A bit of Gold

Like I have said in previous post I haven't much time to card make this week, one of the days we went to RHS Wisley to see the Greenhouse where they have a special display. I took quite a few photos, here are three of them to give you the idea what they had done.

My card is the one I made my son last year with the Simon says Stamp Large Gnome die with some foiled card which I can't remember whether they are with a card kit or a paper pack I brought.

The words are the SSS Inside Christmas Greetings with the SSS Wonky Rectangles dies. Now I need to work out which Simon says Stamp snowflakes it is. Worked it out its Maryanne.

Purple Gnome

My daughter loves purple also she is an Aquarian and her birthstone is Amethyst, so with that in mind I made this Christmas card for her.

I used the Whimsy Tartan Background and  Simon says Stamp Holiday Greetings Mix 1 for the snowflake background. Now to work out that sentiment Simon says Stamp Inside Holiday Greetings.

I think everyone knows that the Gnome die comes from Simon Says Stamp and I received the card kit with the Lil Gnome a couple days after I closed my craftroom so you've been warned there are more Gnome cards to be made.

Fluffy Fairy

A bit of a rush to get a card for Mo's Dream Team this week but I was determined to make one this week after missing last week.

I using Mo's Fairy Faith image and I used a lot of my mixture of Fun Flock and Flowersoft to make a fluffy scarf and ear warmers.

The papers I think could be last years Carta Bella but its lost its front cover so no idea whose it is. I've used my favourite Poinsettia die from Simon says Stamp along with the Pine needles from their Christmas Foliage set.

Also I used the MFT Crochet Border for around my circle but it's a bit hidden. I found a load of Craftwork Cards Christmas sentiments which fit with the old Stampin Up punches.

Yes I do have the other fairy and its already coloured up to be made into a card.

Happy Christmas

First off a bit of an apology for being missing from Blogland, I am crafting but the stress of getting all my Christmas cards made meant I use same designs of already made cards. So that means I didn't make anything new, add a couple of days my body caught up with me and decided if I won't rest it would make me by making me feel exhausted.

It's always busy the first couple of weeks of December with trips out and a visit up North to see my Brother in Law and I now realise I need to plan for it better.

Even this card is similar to my base of my easel card I made last week for Simon says Stamp Wednesday Challenge. I loved how the colours worked together and I had another 6 cards to make so this was the design I used.

The shadow Christmas word die is from Simon say Stamp, well I think all of it is Simon says Stamp.
Christmas Foliage, Poinsettia Parade and Wonky Rectangles.

Freshly sketch

This was card I made using a sketch from Freshly Made Sketch from a few week ago. I have this Simon says Stamp Inside Christmas Greetings sitting on one my acylic blocks so its nice and easy to use.

Also if you find my Simon says Stamp Christmas Foliage and Poinsettia Parade not far from each other. I think I made this card because I had a poinsettia going spare. Very simple but another one done.

Candy Cane

I always colour this image the same with Red and Turquoise so for a change I decided to go purple and green.

The papers are some old ones that LOTV used to do and Mo's Season Greetings. I'm thinking my candy cane could Blackcurrant flavour.

Now I'm pretty sure I'm used a sketch which I why I've used two Simon Says Stamps sentiments, one from Tiny Words the other Inside Christmas Greetings, now I need to work out whose.

I decorated with the Martha Stewart Holly punch and pearls.

Patterned Gnomes

Yes I'm loving the Simon says Stamp Gnome and there's another in their card kit for this month. I've used them with some leftover papers from last years Christmas papers. Also I had the Simon says Stamp Inside Christmas Greetings already stamped so I thought I would use that too.

I had a sparkly snowflake floating around my craft room so I used that on one card and some pearls in the large snowflakes on the patterned paper. Patting myself on the back for using up scraps and leftovers.

Snow Shovel

Another simple card made to look better by using one of Mo's images, this time call Snow Shovel.
Some old papers from Doodlebug and I thought this brick wall would be a great backdrop for my image.

My old Martha Stewart Holly punch and some Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflakes job done. Oh final touch the sentiment from Simon says Stamp Tiny Word Christmas.

Starting to feel more myself although the my twisted knee isn't at all happy and my bad foot not happy either but I have to fight through it I'm out on Friday to Portsmouth Victorian Christmas Fayre.
Saturday I'm at an all day crop that could be interesting if my knee doesn't start improving wish I knew how I did it.

Anything Goes

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Thank you for joining us last week and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

This week the challenge is Anything Goes

We are showcasing Penny Black this week, which just so happens to be Simon says Stamp Brand of the Month. You don’t have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used.

The lovely folks over at Simon Says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $50 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz at the challenge Blog. You can join 5 times so you could have 5 chances to win! How AWESOME is that!! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance to win! Woo Hoo!! Good Luck to everyone! The Design Team is looking forward to seeing your crafty makes and will pop around to visit you ASAP!

I feel a bit guilty about my card today, I planned to use this Penny Black Snowy Flight but had no idea what to do with it. I saw the robin and knew I should have it but all I could think of was making the backgound blue.

It didn't help not feeling 100% its that time of year with lots of bugs about and I'm on my second one, add to insult to injury I've twisted my good knee all of which hasn't helped my craftying mojo. So I simply cut out my robin with Simon says Stamp Stitched Squares and added a sentiment using Simon says Stamp Tiny Word Christmas.

I decided my berries are mistletoe so that is why they are white, coloured in with a Uni-Ball Signo White gel pen, when they were dry I dotted a black pen it was worth the effort. My robin was coloured separating and layered on top, that way I didn't need to worry about masking.

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #ssswchallenge to your challenge entry uploads so we can see them on there too.

Christmas Floral Spray

I needed to speed up my Christmas Card making, colouring and layering take time so I got out some dies to help me.

First up is the Simon say Stamp Holiday Frame, which not only give a central point but the sentiment too. I did have to put a bit of acetate behind Christmas and add the centres for the A and R.

Finally I used their Christmas Foilage with Poinsettia Parade to make a floral spray, job done. Which colour do you prefer I think the red is my favourite.

Simple

I had this new die from Elizabeth Crafts and thought I should try it out, it come with the snowflake border and a wobbly strip which you can use to place under the border for a different colour. That's far too difficult for me I just cut the white card and placed it on top of  a coloured card.

I trimmed down so I had a bit border on the side and a large one border at the bottom so I can stamped a sentiment from Simon says StampInside Holiday Greetings. 

Too simple maybe but that still two in more on the pile.

Filled with Joy

Remember the card I made on Wednesday for Simon says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, well I very carefully cut the circle out of this background I made. At the time I wasn't sure how the card layout would be and it left me with this background, well I wasn't going to waste it and I'm really pleased how it turned out.

The background was made  the snowflake from the Simon says Stamp Holiday, embossed with white embossing powder. I stamped the Inside Holidays Greeting on a separate white bit of card and placed it behing the background.

To finish I used Simon says Stamp Christmas Foliage and Poinsettia Parade to make a floral spray.

Feeling pretty please with myself that I managed to make two cards out of one background.

Bauble Elf

I was in two minds whether to get Mo's Little Elf Kippa, mainly because I thought the elf would be too small to layer. Luckily I managed him but I wouldn't want one smaller.

I paper pieced the baubles including making a couple of more for decoration, I'm not sure whose but I've only a couple of blue ones left now. When you have only scrap left cutting out with a square die makes a good background and it helps that the Simon says Stamp are stitched.

I think the sentiment is an old LOTV stamp which fit in a couple of punches I have. Since it's so busy I left with baubles on the side with a bit of silver ribbon.

Need another 30 Christmas cards to finish for the year and its stressing me out, seriously I say every year I must make them all year round.

Starry Starry Night

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Thank you for joining us last week and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

This week the challenge is  Starry Night

We are showcasing Stampendous this week, which just so happens to be Simon says Stamp Brand of the Month. You don’t have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used.

The lovely folks over at Simon Says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $50 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz at the challenge Blog. You can join 5 times so you could have 5 chances to win! How AWESOME is that!! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance to win! Woo Hoo!! Good Luck to everyone! The Design Team is looking forward to seeing your crafty makes and will pop around to visit you ASAP!

The people at Stampendous also do the House Mouse stamps and I decided to use their Cardinal Bell. We don't get this bird here in the Uk and I decided to just to shadow the wings and leave it white.

But I made a night background with blending some blue using a Blending Brush but before I did I stamped the snowflakes from Simon says Stamp Holiday Greetings and embossed with white embossing powder.

I cut the background with Simon says Stamp Stitched Circle dies and backed with a bit of navy card. I embossed the white with the Simon says Stamp Falling Snowflakes stencil to give a bit interest in all the white.

Luckily I remember that the challenge was for Starry Night and I used a Simon says Stamp Holy Stars die with some White Glitter Card. Before I forget the sentiment is Simon says Stamp Tiny Words Christmas.

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #ssswchallenge to your challenge entry uploads so we can see them on there too.

Fa La La La

I'm far behind on my Christmas cards which is why my chose of Mo Image is a Christmas one lately. This chap is sooo cute and has to be used at least once, he's called Fa La La La.

Also because I'm behind my cards are pretty simple like this one. I made a frame using Simon says Stamp Stitched Frames, last years Christmas papers I'm guessing Echo Park. To finish Martha Stewart Holly Punch and Simon says Stamp Tiny Words Christmas.

Really short post mainly because I suffering from the lurgy, much to my hubby's glee I've lost my voice till about 11am so he gets some peace first thing in the morning.

Gnome

Another new addition to my craft room Simon says Stamp Gnome die and I had to make a quick and simple card to see how well he works (be prepared I love him so much there's bound to be more).

For quicknest I used the Simon says Stamp Holiday Knit Background die, if I remember right it came quite late for last year Christmas Cards but it so quick to make a background.

All thats left it the sentiment made up from a couple from Tiny Words Christmas then cut out using the Simon says Stamp Stitched Banners.

Have you seen Debby Hughes Gnome she as used patterned paper scraps for hers and it looks brilliant.

Quick CAS Christmas card

I think it was last week or it could be the week before but the CAS(e) this Sketch inspired me to search out an old Hero Arts stamp with all the Christmas words. The Stags Head is a die from Newton's Nook but this one was left over from last Christmas.

To finally finish off a few Martha Stewart Holly Leaves from their punch and I have a large selection of pearls for berries.

The card below is exactly the same but with this time I use a poinsettia I made using Simon says Stamp Poinsettia Parade.

Carrying Wood

I made my white paint a bit watery so my snow doesn't show as well has it should and I was dragged out to do some carpet shopping.

I refuse to go anywhere till I made my card. The image is of course a Mo Manning one called Carrying Wood and I had to have some trees on my card and the ones I used is an old Memory Box one.

I cut the image with a white border so it would help him stand out a bit but I left the white below the scarf and leg so I could use that for snow and to stamp a sentiment which is a Simon says Stamp one.

The snowflakes are cut from Glitter card using Mini Lawn Fawn Snowflake dies.

Mo's illustrated image looks like its paper pieced, I think I will definitely give that a go soon.

Left over from a Square

Remember last Friday's card well here's the strip that was left over when I made the card. Just as a reminder the stamp was Simon says Stamp Leaves and Berries background stamp.

I used the Falling Snow Stencil to emboss the white part of the card and once again I've used Tiny Words Christmas for my sentiment and Poinsettia Parade. Since I only need a scallop strip I used the Lawn Fawn Stitched Scallop Border die.
This time I added some pearls out of my stash, I found some in the Simon says Stamp Store from Honey Bee called Raw Honey.

Freshly Leaves

This was the card that I ended up ripping the sentiment off well I was a bit more careful than that. I had made it with gold embossing powder but decided white would work better. The card was inspired with the Freshly Made Sketch 408. I think it could be last weeks.

I stamped the background using the Simon say Stamps Leaves and Berries Background stamp and watercoloured the leaves obviously i need practice or next time will use a watercoloured pencil I find I have better luck with them.

I had the Sunny Studios Frilly Frames Polka Dot was out on my desk so I used the scallop part and cut my background to fit hiding the dots in the scallops.  The sentiment is Tiny Words Christmas embossing with WOW white embossing powder.

This one I coloured the stripy leaves glad I didn't bother on the other cards I made looks much better when you don't. There is also a nasty mark under my Poinsettia Parade blooms and I added the mistletoe leaves from Simon says Stamp Christmas Foliage, I must get round to making a Christmas spray with them all. I used the Nuvo Simply White drops for my berries and Auburn Pearl for the poinsettia centres although I need more practicing making tiny dots. I think I will fiddle with them and change them to pearls and I'll replace the photo later when its daylight.

Here's the picture I promise with gold pearls to replace the messy gold dots. I've come to the conclusion that more practice is need to dinky dots!