3 Kings on a stamp!

I've had this extra large stamp stamp for a while, but haven't got around to using it.

In addition to making 'ordinary' Christmas cards I've been wanting to make some Christmas themed thank you cards, and this combination of challenges seemed a perfect opportunity. The pretty palette at Nacho's lent itself to a sandy theme. Hope you like it.

Now, I appreciate 'vehicles' usually have wheels, even the dictionary agrees with you! However, the primary definition (in my dictionary at least) is that a vehicle is a "...means of conveyance...", and therefore I'm stretching out and hoping my camels and their wise men pass muster at CASology.

Nacho Average #166: Daffodil Delight, Mossy Meadow, Tangelo Twist
Christmas at Sweet Stampin': Travel/Transport
CASology #171: Vehicle
Simon says Wednesday: Thanks/Thanksgiving

Oh Christmas Tree

A Christmas Tree with a glitzy twist.

I had every intention of making a card with a Christmas tree using a stencil, but then I found that I'd made something completely different. Sorry the photo is a bit dodgy, taking snaps of metallic card is always troublesome.

Tree is by Clarity, coloured with alcohol markers in this week's CTD palette, with layout inspired by Freshly Made Sketches. It's a bit hard to tell, but I promise the circle in the background is green!

Freshly Made Sketches #211
Color Throwdown #367: Gold, Coral, Green
CAS-ual Fridays #145: Precious Metals
Christmas Cards All Year Round: Oh Christmas Tree

Musical HB2U

I think we all know that 'guy' cards are quite hard, especially if you don't know someone very well.

My ambition to make a few cards today failed, however, I needed one for tomorrow, so knuckled down with the latest CAS Colour and Sketches for inspiration.

This may feel like a bit of a stretch interpreting the sketch, but I feel the elements are there, even if they are all stamped rather than separately coloured. I put all the colour in the 'clingfilm on glossy card' background.

I don't have any Stampin' Up colours, so I've blended them from a selection of distress and adirondack inks.

CAS Colours and Sketches #148: Rose Red, Rich Razzleberry, Wisteria Wonder
Addicted to Stamps and More #169: Clean and Simple
Simon Says Monday: So Glossy (I used glossy cardstock, although it's not too obvious from the photo!)

Stockings and Fairy Lights

I've been making Christmas cards today, nice ones, but not the 'each takes hours sort'. So to round the day off I made one in 'my' style, rather than cobbling them together from pre-printed images and old Christmas cards. (I hasten to say that I'm trying to make enough for a charity sale table, and if I stick only to my normal style I'll never make enough in time).

So, on with the show, and much to my surprise (must be that time of year) this fits many current challenges. Given I'm a bit time-poor at the moment, I'm going to rest my normal, 3 max rule, and have a challenge combo blow-out. I think I'm within the rules everywhere, but please forgive me (and feel free to disqualify me) if I've made a mistake.

A one-layer, classic Clarity card. One of their 'The Night before Christmas' stamps, surrounded by the Fairy Lights stencil to jazz it up a bit. The unusual colour combo is courtesy of Color Throwdown (curtsies), and I confess the 'Rust' has come out a little more brown than I intended.

Color Throwdown 366: Rust, Aqua, Gray
Shopping our Stash 225: No patterned paper
Addicted to Stamps and More 168: Holiday (Christmas)
One Layer Christmas Card Challenge 20: Twist = Stockings
Simon Says Wednesday: Anything Goes
Just Us Girls 317: One Layer Card
Allsorts 335: Christmas
52 CCT: Pick a previous theme (#10 Oct '12 - Fairy Lights, could maybe also be #16 - Santa Claus, also known as St Nicholas)
Clarity 33: Clean and Simple

Never grow up ...

I was honoured to be selected at this week's Guest Star Stamper at Color Throwdown. I love their challenges, so it's a treat to get the colours early and put my brain to work.

The colour values of this week's palette are very similar, i.e. I think of them as 'medium' colours in quilting terms, not lights, not darks. After a bit of pondering, and playing (and breaking my die cutting machine!), I settled on a stencil,  brushing the colour through. Enhanced with a sentiment and the darling wee fairies and elves from Clarity stamp.

I used Adirondack Lettuce, and Distress Broken China and Worn Lipstick.

Hope you like it

Just us Girls #314: Use Stencils
Color Throwdown #364: Guest Star Stamper

Somewhat silly

When I saw Casology's key word I decided it wasn't for me, same when I saw the Colour Q palette. But as is sometimes the case, in the middle of the night, when I couldn't sleep an idea gradually emerged.

A stamp that had come with a magazine, or similar, that I thought I'd never used, along with it's pun-ridden sentiment. A palette so that is so far from traditional Christmas it just couldn't work, and layout on which a twist could be put.

So here's how I explain my "Silly" entry. To me the challenges felt silly, which means, I didn't think I could do them justice. I was silly, for not believing in myself. Whilst the palette and the image felt silly, they could be worked into the seemingly silly - a tasteful Christmas card.

The image is from Crafter's Companion. Coloured with alcohol markers (silly me for having a stash of these, and almost never getting them out). Put into tags, and chisel tip of a marker dragged around the edge. Clarity Holly & Ivy stamp in the background, stamped thrice into a rough circle.

See what you think. I love it :-)

CASology 167: Silly
CAS Colours and Sketches #145
Colour Q #311: Basic Black, Tangerine Tango, Wisteria Wonder, Kiwi Kiss

Stockings hanging by the fire

I've had this stamp for ages, it's part of a Molly Blooms stamp set and sprang straight to mind when I saw the Festive Decor challenge at Sweet Stamping Christmas.

The palette at Friday Mashup is beautiful, and whilst not traditionally Christmas, I have seen it used for some stunning star quilts. I wanted to use it for this, even if it meant I would just use the colours rather mashing it up with masking. A simple sentiment to set off this CAS Christmas card.

Christmas at Sweet Stamping - Festive Decor
Simon say Stamp - CAS Christmas
Friday Mashup #229 - Autumn is in the air: Masking and/or Palette