Sugar Bowl Challenge 25

Time to get back to something other than Christmas cards.

The challenge was the sketch plus favourite colour and there's no prizes for guessing mine's is blue.

Back Soon!

STAMP: Sugar Nellie - Daisy

CUTTLEBUG FOLDER: Houndstooth
NESTABILITIES: Plain Circle, Petite Scalloped Circle

Less is More

Village Christmas

I made this card for a Faux Window technique challenge where it had to appear as though you were looking out through a window. This Thomas Kinkade stamp was ideal for the challenge. I decided to keep it simple and go black and white because the stamp had enough detail in itself. Some yellow pencil was added to give the appearance of lights shining through the windows. After stamping I cut my image into four and matted on black. The embossed edge is a cuttlebug border folder. Quick and simple for mass production, but effective.

STAMP: Thomas Kinkade - Village Christmas
CUTTLEBUG: Borders Folder

Shades of Grey - Country Scene

Another challenge was for a monochrome card and I decided to stick with the idea of a scene, this time a country scene. For a change I went with grey as my colour. I stamped with distress ink on watercolour paper and then pulled the colour out or added more with my water brush. This technique is actually quicker than you might think.

You will note that both these cards need little or no embellishment because sometimes less is more.

I make a lot of my cards non-specific and then when I need a card I can finish it to suit the occasion or person. Cards like this are often left without any greeting on the front because some recipients have been known to frame them as a small picture.

STAMP: Creative Expressions -Country

DISTRESS INK: Weathered Wood

Thanks for looking.

More Christmas Cards

Green and Pink Christmas (sc28)

These are not colours I would usually think of using on a Christmas card but I did like the snowflake paper and so decided to run with it. Happy with different elements of the card but I'm still not sure about the overall result. A bigger stamp might have been better. Could be just down to the fact that pink and green aren't my colours.

STAMPS: Hampton Art - Snowman window HOTP-sentiment

PAPER: DCWV

PUNCH: Stampin'up Scallop circle, Woodware circles

EMBELLISHMENTS: snowflake brad, adhesive gems

Quick Christmas (sc 26)

This is a good card for mass production. The snowflake with the red gingham is actually a wire edged ribbon I salvaged from last year's presents. I think someone out there might recognise it. Keep my cards in mind when you are buying your ribbon this year. To make the snowflake detail stand out I placed a strip of blue card underneath. Where I have used ribbon a strip of patterned paper works just as well.

STAMP: Hero Arts - Winter's Butterfly

PUNCH: EK Success corner rounder

Cuttlebug Christmas (colour challenge 27)

There is no quicker, more effective card than the one made with a CB embossing folder. If you haven't already tried it give it a go. You'll be hooked.

STAMPS: Stampin'up - Flaky Friends

CUTTLEBUG FOLDER: Snowflakes

There are now 4 new Christmas cards in my stash. That's really good because I don't usually get started until December.

Does anybody notice a trend? I like snowmen.

Christmas & more.

Blue Christmas

I've been busy trying to get on top of things and take part in some challenges too. I always seem to be putting my entry at the very last moment but I think I've got the challenge days sorted in my head now. Sometimes I get lucky where I've already made a card that fits the bill without having to start afresh. Anyhow today was the sketch challenge.

Here is the sketch

and here is my card.

My first Christmas card of 2009. This is early for me. I don't usually get started until December. End of November if I'm really organised. Anyhow snowmen and blue - I think that's me to a T. The snowman is coloured with Sakura Gelly roll glaze and Stardust pens.

STAMPS: Home and Hearts - Penny Black; Snowman -Inkadinkado

Here are a couple of last year's cards. Surprisingly they fit next week's technique challenge so that's sorted although I would like to try a baby card or something. Tutorial for this technique here.

Winter Village

Winter's Butterfly

CUTTLEBUG EMBOSSING FOLDERS

Evening Sunset.

I'm also posting the card I made for Potluck Friday. This week it had to include a photo and my choice was one of a sunset my daughter had taken from her home. It is an absolutely breathtaking photograph. And here is my card.

I kept it simple because I didn't want to detract from the photo.

PUNCH: Martha Stewart Arch Lattice

STAMP: CHF Thomas Kinkade