Scraps and More Bling

Yep, another Christmas card and another of the Christmas decoration stars which were a donation from Lynsey! I've used up some of the offcuts I have from making my own card blanks and have cut them into squares, rounded the edges, inked them and then embossed them with my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder. I have a huge pile of these offcuts and keep thinking that I will have a marathon stamping session and get them all used up (plus use the stamps that rarely see the light of day!) but that's not yet happened!

I've strung seed beads, sequins and various silver and clear beads onto some craft wire and secured the corners with some silver brads. The wire has been doubled so when there is movement of the beads it doesn't look too bare.

This fits the following challenges:

Card Cupids: Monochromatic
Christmas Inspirations: Monochromatic
Jingle Belles Rock: Holiday Leftovers - Use Your Scraps
Crafty Pad: Lots of Texture
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge: Spots or Dots
Christmas Stampin': Metal
Winter Wonderland: No Red and Green

• Embellishment: Donation from Lynsey
• Everything else: My stash
  

Santa and His Stockings

What were you thinking with that title?! And yes, its another Christmas card! This time I've used two different papers from Funky Hand - the blue and green is from Funky Daze cd and the red spotty one is from Rainbow Polkadots download. The image is from Bugaboo and I've coloured it with Promarkers plus some glitter glue on his hat and cuffs.


The red ribbon is an offcut from the Scrap Store that I've had for ages, plus some pom pom trim (Christmas decoration of course!) a couple of buttons from my stash with thread tied through the centre and a sentiment I found in my stash too.I've used the Jingle Belles Rock sketch and it also fits the following challenges:

Daring Cardmakers: Father Christmas which is sponsored by Crafty Emma's Store
Christmas Stampin All Year: Babes In Toyland

And if you've not already popped over to the Fetch A Sketch pre launch party - please do so! Some candy on offer to two lucky commenters plus some extra prizes along the way! The Fetch A Sketch challenges launch on Monday 27 June at 9am!

• Papers: Funky Hand
• Image: Bugaboo, coloured with Promarkers and glitter glue
• Everything else: My stash
  

Blue Snowboy

Just when you thought it was safe as I'd not blogged a Christmas related item for a few days!! I just can't keep away, plus I need to make at least 12 cards a month to reach my target and I am determined I am going to do it!

I've used papers from Paper Boutique Vol 2 - Creative Christmas from Polkadoodles, added a dotted line around the edge of the paper with liquid pearls, a faux running stitch with a silver gel pen around the edge of the card and also just inside the liquid pearls. I've used my Nesties for the shaping and again added liquid pearls and a silver running stitch.


The image is an old one from Dustin Pike and I've coloured it with Promarkers plus glossy accents on the buttons of coal and top hat. The ribbon is from my stash along with the silver snowflakd (Matalan Christmas decoration) and the looks-great-and-a-good-idea-to-use pearlescent icicles are also a previous Christmas decoration. They are a right faff to get to stick as they want to twist but I think I eventually managed it!

I've used the sketch from The Sweet Stop for inspiration:

And the card fits the following challenges too:

Dustin Pike's Challenge: It's A Boy Thing
Jingle Belles Rock Challenge: Let It Sew
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge: Wintertime Blues
Sparkles Christmas Challenge: Snowmen

• Papers: Paper Boutique Vol 2 from Polkadoodles
• Image: Dustin Pike, coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash
  

Retro Christmas

In an attempt to use up some of the scraps I already have lying around (well, actually they are in clear folders labelled with the collection / download name...!!) I've made this card for the Jingle Belles challenge which is:

Use Three Different Patterned Papers

You can just see the third paper inside the aperture - on the left and right. I've used papers from Funky Hand - All I Want For Xmas download including the sentiment.

I've inked edges and added a faux running stitch line around the red spotty card. The aperture has been cut with a Nesties die. The red suede ribbon came from a fancy gift tag that I've recycled - would seem rude not to as it was too lovely to throw away!

The card also qualifies for the following challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge: Use Ribbon
Card Makin' Mama's: Use Your Scraps
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long: Die Cuts
Stamp Something: Use a Sentiment

• Papers and Sentiment: All I Want For Christmas Download from Funky Hand
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
• Suede Ribbon: My stash
  

Santa

A nice and easy and quick card to make for the current Jingle Belles Rock challenge which this week asks for:

Jolly Old St Nicholas

I've used a shaped card template from Polkadoodle Paper Boutique Vol 2 - Creative Christmas cd, I've used the A5 version, cut all the elements out and then layered them up with foam pads.

The card blank is made with one of the backing papers from the same cd. I've glittered parts of Santa so he is really sparkly!

I made quite a few of these cards for last Christmas and they sold like the proverbial hot cakes - here's hoping that will be repeated in the lead up to this Christmas!

• All paperbased items: Polkadoodles Paper Boutique Vol 2 - Creative Christmas
• Everything else: My stash

More From The Poundshop!

The chipboard embellishment that I have used on this card came in a pack of 6 from the Poundshop a few Christmas's ago - I have a few packs of these red and green vintage themed ones plus some blue ones and some more modern types too. I sort of went a bit mad and bought almost all that I could see as its generally a case of if I don't buy then, its gone for next time!

The chipboard is really good quality and layered up too and a bargain at 6 for a £1! The Jingle Belles challenge this week is

Vintage

Which this card fits. I've used a Kraft card blank plus leftover papers that I've had lying around for a while that were bought from Mad About Cards ages ago and are part of a vintage download.

I've used two sizes of Nesties to cut out the shapes then inked the edges. The organza ribbon is from my stash along with the little jingle bell (see what I did there?!) A bit of doodling with a fine black pen (which I think is on its last legs and it took me ages to find one that I actually liked!)

• Papers: Vintage Christmas download from Mad About Cards
• Chipboard sticker: Poundshop
• Dies: Nestabilities
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

Sozzled Santa

I've already previously used this Sozzled Santa decoupage image on a card before, but as I bought a few of them on another visit to the craft shop (this time 50p a sheet!) and the Jingle Belles Rock challenge is:

No Designer Papers

I thought I'd use another (just checked - I used the image on a previous Jingle Belles challenge too! - you must bring out the impish elf in me!) and I've used four square scraps of card that I've embossed - happy accident with one square as I embossed it on the wrong side so there are two 'right' and two 'wrong'.

I've rounded the corners and inked them. The string of silver fairylights have been cut with a Quickutz die and I then drew the wire in after.

• Image: Unknown
• Dies: Cuttlebug snowflakes embossing die; Quickutz fairylights die
  

Pants!

I've not managed to get my act together over the last few weeks to enter the Jingle Belles Rock challenges, but I have this week! With not one, but two cards!! It's the get on a roll thing and well, you just cannot stop! The theme this week is:

Jingle Belles, Batman Smells - a funny card

So here I am! Both cards use sentiment and images from Whimsie Doodles and I've used Promarkers for colouring. The red 'ladies' card uses papers from The Clip Art Fairy and I've sneakily hidden slight measuring and cutting episode with a silver snowflake (Matalan 2009 Christmas collection).


The blue card has papers from Blue Christmas download from Funky Hand. I've used my nesties for shaping, string and little pegs from my stash.

So there you 'have' it!! And I'll be offering some blog candy tomorrow as I'll be a year older...!!

• Images and Sentiment: Whimsie Doodles, coloured with Promarkers
• Papers: Funky Hand and The Clip Art Fairy
• Snowflakes: Matalan
• Everything else: My stash
  

And More Decorations!

At risk of saying that I've made another Christmas card with more Christmas tree decoration, well, I have and here it is! Over on Jingle Belles Rock this week, the challenge is a double one as it uses the sketch from Sketchy Thursday, so one card equals two challenges!


And Sketchy Thursday is one challenge I'd not come across before.... Fatal as you know I'll be back as I do like sketches! Anyway, I've used some very lovely felt off white card as my card base, added a 4.5x6.5 sheet of sparkly card (Dovecraft Noel cardstock) - another of the bargains I bought in the January sales! The tree decoration is from Tesco's (on the 3 for 2 offer so I bought 3 different packs - seemed rude not to!) and the organza burgundy ribbon is from my stash. I've added a few gems to the top of the card. For closure. Cos it needed it.

So there you have it. I need to get out more and stop using Christmas tree decorations on my cards. Is it just me who gets excited when in a shop and realising that the decorations are flat and light enough to be added to cards? Ah, it is just me. Ah well!

• Backing paper: Dovecraft 4.5x6.5 Noel pack
• Embellishment: Tesco's Christmas tree decoration
• Everything else: My stash
  

No Red She Said!

Sometimes there are challenges that I really like. Really really like as I know EXACTLY what I'm going to make and I feel so satisfied when it turns out just how I imagined! Well, this one is a bit of a re-run from a few weeks ago - see here - but the opportunity was too good to miss!

It's for the Jingle Belles Rock challenge which is:

No Red She Said!

So, after lovin' the sketch from a few weeks ago (and the fact I got an honourable mention for it on the blog!) I went with the theme again. This time I've used one of the shocking purple tree ornaments (Sainsbury's) from the same pack and layered it with another of the heavily glittered silver ornaments (Matalan). And of course, both packs were in the January sales!

The left over gem from the reverse of the silver snowflake has been added to the top left of the card along with a few other gems from my stash.

The backing paper is Bazzil swiss dots coloured stuff that I bought almost 2 years ago (shocking I know!) Bit of corner rounding, inking and that is it! Someone somewhere will want a purple Christmas card I hope!

• Embellishments: Christmas tree ornaments
• Backing paper: Bazzil swiss dots
  

Christmas Decorations

I'm getting withdrawal symptoms as it is a week or two since I entered a Christmas challenge, plus I bought some fantastic bargains in the sales - all of which feature on this card! There is a great simple but strangely complicated (because it has to work just right!) sketch on Jingle Belles Rock this week.

I've used papers from the Dovecraft Let It Snow 12x12 stack and no, I cut into the sheet fine! I normally cannot bring myself to cut a part from such a large sheet but this time, I was ok! I bought the pad half price - £7.50 from Boundary Mill in the sales. Plus the 6x4 version too! This sheet is glittered although my very bad and blurred photo does not do the paper justice.

I've used two Christmas tree decorations too, which, yes you've guessed, I bought in the sales! The bottom one came in as part of a pack of 8 - 2 of each colour in equally vibrant pink, green and yellow from Sainsbury's. The top star with gem was from Matalan. And I am now quite sparkly myself!

The gem taken from the underside of the silver star has been added along with a few other gems to the top left of the cad. Waste not want not!

Ah, and here is the sketch!I think I'll be using this sketch again as I'm now in the mood for more Christmas cards! It won't last long, so don't worry!

• Paper: 12x12 Dovecraft Let It Snow stack
• Embellishments: Christmas tree decorations from Sainsbury's and Matalan
• Everything else: My stash
  

Merry Little Christmas

I feel like I'm doing really well in being prepared for Christmas this year. Although don't know how long that feeling will last once the weather warms up (if it ever does!)

Jingle Belles Rock has a theme of:

Have Yourself a Merry *LITTLE* Christmas

With the emphasis being on little. As I've done pretty well (even if I say it myself!) in the January sales so I've used two of my purchases to make these little 9cm square cards. Both sets use papers from Dovecrafts Let It Snow 4.5 x 6.5 glitter double sided paper stack (bargain at £2.99 in the Range!)

I've used my Nesties to cut the shapes - the largest one for the bottom half shape and then the smallest two to layer the embellishments on. The little sparkly gifts and snowflakes are from three packs of Christmas embellishments for 29p each from Hobbycraft - I've simply changed the colour of the gem in the centre of the green themed cards to a green gem and then added a gem to the top of each of the gifts.

The turquoise ribbon is Tempting Turquoise from Stampin Up and the green I think is Dovecraft and it was in my stash.

Although you can't see it properly (rubbish photos but I blame not having enough daylight!) the blue papers are sparkly and all the gifts are too! Very pretty!

• All papers: Dovecraft Let It Snow 6.5 x 4.5 paper stack
• Dies: Nestabilities
• Embellishments: From Hobbycraft
• Ribbon: Stampin Up and Dovecraft
  

Brother In Blue

I found a brand new challenge blog through one of my Simple Doodles DT gals Janice (thank you!) called Jingle Belles Rock and it is a weekly Christmas challenge, which in my book, is a good thing as I always think I never have enough cards as my Christmas fairs start from the end of September and to be honest, it drives me crackers (no pun intended) to only be making Christmas cards in the run up to Christmas!

Anyway, their first challenge is:

Something Old, Something New

I've used an old Funky Hand wordbook download called Blue Christmas although I've only used the papers and made my own letters using Wordart. If you like the look of the download, you can buy it from here plus Anice is looking for new Design Team members, but be quick - the call is only open until the end of the week - click HERE for more details!


I've also used my Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set to make the little silver letters spelling out 'Happy Christmas' plus I've also run the 'Brother' letters through my Swiss Dots folder.

The new elements are the snaps holding the pages together. These are We R Memory Keepers and I bough I think 47 packs in the January sales last year from Mad About Cards and I've only opened two packs so far! And the other new thing is the tiny slightly pearlescent snowflakes I've added all over the letters - you can't really see them in the photo, but they are there in abundance! I've had them in my stash for ages - I bought them in the sales a few years ago along with other bits of table confetti and parcel wrap.

I'm hoping to be able to join in with the challenges each week, time permitting! Wishing the Jingle Belles all the best with the new challenge blog!!

• All printed papers: Blue Christmas wordbook download from Funky Hand
• Dies: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder and Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet dies
• Snaps / Brads: We R Memory Keepers
• Tiny snowflakes: My stash