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.

Merry Christmas

I had a friend over for a crafting session and I used her Memory Box Holly die. So sorry that I only cut one! I coloured the leaves and berries with Copics.

The middle panel is mounted on foam, and put lots of Glossy Accents on the berries. So lovely in real life.

Submitting it to the Addicted to CAS : Dimension Challenge. It's also there 3rd Birthday - a wonderful milestone!

Santa ... Naughty 'n Nice

A fun One Layer Challenge at Less is More : Santa. Can't go wrong with an oldie but still special Winnie the Pooh stamp.

Thank you

While I was testing my new Simon Says Stamps inks and stamp set, I found I loved the colour combination. I can see myself making quite a few of these. Added some Glossy Accents to one heart.

Entering to One-Layer Simplicity Challenge : A Multitude of Gratitude, and Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge : Thanks/Thanksgiving.

The Wonder, Peace and Miracle

My starting point was inspired by the colouring of a die on Muse Christmas Challenge. As I missed the deadline, I decided to go with a different layout and feel to the card. I just love this delicate die from Simon Says Stamp but I couldn't find the right light feel in amongst my sentiments, so I typed up my own.

I hope this Diamond Stickles counts as texture, as I'll enter this to Virginia's View Challenge : Texture.

Peace on Earth

Very simply, we need peace this Christmas.

Entering Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge : Christmas.

Merry Christmas

What a wonderful inspiration picture over at Addicted to Stamps, and amazing cards by the DT team.

Sneaking in with my card in the 11th hour! Light is not good at this time of night, so I may take another tomorrow morning.

Using my new Hero Arts "Merry" die, and Simon Says Stamp Ornament. So delicate and light.  I used Copics to colour the red dots and some grey shading, and Wink of Stella to add a light sparkle.

Also entering this to Virginia's View Challenge : Texture.

Muse Challenge #141

Managed to get a card out amongst the mess of sorting my studio.

I was inspired by Michele's card at the Muse Challenge #141 ...

... the embossed, tilted frame panel

... the overlapping circle flowers

... sentiment on a tab

Thank you's, Kindness & Rangoli for Divali

I was just so amazed by the video of someone doing a Rangoli stencil, and thought I have to try get the same effect with a stencil, ink, embossing powder and paper!

Here is the inspiration video of Vaidhyanathan.s

This is super awesome or what!!!!!!
Posted by Vaidhyanathan S. Cfp on Saturday, 7 November 2015

To get the same effect with paper you have to change the order a bit - instead of working the background first, then the top, you need to do the stencil pattern first, then the background. I inked through the stencil with Twisted Citrus on the outer edge and Squeezed Lemonade towards the centre. Then I cover it all with Versamark ink and embossed with Clear embossing powder. I distressed in circles : Festive Berries, Picked Raspberry, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Dusty Concord.

Decided to try with a stamp too - and with some of my favourite colours - blues and greens with a touch of purple.

I'll be giving these to the 2 care givers of my mother in law. 

Thanks to Jennifer McGuire for encouraging us to spread the kindness with her Share Handmade Kindness Challenge.

Magenta Nature ATC's

I participated in the Magenta Nature ATC swap.

Here are my four sent to Linda in Belgium.

Hydrangea coloured with Prismacolour pencils.

Blossoms with Copics. 

Poinsettia with Distress inks - watercolour.

Spring Flower with Prismacolour pencils and dots of white gel pen.

Work in Progress

I'm out of action in the creating, ink and paper realm at the moment .... More in the acrylic and wall region. 

The craft supplies are stacked in any space I can find ... the carport, old studio

While I'm making my new creative space. Getting so excited. 

This was my old tiny corner 

Which is being turned into a mini-mini exercise space ...  Still quite a bit to do

So out of action for a few more days!  Will keep you posted. 

Hello ... missing you

A quick card for the Retro Sketches Challenge :

I did a mirror image of the sketch as my bird was facing that way ...

I will also enter this to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge : Anything Goes! and to The Daily Marker 30 Day Colouring Challenge

Happy New Home

Oh how I love it when a plan comes together!

I love this week's sketch at Freshly Made Sketches. The extra twist was to keep it clean-lined and fresh. I hope my rainbow brightness counts for that.

My first idea was to use watercolours to create the squares. Then I had to work out what to put in the squares and I was leafing through my dies and spotted my new (and never been used) Simon Says Stamp Quadrangle Frames. OK, so that was still just a frame, so what next? Need something small, and found these rather neglected Quickutz dies from the days when we still used that 2" squeeze machine (can't even remember what it was called!). The little house struck a chord as my daughter has just moved into her new apartment. Perfect!

I popped the little dies on foam and gave them all swish of Wink of Stella ... lovely shimmer.

I will also enter this to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge : Anything Goes!