A few Christmas cards

I'm not only trying to keep ahead of the Christmas rush but also trying to come up with some simple, quick and easy cards that will be able to go into an ordinary flat envelope for the post. So many challenges encourage 3-D, the more embellishments the better type card. These are lovely to hand out to those friends you know will appreciate the hard work but for "everyday" they are not very practicle.
I used the Christmas card kit available from Duck Pond Crafts for these.

Chocolate Baroque image stamped with white SU! pad. MS drippy goo punch. Laser cut borders. The chipboard snow flake heat embossed with white and silver with a touch of glitter added.
The white CS was run through my big shot with the embossing folder just at one end then the other leaving a plain centre.

Papermania candle image, heat embossed with gold. Red DI to ink distress. The double sided paper was "hankerchief folded" to show the other side of the double sided paper. A gusset added to the card base to accomodate the extra thickness.


A "big buckle card" instructions on SPS. The card base was trimmed to form the closure on this.

Die cut snowflakes as well as heat embossed on the card base.











I am entering the "Big Buckle card" into the challenge over at
Christmas Inspirations - Use a diecut

Hallowe'en - with no orange

That's the challenge over at Delicious Doodles' Challenge this week. A hallowe'en project using absolutely NO ORANGE. Well the other ladies have produced some spectacular creations, as usual.
This is mine. I wanted something to house some chocolate lollipops I made.

I needed a box. Not just an ordinary squarish box, but a coffin shaped one. So made up a template and from black core-dinations card, made the coffins.
Well any self-respecting coffin needs some form of occupant. Mine have not only the little mummy choccies but a Delicious Doodles Vampyress as well.

with, of course, a suitable tombstone. The images are coloured with promarkers and some homemade fabric/ribbon roses added and MS drippy goo punch used on the paper surrounding the coffin.
Access to the sweeties is gained by lifting up our lady on the hinge made.

Then I made another co-ordinating coffin for the second little person that these are destined for.

Domino Swap

Last swap for me this month in Stampin' Dymonz' Scrap Shack. There are more swaps going on but I have time constraints like most people. This quarter's swap in the mixed media group is "Dominos".
This is just one of the seven I made. I chose the theme "Autumn". The task was to use at least 3 mediums.



The domino in this case was first drilled and sanded on the "picture side".
cranberry alcohol ink with copper mixative was first sponged on. Then using stazon black ink some leaves were stamped directly on the dom. The yellow leaves were stamped onto tissuepaper before cutting out and sticking on. The sealant is glossy accents with some small gems inset. Once dry, a paper backing was added then some metallic rubbing paste round the sides and on the edges of the backing paper.

Next the waxed cord and brown satin ribbon attached with a little coppery leaf charm to finish.

The Good Witch ATC swap

Again at Stampin' Dymonz' Scrap Shack, This is this month's ATC swap. "The Good Witch", was the theme chosen.
This month it's make 10 +1 for self.
This is my contribution to the month.



The witch image is from "Wild Flower Kids" coloured in with promarkers. The "Best Witches" sentiment is from Delicious Doodles and the background is from Moonlight Journey.
The wisps of steam have been highlighted with orange embossing powder and I added a little spider's web in the corner using silvery thread.

Fallowe'en charms

Over at Stampin' Dymonz' Scrap Shack we have quite a few swaps going on every month. The charm swap this month is on a theme "Fallowe'en". Make three get three back no matter how many participating. A combination of Fall and Hallowe'en. Not every one celebrates Hallowe'en and this gives those a chance to still participate choosing the fall colours.
Wel, I did go for the Hallowe'en colours. "No surprise there" I hear some of you saying, lol.
These are my charms for the month with attached tags.
The stamped images are from "Rusty Pickle" stamps. Stamped in rusty hinge, masking and stamping of two images, and dusty concorde DI onto pale green cs.

What a week!!!

I am so glad I have my crafting to keep my mind occupied. A stressful week is putting it mildly. I would have gone even more loopy if I didn't have my bits of card and paper etc.
I haven't felt like doing much in the way of blogging, but that's how my life goes once in a while.
I have a few piccies to show here of some of the DT stuff I still managed to do.
First up is for Stampin' Dymonz' Scrap Shack' Christmas card club.
I followed the sketch over at Midnight Madness again.

The sketch is there, I just changed the dimension and made it a side step card.
The stamped image on the backpanel is papermania. Heat embossed with opaque powder after stamping in white onto a silvery flecked blue cs.. Then the poinsettia paper pieced and some seed beads added.

The flourish below that is HOTP, again heat embossed. That same stamp, stamped also in white, was added to the side panel and some ice blue gems stuck on.
The flowers and snowflakes are a mixture of different snowflake punches and diecuts. The flowers are those with gems added.

Silver ribbons from stash as is the card stock and papers.

I am entering this into a couple of challenges
Midnight Madness MMSC124 - Their sketch
Christmas Inspirations - Birds or flowers - I went with the flowers

Teamie's birthday card

It seems like birthday after birthday some months. Last week it was one teamies birthday, this week anothers. This week is the turn of the new image from Delicious Doodles "Rosalee". to get coloured in. Had to be a pink card because of the recipient.



I followed the sketch over at Midnight Madness MMSC123
The image was coloured with promarkers and fussy cut out before attaching to an oval shaped card covered with a magazine freebie paper.

A bit of glitter on 2 sides. The basic design is made from some papers that I picked up from a charity shop, layered onto lime green. Some sizzlet die cuts in a couple of corners. The beaded flowers are home made. Ribbon from stash chosen to co-ordinate. All attached to a dark cream hammered card base.

I am entering this into the challenge
Midnight Madness MMSC#123 - Their Sketch

Tales of the Unexpected

I'm a bit late posting this I know. Things happening at home that needed my attention more. Better late than never though.
This week's challenge over at Delicious Doodles is as my title suggests "Tales of the Unexpected".
Make something that has a bit of a twist, as Terri suggests "You could make something cute into something horrid, or make an exploding box or have a hidden item somewhere on your make. You could even do something that is totally your normal style!!"
Well, the other ladies on the DT have all worked their magic and produced some gorgeous pieces. Well worth a look.
My card looks ordinary enough, doesn't it!
The patterned paper is papermania. The main part has been punched to co-ordinate with the black embossed vellum.

The image is "In the Pumpkin Patch" coloured with promarkers, cut out and attached to embossed orange cs then onto more paper from the same papermania range.

All then attached to plain orange paper then to black cs base.












The image panel hides

Evil Carnival Clown and the "Happy Helloween" sentiment in a double slider card accessed by that little pumpkin. Again, coloured with promarkers with a healthy dosing of distress ink.

Don't forget to go look at the other DT blogs and marvel at theit work.

I am entering this into a couple of challenges
Art Impressions - Hallowe'en
Moving along with the times - Hallowe'en