B is for Bauble

Afternoon All,

Well I guess I jinx it didn't I.......we woke up to snow this morning. Not masses, and it looks like it is disappearing fairly fast, thankfully, but I really don't like it. At least I can just admire it through the window today, so let's hope we don't get any more.

I'm still a bit in Christmas mode in terms of card sharing I'm afraid, perhaps it comes of having spent my Christmas asleep!!

Here are another couple of cards that I made (back in the summer actually!!) using one of my favourite Designer Boutique stamps from Creative Expressions. You can see the other cards that I made  HERE

I stamped and embossed the image using a dark brown Versafine Claire inkpad and then spritz the panel with ink sprays. I added some glossy accents to a couple of the baubles for a little added dimension.

This card used the same stamp, and one colour of Distress ink.

Having inked up the stamp I spritzed it will a little water before stamping it on to cream card stock.

I also added a few gems. You need a bit of bling on a Christmas card don't you lol.

They have a new challenge over at Christmas Crafts All Year Round. 

Their challenge for the month of January is Something that starts with A and/or B so I think that these will fit perfectly.

I would also like to enter them in to these challenges.

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas challenge - 523 Anything Goes as long as it's Christmas

Stamping Sensations - Favourite Stamps 

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay safe and craft.

Hugs Kimx

Poinsettias........and lots of them

Evening,
I don't know about where you are, but it has turned bloody cold in my neck of the woods.
I know that lots of you will probably think that I'm being pathetic cause you are already wading your way through thick snow, but I really hope that we don't get any of that here.

Now I may not have gotten any Christmas cards sent out this year, time just seemed to get away from me, but I certainly have lots to share, so I will try and blog a few each week.

Maybe if I try and enter a few of the Christmas challenges that run throughout the year it will help to keep me on track.

I love poinsettias, although I am never very successful at keeping them alive, so stamps are definitely a much better option.

I do love this old Magenta stamp, as you may have guessed. It is part of a fabulous set, and works really well with these handmade background papers.

 This is another fabulous poinsettia stamp,

which I stamped and white embossed onto kraft card and then sponged and coloured with Distress inks.

This Penny Black stamp has been used

with an old favourite Kaleidacolor inkpad.

And one final card for tonight, this time with a bit of fussy cutting and some lovely 3d flowers.
I would like to enter my cards into the following challenges..
Crafty Calendar challenge - Make it Flowery - lots of Poinsettias
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes Christmas optional Something Old - Magenta/Penny Black Stamps and Kaleidacolor ink pad.
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Crafting and Hugs
Kimx

Christmas has come Early

Evening Everyone
I hope that you have all been having a fun filled Saturday, I have been doing a bit of tidying up and sorting out.
When I went to stay at SirStampalot in March, my suitcase was bulging with boxes of cards that I had made since my previous visit. I take them with me when I go so that the Guys get the chance to photograph them for the shop Gallery.

Because there are so many I leave them up there and then Janice and Andy very kindly send them back by courier when they have finished with them.
They have obviously been very busy because my parcel finally arrived on Friday. Well there were lots of cards to be photographed.

At least half the cards were for Christmas, so as I have only managed to make a couple of Christmas cards in March and April I thought that I would share a few of the ones from my parcel tonight.

They are all made using background paper that I created using my embossing folders, Versamark ink and Pearlex powder.

I love this technique, it is so easy to do and makes the most fabulous background papers just right for Christmas cards.

I watched Sheena on TV recently and she used Glycerin and a brayer for this technique, so I must give that a try, I have already purchased my Glycerin lol.

All of the main images on these cards are from my bits box, and although most of them have been stamped, embossed and/or coloured by me,

a couple of pre-coloured toppers did sneak their way in.

By the way thank you to everyone who left me messages about the problems my friend Sylvie has been  having with her blog.
She has abandoned the original site and set up a new blog all by herself, so please stop by and show her some love. She has a couple of fabulous cards on there and I am sure that there will be plenty more in the very near future.
I think that I will enter these into the Let it Shine challenge over at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge  because the mica powders do shine, and also her Anything Goes Monthly challenge.
Off to bed now.
Hugs Kimx

A Christmas Teddy

Hi All
I seem to have just about caught up with the tiredness that has overtaken me this week, which is just as well cause I get to do it all again tomorrow when Jane and I travel up to Skipton.
I have prepped the rest of my class packs, so I just have to pack my case and write a few scheduled posts for while I’m away, if the Internet will let me, this post has taken several hours to finish !!
I though that tonight I would remind you that you still have a couple of days left to enter our Snow and Ice challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers.

I made this card a little while ago using some background papers from my stash to create the Bargello panel at the back of the card.

I also used several different dies for the flowers and trees, and plenty of glitter glue for snow and ice.

The Teddy is a lovely Lili of the Valley topper, also from my stash, and the whole thing has been mounted onto a panel with snowflakes 'Punched Around the Page' courtesy of Martha Stewart.

The blues and browns matched the coloured image perfectly and made it a little different from the usual Christmas colours.
I would like to enter this into the following challenges, I haven't done that for ages lol.
Cute Card Thursday - Hip to be Square
Crafty Creations Challenges - Let's get Krafty
CraftyHazelnuts Christmas Challenge - Layer it Up
CraftyHazelnuts Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes

Must get packing now.

Have a great weekend.

hugs Kimx

Poinsettia Magic

Evening Everyone
I hope that you have been having a fabulous weekend.
Mine started with a wonderful surprise when I found out that I had won the challenge over at Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenges. 
It just goes to show that it is never too late to enter a challenge since I got my entry in 30mins before the deadline.
I have had a very productive day on the Christmas card front, I think I have managed to finish seven cards, not bad hey!!
I have been playing with this lovely Woodware Christmas stamp set FRCL217 Poinsettia Magic, and this is just one of the cards that I have made using it.

I used a a Colourbox Q pigment ink stack, also available from Woodware, to ink the flower and leaf stamps to create the panel on white card.

The greeting has been stamped using Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

I took my inspiration for this card from the sketch that I found over at Freshly Made Sketches.

I cut out the panel using Nestie Labels One and added Vintage Gold Pearlex powder to the Versamark stamped flowers on the Kraft coloured card.
I would also like to enter this in to the Anything Goes Christmas challenge over at Sparkles Christmas Challenges and also Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenge Extra.
Better stop for tonight. I might just cut out a few more flowers though while I'm watching TV, I'm on a bit of a roll at the moment.
Back tomorrow.
Hugs Kimx

Snowflakes Falling All Around

Evening Everyone,
I have just spent a lovely afternoon in Purley at one of Davina's Open Houses.
She runs the shop from her home and every Friday she has an all day Open House where you can play, chat, drink tea and coffee, and of course shop, all in good crafty company.
Today we spent the afternoon looking through the new Woodware and Stampendous catalogues (boy do I have a long wish list lol) and checking out all of the new goodies that have arrived since her visit to the Trade show.
Of course it would have been rude not to shop and so I have come home with several lovely new embossing folders and a few more ready made flowers, I just couldn't resist them :O)
One of them is actually a rather nice Christmas folder which put me in mind of the fact that I have been very slack in my Christmas card making efforts this year. I think that I will have to remedy this at the weekend, but in the mean time here is one that I made last year but didn't get around to sending, or blogging for that matter.

The main panel is an old Hero Arts stamp (not sure if it is still available) which I have stamped and embossed using black versafine and clear embossing powder, and then sponged with dye based ink.

I painted the dove with thin undiluted bleach, and then covered the entire thing with crystal embossing powder which when heated has given it that fine sparkle.

  Not sure how well it shows up in the photos though. 

The background to the card has been made using a Snowflake stamp by Stampendous, some white embossing powder and Distress inks.

The punched strip across the card has been made using a Martha Stewart Punch around the Page punch.
I also added a few extra punched snowflakes and some gems.
I would like to enter this into the following challenges
Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenges - Let it Snow Again
Winter Wonderland challenges - Snowflakes Falling All Around
I have to say that we have been having those flurries of snow that the weathermen predicted throughout the day, so I guess that this card is eminently suitable lol.
Have a great weekend.
Hugs Kimx

Christmas Snowflakes at CraftyHazelnuts challenge.

Morning Everyone,
I hope that you are well and looking forward to a fabulous weekend with plenty of crafting somewhere in the mix.
Today I am pleased to be a Guest over at CraftyHazelnuts Christmas Challenge blog, and boy was it a challenge for me! .

Her sponsor this time is Bugaboo Stamps and as I liked the designs I decided that I would be brave, bite the bullet, and have a go with a digi. Are you not proud of me Lin?

 I used the lovely 'Snowman 4 Square' which I cut up to leave the Snowman standing on his own. 

The greeting is also part of the same image.
I just had to get some real stamping in there, before I got withdrawal symptoms, so used a lovely Magnolia snowflake stamp that I bought at SirStampalot.

As my first attempt with Digi's I am quite pleased with how it turned out, but it would have been nothing without the fabulous background papers that they also provided me with, very generous sponsors indeed.
I added some more stamped and embossed snowflakes, some stitching, punched snowflakes and a couple of lovely charms from my stash.
I hope that you will feel inspired to join in with the challenge.
Must get ready for class now, more Christmas cards at Davina's this afternoon.
Happing Crafting
hugs Kimx

All Wrapped up

 

Evening All
Have you had a good day?
We've had a bit of a laugh at work today giving the Area Manager some much needed till training. I think she secretly quite enjoyed it even if she looked totally petrified most of the time :O)
Another Christmas challenge card to share tonight.
I'm really in Christmas card mode at the moment, or at least I was over the weekend lol.
My card tonight has combined two challenges
Sketch Saturday week 227 and
Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenge - All Wrapped Up.

Once again I have used one of the lovely Lili of the Valley die cuts and some circular Nesties.
The background has been made from squares of background paper from my stash.

I added a Hobby Art sentiment and a Martha Stewart punched Snowflake.

Of course no Christmas card is complete without a bit of bling, and so I just had to add some glitter glue and Stardust pen.
Hugs Kimx

A couple of Christmas Challenges

Evening Everyone,
Hope that you are well. I am coping much better with the weather today as it has been much cooler here. Much more my type of weather, not too hot, and a light breeze.

This card was made a little while ago but fits perfectly into a couple of this weeks challenges.
Weekly Christmas Card Challenges are looking for Faith.
The theme challenge this week at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is to use a Christmas Carol or Hymn for inspiration. Depict the title, line or verse from any Christmassy song.
The main image on my card makes me think of Oh Little Town of Bethlehem.
Finally Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenge asks for a building to be included.

I have coloured my image which is a Stampendous stamp using a Watercolour technique and my Kaleidacolour ink pads.
I'm not sure which one since this was from my Christmas bits box.
I have layered it over black glossy card cut using a Nestie.
The zigzag is also a stamp but I have no idea who it is made by.
That's another card for my Christmas stock pile. It really has worked well checking out the Christmas challenges this year, I have had so much fun making them.
Wow this post is early for me, I might even get to do a little more on a DT piece before bedtime, but for the moment dinner calls.
Happy Crafting and have a great evening.
hugs Kimx

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas with Woodware

Evening Everyone.
Wow what an exciting day.
Now people that know me know that I am not into sport AT ALL, but even I got caught up in the excitement of Bradley Wiggins winning the gold medal for cycling.
But that's enough of sport for today, lets get back to my real passion - Stamping.

This is another of the cards that I made for the new Woodware catalogue.
I'm not sure that this card actually made it into the catalogue itself, but then I did get a little carried away making the samples - 24 in all, and I've made loads more since so I can see some Woodware heavy posts over the next few weeks lol.

The stamp is called JGS284 Jolly Holly and is actually a holly branch with a bauble hanging from it, although as you can see from this card you don't have to use the whole thing.

The greeting comes with it as well. (I have edited the post to include a picture of the stamp)

The challenge this week at CraftyHazelnuts Christmas challenge is to Tie a Ribbon on your Christmas card, so I think that this fits the bill.

As with the card in yesterdays post I have used coffee, pearlex, glossy accents and some of the lovely background papers that were also in my parcel, all of which are available from Woodware.
Well all except the coffee that is lol.
I need to get some sleep now.
Lets hope that tomorrow brings us more medals. What ever happens it is bound to be exciting, you never know I might get caught up in it all again.
Night night.
hugs Kimx