Sweet Stampin - Last Minute Christmas / CAS

Blimey, only just over a week to go until Christmas and with that in mind, we have a new two week long challenge over at Sweet Stampin'. Our theme for the two weeks is last minute Christmas/CAS, which was perfect to inspire me to rustle up a last minute Christmas card for a friend. 

I used the MFT Jingle All The Way stamp set and stamped them in black archival on white card. I coloured the images in simply using my zig clean colour pens, except for Santa who was coloured in with my red spectrum sparkle pen. Once dry I fussy cut them out and arranged them in my card blank. I stamped one of the sentiments from the set on my card base (originally 6"x4", but it had a mark on it so I trimmed off about an inch) and glued everything in place. I doodled a frame round the card with a fineliner and added some Nuvo Glitter drops to his hat and glossy accents to his boots. Definitely simples!

I hope you all have a warm and if not relaxing, then at least a stress free weekend x

The Flower Challenge #15 Anything But a Card - Reminder Post

It's halfway though the month (I know, scary!) and so over at The Flower Challenge we've come up with some more inspiration for you.

I'm sure a lot of you like me are way behind on the Christmas plans. I used a Papermania Kraft Pillow box from their basics range, which had been a freebie with the now defunct Creativity magazine earlier this year for my make. I wrapped some gold and silver twine around it several times and secured it with a tiny bit of tape. I used Sue Wilson's Classic and Filigree Poinsettia die sets to cut the flower out of green, red and gold vellum. I shaped them slightly with my fingers before stacking them up and gluing them in place. For the centre of the flower and to disguise the glue I added some gold Nuvo drops. Simples!

I hope you can all find time to create a floral entry for the challenge, we love seeing all your wonderful creations x

Snowy Gift Tags

I hope that you're all managing to keep safe and warm in this frosty weather. Definitely the right time to stay inside and craft! I have to admit that my crafting has been taking a backseat to my hand sewing at the moment. I've got another Bucilla felt kit on the go, a stocking this time, which should be much simpler, but seems to be taking forever!

I did however get round to making some gift tags for when I eventually give in and start wrapping presents. I bought a pack of 20 plain white gift tags in two sizes from The Range last week for £1 and set to work decorating some of the larger ones. I removed the string from the tags as I'll use coordinating ribbon from my rather large ribbon stash instead. The tags are an off white, but I was happy for that to look like a blizzard in the background! I used some of the Aleene's Glitter Snow through the Simon Says Stamp, Falling Snow stencil and left it to dry. I stamped the Penny Black Snowy in black archival ink on white card. I squeezed out some ink from my Crafters Companion Sparkle pens onto a plate and used a brush to watercolour Snowy's hat and scarf. It doesn't show in the photo, but they have a lovely sparkle to them. I also used a pale grey Zig clean colour pen to add a hint of shading to Snowy and an orange one to colour in his nose. Once dry I fussy cut them. 

I drew a squiggly border round the tag with a black fineliner pen as this allowed me to avoid the snow blobs and then glued Snowy in place. To finish him off I added some glossy accents to his nose and some Nuvo Glitter Accents - called Fresh Snowfall, to the brim of his hat. I hadn't used this before and it holds its shape and gives more dimension than Stickles would. Et voilà seven tags finished!

Oops, I was just about to publish this post when I noticed a typo in the title, "Snowy Git Tags", maybe I should have left it like that x

Blog Candy Giveaway!

The American Thanksgiving holiday got me thinking about what I'm thankful for and of course my thoughts were drawn to all you wonderful blog buddies.

To thank all my wonderful followers I thought I'd give away 6 Christmas themed stamp sets. Probably much to late for this year, but it might give you a head start for next Christmas!

All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is to be a follower of my blog and to leave a comment on this post. The winner will be randomly selected and the prize will be posted to wherever they are on the world.

New followers are of course welcome to join in, the follow link thingy is in my sidebar, you'll just need to scroll down a bit to find it!  

I'll keep this post pinned to the top of my blog and will close the entries at midnight on 8th December, British time.

Good luck in the draw and thank you all so much for all your wonderful support and friendship. Group hug everyone!

LOTV Christmas Bunnies

Honestly, where is the time going? I can't believe it's almost Christmas already! With that in mind I whipped up a few Christmas cards to send to my bunny owning friends.

I stamped these cute lili of the valley bunnies in black momento ink and then used my copics to simply colour them in. I then fussy cut around the image leaving a small border. 

As it's Christmas I decided to add a bit of sparkle. I coloured in the stars with a uni-ball signo sparkling gold pen (that SARN made me buy a while back), added some glamour dust with a quickie glue pen to the falling snow and glossy accents to the berries.

I finally got round to using a product that I'd bought last year from Joanna Sheen's, Aleene's Glitter Snow. It comes in a tub and is the consistency of royal icing and dries with texture and sparkle. I applied it to the snow the bunnies are sitting on with a brush (I've since discovered that it works brilliantly through a stencil as well) to add some more texture and sparkle to the card. Once dry I simply drew a quick border around a 6x6 card blank to link in with the border round the image and glued it in place. Simples!

Don't forget that I'm running a blog candy Christmas stamp giveaway for my followers. The post is pinned to the top of my blog or you can click here to go directly to the post. Entries close at midnight on 8th December UK time.

The Flower Challenge #15 - Anything But A Card

As it's now December, it's time for our new challenge over at The Flower Challenge and this month we want to see anything but a card.

I decided to make a tag for this challenge, as this year I've purchased some very simple Christmas wrapping paper, but plan to bling it up with handmade tags.

I didn't have a tag die the size I wanted, but rummaging through my stash I found a tag stamp from the Parpermania Jolly Santa range, which had alternative messages to slot into it. The only problem was that the main tag stamp had a gingerbread man on it. Never fear, with a sharp pair of scissors he was carefully removed and can be slotted back in place if needed.

I stamped the tag in black archival ink and cut it out, then ran a black pen round the white cut edge to give a more finished look. I stamped a sentiment from the Papermania Traditional Sentiments set on the tag rather than use one of the original sentiments.

I coloured some white card with blended distress inks and over stamped them to create red and green card to die cut. I used a green distress marker that matched one of the inks I'd used, to colour in the border on the tag. I then used Sue Wilson's Classic Poinsettia to cut the green leaves and her Filigree Poinsettia to cut the red leaves. I shaped them slightly with my fingers and layered them up to form the poinsettia and glued in place. 

I found a couple of small flourish dies in my stash (sorry, no idea who made them) and cut them out of soft matt gold mirri card and snipped them down and tucked them behind the poinsettia. I added a flat back cream pearl cluster to the centre of the flower, but wasn't happy with its colour and so I dabbed some mercury glass stickles onto it with my finger to give it more of a soft golden tone. Note to self, do this and let it dry before you add it to the flower, much easier. It doesn't show in the photo but I also dabbed some Christmas red stickles onto the poinsettia with my finger to add a little sparkle. I will eventually fish out my cropodile to punch the hole in the tag and thread some ribbon through it finish.

I'm looking forward to seeing your floral makes this month. Just remember that the focal point of your project has to be a flower(s) and if you can add our cue card to your post we'll love you forever! My teamies and I will be back with a reminder halfway through the month. Happy Crafting x

Don't forget that I'm running a blog candy Christmas stamp giveaway for my followers. The post is pinned to the top of my blog or you can click here to go directly to the post. Entries close at midnight on 8th December UK time.

Bucilia Advent Calendar

I finally finished my Bucilia Santa Advent Calendar on Tuesday. Well, I say finished, I still need to add a bit of dowelling or something along the the back of the mantelpiece to stop it scrunching up when hanging.

There are little ornaments to fit in the numbered pockets. I decided to add some cording to them so that I can take them out each day and hang them on our twig tree.

I've already started on my next sewing project, another Bucilla felt kit, but a stocking this time. Unfortunately, my neck and shoulders have been playing up the last couple of days and so sewing has been put on hold, but I'm looking forward to cracking on with it. Only another 7 kits to go after this (they were all on really good deals so I had to buy them, honest). 

Don't forget that I'm running a blog candy Christmas stamp giveaway for my followers. The post is pinned to the top of my blog or you can click here to go directly to the post. Entries close at midnight on 8th December UK time.