Foliage Wreath and Berries

Hi everyone.  I've made a Christmas card using some papers which came with some stamps I got from Crafty Individuals some time ago, and which had been left lying around waiting for an opportunity to be used, and I looked at this particular design, there are three the same, and thought that the background was suitable for a seasonal make as there is a pattern which isn't but could be holly.  I also used a new set of stamps by Stamp Market called Lovely Christmas, and I used a foliage wreath and a smaller stamp with a sprig of the same leaves.

I started by stamping the wreath in the centre of the card cut to fit on a 6" square card using Versamark and heat embossed with WOW Gold Sparkle Embossing Powder, and then I added the sprigs to the corners in the same way.  I finished the wreath and corners by adding the berries using Nuvo drops in red, and added the stamped sentiment using Versafine Satin Red ink heat embossed with Clear Gloss EP.  Finally I added thre red mat before adhering it to the white card.

Thank you for looking at my blog today and I'll see you again soon. 

I am entering the following challenges:

NBUS Challenge - No. 57 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.
ABC Christmas Challenge - 'W' for Wreath and 'X' for Hugs and Kisses.
Merry Little Christmas Challenge - No. 53 Anything Christmas Goes.
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - No. 153 Anything Christmas Goes.
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

Musical Birthday

Hi everybody.  A music themed birthday card for a lady today, another friend who sings, which is how we met as we were both in the same choir at one time, in fact we sat next to one another.  I have used the embossing folder before here, but the music flourish has not been inked before.   Both are from a set which came with a Creative Stamping magazine two or three months ago.   I decided to try to make a joy fold card which I have attempted once before and as shaped cards go this is easier than some.

I found a freebie paper on line which had music on and in blue and purple, a combination I do love.  I used the music embossing folder for the front panel and ink blended with purple for the floral piece at the bottom, and then blue for the music covered top half, using Wilted Violet and Salty Ocean Distress Inks, and cut and adhered this to the front.  I then added the piece of music paper to the back of the inside, and the piece of flourishy music I added to the front fold over panel using the Salty Ocean DI heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  This is like a smaller back to front card which is attached to the back panel of the card and then folds over the shortened front piece.  The card is a 6" square with the front panel cut to 4", and the fold over piece is approximately 31/2" square.

Thank you for dropping by today and I hope to see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Cardz 4 Galz Challenge - No. 212 Wet or Dry Embossing.

Can You Handle The Pressure Challenge - Anything Goes/Turkey or Thanksgiving.
Happy Little Stampers November Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes.

We Love Stamping November Challenge - Christmas Characte/Anything Goes.
Stamping Sensations November Challenge - Get Ready for Christmas/Anything Goes.
Allsorts Challenge - Week 755 Christmas Time/Anything Goes.

Fungi for a Fun Guy

Hi Everyone.  Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun and this is a masculine card today.  I haven't used my Chocolate Baroque stamps for ages, so decided as we are still in Autumn to get out Autumn Edges which is a set of five stamps which can be used to edge or frame a card, as in the case of the rows of leaves (silhouette and outline), and then a row of fruits and berries, and then there are three trees in a row (in leaf, leaves dropping and bare) and these fungi which both lend themselves to being the main image which is what I have done here.

I love the different shapes and so I did several in red and yellow (with added spots) for Fly and Honey Agaric, and then some more regular types in shades of brown.  I stamped and heat embossed using Versafine Vintage Sepia and WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder, and I coloured them with my Lyra Graduate Pencils which I haven't stopped using lately and I'm really loving them.  I added some bits of white using a gel pen for the white spots and on frills, and also on some of the caps and stalks.  I decided to keep it simple and I masked off the edges and added some Tumbled Glass Distress Ink to the sky background trying not to make it too smooth for a bit of variation, and finished by adding a sentiment again using the Vintage Sepia Ink and Clear Gloss EP.

Before I go I would like to introduce and thank a new follower called Angela whose blog you will find here.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Dutch Card Lovers Challenge - No. 378 Mushrooms.

Stamping Sensations November Challenge - 'Get Ready for Christmas' /Anything Goes.
We Love Stamping November Challenge - Christmas Characters/Anything Goes.
Allsorts Challenge - No. 754 Friendship/Anything Goes.
Happy Little Stampers Birthday November Challenge - Anything Goes.

Ombre Heart Embossed Anniversary

Hi all.  I have an anniversary card today using an embossing folder by Leonie Pujol called Dotty Heart, and a Spellbinders Nestibilities die set called Labels 32 which is extremely old but which I haven't used very much so thought it was time to get it out for a bit of playtime.

I started by putting a snippet of white card through the Dotty Heart EF and then blended Distress Inks over it in tones of purple and blue making sure to blend them well, with a mixture of Wilted Violet and darkened a bit with Dusty Concord, and above some Salty Ocean made a little cooler, as it is a rather bright blue, with Broken China.   I then cut two large and one much smaller Labels 32 pieces using some more snippets of white card, and cut the larger sized aperture out of the inked heart layer.  I then popped two of the white die cuts within the aperture and added the heart layer on top so it has some dimension, and then I finished by adding a sentiment onto the smaller die using Dusty Concord DI heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.   

Thank you for coming to visit my blog today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Color Hues Challenge - No. 75 Purple and Light Blue.
Can You Handle The Pressure Challenge - Anything Goes Embossing with a twist of Vines/Greenery.
Snippets Playground Challenge -  No. 466 Where we use up our snippets of card and paper etc

Seasonal Mandala and Pheasant

Hi everybody.  Another Christmas card on kraft card using a mandala and also a pheasant from a set of freebies by Sheena Douglass which came as an extra set of stamps with a magazine quite a while ago, so I am assuming that these were ones which were left over from sales of the original older magazine, so they decided to put them in with another, so a very good deal indeed as these are lovely with three large mandalas and three bird images and also some sentiments and a little flower die too.  This is a more seasonal looking one with holly and berries, and this and the pheasant haven't been used before.

I decided to stamp and emboss the mandala with WOW Opaque Bright White, and at first did think I would leave it like that but then I thought perhaps it looked a bit plain so I added some colour using my set of Lyra Graduate Pencils.  I then used a piece of the leftover kraft to stamp the pheasant using Versafine Vintage Sepia Ink, and also coloured it with the pencils, fussy cut it out and also used some Pinflair Glue Gel when fixing it on the card, to give it extra dimension.  The males are so beautifully coloured and where I live here in Somerset we see and hear them a lot.  They are completely oblivious to everything around them and appear from nowhere sauntering across the road as though they have all the time in the world, and if you hoot to speed them up they usually stop dead and instead of hurrying towards the nearest hedge they then decide to head back in the opposite direction..lol.   I decided to add the sentiment using Versafine Satin Red Ink and heat embossed it with WOW Clear Gloss EP, and added a coordinating red mat before placing it on a  6" square white card.

Thank you for taking a look at my blog today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - Week 752 - Embossing Heat or Dry/Anything Goes.
CAS on Friday Challenge - No. 269 Animal.
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Emboss It.
Merry Little Christmas Challenge - No. 53 Anything Christmas Goes.
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - No. 151 Anything Christmas Goes.
Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge - No. 50 Anything Christmas Goes/Inspiration Board.
NBUS Challenge - No. 56 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.
Beccy's Place - Month of Holiday Cards Challenge - 'B' for Bird.

Shine a Light at Christmas

Hi there.  I have at last started my Christmas cards, although I have already made a few throughout the year, but there is still a way to go.  I decided to enter the Color Hues Challenge which this time is Yellow and Kraft and I thought that the lantern stamps, and stars and rays of light stencil (there are three different stencils on it) being used for the first time, and which came with the latest Creative Stamping Magazine No. 127 might work with the colour theme.  I also used an embossing folder which was a freebie a goodly time ago with a poinsettia and holly frame.

I stamped one of the lantern images onto a piece of white card and also separately stamped the smallest candle, using Versafine Vintage Sepia Ink and then coloured them using Distress Inks - Brushed Corduroy and Mustard Seed, and also a little Scattered Straw to give the candle a little colour.   I then fussy cut them out and stuck the candle inside the lantern.  I also cut off the hanging ring from the top and finished by adding some Glossy Accents to the glass parts.  I added a circle of blended Mustard Seed ink behind where I was going to add the lantern and then also the rays of light part of the stencil, which I added using Ground Espresso DI.  I then added the Poinsettia and Holly embossed frame and decided to colour it with a deep gold/brown Sakura Starlight pen which I thought had a similar tone to the lantern and hopefully fits the colour challenge, and I also used it to add some stars using the stencil, and over the rays of light behind the lantern and a few little dots as well..maybe I overdid it a bit but it looks nice and sparkly.  I then added the lamp using some Pinflair Glue gel down the centre to give it a bit more shape, and also some ordinary glue around the edges.  I finished with a sentiment from the set stamped using the Vintage Sepia Ink and heat embossed with WOW Clear Glose Embossing Powder.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and I hope to see you again soon.

I am also entering the following challenges:

Rudolph Days October Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes.
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - No. 150 - Anything Christmas Goes.
Happy Little Stampers October Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes/Stencil.
NBUS Challenge - No. 55 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

Musical Birthday

Hi everyone.  I have a masculine card to show today for a friend who loves his music and sings in a choir with my hubby using a set of stamps and an embossing folder with a musical theme from Stamps By Me which came with a recent edition of Creative Stamping, and naturally I just couldn't resist...lol.  I used part of the embossing folder and two of the stamps on this card.  The bird was in a sale over at Dies to Die For and I do love bird stamps.

I started with the embossing folder using a snippet of white card.  I only used the top part of it as the bottom has flowers which I didn't feel were quite right.  I always lightly spray the card with some water on both sides as I think it does help to enhance the embossing, and I backed it with a snippet of black card.  I then stamped the bird on another snippet of white card using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and heat embossed it with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.   It is actually a Chickadee, but as it has a similar shape with the dark head I made it into a Great Tit, and coloured it with my new Lyra Pencils.  I wanted to add it over the embossed background so I fussy cut it out, which took quite a time snipping round the pine branches, and it did end up with a few less needles than it started with...lol, and I added some Glossy Accents to the bird's eye.  I decided to add a strip of music from the set of stamps using more snippets of white card, but it had a lot of flourishes so I cut them off and then used a sentiment from the set to sit on top of the music backed with a piece of foam to raise it up a bit.  This was also stamped with the Nocturne Ink and heat embossed with the Clear Gloss EP.  

Thank you for visiting my blog today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Snippets Playground Challenge - No. 465 Where we use our snippets of card and paper etc.

Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge - No. 333 Spookyscary or Birds.
Can You Handle The Pressure Challenge - Anything Goes/Spooky.
The Crafty Addicts Challenge - Anything Goes.

Happy Little Stampers October Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes.

Triple B Challenge - October - Birds, Butterflies & Blooms (any 1, 2 or all 3).