A Merry Christmas to you all

Wishing you all the love, peace and joy that Christmas brings.

This is my completed advent tree for this year ... from Ann Voskamp's Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. I printed out the ornament squares and coloured with Copics. Can you see each of the stories that are part of God's unfailing, unbeatable, unstoppable love?

Gift Idea ... Message Blocks

I decided to use up some of the large stash of 6x6 patterned paper to cover some message blocks. Then it was fun finding stamps to match to stamp on the sides. It was a late night, but I finished 13 of them.

These Wplus9 stamps went so well with this paper. Sentiment from Papertrey Ink.

Complete different WPlus9 set. I know there is a Hero Arts stamp with almost the same flowers, but I don't have it. You work with what you have.

How I love the mix of this paper with the Lawn Fawn Hello Sunshine set.

I've had quite a few queries on how I made these, so here's the quick version :

• Choose your patterned paper and cut to size.
• Find matching stamps and ink colours.I didn't really care what make or type - I was more concerned that the colour matched, so it was a mix of Hero Arts, Memento and Simon Says Stamp, Versacolor.
• Turn the block vertical, so the side you want to stamp is on top. Hold firmly against the table top and squeeze the pages together with your one hand, and stamp with the other. It's important to try and hold it so the pages make a "straight" surface with no dips.
• Turn the block to repeat for the other 2 sides.
• Glue on the patterned paper and add a sentiment and embellishments if you wish.

At the Table

What a lovely relaxed and happy evening we had last night at our Book Club Christmas dinner. The decor, twinkly lights, laughter, beautiful Christmas cards and messages, the sharing of gifts and the delicious meal was in the true spirit of Christmas.  I am now definitely in the Christmas mood.

I used the Hero Arts houses and the Bauble die cuts to decorate the table ...  the colour theme was white and kraft.

Advent Colouring 1-8

I am following Ann Voskamp's Advent readings in Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. Such a beautiful book with a rich messages each day each showing us how God has reached out to us from the beginning.

There are 2 versions : a colourful, beautifully illustrated one for the family, and a smaller one with the same "ornament" illustrations in white and kraft - ever so pretty too.

  

When you buy the book, you get access to the printouts of the ornaments. Last year, I made the white ones for my mother in law. This year, I decided to print the ones to colour. Will give me a both a quiet moment to reflect on the message of the day and to practice my Copic colouring.

I will post as I go along... here are the first 9 days.

I think I will mount them on the red cardstock as it will make them pop - or would a blue be better? I wanted the backing to be blue as the accompanying message has blue in it. I had so hoped to find a double sided paper to do the trick, but no luck.

So which is it to be?

Colour the Negative

Inspired by the Magenta card by Ellie Knol, I searched my stash for a stamp that would allow me to case her card. I don't have many "open" stamps, so I went with the lovely Penny Black "Charming".

Colouring the background (or all that is NOT the flowers - negative space) makes those flowers shine through.

So different to my last card with this stamp!

Blue Sparkles

Loved the inspiration over at Fusion Card Challenge : Blue Christmas ....

I followed the photo inspiration and played with old and new stamps, stencils, dies, ink, Copics, stickles and Wink of Stella ....

I was asked how I did the background. The pale stars are created with a stencil and Distress Ink : Tumbled Glass. Then I also distressed the top left and bottom right with a bit of the Tumbled Glass. I used  Copics (B02 on all the bottom edges, then B000 going around all the edges. Added a few spots of Distress Frosted Lace, and 3 star die cuts.

I will also enter this to the Colour Me Challenge : Monochromatic.

November CCC

Loved the colours and sketch from the November CCC (Card Chain Challenge). The colours immediately made me think of a cream rose with red edges.

Here is my card done with WPlus9 Peonies sets. I stamped the background shape of the flowers in Colorbox Parchement, then just the outline in Distress Fired Brick. Took a wet paintbrush and pulled the colour in a bit.

This one went winging it's way off to Jeanne in Minnesota.

You can go look at all the other cards in the challenge at the November Reveal on Deborah's Blog.