Quick and pretty Christmas cards.

 I need to make a few quick Christmas cards last week and saw a fabulous tutorial from Brandy's Cards - found the tutorial from BrandysCard.com.  It's a great sketch design.  I've made 2 cards - both using the same paper and design - just different die cut sentiments 

Such an elegant design and really easy to make.   The patterned paper piece was a 12" x 3" left over stripe from a Rosie's Studio scrapbook paper. So easy to cut to the 4" x3" needed for each central panel.  Used a Couture Creations embossing folder, some white and grey green card to make the matting layers.  The die cut sentiments were gut from gold card and matted with some dark green.   Added some gold dots. 

Loved the ease of this design.  

I'm adding this to the If It's Christmassy, Link It Up!  at Christmas Kickstart Challenge 

Not a lot of crafting done over this last week or weekend.  We went away weekend with our son, daughter in law and the girls.  They put the tent up at on our friend's backyard to see how the girls coped with sleeping in the tent.   Luckily we had amazing weather and other than the girls getting a bit cold overnight, they loved it!   We've given them three nights at a beach side camping ground after Christmas.  And it's awesome to see the next generation going camping in. 

Roll on Christmas and the Summer Holidays

Crafting with Suna...

 I had a "play date" with my friend Suna on Friday afternoon... I had made a start to my crafting in the morning and then we had a fabulous time crafting and talking.   I got so busy crafting I forgot to take any pics of us playing.  

Earlier in the week, my order from Scrapbook.com had arrived.   Part of it was Pinkfresh Studio - Peony Glow stamp, die and washi tape.   I forgot the matching stencil ( but it is now on it's way!)  The washi is soooo beautiful and there is so much washi on the roll.   I added the washi to white card and vellum and cut them for Suna to take home. 

I made two cards on Friday using the washi on white card. 

This lot of die cut washi isn't even all of one panel!   For this one I made a background using an Altenew Cover Plate - Dotted Sunburst Debossing - for some lovely texture.   I then created the frame using a Gina L Master Layout 18 die.  Then I went to town adding the florals die cuts.   Had fun  putting it together.   Added a sentiment from the matching stamp set and it's shadow die layered 4 times for a really sturdy sentiment.   Finished with rose gold dots.  

My second card - used more of the panel of die cut washi

Again, I used the Altenew Starburst Debossing Cover plate for the background panel.   On top I layered a frame made with 2 of the Hero Arts Infinity Arches Dies.  I had embossed it with a wood grain folder.  I used the same card stock to cut and emboss the Altenew Pitcher Vases folder and die.   Added some brown ink from Altenew over the embossing.  Cut some Scrapbook.com watercolour patterned paper for the inside of frame.   I used a stipe of 3D tape down the middle to give it some dimension and shape.   Added the floral cluster from the first panel of washi die cuts.  Again, used a sentiment from the Pinkfresh Studio stamp set.  Finished with some more of the rose gold dots. 

And one more card I made in the afternoon... this one using a free digital image from Sande Woodson.  It was free on her Facebook page and is blue Christmas images 

I used the Hero Arts Infinity dies again to make a gold frame.  I cut a white panel to fit into the centre of the arch.   I used a Holly 3D embossing folder to add texture.  The sentiment is from Rosies Studio - Hearth and Home stamp set and fitted perfectly in the top corner.  I had printed the sheet of blue Christmas images and used my Scan'N'Cut to cut them out.   I loved this little girl with her book.   Went perfectly with the rest of the card.  Finished with some dots cut from the same gold card. 

Thanks for taking the time to view my cards today.   I had so much fun playing with Suna.  It's great to spend crafting time with a friend.   Just loving have Friday's off now so I can do this sort of thing.  

I actually made a total of 7 cards on the day. So a very successful day.

Lawn Fawn Critters

 Wow where has November gone!!!!  Less than 4 weeks till Christmas.     Today I'm sharing my DT card for Die Cut Divas.   

Our November challenge is CRITTERS

Our sponsor this month is Lawn Fawn. They will be giving our winner a $25 gift card to their online store. Thank you to Lawn Fawn for their generous support.

Today I have a birthday card - for a friend's upcoming birthday. 

Aren't these little Parrots so cute!  And that sentiment!!!! The stamp and die set is called Year Twelve.  My Background was stamped in a mid grey ink from Altenew and used a woodblock stamp Happy Birthday background from a now defunct NZ company called Rubbadubdado .  I die cut it with a Gina K Master Layout and added a wider border.  Found some fun striped paper and cut it to a panel to add to the background.   Stamped the stentiment and die cut with a banner die (did a little die surgery as the original die was a bit short.   Stamped and clear embossed the parrots and used my Zig Markers to add colour before die cutting them.  Added the black dots to finish it off.   

And I decorated inside 

This set is so sweet.    

We'd love to see your CRITTER creations in our gallery this month - you have till 9.00pm USA Pacific time to enter.  . Click here to add your card to our gallery.  Just remember to use at least one die cut or embossing folder must be used. 

Christmas cards made quickly

 Hi there.  Thanks for stopping by.   Yesterday (Friday 28th) my friend Suna came over to have a play date with me!   She came after lunch but I started my crafting earlier in the morning after I'd done my housework.   I managed to make 7 cards!   

But today I have 4 quick Christmas cards - inspired by this video from Sophia Laframbois.  It uses two sheets of single sided patterned paper to get two cards, so I used four sheets of paper from Sugar & Spice Studio Nostalgic Christmas and made 4 cards.   I made these last weekend, but had a busy week and didn't get to share. 

I cut the PP into 4" x 51/4" and cut them diagonally both ways.   Then alternate the pieces.   I used some copy paper to add the pieces together then trimmed to 3 3/4" x 5" panels and matted with some red card.   All the sentiment are from a Kaisercraft set Christmas Quotes (had this for nearly 15 years)  Used circles from Gina K Master Layouts 3 and the rectangle is Spellbinders Hemstitch rectangles.  Matted them onto the red card.   Used some die cut Pinkfresh Studio Curvy Leaves and  Altenew Bitty Branches.  

I'll share all the other cards over the next few days.  Tomorrow is the end of November so have my DT card for Die Cut Divas.

Paper Mug for Christmas

 Hi it's my time to share at Die Cut Divas - our sponsor this month is Lawn Fawn and our challenge is Critters.  

My project today is a sweet little Christmas Mug 

I saw this video on You Tube by Christy Gets Crafty - Isn't this a cute little gift Mug.   It used two sheets of 6" patterned paper.    It's really easy to follow Christy video.  I die cut the tag from a Spellbinders die set and stamped the sentiment from Lawn Fawn - Cozy Cats Christmas Add on.  Stamped the little Kitty, his antlers and the present onto some scrap white card.  I used alcohol markers to add colour and die cut them out before adding to the tag.   Had fun making this and I'm sure I'll be doing some more - adding some chocolates as a gift. 

Do come and join us at Die Cut Divas with Critters and don't forget to use your die cut machine.  

More Christmas cards using the mixed media background.

 Well over the last few days, I've made up three more cards using some of the mixed media masterboard I made. 

I had used Gina K Master Layout 2 to cut the panel.  I then used some texture paste through a star stencil and sprinkled with some Diamond Dust glitter.  Matted it with the dark green card and added the gold die cut sentiment (minus the shadow layer) and some gold dots. 

Next I used a square panel of the background 

Matted the square panel with the dark green (looks black in my photo) and used a strip to add my red die cut sentiment.  Added some little red star embellishments.   A very quick card. 

And the last for today 

This panel was a smaller one cut with one of the dies and matting layer dies from Gina K Master Layouts 2.  The background panel is a white embossed panel (Christmas words) matted onto a white layer and added to the top folding dark green card base.   Added the panel to the base layers and then used a Hero Arts stamp and die set called Holly Jolly to make the leaves.  Used Catherine Pooler inks - Eucalyptus and Green Tea.   Stamped the sentiment from the Hero Arts set in Altenew Forest Green Crisp Dye ink and used a circle from Pinkfresh Studio's Mini slimline Essentials die set.  Added the die cut circle over the Holly leaves and finished with some dark green dots. 

Still two pieces of the background to make into cards.  

Mixed media Christmas background - Inspired by Ardyth

We have had a very relaxing weekend at our friends in Mangawhai.   Went up on Friday evening and came back this afternoon.   Got home at 3.00pm so after unpacking I heading into my craft room.   I had watched Ardyth Percy-Robb video (see it here) yesterday where she made one large panel of watercoloured and mixed media background using some powders to make her watercolours.  I really love how she managed to get such a gorgeous background and made 16 cards!   I definitely didn't get that many made!   

I used a sheet of Bristol smooth 250gsm card.  I taped it to my glass matt and went to town!  Used  Nuvo Shimmer powders in Blue Blitz, Cherry Bomb and Atlantis Burst and Pixie Powder in Lava Red.  I did stripes of colour vertically along the long side - then white paint stenciling, gold paint stenciling, used the blue and red paints to stencil as well.  Water splatters, gold paint splatters, spritzed with white shimmer spray and Fossilized Amber Distress spritz.  I forgot to photograph the panel before I chopped it up.  

I made one panel into a card this afternoon. 

I trimmed the panel to 3.25" x 4.5" and ran it through an embossing folder - Holly and used Catherine Pooler Eucalyptus ink to highlight the raised areas.   I matted it onto some dark green card and added to a white base.   For my sentiment I used a new to me die set - cut the words with the dark green and shadow layer from vellum.  Made some dark green enamel dots by adding some clear packing tape over a scrap of the dark green card and used a dotty die to cut the dots, 

And here are the other panels still to use

 so will be making some more cards so I can get my Christmas cards in the post by the end of this month. 

Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Just Add Antlers!

 I'm still not well and after a very busy weekend, today I was shattered and still coughing so another day at home.  I did two half days - Monday and Wednesday and had Tuesday and Thursday sick.  Went to the doctors on Thursday - Chest infection and bronchial asthma - so antibiotics and taking time off.  

I rested up today and spent some time in my craft space this afternoon.  I had sorted some digital images over the weekend and two day I printed two old Bugaboo images to enter into the challenge at Christmas Kickstart Challenge.

 

First one used a favourite Christmas image - Puppy Reindeer.   I've used over the years since 2014.

Isn't it gorgeous!  The sentiment was part of the digital images.  I printed and used Spectrum Noir Tri-blends to colour.  Added little bits of Gelly Roll Sparkle clear pen to the bells and on his hat, the stars, the ground.  I masked off the edges and used a Blue Grey maker to add a faux matting layer.   Added some silver die cut sequins. 

My next card also uses a Bugaboo image from 2016.

A cute as reindeer.   Again used the Spectrum Noir Tri-blends to colour.  Added a Kaisercraft sentiment.  A little of the Gelly Roll Sparkle Clear pen on the starts and the Christmas baubles.  

I went to photograph the cards and for the live of me, I couldn't find the first card anywhere.   I honestly couldn't find it at all, then remembered I had cut and folded some card bases and put them in a folder.  Yep, sure enough there it was amongst the bases.    

Hopefully off to work tomorrow.