Christmas Gingerbread!

The month long challenge at Jellypark is still ongoing and there have been some really cute new Christmas digi stamp releases too!  I've used two of them to make His n Hers Christmas Gift Wallets - these are actually for my parents!

I've used the Gingerbread Man and Gingerbread Woman, coloured them both with Promarkers and added liquid pearls for detail, cut them out and added them to the wallets I made with my own template, using Funky Hand papers - Funky Christmas Time download.

The wallets were made from one sheet of A4 card along with some careful cutting and joining!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

All Crafts Challenge:  Anything Goes but No Cards
Craft Your Passion:  Christmas ABC
Digi Makeover:  Swirls
Shabby Tearoom:  Red and White and Gingham or Gingerbread
Glitter and Sparkle:  Traditional Red and Green Christmas

Scraps and Christmas Bling

I've had a rummage through some of my stash whilst I've been off with the boys (mainly to keep me from going mad as I can't think straight!) and I found a box of very glittery and sparkly Christmas tree decorations that I bought in the January sales last year at Tesco. I had a rummage through my papers too as trying really hard to use up what I've already got printed (cos I have LOADS!) and found these papers from Funky Hand - Funky Christmas Time download.

The main backing paper is actually printed on vellum and I used my mega thin double sided tape to stick it down (bought from Dunelm for 99p a roll!) and then added a faux running stitch around the edge just in case it showed through.

I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out - quick to make and extra points to me for recycling and using up stash!! I love using Christmas tree decorations on my cards and I actively seek out what the shops have and then make notes as to what is where so I can target my favourites in the sales!!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Card Positioning Systems: 5th Anniversary - Day 13
Christmas Inspirations: Anything Goes
Desert Island Crafters - Challenge 25: 2 or more patterned papers; green; sparkle / bling; stitching
Little Darlings: Favourite Embellishment (cheap Christmas decorations!!)
Digital Tuesday: Use Your Stash
52 Christmas Card Throwdown: Colour Challenge - Gold, Green and Red

• Papers: Funky Christmas Time download from Funky Hand
• Embellishment: Tesco Christmas decoration
  

Snow Mouse

A lovely sketch over on Just Cute Bears & Friends which I was able to use a Penny Black image that I'd coloured a while ago with watercolour paints and a bit of glitter glue (because snow is glittery!)
I've used printed papers from Funky Christmas Time download from Funky Hand plus a random bit of gold card that I found in my stash. I've inked the edges and cornered them too and in the edges of the gold card I've added a dot of 3d gold paint as I was too lazy to look in my box for matching brads!

The ribbon is from my stash and I used a little wooden bow maker to make the bow which I found on the table which presumably I was going to use for something else but didn't! How random! But at least I've tided up a little!

• Backing papers: Funky Christmas Time download from Funky Hand
• Image: Penny Black, coloured with watercolour paints and glitter glue
• Everything else: My stash
  

Mummy's Little Reindeer!

I just love this photo of Jacob taken last year at the nursery Nativity play - he was a reindeer! Samuel had a speaking part as he was a Shepherd but nerves got the best of him and he just cried throughout it!

The challenge this week over on Dottie's Wonderful World is:

I would like to see a download, or downloads, interacting in some way with a picture of either the recipient or "something else". So it doesn't have to be a picture of a person but it must be a real photograph, and not just clipart etc. You could of course just do a layout and that would cover the requirements; it's up to you.

And as I've never done a layout before (plus I'd printed the images too big to realistically use them on a card!) I thought I'd give it a go!


I've actually used a sheet of fawn brown card for the base of the layout and backing paper from Funky Christmas Time. The frames are from my stash (an impulse buy from ebay some time ago!)

I hand wrote the tag onto vellum and then layered it onto some gold so it didn't feel lost. The holly is hand cut but I used a Sizzix die cut as a template to draw round. The berries are tiny glittery pom poms, stuck with a liberal dash of glue. I've inked the edges of the holly and also the centre crease and dotted some silver glitter glue on the pointy bits.

The photo of Jacob has been framed with red satin ribbon and held with eyelets. The lovely chunky button is from Lynsey and I've been wanting to use if for ages!

I think I may be making some more of these layouts as I really enjoyed it! Pop over to Dottie's Wonderful World as there is some blog candy on offer too!

• Backing paper: Funky Christmas Time
• Button: From Lynsey
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Dies: Sizzix holly as a template & scallop tag combo
  
  
  

Stamp Something Challenge - For the Birds

This weeks Stamp Something challenge is:

Something For the Birds.

Make a project using bird images; any types, sizes, shapes, and colors.

How could I not resist a little Christmas Robin?! Although he does look like he has a bit of an attitude! Backing paper is from Funky Hand - Funky Christmas Time download and also the square behind the image.

Stamped image is part of the Cute n Cuddly clear set from Anita, which I have coloured with watercolour paints and a dash of silver glitter glue. I've used two gold eyelets to attach the image and the ribbon (wide gold organza). All edges have been inked lightly in black.

• Backing paper: Funky Christmas Time from Funky Hand
• Image: Anitas Stamp Set - Cute n Cuddly coloured with watercolour paints and a little glitter glue
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Eyelets: Dovecraft
  
  

Penny Black Saturday Challenge 8 - No Pink!

Told you there would a few challenges this week!! For some strange reason, I do get excited about the Penny Black Challenges! And for this week, I was determined to make a Christmas card, so I was quite pleased when I read that pink was not allowed!

This weeks challenge -
Challenge 8 - No Pink!!
Your cards can feature any colour, but NO PINK !!

I had some of the Funky Christmas Time backing papers left over (and I HATE to see any scrap go to waste!) and wanted to use them again. Hand water coloured the image - I am so enjoying using my trusty watercolours again! I spent a bit of time faffing with the layout as I felt that it needed (oh yes!) some ribbon to finish it off. The edges of the card and image have been dotted and drawn on with the gold gel pen, although, thinking about it now, the image would look better, I think, with faux photo corners......

I'd actually cut the ribbon too short (not concentrating!) so it would not tie in a bow particularly well, so its now a single bow!

• Image - Penny Black hand coloured with watercolours
• Backing paper - Funky Christmas Time download from Funky Hand
• Ribbon - Gold satin edged gold organza from Blackburn market
• Eyelets - Metallic from Dovecraft

Funky Christmas Time Bauble

Different views of a simple bauble card made using papers from the new Funky Christmas Time from Funky Hand. Four circles (used a compass and pencil) were cut from the papers, each were folded in half and then the halves were glued together to form a bauble. The last two were not glued so that they would sit flat onto the card.

A hole was punched through the top and some stiff gold ribbon tied through. Other co-ordinating papers from the collection were attached to the top of the card and bottom and the sentiment added too - also one of the papers.


I used a gold gel pen to add tiny dots around the edges of the baubles and also down the white sides of the card.

The papers are great aren't they?!

Crackers in July!

Another card from the new Funky Christmas Time download from Funky Hand! The cracker is my own template and I've added 3d gold glitter paint to the edges of it and have used some tiny tinsel from last year. Also added, for a bit of depth and interest, are gold seed beads threaded and wrapped with fine gold wire. The edge of the card has been finished off with tiny gold gel pen dots.

Oh, I am loving these papers!! Thank you Anice!

Christmas is Coming to Funky Hand!

Two new Christmas downloads are now available from Funky Hand!! And here is a sneak preview of some of the papers (which are, as you'd expect, totally fantastic!)

The first card is made using the Funky Little Christmas download which is more contemporary - with pinks, browns and greens. The trees are actual toppers which I have simply cut out and attached to the card with strips of acetate,

so the trees look wobbly! I've added some snowflake punches and gems and some green grosgrain ribbon.

I am quite a fan of stripy paper! The letters have all been cut using the Round-a-bout alphabet from Sizzix with 'crimbo' cut from matt gold card.

The second collection - Funky Christmas Time has a more traditional colour pallet with deep reds, greens, ivory and golds. Some of the patterns are modern but with a traditional feel. I'm working on a further two samples from the Funky Christmas Time collection, so watch out for those later this week!

Go on - go and buy and get making Christmas cards in July!!