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