It's Snowin' at Sweet Stampin'

I love the Sweet Stampin' challenge blog, so I was rapt to be asked to be their Guest Designer for the whole of December... this is the first of my cards, the theme this week is "Snow".  I've got snow, snow-people and snowflakes...but you don't have to take it THAT seriously, lol.

This super cute image is "Snowmen Caroling" from Karens Doodles, a digi of course (it's what I do, lol) that I grabbed the other day...along with a few others.  So many images, so little time :-)  I've coloured with Copics and added a load of sparkle with Stickles.  Creatalicious Challenges has "Christmas and make sure it sparkles" as its theme, so this definitely qualifies!  By the Cute and Girly and Totally Papercrafts  have Let it Snow for their challenges, so I'm in there too.

I used the sketch from Friday Sketch Challenge, I do love a straightforward sketch that lets your image shine (and your yummy papers too, of course).  The background paper is kind of sparkly/translucent and slightly textured, really very nice, with shiny gold snowflakes; of course none of this shiny goodness shows in the photos (well actually you can see the Stickles on the image in the last photo, so can't complain, lol)  I inked around the edge with Burgundy to soften the overall look.  The panel of vintage style paper is from Kaisercraft, again, what I do! It's from the Dear Santa Collection, that panel and the image are mounted on green card from American Crafts then gold foil board.  

I glued the ribbon (from my stash) strips on to gold board too, just to give it a bit of a lift.  The sentiment panel and ribbon strips are popped up on foam dots, again what I do :-) it also made it easier to attach the snowflake charm with a little black brad.  Bearly Mine Challenges has All my Favourite Things as its challenge this time, it's really no challenge to use all your favourite things, but I'm entering anyway with so many of my favourite things featuring here!

I didn't have a gold snowflake charm, so I used one of my YR Copics to colour a silver one, it certainly looks the part to me! a tiny red pearl, smothered in red glitter went in the centre.  The large snowflake embellishment is from a chipboard sheet, painted with Jo Sonja paints and Stickled up!  A brad in the centre finishes it off, I forgot to colour the silver frame of the brad, oh well you get that sometimes, lol.

Addicted to Stamps, Stamptacular Sunday and Copic Oz have Christmas, Pollycraft has Christmas Fun and Craft Your Passion has Tis the Season as their respective themes this time around, so I'll be entering my card there too.

The inside of the card is finished with papers from the front with a different sheet from the Kaisercraft pad, this one has gold foil stripes on, and some of the ribbon.  Once again I inked the edges to soften the look.  The sentiment is a wood mounted stamp I got for $3 in a craft shop, I love it and use it quite a bit.  Its stamped with Kaisercraft ink. The snowflake inside is Martha Stewarts Glacial Snowflake punch (I think - can't remember even though I just bought it!), cut in gold board, smothered in Stickles with a rhinestone in the centre.

Lots of challenge blogs have taken pity on us busy crafters and have Anything Goes as their challenge themes, I'll be entering my card in these ones: The Paper Shelter, Divas by Design,  Simon Says Challenge, Paper Crafting Journey and Sundays with Chrissy.

I'll be back in a day or so with a card I've made (well, I'll have it finished by then!) for my Daughter in Law's birthday.  
In the meantime, pop on over to the Sweet Stampin' challenge and check out the rest of the DT's work...gorgeous, and at this time of the year you're bound to have a card with some snow on it to enter in the challenge...I live in AUSTRALIA, and still manage to make my share of snowy cards, lol. 

Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna  (and her sparkly Caroling Snowmen!)

 

Hello Holly

This little fairy is Holly Starshine, yet another of the Sweet November digis that has been on review over at the All That Scraps Blog... there's even more coming next week too!  

I've coloured Miss Starshine with Copics, and breaking with tradition, didn't add any sparkle whatsoever!  It was an oversight, but the silver mat (cut with Marianne Designs die) is pretty shiny and probably doesn't need the competition, lol.  Holly is cut out then glued to the silver board.  It took forever to cut the image out... lesson learned; pay attention to how many fiddly bits are on the edges, and if necessary leave a bit of a border :-)  One Stop Craft Challenge has Christmas Fairies as its challenge, so I'm entering my little Christmas fairy there.

I used the sketch from Pink Inks last challenge, I didn't get this post up in time but thought it worth showing the sketch anyway as it's very "usable".  In the meantime Pink Ink has changed its name to "the Sketchy Challenge" so don't be confused :-)  They have an interesting sketch this time too.  For a change I haven't used Kaisercraft papers; I've used Basic Greys Jovial collection.  I love the rich dark tones of this paper, and it's nice to mix it up every now and again.

The flowers are cut using a Nellie Snellen floral punch, which comes with a die to emboss the petals... I have found if you dampen the paper before embossing it is more effective (running a ball stylus down the back of the petals at the end helps too).  The centres of the flowers are Pebbles, from the Boo collection, they're actually all the same colour, but the one at the top looks lighter because the glue hadn't dried behind it when I took the photo (I was, as usual, in a hurry!)  Sweet Stampin' has Punches and/or dies for its challenge this time, too easy!
I used my new Scalloped Circles Nestabilities die to cut the polka dot circle; I usually have a plain mat on top of a fancy edged one, but in this case I used the largest Scalloped circle and so had to resort to my old Fiskars system to cut the larger circle... it's certainly not as easy as a Nestie, but I was glad not to have to cut freehand! Bizzy Becs has Circles for its challenge, so I'm entering there.

The ribbon is from my stash, it looks quite plain in the pic, but is really nice and lush IRL.  Only the image mat and the triangle piece are foam dotted this time, so NOT like me :-) but it gave me the chance to stick the ribbon flat. 

The inside of the card echoes the sketch and uses papers from the front.  The sentiment is from Tickled Pink Stamps, as is the sentiment border, the whole thing cut using the matching die.

Paper Crafting Journey,  

Fab'n'funky Challenges, The Paper Shelter and Divas by Design all have Anything Goes challenges running, so I'll be entering there.  Pollycraft has Christmas Fun, Copic Oz has Christmas and Craft Your Passion has Tis the Season, so I'll be entering there too.
That's it from Holly and I, don't forget to pop over to the ATS blog and check out some of the other digis in review... there's lots of rubber available for the "old school" too ;-)  You can get them all here.  I'll be back in a day or so.  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Me and My Darling Under The Mistletoe

Today's card is for my husband for Christmas.  The theme over at Here Come The Boys is "for the man in your life".  I have a number of men in my life.... no, not what you're thinking, tsk, I mean my sons and Dad as well as my husband; but this card is definitely for my husband, that's who I want to meet under the mistletoe. (Still, after 33 years, aaw)

The image, Mistletoe Jasper, is from Digistamp Boutique...  how cute is he, and his little robin friend?  Papertake Weekly has Christmas Crackers -something Christmassy, Pollycraft has Christmas Fun and Crazy 4 Challenges has Snow as their challenge themes so I'm entering my snowy Christmassy card there!
There is over a foot of difference in height between my husband and myself, so often characters that have a big disparity between them - like these, strike a chord with me :-) and my husband too, I might add.  I'm entering Digistamp Boutique's challenge as all you have to do is use one of their images, never a hardship!  Stampin' for the Weekend has Friends as their challenge theme, so I'm entering there too.
I've coloured the image with Copics, adding Stickles to the fur trim and (my newest purchase) Liquid Pearls to the mistletoe berries. A couple of truly tiny diamante serve perfectly as buttons.  The green brads are sparkly too, you can never have too much sparkle on a Christmas card, can ya?  
All the panels are popped up on foam dots, I'm using a new brand which I bought when I was out quoting a pool job (make it work for you, I say) miles from home... and wouldn't you know it, they're fabulous (sticky when they're meant to be, yet they come off the backing paper easily), I now have to decide whether to make the 70km (nearly 50miles) round trip just to get more (at $2 for a pack of, well LOTS, but fuel at $1.35 per litre) or hang out for another quote in that area; decisions, decisions, lol.

The sketch for this card is another goody from Sweet Sketch Wednesday, I've run the ribbon under the three boxes on the right otherwise it's pretty much exactly per sketch.  The three gifts came all glittered up in a pack, they're mounted on self adhesive foam already to go - all I had to do was change the ribbon trim to match "my" ribbon (from stash, coming to an end, noooo)  and stick them on to the squares - too easy!
The papers are from Kaisercraft (yup, again!), the mats are textured cardstock, well there are little shiny spots on it at least and the middle square is sparkly card embossed with Cuttlebugs Snowflakes folder; the piece I've used is so small you can hardly see the embossing, but it does help "throw" the light... a bit!  Creatalicious Challenges  has Christmas and Make Sure it Sparkles as its theme, tick tick I'm in, lol.

I generated the sentiment on the computer, originally in Word (which is clearer) but here it is as a .png- if you like you can just grab it; I'll have it on my Freebies page too if you want it later.  It can be resized (to a point) and don't forget it's easy to recolour in Word too! 
The inside of the card has more paper from the front and a couple of the gifts, this time in their unadulterated state (au naturel, you might say, lol)
Bearly Mine Challenges  has All My Favourite Things as its challenge theme, this has some of my favourite things... couldn't fit them ALL on one card, lol.  Creative Craft Challenges has a Free For All (challenge wise at least!) and Paper Crafting Journey has Anything Goes, so I'll be entering there too.

That's it for today's card, don't forget to check out the rest of the Design Team's inspiration, and why not enter the challenge this time, it doesn't have to be a Christmas card (if you're sick of them!), it doesn't even have to be a card and it can be any "man in your life" too easy :-)
I've just noticed while posting these photos that they look a bit fuzzy, I don't know what I've changed on my camera (the pitfalls of letting your professional-photographer son source your camera for you -"it's easy Mum", mmm) but the focus does seem to be a bit off, oh well, I don't have time to sort it out at the moment so enjoy "fuzzy", lol.
Until next time, from Jasper and I (I'm the little one) Happy Crafting, Donna

Happy Birthday to....Chris!

It's my youngest son Christopher's 27th Birthday and I've made him a card that doubles as a holder for the gift card that is part of his present.

The digistamp I've used is 1920's Luca from Tickled Pink Stamps.  Chris is a snazzy dresser, and looks very much like Luca and some of the other Li'l Lads from Tickled Pink, and is the reason "my" Luca has green eyes!  I used one of these images for his Christmas card last year, and have found another that's perfect for his Christmas card this year... all I have to do is make it! 
I've used the sketch from the Tickled Pink Stamps Challenge this time, yummo!

I coloured Luca with Copics and made the sentiment on the computer; a play on "Have a Nice Birthday" that suits the hand of cards he's holding.  I used Ballet Engraved font for the "Ace" as it's in the 1920's style (coincidentally Chris lives in a beautiful Art Deco restored apartment close to the city, which he loves, so the style is perfect!)
The papers are from Kaisercrafts Velvet Ensemble... I coloured Luca up to suit another sheet and then decided on this one, so there's a bit more of the caramel colour than the paper warrants, never mind :-)  The black paper with the fleur de lis is from Die Cuts With A View Mariposa 12" stack.  I've matted on very shiny gold card, and used a gold ribbon with black and laser cut sequins that my folks got me on a recent trip to Malaysia.  Digi Stamps 4 Joy  has a Colour Bingo challenge, I've used the line: Jet Black, Neutral and Gorgeous Gold.
I finished it off with some gold brads from my stash and three black Pebbles that I just got in my took-eight-weeks order from the US... Love them!!
As usual I've popped the panels up at different heights with foam dots, and as usual you can hardly tell in the photos, lol.  Oh well, you get that!
The inside of the card uses papers from the front, as usual, and echoes the sketch (which I often do) I have made one of the panels into a pocket for the gift card by simply punching a semicircular hole in a piece of the patterned paper and gluing only the very edges of three sides. 
Here's a photo with the gift card in place.
Fab'n'funky Challenges has Happy Birthday as its theme this time and Sweet Stampin' has  Birthday Somethings, so I'm entering those challenges. Stamptacular Sunday Challenge has Boy Oh Boy (card for a boy or man) so I'm in there too and even though this is for a man, I think it fits the Cupcake Craft Challenges theme of Teenage Boys, so I'm entering there too.  Creative Craft Challenges has a Free For All challenge, I KNOW it fits there, lol.
Well that's it from Luca and I. Happy Birthday to my darling Chris (who's recovering from a very painful episode of kidney stones, poor love)  I'm looking forward to going out for dinner with him and the rest of the family tomorrow evening; park at his place, wander down to the very nearby café strip, roll back for cake... all sounds good - especially as I'm fasting at the moment for a blood test in the morning!!
Until next time, Happy Crafting, D4Donna 

Christmas Presence

Today I have another card with the lovely little Sugarplums Emma and Trevor, digis that are in review at All That Scraps.  This is "Winter Trevor" - don't you just love those little antler, and "Santa Emma", sitting on "Presents" - another digi by CC Designs available here. They're available in rubber too!

You just have to pop over to the blog to see the rest of my teamies work, using these images and some others in review.  My Time to Craft has Take Two as its challenge theme, so I'm using my Two little friends to enter there.
I coloured the images with Copics, adding Star Dust Stickles to Emma's hat and the present, Gloss to her boots and belt, Gold Stickles to Trevor's sweater and Sparkly Fluff to his antler: I love this stuff, it gives texture as well as sparkle, what could be better?!  Creatalicious Challenges theme is Christmas- as long as it sparkles, Oh yeah! I'm in!!
I've used the sketch from Gem of a Challenge , which had the added requirement of Stitching: lucky for me that could be faux stitiching - it's the only kind I do, lol.  I think it finished the edges of the image and dp panel off nicely.
The papers are, once again, Kaisercrafts Christmas Carnival collection, the green card for matting and the red panel with the gold stars on are from my stash.  The Crafty Pad has "Red and Green + Silver or Gold" as its theme, so I'm entering there.

The red stars on the horizontal panel are actually self adhesive ribbon, I bought some last year and never got around to using it; now I have and you can't see most of it under the image panel! The wreath at the top of the image is a brad from my stash.

As usual I cut all the images out (my tip is to run a Copic multiliner around the cut edge to "even" it up) ...it covers a multitude of sins, I tell ya!  Then I popped everything up at different levels by using different thicknesses of foam dots, you can sort of see it in this picture.  Quite often when I photograph my cards just from the front they sort of flatten and you can't see the dimension... but it's usually there, lol

Pollycraft has Christmas Fun and Digital Tuesday has Christmas Time as their themes at the moment... I find Christmas time IS fun, so I'm entering both of these challenges.
Another "as usual" is the inside of the card, finished using papers from the front, the sentiment is from Tickled Pink Stamps stamped in red Kaisercraft ink.
Well that's it from me for today, I hope you like my little Sugarplum friends; they really are a joy to play with :-)  I'll be back in a day or so with the last of my DT offerings, then I have my son's birthday card to share... once I've made it!  Well, it's not his birthday until Thursday so there's plenty of time.... what's that I hear, "famous last words..."   
Actually I was going to get on to it on Friday evening, but spent most of it sitting in Emergency in Joondalup Hospital with said son... he rang me from work in terrible pain, I had a kidney stone - coincidentally when I was about his age, 27- and it sounded (and looked, once I saw him!) very familiar.  Turns out he has three stones in one kidney and seven up to 5mm in the other, any one who's had one move knows just what sort of pain I'm talking about.  

Chris, WITHOUT a kidney stone!

The irony here is that we spent eight hours with the same son in the same hospital four New Year's Eves ago when he fractured two vertebra in his back.... on a bouncy castle!!  I say irony because re the kidney stone, he is a VERY health conscious individual (trains five days a week, diet conscious, drinks only water etc) and re the bouncy castle doesn't drink alcohol at all and was on that occasion the "responsible adult" at the party being held by his (older) brother; we had said earlier in the evening that we could see it ending in tears booze+bouncy castle= broken limb+trip to hospital and that it was lucky for them that Chris was Skipper as we were going out for New Year for the first time in years and wouldn't be available to drive wounded soldiers.... but of course we were, and we did!  It was like being in the Village of the Damned, New Years Eve is NOT the time to test the efficiency of emergency departments, especially if you haven't had a drink between the three of you and everyone else most certainly has, lol.
Well, sorry about that little digression! Until next time Happy Crafting, Donna

Never Say Neva

The image I'm sharing today is Neva and she's one of the gorgeous Sweet November digis in review over at All That Scraps, available to buy here.

Neva is one of several snowflake faires, check out Nixie and Eira too.  The Paper Shelter has Snowflakes as it's theme and Craft Your Passion has Let It Snow; I'm sure Neva fits these challenges, so I'm entering there.
I'm really happy with the way this card has turned out, it looks very much as I had planned it... which is not always the case, by a long chalk!!  I've coloured Neva with Copics and added loads of sparkle with Silver Stickles.  After fussy cutting around her feet (to make sure they didn't get chopped off!) I cut the image panel using Nestabilities Classic Ovals, mounted on Nestabilities Scalloped Ovals.  Stamptacular Sunday Challenge is to Punch It Out, so I'm entering there.
I've used the sketch from the Sketch Saturday Challenge, nice one!
The papers are digis from Nitwits, the Still Joyful Too collection - printed on linen card, the mats are  lavender American Crafts card.  Whoopsi Daisy Challenge this time around is Colours of Winter, this is pretty wintery, so I'm entering there (though winter in Australia does still involve quite a bit of blue sky and not much of the white stuff, hehe).
The doily is from Poppy's Cabin (who due to technical issues is selling through her ebay store the Doily Dealer) I think it's cut using a Martha Stewart around the page punch...which I may have to add to my Christmas List, it's lovely.  I distressed the edges with Kaisercraft pigment inks.
I painted the Twiddlybitz snowflake with Matisse Antique White acrylic paint then used the pigment inks to colour it up a little before smothering it in Silver Stickles.  It still looked a little flat so I reinforced the colour by going over it with Copics, the silver still shows through really well, so that worked out ;-)  The centre is one of those fabby Sparklets from Kaisercraft, boy do they bling!!  Creatalicious Challenges has "Christmas, and make sure it sparkles" as their theme, trust me this SPARKLES!!
I added the little sprays of pearls, which I bought in a florist supply store, they helped fill it out a little without introducing another colour.

I used more of the doily and patterned paper from the front to decorate the inside of the card, the sentiment is from Tickled Pink Stamps.  The snowflake inside is a glittery fabric one, I Copiced (new verb???) the tips to tone them down a bit, pearls are from my stash.
Digital Tuesday has Christmastime and Fab'n'funky Challenges has Baby It's Cold Outside as their themes, I think Neva fits  both of these, so I'm entering there.
Well that's about it for today, I'll be back tomorrow with some more Sweet November digis, or maybe some more Sugarplums... I got both babe! You'll just have to come back and see which way I go, lol.
Until then, Happy crafting, D4Donna - and Neva too of course!