Kool Kitty Musings

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 51 (Holly Jolly)

Good morning!

I wasn't sure I'd get to make this card design in time for my countdown series, because the post has been really disrupted lately with so much more online shopping happening. But after almost two weeks in the postal system, my new supplies arrived safely, and I had the fun of using them this side of Christmas. :)

Paper: Pebbles - Cozy & Bright (r)
Dies: The Stamp Market - Chevron Cover die, Lil' Inker Designs - Holly Jolly (r), Pinkfresh Studio - Essentials: Ornate Banner, The Stamp Market - Holly Jolly

I had already created the chevron background a few weeks ago layering white cardstock on grey, but the project I was going to use it for didn't turn out right, so I ditched that idea and kept the chevron panel to hand waiting for new inspiration.

My new supplies were the Holly Jolly die and the Ornate Banners - both getting their first outing here. The Holly Jolly die has been cut from 10 shades of The Stamp Market cardstock (inspired by the colour order in the marketing photos for this die set). I popped it up on additional foam tape on the Ornate Banner, which has been decorated with a peppermint stripe at the top for a little festive contrast.

And to match the sentiment, there did of course need to be a sprig of holly.

I'm almost out of tiny red enamel dots for berries, and I just find them easier to use than doing berries with Nuvo Drops, as you need to do one berry, wait for it to dry then do the other berry otherwise they meld into each other.

I wish a manufacturer would just release a set of small red enamel dots in one size. lol

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

The Stamp Market - Chevron Cover die Shop at: MISC	Lil' Inker Designs - Holly Jolly dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Pinkfresh Studio - Essentials: Ornate Banner dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	The Stamp Market - Holly Jolly dies Shop at: MISC
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Taffy Shop at: AZ | EH	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	The Stamp Market - Bubble Gum cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cactus cardstock Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Cotton Candy cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Curry cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Greenery cardstock Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Jade cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Lipstick Red cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Peony cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Raspberry cardstock Shop at: MISC
Pebbles - Cozy & Bright - 'Tis the Season paper (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 50 (Joy)

Good morning!

Today's card is inspired by the December card challenge prompt but with a twist.

I wanted to feature some houses but this time pare things right back to create a super flat card for posting.

Well, masking paper to the rescue!

Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs - All The Christmas You'll Ever Need (r)
Dies: Hello Bluebird - Glacier Peaks, PTI - Seeing Stars (r), Simon Says Stamp - Village
Other: Distress Inks

You can get a lot of depth and interest by using your dies to create a silhouette for masking and then go to town with some distress inks and white gouache paint to create your very own wintry night sky.

After leaving the background to dry, there's nothing quite like peeling back the masking paper to reveal what's underneath.

So satisfying!

I simply finished off this card by stamping a lovely large sentiment from Lil' Inker Designs that would perfectly fill that white space.

Nothing else was needed so I left it at that.

Happy crafting, until next time!

 

---

Lil' Inker Designs - All The Christmas You'll Ever Need stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Glacier Peaks dies Shop at: MISC	PTI - Seeing Stars dies Shop at: MISC	Simon Says Stamp - Village dies Shop at: SSS
Distress ink pad - Black Soot Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress ink pad - Dusty Concord Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress ink pad - Picked Raspberry Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Strathmore Bristol cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Simon Says Stamp - Masking Paper Shop at: SSS	Cosmetic blending brushes Shop at: AZ	Taylored Expressions - Blender Brushes Shop at: MISC
Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ | SBC | SHC	Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 49 (Holly Jolly Christmas)

Good morning!

Today's card is a fun take on alternative apertures.

I'm a big fan of using dies to create apertures - whether as a window or to showcase a sentiment or design element.

But usually I reach for simple geometric shapes to create these apertures.

Not today!

Today I wanted to use something festive, and hey presto I found a large tree die from PTI in my stash that would do the job:

Paper: Crate Paper - Hey Santa, Crate Paper - Merry Days (r)
Stamp: Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages
Dies: Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles, Pinkfresh Studio - Artistic Bows, Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles, PTI - Christmas Tree (r), The Stamp Market - Tiny Tags

I found a great plaid green pattern in the Hey Santa pad from Crate Paper that would make it easy to line up the tree die and also the stitched diagonal rectangle die so that everything would be nicely centred.

For the inside of the aperture I used a left-over piece of foliage paper (also from Merry Days I believe) that had lots of nice bold colours against the black and the foliage was spread out in such a way that it looks like the tree has floral garlands on it now.

I used the larger artistic bow from Pinkfresh Studio, cut from spotty red Christmas paper, but layered the elements the other way round than normal to hide the blue on the other side of the patterned paper so it wouldn't peek out. It's a different way to use the die, but I thought it worked fine, especially with the placement to look like it is tying both sides of the paper together.

Finally, I added a sentiment from Mama Elephant on a tiny tag and tied it on with silver thread.

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Pinkfresh Studio - Artistic Bows dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC
PTI - Christmas Tree die (r) Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Tiny Tags dies Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Crate Paper - Hey Santa - 6x8 paper pad Shop at: MISC | SBC	Crate Paper - Merry Days - Frosty Days paper Shop at: MISC | SBC	Crate Paper - Merry Days - Merrily paper (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC	Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 48 (Here Comes Santa)

Good morning!

With less than a week to go it's time to announce the impending arrival of a certain gentleman...

Paper: Crate Paper - Hey Santa
Chipboard: Crate Paper - Peppermint (r)
Stamp: Simon Says Stamp - Tiny Words Christmas
Dies: Neat & Tangled - Skinny Strips (r), Pinkfresh Studio - Ornate Oval Frame

Inspired by one of the patterns in the Hey Santa paper pad by Crate Paper, I wanted to use the Ornate Oval Frame from Pinkfresh Studio as a focal point for a slightly more vintage Santa from another Crate Paper collection.

This time a chipboard cut-out from the Peppermint Christmas collection.

It's great to finally use some of these chipboard pieces as I rarely use chipboard on my cards these days.

They've reminded me how easy it is to add dimension, without just using 3D foam tape for anything. Plus this Santa fit perfectly in the frame, even his belly nestled right inside the curve of the frame. Meant to be.

I added a sentiment from the Tiny Words Christmas stamp set – heat embossed in white on Jade cardstock from The Stamp Market – a perfect match for the green in the background to this collection. :)

Finally, for a little extra detail I added black Nuvo drops on the eyes and buttons, and dimensional glitter paint on the pompom of his hat.

And then I stepped away so as not to add anything more that would make it look overly busy. ;)

Happy crafting, until next time!

 

---

Simon Says Stamp - Tiny Words Christmas stamps Shop at: SSS	Neat & Tangled - Skinny Strips dies (r) Shop at: EH | SHC	Pinkfresh Studio - Ornate Oval Frame die Shop at: AZ | EH | MISC | SBC	Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SHC
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	The Stamp Market - Jade cardstock Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Hey Santa - 6x8 paper pad Shop at: MISC | SBC	Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops - Ebony Black Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 47 (Deck the Halls)

Good morning!

Today's card is a bit of a throwback...

Paper: Crate Paper - Bundled Up (r)
Stamp:  Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages
Dies: Mama Elephant - Dainty Bow, MFT - First Place Award Ribbon (r), PTI - Seeing Stars, The Stamp Market - Pine Boughs

I always love delving into the papers from Christmas collections of the past and despite my efforts to use some new papers for today's card design, I ended up picking out some lovely designs from the Crate Paper Bundled Up collection which must be a good 7 years old now.

I wanted to make a dimensional tree ornament hanging from a wintry bough. So created the star with text printed paper, scored all the intersecting points to pop it up on 3D foam tape and hung it from one of the Pine Boughs from The Stamp Market.

I added white ink to the needles on the pine bough so that it would stand out better, some silver thread to hang the star from a branch, and a little red dainty bow from Mama Elephant.

That die has been used so much over the years, its daintiness is just perfect to add finishing touches to all kinds of projects.

Finally, for the sentiment I heat embossed a stacked sentiment from Mama Elephant on a scrap piece of paper and added an enamel dot in one of the colours on the Christmas tree baubles in the background.

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	Mama Elephant - Dainty Bow dies Shop at: MISC	MFT - First Place Award Ribbon dies (r) Shop at: MISC	PTI - Seeing Stars dies Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Pine Boughs dies Shop at: MISC	Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SHC	Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

DCM - Tags, Labels & Gift Décor

Good morning!

Well, it's time for the last challenge of the year over on the Daring Cardmakers blog.

We're making tags, labels and other gift décor, but as I've got enough gift tags to last me a while I thought I'd use my gift tag as a card topper instead.

If you popped your tag in a pocket or used low tack adhesive you could also do a similar card project where the recipient could reuse the tag too. :)

 

Paper: Basic Grey - Aspen Frost (r), Pebbles - Cozy & Bright (r)
Stamps: Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas, The Stamp Market - So Mini Hellos
Dies: Lawn Fawn - Put a Bow on It, PTI - Tag Sale #2, The Stamp Market - Oblong Hexagons, The Stamp Market - Pine Boughs

First up, I created my tag by stamping on cream cardstock using post-it tape to mask the tree when stamping the car.

I coloured in with Copics and used a white pen for highlights.

Once again the Typed Christmas sentiments from Hello Bluebird had a fun sentiment that fit the bill. :)

I just needed to find something in my stash to showcase this tag, and I remembered I had a few bits and pieces left of Basic Grey Aspen Frost. This collection has so many peppermint elements and a nice frosty blue through it that I knew it would go well with the red mini.

I cut the plain blue panel with an oblong hexagon die from The Stamp Market, but didn't stick it down fully so that I could lift the edges a little.

The bottom of the tag is stuck on with foam tape, but the top is glued flat in place - so again, a nice touch of dimension to lift these elements.

I added a bow and pine sprigs before adding the button and twine combo as a finishing touch.

I'm really going to be sad the day my Basic Grey scraps run out! But there's still enough for a few more Christmas cards... ;)

Make sure you check out the wonderful ideas from the rest of the design team, they're great for some last minute gifting accessories!

Happy crafting!

---

Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC | SSS	The Stamp Market - So Mini Hellos stamps Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Put a Bow on It dies Shop at: SBC | SHC	PTI - Tag Sale #2 die Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Oblong Hexagon dies Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Pine Boughs dies Shop at: MISC	Gina K Designs - Obsidian Amalgam ink pad Shop at: EH | SSS	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ | EH	Pebbles - Cozy & Bright - 'Tis the Season paper (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC	Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Post-It tape White Shop at: AZ | EH
Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 46 (Star of Wonder)

Good morning!

Today's card features what are some of my favourite types of supplies for Christmas cards - dies for making a little winter village scene:

Stamps:  Avery Elle - Starry Scene (r), Lil' Inker Designs - All The Christmas You'll Ever Need (r)
Dies: Essentials by Ellen - Stitches Cover Plate, Avery Elle - Starry Scene (r), Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars (r), MFT - Grounding Elements, MFT - Tiny Houses

And speaking of winter scenes, the whole inspiration behind this card was from the November card challenge prompt here.

I just love the combination of the new MFT Grounding Elements and Tiny Houses dies against the Starry Scene stamped sky. I stamped the sky in Sea Glass ink twice, so it is a little darker than normal - but it really makes the other elements stand out, especially against that lovely stitched background.

For a little extra pop, I blended Artichoke ink on the green trees and there's glitter paper galore here: the frosty snow drifts, the champagne gold glow behind the windows, and brown glitter paper for the little doors.

I love a dimensional star and was determined to feature one here - lo and behold I already had a white star cut in the little bowl I keep on my desk of random die cuts that need using.

The perfect sentiment from Lil' Inker Designs was just meant to be as it nestled perfectly in the space that was left.

I love it when a plan comes together. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Avery Elle - Starry Scene stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Lil' Inker Designs - All The Christmas You'll Ever Need stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Essentials by Ellen - Stitches Cover Plate Shop at: EH	Avery Elle - Starry Scene dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC
Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC	MFT - Grounding Elements dies Shop at: EH | SHC	MFT - Tiny Houses dies Shop at: EH | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Artichoke ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Taffy Shop at: AZ | EH
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 45 (Glad Tidings)

Good morning!

I have a bit of a throwback for today's card with a stamp set that must be six or seven years old now, but with all the lovely varieties of ink out there can still be used to create a fresh yet classic card design:

Stamps: WPlus9 - Woodland Wreaths (r), Simon Says Stamp - Tiny Words Christmas
Dies: WPlus9 - Woodland Wreaths (r), Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Woodgrain cover-up, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles, Lawn Fawn - Put a Bow on It, PTI - Tag Sale #10

So yes, the WPlus9 Woodland Wreaths set got some love this year with inks from The Stamp Market and Concord & 9th, plus a few Lawn Fawn greens for the pear and my go-to branch brown from Altenew.

I love the look of wreaths against wood textures/prints, so I doubled this up by using a grey wood paper from Basic Grey with the Tag Sale #10 die and my beloved Stitched Woodgrain cover-up die from Lil' Inker Designs, which I always think looks so nice in Pale Rose pink on light grey.

Finally, I added a champagne gold glittery bow and a sentiment from the Tiny Words set by Simon Says Stamp.

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Simon Says Stamp - Tiny Words Christmas stamps Shop at: SSS	WPlus9 - Woodland Wreaths stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Woodgrain cover-up die Shop at: MISC | SHC	WPlus9 - Woodland Wreaths dies (r) Shop at: MISC
Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Put a Bow on It dies Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	PTI - Tag Sale #10 dies Shop at: MISC	Altenew - Dark Chocolate dye ink Shop at: EH | SSS
Lawn Fawn - Artichoke ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Cilantro ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	The Stamp Market - Bubble Gum ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Citrine ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Greenery ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Island ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Melon Orange ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Rusty ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal ink pad Shop at: MISC	Altenew - Four Scoops ink cube set Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Concord & 9th - Ink cube set Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Taffy Shop at: AZ | EH	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 44 (Ho Ho Ho)

Good morning!

Today's card features a very jolly soul... I'm sure he's preparing his list now, checking it twice... Have you been naughty or have you been nice?

Paper: Crate Paper - Falala (r)
Dies: Waffle Flower - Surface Tag Die: Starter Set (r), Waffle Flower - Surface Tag Die: Santa Add-on (r), Mama Elephant - Sew Fancy (r)

The Santa body is made with the Waffle Flower Surface Tag die sets below. You can make other characters with the basic tag set and the add-ons, so it's quite versatile really.

I used cardstock scraps to make the tag elements, and added Glossy Accents to the buttons.

I reached for some papers that would still let the Santa tag be the main focus - I had no idea just how many Christmas papers I had that feature red so prominently in them...

I had to ditch those and seek out some winter greens and neutrals. Happily found in the Falala collection from Crate Paper.

For the tree paper I used one of the panel dies from the Sew Fancy set by Mama Elephant just to add a little stitched interest.

For my sentiment I saw that the cut-apart tags in the Falala collection had one with "Ho Ho Ho" repeated several times – perfect for this card! So I just cut one strip out and mounted it on 3D foam tape.

And tada! Card made. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Mama Elephant - Sew Fancy dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC	Waffle Flower - Surface Tag Die: Santa Add-on (r) Shop at: MISC	Waffle Flower - Surface Tag Die: Starter Set (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS
Simon Says Stamp - Lipstick Red cardstock Shop at: SSS	Crate Paper - Falala - Evergreen paper (r) Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Falala - Greetings paper (r) Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Falala - Mistletoe paper (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC
Ranger - Glossy Accents Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 43 (Gift of Love)

Good morning!

Today's card will no doubt give you a sense of déjà vu!

The flip side of making cards with certain dies and supplies is that you can use the left-overs to create an almost identical card. Which is what I've done for today's card:

Paper: Pebbles - Merry Little Christmas (r)
Ephemera: Crate Paper - Merry Days (r)
Die: Pinkfresh Studio - Pop Out Sunburst

I used the alternating die cuts from my Day 42 card using the Pop Out Sunburst die to create the background. But instead of the frame being raised and the rays inset, I popped up the glitter rays on 3D foam tape.

I needed something circular for the focal element and found this lovely wreath in the Merry Days ephemera pack from Crate Paper. It was the perfect size to be a backdrop for the lady walking past with the gift.

The ephemera pieces felt a little flat against all that white glitter cardstock, so I zhuzh-ed them up with a touch of Wink of Stella pen on the bows and also the lady's coat and boots, plus glitter Nuvo drops on the berry accents of the wreath.

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Pinkfresh Studio - Pop Out Sunburst die Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Pebbles - Merry Little Christmas - Snow Day paper (r) Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Merry Days - Ephemera (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC
Tonic Studios Nuvo Glitter Drops - Silver Moondust Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Zig - Wink of Stella glitter brush pen - Clear Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 42 (Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow)

Good morning!

Today's card features a die that might not necessarily scream Christmas... the Pop Out Sunburst die from Pinkfresh Studio.

It's also a rather tenuous take on the August prompt for the 2020 card challenge which featured a geometric layout with a circle centre for the text (plus there's a fair bit of light blue featured too...):

Paper: Pebbles - Merry Little Christmas (r)
Stamps: Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party
Die: Pinkfresh Studio - Pop Out Sunburst

I cut the sunburst from white cardstock twice and once from the Snow Day paper I recently bought. I do love Pebbles illustrative style - they have a lot of pretty papers that can be used multiple ways and when I buy the odd 12x12 I know I will use the full sheet up eventually.

When assembling the pieces in the frame to see how they looked, I realized that some white glitter paper alternating with the patterned paper could be a good option.

I layered up the white frames on my card base then inserted the cutouts in alternating order and left things to dry while I went hunting in Evernote for an appropriate snowy sentiment.

I picked the Holiday Word Party sentiments from Flora and Fauna to stamp on aqua cardstock and heat emboss in white.

I cut the strips apart and mounted them on 3D foam tape then used a gold ribbon sticker from Crate Paper to finish off the frosty look.

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	Pinkfresh Studio - Pop Out Sunburst die Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SHC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	The Stamp Market - Sea Glass cardstock Shop at: MISC	Pebbles - Merry Little Christmas - Snow Day paper (r) Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Merry Days - Cardstock stickers (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC
Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 41 (Noel)

Good morning!

Today's card is a festive take on the rather summery May prompt of the 2020 card challenge.

Stamp: Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages
Dies: Waffle Flower - Diamond Texture, Pinkfresh Studio - Heather Lowercase, Pinkfresh Studio - Lea's Ornate Uppercase, The Stamp Market - Tiny Tags, WPlus9 - Snowflake Trio (r)

The original prompt photo was quite ethereal and focussed on baby pink tones and a bit of aqua, plus hearts.

I definitely wanted to use pale rose for the background panel and cut my card base panel with the Diamond Texture die from Waffle Flower.

I had a stack of white die cut letters to hand, having tested my new Pinkfresh alphabet dies (below), and thought I could use some of them for a bold greeting featuring cardstock scraps of the wonderfully bright shades from The Stamp Market.

I used the "strip of post-it tape" trick to transfer the letters to the panel once I'd got them nicely lined up on my craft mat.

It makes things so much easier - especially when the letters are on 3D foam.

I then flipped through my worryingly large collection of snowflake dies and picked out the WPlus9 Snowflake Trio for some extra texture and interest.

I added glitter enamel dots to the centres for that frosty feeling and just had a small gap let to fill, which was perfect for a tiny tag stamped with a festive sentiment.

I tied sparkly silver thread on the tag and finished everything off with a resin heart from Heidi Grace Designs that must be 13 years old or so by now.

Still looking fresh. ;)

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	Waffle Flower - Diamond Texture die Shop at: EH | SHC	Pinkfresh Studio - Heather Lowercase dies Shop at: MISC | SBC	Pinkfresh Studio - Lea's Ornate Uppercase dies Shop at: MISC | SBC
The Stamp Market - Tiny Tags dies Shop at: MISC	WPlus9 - Snowflake Trio dies (r) Shop at: SHC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	The Stamp Market - Bubble Gum cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cactus cardstock Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Citrine cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal cardstock Shop at: MISC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

DCM - Animal Antics at Christmas

Morning!

This week's challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog gave me the perfect excuse to use one of my favourite Christmas stamp sets from WPlus9.

Paper: American Crafts
Stamps: Avery Elle - Starry Scene (r), Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas, WPlus9 - Holiday Hugs (r)
Dies: Avery Elle - Starry Scene (r), WPlus9 - Holiday Hugs (r), MFT - Grounding Elements

I always love the look of this little girl and the jolly bear against a wintry backdrop, so this time I went with a dark blue ink for the Avery Elle Starry Scene sky stamp and included some of the mountains from the same set.

I didn't want to add my sentiment on a separate strip, so instead stamped it directly on the MFT snowy grounding element die cut.

Once again the Typed Christmas stamp set from Hello Bluebird provided the perfect sentiment. I think it's so apt for this year in particular and for this image.

Make sure you check out the wonderful projects from the rest of the Design Team here and play along if you can.

Happy crafting!

---

Avery Elle - Starry Scene stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC | SSS	WPlus9 - Holiday Hugs stamps (r) Shop at: EH | SHC	Avery Elle - Starry Scene dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC
WPlus9 - Holiday Hugs dies (r) Shop at: EH | SHC	MFT - Grounding Elements dies Shop at: EH | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Deep Sea ink pad Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 40 (Peace, Love & Joy)

Good morning!

Today's card is a celebration of what you can do with the left-overs that have been sat in your stash for a while or are still on your desk from a recent project. ;)

Paper: Elle's Studio (r), Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa (r)
Stamp: Avery Elle - Noel
Dies: Lawn Fawn - Hearts, Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Mini Holiday Greens, The Stamp Market - Embroidery Hoops

This is definitely a clean and simple card - but sometimes that's all you need in order to use up those scraps.

The design reminds me a bit of those framed wall art hangings that are so popular in interior design.

The whole project originally revolved around using the spare mini hoop I die cut for yesterday's card to create a festive accent. I found the striped frame among the paper scraps of an old Elle's Studio Christmas collection and am so happy that it has finally made it onto a project, as I loved this stripey paper and don't have much of it left.

I needed some bold word art for this look and stamped the Avery Elle sentiment on a woodgrain paper from Crate Paper's Snow & Cocoa collection.

Finally, I raided my cardstock scraps to cut the heart and little festive branches and my card was done. :D

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Avery Elle - Noel stamps Shop at: AZ | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Hearts dies Shop at: MISC	Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Mini Holiday Greens dies Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	The Stamp Market - Embroidery Hoops dies Shop at: MISC
Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ | EH	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ | EH | SSS	The Stamp Market - Greenery cardstock Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Raspberry cardstock Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa - 6x6 paper pad (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 39 (Stitched Greetings)

Good morning!

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen that my 2020 craft in lockdown has pretty much been cross stitch.

In fact, I rediscovered stitching just before Christmas of 2019 when some old kits I started in the early naughties were retrieved from my mum and dad's loft and I got the stitchy bug again having found Caterpillar Cross Stitch kits online.

It's allowed me to spend time away from my work desk (which is also my craft desk) and just keep some balance during the many weeks/months when staying at home was the new normal.

Also, thank heavens for audiobooks during this time - stitching and listening to tales from another world really helped bring some balance during downtime.

So yes, when I saw the Embroidery Hoops set from The Stamp Market I had to get them. ;)

My card for today is also my festive take on the October prompt of the 2020 card challenge.

Paper: Crate Paper - Falala - Fireside (r)
Stamp: Agateria - Zestaw do napisów na każda okazję 3
Dies: The Stamp Market - Embroidery Hoops, Mama Elephant - Sew Fancy (r), Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles

From the prompt, I was particularly inspired to use hand stitching, a bold grey for my background, and texture galore.

The threads used on this project were actually left over from the Bloom and Grow stitch-along project that ran over the spring and summer of 2020. I was aiming for a folk style and just created my own folksy snowflake design.

I thought this would make a perfect card for family in Poland hence the Polish sentiment heat embossed in white.

The stitched label die in the Sew Fancy set from Mama Elephant was, thankfully, just the perfect size for it.

It's not that clear in the photo, but I used the B-side of the patterned paper below to cover my card base as the cardstock in cream/white was just too jarring against the woodgrain grey cardstock.

The finished card really is beautifully tactile and definitely ticks all the handmade boxes. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Agateria - Zestaw do napisów na każda okazję 3 stamps Shop at: MISC	Mama Elephant - Sew Fancy dies (r) Shop at: SHC	Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	The Stamp Market - Embroidery Hoops dies Shop at: MISC
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ | EH	Concord & 9th - Assorted cardstock pack Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC	Lawn Fawn - Woodgrain cardstock - Neutrals Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Simon Says Stamp - Slate Gray cardstock Shop at: SSS
Crate Paper - Falala - Fireside paper (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC	Hero Arts - White embossing powder Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	EK Success powder tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 38 (Be of Good Cheer)

Good morning!

Today's card kills two birds with one stone so to speak.

I had some shaker frames die cut from when I tested out my new dies when they arrived and I wanted to use the frames for a snowy shaker card.

I had also recently purchased the Hey Santa 6x8 pad from Crate Paper and I saw that it came with some cut-apart journaling style cards.

Well, I always end up left with these sorts of elements in paper pads as there are so many on a 12x12 sheet usually and not all of them work for cardmaking. So I thought why not get a head start on using one of them up. ;)

And I found one that would be perfect for what I had in mind...

Paper: Crate Paper - Hey Santa, Pebbles - Cozy & Bright (r)
Stamp: Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas
Dies: Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine, Pinkfresh Studio - Artistic Bows, The Stamp Market - Stitched Shaker Windows, The Stamp Market - Tiny Tags

I used a regular UK card blank for this project and covered it with the pink chevron style paper from the Hey Santa pad.

I then cut another shaker frame from the festive striped paper (love that design from Pebbles - it's a fab candy cane stripe).

The confetti die in the Shaker Window die set makes cutting confetti from left over scraps of cardstock a doddle.

I used two layers of foam tape around the window to make sure there was enough room for the confetti to move around.

For the sentiment I chose one of the Typed Christmas sentiments from Hello Bluebird that I've not used yet - as you will know, I love this sentiment set. I'd stamped it on one of the Tiny Tags dies I'd tested when my die order arrived and loved how it fit this card design... but I couldn't work out where best to put it.

In the end I wanted it to look a bit like a ribbon slider, so I just inserted the label back in the die the other way round to cut the extra notch, so I could thread some twine through and hold it in place that way.

Finally, the Artistic Bow dies from Pinkfresh Studio provided a great accent for the corner, finished off with some glitter paper and festive greenery.

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC | SSS	Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine dies Shop at: MISC	Pinkfresh Studio - Artistic Bows dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	The Stamp Market - Stitched Shaker Windows dies Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Tiny Tags dies Shop at: MISC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	The Stamp Market - Greenery cardstock Shop at: MISC
Crate Paper - Hey Santa - 6x8 paper pad Shop at: MISC | SBC	Pebbles - Cozy & Bright - 'Tis the Season paper (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC	Crafter's Companion heat-resistant acetate Shop at: AZ	Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 37 (Chasing Snowflakes)

Good morning!

Well it had to happen eventually... I have finally made a slimline card this year and followed the very popular trend.

But thankfully, no need to invest in any slimline dies for this design. ;)

This card is also my take on the September prompt of the 2020 card challenge:

Stamps: Pinkfresh Studio - Skiing By
Dies: Pinkfresh Studio - Skiing By
Other: Distress Oxides

The elements I went with from the prompt were a woodland creature, a mountain scene, and cream as a neutral colour.

The great thing about a slimline card design is that you can really showcase a blended night sky.

I used Tattered Rose, Dusty Concord, and Chipped Sapphire for the winter sky and of course splattered it with water, some white ink and, on this occasion, pearl white Gansai Tambi which has that wow factor when you tilt the card and the light bounces off the gleaming finish.

This sky was the perfect background for some mountains and ski slopes, so of course I reached for my favourite festive Pinkfresh Studio stamp and die combo from last year: Skiing By.

Usually I would use white cardstock for the snowy bits - but the warmer colour tones of the sky made cream the best option this time.

Nice to change things up a little sometimes. :)

I kept everything minimal at the bottom and just added a simple greeting so that the sky was the main event.

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Pinkfresh Studio - Skiing By stamps Shop at: SBC	Pinkfresh Studio - Skiing By dies Shop at: SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Chipped Sapphire Shop at: EH | SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Dusty Concord Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Distress Oxide ink pad - Tattered Rose Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ | EH	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Simon Says Stamp - Fog cardstock Shop at: SSS	Hero Arts - Liquid Watercolor - White Shop at: EH | SHC	Kuretake Gansai Tambi 36-pan watercolour set Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Uniball Signo White pen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Ranger - Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Cosmetic blending brushes Shop at: AZ	Taylored Expressions - Blender Brushes Shop at: MISC	Tim Holtz - Distress Sprayer Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Splat Box Shop at: AZ | SBC | SHC
Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Ranger - Artist brush set Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 36 (Christmas Words)

Good morning!

I'm definitely taking a Feels like Sunday morning... approach to today's card.

It's time for cosy, clean and simple.

Just white and grey with a pop of pink and frosty glitter paper. :)

Paper: Basic Grey - Juniper Berry (r), Fancy Pants - Oh Deer! (r)
Dies: Lil' Inker Designs - Christmas Words Tree (r), Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars (r)

Lil' Inker Designs may no longer be in business, but I still love using their stand-alone dies in particular.

They were so well-thought-out, as with just 5 or 6 passes of the Christmas Words Tree die cut from Fog grey cardstock and stacked up to create some dimension you are almost done with your card.

I also love the fact that their stitched stars fit the star on this die. I cannot tell you how much I like it when a company thinks of these details and how their products can work together. I added a little frostiness by cutting the stitched star from white glitter paper and that was as far as the fussy details went. ;)

I've chipped away a little bit more at my beloved stash of Juniper Berry papers by Basic Grey - those white polar bears on pink were a real favourite from that collection, and they paired nicely with the grey/white knitted background paper from Fancy Pants.

The Christmas projects using retired Lil' Inker products and my stash of Basic Grey Christmas lines will continue for years to come. They may be gone, but those brands won't be forgotten. x

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Lil' Inker Designs - Christmas Words Tree die (r) Shop at: MISC	Lil' Inker Designs - Stitched Stars dies (r) Shop at: MISC | SHC	Simon Says Stamp - Fog cardstock Shop at: SSS	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 35 (Be filled with Joy)

Good morning!

It's time to go a little old school today.

I have many scrapbook collections of Christmases past that can still be put to good use on cards and one of those is the Crate Paper Snow Day collection from... wait for it... 2010 I think?

I don't have much of it left, but there are a lot of bright colours in this line that suit bold design elements like hand-stitched oversized Christmas trees, for example. ;)

Paper: Crate Paper - Snow Day (r)
Stamp: Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party 2
Dies: The Stamp Market - Dotted Tree, The Stamp Market - Jumbo Tag

I'd stitched the Christmas tree in grey with orange months before I made this card, knowing I wanted to pair it with some non-traditional colours. And I think this pairing worked out well in the end.

The big tag looks like it is a piece of ephemera, but it's actually just cut from the yellow spotty paper piece I had left using my trusty Jumbo Tag die from The Stamp Market. It was easy to line up so that the punched hole was centred in one of the dots.

The heart is also a retro piece of stash - a die cut from an old Elle's Studio Christmas ephemera pack.

The snowmen in the background are a fun feature and don't make this card look too busy as the paper brings the colours together and injects a bit of neutral off white.

Finally, I found a fitting sentiment in the Holiday Word Party 2 stamp set by Flora & Fauna - it was just right to be positioned under the heart and the typewriter font is the perfect fit between the dashed lines of the yellow dot paper. It really completes the overall look. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party 2 stamps Shop at: EH | SHC	The Stamp Market - Dotted Tree dies Shop at: MISC | SBC	The Stamp Market - Jumbo Tag dies Shop at: MISC | SBC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC | SHC	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC

DCM - December elemental inspiration

Good morning,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy crafting!

---

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

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

Good morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy crafting, until next time!

 

---

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

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 33 (Joyful Wishes)

Good morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

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

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 32 (Merry & Bright)

Good morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

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

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 31 (Christmas Bauble)

Good morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

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

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 30 (Winter Wishes)

Good morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

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

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 29 (Christmas florals)

Good morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

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

DCM - Boxes & Bags

Good morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy crafting!

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 28 (Fa La La)

Good morning!

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

No stamping! Shock horror. ;)

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

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

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

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

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

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

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

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 27 (Season of Joy)

Good morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It couldn't be simpler. :)

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

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

2020 Christmas countdown - Day 26 (O Christmas Tree)

Good morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A happy coincidence. :)

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

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

Happy crafting, until next time!

---

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

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

Good morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy crafting, until next time!

 

---

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