Crafter's Companion and Penny Black Christmas card and Glitzcraft Nativity stencil Christmas card

Hello everyone and welcome back to a new challenge at:-

We're really rattling through the alphabet now and this time we have

N for No Layers and O for Ornaments.

Here is my no-layers card:-

I masked off a square and inked the background with distress inks. I then placed a nativity stencil from Glitzcraft over the top and inked through with black ink. Once that was dry I added some silver ink to the star and halos then removed the mask. The sentiment came from Paper Smooches.

This is my O for Ornaments:-

I first cut the card aperture with a Crater's Com[panion Merry die and backed the hole with some dotty acetate. I added red paper behind the acetate to add some stability, highlight the dots and give a clean finish inside. The ornaments were made with a Penny Black die set called little ornaments - the back layer was made with red card and the top layer with mirri card. The Christmas sentiment is from a Happy Little Stampers set.

The team has some great inspiration for you over on the ABC Christmas Challenges blog, and you can enter your card over there too.

I'd like to play along at

CRAFT Challenge #685 - Christmas

Craft Rocket Challenge #105 - Christmas in July

Little Red Wagon Challenge #713 - Christmas or New Year

Christmas Craft Creations July Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x

 

MFT Fireplace Christmas card with stockings,

Hello everyone and welcome to another challenge at Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge.

Our lovely Kylie has been running challenge blogs for 8 years now and is in need of a well-earned break, so this will be the last HLS challenge for a while whilst she recharges her batteries. I'd like to thank Kylie for all the work she puts in behind the scenes to keep so many challenges going and I'd like to say 'put your feet up girl', but knowing her, I'm sure that will be impossible lol!

I decked my Christmas Halls by lighting a fire and hanging stockings using the My Favourite Things Fireplace die set. I used a brick stencil on the fire surround and added some sparkle to the flames.

The foliage is from another MFT set and the sentiment is from Paper Smooches.

It would be great if you could visit my Teamies over on the HLS blog and leave them some kindness before they take a rest.

I'd like to play along at
Christmas Craft Creations - use die cuts

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #73 - anything Christmas goes

Winter Wonderland Challenge June - Christmas decorations

Stay safe and thanks for stopping by.

Hugs
Carol x

Mama Elephant So Many Snowmen Christmas card

Hello and welcome to another challenge at ABC Christmas Challenges that will run from 3rd to 31st October.

Our Host is Lisa and the themes this time are

U –  for Upon

and

V- for Very Quick

Our Sponsor is

All Dressed Up.

The winner will receive two free digis of their choice

from Wendy’s Etsy shop. Here is a little information about the shop:-

Hi I am Wendy Burns I live in Nottingham UK with my husband and two children who have been the inspiration behind the characters, in particular, my daughter who has kept me up-to-date with blogging and trends. I work predominantly within the textile children’s wear market, fashion and interiors.

I trained as a textile designer and although my work is digitally based, I love to retain that hand-drawn /sewn feel which I hope comes across in my artwork.

Digital stamps is a new challenge for me and the opportunity to work with the All Dressed Up Team and has been very exciting, in particular, the creative way my characters have been given individual personalities by the designers .

All Dressed Up is a newly launched blog with an enthusiastic team who are passionate about stamping. The coordinators Marilyn and Tracy along with an amazing design team are also known as The Dressy Girls.

We have a friendly Facebook page, regular blog posts, tutorials, challenges and freebies. The stamps can be purchased from the Etsy shop which is updated on a monthly basis. We really are a friendly bunch and would love to see your creations so please feel free to contact us and visit the

All Dressed Up Challenge Blog.

There will also be a prize from Lisa.

I chose to go with V for Very Quick. I stamped the Mama Elephant So Many Snowmen stamp and quickly coloured bits of the image with Polychromo pencils. I trimmed around the top of the image before placing foam tape on the back.

For the background, I used some snowy patterned paper and stuck it to the base card before raising the snowmen on the lower part.

I finished off by adding the Paper Smooches Merry Christmas die which I cut three times and stacked. Using a large image that required very little colouring really made this a fast card.

You'll find lots of inspiration over on the ABC Christmas Challenge Blog, and I hope you will join in with us this time.

I'd like to play along at

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge # 37 - anything goes.

Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge #93 Christmas is for kids

Jingle Belles Challenge - let it snow

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x

Crafter's Companion Sparkling Tree Christmas gatefold card

Hello and welcome to the new Happy Little Stampers Challenge! Now I don't want to scare you, but have you realised that Christmas will be here in a flash now that September is here and the children have gone back to school? If you haven't been squirrelling cards away already, it might be time to make a start so that panic doesn't settle in at the beginning of December.

Our optional twist for September is 'tree' but you can enter any kind of Christmas card if that doesn't tickle your fancy.

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!

I saw this gorgeous Christmas Tree die from Crafter's Companion and had to have it, so I came up with this card

 1) Make a long gatefold card from Centura Pearl card, making sure that there is enough room for the tree to cut out on each side.

2) The Create a card Sparkling Tree die has 3 dies in it, one cuts the tree into the card and two side dies enable you to cut the edges if you want to. Die cut the tree and one side die on each side of the gatefold and remove the fallout.

3) Using just the side dies, cut the basic tree shape from some green patterned paper and stick it to the card behind the cut-out trees.

4) For the inside of the card, cut out a complete tree and paper backing and stick it to the card so it lines up in the centre when the card is closed.

5) Die cut the sentiment from Paper Smooches in red card and die cut 2 Clearly Besotted snowflakes, then stick them on either side of the tree so they will not be seen when the card is closed.

6) Finish off by adding red stars to the tops of the trees.

I'd like to play along at

Jingle Belles Challenge Shape Up for the holidays - tree-shaped gatefold

My Time to Craft Challenge #378 - Christmas in August

Crafty Calendar Challenge September - unusual folds

12 Months of Christmas Challenge #45 - anything goes with optional twist

As always, my talented teammates have lots to show you over on the HLS blog, and you can link your card to the gallery there too.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x

Papertrey Ink and Silhouette Cameo Art Deco wedding card

Helle there and welcome to another challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More. This time we have an Anything Goes theme so why not show us what you have been working on lately.

Our next door neighbour's son got married recently and the theme was very glamorous black and gold art deco, so I dug deep into my stash to design a card that fitted the theme.

1) I took an 8-inch square card blank and matted it with some gold textured card and a black stitched square die cut.

2) I cut a deco fan shape on my Silhouette Cameo in the gold card and black shapes to mat onto it.

3) I found several old Papertrey Ink stamp sets that came in useful for this project. I stamped the rays from the Hello Sunshine set; the flourishes from the Fancy Flourishes set; the heart from Heart Prints and the sentiment from Quilled Elegance. These were all heat embossed with gold embossing powder and then adhered to the gold fan mat, which I raised on black fun foam and attached to the card.

4) I finished off by cutting the Paper Smooches Congratulations die three times in the gold card and stacking them to make them pop.

I thoroughly enjoyed going outside my comfort zone for this card. I would never have dreamed of sending a black wedding card, but when I got to the wedding and saw all the decorations and glamorous clothes, it really fitted.

You will find lots of inspiration over on the blog, and I can't wait to see what you link up this time.

I'd like to play along with

Time to Craft Challenge #370 - stamp or colour on anything but white.

Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes

Try it on Tuesday - stencils or die cuts

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x

Paper Smooches and Little Claire Christmas card

Hello and welcome to the new challenge at Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge. It may seem early to start on Christmas 2018, but you'll be glad you did when you see your pile growing through the year. This is an anything goes as long as it's a Christmas challenge, but this time we have a 'heart' twist going on. Well, it is February!

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!

Here is my card

1) Take a side stepper card blank - mine is from Crafter's Companion. Die cut a pierced square from the Lawn Fawn Let's Bokeh in the Snow paper pack and mat it on the front of the card. Add some more of the paper along the side stepper.

2) Stamp the Wavy At Home stamp from Little Claire and colour with Zig Watercolour pens.

3) When it is dry, add glue to the roofs and hillside before sprinkling on some glitter.

4) Die cut three baubles from the Penny Black Little Ornaments die set and arrange them on the right of the card.

5) Finish off by putting some glaze on the little tree hearts, add the sentiment cut from the Merry Christmas die from Paper Smooches, and pop a couple of little die cut hearts to the image.

We are lucky enough to have Liz join us as Guest Designer this month and you can find her lovely card and inspiration from the team over on the blog.

I'd like to go and play at

Allsorts Challenge Week 453  - spots and/or stripes



Tic Tac Toe ChallengeC033 - I used the top line - sentiment, red, heart.

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' January - anything Christmas goes

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x

Paper Smooches and Silhouette Cameo new baby card

Hello everyone,

Well I have had the best Christmas present ever!!!! I'm delighted to tell you that my first Grandchild, Alice arrived safely last week and is, of course, just gorgeous. Mum and baby are doing well, and my son is like a dog with two tails. It's been wonderful to see my great big macho son being all tender, protective and mushy with his beautiful baby girl. Of course, I made a card for the occasion and it fits well into the Anything Goes challenge we are about to start over at Addicted to Stamps and More

I CASEd my own card here from 2015 but made it bigger and personalised it.

1) Cut a stork and baby bundle from images in the Silhouette Store using a Silhouette Cameo machine. I cut the stork body in aqua card, the baby bundle in pink, and the beak and legs in white card and coloured them with alcohol ink.

2) Use a white gel pen to add polka dots to the baby bundle and add a little green heart before assembling it and the stork onto a white square panel cut with a pierced square die.

3) Die cut the welcome word from Paper Smooches three times and stack them together

4) Cut a filmstrip on the Cameo and adhere it to the bottom of the panel. Stamp the word Baby from the Paper Smooches Welcome Wagon set just above the filmstrip, and stick the welcome die cut above it so it frames the word.

5) Mat the panel onto some aqua card and raise it onto an 8-inch white base card using fun foam.

6) Die cut the name using alphabet dies. I used an ancient Sizzix Mac'n'Cheese die set but you could also cut the name on the Cameo or use any other dies. Mount the letters onto snippets of card and cut them into little rectangles before arranging them on the filmstrip, raising them with foam tape.

7) Finish off by scattering die cut stars and hearts around the card using the same coloured card.

I know this is a very busy time of year, but I hope you will take a little time for yourself and pop over to the ATSM blog to see the fabulous inspiration from the DT, and join in with us this time.

My husband goes into hospital for his second hip replacement operation next week so I may not be around as much for a few weeks.

I'd like to play along with

2 Crafty Critter Crazies #9 - anything goes with a critter

Animal Friends Challenge #57 - anything goes

Crafty Friends Challenge #72 - babies and children

Cute Card Thursday #506 - things with wings

Thanks for stopping by

Hugs

Carol aka Grandma!

Paper Smooches A Blessed Christmas and Clearly Besotted Christmas card

Hello and welcome to the October challenge over at Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge

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

Can you believe that we only have 3 more challenges until Christmas! I bet you are pleased with yourself if you have played along with us all year, but don't worry if you are just joining us now, we are pleased to have you with us.

We are an anything goes challenge but we have a fun twist each month if you want to challenge yourself, and this time our twist is Silhouette. I came up with this card which was influenced by a card I saw by Kristina Werner some time ago.

1) Take a piece of white card and blend Distress inks in fossilised amber, wild violet, chipped sapphire and black soot to create the background.

2) Cut the card with a stitched rectangle die from My Favorite Things Blueprints 23 die set.

3) Stamp the wise men from Paper Smooches A Blessed Christmas in the lower left had side with Versafine Black Onyx ink,

4) Stamp the sentiment from Penny Black 'A Wish for Peace' in Versamark ink and emboss with white EP.

5) Stamp and emboss the stars from Clearly Besotted Merry Little Christmas set in white EP

6) Finish off by cutting a black mat for the panel and adhere it to the base card.

As usual, the HLS Christmas Blog has lots of inspiration for you, and you can enter your own cards there until the end of the month.

I'd like to play along with


Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - September Challenge anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Christmas featuring Penny Black

Merry Christmas Challenge #37 - Anything goes + Christmas

Thanks for stopping by

Hugs
Carol x

MFT Harvest Mouse and Paper Smooches You're Special card

Hello everyone, and I hope you are all safe and well. I don't know about you but I have been thinking about all the people across the world who have suffered because of the dreadful weather events going on over the past few weeks. It seems Mother Nature is trying to teach us a lesson about climate change, and I hope the doubters are now going to show some common sense and allow legislation to limit the damage we are doing to the planet. On a nicer note, it's been great to see how many wonderful people have been willing to help, either with practical aid or with financial contributions.

As crafters, we are so lucky to have a creative hobby that can allow us to escape the harsh realities of life for a time, and I hope this week's challenge over at ATSM helps

This is Clean and Simple week and I came up with this card

1) Stamp and fussy cut the images from the My Favorite Things Harvest Mouse stamp set.

2) Colour the images with Polychromo pencils. ( This is my second attempt with them and I think I'm going to like them when I get a bit more practice.)

3) Die cut a scalloped panel from the MFT Blueprints 27, and stamp one of the shadow stamps from Paper Smooches Shadows towards the top of the panel.

4) Stamp the sentiment from Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler underneath the shadow.

5) Raise the panel onto the base card with fun foam and arrange the mice and apples on the shadow.

You will find lots of inspiration over on the ATSM blog, and I hope you will join in with us this time.

I'd like to play along with

Retro Rubber Challenge #71 - Anything goes - I got my Harvest Mouse stamps in September 2015

AAA Cards CAS challenge - all creatures great and small

Addicted to CAS - apples

CAS on Sunday - use pencils or marker - I used pencils

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x

Woodware Special Bird birthday card

Hello everyone,

Well, after a weekend of wonderful warm sunshine it finally feels like spring is here. The garden is springing into life and Easter is almost here, so the thought of sunshine and chocolate makes me happy. The icing on the cake is that we also have another challenge starting over at Addicted to Stamps and More, and this time it is Make Your Mark!

 

I decided to ink up a new stamp from my NBUS mountain because it reminds me of spring, and I came up with this card:-

1) Take some white card and stamp the Woodware Special Bird stamp with black versafine ink and heat emboss with clear embossing powder. Repeat. 

2) Colour both images with alcohol markers and then cut out one whole image and the wing and leaves from the second. Shape the wing and leaves, and stick them to the image with some glue gel to give dimension. Coat the flower petals and bird tail with Spectrum Noir Glitter brush pen.

3) Dry emboss a panel of card with the Crafter's Companion Bubbles embossing folder and cut it in half before inking the edges with some blue ink.

4) Take a panel of blue card and white emboss the happy birthday greeting from the Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler. Use a scoreboard to create a couple of scored lines on either side of the greeting to frame it.

5) Layer everything up and raise the bird image on fun foam.

If you pop over to the ATSM blog, you will find lots of inspiration from the team, and you can link your cards up there.

I'd like to play along with

Crafty Cardmakers #186 - things with wings

Come and Get It Challenge - in the garden

Inkspirational # 132 - word prompt 'spring'

Paper Smooches Welcome Wagon new baby card

Hello everyone and welcome to the August Happy Little Stampers Case The Designer Challenge.

This time the lovely Gloria is our muse and she created this gorgeous card for us to CASE

I decided to CASE the masking and the colours and came up with this card:-

I decided to do a double mask and cut the central star shape from masking paper and placed it on my card before cutting a circle aperture  from some more of the paper and placing it on the card so that the star was in the centre.  I then chose several colours of ink and polka dot stamps from a couple of stamp sets and  went dotty between the two masks. After I removed the masks, I stamped the sentiments before cutting the panel with a stitched rectangle die and then using the PTI Canvas Embossing plate to give some texture.

 I die cut two welcomes and stacked them before adhering them to the card, and to finish off I added some star and heart die cuts. I glued the panel flat onto the base card so it will be easy to post. I love seeing how people are inspired by a CASE challenge and I can't wait to see what you come up with. Why not visit the HLS blog  and see what the Team has to show you.

The challenge runs for a month and the winner will receive a $15 gift certificate for the Happy Little Stampers Store.

I'd like to play along with

The Watercooler Challenge - anything starting with B - so B for baby

The Cutie Pie - polka dots and pastels

Craft Rocket Challenges - spots or stripes

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Carol x