Holly Jolly - Stitching (real or faux)

As they days get longer and lighter it's time to start thinking about... Christmas of course! Just over nine months to go, and that time will fly, believe me. Now is the right time to start (or continue) to make Christmas cards. And over at Holly Jolly, we have a great challenge to help you do this. This time we ask you to get your sewing machine or stitched dies out, as our theme is Stitching - real or faux. As usual, you have two weeks to link up your fabulous creations, and if you need a bit of help to get going, hop over to Holly Jolly for fantastic inspiration from the team. You can also get inspiration and amazing images over at our sponsor's sites. This time we are sponsored by The Stamping Boutique, Oddball Art and Crafty Sentiments Designs. There are great prizes up for grabs

I used the adorable Christmas Mouse digi from the Stamping Boutique for my card. I coloured it with Copics and used foam applicators to apply distress ink around the image. I also added some stickles for added sparkle. I die cut all the panels using stitched dies. The sentiment is heat embossed in silver, and I used a silver Sharpie to draw the faux stitching around the banner. For embellishment, I created the bow using the Stampin' Up bow builder punch and added adhesive gemstones for a finishing touch.

I would like to link up with the following challenges:
The Glory of Christmas - Mouse
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Cute Critters
2015 World Wide Open Design Team Challenge - Any DT project 
The Corrosive Challenge - Our animal friends
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Anything goes with spots and/or stripes
Craft for the Craic - Bingo (image, more than 2 layers, die cut)
C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Christmas
Card: 300 gsm white card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, Dovecraft 110 gsm premium vellum
Stamps: The Stamping Boutique Christmas Mouse, Lawn Fawn Joy to the Woods
Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress inks Broken China and Chipped Sapphire
Colouring: Copics C1, C3, C5, R24, R46, YG11, YG13, YG17, Sharpie silver
Paper: Stampin' Up Designer Paper Patterns Stack Brights Collection
Other: Papermania Tinsel Silver embossing powder, Stampin' Up Bow Builder Punch, Lawn Fawn Stitched Journaling card die, Large Stitched Rectangle Stackables dies, Papermania adhesive gems Capsule Hot, Ranger Ice Stickles

Mother's day round one

I'm so excited, this is the first card I'm photographing with my fabulous new camera. I only got it a few days ago, and have managed to figure out how to take pictures using the automatic settings but that's pretty much it. I can't wait for the weekend to have a little more time to play around with it.

Today's card is for Mother's Day round one, which is the UK mother's day in March. Round two will be in May for Finnish Mother's Day. I think it's strange that they are at different times. Anyhow, as I figured it's highly unlikely the Culinary Consultant would be making a card for his Mum, I thought I might as well do it. I used the sketch over at Retro Sketches, and a cute stamp from a set that came free with a crafting magazine. I was also inspired by the bow tie theme over at Fusion Card Challenge as well as the bright colours and the bow tie in the inspiration picture over at Cure for the Monday Blues. I would also like to enter the Girly Girl challenge over at The Pink Elephant, the Mum's the word challenge over at Digi Choosday, For a special Lady over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and Mother's Day over at Dream Valley Challenges.

Card: 300 gsm white card, coloured 240 gsm kraft card raspberry, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card

Paper: Free paper bundle that came with a crafting magazine, scrap of rainbow striped paper

Stamp: Free Bently Bear stamps that came with a crafting magazine

Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black

Colouring: Copics B00, B41, B45, E33, E34, E39, R43, RV29, V93, V99, YG11, YG13, YG17, Y13, Y15, Y19

Other: Lawn Fawn stitched circle dies, Stampin' Up Hello You dies, Bow builder punch

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Angels or Fairies

I'm very excited as today we have a new challenge for you over at Holly Jolly. This time the theme is Angels or Fairies. We are sponsored by A Day for Daisies, QKR Stampede and Bugaboo. There will also be fantastic prizes for three lucky winners. Everyone has a chance to win prizes as they are randomly drawn. Remember, you have to be in it to win it! The DT will also select favourites who will get a badge to proudly display on their blog. 

The wonderful Holly Jolly DT has a lot of inspiration if you are stuck with a bit of mojo gone AWOL. You can also have a browse on the sponsor's pages to find fabulous digis to work with.

I always love the challenges where Bugaboo is a sponsor as I get to play with the fabulous Stella. This time I used Stella Tidbits Fairy Visit. She is just the best, and I love her in her little fairy costume. Nothing says Christmas like a happy little Stella fairy, right? This time I thought I would try to make a bit of a mixed media tag. The great thing about starting your Christmas crafting early is that you can put quite a bit of time and effort into each piece. It will be November again sooner than you think, and then you have to come up with simple designs for mass production, so the beginning of the year is the perfect time to make your more elaborate Christmas crafts. 

I started by creating the background onto a kraft tag using Tim Holtz distress paints. I dabbed the paints onto my craft mat, spritzed generously with water and swirled my tag in the paint. After thoroughly drying the tag with my heat gun, I used Distress Inks and a star stencil to created the stars in the background. The I used a beautiful Christmas ornament stamp which I heat embossed in gold powder. I coloured Stella with Copics and fussy cut her. I die cut the snowflake and bow from copper cardstock and printed and inked the words for the sentiment. Last I added some ribbon, twine and a bell, and a die cut border to the bottom of the tag. As a finishing touch, I added some Ice Stickles to the Stella's stars and the centre of the snowflake flower.

I would like to enter my tag into the following challenges:

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Snarker's choice (I chose I is for iconic, because I think by now Stella has made the iconic status in the snarky world!!)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Something Beginning with B (bow, bell)

Merry Monday - Bows

ABC Christmas Challenges - B is for bows, bunting or baking

Crafting From the Heart - Anything Goes

My Craft Creations - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - H is for... (Have yourself a magical Christmas)

Sparkle n' Sprinkle - Anything goes with loose glitter, embossing powder or flocking (gold embossing powder christmas ornaments in the background)

Use Your Stuff - Inspired by a song (One of my favourite Christmas songs, Fairytale of New York (you get it, *fairy*tale... hehe) but also the bit where they sing "You were handsome, you were pretty, Queen of New York city)

Incy Wincy Designs - Tic Tac Toe (use a punch (bow builder punch), something that sparkles (adhesive gem), ribbon)

That Craft Place - Anything Goes

Card: Ranger Inkssentials Kraft tag #8, Copper metallic card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, Stampin' Up Real Red

Background: Tim Holtz Distress paints Barn Door, Festive Berries, Picked Raspberry, Spun Sugar, Antiqued Bronze

Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress inks Forest Moss, Iced Spruce, Pine Needles, Black Soot

Stamps: Bugaboo Stella Tidbits Fairy Visit, Stampin' Up Ornament Keepsakes

Colouring: Copics YG13, YG15, YG17, R24, R46, B00, E34, E39, YR00

Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes and Stitched Journaling Card dies, Stampin' Up Bow builder punch, Tim Holtz Vintage Lace dies, red ribbon, twine and a bell from my stash, Tim Holtz Stencil Stars, Ranger Ice Stickles Coffee Ice

More Unused Schtuff!!

I got my monthly fix of Stampin' Up stuff in the mail today, and there is so much new goodies that I don't even know where to start. I was supposed to clean the kitchen today when I got home from work. I'm sure the mess will still be there tomorrow...

So what is my new stuff all about then? I immediately fell in love with the new Bow Builder punch. Those little bows are just soooo adorable. And easy to put together! 

I also love the Irresistibly Yours DSP. I can't be the only one who never has the right colour DSP. No matter how many packs you buy, you never have a colour combo you would need. I guess it's the same evil force at work that causes the "I have nothing to wear" phenomenon, which strikes me so often. Again, I can't be the only one, right? Anyhow, this new genius DSP is white with some resist patterns on it, so you can colour it, ink it, spritz it or whatever else you can come up with to create a custom colour DSP. The pack comes with several different patterns. You can't buy it, you can only get it as a free Sale-a-bration gift when you order. How cunning of Stampin' Up!!! I will have to stock up on this jewel, so I might just "have" to make another order soon... 

And can I just mention the new Hello You dies? I love them so much. I have wanted to get on the "word die" bandwagon for a while as I love the creations I see out in cyberspace and now I can finally join in on the fun.

This card came together really quickly, all I needed to do was colour the DSP, quickly punch and assemble to bow and die cut the "Happy". The Birthday part is heat embossed in white, and to finish off I added two Candy Dots. The card was inspired by the colour combo over at ShowCASe Your Style. I was also inspired by the theme over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, which is "It's a Guy Thing". I think this would make a great birthday card for that special guy in your life. I am also entering the card in Darnell's NBUS challenge and Addicted to Stamps where the theme is "make your mark" and I coloured the background DSP with markers.

Card: Leonardo Stationery 300 gsm white card, Stampin' Up Black card
Stamps: Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler
Ink: Tsukineko Versamark
Colouring: Stampin' Write markers Pear Pizzazz and Pool Party
Paper: Stampin' Up Irresistibly Yours
Other: Bow Builder Punch, Hello You Thinlits, Candy Dots Subtles, Papermania Seafoam White Embossing powder