Christmas sparkle

I've managed to make another Christmas card today. That makes 3 so far for January- it won't last!

Here it is...

I started with a 6x6 white card blank and to make sure my topper matched perfectly colour-wise, I cut down another card blank to make the layer (I'd saved one that I'd messed up the embossing on ages ago so I used the back of that). I chose my stencil (Imagination Crafts) and used double sided tape to stop it moving. I firstly, inked the branch using 'gathered twigs' distress ink and then used an embossing pen to ink the snowflakes. I used 4 different shades of blue mica powders (also Imagination Crafts) to colour them. I also used the mica powders to dust all over the background.

Finishing touches were to add the gems and then mount it onto a blue mirror card mat and then onto the card. I will probably add a message before I send it though. Unfortunately, the beautiful shine of the mica doesn't show up very well on the photo but this one does show the blingyness (good word!) of the gems I've used...

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Hazlenut's Christmas 'shades of blue' 24/1
Paper Shelter 'winter blues' 21/1
Crafters Cafe 'bling' 22/1
Christmas Cards '1 layer' 26/1
Imagination Crafts 'anything goes' 31/1

snowflake kisses

This is my most recent card, and the start of a bit of a SWALK marathon. Last Christmas, I bought a Crafters Companion triple cd-rom featuring the SWALK images as digis to colour myself and 'Pawfect Pals' themed toppers. This is one of the digi designs that I have coloured myself.

I coloured my digi image with both Spectrum Noirs & Promarkers and added the snow using 'white opal' perfect pearls. I used a Kanban mat as a template to cut the topper into the decorative shape and then mounted it onto a purple mirror card mat that I also hand cut. I cut a larger mat (again using a Kanban mat as a stencil) from a pre-glittered DCWV paper. I wanted to layer the 3 parts onto a Craftwork Cards card blank that has the same shape to the edge as my toppers but I found that it looked a little plain. I therefore, decided to stamp some small snowflakes using a Versamark ink and to use a mix of lilac & blue mica powders to dust over the ink. This has given the base card a subtle sheen.

I also rubbed the versamark ink onto the edge of the card and dusted this with the lilac mica powders too.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-
Graph'It 'xmas blues & purples'
Daring Cardmakers 'digital'

Truly, Madly, Deeply- Songbird Challenge Blog DT call

When I saw that the Songbird Challenge Blog was looking for some new DT members, I knew that I had to give it a go. I love music and I love crafting so it's a blog I love! Here's the card that I've made for the DT call... (I've even managed to sneak a song title into it)

This card reflects my crafting style in many different ways. It has a broadly CAS style, includes stamping & colouring, has a little bit of sparkle and isn't your run of the mill design. It also has a technique that I'd not tried before today. I love to try out new things & always have a wide range of crafting projects on the go (at the moment it's cards, scrapbooking, cross stitch (picture & phone cover), wax crayon melting & shoe decoration)!

I started with a square of black card that I had cut from an A4 sheet to 19cm. I used my Inkadinkado circle stamping gear and my new 'Halloween' stamps to create the skull design around the card. I stamped using Indigo Blu 'Flitterglu' so that I could use my gilding flakes on them. This is the first time I've used the Flitterglu even though I've had it for a while. It worked brilliantly.



I then stamped the goblet (from Sheena Douglass' 'a little bit magical' stamps) onto card using a memento ink (so I could Promarker it) and onto acetate using stazon. I used 3 green promarkers to create the liquid inside the glass on the card version and then painted silver stencil paint onto the back of the acetate goblet so that when I layered them together, it looked more like a realistic glass. I stamped the potions bottles onto card and again coloured them with a range of promarkers before adding glossy accents to the glass areas. I attached the goblet & bottles to the black card with double sided tape and then stamped the 3 word sets to look as if they were coming out of the goblet. I stamped them in a Versamark ink and then used silver & green mica powders to colour them.

I am entering this card into the following challenges (as well as the DT call):-
Songbird Challenge Blog 'DT call'
Challenges 4 Everybody 'anything goes'
Love to Create 'Clean & Simple'
Creative Inspirations 'Clean & Simple'
Graph' It 'no characters'

Hagrid meeting the first years off the Hogwarts Express

I absolutely LOVE Harry Potter so when I went to the NEC and saw 2 different stencils one showing Hogwarts & the other the Hogwarts Express, I had to have them! I also recently bought some brilliant 'Har Repotter' digi stamps from Bugaboo so they had to go together to make some fab-u-lous cards (there are lots but here's the first)

I started with an 8x8 card blank that I distress inked the background of with 'stormy sky' and 'tea dye'. I then used the 'Hog Express' stencil with promarkers and then mounted on my 'Hagrid' image that I had coloured with promarkers & spectrum noirs. I added a hint of clouds/steam using a waft of versamark pen and then mica powder over the top.

I am entering this card into the Cutie Pie 'Favourite Film' challenge.