Brat Boy Tag...with bells on!

      I can't believe it's June already, where is this year going?!  A new month means a new challenge at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra, where anything goes as long as it's Christmas.
     We are sponsored by Bugaboo Digital Stamps, I haven't used digis much before but I'm beginning to see they have far more use than just print and colour. It's not cheating to use a digi, it's a very useful resource.
     I have taken this photo with a fifty pence piece to give you the idea of scale, this tag measures approximately 6.5x4 inches, making it a great gift tag size for a special present for a special person. If only you could re-size your rubber stamps to do things like this!
     This little chap is Christmas Brat Boy Elf, there is a Christmas Brat Girl Elf too. I must apologise for my colouring, I need more practice but there is something quite calming about picking up some pens and just immersing yourself in colouring.

     I have used some bakers twine and bells over the top of the printed bells, stuck on with silicone glue, the hat also has white flock around the edge. On the back of the tag I have stuck a printed patterned paper to cover all the pen that comes through the card when using alcohol markers. The backing was printed out on the draft option on the printer to make it very pale, then it can be written on.
    Please come and join us at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra with any of your Christmas creations.

I would like to enter my Brat Boy in the following challenges:

Completely Christmas - Anything Christmas

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge - 3 of something  (bells)

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Anything goes

Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - Christmas

Stampavie And More - Christmas In May

For You, Cupcake

      This months contribution to Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra is a small carton that will hold a Christmas cupcake.
    I wanted to use the digi stamp Christmas Cupcake Mistletoe from Bugaboo to make more than a card. I decided to play around with the digi on my computer and make myself a backing paper. I'm sure there is a much easier and faster way than the one I used but it kept me occupied for the best part of an hour, in which time I learnt quite a bit about my new program, so not such a bad thing after all.
    I used a PNG file so my background was transparent, this gave me the chance to change the background colour to pale green leaving the image white. I then copied and pasted all over my A4 page until it was full up.
     Then I printed two sheets to make a milk carton using the Sweet Treats board from Crafters Companion. I used the larger carton template but shortened it by about 2 1/2 inches, this way it has the width without the excessive height, plenty of room for a cupcake. I did think about cutting a window in one side but had no cupcake to photograph inside so opted for a picture panel instead.

     The picture panels on front and back are printed on white card and coloured with alcohol markers. The berries were then coloured over with a red Stardust gel pen and the icing was filled in with a Glistening Snow Writer from DecoArt, this dries clear with a great sparkle to it as well as giving dimension.
     The pictures are cut out with a Spellbinder die and then layered on a matching mat that was drawn using the outside of the die as a guide, this was because the next die up looked too big, then hand cut. It was white card but I used the same red marker as the berries so that it was a perfect match to colour the edge that would be seen.
     The tag is a small cupcake image printed on a larger piece of card then die cut with a tag shape. The edges have been coloured with the same red pen as the berries and then attached to the top of the carton with gold curling ribbon.
     Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra is open all month with Anything Goes as long as it's Christmas, so please pop over and link up your Christmas creations.

I would like to enter this carton in the following challenges:

Digi Galore - Anything But A Card

Completely Christmas - Anything Goes

Christmas Card Challenges - Anything Goes

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Food or Drink

52 Christmas Card Challenge - Stash-Glitter

Jingle Belles - All Bundled Up-Three Layers

We Three Kings

     At last, a Christmas card for challenges! Time is precious at best but right now it's at a premium. A few great days in Wales with my parents included some quality crafting time with Mum and we got Dad's Fergie ( Ferguson tractor) going as well. The Big Shop at Snetterton has a big demo day Easter Saturday so we've been very busy organizing that and hanging out lots of lovely new stock too.

 
    Back to Christmas, this card is made using recycled cards and a brad that was sent to me by the lovely Flower Sparkle Ruth. The square card blank is from stash, I'm having a big sort out this week and I've found all sorts of things, the aim is to use up what's already here and resist the temptation to add more! I'll let you know how that goes!
    The picture was a card saved from a past Christmas, as was the purple patterned backing card. I have inked the edges of the card blank to match the blue in the picture, then inked the edge of the purple card with gold to add a little lift, it looks better in real life...honest.  There was a star on the picture but I have added a star brad to give it some dimension over the top.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Make it square 

Jingle Belles - Joy To The Earth (recycle something)

Sparkles Christmas Challenges - Christmas Carol / Song   We Three Kings

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenges - Reason For The Season

Completely Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas

Crimbo Crackers - Create A Scene

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Use Patterned Paper (hope recycled card is OK)

Shabby Artwork

      Today's card is for House Of Cards, this month we have a colour scheme to follow with a hint of roses in the photograph.
     I have tried to make my card look like an old painting hanging on the wall of a grand old house. A shabby frame holding an aged painting that hangs on a wall covered in fancy wallpaper and instead of the artist name on a plaque there is a greeting.
     I have stamped with a rose from Chocolate Baroque's set Steampunk Butterfly using Archival Ink Watering Can, which is a lovely grey ink, on to cream card. The card is distressed around the edges with Old Paper Distress Ink and stamped over with a crackle stamp in the same colour. The roses are coloured with pencil, they were the only true peach colour I could find in my stash. I have left the background roses uncoloured.

     The frame is die cut with a Spellbinder from satin gold card and distressed with brown acrylic paint. The frame and image are mounted on foam pads above a patterned background from a Trimcraft paper stack.
     I have coloured the cream card blank green, the cream looked a little stark. The artist plaque is die cut with Tim Holtz Tattered Banners and folded so the middle stands up a little, with a small peel off greeting attached.
     This colour challenge last all month but the card style will change in two weeks, this fortnight is Shabby/Vintage or Cute & Fun.  CAS or Classic/Elegant later in the month follows later in the month. We would love you to join us, so pop over and see the DT inspiration at House Of Cards.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes
Fussy and Fancy Friday - Vintage
Great Impressions - Floral Images

Feathered Friends

      We have another selection of Christmas cards made with Bugaboo digital stamps for you over on Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra. We are a multi craft challenge so it doesn't have to be a card, it just has to be for Christmas, so please come and join us.
     My chosen stamp this month is Winter Bird Trio, three very cute feathered friends huddled together on a decorated branch. I have used alcohol markers to colour the birds, I've only just started using these pens so my efforts are slowly improving (very slowly!). There are little highlights on the snowflakes made with a clear Sakura gel pen which don't show too well in the photo, sorry.  I did try different angles but sparkle is quite hard to capture.

     The baubles have Glossy Accents added so they shine, that thankfully does show up well!
     For the background layer I have used my only Punch Around The Page set from Martha Stewart. I have put my instruction sheet somewhere safe......so safe I can't find it!!!  So I went on line and downloaded a new copy, this time it's A4 size. I also decided to make the first two measurements in copy paper so that next time I use it I don't have to spend ages checking my sizes, then I laminated it with the instructions on the front, hopefully I won't file this one away too securely!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Digi Haven - Snow Buddies

Winter Wonderland - Digi Days

Melting Point

     I love snowflakes and I like blue so why not put them together for a CAS Christmas card.
     52 CCT have a recipe this week that went very nicely with a blue challenge at CHNC and a CAS card at TGOC, so this is what I came up with.
     I have a splat stencil which is great fun to use so I thought about the puddle a melting snowflake would make and chose to use Distress Ink Salty Ocean. I have also edged my white card blank with the same ink. Through past mistakes I have learnt not to work directly on the card blank, so many have been lost that I now work on a topper and mount it when I'm happy with it.
     The snowflake has been stamped in Archival Ink Cobalt and embossed with Cosmic Shimmer Aurora Crystal Sparkle powder. There is a single gem in the middle of the flake. The sentiment has also been stamped in Cobalt but left plain.
     There is a narrow dark blue ribbon running across the bottom, which when you use a topper is easy to tuck the ends under for a tidy finish.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Recipe ( Monochrome,CAS, Ribbon & Gem)

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Shades Of Blue

The Glory Of Christmas - CAS

Late Night Ruins

      There are several challenges this month that wish to see your New stash and a few that would like to see something that was new a while ago but has never yet been used so this set me thinking.
      I treated myself to a set of stamps from Chocolate Baroque that I've had my eye on for some time, Gothic Fragments. These stamps seemed to fit well with a Sheena Douglass stamp I've had for a while but not used before called Ancient Arches. I also found a set of Spellbinders in a sale that were also arches...meant to be wasn't it.
      Sheena has a rather good video tutorial on You Tube to create a scene with her arches stamp so I gave it a go, not too good so I did it again, still not so good, but third time lucky. I did things a little differently the third time and for me that seemed to work. I chose to stamp first and then add colour, this helped me get it in the right places and by this time the brush technique was well practiced too!

     This is a rather dark card but I really wanted to use blues, this lent more to a night time scene. My friends daughter is a bit of a Goth so this will suit her well.
     I cut the arch from the front panel before embossing, I had to use the Grand Calibur for this as I couldn't get it through my Sizzix with out folding it over which would have messed it up. The card is a very dark blue which embossed really well with a brick folder form Creative Expressions.
   

     The acetate in the window is some of the packaging from the Spellbinder die set, crafters waste nothing...it may be useful!
     I have used the Choc B stamp with Flitter Glu and gilding flakes on the acetate which gives a great effect. This stamp fits the second size arch die perfectly which made life much easier when mounting it up.
     With the addition of a little ivy cut with a Marianne die on tiny foam pads to the front my box card was done. I did try adding a little white to the card front but it didn't look right so I chose to stay all dark and mysterious.
     I'm hoping that this will also fit into a monochrome challenge, it is all blues including the stamping but the gilding flakes are silver with a few bits of gold so we'll have to try it and see.
    With the addition of a Christmas Sentiment this will be perfect for Bex, she doesn't do cute!

     It depends on the angle you view the card as to what you see most. With top light you can see the inside clearly but with front light the silver window really stands out. A card that changes with the light, much like a real ruin.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Heck Of A Challenge - New

Country View Crafts - Monochrome

Our Creative Corner - Untouched Item

Sparkles Monthly Challenge - New

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Shades Of Blue

N'ewe' to the flock

     We are midway through our monthly challenge at CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra, so here is the Bugaboo digi stamp that I used for my 'Thank ewe' cards, this time used to make a Christmas card.
     I printed him twice so that I could cut and lift his head. The sentiment is the one you receive with the image. I printed onto some card stock that is recommended for use with alcohol markers, it's quite thick so I had to 'help' my printer gently swallow the card, once in it prints very well.
     He is coloured with the same pens as before but his fleece and hat fur have been flocked in white. I used a fine tip on my Art Glitter PVA glue and made sure that I didn't cover any of the curls.
     His head is mounted using some sticky foam pads, I just had to make sure the drawing lined up when I stuck it down. The sentiment bar is also mounted with foam pads and has a small border of gold glitter pen around it to make it sparkle.

     There is a new challenge in blogland called CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge.  The idea is to use some of the mountain of patterned paper that we crafters seem to collect (and never use because it's too nice!).
     I was sure I had some paper in my stash with candy canes on it, do you think I could find it? Eventually I did but to my surprise I only had one sheet, one sheet in the whole stash with canes on it! How could I possibly use the only sheet I had left? Oh the torment, what should I do? I made a cup of tea, had a ginger biscuit and got out the trimmer, time to be brave.....I did it, I actually used it!! So I'm off to the shop I got it from tomorrow to see if they have any left! Well I might need some more one day, maybe I should get two sheets just to be safe! Somehow I think this whittling down of the stash is going to be harder than I thought.

   

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge - Anything Goes
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Kusudama snowflake ball

   I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and to thank you for your kind comments throughout the year, I do appreciate you taking the time to look, comment and follow.
    I spent a lovely morning with a new crafting buddy this week. Our children are at the same school and through various chats in the playground we discovered we have some mutual interests, so we booked a grown up play date. Jane showed my how to make these amazing flowers.
     We began by making a single Kusudama flower using 6x6 papers, the result was great but me being me I thought 'how small can I go?', so these flowers are made with a 2inch square. That means I can get a complete ball out of two 12x12 sheets, the ball measures 3inches across. There are tutorials available on youtube, I would recommend www.wikihow.com, 'Make a Kusudama flower' and 'Make a Kusudama ball'.
    I do apologise to any 'black belt' origami experts out there, this is not a perfect example by a long shot but it is my first and I like it hanging on my tree. I did discover that a good quality paper is much easier to fold than a thin card, especially when working smaller squares. I do need to practice more and get my folding more accurate as this is the key to it all working out well.
    Each flower has Glamour Dust on the centre veins and a clear gem in the middle which catches the light as it hangs on the tree. It took about six hours in total, I fold a few squares in between cooking duties so I can then spend the evening sticking it all together, which for me was the trickiest part.

I would like to enter this ball in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Past Challenge=Snowflakes

Creative Moments - Anything Goes, Winter Wonderland

Here Come The Boys - Anything Goes (my son has claimed this already)

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes & Blog Hop

Make My Monday - Frosty Theme

The Glory Of Christmas - Snow

Try It On Tuesday - Handmade Gift or Tag 

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Whatever is urgent to make (I just HAD to try it)

Feeling Crafty - Christmas

Allsorts - Snowflakes

A 'Deer' Little Treat Box for The Male Room

If you are looking for the House Of Cards Blog Hop post then please click HERE

    I know...... my posts are like buses, nothing for a week or two and then three in a row! It's the beginning of a new month and Christmas mayhem too. Just spent a long weekend in Wales with my parents, no mobile phone reception, no computer either and if  it wasn't for freesat  there'd be no TV ......very relaxing!

    This little chap here is for our new challenge over at The Male Room, we would like to see something masculine with a food or drink theme. It doesn't have to be a card, it could be a gift or a scrapbook page, a tag or a decoration as long as it fits our theme and is for a man or boy in your life.

    I was given the template for this deer by my friend Val who is always making something interesting. I have enlarged him as another friend has asked me to make some to hold six truffles for gifts to workmates.

    He is cut from a brown slip folder that you can find in any stationary shop, I had some in the cupboard so I thought I'd use them up. I put Distress Ink on my embossing folder before I ran the body through so I got a darker brown background to my snowflake pattern. The face is drawn on with a brown pen, he has wobbly eyes from my sons craft box and a red nose pompom that was in a Christmas bits box on the shelf , his bell is from a well known chocolate rabbit so I think you could say that he's a complete stash deer. He holds half a dozen or so wrapped sweets and is just the right size to sit on the Christmas table, you could even write a name on him to use as a place marker.

    I hope you find time to join us at The Male Room with your creations.

I would like to enter my deer in the following challenges:

Inkspirational - Anything Goes

Holly Jolly - Anything Goes

Try It On Tuesday - A Handmade Gift or Tag

Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Christmas Feasts and Treats

CrafthHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes

Technique Time Tuesday - Pick a Favourite

If you are looking for the House Of Cards Blog Hop post then please click HERE

      This month at Technique Time Tuesday we would like you to choose your favourite technique from the past year. Pop over to the blog and take a look at the list, I'm sure there will be something you will like.
    I chose water stamping which has to be one of my all time favourites. I have given it a little twist for this card though, it just seemed right for Christmas.
    I began by die cutting a snowflake in double sided sticky paper, then I stuck it on to white card. Before removing the top layer I coloured my white card with Distress Inks in Broken China, Faded Jeans and Dusty Concorde. Then I used two snowflake stamps to water stamp with, but before the ink was dry I dusted over the whole card with Cosmic Shimmer Pearlescent Mica Powder to give it a shine. The powder will only stick to the inked areas and not the water stamping.

    Once the powder was dusted off the card I then lifted the top layer on the sticky snowflake and sprinkled it with Glamour Dust to make it sparkle. It didn't look quite as good as I'd hoped so I then made a Tim Holtz Snowflake Rosette in glitter paper and stuck that on top.
    I tried it on a white card blank but it didn't look right, the white made the snowflakes fade so I went for a blue card blank instead.
    To finish off I added some snowflake embellishments that I've been hoarding for years, it took some doing but I was brave and used some treasured stash!, well it is Christmas.
    Please pop over to Technique Time Tuesday and take a look at all the fabulous DT samples, there's lots of inspiration to get you going.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Pick a Previous Theme - Snowflakes

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Inkspirational - Anything Goes

Cards For Men - Anything goes

Here Come The Boys - Anything Goes

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

Salt 'n' Flake

     This is my second Christmas card this week, which is a good way of catching up on some weeks that I missed altogether. In the run up to Christmas life is becoming busy so I am very glad that I've been making seasonal cards all year.
     The layout is inspired by a sketch at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, the 'homemade background' by The Glory Of Christmas Challenge and lots of bling for CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge.
     The background has been made using Cosmic Shimmer misters, a plastic bag and rock salt. I began by spraying the thick white card with the inks to spread them around, this gives a lovely effect in itself but I then sprinkled it with rock salt while it was still very wet. The salt absorbs the liquid around it causing the little blotches and rings of colour, this process should not be accelerated with a heat gun, it is much more effective when left to air dry slowly.
     The snowflake is a Tim Holt Rosette Die cut in glitter paper, I have reinforced the back by using surgical tape, this stops the perforations splitting when you fold but still allows a clean fold. There are two blue ribbons across the card stuck down with red line double sided tape as it's a bit stronger than ordinary DST. The greeting is a Tattered Banner from another Tim Holtz Die, edged with blue ink and decorated with a silver peel off greeting.

     I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Sketch

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Bling It Up

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

The Glory Of Christmas - Homemade Background

Framed Baubles

     This month's challenge at Technique Time Tuesday is to create a Faux Frame around your image. There is a great tutorial on the blog to show you just how do it so please pop over and watch it, you'll see all the lovely ideas the DT have come up with too.
     As we are approaching Christmas I chose to make a card using my Spellbinder Heirloom Ornament dies. I cut my bauble shape from the middle of my square piece of card, I wanted to make use of the bauble and the offcut.
     The bauble has been stamped, with the die still in place, using Perfect Medium Ink and then embossed, without the die, in Cosmic Shimmer Bright Gold. I then put the die back over the bauble and used Distress Ink Festive Berries to colour the whole bauble. When you take the die off again there will be a small even white frame around the whole shape.
     The next step was to clean the die thoroughly and put it onto the offcut square, I then inked this with Distress Ink Evergreen Bough and stamped a small tree branch in the same ink across the top. Again this gave me a small white frame around my bauble cut out.
     The square has been mounted over a layer of gold paper and the bauble has been mounted on thick foam pads to lift it up. When the card is at an angle you can see the gold behind the bauble, but viewed head on it just has a wider white frame.
     The small bauble has been coloured in the same way after stamping a small greeting in gold on to it. This has a thin foam pad on it. The gold ribbon bow on the bauble is stuck on with silicone glue. The white card blank looked a little too white so I have inked the edges with Evergreen Bough to soften it a little.
     Please give this technique a try, it's very simple but very effective. Come and join us at Technique Time Tuesday, you have until the end of the month to play along.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenges - Red and Green

Heck Of A Challenge - In The Frame

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Bling It Up  (thanks Hazel)

Sparkling Christmas Steam

      I have managed to make this weeks Christmas card already which I'm rather pleased about, last week was not so good so I have some catching up to do.
     I saw this Stampendous stamp a few weeks ago and thought my Dad would love this. The colour scheme is inspired by Here Come The Boys and the Bling by 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.
     I began by stamping in Archival Coffee on cream card, then I tore the edges and distressed them with Brushed Corduroy. The oval image panel has been covered with Stix2 double sided sheet and then covered with Glamour Dust Crystal to give it a snowy sparkle.
     I tried to stay with the brown and cream colour scheme but the holly just didn't look right, a tiny splash of Christmas colour lifts the whole thing too. I have used pearlescent chocolate card for the mat and embossed the edge with a small folder that came free with a magazine, I sanded it slightly and then coloured it with gold ink. The cream Poinsettia was cut with a Marianne die, distressed with brown ink and touched up with a gold pen before putting a cream pearl in the middle. It is all mounted on a cream card. As there are several layers to the card and the flower I'm also going to try joining 4 Crafty Chicks this week.
     It really looks better 'in the card', the sparkle doesn't come out well on camera despite trying many different angles. I hope I have used enough 'Bling' to qualify for the challenge, sequins and pearls aren't really my thing but I'm alright with glitter!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Bling

Here Come The Boys - Christmas in Brown and Cream

4 Crafty Chicks - Multiple Layers
CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Nativity Sketch

     Christmas isn't that far away now so if you haven't made many cards yet have a look at some of the great challenges in blogland, there's lots of really good inspiration out there.
     My inspiration this week comes from three different sites. It started with a sketch, a nativity scene and the use of stars and stripes.
     I have used mainly blues which were in the nativity photo inspiration, beginning with a blue stripe backing paper on a white card. The star panels are white embossed card but as the stars looked a little dull I have used a silver glitter pen to colour them. Each panel in matted on to blue card, they seemed to disappear into the stripes without it.
     The main image is a Dufex sticker that's been in my Christmas stash for ages and was crying out to be used before it started to curl up. It's mounted on white and blue card then stuck on top of the star panels on foam pads to lift it.
     I have tried to use everything from stash as my storage space is bursting, call it my end of year resolution! Thank you for taking the time to drop in, I do appreciate it as I know how busy this time of year can get.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Sketch

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Photo inspiration, Nativity

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Stars and Stripes

Red, White and Kraft

      Here is this weeks Christmas card.
This one was inspired by the colour choice at 52 CCT and CraftyHazelnut's  request to 'cut it out'.
     I was recently lucky enough to find this Papermania 6x6 stamp in a sale bin for £1, now who could resist that!
     I chose to stamp and clear emboss on white card, then ink over with Distress Ink Festive Berries.
     I didn't want to put cut outs on top, that would be too easy, so I used some Sizzix Movers and Shapers to cut holes in my background instead.

      When I held this over my Kraft layer it looked a little dull, so I used some double sided sticky sheet under where my holes would be and covered them with Glamour Dust Crystal, this kept the Kraft look but added some sparkle.
     All that was left then was to cover the back of my die cut background with foam tape and stick it to my Kraft layer. I suppose you could say it's a bit of a back to front card but it was something I just had to try.
    

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Red, White and Kraft

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Cut It Out

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Blue Christmas

      It's a few weeks since I managed to get a Christmas card made, but now the routine is returning to near normal (not sure what normal is really) here is this weeks offering.
     It began with a sketch from 52 Christmas Card Throwdown and gathered a few other challenge pointers along the way.
     The bauble was the first thing I made because I wanted to try an experiment, part of it worked and part didn't, so I'm only showing you the bit that did! I stamped and embossed with Wow Clear Sparkle on to white card, then used a Brilliance Dewdrop pearl ink pad to colour over the embossing. The sparkle doesn't show well in the photo but it is an amazing powder for Christmas things.

     I have also used the same ink to colour the outer edge of a white card blank, it's much cheaper than buying pearl card and I get a perfect colour match to my bauble. The bauble shape is cut with a Spellbinder die, topped with a tiny bit of aluminium tape and hung on a silver thread.
     The panel the bauble is mounted on has been embossed with a folder called Snowflakes from Cuttlebug. The dark blue strip is cut from the same card as the mat layer then covered with a snowflake border peel off in white. To finish it off I have used some glitter foam letters in blue for a greeting.

     I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Sketch

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Layer it up

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Here Come The Boys - Blue Christmas In September

The Glory Of Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

Christmas Collection Box

     This Christmas Collection Box was a kit from J&C Creations. It comes flat packed for you to decorate and assemble. The pieces are made from MDF which glue together very well, there are assembly instructions with it.
     I began by painting all the pieces white using acrylic paint. The front surround has also been sprayed with Crafters Companion Spray & Sparkle Iridescent which gives it a thin coat of glittery varnish, it doesn't show up very well in the photo but does when you see it in the wood, so to speak. If you are coming to Thetford show on Sunday then please come over and have a closer look.

      The little houses at the top have had their windows and door covered from behind with acetate coloured with Promarkers.
     In the main section there is a Christmas Tree made using the rosette dies from Tim Holtz, you can review a previous post on their construction here.
     There is also a turkey made using the same dies that can be reviewed here on a previous post.

        The present is a small box that once contained a car relay covered with some paper from a Christmas paper pad and tied up with curling ribbon. In the background there is some more paper with stockings hanging up along it.
     The snowman has been made using lots of bits and bobs that I will be telling you about on next weeks J&C Creations Sunday blog post, along with the details about the baubles and angel.

I would like to enter this box in the following challenges:

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Anything NOT a card

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Red Deer

    This weeks Christmas card is inspired by the colour theme from 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, a photo from CraftyHazelnut and Glitter from Holly Jolly.
    I began with some double sided sticky paper and cut out the deer using a Sizzix M&S die, then I stuck it on some gold card, removed the top layer and sprinkled red glitter all over it. The glitter stuck perfectly to the sticky sheet leaving me a crisp gold deer. I then cut out the circle with a Spellbinder die.
    The top of the bauble is the top part of a lantern die from Marianne cut in black card, the branch is also a Marianne die. Both bauble and branch are mounted on foam pads.
    The background is a very pale gold pearl card that has been embossed with a Creative Expressions folder. At each lattice junction I have put a small gold pearl using Cosmic Shimmer PVA glue.
    There is a small gold mount layer under the lattice before being stuck on to a red card blank.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Red and Gold

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Photo Inspiration (deer, circle, red)

CrafyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Glitter Galore

Rosette Trees

    Here are a few Christmas Trees that could be used as table decorations or place markers for you festive dinner. They are made using a tutorial posted by Tim Holtz back in 2011 which you access here. The trees stand approximately 5 inches tall depending on what is on the very top.
    They have all been made using a rosette die. I didn't have any cotton reels so I have used large corks from a home brew shop and driftwood from the beach for trunks instead of pencils. Tim uses tissue tape on the back to help stop the rosette splitting, I used Microporous surgical tape from my local supermarket, you can't see it so the cheaper option works just fine for me!
    The first tree uses one large rosette Sizzix Paper Rosette and one of each rosette on Sizzix Mini Paper Rosette ( medium and small). They are cut from green patterned paper and made up into lampshade shaped sections held together with hot glue from a glue gun. There is clear glitter stuck on the tree.

    The trunk is driftwood pushed into the cork and the cork has been covered with a red 'Merry Christmas' ribbon.
    The white tree is made using Sizzix Snowflake Rosette and both from Sizzix 658339 Medallions. The cork has been painted gold and covered with white crochet lace as well as having the top glittered. The angel on top of the tree is made from beads and findings used for earrings, that's why she has a loop on top of her head.
    This tree has also been glittered but my camera skills aren't so good. sorry.
    The gold tree is cut from gold paper stamped in Perfect Medium and dusted with mica powders so it has a more subtle decoration to it. The cork is again covered with ribbon. There is a memo pin pushed into the top so this tree can be used as a place marker. The little bauble shaped sign is cut using a Spellbinder Bauble die, inked and hand written.

    The blue tree is cut with the same dies as the white one but in patterned papers. There is no glitter on this one but there is a small snowflake charm on the top and his trunk is a little bent which adds to his character. The cork has been covered with double sided tape and then wrapped with some 'hairy' wool that I had in my stash.

    The last tree is cut from fabric covered card, it's a little thicker than the paper ones and a bit harder to work with. The gold star on the top is two brads stuck together and pushed into the top, thanks for the stars Ruth, they're proving very useful.
    The cork in covered with green ribbon first, then gold ribbon with Merry Christmas on it.
    These trees don't have to be for Christmas, you could make some with children ( adult use of glue gun though) for a train layout or a fairy forest.

I would like to enter these trees in the following challenges:

Sparkles Christmas Challenges - Christmas Trees

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas