Christmas in July... and Some!!

This is a long post, but it IS three cards, so, forgivable?  Hope so :-)
I live in Western Australia... where Christmas is HOT, being in the middle of our summer and all :-)  We regularly get over 37C (100F), but at least it's not in February which is the hottest month with numerous days over 40C.  (I have worked, outside with my husband back in our pool installing days on 44C or 118F - in the shade, which we were not... it was over 50C in the sun and, no it wasn't pleasant.
All that was just to explain why I LOOOOOVE Christmas in July; I love Christmas full stop, and getting to celebrate with "traditional" fare is nice for us, as I suppose Christmas at the beach (or around your backyard pool in our case) would be for you cold-climaters :-) 
Hence... today I have a few Christmas cards to share:-)) They're all pretty CAS, that's partly because I like them that way... and partly because I invariably run out of time to get all I need made

On the first one I used a Memory Box die (called Grand Merry Christmas) to cut white glittery (very glittery, just ask my craft room floor, though it didn't shed as much as the last lot I got!) card.  I think it looks really effective over the red card.  The ribbon is from my stash, it's really lovely in real life with a gold thread through it. 
As You Like It wants to know our Favourite: Ribbon or Buttons and Why: I like both, but use more ribbon because it's easy, stays flat (ish) for posting and can add, as in this case a nice patterned element without overpowering your card.  Aud Sentiments Christmas in July plus a Sentiment, I think Grand Merry Christmas has that covered :-)

The second card features a bit of ribbon too, yes it's wonky in the pic, I DID straighten it up before sending the card :-)  I used some of my (ginarmous pile of) white snippets for this one on kraft card... you know all those rather skinny white bits you end up with when you trim sheets of card down to make your bases.  The image is a digi from Bugaboo called Snowflake Reindeer Silhouette, available here, that I printed on my laser printer then foiled using my laminator... I did make quite a few foiled cards actually - got on a bit of a roll :-)  This was the first time I've used this image, though I've had it for a while. I printed it on linen card - I know it just looks bumpy in the pic, but actually looked pretty classy IRL.  
The top half of the card was embossed with a Die'sire folder called Let it Snow, the bottom half was embossed with a folder I got with a papercraft magazine... I've got to say it embosses so well - you have to make sure you don't chop right through your card actually!  Pixies Snippets Playground wants to see Snippets, so here they are :-)  The image panel was cut using Spellbinders Ovals, the kraft mat behind it with Spellbinders Scalloped Ovals
Now the third card, lucky last.... for today!

I made a little scene using some paper from a Kaisercraft pad (can't be bothered getting up to find which one, sorry) and some more of the white glittery card I used on my first card today, cut with Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside border dies to make the snow drifts.  I have the snow drifts at two different levels then the gold glittery reindeer (Cottage Cutz) on a layer above that; it hardly shows in the pic but did make a nice display IRL... which is just as well as it took forever-and-a-half to cut teeeeny little bits of foam dots to put behind their legs :-)) 
The Noel sentiment is a Sizzix die (Tim Holtz Script Holiday Words), the whole scene is mounted on gold foil card.  Little Red Wagon has Ice, Ice Baby as their theme, this is pretty much as close as we get at Christmas... unless you count the stuff in our poolside drinkies :-)
That's pretty much it for card three.

Catch The Bug has a Bingo Challenge as part of it's Christmas in July week-long challenge (for Day 4) I've covered seven of the square in this - if you count Gold Blue and White as three colours; using Texture, Die Cuts, Sparkle, Patterned Paper, Bugaboo Christmas Image, 3 Colours and Ribbon... of course getting three on one line was still a challenge, but I made it with my first card (Texture, Die Cut, Sparkle or Sparkle, Use 3 Colours, Ribbon
Jingle Belles have this fabulous Blog Header to inspire us, I have the reindeer, more than once in fact :-) and the snow
Now, the other thing I like about Christmas in July is all the lovely challenges that are around at this time; 

Fab'n'Funky Challenges, Hiding in- my Craft Room, and Sasayaki Glitter all have Christmas in July so I'm entering there.  A Snowflakes Promise, Merry Christmas Challenge, Crimbo Crackers and Sweet Stampin' Christmas are Christmas Challenges that all have "Anything Christmas" themes as is  Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge which has the option to "Add Some Red", which I have done
The other thing is that, as a lot of DT's are on Holidays, there's a lot of Anything Goes challenges... and right at the time I'm tucked up in my cozy craft room with time to craft - summer being our busy season with work... win/win I say.  All the following are Anything Goes challenges
Simon Says Challenge, Through the Craftroom Door, Digi Choosday, Crafty  Creations, 4 Crafty Chicks, Crafting With Friends Challenge #72, Creative Fingers, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Polkadoodles, A Perfect Time to Craft,  Create and Inspire, Creatalicious Challenges, Simply Papercrafts, Crafting With Attitude, Corrosive Challenge and Card Mania Challenges 
Phew, that's it for today.  I'll be back soon with some more cards... probably Christmas, possibly foiled, then again it could be with one of the 38 still in my drafts.  Until then, Happy Crafting... or sun-soaking or family-funning - whatever you're up to, Donna

Two Years, a Million Tears

Just thought I'd acknowledge my beautiful Mum, who left us at 9.46am two years ago today
I miss her every day, I can't believe two years have gone already, and I can't believe I'm still struggling as I am... ah well, this too shall pass
This photo was taken by my son Chris (her favourite Grandson, not that she had favourites... but we all knew, lol) on her 80th birthday,.

It was such a great day, she loved every minute - but then, she WAS easily pleased :-). My sister and I took her for a "girly" treat, the only one we ever did all three together, having her nails, hair and makeup done ready for our stretch-limousine ride to a winery for lunch with family... this was post-lunch... not looking too bad - all things considered, hic

Engagement Wishes for Chantz

Well, I did a quick count today and I have (at least) 47 cards in my Drafts... so it really is time to get some of them outta there!  Today's card is one of the oldest ones; it was made for my son Chris's friends Chantelle and Jesse's engagement in January... two years ago!  As they are getting married very soon I thought it was time to share their engagement card

This is a deceptively simple card, well it was for me.  I scoured Pinterest looking for images and thought "how hard can it be?", hmph.  I cut and trimmed and glued and fiddled for hours with the damn thing, it looks okay in the end but tbh it should look spectacular for the time it took :-) at least it's a shaker card, so a little bit different

I used heavy linen card (which I like to use for my "special cards", Chantelle merits "special" - Chris has been friends with her since pre-school...  they are now 34 and still best buds.  Here's another card I made for one of her "special" birthdays :-)  I cut the glass shapes using an MFT die called Layered Champagne, I had to trim it up a bit as I had real trouble lining up the inside and the outside layers - I think the shaker effect is better shown by having the window see-through all layers, of course, next time it gets a shaker stuck to the front and I don't have to line anything up, lol

I filled the glasses with gold flatbacks from my stash, sticking a few extra ones to the outside of the card to represent bubbles escaping from the glasses, and a few on the corners of the gold foil card to make it look a bit more finished.  The "Congratulations" is a sticker.  Lastly I added a couple of bows in off white ribbon... this ribbon was actually from when I made my son and daughter in law's wedding cake (here's a pic if you're interested)  I added a couple of bows to the inside cover piece too... they actually cover the piece of tape I put across the top of the stem to stop the "bubbles" falling down to the bottom of the glass!
As you could see right through to the part of the card you'd write on I made a "flap" to cover that up, I just hinged it with a piece of gold card, and more of the ribbon and another bow, worked perfectly - though it is another step that wouldn't be necessary if I'd just stuck the shaker to the front... tell me it was all worth it!
And that was that (FINALLY) done 
I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges

As You Like It Wants to know what's your favourite, Ribbons or Buttons and Why: I like ribbon because it can be used simply as ribbon or for bows, it keeps cards flat (for postage) and tends to stay stuck (unlike buttons on occasion).  That said I use ribbon sparely, despite having hundreds of metres (no exaggeration) I also tend to use it on more feminine cards... on masculine cards buttons are a definite go-to

Simon Says Challenge Use a Die or Punch

Crazy 4 Challenges Windows

Cardz 4 Galz Food or Drink

My Time to Craft Wedding/ Anniversary/ Engagement
Little Miss Muffet, Through the Craftroom Door, Digi Choosday, Crafty  Creations, 4 Crafty Chicks, Crafting With Friends Challenge #72, Creative Fingers, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Polkadoodles, A Perfect Time to Craft, Create and Inspire, Creatalicious Challenges, Simply Papercrafts, Crafting With Attitude, Corrosive Challenge and Card Mania Challenges all have "Anything Goes" challenges

That's it for today.  I will be back very soon (I am making a concerted effort to at least get to this year's cards in my Drafts!) I have made a couple of cards that I'm quite excited to share, using "different" techniques; of course by the time I DO share them they'll be old hat, lol.

Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

A Little Naughty Knight

When Di asked me if I'd like to be a Guest Designer at Pixie's Snippets Playground (Duh, YEAH, lol) I sent her a couple of cards; she used a "safe" one last time and this time she's using this one. I was a little worried it may be too risqué for some peeps, she assures me it's fine -  it is a card I made for my hubby's birthday (last year!).... he has a great sense of humour and is a little bit cheeky - his birthday card reflects this so if you are reeeeely easily offended by the slightly-saucy please look away now; if you're like the rest of us, you'll need to go to the picture of the INSIDE of the card to get the punchline :-)

The super cute image is from the Paper Shelter, he is called Brave and Cute Knight - so absolutely perfect for MY Brave and Cute Knight :-)  I coloured him up with Copic markers, adding some detail with Prismacolor pencils.  His jerkin is coloured blue and gold because that's hubby's (and my)  favourite footy team (The West Coast Eagles) colours.  I did the sentiment up on the computer using a free font from DaFont.com "Storybook", perfect for my storybook character in a dark grey rather than black

I cut the wavy border on the patterned paper - which (I think) is from DCWV La Crème stack (and the ribbed, pearl chocolate/black matting card, featured as a straight border at the bottom of the card also) using a Spellbinders Curved Border die.  I made another version of this card for our friend, it is almost identical but the colours are stronger... which makes quite a difference, but that's for another blog post, lol.
That's it for this very simple card, which he loved btw... noting that the punchline is somewhat different than it was when we were young... forty plus years ago, lol.  Well,  hopefully, you've all got over your blushes now :-)  I will be entering this card in the following challenges:

The Paper Shelter Going Digital

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Over the Hill

Crazy 4 Challenges Masculine

Cute Card Thursday CAS

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Use Patterned Paper

Aud Sentiments Anything Goes Plus a Sentiment
Simon Says Challenge, Little Miss Muffet, Through the Craftroom Door, Digi Choosday, Crafty  Creations, 4 Crafty Chicks, Crafting with Friends, Challenge # 70 , Creative Fingers, Polkadoodles, Create and Inspire, Simply Papercrafts and Corrosive Challenge all have Anything Goes themes

Thanks for checking out my card, until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna