Author: Catherine

So today we have another sketch Martin has provided for his #30daychristmascardchallenge

Well I went a little rogue and went for a flat card rather than layers and used stamping to create the shape of the sketch – but I think it is still fairly visible!

Ok maybe not totally visible but I promise it was originally my plan to follow the sketch but got carried away with inking! You can watch my process video over on YouTube.

I used the stamps from Creative Stamping magazine sets for both the tree and the words.

I then created a banner label for the sentiment and sandwiched some bakers twine for some softer texture,

Just love how it turned out!

Those gems were the perfect finishing touch!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I know I am posting lots of Christmas cards for the 30 day challenge so didn’t need a separate Festive Friday post but I had made this so posting it anyway!

Today’s Festive Friday was a case of spotting a piece of text print paper and deciding I wanted to use it but wasn’t sure what for – so went for a black, cream and kraft Christmas card.

I inked the paper which is old SU dsp where the base is cream not white, and added black soot to it.

Then I chose scraps of cream and stamped the foliage images in both Black Soot and the Versafine to get a variation in the greys/blacks.

I then added splatter to the panel using the shimmer ink in champagne which provides just a bit of shimmery fun!

I did a double layer banner with Kraft and black and then did a die cut sentiment – admittedly this is white as the top layer but I think it works!

I then added some black waxed thread as a bow and added this under the banner which I raised on foam adhesive to give dimension.

I next stamped and cut the other two parts to the sentiment and added those.

I mounted the panel onto some cream and then onto the Kraft card base, adding a panel inside to make it easy to write the message.

Then I spotted the charcoal shiny puffy star in a Hey Little Magpie embellishment kit and decided it was the perfect little extra to finish off! Cute!

So quite a different design with all the blacks and then the cream – but I like it a lot!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today’s theme I struggled with. Fortunately Martin included some hints/tips and I saw Santas workshop, thought Elf and went with that as my jumping off point!

I also had been watching a Sarah Stampin Retreat video and she made a circle card – so I cut myself one and went with that for the base!

As per usual I videoed the process (it was quick) of making this card.

I used the Christmas Tags and More dsp for the papers and the little die cut gifts. I used the Mirtillamente digital stamp of the elf for my main focal point – I just love these digital stamps so much!

I used my promarkers to do simple colouring and then added the Tim Holtz sticker for the sentiment and some gems to finish off.

Inside I added another gift, a strip of the paper and the sentiment.

Such a cute card – not entirely sure it is obvious what the theme is from what I did – but that was the starting point of the card!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

A new challenge starts at Creative Knockouts today – Time to be Merry – yes my Christmas obsession continues!

We are kindly sponsored by Rachelle Anne Millar and I am using the cutest digital stamp – Christmas Mice! Of course I realise I could have also used this for the Winter Whiskers challenge for #30daychristmascaedchallenge – oh well – instead you got two posts from me in one day!

I took a piece of paper from my stash that is printed but looks like distress ink smooshing and added to is with some stamping in versamark and then added some perfect pearls in blue to add some subtle shimmer.

Next I added a mat and layer of pink and purple and then die cut the circles for under the digital image from the same.

I coloured the image using my promarkers and then fussy cut it out.

The image did come with a sentiment but I decided to not include that on my card. Instead I used a die cut Christmas.

Before I stuck all the layers down I did decide to add in those vellum snowflakes from the Kingston Crafts kit – just thought they added to the cute card.

I added some silver stickles to the centre of each to add that bit of sparkle!

Loved making this cute card!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I decided to use the fabulous Hare stamp in the Creative Stamping magazine set from a few months ago to represent the whiskers in today’s challenge and created a wintry scene with the mountain stamp and then some brushos to create the fab northern lights type scene. Maybe I was inspired by the fabulous Hamza programme that was on tv which showed the Hare in the highlands – although admittedly I went with a brown one not the gorgeous but very camouflaged white one! Anyway I digress … the card!

It was such a simple card to make with just the two stamps, some brushos and a paintbrush – and then the doodled frame and sentiment sticker!

I always like to mat these arty type cards on black to frame them and then straight onto the card blank as a flat card.

So so cute!

Love the way the brushos work for the sky and can’t wait to create other scenes with the other stamps in the set.

But for now … this is my card for today!

I did film the process so please check this out.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today is the first colour challenge of the month. And of course I videoed the process!

And concord & 9th are sponsoring the colours which is great but I don’t actually own these colours so I’ve had to do my best with alternative inks! And I chose distress inks that I thought were in keeping with the idea of these – although I went slightly more blue with tumbled glass than the sea glass colour!

So I used tumbled glass as my sea glass, evergreen bough for evergreen and candied apple for poppy and I think it isn’t too bad as an alternate colour combo and still works with the general theme! Just a more pastel version! 😀

So I started with the sizzix layered stencil direct onto the card blank using the inks.

Then out came the Alex Syberia dies I NEEDED to buy after seeing what Martin and Amy and the rest of the blog hop gang had made with them. Perfect for this colour scheme I thought!

I die cut them from white and added the ink to them with my blending brushes adding the hickory smoke as a neutral colour.

I layered them up and added the sentiment on foam adhesive so it sat nicely amongst the floral element.

I then added the gems for the finishing touch.

Such a simple card to make – next time I get that die set out I am going to die cut loads of those elements as they are sooooooooo gorgeous! Also want to try layering them with the main plate as a full front cover but for now this is my first play!

And I think as an alternate but similar colour combo I love this! And that stencil is just to die for!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today’s cards were made for the design team over at Addicted to Stamps and more where our challenge is to use die cuts and/or stencils and I fancied pulling out the stitching dies again.

I die cut scraps of pinks and purples and whites for these little flowers and created two cards with the Kingston Crafts card blanks as the base.

I love the pop of the pattern behind the panel on which I created a pattern of the die cuts that I had sewn with different threads and in different ways.

I think it gives each flower a different feel and I love the white on white for the leaves and stems.

I raised the panel up on this one onto foam adhesive and the same with the die cut sentiment.

So pretty!

I didn’t have many of the flowers left for this one so instead a smaller panel and this time kept it flat – I just raised the sentiment up.

The pink looks a little weird on the sentiment on the photos but in real life looks like it goes better I promise!

I added lots of little gems to fill the white spaces and love how this one finished up too!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I got a little confused making this card … the theme was Stocking Surprises … so I knew I wanted to use Tidings and Trimmings stamps for the stocking image … but then I wanted to use my glimmer and add foil as I hadn’t played with it in a while and couldn’t quite decide on how to connect the two elements!

But I got there in the end and this is my card…

… not sure I love it all – but love elements of it!

Of course I love the foiling and the stencilling worked so well too.

I also love those stockings … but not 100% sure the two things go together!

I added the stockings to the inside of the card too – plus a stamped sentiment.

And on the front two gems were the finishing touches!

But mainly it’s the foiling that does it for me – just love it!

If you want to watch me put this together please do pop over to my YouTube

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Time for a sketch for today’s challenge.

And I went for a simple card using patterned papers and the Santa from the Simple Stories Big Bits pack I bought a few weeks ago.

The banners under the sentiment probably took me the most fiddling – otherwise it was a case of cut and stick.

And of course I messed up the glitter glue a little because I managed to smudge the original application so then ended up with a more gloopy line than I originally wanted!

But I got away with it I think – and a fun card was made! Process video also up on my YouTube.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Back again with another card for Martin’s #30daychristmascardmakingchallenge and today’s theme is Candy Cottage.

Like yesterday I did video the process of putting this card together.

I went with candy canes for my inspiration and grabbed the SU kit I bought ‘Christmas tags and More’, added in some green foiled cardstock and then some gems to make this card.

I chose a sentiment die cut and then stamped the rest of the sentiment from the Peace & Joy set.

The glittery gems were a lovely little addition to finish off the front of the card!

Inside I added one of the die cut shapes and some scrap green to the white panel to finish off!

Quite a simple card to put together!

Happy crafting!

Catherine