Nordic Reindeer Card

This card is made using a 6” x 6”, 300gsm card blank from Craft UK Limited.

So …. following on from yesterday and my new found vigour (????) for card making and making a dent in my humungous embellishment stash, I’ve gone for my predicted Christmas 2014 Kraft and Nordic theme!

Nothing fancy, just nine 1.5in squares, outlined with faux stitching, which I’ve then mat and layered twice on kraft card and red card, before putting onto a 6” x 6”card blank.

….. And the stash I managed to use up completely after being in my drawer for at least two years?  A box of 36 felt stags from Paperchase!

Christmas Cards for 2014 – Christmas Tree Design

Each of these white or red card hand cut card blanks measure 5ins x 5ins and use either a linen effect or plain textured cardstock.

The toppers are made using the  Christmas Tree design from a pack of red foil gift tags (below), with the backs cut off and papers from the 6” x 6” Christmas paper pack from Wilkinsons Christmas 2013 range which I am praying they repeat with something similar this year.

I’ve also added red and clear flat back gems on the tree and scalloped edges of the Spellbinder die cut square, plus a touch of faux stitching around some of the edges.

There’s a lot of mat and layering going on, but I have been mindful, no matter how tempting, not to use any foam pads for extra dimension because if posted they may not fit through the post office gauge, and so cost extra to post

Christmas Cards for 2014 – Using Primark Gift Tags–Ding Dong Merrily …..

The hand cut card blank for each of these cards measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using a white linen effect card.

The toppers for this set of cards are made using the “Ding Dong” design from a “luxury” pack of 24 gift tags (£1) from the Primark 2013 Christmas range. All I have done is cut the front off the tags and then mat and layered them on an assortment of scrap papers in matching colours and navy gingham card stock.

There is a very slight 3D element to the toppers which adds just a little extra  dimension to the cards.

I have also layered using a Spellbinders scalloped edged square,a much under used die, that I have rediscovered in recent weeks

The design has then been finished off with a bit of faux stitching using a black fine liner pen and a smattering of white dots using a white gel pen from Paperchase.  Done and ding dong dusted!!!

Christmas Cards for 2014 – Snowflake Card Using A Primark Gift Tag.

The hand cut card blank for this card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using a light brown, ribbed effect Kraft cardstock.The topper for this card are made using the snowflake design from this “luxury” pack of 24 gift tags (£1) from the Primark 2013 Christmas range. All I have done is cut the front off the tag and then mat and layered it on a complimentary red and white patterned paper, and scraps of Kraft and mirror card. There is a very slight 3D element to the topper which adds just a touch of extra dimension to the card.

I have also layered using a Spellbinders scalloped edged square, which I have then embellished with small red flat backed gems, as I have the snowflake.

Toppers can cost so much, which is why looking for interesting 3D gift tags is a no brainer, 24 toppers for £1, brilliant, especially when crafting on a budget!!

Christmas Cards for 2014 – Christmas Bird Design.

Each of these white or red card hand cut card blanks measure 5ins x 5ins and use either a linen effect or plain textured cardstock.

This year I have decided to take a leaf out of Cheryl W’s book after she left this comment a week or so ago ……

“I have vowed to start making my 2014 cards and tags in January - I'm thinking 4 or 5 of each per month would be such a help come next December. I wonder if I can stick to such an audacious resolution!”

This year I ran out of time and never got round to using the gift tags and Christmas papers from Wilkinson’s Christmas 2013 range, in fact I was so behind that I even resorted to sending quite a few “ready made” cards, something that I haven't done in years!

So rather than wait another nine/ten months before I use them, I, like Cheryl, am starting Christmas in January and will continue making and posting throughout the year, instead of a mad rush from October to Christmas.

The centre pieces for each card were made by taking the front off the red foil bird design gift tags (above), and then mat and layered onto silver mirror card and papers from the 6” x 6” Christmas paper packI’ve then added red and clear flat back gems on the scalloped edges of the Spellbinder die cut square, and to the branch in the birds mouth, adding a touch of faux stitching around some of the edges using a black or white gel pen.

I have never used the colour grey in my cards before, but I just love the subtly of it, and from now on I can see an awful lot of grey creeping into my other cards, it goes with almost every colour, and for Christmas is just that little bit more unusual.

These also have to be my “most favourite” Christmas papers I have used to date, there is not one design that I didn’t like.  It was a master stroke of Wilkinson’s to produce a paper pack that matched it’s gift wrap range and I shall be checking regularly to see if they do the same throughout the coming year.

http://www.wilko.com/stationery/paper+card/icat/paperandcard?sort=name&parentCategoryRef=paperandcard&order=descend&q=*&perpage=12&pdxtbrandn=Dovecraft

http://www.wilko.com/seaside-stationery/wilko-beach-hut-bunting-multi-coloured-x-3m/invt/0333396

http://www.wilko.com/seaside-stationery/wilko-seaside-sticky-note-pack-set/invt/0333395

Memory Box Row of Tree Christmas Cards

It’s a good job I took photos of these cards because I have lost them!!! Put away somewhere safe, to be found in three months time no doubt!! They did measure about 5ins x 5ins, I think, using a blue card.

As you know in the past I have used a bare tree and red heart design for many of the Christmas cards I send to my family and close friends,  usually stamped, and that was my intention for this year when I fell in love with this Memory Box Row of Trees Die (No. 98369), which measures approx. 3 3/4" x 2. 

But I am afraid time beat me …… and to be honest I wasn’t altogether sure that the proportion of the hearts were really right and if I should have used a printed paper for the background ….. something just isn’t right, it’s too stark !!  However, I am not going to beat myself up about it, but leave it now until next year.

I used a very glittery roll of gift wrap for the snow, I have awful difficulty, as I have said before in finding a “pure” white glitter card for my snow …. but this roll was perfect, and should last for years ….. and was a lot cheaper than having to buy a pile of A4 or 12 x 12 sheets.

Kraft Christmas Tree Card

This card measures 5 ins x 5ins and is made using a hand cut Kraft Card blank.

I have to confess the idea for this card is not mine …. I half inched it from a card I saw in a well know store and thought I could do something similar putting my own twist on it.

The card I saw was just plain and flat with a hand drawn effect.  I decided to add a little dimension by punching triangles from a a scrap of Kraft card coloured crudely with a green Promaker pen for the trees, which I then doodled on with a fine black liner and white gel pen.

I put a small adhesive pad behind each tree and added a touch of micro fine translucent glitter for subtle Christmas bling, and then a bit of mat and layering on silver mirror card to complete the centre panel. This was followed by a little more doodling and an handwritten sentiment, done and dusted!

Hobby Craft Wooden Christmas Card

I have Marc to thank for my renewed enthusiasm for using glitter, until a week or so ago all I possessed was my beloved diamond/fairy dust translucent glitter, used for the odd titivation, anything I may have had in the past had been sent to the local charity shop a while back.  But seeing Marc’s vast array of glitter and playing with it again ….. made me see the possibilities.

Which was probably why I bought three of these wooden Christmas cards from Hobbycraft
http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/hobbycraft-wooden-christmas-card-and-envelope-bird-and-bauble-natural/586246-1000
In fact I found all the glittering very relaxing and therapeutic!

The only think I added to all the glitter was a few flat backed pearls for the mistletoe berries to add a little dimension and a different texture.

The only thing I am not too keen on is the “Happy Holidays” sentiment …. it’s a little too “American” for me ….. I would have much preferred a Happy/Merry Christmas.  I admit I didn’t notice it until I got home, had I, I probably wouldn’t have bought them ….. but I daresay nobody else will notice, it’s just a me thing!

Let It Snow Glass Bauble Card

This card measures 3.25ins x 7ins and is made using a hand cut white linen effect card blank.

I made this card way back in August, and it's been waiting for it's "Grand Unveiling" ever since!!!!

I stamped the snowman using a small Anita’s stamp (sorry no serial number) and then built a little scene around him using a Pastel Blue Promarker pen, a white gel pen to do some tiny snowflakes and a sprinkling of Hunkydory Sparkling Diamonds.  Then I applied a thin layer of Ranger Glossy Accents on the back of  a 1in glass cabochon that I got from a company in China a few years back,  carefully centring  it over the image and then leaving it to dry overnight.

When the “bauble” was dry I carefully cut round the edges and then cut a thin piece of blue card and layered it on silver mirror card.  I found the centre of the card and drew a line down the middle, sticking another piece of mirror card at the bottom for the top of the bauble followed by a dollop of PVA glue to the back of the bauble to stick it down.

All that was needed then was a doodled bow and a bit of “fiddlefart” writing … very less is more …. and if I say so myself … I love it!

Christmas Kisses ….

Theses cards all measure 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches and are made using white linen effect card blanks

A couple of weeks ago I received the most wonderful parcel of Michaels goodies out of the blue from Lizzie.  She is a follower and had thought of me when she was recently in the US …. I was totally overwhelmed by her kindness, thought and generosity.  THANK YOU SO MUCH LIZZIE!  I have to admit my mojo is really not what it used to be and I am struggling ….. but your lovely gift has given me a gentle kick up the backside to think about getting going again.

Amongst all the amazing bits were these glittery self adhesive lips and were my very favourite …. …. as soon I I saw them I knew exactly what I was going to do with them!

The Christmas ones, on first appearance, may look simple …. but putting the writing in just the right position so the card looked balanced took several attempts!