Here's to Winter!

 Oh the glorious days of hats, mittens and other woollens! We had fresh snow last night and today is the day to go out for a forest walk.

Of course I own stamps that picture winter garments - how could I not - and was overjoyed to discover some challenges that are a perfect match to each other. I made this card to spread some of the wintry joy.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Make my Monday: #189 A Winter Card (not Christmas)

My Time to Craft; #495 Anything related to sheep - Wool! And anything made of this incredible fiber. 

MTTCC: #48 Winter clothing

Double Trouble: #127 A Caleidoscope of colors ... if I understood the options right I am entering in Double Dare

Colorful Options: Winter White
 

Fusion Card Challenge: A Christmas Chalkboard - I went with Winter instead but kept the chalkboard theme.

A greeting card for winter

 There is something very reassuring about the shape of snowflakes. And as many of you may already know, I like to take cues from challenges. Right now there are quite a number suggesting the use of snowflakes. I like making winter themed greeting cards.

I started with this sketch by CAS Colours and sketches. It intrigued me, because you have to follow the layout as well as colors.

I turned the sketch sideways, reaching from top to bottom instead of left to right. 

I used the colors, too.  The text says "Wishing you a magical winter".

I am entering this into these challenges:

CAS Colours ans Sketches: #498 Double

Perfectly CAS: #33 Snowflakes

Basteltraum: #119 Schneeflocken / Snowflakes 

CAS on Friday: #245 Greeting Card

Alphabet Challenge: R is for Reduce

Thank you for stopping by!

Red, white and gold

This is a very simple card even though it looks very intricate.

I started with dry embossing a sheet of vellum. I then removed everything that was not embossed, glued it onto a piece of red card stock, embossed the text with gold and placed some die cuts along the lower border (it looked very empty).

I am entering it in these challenges that inspired me and fit the them:

Daring Cardmakers: I was inspired by the colors red white and gold, and the Christmas theme.

Fab and Funky: #562 Die-cuts and/or embossing - I used both

Dream Valley Challenges: #283 Lots of layers - there is the card, the matting, the red base, the vellum and the diecut.

Corrosive Challenge: AG

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG

 

Christmas moods

 There are so many ways to do Christmas cards. This year I am going with critters, non-traditional at that. I am not a dog person, but this stamp set was too cute to pass by. (there are three different ones in this.) This dog seems a bit rowdy and a bit messy and I know just the person who will love to receive this card for Christmas.

I splattered a blue background paper with some bleach to create a messy mood suitable for this rowdy dog who also sports a red Christmas hat. A large die-cut snowflake and a hand stamped sentiment reading Merry Christmas complete the card.

The color inspiration came from Hand Stamped sentiments #304 challenge mood board. I am linking it even though I was too late to enter.

I am entering my card into these challenges:

The idea of creating a mood to suit the recipient came from here:

Paperminutes: #772 Winter, Weihnachten, Stimmungen

And the use of a non-traditional animal on a Christmas card was inspired by As You Like It

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG

Dragonfly Dreams: Christmas

Through the Craft Room Door: AG November 22nd

 

Thanks so much for visiting!

Oh crap! it's Christmas - again!

 Today I was inspired by several challenges that collided nicely. Enter die cuts, critters,  Christmas, coloring pencils and 'juvenile'...

I started by stamping a crocodile and then coloring it in, Christmas-like. It is an old stamp, but new to me, this was its first outing so to speak.

I then die cut a garland and some Christmas baubles and a snowflake.

I couldn't resist an irreverend speech bubble: Oh crap! It's Christmas - again!

Entering it in:

Critter Crazy Challenges: #68 AG with a critter

Crafty Animals: #67 AG with a critter 

SoSS: 222 J is for Juvenile 

Crafters' Challenge: #291 Dies or punches 

HLS: November AG with dies 

Daisy Chain Challenges: #69 Christmas is coming

Kleuren met potlooden: November alles mag (AG) 

Mix It Up: #62 AG+optional open technique  I like water color pencils, they give such a great coverage.

And since e verything I used today was new to me and used the very first time, I need to link this with NBUS again.

 

Tonal white and cream

 Some lovely challenges collide again and they got my creative juices flowing, resulting in this card:

This unites an embossed background, die cut center where the Merry Christmas wishes are stamped on vellum and embossed with clear embossing powder, further die cuts arranged in a wreath form around it. 

Entering this in the following lovely challenges that inspired me:

CYHTP: Embossing / Wreath

Daring Card Makers: White

 Craft Rocket Challenges: #98 Christmas/ Winter 

Through the Purple Haze: #198 Monochromatic

The magic of Christmas

 The dark season is upon us up in the north. Which makes me gravitate towards moody colors. I was overjoyed to see several challenges offer themes that would inspire me for creating cards that fit the mood and the season.

I stenciled little tiny dots with a glittery paint. It is a wonderful paint, it comes on white but dries as just a glorious heap of glittery gold.

For the big stars I used a new to me die which I cut twice but only used the center star from the other dies cut. The stars all have glossy accents on top.

The words have iridescent embossing powder on them ("Psychedelic transparent" by StampingUp) and it reads 'it's the time of Christmas magic' (roughly translated).

 

I am entering this in the following challenges that inspired me:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Stencil it

Cardz 4 Gals: #186 Use a stencil

As You Like It Challenge: Favorite non-traditional Christmas color combo and why: Brown on black catches the mood of darkness that we experience here in Scandinavia, and I like it for it's quiet elegance.

Moving Along with the Times: #148 Bright on Dark

Beyond the Blue: #74 Gold 

NBUS challenge: #44 : The die and iridescent enamel were today used for the first time.

Birthday wishes in blue

My favorite technique would be stamping and lately I have been acquiring a couple of new Oxide inks. So I paired those two and made a birthday card to a dear friend.

The stamp is an old one from Stampendous, the oxides are Uncharted mariner, Salty ocean and Salvaged patina. The droplets were made with that as well, the center is Spice marmalade.

 

Entering in:

AAA Birthday Challenge: #42 Favorite technique

Seize the Birthday: AG / Clean and Simple

Cardz4Gals: #82 Shades of Blue

Dream Valley Challenges: #279 Favorite Colors

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes

 

Whale hello there!

This cheery Congrats or Happy birthday card (the sentiment can mean either) was made with several gelli printed papers and my new stamps.

I am entering it into these lovely challenges:

Use your stuff - #452 Mood board

Simon says Stamp Wednesday challenge- Make your own background

Double D Challenge - Creatures in or under the sea 

NBUS Challenge - AG / never been used - these new stamp sets. I used the waves and the banner (which is hiding beneath the top of packaging) from the first set and the whale from the second one.

 

With a touch of gold

Today I am showing a clean and simple card, although I should add that it is not CAS since it's not predominantly empty. (Which I believe is the official requirement.)

I made the background by painting it partially along the right side with a very diluted distress ink. Then I stamped two flowers (Wendy Vecchi), watercolored and fussy cut them. Next came the 'happy birthday' wish, the letters for which I die cut from a gold paper. I adhered them to vellum and pinned it down first, then adhered the flowers so that they sit partially on top and hold that vellum in place.

 entering in:

Use your Stuff: #448 A touch of gold

Card4Gals: Sentiment as focal point

Alphabet Challenge: D is for die-cuts

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes 

Stamping Sensations: AG/ option fauna or flora - entering with the flower option