Christmas Alphabet - Y for You and Z for Zero Temperatures

Evening Everyone,

Well, here they are, the last two cards in the Alphabet series. First up is Y for You.

This is for my sweetie. The digital stamp is another of those I coloured in with ProMarkers (sorry, once again I can't remember the colours) whilst on holiday in Wales. I really had no plans for it at the time, however, when I saw this paper, from Memory Box (in the pack included in the recently won blog candy from Jude) I remembered the image ... and it has all come together perfectly to make this card ... serendipitously, you might say :

My rediscovered B-C-E layering template has been pressed into service again to mat the image using a scrap of brown card and some of the co-ordinating paper. The same paper together with a second co-ordinating paper have been cut into strips and scalloped with a border punch to form the trims.

And that is about it - some glitter, gems, card candy and an embossed greeting finish the card off.

The trim is repeated inside and on the back just to finish it off.

Materials Used:

• Cardstock: Stampin' Up 12"x12" card, Whisper White, trimmed to make a 6" square card base; Neenah Solar Smooth white card for stamped topper; Papermania textured card, brown for matting
• Design Paper: Memory Cox 6x6 paper collection, Mistletoe
• Stamps: Digi Stamp Boutique, Henry & Zoe Xmas Kiss; Docrafts Penelope & Percy Christmas Greetings
• Tools: B-C-E Layering Template, Baby Nesties Square; X-cut scalloped border punch
• Sundries: ProMarkers; VersaMark; Sheena Wow EP, Burgundy Red Regular; Iridescent Glitter; Card candy, Vintage Berries red, Anita's tiny gems, red

The only snippet used in this card was the brown card in the matting, I wonder if  this qualifies for the snippet challenge? It does prove that even when I'm creating yet more leftovers I'm still trying to make something of a dent in the snippet mountain.  I'll let the lady herself decide by submitting it to:

Jules Crafty Snippet Challenge - Week 46

Last, but perhaps not least, here's the Z for Zero Temperatures card.

This shaped card was printed from Joanna Sheen's CD-ROM, Jane Shasky, From the Heart of the Garden, onto Neenah Solar smooth white card.

The front is decoupaged and embellished with Polar White Flower Soft, iridescent glitter, snowflakes punched from holographic mirri card, and Anita's gloss for the holly berries.

Although the finished card is A6 in size from the top of the red cardinal to the bottom, the inside is actually about half the size. To reduce the insert to fit I imported it into a graphic programme and re-sized it to fit the inside, then printed it onto copy paper.

The instructions on the CD-ROM do not include decorating the back but when the card was completed I was not happy with it. The back of the 'fence' was just white card and and, to my mind, did not look good so what to do? Well, what I did was to capture the front of the card using the snap tool in Adobe and import it into the graphic programme too. Once there, I was able to re-size and flip the image, then cut out and adhere it to the top half. If I were to make this card again, I would do this bit first before attaching it to the front ... having left it to the last, I had to nudge the bottom edge of the 'fence' down below the back - very fiddly!

The bottom half of back is simply decorated with part of an insert cut to size.
It might have taken twice as long to make as anticipated but it's a cute wee card and I love red cardinals ... I wish they came to live in this country during the winter as, with their vivid red colour, they are a pleasure to watch. However, I'm not sure what our very own little robin redbreasts would take kindly to such stiff competition in the colour department :)

So that's it - the Alphabet Series is complete for 2011 and, added to the one/two a week I've been making since Week 1 this year, I now have a sizeable stash of cards ready to send/hand out to family and friends - yeah!! I'm so pleased to have finished early this year because I can now concentrate on making some handmade gifts - there's 5 weeks left in which to do this ... hopefully, I'll be able to complete a few nice projects in that time.

In the meantime, the weekend is almost done, Russell has been voted off Strictly and we are left with the real contenders, and the lights were switched on in Ayr tonight ... and I missed it :(  I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend, and if you haven't, I hope tomorrow is a better day for you.

Take care everyone and happy crafting,

Christmas Alphabet - X for Xmas

Evening All,

I went for quick and easy in the making of this card. I already had this cute little Santa Claws stamped out and coloured with ProMarkers, just waiting to be made use of, and the greeting was one I prepared earlier too. The image is layered on to black and red card and the white 'furry' bits are covered in glitter. The base is a long and narrow card, 3.5"x8", and the rest of the decoration is made up of a strip of thin black card, borders punched, with a layer of glittery striped paper on top.

The inside has similar strips decorating each side ...

.... and the back is finished off in the same way.

Materials list:

• Cardstock: Craft Essentials white card base. 3.5"x8"; Papermania red textured card, matting; smooth black card, matting & punched border trim; Neenah Solar smooth white card, stamped topper
• Design Paper: Papermania, A Silent Night A5 paper pad
• Stamps: Penny Black, Santa Claws; Sentiments 4 You digital stamp, Merry Christmas
• Tools: Martha Stewart border punch; Stampin' Up 1" & 1.25" circle punches 
• Sundries: ProMarkers (poppy, ice grey 1, sandstone, blush, ivory, pink); very fine iridescent glitter

 

And that's about it for that card - as I said, quick and easy. Except, I thought you might like to see this snap of the card before it was cropped:

 

 

Is it me, or do those hens look as though they are giving Claws the malevolent eye :)

 

Happy Crafting,

 

 

 

Christmas Alphabet - W for Winter

Afternoon Folks,

I hope you are all having a great weekend - whether you've been crafting or doing all the 101 things that need to be done at the weekend because there isn't any time during the week.

Here's the card with the stamped image you might have spotted on the WOYWW post on Wednesday. It's a great digital image from the pencil of Mo Manning - it takes me back to the days when my grandchildren were tots ... sigh for the good old days! Sorry, but as this is one of the images I coloured when on holiday months ago I cannot remember the ProMarker colours used :(

This is another pre-cut scalloped card base which I randomly stamped around the edge with a fir branch before adding the topper. I traced round the stamped image using a layering template and cut it out - I've discovered that if I use a 1" circle punch on the corners I get a much more even and professional finish than if I cut round with scissors :) - and then layered on blue card before adhering it to the card. A blue bow, greeting, dewdrops and glitter - lots of it - completes the front.

The envelope is decorated with fir branches too - that'll cheer up the postie :)

No insert this time - just more fir branches.

... and the back too.

Materials list:

• Cardstock: Pre-made scalloped card base; Papermania texture card in blue; Neenah Solar smooth white card
• Stamps: Sheena, A Little Bit Sketchy 2, Faith - stamped with VersaFine Olympia Green; Mo's Digital Pencil, Winter Boughs - coloured with ProMarkers; Sentiments 4 You Stampin' Up Oval Stamps – Christmas
• Tools: B-C-E Layering Templates, Square Baby Nesties; Stampin’ Up Scalloped Oval Punch
• Embellishments: Papermania Adhesive Dew Drops, Aqua; Blue satin ribbon from stash

Apart from the base card the materials used are from the leftover pile - even the ribbon - gorgeous blue colour -  was a tiny length leftover from another project. That being the case this is yet another card I'm submitting to Jules Crafty Snippet Challenge - Week 45. I'm trying to make an impact on the snippet pile, honest Jules, but no sooner have I made one card from snippets than I add to it again by making another using something from the untouched pile!

 

Tonight I'm going to be MIA for an hour or two ... why, because it's Strictly night and it's coming from Wembley ... simply not to be missed, especially as the competition is hotting up!! So see you all a bit later with the next in the alphabet series - the letter X. The whole series is now complete, so the letter Y is ready for posting, but I've still to get the camera out for the Z card. Now that it's done, I'm done, with Christmas cards, that is ... though, no doubt I'll have forgotten somebody and there will be some emergency cards to make ... but, I'm calling it done for now and will be concentrating on making Christmas gifts over the next few weeks. I'm really looking forward to making the projects I have planned :)

 

So, I'll sign off and wish you all a happy evening.

 

 

 

 

Christmas Alphabet - V for Vintage

Hi,

As promised I'm back.

This could just as easily have been C for Cuddles :) Not that Santa would be allowed to cuddle children anymore, or dandle them on his knee like the one in this old postcard is doing. This is another gorgeous sheet of Bo Bunny paper, this time depicting old Christmas postcards, and all it needs is some lace, ribbon, pearls  and a greeting and, voila, you have your card. The pretty pearl swirls were leftovers from a scrapbook layout. In fact, apart from the DP, all the other materials were from that never ending scrap pile!

The insert is just some white copy paper with a decorative edge punched out of it. The colour of the base may seem a bit odd, grey, but I think it suits the vintage colours in the DP very well.

The trimmings from the piece of DP used on the front of the card is now the trim on the back - I try not to waste a thing and I still have a mountain of snippets to get through ...sigh ... as if I didn't enjoy challenging myself to do something with them :)

Materials list:

• Cardstock: Papermania Textured Cardstock - grey (base) & green (mat)
• Design Paper: Bo Bunny 12" Noel Postcards
• Stamps: Digital Greeting from Sentiments 4 You
• Punches: Stampin' Up scalloped oval; X-Cut 4cm border punch
• Sundries: white copy paper for insert; Double-sided green/pink satin ribbon & Prima Say It Pearls Swirls from Funky Farm Scrapbook Barn; Marianne ecru vintage lace

Having used so many bits and bobs of leftovers again, I think this is another card for Jules Crafty Snippet Challenge - Week 45

I'll be back tomorrow with another couple of alphabet cards, but right now I'm off to think about the last two cards in the series, Y and Z ... not easy.

In the meantime, I bid you all a good night and happy crafting.

Christmas Alphabet - U for Urchin

Evening folks,

This is coming to you from a wet and windy corner of Scotland - there's definitely a storm brewing - but I'm happily ensconced in my craft space crafting away and bringing you the next in the Alphabet series.

As soon as I saw this digital stamp on the Scrapbook Sisters site I just had to have it. The little boy reminded me of a Dickensian urchin - possibly one of Fagin's pickpockets :)  I printed him out on a scrap of cream watercolour paper, which at 190gsm is about as much as my printer will take, and coloured him with distress inks in muted vintage shades, but added a flash of red to the bow-tie and flower. The edges are inked too and a touch of glitter was added for a wintry touch. All the card and paper used came off the snippet pile - I'd like to say that this pile is fast disappearing, but it's not - can't understand it but, like Topsy, it's just growed!

The holly sprays were made using an X-cut punch.

I've used the other side of the Bo Bunny design paper I used on the Holly Jolly Christmas Card a month ago  - here's the link if you would like to see it - I managed to pick up a couple of sheets from a craft shop but I see it's available as a pack and all the designs are gorgeous.

Materials List:

• Cardstock: Papermania Textured Card in green (base, greeting mat & punched holly leaves) and grey (mat); Reeves cream water-colour card, 190gsm
• Design Paper: Bo Bunny Noel/Rejoice
• Digital Stamps: Scrapbook Sisters Boy Digi Stamp 092655-GB; Sentiments 4 You Circular Merry Xmas Greeting
• Inks: Tim Holtz, Vintage Photo, Pumice Stone, Black Soot, Fired Brick
• Tools: X-cut Embossing Silhouette Punch - Holly Sprays; Stampin' Up circle punches, 1" & 1.25"
• Sundries: Very Fine white iridescent glitter; red doodles dewdrops

Having used all those bits and pieces to make this card I'm submitting it to Jules Crafty Snippet Challenge - Week 45 for her crafty inspection :)

I'll be back later with a post on the next in the series - the letter V. Now, it's time to think of dinner.

See you later,

Christmas Alphabet - T for Tartan + last call for Jule's Handy Hippo Candy

Three posts in one day - almost unheard of for me! I was going to post this tomorrow but thought, what the heck, it's done, so why not post it now!

This card is a bit of an homage to Sue Wilson of Particraft - you can see the original card here - I hope she doesn't mind. Of course, I've used a completely different card base, greeting stamp, design paper, embossing folder, and pearl embellishments. Only the Holly Accent die is the same, the Holly Motif is not - otherwise it's in the same style as Sue's card. Apart from the card base, all the materials are leftover bits and bobs from my snippet mountain.

This insert was the very devil to photograph because of the card length. I used the 'template' left after removing the Holly Accent border die and sponged it with a soft green ink to form the border.

The back is decorated with a leftover from another earlier die-cutting session - also from the Holly Accents set.

Materials List:

 

• Cardstock: Shaped white card base & Neenah Solar White Ultra Smooth - both from Create & Craft; Papermania Textured Card in Green
• Design Paper: Red tartan paper from Madaboutcards
• Insert: white copy paper
• Stamp: Papercraft Essentials free Polkadoodles stamp set
• Dies & Embossing: Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia, Holly Motifs, Holly Accents. Flourish Accents; Cuttlebug All-in-One Twinkle embossing plate
• Sundries: Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad; Studio G green (VP0003) ink pad; flat-backed pearls

Because this card is made up of oh so many snippets I'm submitting it to Jules Crafty Snippet Challenge - Week 45
 
Before I go I thought you wouldn't want to miss the last chance to win this gorgeous candy over at Jules blog, Always with a Heart.

Christmas is coming early!!

The lovely people at Handy Hippo are wanting to shower one very lucky person with a fantastic bundle of goodies to help with the creation of all of those Christmas makes.

 

What better inspiration to get those festive juices flowing and Christmas projects underway than the delivery to your doorstep of a lovely prize like this.

You'll have to hurry though as the draw ends midnight tonight - apologies for not spotting it earlier.

Right - I'm off to do a spot of water-colouring before bedtime - I'm working on the letter U now.

Happy Crafting

Christmas Alphabet - S for Silhouette

Evening All,

Had a bit of a disaster - my keyboard decided it was too old for this game anymore and refused to key letters i and k :( So the EM and I made an emergency dash to Tesco's to buy a new one ... I was amazed to find how inexpensive keyboards are now and picked a Logitech up for under a tenner! I'm now trying to accustom myself to a slightly different shaped keyboard with a different feel to it, but I'm getting there.

This is one of the cards made on Monday at the card class ... I really like this stamp. All materials are from Stampin' Up, so an old olive base has been stamped with snowflakes in several different sizes in old olive ink.

We made a matching envelope with the same stamps and ink pad.

The insert was stamped similarly and a greeting stamped in the centre. The very pretty edge punch was provided by the SU demonstrator, Evelyn. One to go on the wish list :)

I did make friends with my sewing machine and have got one hem of my jeans stitched ... but that's it - too many interruptions have prevented me getting much further forward. Visited my daughter in her new house - she only moved in yesterday and, fortunately, got a good dry day for it.  She has a lot to do but it will be lovely when the everything is unpacked and they are all settled in.  And, of course, I had to watch Barbara Gray's demos on TV - didn't catch all of them but enjoyed what I did see.  Yes, too many distractions altogether but it's been a good, if unproductive, day.

I hope it's been a good day for you all too - and maybe a tad more productive than mine :)

Happy Crafting

Christmas Alphabet - R for Rupert

Afternoon Folks

A quick post for now as I'm up to my ears in muck and bullets today ... well, okay, I exaggerate - but I do have rather a lot to do. I've three pairs of jeans/trousers to shorten - for a good reason too - I've lost so much weight they have dropped and our now too long :) Anyway, down to the business of this post - the next card in the Alphabet series.

This card has been made with a very big kid in mind. We, my brothers and sisters, are of the generation that grew up post-WWII and Rupert Bear was one of the annuals we all looked forward to receiving at Christmas. This particular topper is one of the few Christmas scenes, dated 1949, to feature on a cover - I was two and my younger brother was only one that year, aah :) Most of the materials came from a kit and, although it's not clear from the photograph, the topper is decoupaged and glittered up. The flower in the top right corner is made from the 'petals' from the yellow die-cut piece, which is a quarter cut from a die-cut from Crate Paper.

The base is Kraft card and the inside is decorated with the cartoon characters, including Rupert Bear.

The topper on the back is of the back cover of the same 1949 annual.

Materials list:

• Cardstock: Docrafts Papermania 8x8 Kraft card blank
• Paper & Toppers: The Wonderful World of Rupert from Create & Craft; Crate Paper Lillian Collection, Delight
• Stamp: Papercraft Essentials free Polkadoodles stamp set; VersaMark; Stampendous Midnight Black EP
• Sundries: Tim Holtz Black Soot ink pad, iridescent glitter, buttons, baker's twine & card candy from stash

 Right, I'm off to make friends with my sewing machine. Hope to be back later with another card in the series.

Hope you are all having a great weekend and happy crafting,

Christmas Alphabet - letters N - Q

Morning Folks,

Thought I'd post the last four cards I've manage to complete for the Alphabet Series as they are piling up beside the computer here.

First up is N for New Year:

Front

Insert

Back

Not exactly Christmas but as this card will be sent to a Scot who won't be home for the holidays it's very appropriate. The punch used on the insert is a favourite - I like the effect of the flourish.

Materials list:

• Cardstock: Hero Arts ready made Kraft Folded Notecard; Black Magic Core'dinations, Spell Caster
• Design Paper: Docrafts Papermania, A Silent Night
• Dies & Embossing Folders: Spellbinders Shapeabilities, Layered Poinsettia; Cuttlebug All-In-One, Cupcake Celebration 
• Stamp: Fiskars Easy Stamp Press Stamp Set, New Year
• Ink Pads: Memento, Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz, Victorian Velvet
• Sundries: Heat It Up Gold Embossing Powder; topaz coloured gems

Second is O for Owl:
  
Owl's wearing pink aren't strictly Christmas either but this one from Docrafts Papermania Festive Frolics paper pack is really cute. The felt fir trees were an inexpensive purchase from a supermarket a couple of years ago.

Front

Inside

Back

Materials List:

• Cardstock: Create & Craft fancy square card base: snippet of Black Magic Core'dinations, Spell Caster; snippet of smooth white card & turquoise card for greeting
• DP & Topper: Docrafts Papermania, Festive Frolics paper pack
• Stamp: Polkadoodles stamp set free with Papercraft Essentials magazine
• Ink Pads: Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet ink pad; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink 
• Sundries: Deep pink edge-stitched grosgrain ribbon (Funky Farm Scrapbook Barn; deep pink felt Christmas trees (Tesco); Small aqua gems - from stash

Next Up is P for Penguins

 

More felt fir trees and I've used a couple of matching felt snowflakes to mat the greeting on.  The snow was made with Flower Soft.

Front

Insert

Back

 Materials list for P for Penguins

• Cardstock: PayPerBox black/white patterned card for base; white hammered card; white pearlescent card
• Stamps: Anita's Magical Christmas; Polkadoodles stamp set free with Papercraft Essentials
• Topper: Penguins cut from a sheet of Docrafts Penelope & Percy A5 paper pack
• Insert: white copy paper stamped with turquoise ink
• Sundries: Stampin' Up oval punch; Studio G turquoise ink pad; clear embossing powder; Flower Soft, Polar White; turquoise felt snowflakes and Christmas trees & clear gems from stash

Finally Q for Quiet

Front

I have to thank my friend, Marie-Louise, for the beautiful Kanban mirri card I've used to layer the topper on - love the colour. Ah, what do you do with the letter Q - I really struggled to come up with an idea until I thought of finding a scene that suggested the quiet that comes with deep snow and this Kevin Walsh painting of a lone man walking his dog seemed perfect. The copper pearlescent card is one of my favourites ... I buy it in loose sheets from my local craft shop.

Insert

Back

Materials list:

• Cardstock: Copper pearlescent card for base; Kanban Duo Mirri - Swirls & Snowflakes in Gold
• Design Paper: Brown textured paper from Rupert Bear Collection
• Toppers & Insert: Joanna Sheen's Nostalgia Collection CD2
• Sundries: Iridescent glitter; die-cut label; VersaMark; Greeting stamp from free stamp set from Let's Get Crafting, Issue 26; Heat-it-Up gold embossing powder; Papermania ink pad, gold; Card Candy, Choc-a-Mocha

 

Two of these cards, the Owl and the Penguin, have been made with tons of snippets so I'm submitting to Jule's Crafty Snippet Challenge - Week 44.

It's the wee small hours of the morning now so time I got off to bed. I have a busy day tomorrow and I'll have a few more cards to post then.

In the meantime I'll bid you goodnight and wish you happy crafting,