Rudolph Tag

The new Winter Wonderland challenge is 'Tag You're It' and we want to see either gift tags or tags on cards.  The challenge is sponsored by Crafty Ribbons who are offering the lucky winner a £10.00 voucher to spend in their store.

I've decided to make a tag using snippets of card, paper and ribbon so I'm heading to the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.  I'm also entering the Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge 'Tags', the The Merry Christmas Challenge 'Anything Goes + Christmas' and Crafty Friends 'Christmas' challenge.  This is a scheduled post so I'll link to these challenges when I get home from work this evening!

Dies: Creative Dies 'Elegant Reindeer' (magazine freebie), Creative Expressions 'Pierced Tags', Memory Box 'Mini Holly Leaves'
Embossing: Kars tan embossing mat
Snippets: Blue snowflake paper, white matt card, dark brown, gold and white pearlescent card, red mirri 
Other: White satin ribbon

I attached the blue snowflake paper onto white card and then die cut and embossed the largest tag.  I die cut the reindeer from dark brown card and attached it to the bottom of the tag.  I die cut it again from gold card, attached the antlers and inlaid the swirl.  I then die cut three snowflakes from white pearlescent card and attached them around the reindeer.  The bow was die cut from red mirri and attached to the reindeer's neck.  As I didn't have any very small red gems for Rudolph's nose, I die cut the Memory Box holly berries from red mirri and used one of them - the perfect size!  To finish, I threaded the white ribbon through the hole in the tag and trimmed the ends.

Kath x

Thank you

I found this lovely piece of Tattered Lace paper in the bottom of my paper drawer and thought it would be perfect for my quick Thank You card.  I'm entering Crafty Cardmakers 'Thankful' challenge, the Cuttlebug Mania 'Thanks' challenge and Die Cut Divas 'Thanks' challenge.

Card blank: 6" x 6" kraft
Die: Cheery Lynn ' Thank You 2'
CardL Purple matt
Paper: Tattered Lace: Purple floral paper (magazine freebie), white printer paper
Other: Wink of Stella

I trimmed the paper to a square and layered it onto slightly larger piece of purple card.  I die cut the sentiment from the top corner, keeping all the pieces to inlay.  The panel was then attached to the card front.  To ensure the sentiment was the same thickness as the card and paper on the card front, I attached a snippet of purple card to white printer paper and then die cut the sentiment.  The sentiment and pieces I had put to one side were then inlaid into the card.  To finish, I highlighted the purple matt and the sentiment with a Wink of Stella.

Kath x

Bargello Merry Christmas

A big thank you to Di for inviting me to be her Guest Designer at the fabulous Snippets Challenge - I love this challenge as it's a way of trying to keep my snippets mountain under control!  Amongst my many snippets I always seem to have a lot of thin strips so I've used some of these for the bargello background on my card.

I'm entering Crafty Friends 'Christmas' challenge, the Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge 'Anything Christmas Goes', The Merry Christmas Challenge 'Anything Goes + Christmas'.

Card blank: 7" x 7" cream matt
Dies: Creative Expressions 'Contemporary Happy Christmas', Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Classic Ovals Large' & 'Lacey Ovals'
Embossing: Kars tan embossing mat
Other: White printer paper
Snippets: Lili of the Valley 'Woodland Wishes' Paper, cerise mirri and cream matt card

I trimmed eight different paper strips to 2cm width and glued them across a piece of white printer paper, ensuring the edges of the papers touched.  I then cut strips of various widths and laid them onto the table until I was happy with the 'V' patter.  I then glued them onto another piece of white printer paper.  I trimmed the finished design into a square before layering it onto a slightly larger snippet of cerise mirri card and attaching it to the centre of the card.  If you've never tried the bargello technique, there's a good tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers.

I die cut and embossed a cream oval and die cut 'Happy Christmas' from the centre.  This was layered onto a die cut and embossed Lacey Oval.  I then die cut 'Happy Christmas' from cerise mirri and inlaid it.  To ensure it was nice and flat I put a piece of white paper on top of the panel and ran it through my Cuttlebug again.  The finished panel was attached to the centre of the card with foam tape.

Kath x

Winner of LOTV Art Pad Giveaway

Thank you to everyone that left comments for the LOTV Art Pad Giveaway.  The lucky winner is:

Valerija

Congratulations to Valerija - please email me (kmbuckell@btinternet.com) with your address and I'll post the Art Pad as soon as possible so you have plenty of time for making Christmas cards!

Kath x

Gingerbread Woman

This month's Christmas Cards All Year Round challenge is 'Candy or Gingerbread'.  I'm entering Crafty Friends 'Cute' challenge, the Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge 'Anything Christmas Goes' and The Merry Christmas Challenge 'Anything Goes + Christmas'.

Card: 7" x 7" kraft
Image: Craft Creations 'Gingerbread Woman' die cut decoupage sheet
Card: Red mirri, kraft
Paper: Holly glitter (magazine freebie)
Other: Red nailheads

I trimmed the holly paper, layered it onto red mirri and attached it to the card front.  I trimmed the image, layered it onto red mirri and kraft card before attaching it to the centre of the card.  I then assembled the die cut decoupaged pieces using Pinflair glue.  As the paper is quite thin I hadn't noticed that there was something stuck underneath the lower corner of the image, so I added some nailheads to cover the crease and more to the top corner to balance the image.

Kath x

October Rudolph Day and LOTV Art Pad Giveaway!

This is the tenth Rudolph Day of the year and my final image from the Lili of the Valley 'Festive Foliage' Art Pad. I'm also entering Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge 'Traditional Colours, The Merry Christmas Challenge 'Anything Goes + Christmas' and Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge 'Anything Goes'.

I've enjoyed using this 'Festive Foliage' Art Pad to make quick cards for the Rudolph Challenges and have an Art Pad to give away to one of my followers.  To find out how to win this Art Pad, please scroll to the bottom of this post.

Card blank: 7" x 7" white matt
Image: Lili of the Valley 'Festive Foliage' Art Pad
Card: Dark green matt
Paper: Lili of the Valley 'Classic Christmas'
Other: Card Candi 'Vintage Berries Gold', Wink of Stella

I trimmed the red Christmas tree paper, layered it onto green card and attached it to the card front.  I then attached a strip of green Christmas tree paper across the card, ensuring the pattern matched.  I trimmed the pre-coloured Art Pad image, layered it onto green card and attached it to the left side of the card with equal margins on the top, bottom and left side.  To finish I highlighted the Christmas tree baubles with a Wink of Stella and attached three Candi to the top corner using Pinflair glue.

If you would like to win the Lili of the Valley 'Festive Foliage' Art Pad, this is what you must do:
1. Be or become a follower of my blog
2. Add the photo to your sidebar and link back to my blog
3. Leave a comment below before 23:59 GMT on Tuesday 31 October

I will choose a winner at random and publish the details on Wednesday 1 November.

Kath x

Happy Birthday To You

I made this card for my niece's husband's birthday using one of my favourite large stamps.  I'm entering A Gem of a Challenge 'Spots and/or Stripes or Halloween' (I've obviously gone for the spots option), Seize the Birthday 'Anything Goes' challenge, Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge 'Anything Goes' and Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge.

Card blank: DL white matt
Stamp: Woodware 'Happy Birthday to You'
Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia
Colouring: Sakura coloured pencils
Card: Brown and white matt
Paper: Hot off the Press 'Floral Ultimate Pack'
Other: Brown star button, brown/cream baker's twine

I trimmed the spotty paper and covered the front of the card blank. I stamped the sentiment and stars onto white card and coloured the 'Happy' with shaded of green, blue and beige coloured pencils.  The sentiment was trimmed before being layering onto brown card and attached to the front of the card.  I knotted baker's twine through the star button and attached it with Pinflair glue.

Kath x

Christmas Flowers

The new Winter Wonderland challenge is 'Christmas Flowers' and we are sponsored by Little Claire Designs who are offering the lucky winner three digi stamps of their choice.

I'm entering the ABC Christmas Challenge 'U for Unlimited (or anything goes), the Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge 'Anything Christmas Goes' and The Merry Christmas Challenge 'Anything Goes + Christmas'.

Card blank: 6" x 6" white silk
Stamp: Little Claire 'Poinsettia' digi
Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Standard Circles Large and 'Classic Scalloped Circles Large'
Punch: Woodware Corner Rounder
Embossing: Kars tan embossing mat
Colouring: Promarkers
Card: White silk, red mirri
Paper: Wild Rose Studio 'Painted Poinsettias'
Other: Wink of Stella, red nailheads

I trimmed the poinsettia paper, layered it onto red mirri and attached it to the card front.  I trimmed a strip of holly paper, layered it onto red mirri and attached it across the card.  I resized the digi and printed it on white card.  This was die cut and embossed before being coloured with Promarkers.  I layered the image onto a red die cut and embossed scalloped circle and attached it to the centre of the card with Pinflair glue.  To finish I highlighted the flowers with a Wink of Stella and added nailheads to the top and bottom corners.

Kath x

Celebrate

I made this anniversary card for The Flower Challenge 'Use your Favourite Flower' 1st birthday challenge.  I love all flowers, but roses are one of my favourites and I have used a roses die and heart paper for my card.  There are some fabulous prizes this month at the Flower Challenge and I would love to win a 'Dies to Die For' voucher if I'm one of the lucky winners.

I'm also entering Sparkles Monthly Challenge 'Die Cuts or Punches', As You Like It Challenge 'Choose Ribbons or Flowers and tell us why' (I've obviously used both on my card - flowers are my all time favourite but I also like to use ribbon to make small bows, especially around the flower stems on this card) and Crafty Friends challenge Anything Goes'.

Card blank: 6" x 6" white silk
Dies: Wild Rose Studio 'Rose Bunch, Poppy Stamps 'Celebrate'
Card: Dark green mat
Paper: Lili of the Valley 'Heartfelt', Making Cards magazine 'Dino-mite for Boys' (magazine freebie)
Other: White ribbon, Wink of Stella

I trimmed the heart paper ensuring the hearts were along the left side and bottom of the paper, layered it onto green card and attached it to the card front.  I die cute the Rose Bunch and Celebrate from dark green card and attached them with Stick and Stay.  I die cut the rose flowers from the darker sections of the Dino-mite paper and attached them to the green die cut.  I covered the roses with Wink of Stella and also highlighted the hearts on the backing paper.  To finish I made a small bow from white ribbon and attached it around the rose stems.

Kath x

My first LOTV image

The first LOTV images I had were magazine freebies and I made some Easter cards with them.  I loved the bunnies so much I bought the 'Spring Bunny with Daffodils' Mini Masterpiece images and have used one of the larger images to make this card for the Lili of the Valley 'Retro' challenge. I'm also entering the Crafty Friends Challenge 'Anything Goes', Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge 'Anything Goes' and Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge.

Card blank: 7" x 7" white matt
Image: Lili of the Valley 'Spring Bunny with Daffodils' Mini Masterpiece
Punch: Woodware 'Inverted Corner'
Card: Purple pearlescent
Paper: The Hobby House Wee Stamps 'Decoupage Card Kit' (magazine freebie)
Other: Gold nailheads

I trimmed the paper, layered it onto purple card and attached it to the card front.  I trimmed the pre-coloured image and punched the corners before layering it onto purple card and attaching it to the centre of the card.  To finish I attached gold nailheads in the inverted corners.

Kath x

Umbrella and Roses

I made this quick card to send to a friend with a small gift.  I'm entering Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge and as the paper and card are from my snippets mountain, I'm also in the playground at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

Card blank: 6" x 6" white matt
Image: Lili of the Valley 'Cute Cottage Garden'
Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Classic Squares Large' and Lacy Squares'
Embossing: Kars tan embossing mat
Other: Wink of Stella
Snippets: Dark red matt card, Lili of the Valley 'Timeless Victorian' paper

I trimmed the paper, layered it onto red card and attached it to the card front.  The pre-coloured image was die cut and embossed before being layered onto a die cut and embossed Lacy Square.  This was then attached to the centre of the card.  To finish I highlighted the roses with a Wink of Stella.

Kath x

Happy Christmas

It's time for a new challenge at Christmas Cards All Year Round and this month we want to see 'Monochromatic Brown Shades'. I'm entering the Alphabet Challenge 'O for Oval', Allsorts 'Sentiment in Focus', The Merry Christmas Challenge 'Anything Goes + Christmas' and the Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge 'Anything Goes'.

Card blank: 7" x 5" white matt
Dies: Creative Expressions 'Contemporary Happy Christmas', Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Classic Ovals Large' and 'Lacey Ovals'
Punch: Woodware regular snowflake
Card: Dark brown and white matt
Paper: Lili of the Valley 'Krafty Christmas'
Other: Papermania Transparent Shimmering Dots 

I trimmed the snowflake paper, layered it onto the brown card and attached it to the card front.  I die cut and embossed a white oval and layered it onto a die cut and embossed dark brown lacey oval.  This was attached to the centre of the card.  I die cut the sentiment and placed it in the middle of the oval.  To finish I attached three small snowflakes around the sentiment and attached shimmering dots to the centres.

Kath x