Kool Kitty Musings

Christmas countdown - Candy Cane Christmas

Morning all!

I do believe this is my last Christmas card to share for this year!

And I'm finishing out the series with my favourite make. In the grey days of winter, there's nothing quite so fun for someone who loves stamps and ink as to spend time with an audiobook on, stamping the same image a gazillion times in different colours:

Stamps: The Greetery - Opposites Attract Holiday, The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas (r)
Dies: The Greetery - Opposites Attract Holiday, The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas (r)

It's actually a very simple make, but very rewarding when it all comes together.

All the ink colours for the candy canes are listed below.

What's hard to see in the gloomy wintry photos is that there are stripes of sparkly glue between the colourful candy cane stripes.

And once all the candy canes were stuck down, I added clear droplets here and there.

Finally, the Opposites Attract Holiday set provided the perfect sentiment.

So all that remains for me to say is Merry Christmas to all who celebrate and a happy holiday season.

Here's to a crafty 2024!

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The Greetery - Opposites Attract Holiday stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Opposites Attract Holiday dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Stamp Market - Candy Cane Christmas dies (r) Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Aspen ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Begonia ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Blush Pink ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cheeky ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Cranberry ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Emerald Isle ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Fresh Mint ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Golden ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Julep 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 - Pale Rose Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | 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 - Joy and Good Cheer

Morning all!

Happy Friday!

I've really pared it back today and gone the simple route.

I can't believe how little I've managed to use some of my new festive purchases this year. One of them being the Christmas Cloche set from Concord & 9th.

But not to worry, there is always next year.... and the year after!

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Christmas Cloche
Dies: Concord & 9th - Christmas Cloche, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles

I still had papers out on my desk from a recent project using the Snow & Cocoa 6x6 pad from Crate Paper, and the colours just went together nicely.

I can't remember the last time, if ever, that I used yellow patterned paper on a Christmas card, but apparently it's all the rage now. ;)

I cut all the elements for the cloche and then heat embossed the main sentiment in white on that lovely tide pool cardstock from Concord & 9th.

Finally, I added the bow (with some ink blending for contrast) and greenery details to the cloche and a little glittery snow at the bottom, and the card was complete.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Concord & 9th - Christmas Cloche stamps Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Concord & 9th - Christmas Cloche dies Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Chili Pepper ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)
Lawn Fawn - Walnut ink pad Shop at: SHC (UK)	Versamark ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | 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 - Aspen cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cranberry cardstock Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa - 6x6 paper pad (r) Shop at: MISC	Lawn Fawn - Gold metallic cardstock Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)
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)
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 - Let It Snow

Morning all!

It's back to Christmas papers of years gone by today with some papers from Crate Paper:

Paper: Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa (r)
Stamp: Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party
Dies: Concord & 9th - Over the Rooftops, Flora & Fauna - Snow Globe (r), Lawn Fawn - Zig Zag Square (r)

I recently snagged the tiny snow globe die from Flora & Fauna on sale, and wondered what on earth I might put in it.

Well, look no more, that tiny car from Concord & 9th's Over the Rooftops die set is the perfect size to go inside it and create a little snow globe scene.

I may be more ambitious next time and add some trees, but scraps of paper and glitter paper were the order of the day.

The background paper to the snow globe is actually a journaling card - I had to add a well-placed sentiment over the top, and probably should have stamped it in black. But it looks fine in real life. ;)

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Flora & Fauna - Holiday Word Party stamps Shop at: MISC	Concord & 9th - Over the Rooftops dies Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Flora & Fauna - Snow Globe die (r) Shop at: MISC	Lawn Fawn - Zig Zag Square dies (r) Shop at: SHC (UK)
The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal ink pad Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Snow & Cocoa - 6x6 paper pad (r) Shop at: MISC	Memory Box - Delicate Pastel 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)	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

All Is Calm, All Is Bright

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with my last project of the year before the store closes for the Christmas break.

Today's card is a bit of a wintry mash-up.

I've used what I think is the first ever Concord & 9th die set I ever bought and have combined it with a more recent festive favourite.

Way back when, well before Home for the Holidays and Over the Rooftops, Concord and 9th brought out their original dimensional Christmas scene die set: Christmas Cottage.

That set and the coordinating stamps are now retired, but available in very limited stock in the store, so grab them while you can!

Otherwise, you can achieve a similar look with other wintry scene sets like Home for the Holidays and MFT's My Neighborhood dies.

But back to this card, I have combined the Christmas Cottage dies with the Card Stacks Base die set.

Stamp: Concord & 9th - Home for the Holidays
Dies: Concord & 9th - Card Stacks Base, Concord & 9th - Christmas Cottage (r)
Other: Distress Oxides

To make your own card base, you just need a piece of card that measures at least 6.75 inches long so that you score 1.25 inches in from each end, leaving you with a background base that is 4.25 inches in length. That's the main dimension you need to work with.

I blended Distress ink over the back and sides of the "card stack base", leaving the bottom third for white for snow. And it wouldn't be a snowy scene without plenty of white paint splatter!

While the background was drying, it was time to prepare the Christmas Cottage layers.

Tip: The Christmas Cottage dies were specifically designed for stacked cards and have notches to indicate where you need to score a line. It's a good idea to use a Sharpie to mark these notches on the back of the dies so you can more easily see where they will cut.

To fit the Christmas Cottage layers inside the Card Stacks Base, I cut the following sizes of white cardstock strips:

• Treeline - 3 x 4.75 inches
• Single tree - 3.5 x 4.75 inches
• Cottage - 2 x 4.75 inches

Before cutting the layers, I scored lines 1/4 of an inch in at each end of the 4.75 inch length. That way I was able to line up the notches on the dies with the score lines, keeping the top of these dies as near as possible to the top edge of the cardstock, and securing with a piece of washi tape to run them through my die-cutting machine.

Once all the layers were cut, I reinforced the scorelines with a bone folder and applied thin score tape to the edges. It's also a good idea to shave off a little of the right-hand edge of the back treeline layer, so there is a bit of wiggle room for assembly later on.

This is also the time to add any further "fiddly" decorations to your layers.

For this card, I stamped a sentiment from the Home for the Holidays mini stamp set directly below the cottage, adding dew droplets for a little icy detail. I also cut the moon and chimney smoke from silver glitter cardstock and cut the snow on the roof from the white cardstock but added some Wink of Stella to this layer once it was stuck down for some frosty detail. I set the moon aside to add later once the card was assembled, and I could decide where I wanted to put it.

For card stack assembly, I use the technique Jennifer McGuire shows in her video here to attach the layers to the card base. The relevant bit is 9 minutes 15 seconds in.

Once my card was assembled, I just needed to add that tiny glittery moon and a little message on the back – all ready for sending.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Concord & 9th - Home for the Holidays stamps Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Concord & 9th - Card Stacks Base dies Shop at: MISC | SBC | SHC (UK)	Concord & 9th - Christmas Cottage dies (r) Shop at: SHC (UK)	Distress Oxide ink pad - Chipped Sapphire Shop at: SBC
Distress Oxide ink pad - Picked Raspberry Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Tumbled Glass Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Distress Oxide ink pad - Uncharted Mariner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Distress Oxide ink pad - Wilted Violet Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Strathmore Bristol cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	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	Zig - Wink of Stella glitter brush pen - Clear Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Marvy Jewel Picker Shop at: AZ (UK)	Scor-Tape - 1/4" Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SBC	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Ranger - Mini round ink blending tools Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Taylored Expressions - Blender Brushes Shop at: MISC	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	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 - Merry and Bright Snowflake

Morning all!

Today's card is a super simple one:

Paper: Basic Grey - Juniper Berry
Stamp: Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages
Dies: Spellbinders - Postage Edge Square, The Greetery - Big Beautiful Bow, The Greetery - Snipped Snowflakes #1, The Greetery - Snipped Snowflakes #3

During the Black Friday sales, I went on a digital paper spree, purchasing several past festive lines from Crate Paper and Basic Grey.

The Juniper Berry collection from Basic Grey was definitely one of my favourite Basic Grey releases of all time. So I am really pleased to have the digital papers for future use now that my 12x12 papers are coming to an end.

The paper on this card was actually the first digital paper I printed from that spree, and even though I've used it in a very simple way here, I am definitely going to put it to good use in future.

Here I've combined it with layered Snipped Snowflakes and that bow from The Greetery. Simple as that!

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Mama Elephant - Mini Merry Messages stamps Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	Spellbinders - Postage Edge Square dies Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC	The Greetery - Big Beautiful Bow 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	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ (UK)	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Marshmallow Shop at: AZ (UK) | 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)	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 - 'Tis the season to be jolly!

Morning all!

I'm starting the week with a real festive bang!

This is a design I use year in and year out and just switch up a few of the elements.

It's super simple to make multiples, and well, just mixing up the papers creates a different look each time:

Paper: American Crafts - Merrymint (r), Crate Paper - Busy Sidewalks (r), Crate Paper - Peppermint (r), MME - Sugar Plum
Stamp: Avery Elle - Santa Tags
Dies: Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine, Poppy Stamps - Whittle Santa (r), PTI - Tag Sale #10, The Greetery - Crimped Slimline

I went ahead and selected a bunch of similar festive papers for the backgrounds - these first few cards feature candy canes and stripes from Crate Paper Busy Sidewalks.

Then I found some nice aqua papers from a very old American Crafts collection called Merrymint. The snowflakes are actually glossy in texture and glittered already, which is a nice touch.

They provide a great contrast to the red and pink tones of the background and cut nicely with the tag sale die.

There's also a tiny piece of really vintage Crate Paper Peppermint paper behind Santa inside the tag.

For these last two cards, I used papers from the My Mind's Eye Sugarplum collection - I would love it if My Mind's Eye released some of their new prints for partyware as digital papers too! I miss them in the scrapbooking industry.

I used two designs - combining the 12x12 versions for the background with the 6x6 versions for the tag.

And I simply swapped the designs round for a different look:

Finally, all the cards were decorated with a festive bow in Aspen green:

And the Poppy Stamps Whittle Santa looks most jolly framed in the tag.

So of course I had to use the perfect sentiment from Avery Elle's Santa Tags set, stamped onto one end of a large sentiment strip from The Greetery and cut to size with a bit of clever die-cutting. ;)

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Avery Elle - Santa Tags stamps Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine dies Shop at: MISC	Poppy Stamps - Whittle Santa die (r) Shop at: MISC	PTI - Tag Sale #10 dies Shop at: MISC
The Greetery - Crimped Slimline dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	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	Simon Says Stamp - Ivory cardstock Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Forest cardstock Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Busy Sidewalks - Candy Cane Christmas paper Shop at: SBC	Crate Paper - Busy Sidewalks - Holiday Glow paper Shop at: 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	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 Folk

Morning all!

Today's cards are a bit of a departure from my normal style.

But they proved a hit with friends who were after something different.

I've gone minimal yet folksy with the Fall Folk dies from The Greetery:

Stamp: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas
Dies: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles, The Greetery - Big Branches Pine, The Greetery - Fall Folk

I basically cut the two different dies in the Fall Folk set so that they were rotated on the card front with space between to add the sentiment.

To get contrasting looks, I used dark on light for the first card, and light on dark for the other:

Stamp: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Christmas
Dies: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics, Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles, The Greetery - Big Branches Pine, The Greetery - Fall Folk

I used simple sentiments from The Greetery's Sentiment Suite Christmas set and simply added some bling in the form of crystals to the sentiment strips and some glittery pine branches behind the sentiment strips.

I think I will use this design again in future and possibly put patterned paper behind the cutouts.

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 - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	The Greetery - Big Branches Pine dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - Fall Folk dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Butter Mints Shop at: AZ (UK)	Bazzill Cardshoppe - Rock Candy Shop at: AZ (UK)
Simon Says Stamp - Ivory cardstock Shop at: MISC	Memory Box - Majestic Hues glitter pad Shop at: MISC	Pinkfresh Studio - Glitter Drops: Champagne Shop at: MISC	Marvy Jewel Picker Shop at: AZ (UK)
Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue Shop at: AZ (UK)	Ranger - Glossy Accents 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 - Holly Jolly

Morning all!

For today's card, I thought it was time for some more bright and cheerful colours.

So the perfect opportunity to use cardstock scraps with a word die.

Paper: Honey Bee Stamps - Grain and Grunge
Stamps: The Stamp Market - Merry & Bright (r)
Dies: Lil' Inker Designs - Holly Jolly (r), The Stamp Market - Holly Jolly (r), The Stamp Market - Postage Stamp

So out came the Holly Jolly die from The Stamp Market and my little folder of cardstock scraps.

The postal background is stamped with boughs from the Merry & Bright stamp set, and the panel is mounted on some woodgrain paper.

As a finishing touch, I used up some scraps of glitter cardstock with the Holly Jolly dies from Lil' Inker Designs.

Lots of older/retired items used in this project, but I always enjoy seeing those old friends each festive season. :)

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Stamp Market - Merry & Bright stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	Lil' Inker Designs - Holly Jolly dies (r) Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Holly Jolly dies (r) Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Postage Stamp dies 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)	The Stamp Market - Bubblegum 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
Honey Bee Stamps - Grain and Grunge - 6x8.5 paper pad Shop at: MISC | SBC	Memory Box - Festive glitter pad Shop at: MISC	Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue 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 - Bauble

Morning all!

It's time for another one-word prompt challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog, and well, the word BAUBLE conjured up a few ideas, yet none of them actually look like baubles!

I have a few cards to share, featuring some items I picked up in the Spellbinders Black Friday sale.

They took a good long while to arrive from Spellbinders UK, but I nevertheless managed to make something in time for this Christmas. ;)

I bought a bundle of Nutcracker papers, ephemera, and chipboard elements and simply used some of the papers and ephemera to make a few cards with a few dies in my stash.

But how exactly do they relate to the word Bauble?

Well, I have a good few glass-domed ornaments on my tree and on my mantelpiece, all depicting little scenes inside.

Paper elements: Spellbinders - Nutcracker Ballet
Dies: MFT - Tall Snow Globe (r)

My silver tree wouldn't be complete without the veteran fairy that is a good many decades old.

And well, where do most of those baubles go?

Paper elements: Spellbinders - Nutcracker Ballet
Dies: MFT - Tall Snow Globe (r)

.... On a lovely Christmas tree in the window.

There's also a rocking horse ornament on my parent's tree, which I believe was a gift for my brother:

Paper elements: Spellbinders - Nutcracker Ballet
Dies: MFT - Tall Snow Globe (r), The Greetery - Ribbon Maker Large Scallops

And he is a massive fan of (sometimes scary looking) Nutcracker ornaments in all their glory.

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

Happy crafting!

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MFT - Tall Snow Globe dies (r) Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Ribbon Maker Large Scallops die Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Spellbinders - Nutcracker Ballet bundle Shop at: MISC	Bearly Art - Precision Craft Glue 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 - Fa la la la la la la la la

Morning all!

It's time for another favourite word cover plate to get its festive outing for 2023:

Paper: Crate Paper - Hey Santa, Honey Bee Stamps - Grain and Grunge
Dies: Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine, MFT - Fa La La (r), Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles, WPlus9 - Under the Mistletoe (r)

And this time it was the turn of the MFT Fa La La die. I usually use this die on square cards, but I've changed it up a little and combined it with the Pinkfresh Diagonal Stitched Rectangles using papers from the Hey Santa 6x8 paper pad. I've since bought some of the papers in this collection as a digital kit. But I'm still making my way through the original pad I bought.

Behind the Fa La La panel, I stuck down a good few glittery snowflakes and embellishments from a very old Pink Paislee release, just to finally make some more room in my Artbin satchel that holds AAAALL my Christmas papers and ephemera.

And as a finishing touch, there's some greenery from Hello Bluebird and the fancy little bow from WPlus9.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Hello Bluebird - Holly and Pine dies Shop at: MISC	MFT - Fa La La die (r) Shop at: SHC (UK)	Pinkfresh Studio - Diagonal Stitched Rectangles dies Shop at: MISC | SBC	WPlus9 - Under the Mistletoe dies (r) Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Blush Pink cardstock Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Forest cardstock Shop at: MISC	Crate Paper - Hey Santa - 6x8 paper pad (r) Shop at: MISC	Honey Bee Stamps - Grain and Grunge - 6x8.5 paper pad Shop at: MISC | SBC
Tombow - Mono-Multi liquid glue 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

Banner & Bough

Morning all!

I'm over on the Seven Hills Crafts blog today with a festive project featuring a favourite stencil and stamp combo from The Greetery.

The Banner & Bough set is a really versatile one.

The stamp and stencil set can be used on its own, or you can add dimension with the coordinating dies.

Stamps, stencils, and dies: The Greetery - Banner & Bough

With the layering stencils and stamps, you can also easily make multiples in one go (always a bonus in December!).

I started out by stencilling all 4 layers on white A2 cardstock panels, then I went in with the stamped details.

Once all the steps were complete, I used the included masking stencil to mask off the image and blend blue ink from a light aqua tone to a deeper blue around the greenery.

If you're just going for a simple look with the stamps and stencils you can stop there, but if you want some festive splatter you can keep the stencil mask in place over the greenery and splatter metallic or white paint over the panel.

Or, you can step things up even more.

I went to town with copper, pearlescent, and white paint splatter over the entire background to my card. Yep, it's a real blizzard of splatter!

I wanted to add some extra pop, so I cut 1 banner and 2 sets of the smaller dies for each card. It's really easy to line up the banner stencils over your die cut and if you use a jig in your stamp positioner you can stamp all the flowers and greenery in no time.

Tip: There's also an outline die for the entire Banner & Bough arrangement in the die set, I've not used it this time. But next time when I do, I will cut the die cut first, then stencil all the elements on it, so everything is easily lined up.

Once the die cuts are ready to stick down, just use the original stencilled background as a template for where to position them.

I always love how the final card comes to life when you add in those die cuts and put the banner in place.

But there's always opportunity for an extra-festive finishing touch: I added gems to the flower centres and sparkly Stickles to the berries on the die cuts.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Banner & Bough stamps and stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Banner & Bough dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Stamp Market - Aspen ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Blush Pink ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Bubblegum ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cotton Candy ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Cranberry 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 - Lakehouse ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Lipstick Red ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Pacific ink pad Shop at: MISC
The Stamp Market - Sea Glass ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Tropic Teal 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
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	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 - Merry and Bright

Moring all!

Today's card is super simple and features a good pop of colour for these grey December days:

Stamps: Avery Elle - Comfort & Joy, The Stamp Market - No Peeking (r)
Dies: The Stamp Market - No Peeking (r), Hello Bluebird - Hill and Dale
Stencils: The Greetery - Frosty Flakes

I started out by cutting multiples of the Christmas tree in the No Peeking set and selecting some bright shades of Color Crush ink to stamp them with.

I love how quickly this can be achieved by using a jig in your Misti.

Then it was just a matter of creating a wintry landscape for these bright trees using the Hill and Dale dies from Hello Bluebird, the Frosty Snowflakes stencils from The Greetery, and plenty of Stickles to add glittery details to the tree dots, hillside edges, and the snowflakes.

I added a simple sentiment from an Avery Elle set and the card was done.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Avery Elle - Comfort & Joy stamps Shop at: SHC (UK)	The Stamp Market - No Peeking stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - No Peeking dies (r) Shop at: MISC	Hello Bluebird - Hill and Dale dies Shop at: MISC
The Greetery - Frosty Flakes stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Stamp Market - Begonia ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Blush Pink 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 - Forest 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)
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | 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)	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 - Cozy Christmas

Morning all!

Today's card is definitely inspired by my current winter wardrobe.

I managed to buy a lovely winter/Christmas jumper at the FatFace outlet earlier this month, and I've basically been wearing it most days!

So of course, we need to celebrate sweater season on a card too!

Paper: Crate Paper - Hey Santa! (r)
Stamps: Neat & Tangled - Winter Wishes (r)
Dies: PTI - Pinking Shears border, PTI - Tag Sale #3, The Greetery - Crimped Slimline, The Greetery - Hearts at Home: Sweater
Stencils: The Greetery - Knit Wits

Once the sweater was cut and assembled, it was just a matter of bringing together other elements for the background.

I jazzed up the tag with some glittery snowflake ephemera from a past Pink Paislee release, and kept the knit theme for the top of the card background with the Knit Wits stencils from The Greetery. The pink paper is from Crate Paper and was a good colour match for this project.

I also used a sentiment with one of my favourite fonts, Papercute, on the sentiment strip. It's from a now retired set by Neat Tangled, but it was perfect for this card.

Finally, I added some of the little heart embellishments from The Greetery on the sentiment banner in lieu of enamel dots, and everything came together nicely.

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Neat & Tangled - Winter Wishes stamps (r) Shop at: MISC	PTI - Pinking Shears border die Shop at: MISC	PTI - Tag Sale #3 dies Shop at: MISC	The Greetery - Crimped Slimline dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
The Greetery - Hearts at Home: Sweater dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Knit Wits stencils 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	The Greetery - Heart Bits Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	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)	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

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

Christmas countdown - Dreaming of a White Christmas

Morning all!

Today it's time for another super simple card featuring that festive favourite, the Country Landscape border die from Memory Box:

Stamp: Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas
Dies: Memory Box - Country Landscape (r), Spellbinders - Fluted Classics Squares
Other: Distress Mica

I still had some test backgrounds left over from when I tried out the Distress Mica Stain 6 set on Neenah cardstock earlier this year, I now of course know better that this isn't the best surface for it undiluted. However, these panels could still be put to good use on some Christmas cards.

There wasn't much else needed to complete this scene, just a fancy edge and an appropriate sentiment.

Nice and easy!

Until next time, happy crafting!

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Hello Bluebird - Typed Christmas stamps Shop at: MISC	Memory Box - Country Landscape border die (r) Shop at: MISC	Spellbinders - Fluted Classics Squares dies Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC | SBC	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC | SHC (UK)
Bazzill Cardshoppe - Taffy Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: AZ (UK) | MISC	Distress Mica Stain Set 6 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)	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 - 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!

---

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!

---

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!

---

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!

---

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!

---

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!

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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