Meet Me Under the Mistltoe

This is a card I made for my youngest son, Chris. He is "looking for love" at the moment, so I thought this card would appeal to his sense of humour - and he does have a great sense of humour!

The fantabulous image is "Li'l Lad Luca" one of Tickled Pink Stamps "Li'l Lads Christmas Collection", also available at All That Scraps, I think all the Li'l Lads and the Li'l Lolitas are great and am slowly building my own collection.  Of course mine is a digi stamp - love my digis! but they are available in rubber too.  I coloured him with Copic markers, giving him green eyes because my li'l lad (who I think looks like Luca), is a snappy dresser and has green eyes!
Tickled Pink Stamps is running its' last Monthly Challenge, (but don't panic, they're going to a weekly challenge instead!) using this sketch:

For the background of the card I used wrapping paper that my son (Chris, the one the card is for) left here when he came to wrap a present here earlier in the year, at least I know he likes it!
The other papers are from Kaisercraft's "Dear Santa" and "'Tis the Season" 6" collections - I love these papers, they're scaled just right for cards!  The circles with the 25s inside are metallic gold, as are some of the stripes on the stripy paper, I tell you because (as usual) it hardly shows in the photo.  The embossed background paper is more pearl than metallic, but the difference in textures works well.  In real life, this card is really lush.
I used my Nestabilities Label Four to cut the image mat, distressing (inking) the embossed edge  with Ancient Page ink to give it that sort of grunge/vintage look that the image has.  I used the same technique for the sentiment, which is a freebie from Bizzy Becs.
I'm entering this card in a few challenges Tickled Pink's Monthly Challenge, obviously, using the sketch.  All That Scraps has "Inspired by a Song" as it's theme this time, and the song "Meet Me Under the Mistletoe" has been done by a few people including Randy Travis, as well as being a line in a number of other songs.  Stampin' for the Weekend has Christmas as its' challenge theme, Totally Gorjuss has "For Someone Special" - and my Chris is certainly that (as well as being, in my unbiased opinion, Totally Gorjuss!) 
Creative Inspirations has Anything Goes Christmas.  By the Cute and Girly has Children as it's theme, and does allow for things "even for big children" which this is; the fact that my image is "Li'l Lad" should qualify him anyway, lol.

Well, I've snuck this post in between decorating commitments, but I can't justify my absence any longer (let me translate, my husband just got back from the hardware!).  Until next time, thanks for visiting - leave me a comment, I LOVE them (yes, I know, I'm shallow) and Happy Crafting, Dee

Angel Emma's Keeping Watch

I made this card for my lovely neighbour Doris.  Her equally lovely husband Keith sadly left us a few months ago, making this Christmas, her first without him, difficult.  Doris signed her Christmas card to us from both of them - the habit of nearly 60 years together - and I thought she would like her own little angel on her card from us.

The papers used on this card are from Kaisercraft's "Carnival Christmas" 6" pad, my current fave!  I like the lighter look these colours give, especially with  daintier images: this is Christmas Angel Emma one of the Sugarplums (my favourite collection) from CC Designs available at Tickled Pink Stamps and All That Scraps.
I coloured the sky behind Emma with pigment ink in two shades of blue, Emma is coloured with Copic Markers, I used Ice Stickles on her halo, her wings and on the edge of the sentiment mat after inking it with Kaisercraft Poppy.  Both the image mat and the sentiment have been popped up on foam dots for dimension.  The silver glittery snowflake is from a pack I got in Spotlight.  
I am entering the challenge at Pink Gem this week, using this sketch:


I didn't put ribbon right across the card (per the sketch); I think Emma looked cuter just sitting on her little ledge (she looks like she's sitting on a windowsill really, doesn't she?)


I will also be entering in the challenge at Creative Inspirations, which has Anything Goes Christmas as it's theme, as does Allsorts Challenges.   Totally Gorjuss had "For Someone Special" as it's theme, and Doris is someone special so I will be entering "her" card in their challenge too.
I really hope this card gave Doris a reason to smile, we joke about the "Merry Widow" - Keith had a wicked sense of humour - so the merry reference on the sentiment (which is a stamp from Xtra) seemed appropriate though not accurate.  
I may be able to squeeze in another post or two this year (we are on holidays after all!), but we are renovating a couple of rooms too, so playing on the laptop may be a bit of a pipe dream!  
Incidentally, it has been HOT here -we have had an "official" heatwave, which is defined as more than three days over 35c (95F) the temperature has averaged 38c which is over 100F for the past five days, Christmas day (39c or 102F) was spent at my sons house with no air conditioning - now I remember why we got air con!  Today we had 40c which is 104F, tomorrow is forecast to be a positively chilly 32 (90F)!  It'll be back up by Sunday so we'd better get our painting done while it is relatively comfortable, which may mean no time for blogging :-(  Either way, until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee

Keep your Christmas Simple

Hi, firstly Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate Christmas and Happy Holidays to all those who don't.  The few cards I have to show today were all pretty simple: primarily because I was running alarmingly late in getting them done! (Unlike me I know, or is it?)

This first card is a window card, I've had some in my stash for years - before I started "cardmaking", at least on the scale I do now.  I used to handpaint images of flowers  etc and emboss borders using a stylus and brass stencil; this card is MUCH quicker than that!  ABC Challenge Blog had the letter K this week "K is for Keep it Simple" so this card will definitely be going there.  In fact any of the cards in this post would qualify!  The image is "Cookie Emma", one of the Sugarplums from CC Designs (available at All That Scraps), she is coloured with Copic markers.  I embossed the insert behind Emma with Cuttlebug's Snowflakes folder.  The sentiment banner is recyled from a card I received last year.  The gold star and snowflakes are stickers.  Anything Goes is the current challenge theme at Digistamps 4 Joy so in Emma goes!

The next card used flocked paper from Kaisercrafts "Christmas Carnival" 6" collection and a digi image I downloaded as a freebie, sorry I can't remember where from  (if it is "yours", please let me know and I will happily credit you - it's a great little image!)  I coloured it with Copic and Bic markers.                       This card is going in the Creative Inspirations challenge for this week - as has another of my cards (hopefully I've got the rules right, and you can enter more than one!)

                                                                                                    I used the equivalent of glossy accents (Royal Coat) on the baubles and star on this card, love the effect, which you can sort of see in the small picture, and Ice Stickles on the tinsel.  Inking the edges of the sentiment panel softened the effect, the sentiment itself is a gel sticker I've had in my stash for ages. I mounted the tree and the sentiment panel on foam dots.  How simple is this card?!  

                                                                                  The answer to that question is: Not as simple as this one!  Again, one of my window cards, gel snowman sticker in the window (shade the inside edge with W1 Copic to give depth), gold holly stickers and gold braid around the outside edge of the window makes for a five minute card: great for those like-to-give-a-handmade-card-but-don't-really-have-the-time jobs!!                                 I did a few vintage style cards in the same quick and easy format, I'll post them later as this post is (clearly) already long enough!

Have a happy and safe holiday, I hope you get to spend it with those whom you love and that you come back and visit me soon - as I'll be itching to use all the fabulous crafting goodies I got for Christmas (thanks Stefan, Mum and Chris) Until then, Happy everything, Dee 

Twisted Sister's Birthday?!?

I made this card for my purple-loving, cat-loving sister Fiona.  Appropriately enough, the stamp I used for this card is one of the "Twisted Sisters" from Sweet November Stamps....now all I need to work out is which one of us is the Twisted sister or is it both? haha 

These lovely ladies are available in rubber, but mine are digistamps and are available at All That Scraps and Tickled Pink Stamps (I can't remember where I got them!) The Twisted Sister on the left is "Oleander" and the one on the right is "Jessamine". Oleander has brown eyes, as do I, because she is the most conservative of the pair, as am I.  Jessamine on the other hand has green eyes as does Fiona and she is the more "out there" of the pair - as is my lovely sister Fi!  I used a combination of Copic and Bic markers and pigment inks to colour the ladies, the cat is a button and came that colour!

I used this sketch from   Card Patterns for their challenge this time.  My image is a bit  "out of scale"   but all the elements are there: I used tiny buttons as the embellishments at the top left of the card, the colour doesn't show that well but they are alternate green and purple.  Kaisercraft's "Lilac Avenue" 6" collection is where the paper hails from: I'm loving my Kaisercraft 6" collections, aren't I?  The sentiment is a sticker, which I over-coloured and outlined with Copic (V17)  I popped the two ladies up on foam dots, then did the same with the panel they are mounted on so the whole thing is pretty 3D - just the way I like it!
I did a simple bit of decorating on the inside of the card, using offcuts from the front and an EK Success "Hearts and Scrolls" border punch.  The purple Happy and Birthday are glossy stickers.
Allsorts Challenge has anything goes as it's theme this time, and Sweet stampin' has "Celebrations" so I think I'll enter this card there too. 
So here's wishing my lovely sister Fi, a very happy birthday and many more to come.
It was nice to have a little break from Christmas cards!  Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee

Surfin' Christmas to You

Here in Australia Christmas is in the height of summer.  Lots of people spend Christmas Day at the beach, so I thought this card would be fun for one of the Aussie families I know.

I used "Surf Emma" but modified it by adding the hat from "Santa Emma" (both from the Sugarplums collection at All That Scraps) to make it suit my Aussie Christmas theme - don't you just love her thongs? (that's footwear in Australia!).  Emma is coloured with Copic markers, I love that I am building my Copic collection up!!

The background paper is from Kaisercraft's "Carnival Christmas" 6" pad.  The image panel is cut using Nestabilities Label Four in my Cuttlebug; I distressed the edge with Kaisercraft ink "Poppy".  I used Kaisercraft ink (blue and green) for the sentiment panel too, the sentiment is a freebie from Bizzy Becs (where you can also buy those lovely Sugarplums!), this is one of quite a few freebies Bec has put out - so thanks Bec! I've entered their challenge for this month "Christmas".

I took the photo on the left to show the Ice Stickles I used on Emma's hat, and it actually showed up! 

All That Scraps has "Christmas Flowers" as it's challenge theme for this week, and Allsorts Challenge Blog has "Anything Goes" so I'm entering this card there.  I have a few more Christmas cards to "post" about, so I'll be back soon.  Until then, Happy Crafting, Dee 

  

Christmas Wishes

Can you believe I found the time to blog not once, but TWICE in one day - okay, it is nearly tomorrow, but still twice in the one day!
Christmas Wishes is the name of this gorgeous digi stamp I got from Di's Digi Downloads.  There are so many images to choose from, and they're all super cute.

The background paper is from a pad I just got by Kaisercraft (one of the 6" collections I love so much) called "Christmas Carnival".  It has a sort of "lighter" range of papers and patterns than I usually use, it does give a nice fresh look that is probably more appropriate for Christmas here in Australia in the sun and the heat!!  The red stripes are foiled, so I used a metallic cord in place of ribbon. The mat behind the image is not metallic though, the contrast in texture works well, though of course you can't tell in the photo!

I coloured the image with Copics (I'm building my collection up, making hay while the exchange rate is with me, lol) and it does make colouring so much easier than mixing media as I have had to do in the past.  The biggest bear has Royal Coat Dimensional Magic on his nose, giving it a high gloss finish; It's the first time I've used it and now I'm glossy accenting all over the place!  

The sentiment is a digital freebie from Bizrzy Becs, a great Aussie site well worth the visit.  I resized it to 1", punched it out with my 1" round punch and then coloured the rings on it with Copics.

I used the sketch from Sketch and Stash, and will be entering their challenge for this week, my "stash" component is the paper.  In addition, Creative Inspirations have "Anything Goes Christmas" as it's challenge theme this time, Stamp Something has its regular Digi Day challenge, and Cute Card Thursday has "One For the Kids" so I will be entering there.

 This was a really simple card to put together, and yet I loved it (for a start everything went "right" for a change, from the colouring to the foam dotting!)
Thanks for looking, and I'll be back with some more of my Christmas offerings - but don't expect two blogs a day: I think that was a most unusual event.  Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee

More Vintage Christmas

Well here's another vintage Christmas card, I made a few while I had all the "makings" out on my worktable.

For this card I used the sketch (#111) from Eat Sleep Stamp for this week's challenge.  I followed it pretty closely, really all I have changed is using a square card and putting the tag on an angle - tags just look better like that!!

I used Kaisercraft's 6" paper pads  "Dear Santa" and "Tis the Season" - isn't that background paper glorious, so santa and so vintage!!The tag is from Graphic 45's Christmas Past sheet, the ribbon is from my stash   - I've had it for a while but have never used it.  Wish I could find it again, it is really nice to use: it sits flat and doesn't fray.I used  a scrap of border paper to sit the sentiment (which is a sticker) on, and mounted the centre panel and sentiment panel on burgundy leathercraft card.  A couple of gold brads finish it off.

When I stamped the greeting inside the card (I really should stamp the insides first as I often mess that bit up!), it was a bit crooked.  To cover this up I glued an embellishment I got from a discount store over the stamping then stamped little flourishes around it with Ancient Page ink.  I used the same ink to antique the edges of the card inside and out.
I have a few more vintage cards for a future post, all I need now is the time to make the rest of my Christmas cards and write posts for them.These are relatively quick cards to make - just as well, I have left my run late.  In fact this makes this card (along with the rest I have yet to make, lol) qualify for the Allsorts Challenge for this week: "Last Minute Christmas"

 Oh yes then there's making my famous fruit cake truffles and not forgetting it's my sister's birthday next Tuesday and I always make her marzipan treats.  Christmas shopping? asks you - dream on, says I!!
Where oh where did the last month go (I'm usually very organized, but seem to have lost the plot a bit this year:  though I'm going to cut myself a bit of slack as there has been a LOT going on around here)  I suppose all I have  to do is invent the 30 hour day and I'll be right, lol.
Anyway, enough of this dribble, 'til next time Happy Crafting, Dee

Vintage Christmas

I finally sat down and made a few Christmas cards, in the vintage style for a change of pace.  This is the first of them.

Crazy 4 Challenges had a great sketch to work with, I'll probably use it again very soon as you get to use up your scraps and by now I have a LOT of scraps!
I used burgundy Leathercraft cardstock, and papers from the Kaisercraft "Dear Santa" and "Tis the Season" 6" pads.  I love these little collections, the colour matching is all done for you and there are always a couple of "fancy" papers in there - like the gold foil that is on the cream paper on this card (that, of course, you can't see in the photo!)
The tag is from Graphic 45 "Christmas Past", I mounted it on a mat of the burgundy card then added a couple of red crystal brads before popping the whole thing up on foam dots.  The ribbon is from my stash, though I've never used it before - now I've used and loved it, I wish I had a load more - or at least could remember where I got it!!!
See you soon, happy crafting, Dee

Pinktastic

I made this card for my daughter in law's birthday - but didn't get it finished in time (I know, me bad) I gave her a modified one from my stash instead!

The quality of the photo isn't the best (again), as I still don't have my camera back (Chris!).  The paper is from my stash, it was el cheapo paper bought in a pack at Big W.  

I used the sketch from Simon Says Stamp and followed it pretty much exactly (easy really, all the work is done for you!).  I'll be entering this card in their challenge for this week.
The image is from Kenny K, she is "Movie Star" and I have used her before here. The theme for their Krafty Girlz challenge this week is "Monochromatic": this card is pretty much all pink, I don't know if it qualifies as monochromatic, but I'll enter it and see.
 I coloured her with Copic markers and pigment inks, adding stickles to her fur.
The flowers were from a big pack I bought and coloured myself, the little heart brads add a cute touch, don't you think?
I've left the card without a sentiment, but for some reason "Pinktastic" came in to my head, so I may add something like "Hope your day is Pinktastic", or I may not, lol.
Thanks for looking, 'til next time Happy Crafting and hope your day is Pinktastic! Dee

Peace at Christmas, Man

The sentiment on this Christmas card reads "Peace", but the image is all-60's when we may very well have been saying "Peace at Christmas, Man"

The photo of this card is not the best, my son has borrowed my good camera and I've basically forgotten how to use my old one, lol!! 

I did this card in response to the challenge at Tickled Pink Stamps for December.  It was a sketch challenge in which you have to use one of the (many) stamps they sell:  No hardship there, as there is a great variety and I have quite a few of them in my arsenal.  As you can see I turned the sketch 90 degrees, but kept in the DL format.  

The image is 60's Willow from the Lil Lolita collection, isn't she groovy baby?!  Check out the peace symbol on her necklace (or would that be leather thong?) Willow is coloured with Copic markers, the edge of the mat is coloured with pigment ink - three colours to get that sort of aubergine/grey colour.  I used Stazon jet black for the sentiment, which is from a Paper Xtra set I got in my local scrapbooking shop.

The background paper is Figgy Pudding, the strips are from a Making Memories sheet, both of which I got in Spotlight (I think, lol)  Three little pearls finish the card off.  A nice easy card using a straightforward sketch - gotta love that for your Christmas cards, lol.

Thanks for looking and until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee

Candy Canes : Naughty AND Nice!

This Christmas card was done for friends of my son.  They have a cute little girl, so I'm sure she'll like this card.  Her mum and dad are very health conscious, so I'm sure they will consider candy canes naughty (though their little girl would think of them as nice!)

 I have used a sketch from Card Patterns for their challenge this week (#92).  I left it to the last possible moment to enter, so I don't know if I made it!
The image is Candy Cane Cherrie, from Tickled Pink Stamps and also All That Scraps.  I think she is the cutest, I also have her with Christmas lights and sitting on a birthday gift, so expect to see more of Cherrie!
I used my Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder and put Star Dust stickles on the snowflakes, of course it doesn't show in the photo!  (I may try and get a close up before I post the card).  All That Scraps challenge for this week is to use snowflakes, so this card is going in that challenge;  Stamp Something has "Christmas Colours" as their theme, so it's going there too.  The polka dot ribbon is from my stash.
Cherrie is popped up on a mat cut from Nestabilities Scalloped Ovals, inked around the embossed edge with Kaisercraft Evergreen, she is coloured with Copic and Bic markers

The paper at the bottom of the card was from a pack found in a discount store.  I got the digital sentiment from Bizzy Becs (another great Australian site) as a freebie, so thanks Bec!  Their challenge for this month is Christmas, so I get  to enter that challenge with this card too - though of course as I'm about three cards down out of fifty, I possibly would have got a chance to enter any time up to Christmas Eve - yes, sometimes I am that hopeless!
Well, I have to go and help my son move house - joy!  We have a bit going on at the moment, renovating a couple of rooms and busy busy at work so I'm not sure I need the stress! (though really, does anyone, ever, need the stress lol)
Until next time, happy crafting, Dee

Butterflies and Lace

Hi, today I have a card that is unusual for me: it is pastel (well, not pastel pastel but pastel by my standards!) and has lace on it.  I've never done a card with lace, fabric lace, before - now I know it's not that scary!

I used Prima paper from the Fairy Flora collection for the card front.  The image is Butterfly Birgitta, one of CC Designs Swiss Pixies collection (available here).  I love her, where I was brought up, pixies were not this pretty!  I used my usual combination of Copic and Bic markers, with a bit of ink in for good measure, to colour her. I just about always colour her little wings the same as the wings on the butterfly, on this card I added some Stickles after I'd taken the photos, I added them to her hair bobbles too - it looks cute (no point in photographing it again, I can never get the sparkle to show anyway, lol) I cut a pink circle as a mat then used my Lacey Circles Nestie to cut the panel for the image, technically it's not mine yet - I put it away for Christmas but just had to make sure it worked first ;-) 
As the image has a butterfly on it, I am entering Flutter By Wednesdays challenge for this week "Thanks"
I used the Sketch For You To Try at i heart 2 stamp, loved it.  Normally I would have put a contrasting strip of paper down the side, but this image seemed to lend itself to something softer so I sponged some Kaisercraft Orchid ink on the edge of white lace and used that instead, I think it worked well.  I used the same ink on the sentiment and sponged some around the edge of the sentiment mat too, which is punched from a 2" scalloped Fiskars punch and Sullivans 1.5" circle punch .
Sweet Stampin' had Buttons and Bows as it's theme this week, this card has one bow -I'm sure one is enough :-) using ribbon from my stash, and the three flowers at the bottom have tiny pink buttons in their centres. I inked the ends of the petals with the Orchid ink to tie it all together.
Bizzy Becs, a great Aussie site, has "Cute and Sweet" as its theme this week and Delightful Challenges has "Flower Power" as its theme , so I'll enter it there too.

I cut two strips of pink paper with "oh sweet" printed on it for the inside of the card, punched the edge with an EK Success border punch.  I backed the punched out area with the offcuts of the paper from the front as it looked a bit "bald" with the white showing.

Thanks for looking at today's offering, and Happy Crafting, Dee.

Coffee Kiki

The sentiment on this card says "I'm thankful for my morning coffee.....and those around me should be thankful too!"  This rings true for me: I have developed an intolerance to caffeine, and can only have one cup a day -  first thing in the morning - woe betide anyone who gets between me and it!!

I've used the sketch from Eat Sleep Stamp for their sketch challenge #109, I have used two panels in the middle of the card instead of the oval on the sketch, hope that's okay.  The image is Coffee Kiki La Rue a CC Designs stamp from All That Scraps, coloured with Copic and Bic markers.   As Stamp Something has "thankful somethings" as its' theme for this week, guess where else Kiki is going?  I love the little birds on the paper behind Kiki, there's something "early morning" about them! They were just an incidental part of the paper, but it goes to show that appropriate imagery is everywhere.  

The  card is off white, with a blue square on it, the patterned paper is from the Utopia collection by Kaisercraft.  I've had the floral piece for a while and actually bought the stripy piece for another project without realising it matched, I love it when the colour matching has been done for you -  especially when you didn't do it on purpose, ;-)  The plain blue mat is from DCWV self-adhesive mat stack and the purple is from DCWV Latte collection.  Pearlised blue/green brads finish the sentiment panel off.

I used a small strip of the Utopia paper inside the card, mounted on a strip of the blue paper punched with Fiskars Apron Lace border punch.  I like to add a bit of decoration to the inside of my cards, it helps to give them a finished look.

While I am going to enter this card in  a few challenges, my motivation for making it was simply that I've had the stamp for ages and just got a hankering to get it coloured up and out there.
I can think of loads of coffee/tea references I can use this image with, and she was such a joy to play with, I'm sure Kiki and me will be joining forces again very soon - as long as I've had my coffee for the day that is, :-)

Happy 26th Chris

Today is my lovely son Christopher's 26th birthday: he is now the age I was when I had him!  No, can't be, he's still my baby!!!  Happy Birthday darling, and many, many more.  I made this card and gift card/money holder set for his birthday:

I love making "stuff" for Chris, he understands the work involved in producing something handmade  (he's seen the evidence in my craft room often enough, the "cleaning up" time alone is more than you spend buying a gift!)

On the gift card holder (which this year will hold cash, his favourite) I have used "Sitting Trevor" and the wheelbarrow  from the Sugarplums Take a Seat collection.  All the stamps used on this project were bought from All That Scraps and this set is going in their challenge for this week "make a gift card holder".  It will also go into caardvarks challenge for this week which has the same theme and in  A Spoonful of Sugar's challenge for this week  "Anything Goes".

The card is cream cardstock, I used the sketch from Sketch and Stash, #49 to be precise, for their challenge for this fortnight.  

I followed it really closely, which was easy as it was such a good sketch to work with.  The new "stash" is the "Kiki with Puppy" digi stamp I used on the  card, in conjunction with "Balloon Trevor" who I've used before (on my acetate card, here)
 The group on the card represent my husband, myself and our lovely Rocky, the Jack Russell.  You may notice my husband has greying hair, while mine is a vibrant Reddish Brown - at least that's what it's called on the box! I coloured Rocky to look as like himself as possible, fortunately for me, the patch on the stamp coincides with a patch he has in the same spot - the ONLY patch he has on his whole body!  One of the good things about digital stamps is that you can resize them, and as my husband is exactly a foot taller than me I could make our relative heights more realistic.  Not completely realistic, you understand as he would have been off the top of the card!
The papers are all from the Kaisercraft 6"x6" collection "Le Chateau".  I love them, they're what I describe (to myself, admittedly) as Elegant Masculine.  I mainly used  offcuts for the gift card holder, which I love to do as I can't bring myself to throw them out and I already have a zillion in the folders I keep such stuff in.  I used the template I made which is available on my "Templates, Tutorials and other Freebies" page here. I decorated the back with patterned paper and the inside with plain paper so I can write on it.

Just thought I'd add this photo of Rocky taken at the park (his favourite place) which is why he is smiling, :-)
It was nice to be able to get into my studio (so called because of it's function as the room I use to produce and teach decorative art) and create something - we are so busy with work at the moment it is hard to get time to do anything not work related, the joys of self employment in a seasonal industry!!

There are lots of other things going on too, especially with Chris - changing jobs, moving house - all those high-stress things that cause loving mums to worry too!  Timing being everything, it would have been nice if all the activity could have come at the not-the-silly-season, that's just not the way life works though, is it?  Anyway, as my other son would say, "It's all good". Until next time, happy crafting, Dee

Naughty or Nice?!

Well, a bit of both really, don't you think??

 This is the first card I've made using Kenny K's "Mrs Claus" digi image.  My husband and sons all loved it, so it won't be the last. I think the fact that the guys in my life liked this card makes it eligible to be entered in Pixie Dust Studio's challenge for this week "all about the men/boys in your life", so in it goes.
Obviously I've used a Kenny K image, so I will be entering their challenge for this week with the theme "sparkle and spots": Mrs Claus' fur edging has JudiKins Iridescent Sparkle embossed on it (I added texture paste for a bit of extra depth first), and the spots are on the black mat and the rhinestone "snow" - so even the spots on this card sparkle, lol.
I used the sketch from Eat Sleep Stamp for this week's challenge (#108), what a great sketch it was to work with!  I used red cardstock for the card and paper from Kaisercrafts "Shaken not Stirred" 6"x6" collection, cutting the pattern for the border from one sheet and using a different sheet for the background. I love the James Bond reference and I've thought of a few sentiments to use next time I combine this image with this paper, you'll have to come back and see what you think!!
I stamped the sentiment on one of the tags that came in the paper collection with a Paper Xtra stamp and Stazon ink.  I embossed the red semicircles with JudyKins Ruby Twinkle to give them a bit of a lift.  
The image is raised on foam dots, as is the sentiment.  The rhinestone on the garter is red, in place of the holly berries.  
The other challenges I'm putting this card in are: Stamp Something "use something digi" (always the easy for me as 95% of my stamps are digis!), Cute Card Thursday "Anything Goes" (surely the easiest for Everybody!) and Totally Gorjuss "Traditional Christmas Colours" (now I grant you, black isn't really a traditional Christmas colour, but the red is and I have green - I DO, her choker and the holly on her garter!! See it, get you magnifying glass out, lol) so it's going in!!
Hope your liking Mrs Claus, you should pop over to Kenny K's and have a look at some of the great kinda-grown-up images they have on offer.  I used one, "Movie Star" recently -here, and the recipient really liked her card!
Once again, thanks for visiting, see you next time, Dee

Black Diamonds and Pearls

Black Diamond is the name of the Swarowski crystals on this card, which I made for my son and daughter-in-law's very first wedding anniversary last week.  The Bride's attendants wore black lace and pearls on the Big Day, the Bride wore this lovely shade of Chantilly cream.

I decided to make an easel card.  I used cream coloured embossed card for the front panel, I punched the top and bottom with Martha Stewart's Garden Trellis Deep Border Punch.  The body of the card I made with textured cream card.
I glued the Black Diamond crystals, which are AB coated meaning they sparkle with all different colours, on alternate rows on the trellis on the front of the card, the rows in between had pearls glued on them.I attached a band of trellis to the edge of the bottom of the card to use as the prop for the easel, I glued crystals on one row of this trellis too. 

I cut a mat from gold mirror board using my Labels 4 Nestabilities, and one from cream for the sentiment which I stamped with "Happy Anniversary" from the Everyday Sentiments collection and Stazon ink. A few crystals and pearls on the face of the card completed the decoration.  The crystals are really very bling-y so I didn't want to clutter the card with too much trim.  

The gold mirror board edges just helped neaten the border between the body of the card and the trellis. 
The text inside the card was a rub on from Kaisers "You and Me" sheet . I used some gold border stickers to edge the panel it was on, primarily because I had applied it crookedly and that seemed to be the best way to make it appear straighter!!!

It is a pity the photos don't show up the bling: my youngest son, who is a photographer assures me it is very difficult to photograph because it relies on movement to sparkle - and as I'm not about to VIDEO my cards, you'll just have to try and get the idea from these photos:-) The one taken with the card reflected in my (somewhat scratched) breakfast table seems to show the bling off at least a bit.  
I've decided to enter this card in a few challenges: 
One Stop Craft Challenge has the theme "Embossing", this card has embossed paper and of course the nesties, Lexis Creations has an "Anything Goes" theme this time around, Crazy 4 Challenges #62 wants a square card.
Craft Your Passion#31 has "Double Anything" as it's theme, this card doubles A LOT: two borders, two rows of crystals per edge, two rows of pearls - all the double-ups you'd expect in a symmetrical card really! And last, but certainly by no means least, All Things Unity #18 has a Monochromatic theme this week; and this card is certainly monochromatic!
Hope you like my darling son and daughter-in-laws card as much as I enjoyed creating it, see you next time, Dee