greetings with them, when the reality is that I simply overlook what I have.

Numbers I have no problem using, alphabet sets... hm... I need to dig them out and use them more.

So that's the theme for this week's challenge - get your alpha stamps or dies out to create the main sentiment for your card.

Here's my take with, of course, a couple of retired alpha sets from Pinkfresh Studio:

Dies: Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine, Pinkfresh Studio - Heather Lowercase (r), Pinkfresh Studio - Lea's Ornate Uppercase (r), The Greetery - Big Branches Pine, The Greetery - Wood Slices
Stencils: The Greetery - Fair Isle

I used the combination of alpha dies to make that sentiment pop against the Wood Slice die and that rather non-traditional colour palette... Well, maybe it's not that non-traditional... there's some red and green... and a whole lot of brown! I was originally inspired by a more muted version of a colour palette that Betsy used for the Fair Isle stencils. I'm thinking blue tones are next on my list.

Make sure you check out the projects from the rest of the design team here, and play along if you can!

Happy crafting!

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Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine dies Shop at: MISC	Pinkfresh Studio - Heather Lowercase dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Pinkfresh Studio - Lea's Ornate Uppercase dies (r) Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Big Branches Pine dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - Wood Slices dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Fair Isle stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Distress ink pad - Old Paper Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Doe ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)
Lawn Fawn - Manatee ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Walnut ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	The Stamp Market - Cactus ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Dijon ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Fern ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Sage ink pad Shop at: MISC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ (UK)	Memory Box - Festive glitter pad Shop at: MISC
Dr. Pj. Martin's Bleed Proof White watercolour Shop at: AZ (UK)	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Detail blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)
Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Cheer Mobile

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with a festive project featuring a few favourites from The Greetery's 2023 Holiday release. :D

Oh, there is nothing quite as fun as festive crafting - my favourite season!

Stamps: The Greetery - Cheer Mobile
Dies: The Greetery - Cheer Mobile, The Greetery - Crimped Circle Tags, The Greetery - Loopy Bow Builder
Stencils: The Greetery - Fair Isle, The Greetery - Frosty Flakes

One of my absolute favourite images on a card is a little red car with a tree on the top. Not that I've ever transported a tree like this or seen many folks in the UK strap their tree to the roof! But it is an image that is quintessentially Christmas to me.

I started out by creating a background on cream cardstock with the Fair Isle stencil set with pink and aqua shades, and ageing it up with some Old Paper Distress ink.

Then I stamped the car and tree from the Cheer Mobile set (nicely lined up with the help of the wonderful Waffle Flower grip mat) and, once assembled, I added some white paint splatter for a real wintry touch.

I grabbed the Crimped Circle Tag ties and cut the large one from cream cardstock. I masked off the "ground" and then created a snowy background by ink blending and using a snowflake stencil. While the ground was still masked, I added some more white paint splatter for good measure.

Once the background was dry, I added the car, the stamped sentiment from the Cheer Mobile set, and some white puffy paint below the wheels.

The Loopy Bow Builder dies provided the perfect festive finishing touch. The next time I create a card along these lines, I may add some twine to the tag, as it almost looks like a bauble hanging from a branch.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Cheer Mobile stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Cheer Mobile dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Crimped Circle Tags dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Loopy Bow Builder dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - Fair Isle stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Frosty Flakes stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Distress ink pad - Old Paper Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Black Licorice ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)
Lawn Fawn - Doe ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Hippo ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Kiddie Pool ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Narwhal ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)
The Stamp Market - Cheeky ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Coastal ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Forest ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Island ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Lipstick Red ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Peony ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ (UK)	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC	Dr. Pj. Martin's Bleed Proof White watercolour Shop at: AZ (UK)	Cosmic Shimmer - Fluffy Stuff Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
3M Post-It tape White Shop at: AZ (UK)	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC
Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Detail blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

DCM - Fun and Games

Morning!

There's a fun new challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog today - Joanne has chosen the theme of Fun and Games, and well, in my quest to make more Christmas cards I went with all the fun of a wintry snow day:

Paper, sticker, ephemera: Crate Paper - Bundled Up (r)
Stamps: Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party, Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party 2, Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas

And I had the perfect paper still in my stash for that. I think this is the last cut of the Crate Paper Bundled Up paper I have featuring these snowy antics.

I also used a sliver of book paper from the same collection, plus ephemera and that border sticker.

Before I stuck down the patterned paper, I used sentiments from Flora & Fauna and Hello Bluebird to customise the paper. Thankfully, the couple of free-hand stamping attempts turned out OK, but I used the Misti for the longer sentiments.

Make sure you check out the projects from the rest of the design team here, and play along if you can!

Happy crafting!

---

Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party 2 stamps Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party stamps Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)
Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Merry & Bright

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with a festive project I've been wanting to make for a while.

I always love the look of 3D cards, but am not very good at taking a break from my usual cardmaking style to give them a go.

Plus, with the cost of postage these days, I really want to keep bulky cards to a minimum.

One simple way to add pop is to use cardstock to make "springs".

Stencils: The Greetery - Stencil Scapes: Winter
Stamp: The Greetery - Ornament Box Top Vertical
Die: The Greetery - Ornament Box Top Vertical

I absolutely love a festive wintry scene, and the StencilScapes Winter stencils from The Greetery are a real favourite.

There are 6 steps to build the scene.

You can use one colour per stencil just like the printed guide shows, or mask off areas on the stencil layers/use detail brushes to bring in more colours.

For example, I wanted a pink sky but also wanted to keep the frosty blue for the frozen lake and I wanted the little skaters to stand out with bright blue coats - all possible with a bit of selective ink blending and masking.

Once I'd finished the scene, I went in with some glue to add Rock Candy glitter to the tree branches, the rooftops, and other areas that needed a touch of frosty sparkle.

Then it was on to creating my frame.

The Ornament Box Top Vertical stamp and matching dies were originally intended for the Curio Attic Ornaments, but they are perfect for framing wintry scenes like this one.

I went with a festive red for the box and once it was cut out, I just needed to make the springs that would make the frame pop up.

For this A2 frame, you need two strips of white cardstock that are 7/8ths of an inch wide and 5 and 3/8ths of an inch long (so a touch shorter than the length of the frame). Score the strips at 1/4 in. then another 1/4 in. leaving 3/8ths of an inch. The 3/8ths part of your frame spring is the one you attach to the back of the Ornament Box frame so that the first fold is always on the outside of the frame. This keeps the 1/4 in. folds to the edges of your card, and they're not easily visible when the card is displayed.

When you come to stick the frame onto the background panel (with liquid glue for wiggle room), it's a good idea to trim the panel down slightly so that everything lines up easier. I also trimmed down my usual A2 card base and stuck that on at the end. It's much easier to do all this before assembling, rather than when things are stuck in place and something is still sticking out a bit somewhere.

You could achieve a similar framed look for this scene with The Greetery Arches dies or other frame dies, but this Ornament Box really adds an extra festive touch.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Ornament Box Top Vertical stamp Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Ornament Box Top Vertical dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Stencil Scapes: Winter stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Lawn Fawn - Chili Pepper ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)
Lawn Fawn - Manatee ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Storm Cloud ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Walnut ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Wild Rose ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)
The Stamp Market - Blush Pink ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cherry Kisses ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cobalt ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Forest ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Greenery ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: MISC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC	Tim Holtz - Distress Glitter - Clear Rock Candy Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)
Detail blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

DCM - October elemental inspiration

Morning all!

I managed to do a little crafting last weekend, still no major improvement with the trapped nerve in my hand, but Christmas crafting is a-calling, so...

It's the first Friday of a new month, and that means a brand-new elemental inspiration challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog!

Here's the image that Shabneez chose:

Well, I went with a bit of left-field thinking and interpreted the elements as follows: Something that hibernates, flora (trees), blue tones

Stamps: Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas, WPlus9 - Holiday Hugs (r)
Dies: Hello Bluebird - Winter Woods Overlay, WPlus9 - Holiday Hugs (r)

I'm not totally happy with how the colouring on this card came out, I used Distress Watercolour pencils and really should have stuck to using watercolour paper. But I went with Bristol paper that has usually been great for colouring with pencils and watercolour detail.

But anyway... a good learning experience!

Inspired by the tortoise I featured a hibernating creature with the lovely Holiday Hugs set from WPlus9, love using this set every festive season.

I paired it with a really simple background.

I recently purchased the two new sets of Holiday Distress Mica Stains, and tested all 6 colours out on background panels of cardstock.

This is the Juniper Berry spray, and it doesn't look all that festive in a flat lay photo, but once you tilt it to the light you really see all the sparkle and more wintry splatter.

I also added sparkle with a Wink of Stella pen to the coat and boots on the little girl and to the bear's nose.

To frame this scene, I grabbed the Winter Woods Overlay and Typed Christmas sets from Hello Bluebird.

Make sure you check out the other interpretations from the rest of the design team here, and play along if you can!

Happy crafting!

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Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC	WPlus9 - Holiday Hugs stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Winter Woods Overlay die Shop at: MISC	WPlus9 - Holiday Hugs dies (r) Shop at: MISC
Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Jackdaw Express - AM440 - White Ivory Bristol Board 335gsm Shop at: AZ (UK)	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC	Distress Mica Stain Set 5 Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Distress Watercolor Pencils - Set 1 Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Distress Watercolor Pencils - Set 2 Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Distress Watercolor Pencils - Set 3 Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Zig - Wink of Stella glitter brush pen - Clear Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC
Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Royal Langnickel - Zen watercolour round wash brush set Shop at: AZ (UK)
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Tiny Houses

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with a couple of card projects featuring a new take on a real festive favourite.

It's pretty well known among my crafting friends and those on my Christmas card list that I have a slight obsession with tiny houses and winter villages.

Well, one of my absolute favourite die sets to use when in the festive making mood is the Tiny Houses set from MFT.

It's a retired set, but luckily still in the store if you missed it the first time around.

Paper: Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa (r)
Stamps: Concord & 9th - Home for the Holidays
Dies: Concord & 9th - Home for the Holidays Stacks, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Circle, MFT - Grounding Elements (r), MFT - Tiny Houses (r), The Greetery - Hoopla Round

For this year's outing, I wanted to create a little wintry scene inside the smallest of Hoopla Round dies from The Greetery.

When I'm not using US A2 compatible dies, I usually reach for my favourite card blanks from Papermania - the white A6 pack in this case.

The white is just the perfect tone, not too cool or grey. Just a fresh, clean white.

The Tiny Houses are great for using up scraps and off cuts - including small pieces of that all too precious glitter card!

Once the wintry scenes were created, I grabbed some coordinating patterned paper for the background to my cards and then used some lovely sentiments from the Home for the Holidays stamp set from Concord & 9th.

I really could do with more sentiments in that Papercute font - if anyone's listening. ;)

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Concord & 9th - Home for the Holidays stamps Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Concord & 9th - Home for the Holidays Stacks dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Circle dies Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MFT - Grounding Elements dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)
MFT - Tiny Houses dies (r) Shop at: SHC (UK)	The Greetery - Hoopla Round dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa - Rosy Cheeks paper (r) Shop at: MISC	Lawn Fawn - Gold metallic cardstock Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Memory Box - Festive glitter pad Shop at: MISC
Memory Box - Majestic Hues glitter pad Shop at: MISC	Kuretake Gansai Tambi 36-pan watercolour set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Royal Langnickel - Zen watercolour round wash brush set Shop at: AZ (UK)
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Wildwood

Morning everyone!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with an autumnal make featuring some recent releases from The Greetery.

I'm a real sucker for multi-step floral stamp sets. Just love them. But I especially love it when a set also features some nice foliage elements to fill in the space around the florals.

The Wildwood set from The Greetery has loads of these elements. You can keep things simple by picking out a few choice elements, or go the whole hog and use each element to create the focal point for your card.

Stamps: The Greetery - Wildwood
Dies: The Greetery - Aida Cloth, The Greetery - Wildwood, The Greetery - Wildwood Sentiments, The Greetery - Hoopla Oval

I picked some warm autumnal tones to contrast with the grey inks I wanted to use for the stems and foliage.

To frame the floral spray, I grabbed the large embroidery hoop from the Hoopla Ovals die set. I just love the woodgrain detail on the frame and embossing on the screw. These little details add a nice touch of realism.

Once all the floral elements were arranged and stuck down, I added one of the sentiments from the stamp set cut out with the separate sentiment die set.

I definitely needed some maximalist pop to make that frame and the Wildwood florals stand out.

So I reached for some jade cardstock, added texture by scoring lines outwards from the midline every 3/4 of an inch, blended some darker jade ink around the edges of the panel, and finally added some much-needed gold splatter with watercolour paint.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Wildwood stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Aida Cloth texture plate Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Wildwood dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Wildwood Sentiments dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - Hoopla Oval dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Stamp Market - Blush Pink ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Coral Reef ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Dijon ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Gravel ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Jade ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Peach ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Rusty ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Slate ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Umber ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC	Lawn Fawn - Gold metallic cardstock Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Silver metallic cardstock Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC (UK)	Kuretake Gansai Tambi 36-pan watercolour set Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Waffle Flower - 6.5 x 8.5 Grip Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
Royal Langnickel - Zen watercolour round wash brush set Shop at: AZ (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC

Hang a Stocking

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with a couple of festive makes, combining some brand-new supplies with some old favourites. :)

The latest Concord & 9th festive release hit the store last week, and once again there was plenty of temptation and a lot of scope to use new sets like the Stocking Stamp & Stitch set with some older items.

I must confess, that's one of my favourite things about making Christmas cards – pulling out favourite supplies from previous years and using them with my new additions.

For the backdrop to my card today, I figured the Concord & 9th Boughs & Holly stencils would be the perfect place to start.

This set of 6 stencils creates a wreath background and a greenery background.

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Stocking Stamp & Stitch
Dies: Concord & 9th - Stocking Stamp & Stitch, The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles
Stencils: Concord & 9th - Boughs & Holly

Since I had my inks out, I decided to stencil the greenery background onto white cardstock, and the wreath background onto a rustic cream cardstock to make two cards in one go.

Once the backgrounds were done, I trimmed them down slightly so that the panels could be mounted on a solid cardstock background. I even got the Corner Chomper out for the cream background for extra flourish!

Then it was time to cut the stocking elements and do a little stitching.

The stitching is super easy and adds a lovely finishing detail with that texture. I've got a fair bit of felt in my stash, so I may also try some felt stitched stockings down the line.

I added a sprig of holly to the cuff detail and some Glossy Accents on the berries.

Finally, I needed to add a sentiment somewhere, so I grabbed the Joy stamp from the Stocking set and stamped it on one of the banners from The Greetery's Sentiment Suite Basics die set and nestled it behind the stocking.

I also stamped the heart from the Stocking set on the small tag from the Sentiment Suite Basics set and tied it with silver thread so that it would dangle from the stocking. It just adds that perfect finishing detail.

~~~~~

With the wreath stencil background, I mixed things up a little and went a little retro.

Stamps: The Greetery - Tagged Elegance
Dies: Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Circle, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles, Simon Says Stamp - Eliza Snowflake, WPlus9 - Under the Mistletoe
Stencils: Concord & 9th - Boughs & Holly

I needed a sentiment that would fit inside the wreath, and I immediately thought of the Tagged Elegance set from The Greetery.

I cut a slightly larger circle of aqua cardstock to mount the sentiment on, but first I snipped all around the edge to create a fringed look.

I then grabbed some snowflakes and a bow that I'd cut for past Christmas projects but hadn't used yet and arranged them behind the sentiment.

I think this combo turned out rather well, and I do like the warmer tone of those same ink colours on cream cardstock.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Concord & 9th - Stocking Stamp & Stitch stamps Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	The Greetery - Tagged Elegance stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Concord & 9th - Stocking Stamp & Stitch dies Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Circle dies Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Simon Says Stamp - Eliza Snowflake die Shop at: MISC	WPlus9 - Under the Mistletoe dies Shop at: MISC
Concord & 9th - Boughs & Holly stencils Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	The Stamp Market - Jade ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Julep ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Raspberry ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Rosy ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Hero Arts - Azalea cardstock Shop at: SHC (UK)
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC	Simon Says Stamp - Fog cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Jade cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Rosy cardstock Shop at: MISC
Memory Box - Delicate Pastel glitter pad Shop at: MISC	Pinkfresh Studio - Glitter Drops: Champagne Shop at: EH | MISC	Marvy Jewel Picker Shop at: AZ (UK)	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK)
Ranger - Glossy Accents Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)
Detail blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC