Green Christmas and a study in movement

I've had a pretty unsuccessful week in my craft room so far - I've managed a few short trips in over 3 days and come out with nothing to show for it other than a full bin!

Last night though I had an idea to combine a few challenges into one project and I managed to come up with something that I actually think was decent enough to blog.

I've been enjoying the lessons Cath has been giving over in the Moxy Fab World from the new special issue of Paper Crafts which is all about the elements of design.  Yesterdays lesson was all about movement and there is a challenge to go with it http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/08/card-design-handbook-week-movement.html and I decided to try and create some movement in my card.  I opted for green shades only as that is this week's CASology cue word http://casology.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/week-7-green.html   and my theme of Oh Christmas Tree goes with both the colour and the challenge of "base your design on a Christmas song" over at 52CCT http://52cct.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/august-2012-theme-challenge.html

I stamped the Christmas Tree (Inkadinkadoo Holiday Sentiments) which has part of the song detailed in it onto pine linen card and embossed it with WOW glamour green powder.  To create my movement I offset the coloured card over the end of the base card as the swirls to the right of the image lead the eye up and out in that direction - I added a single lime green gem to the centre of the star burst to nod back down towards the 3 matching gems I placed around the sentiment (PI).  I blocked the sentiment off in a solid shape at the bottom of the tree to ground it and to draw the eye back down and across to the gems.  Hopefully I'm getting to grips with this whole movement concept - it's tricky but I think it's one of the things that once I know it will help me understand why some cards work, and others end up in the bin........

Nativity

The theme over at 52 CCT this week is Nativity http://52cct.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/theme-challenge-5.html

At first I didn't think I had any nativity stamps but a search through my stash found 3....   Someone needs to make a stamp index and soon!!!!!!   I decided to go for this cute and as yet uninked LOTV stamp

Very simple card - coloured with copics, cut with nesties and layered with some DP from DCWV and some gold mirri and finished with a gold tinted sentiment from Craftwork cards.

After all the miserable weather, it's now really hot and sticky so I'm off to have a cool bath before bed.

Colourful Christmas

The challenge this week at 52 CCT is a colour challenge - to use purple, green and silver  http://52cct.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/color-challenge-5.html

At first I thought it was an odd colour combo - but then I found a set of green and purple craftwork card parts I'd bought a couple of years ago so obviously I was attracted to and it does actually work really well (thanks Mynette for making me look at it again!)

I used a purple base card and a piece of pearl lime green cardstock that matches the craftwork cards set and stamped on it a new gorgeous tree from Dimension stamps that I picked up at a craft fair on Sunday.  I embossed it with primary indigo powder from WOW and added some purple stickles for extra sparkle and silver for the star on top.  I added a strip of embossed silver cardstock and finished with a purple sentiment circle from the craftwork cards set.

Flowers, stockings and peas........

I've had some extra time to play this week as I'm on holiday so I've done quite a few challenges so I have a couple to show you today.

Firstly I made a "white" flower for this weeks Make my Monday challenge http://mimchallegeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/mmm-week-48.html

The literal challenge was Lily of the Valley as it's this months birth flower and all I know about this flower is that it is NOT one of those!  I have no idea what it is, or what colour it should be, but I think it looks OK in white so lets go with it ok....   I just did very quick watercolouring with distress inks (bundled sage, forrest moss and peeled paint with a hint of spiced marmelade for the stamens).  I did use a tiny bit of  bundled sage on the "white" petals to give some subtle shading.  I used an embossing folder for the mount and cut it by hand after embossing and finished with a craftwork cards sentiment.

Next I made 2 cards using the great sketch this week at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown (I'm loving this challenge and have almost a full shoebox of Christmas cards already and it's not quite half way through the year). http://52cct.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/sketch-challenge-5.html  I made one card with the sketch as is, and a second with it turned on its side.

For this first card I used my favourite Christmas pun stamp "peas on earth" coloured with copics, some paper from My Minds Eye 12 Days of Christmas and a fab greeting one of my local stores got made up so we can do localised greetings.

For this one, I turned the sketch sideways, used an old Magenta framed stocking stamp, stamped twice and paper-pieced the second layer of stockings in pink cardstock coloured with pencils to match the paper (same MME stack) and finished with a No Peeking sentiment from Waltzingmouse.

Right - off to get some jobs done.  Catch you later.

Christmas Buttons

This week's 52 CCT is an embelishement challenge to use buttons and bows and I've combined with the current tic tac toe challenge at The Paper Players where I chose the middle line "blue colours" "my choice - buttons" and "ribbon"

I used a dark blue strip across a white DL card and added a strip from an LLB strip stack which looks like snowflakes under a microscope.  I added some ribbon, a bow and some die cut buttons and then added some tiny buttons to the bow an on the hat of the penny black image. 

More flakes

I fancied having another got at both this weeks' Less is More challenge to use charms, and this weeks' 52 CCT snowflake challenge but I've had a lot on this week so only got chance to play tonight.  I decided it was a great chance to combine the two and as  I also wanted to join Mynette's frame stamping technique link party I threw that in the mix too!

I used a nestie lable 2 to cut the apperture, stamped around with 3 snowflake stamps in shades of blue and ran it through a snowflake embossing folder.  I stamped an Amy R stamp onto the base card inside the apperture and hung the snowflake charm on blue twine above it.

I'm also entering it into these challenges:

Crafts and Me - Embossing
Pixie Dust Studio - Embossing

Christmas snowflakes

The theme for this week's 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is snowflakes http://52cct.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/theme-challenge-4.html and Moving Along with the Times http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/merry-christmas-from-mawtt.html also want to see Christmas cards this week so I'm entering my card into both challenges.

I started with the DP and went for non-standard Christmas colours of pinks, purples, blacks and greys.  The papers are from a papermania 8x8 stack and to finish I simply embossed a die cut shape with black glitter embossing powder and then embossed a wooden snowflake with, appropriately enough, snowflake twinkle embossing powder.  An AB gem adds extra sparkle to the centre.  The sentiment was embossed over the DP strip with fine detail white powder.

Friendly snowflakes

This weeks challenge at 52CCT is a gorgeous sketch which I found really inspiring so made a card straight away without too much thinking for a change.  http://52cct.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/sketch-challenge-4.html

I started with a blue base card and decided to go for a total snowflake fest.  I cut a blue snowflake (MS punch) and stuck it onto a nestie circle adding a button and twine bow to the centre.  You're probably all fed up of it already but I couldn't resist returning to my new favourite paper inlay technique this time using my memory box snowflake die.  I stamped a sentiment from Amy R in pearl blue ink (hard to see on the photo but is says The chill of winter is warmed by friendship) and then ran the white card through a snowflake embossing folder.  I might make more of this design as it was quite quick (even with the inlaid border)

Paper bauble

I was really thrilled that my polar bear card was selected as joint top honour in last weeks's 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge.  This week's challenge is to use decorative papers  http://52cct.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/embellishment-challenge-3.html

I opted for something quite simple as my crafting time is still limited by not feeling well.  I cut 5 ornament shapes from my DP using a nestie, scored each down the middle and folded in half, sticking each to the other to create a 3D ornament.  I mounted that onto a green pearl base that was also cut with a fancy nestie and I embossed a christmas script stamp onto it in gold.

Christmas Animals

I was really sorry to have missed last week's 52 Christmas Card Challenge with not feeling very well, so as I felt a bit better last night I managed to make a card for this week's animal theme and also a second using last weeks red green and blue colour theme.

For this week's challenge I used this super cute father and son polar bear image from Birdie Brown (digi) which hardly needs any colouring and stood them on a simple "sentiment shelf" the bottom edge of which is a nestie lable.  I finished by edging it in a white pencil border.

I used the same blue base card and another digi from the same artist to make another simple card using red and green in my colouring to match last weeks theme (I can still say I haven't missed a week now, even if I am a week late!)  I just love this snowman cupcake image.

Christmas Sketch

I'm just making this weeks 52CCT Challenge by the skin of my teeth - my normal weekly crafting schedule has gone way off track!  This week was a sketch, so I managed to do a SUPER-QUICK card just tonight which fits it.

3 simple rows of snowmen cut from a sheet of DP from My Minds Eye 'Be Merry' and a complimentary sentiment in a matching colour.  Not earth shatteringly original but I like it and think it works - I may make another but think I'll try the sentiment in red to match the scarves.

Christmas stickers

Another weekend gone by means another card in my slowly growing Christmas card colleciton thanks to 52 Christmas Card Challenge Throwdown http://52cct.blogspot.com/2012/02/embellishment-challenge-2.html and this week the challenge is to use stickers.  I thought I was going to have to dig deep in my old stash for this one, then I opened a drawer and found some stickers and tags I bought in the John Lewis sales in January - et voila - inspiration struck!

I hand drew some lines to hang the baubles off, used the backing card that came in the stickers pack as my DP and picked out the red with some metallic red tape behind to form a fake matt.  Finished with a rocket red sentiment from the holiday edition of Say it Loud from Waltzingmouse.

I'm loving this weekly challenge and am so pleased that my Christmas card stash is gently growing week on week as I feel confident I will not have to resort to bought cards this year!

Fallen angel

I thought I was going to struggle on this week's 52 Christmas Card Throwdown as it's another theme week and this time the theme is angels and I didn't think I had anything angelic in my stash.  However I had a little route around and found this stamp, which I thought at first was a fairy, has a halo, so I guess she's actually an angel, and I was going to go with a "bah humbug" type theme to go with her fallen angel pose, but decided to make it more festive!  Quick and simple but quite fun.

Christmas Flower Throwdown

It's week 4 of the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown already and so far my resolution to play each week is holding fast - this week it's Theme week and the first theme is Christmas flowers.  To me that instantly meant I had to get out my lovely poinsettia set by Waltzingmouse as I just adore this set.

I went CAS again and started with a simple masked strip about a third of the way up the card into which I stamped some of the smaller solid and outline stamps in this set in two shades of red momento ink.  Next I inked up the medium poinsettia stamp using pearlescent thyme and pearlescent poppy inks, mixing them on the stamp to get some different coloured areas which gives a single layer image a 3d feel.  At this point fussy cut and mounted the bloom and added gold liquid pearls to the centre.  However, once mounted I decided it didn't stand out enough from the white card so I pulled out my cosmic shimmer paints and very carefully painted it in-situ.  It turns out this was a good move as it is only mounted on 3 foam pads in the centre, the edges curled a little which has enhanced the 3d feel (time for my fave Bob Ross quote - "there's no such thing in art as a mistake, just a happy accident").  I added a sentiment, also from a Waltzingmouse set in the pearlescent thyme ink and added some gold and red pearl centres to the flowers on the masked strip.

I know it feels like Christmas is a long way off, but trust me, when it comes to making cards, you can never start to early, so do join in the challenge it's great fun :-) http://52cct.blogspot.com/2012/01/theme-challenge-1.html

MAWTT also want to see flowers on your creations this week, so this is a perfect fit for their challenge too.  http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.com/2012/01/challenge-133-blooming-marvellous.html

"Edit - the shimmer just isn't showing up on this photo - poor lighting and nighttime photography!  Will try to get a better shot tomorrow morning as it will be dark again when I get home"

52 Christmas Card Challenge Sketch Week

I almost missed the 52 CCT this week and am just squeezing my entry in before the deadline - not great for week 2 - promise to try harder next week.  This week they have a nice simple sketch for us to follow   http://52cct.blogspot.com/2012/01/sketch-challenge-1.html

I struggled with ideas as I had planned on using my nbew magnolia which holds a sign but I wanted it to hold a circle and it wouldn't.  So I decided to add snowflakes around my circle instead.  Strip of matching snowflake backing paper  on a gold base card and a few red gems to finish.  Not sure it looks all that festive but it will have to do for this week.

I just found out that I got an honourable mention for my first card for this challenge too - thanks so much for picking me ladies.  http://52cct.blogspot.com/2012/01/top-honor-and-honorable-mentions.html

52 Weeks of Christmas Cards - Week 1

There is a new challenge on the block designed to get us making a Christmas card each week so we have plenty ready come next December.  I managed to only send 6 handmade ones last year and will not do that again this year so I'm going to try to play every week.......

Week 1 is a nice easy anything goes - so here's my first entry  http://52cct.blogspot.com/2011/12/our-first-challenge.html

Supplies:    Hero Arts Mini Sparkle Christmas Set, Momento Ink, Ribbon and scraps of paper from stash

Thanks for setting up the challenge ladies - what a great idea!