Winter Sparkles

This quick card uses a lovely Hunkydory Deco-Large set.  The topper was quite large and as I only wanted to make a 6" x 6" card, I trimmed the decoupage layers and laid them over the plain side of the backing card.  

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Hunkydory 'Winter Sparkles Deco-Large' card and topper
     Creative Expressions 'Festive Collection - Season's Greetings' die
     Snippets of silver mirri

I trimmed the backing card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank, layered it onto silver mirri and attached it to the front of the card blank.  I trimmed the top of the decoupage layers to remove the rounded corner and layered them onto the backing card.  To finish I die cut the sentiment from a snippet of silver mirri and attached it to the lower corner of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - P for Pink
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Cardz 4 Galz - It's Hip to be Square
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
         
Kath x

Happy Christmas

I made this Christmas card with a small Rudolph I found in my oddments drawer and, of course, some snippets.

To make this card I used:
     5.25" x 4.25" white matt card blank
     Clearly Besotted 'Let's Prance' stamp and coordinating die
     Woodware 'Delightful Dangles - Christmas Tree' sentiment stamp
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rrectangle STAX Die-namics' dies
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Promarkers
     Snippets of white matt card and lilac snowflake paper
     Glossy Accents

I made a frame with two rectangle dies and a snippet of white card.  I trimmed the snippet of lilac paper so it was a little smaller than the frame and attached it to the centre of the card blank.  Rudolph had been stamped onto a snippet of white card and cut with the coordinating die before being put into my oddments drawer, so I only had to colour him to use on this card.  I placed the card blank into my MISTI before laying the frame and Rudolph onto it so I could see where the position the sentiment stamp.  I removed the frame and Rudolph before stamping the sentiment in black ink.  The frame and Rudolph were then attached to the card with foam tape.  To finish I added Glossy Accents to Rudolph's nose.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Festive Frames
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 485
     Tic Tac Toe Challenge - Middle Row Down (Die-Cuts, Free & Any Sentiment)

Kath x

April Rudolph Day

It's time for the fourth Rudolph Day of the year - this year I have chosen a colour theme for my RD cards and they are all green and gold.

To make this card I used:
     C6 white matt card blank
     Woodware 'Delightful Dangles' stamp
     Versafine Olympia Green ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail embossing powder
     Pentel Hybrid Dual Metallic gold pen
     Snippet of white matt card

I trimmed a snippet of white matt card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank before placing it into my MISTI.  I used green ink to stamp the tree in the centre, stamping a couple of times to get a good depth of colour.  I embossed the image with clear embossing powder before attaching the panel to the card blank.  To finish I used the gold pen to colour the 'dangles' on the tree.

I am entering the following challenges:
     As You Like It Challenge - Clean or Fussy (my favourite is always Clean & Simple with minimal layers and embellishments - if I ever try to make a fussy card I find it ends up looking too messy)
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Dry/Wet Embossed (I have chosen wet embossed for my card)
     Daisy Chain Challenge - Not Square
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day - April Challenge    

Kath x

March Rudolph Day

Is time for the third Rudolph Day of the year - where is the this year going?  It's probably flying by as we've been away in our campervan again!  I've made another green and gold card for RD as this year's theme is a colour challenge and all my cards will be green and gold.

To make this card I used:
     C6 white matt card blank
     Sizzix 'Trees, Leafy' dies
     Snippets of white matt card, dark green textured card and gold glitter paper

I trimmed a piece of white matt card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and cut the outline of the tree from the centre before attaching the panel to the card blank.  I die cut the tree from a snippet of dark green textured card and inlaid it into the panel.  I used smaller snippets of self-adhesive gold glitter paper to cut the leaves which were then inlaid into the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Keep it Simple
     Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Get your Grinch On
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day - March challenge

Kath x

Santa

This is another quick Christmas card made with an image that has been upcycled from one of last year's Chriatmas cards.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" kraft card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' and Creative Expressions 'Festive Collection - Season's Greetings' dies
     Snippets of dark red card

I used the stitched rectangle die to cut the front of the card, moving the die to ensure I had Santa, the rabbit and present on the die cut panel.  This panel was then layered it onto a snippet of dark red card and attached it to the card blank.  To finish I die cut the sentiment from a small snippet of dark red card and attached it to the top of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:

     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Christmas with the Cuties - Santa and/or Snowman
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Use Kraft Card

Kath x 

Retiform Christmas

I was so pleased when my Snowman Cross Stitch Card was a winner in the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown 'Sewing' challenge and thank you to the team for inviting me to be a Guest Designer on their Retiform challenge.  This is a new technique for me, but thankfully there are plenty of tutorials available online!  The technique took me right out of my comfort zone, but after several practice attempts I was reasonably happy with the final result.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt card
     Hot off the Press 'Christmas', Making Cards 'Essential Christmas Stamps' and Uniko 'Rustic Wreath' stamps
     Versafine Spanish Moss and Vintage Sepia inks
     Snippets of white matt and brown textured card

I trimmed a snippet of white matt card to 6¼ x 4¼".   I used a scrap of card and post-it notes to mask various parts of the card before using the green ink and a blending tool to create the grid.  Once I had made the grid I wiped the blending tool across the rest of the card to lightly colour the background.  I used various small stamps and brown ink to stamp the images - masking the areas around the grid so I could stamp some of the images over the edge.  Once I had finished the grid I layered the panel onto brown card before attaching it to the card blank.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Stamping Sensations - Animals, Birds or Creatures (my card has a reindeer)

Kath x

Christmas Cats and Dogs

I made this card for the ABC Christmas Challenge 'C for Cats and D for Dogs'.  One of my friends likes cards with cats and dogs so when I received this card at Christmas last year I kept it to upcycle into a card to send her next Christmas.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" cream hammer card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     Lawn Fawn - Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' die
     Gold mirri

To make this quick card, I cut the front of the card with the largest stitched square, layered it onto gold mirri and attached it to the centre of the card blank.  

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - C for Cats & D for Dogs
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Krafty Chicks Challenge - Christmas
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x

Sparkle and Shine at Christmas Time

I made this card using one of my 'old favourites' - a Woodware stamp my OH bought for my birthday in 2014!  The card uses the colours from the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Woodware 'Bubble Bloom - Festive Tree' stamp
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail embossing powder
     Promarkers
     Glossy Accents
     Snippet of white hammer card     

I trimmed a snippet of white hammer card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and placed it into my MISTI.   I used brown ink to stamp the tree and sentiment before embossing them with clear embossing powder.  I used red, gold and turquoise Promarkers to colour the baubles on the tree before attaching the panel to the front of the card.  To finish I added Glossy Accents to the baubles to make them shine.

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - A for Anything Goes
     As You Like It - Digi or Physical Stamps (my favourite is physical stamps - partly because my printer isn't very good at printing digis but mainly because I love to use my MISTI and inks to stamp and emboss images, like on this card)
     CAS Colours & Sketches - Colour Challenge (Poppy Parade, Crushed Curry & Tahitian Tide)
     Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Out on a Limb
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Krafty Chicks - Christmas
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
 
Kath x

Snowman Cross Stitch Card

I enjoy stitching these small Mouseloft designs as they're quick and easy to stitch - perfect for campervan evenings!

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" white hammer card blank
     Mouseloft 'Snowman' cross stitch kit
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Square STAX Die-namics' die
     Snippet of white hammer card

After finishing the stitching the snowman I trimmed the fabric and attached it to the rear of a frame that had been die cut from white hammer card and two stitched square dies.  The panel was then attached to the front of the card blank.   

I am entering the following challenges:
     52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Sewing
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes

Kath x

January Rudolph Day

It's time for the first Rudoph Day of 2024 and sadly it will be the last challenge as ScrappyMo is closing the challenge blog.  I love RD and over the years have entered 93 cards into the challenge, the first was in May 2013 when Sarn was running the challenge, and I have also been Guest Designer for five challenges.

For the past few years I've enjoyed working to a theme for my Rudolph Day cards.  In 2017 I used images from a Lili of the Valley Art Pad, in 2018 my cards were 4" x 4", in 2019 all cards had a Christmas tree on them, in 2020 I used wet and/or dry embossing on my cards, in 2021 I used something that had been upcycled, in 2022 I used something that had been a cover gift with a magazine and last year all my cards were cross stitch designs.  This year I had decided to have a colour theme and my cards were to be white, green and gold - this is my first and last with this theme.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Uniko 'Rustic Wreath' stamps
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' & Memory Box 'Mini Holly Leaves' dies
     Versafine Olympia Green ink
     Snippets of white matt card and gold mirri card

I placed a snippet of white card into my MISTI and stamped the wreath and sentiment with green ink.  The panel was then cut with a stitched die, layered onto a snippet of gold mirri card and attached to the card front.  To finish, I die cut lots of small holly berries from gold mirri and attached them around the wreath.

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - A is for Anything Goes
     Christmas Kickstart Challenge - The Midas Touch 
     Daisy Chain Challenge - No Design Paper
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day - January challenge
     52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Wreaths

Kath x

Season's Greetings

As part of my thrifty crafting year I'm also upcycling as much as I can and this cute Santa card was too good to go into the recyling bin.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white matt card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card   
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' and Creative Expressions 'Festive Collection - Season's Greetings' dies
     Snippets of silver mirri card

The original Christmas card was a large square, but I used the rectangle die to cut the top half so I could make a smaller card.  The stitched panel was layered onto silver mirri before being attached to the card blank.  To finish I die cut the sentiment from another snippet of silver mirri and attached it to the lower corner of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - A for Anything Goes
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x 

Cute Cross Stitch Robin

Last year I bought some pre-loved Christmas cross stitch charts and kits and this cute robin was amongst them.  It had originally been a cover gift with a magazine and is from a design by Lucy Heaton.  

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" white matt card blank
     Robin cross stitch kit by Lucy Heaton
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' dies
     Snippet of dark red matt card

The kit gave instructions to patch the finished design onto the card blank that had been in the kit, but I chose to make my own card blank.  After finishing the stitching I attached it to the rear of a frame that had been die cut from dark red card and then attached it to the front of the card blank.   The kit also contained a small bell for the top of the tree and a small bow for the bottom of the tree, but I chose to leave them off to make the card design simpler and also also to make it easier and cheaper to post the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Christmas Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x     

Robin on a Branch

This lovely robin was one of the small kits I bought before Christmas - although it's a Hobbycraft kit the design is by Mouseloft.

To make this card I used:
     C7 red tri-fold card
     Hobbycraft 'Robin' cross stitch kit

After stitching the design, I trimmed the aida before attaching it behind the aperture in the card.  The bottom panel was then attached inside the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Christmas (or not) BINGO Challenge - I have used line 'O' (real stitching, rectangle and aperture for my 'free' square)
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes

Kath x

Cross Stitch Owl

I bought a few pre-loved cross stitch kits before Christmas and this cute owl was amongst them.  Although it's a Hobbycraft kit, the design is by Mouseloft .

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" cream hammer card blank
     Hobbycraft 'Owl' cross stitch kit
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Square STAX Die-namics dies
     Snippet of cream hammer card 

After finishing the stitching I attached it to the rear of a frame that had been die cut from cream hammer card and then attached it to the front of the card blank.   

I am entering the following challenges:
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x  

Under the Mistletoe

I don't often buy craft magazines as they're now so expensive, but I made an exception when I saw this Lisa Horton set of dies as a cover gift.  The mistletoe die is perfect for Steve's Christmas card and, as always, this is my final Christmas card to post this year.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' and Lisa Horton 'Under the Mistletoe' dies
     Clearly Besotted 'Happy Birthday All' stamps
     Versafine Crimson Red ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail embossing powder
     Snippets of white matt card, cream gloss card, green textured card and red mirri card 

I die cut the largest square from white matt card and placed it into my MISTI.   I placed the mistletoe die onto the panel so I could see where the position the stamps.  After removing the die I stamped the sentiment in red ink before embossing it with clear embossing powder.  The panel was layered onto red mirri and attached it to the centre of the card blank.  I die cut the mistletoe from green textured card and attached it above the sentiment.  The bow was die cut from red mirri card and attached to the top of the mistletoe branch.  To finish I die cut the berries from tiny snippets of cream gloss card and attached them to the mistletoe.  

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - X is for XOXO (hugs and kisses)
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Less is More - D is for Deck the Halls
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 468

Kath x

November Rudolph Day

It's time for the final Rudolph Day of the year and for another cross stitch card (cross stitch is my RD theme this year).  This lovely Derwentwater kit was amongst the cross stitch items my neighbour gifted me earlier this year so I thought I would make the card to send her for Christmas.

To make this card I used:
     Derwentwater 'Lantern' cross stitch kit
     Snippet of white paper

The kit was complete and contained everything to make this card.  After finishing the stitching I mounted it behind the aperture of the tri fold card and added a piece of white paper behind the stitching so the red card wouldn't show through the aida.  To finish I folded the card to the inside.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Christmas BINGO Challenge - I have used line 'G' (real stitching, rectangle and red for my 'free' square)
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Rudolph Day - November Challenge

Kath x

May Your Christmas be Merry & Bright

I made this Christmas card for my sister using a Hunkydory decoupage floral image.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Hunkydory Favourites Christmas Toppers 'A Blooming Lovely Christmas'
     Creative Expressions 'From the Heart - Female Relations' die
     Snippets of gold mirri and light green foiled card

I trimmed the light green foiled card, layered it onto gold mirri and attached it to the card blank.  I popped the decoupage layers out of the backing sheet and used foam tape to assemble the image.  I die cut 'Sister' from a tiny snippet of gold mirri and attached it to the lower corner of the card before attaching the topper above it.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Christmas BINGO Challenge - I have used line 'I' (Square, Green, Gold, plus I've used Red as my Free square)
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Christmas/Winter

Kath x

Season's Greetings

This is another quick card made with my last sheet of vintage style backing paper from an old Kaisercraft paper pad, which I think had once been a cover gift with a magazine.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" kraft card blank
     Creative Expressions 'Festive Collection - Season's Greetings' die
     Kaisercraft 'Christmas Collections' paper 
     Snippets of dark red card

I trimmed the paper, layered it onto dark red card and attached it to the card blank.  I die cut the sentiment from another snippet of dark red card and attached it to the lower corner of the panel.   

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - U for Use It Up (I used my last sheet of paper from a paper pad)
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x

October Rudolph Day

It's time for another Rudolph Day and another cross stitch Christmas card (cross stitch is my RD theme this year).  This cute 'Skating Snowman' is from a design by Mouseloft.  I have stitched this design in 2022 and had enough threads (except for white) to stitch it again.  This time I used some aida that I received in a giveaway which is blue with white spots, making it perfect for a snowy background.

To make this card I used:

     4" x 4" white matt card blank
     Mouseloft 'Skating Snowman' cross stitch kit
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics'  & 'Inside & Out Stitched Square STAX Die-namics' dies

     Snippet of white matt card and pale blue aida

I used a snippet of white matt card to make a frame for the stitching, using the square die for the outer edge and the circle die for the aperture.  After completing the stitching I mounted the design behind the frame and attached it to the card.  

I am entering the following Challenges:
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day - October Challenge

Kath x

Christmas Woodland Scene

This die is another of my old favourites and, again, it was another cover gift with a magazine several years ago.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Creative Dies 'Woodland Scene' die
     Clearly Besotted 'Cheerful Christmas' stamp
     Memento Paris Dusk ink
     Snippets of white matt card, blue and silver star card and silver mirri

I die cut the 'Woodland Scene' from a snippet of white card and removed the tiny tree that was to the left of the deer as I always feel it makes the scene too cluttered.  I placed the panel into my MISTI and stamped the sentiment in the lower corner using blue ink.  I used Artist Tac to attach the die cut to a snippet of blue and silver card and then trimmed around the edge.  The panel was then layered onto a slightly larger snippet of silver mirri before being attached to the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - Use It Up (I have used snippets of card)
     Addicted to CAS - Dies Only
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - October Challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x