Penny Black Sleigh Ride Christmas card and Crafters Companion Penguin Christmas card

Hello everyone, and welcome to the ABC Christmas Challenges April challenge.

I am hosting this time and I have a little prize for the winner

 This challenge runs from 10th April to 4th May and we are covering two alphabet letters this time.

   The Christmas/December/Winter holidays themes this time round are:                                                    

'H is for Hats'

and

'I is for Inky'

These are my offerings:-

H for hats

For this card, I used the cute Crafter's Companion penguin die, and cut 2 of them, decorating their hats and scarfs in different colours. I stood them in little ice flows from the MFT Polar Pals stamp set and the lower sentiment came from the same set. The background was created by blending a couple of blue inks and adding some splatter.

and I for Inky

I blended several blue inks for this one and then used the Memory Box Pinpoint Burst Impression Plate to add texture. I sprayed the panel with Crafter's Companion Sparkle Spray and although it isn't showing up well in the photos, it looks pretty IRL. The added white splatter was made with watered-down Gouache paint.

The image was stamped with the Penny Black Sleigh Ride stamp set and coloured with Zig Clear Colour Pens. I fussy cut the image and added some Nuvo Crystal Glaze to Rudolph's nose.

The Design Team has lots of inspiration over on the ABC blog, and I look forward to seeing your entries if you decide to join us this time.

I hope you are all safe and warm and that Storm Kathleen, which has been buffeting us here today as I write this, hasn't had a big impact on you.

I'd like to play along at

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #160 - anything Christmas goes

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #85 - Santa and his Sidekicks

Unicorn Challenge #97 - Use dies

Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge # 61 - Anything Christmas goes

Thanks for stopping by,

Hugs,

Carol x

                                                      

Memory Box Snowflake frame Christmas card

 

Hello crafty friends and welcome to the new Christmas Challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.

As we have had a lot of hot weather here recently, it seemed very strange to be indoors making a Christmas card, so I went for a quick make that could easily be batch made if you want to build up a stash.

I began by making the blue background using Distress Oxide Sprays on watercolour paper. While it was drying, I die-cut the Memory Box Snowflake Frame from silver mirror card.

I white heat embossed the sentiment from Papertrey Ink and finished the card off by adding everything to the white base card, along with the silver snowflake die cut.

It's worth popping over to the ATSM blog to see the gorgeous cards my Teamies have to share, and you can link up your entry if you decide to join us this time.

I'd like to play along at

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #117 - anything Christmas Goes

Peace on Earth Challenge #18 - anything Christmas Goes

12 Months of Christmas Challenge #89 - anything Christmas goes

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x

Memory Box Mistletoe Christmas card

 

Hello everyone and welcome to another challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More

This time we have our Christmas theme

and I came up with this card

I used a Memory Box mistletoe die and cut it twice from an ink smooshed piece of watercolour paper, before shaping the leaves. The bow die is included with the mistletoe and I cut this in red but stacked it onto a couple of white bows to give a bit of dimension. For the background, I stamped the sentiment from Papertrey Ink Merry Kissmas and then used their linen impression plate to add some texture to the panel. I then cut the largest My Favorite Things Chain Oval frame and paper pieced some of the waste back in to add a little interest. To finish off, I added some white berries and covered them with stickles for a little sparkle.

I was inspired for the colours here, by some variegated mistletoe I once saw in a market and marveled over to my husband, thinking he might just buy some. The romantic in him was overwhelmed by his gardener side and he just glanced at it and told me it wasn't variegated at all - it was just dying! 

As always, you'll find lots more inspiration over on the ATSM blog and I hope you will join us this time.

I'd like to play along at

Happy Little Stamper's Christmas Challenge- April - anything Christmas goes + glitter

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #113 - anything Christmas goes

Thanks for stopping by,

Hugs

Carol x 

Penny Black Critter Party, Concord and 9th and Pinkfresh Studio Birthday card

Hello friends,

If you are in the UK, I hope you have enjoyed the lovely weather we've been having for the past week or so. I love the light in autumn before the clocks go back, and the changing leaf colours I see on my walks are just gorgeous. I'd like to introduce the new challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More, where we would love to see you Make Your Mark.

I chose to make my mark with my Zig Clean Colour Brush markers.

For the background panel, I cut a stitched rectangle of card and then stamped the semi-circular sentiment from Concord and 9th Rainbow Sayings in black ink. Once the ink had dried, I passed the panel through the die-cutting machine with my new Memory Box Pinpoint Burst Plate, before matting it onto some red card. I dug out an old stamp set from Penny Black called Critter Party which I've had for @ 10 years, as I'm trying to give some attention to my older stash. I keep my stamps in clear pockets with a card insert and I made a note of the date on this to show when I used it. I read about this idea online somewhere recently, and I'm hoping that when I next cull my stamp collection I will be able to see how often I actually use a set to help me decide what to keep. Anyway, I stamped, coloured and fussy cut the birthday mice and raised them on the panel with foam tape. The lower sentiment is from Pinkfresh Studio and I stamped the top layer and stacked it on 2 further layers to add some more dimension.

We have the talented Stef as Guest Designer this month, and you can see her design as well as lots of inspiration from the team over on the ATSM blog.

I'd like to play along at

Crafty Sentiments Challenge - anything goes

Passion for Markers Challenge #613 - make it cute

Retro Rubber Challenge #169 - anything goes 

Penny Black Saturday Challenge October - anything goes

Stay well and thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x

 

Memory Box Country Church Frame Christmas card

Hello everyone and welcome to another challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.

This time we are looking for your Christmas cards to help you get a head start for the busy season.

I came up with this card.

For the sky background, I smooshed some watercolour paper in a few shades of blue ink and then stenciled some snowflakes on. 

I cut everything out using the Memory Box Country Church Frame dies and stacked the circle, church, roof and trees three times to give them some dimension. I added some yellow card behind the church to give some lights in the windows, and added glitter to the roof, fence, trees and foreground to show some twinkle in the snow.

The sentiment is from a Simon Says Stamp pre-printed sheet.

I'd like to play along at

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #99 - anything goes

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #53 - photo inspiration - I used the church and trees on the mantle

Happy Little Stampers Christmas August Challenge - anything Christmas goes

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x

Memory Box Bauble Snowflake Frame and Wild Rose Singing Penguins Christmas cards

Hello everyone and welcome to the last ABC Christmas Challenge of 2020. It's hard to believe that Christmas will soon be upon us in all its strange circumstances. Let's not go there! Instead, I really hope that you have enjoyed all the challenges we have brought to you over the year and if you have joined in with us, I hope you have a nice stash of cards ready to send out and bring cheer to your family and friends.

This month we have two themes for you:

'Y is for Your Favourite Things'
&
'Z is for Zzzzzzzz'

(Sleeping image)

There's a little prize for the lucky winner, donated by our lovely Samantha:

Well, I have been quite the dufus recently so my contributions for this challenge are a bit off-kilter.

My first card was actually made for last month's W for Winter Wonderland challenge but I mislaid it and didn't find it in time for the challenge. Of course, it was actually right in front of me all the time, although I was convinced that the elves were playing tricks on me. Luckily it also fits the Your favourite things challenge because it uses stacked die cuts which I love to do because it makes the image really pop out from the background of the card.

The die is the Bauble Snowflake Frame die from Memory Box and the sentiment stamp is from Papertrey Ink.

For my next cock-up. I present my Z for Zzzzzzs.

When I first saw the challenge I didn't see that it meant us to use a sleeping image. My little brain started hunting for something in my stash that began with Z! Well, apart from a zebra that really didn't fit a festive theme, I didn't have anything suitable, so I told myself to think outside of the box. I came up with making a z fold card, and I was pretty pleased with it until I came to write this post and discovered that I should have used a sleeping image :-( Well, I wasn't going to leave it out - so here it is ...

I used a starry background stamp on some white card and matted it onto some blue card. I cut a couple of labels from an old Spellbinders labels die set and added a sentiment for the inside one and stamped and coloured the cute NBUS Singing Penguins from Wild Rose Studio that I've had for 3 or 4 years for the one on the front of the card.

 

Well, there you have it - our last challenge of the year!  I hope you will pop over to the ABC Challenge blog to see some great cards from the team and get some inspiration for your last minute cards.

I'd like to play along at

Fab n Funky Challenge #505 Winter Wonderland

Simon Says Stamp - Fun with dies

Double D challenge - Santa hats 

Retro Rubber Challenge #149 Merry Christmas

Try it on Tuesday - Winter Wonderland

Dies R Us Challenge #158 - Christmas

Thanks for joining us throughout the year and we'll see you again for a new challenge in 2021!

Hugs

Carol x 

Memory Box Poinsettia and Pinkfresh Studio Christmas card

Hello again and welcome! The time has come for the November ABC Christmas Challenge and this time our themes are  

W - Wreath
and/or

X - fauX

Lindsey is our lovely host this month and she has this lovely prize to give to our winner

I went for W for Wreath and came up with this card.

I used an Imagination Crafts stencil for the background called Multi Snow Dots and just inked through it with shades of pink and red.

Next, I stamped and die cut my new Pinkfresh Studio Hanging Florals wreath but cut away the flowers that are on it to make way for Christmassy poinsettias and stretch my stash.

I die cut the Memory Box Poinsettia Stem dies and some mixed holly and poinsettia leaves from white card and blended on some ink to give more authentic variations in colour, and arranged them on the bottom of the wreath.

The sentiment is from Clearly Besotted Most Wonderful stamp set, and I finished off with a tiny tag from Papertrey Ink.

Our talented Design Team have some great inspiration for you over on the blog and it would be great to have you join us this time.

I'd like to play along at

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - Christmas/winter

Allsorts Challenge #544 - make your own flowers

Winter Wonderland Challenge - use holly and or ivy

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x

Memory Box Prim Poppy thank you card using a Penny Black Curved Stitch die

Hello and welcome to the Happy Little Stampers Watercolour Challenge. We are an anything goes as long as it includes watercolour in some form, but we have an optional twist that you can choose to play with and have some fun. 

Our winner for this challenge will receive a $20 coupon to spend at the shop! Check out all the details HERE.

IF YOU USE STAMPS BY HAPPY LITTLE STAMPERS AND YOU ARE OUR RANDOM WINNER, YOUR PRIZE WILL BE DOUBLED!

Short and sweet this time because I have a stinky cough and cold that is proving hard to shake. I'm hoping that if I get it over with now, I'll stay clear in the winter! Our twist this time is 'gold' and I came up with this card

I used some gold watercolour paint from Gansai Tambi and roughly painted it onto watercolour paper before cutting the poppy die from  Memory Box

The curved shape was cut using a Penny Black die, and the sentiment was from the Papertrey Ink Think Big Favorites #1 set.

The final touch was to add black Nuvo drops. I was too much of a coward to apply the drops directly to the card, so I made them on a mat and transferred them when they were dry lol!

There are some fabulous cards from the team on the Happy Little Stampers blog, and you can enter the challenge over there too.

I'd like to play along at 

Alphabet Challenge - N for nature

Penny Black and More - make it feminine

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - anything goes

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x

Papertrey Ink and Memory Box Thinking of you card

Hello everyone,

I've had a hard time creating a card since the refurb of my craft room because I haven't wanted to mess it it up lol! However, I bit the bullet for the PTI bloghop 

This time we were given this inspiration picture 

and I took inspiration from the muted orange colours and navy blue to come up with this card

I like to have at least one card in my stash that I can send out for a number of situations and this one will cover lots of occasions because I can personalise it by the sentiment I put on the inside.

I started by blending several orange inks on a panel of card and then stamped the silhouette flowers from the Life stamp set and added the sentiment from Iconic Images.

I die cut the panel, matted it with some navy card and then added it to an A2 card on foam tape over another die cut made with a Memory Box Ribbon die. I added some WOS glitter to the flowers but this isn't showing in the photo for some reason.

I'm dying to see how everyone else interpreted this picture!

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the hop.

I'd like to play with

City Crafter Challenge - use the word 'you' on your card

Muse Challenge - I took inspiration from the background and silhouette flowers

Addicted to CAS - silhouette

Hugs

Carol x

Memory Box thank you card

Hello everyone and a very warm welcome to Sammy who is joining us as a new follower this week.

Well I really enjoyed the last few days of my fifties and have been thoroughly spoiled all week by my family and friends. Thank you to everyone who sent cards and  good wishes, they really meant a lot to me. I'm still finding it hard to believe that I am 60 because in my head I will probably be 23 for ever, alas the mirror tells a different story, so I've just got to get used to it.

Well I got back to my craft room yesterday to make some thank you cards and came up with this design which was easy to make multiples of.

I love the background quatrefoil stamp which I embossed with versamark to give a little interest because the plain white seemed a little stark. Well now I need to get them written and delivered, so this is short and sweet.

I'd like to enter this into the Make my Monday challenge which is to use flowers or trees.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Hugs
Carol x