Circles

I have made many cards in rapid succession and didn't clean my table in between. There are two kinds of snippets, those awkward shapes and off-cuts one doesn't really know how to use, and those that were cut for a project and then abandoned, because they didn't quite fit there.

Today I used up a lot of "trash" from my table: a stamped sun which did not find its way to yesterday's card, silver "confetti" which was left over from two projects featuring silver snowflakes; three round shapes; antlers (now being used as the snowmans (womans?) stick arms.

The result is a tongue-in-cheek holiday card for a dear in-law.

Entering in these lovely challenges:

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity:  #179 Round and round

Snippets Playground: #468

Just Add Ink: #681 I was inspired by the lovely colors

 Thank you for your visit!

A Christmas song

Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer in the late 19th and early the 20th c. His symphonies are still played, but his Christmas song "Jo joutuu ilta" (translated into: Over hill and dale) remains less known. I managed to find a rather recent recording (here) of this beautiful but rather mournful song. This is as traditional Finnish style Christmas as it can get, a song about the darkness, snow and quietness, sung in a minor key.

That song was my starting point for this card, which I combined with some other ideas. The background is a gelli print with TH fir trees stencil. I also cut some fir trees from the same dark blue paper than my edging, and added golden stars. The name of the song is printed on a gold paper and used as text.

Entering this into challenges that inspired me in its creation:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Trees

Cupcake Challenge: #583 Color inspiration Blue-White-Gold 

TioT: Traditional Christmas

Use Your Stuff: #480 Shine bright

TGIF: #448 Theme challenge

Thank you for your visit!

Card for a child

 Glitter - critters - holiday fun: a great recipe for a child's card.

I have a circles background die (by Lawn Fawn) which is quite a concundrum when you think about it. It does not die cut any shapes, just stitches. This gave me lines to adhere the letters, later, and it also provided a backdrop for all those glittery circles. They also have a stitched edge which I like, it looks so neat and clean.

 

 The critters are from summery sets, (also Lawn Fawn), rendered festive by addition of Santa hats.

 

Entering it in these lovely challenges:

Lawn Fawnatics: #161 Holiday critters

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge: Inspiration photo - I was inspired by the round shapes and glitter

Let's Craft and Create: #201 Stitched up, real or faux - I opted for faux stitching 

A Place To Start: AG, option Something for a child - I went with this option

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: AG

Inspired by...

 ... lovely challenges: one for the design elements, one for layout and the others for supporting ideas. How cool is that!

The sketch allowed me to place a central background - this is a gelliprint that was put through an embossing folder. It has a leafy pattern, so it goes well with my winter theme and provides awsome texture. For the diagonal element I chose a snowflake stamp. It was stamped in grey and embossed in glitter and it mimics the colors in the gelli print background.

The focal point is a bird, stamped and colored in with alcohol markers. A small length of a silver ribbon was plucked apart and adhered behind the bird.

Entering this in my inspirational challenges:

The Paper Players: PP668

Festive Friday: #FF0148 I chose Textures-Alcohol Markers- Bird 

Cardz 4 Guys: #336 Festive creatures

Can You Handle the Pressure: CYHTP AG / optional Christmas - I didn't go with this option

A snow scene for Christmas

 I was inspired by a few challenges today. It started with a sketch that frankly seemed rather overwhelming at first. 

I have this new snowy scene die that I wanted to use. Also the stars have their first outing today. The sky and stars were cut from a gelli printed paper, not that you can see much of it... The sentiment has been stamped and reads Merry Christmas.

 

Entering this into these inspiring challenges:

Allsorts Challenge: #756 Colors of winter

Try Stamping on Tuesday: #634 sketch 

Just Us Girls: #707 CAS week: in a circle 

CAS on Friday: #271 Christmas

NBUS: #56 November AG as long as something is used for the first time

Thank you for your visit!

Birthday wishes

 I do love leaves, all of them, from budding ones in early spring to skeleton leaves in late fall. Today I was happy to combine inspiration from several challenges that seemed to play well together.

I started with making my background using a leaf stencil and several subdued fall colors. I cut it to tag shape, but decided against making a hole on top, as it would have interfered with my intention of putting twine elsewhere. I then die cut a skeleton leaf from a more colorful gelli printed paper. The linen twine and a stamped sentiment round up this card.

Entering this in these lovely challenges:

Seize the Birthday: #274 Fall items

The Card Concept: #201 Fall leaves. I was inspired by the leaves

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Tag It

Stencil Fun: AG/ or Leaves - I chose leaves

Freshly Made Sketches: #613

Wish for peace

 I was happy to find a putto (sometimes called cherub or amorino) stamp (by Couture Creations), as it will have many uses (I am thinking ahead to Valentines already). 

This first time it fits in with the more traditional, religious element of Christmas, but it is bearing a modern message: make a wish. Wish for Peace, for example - sorely lacking in our times.

 

The background was made with a gelliplate and a snowflake stencil in two layers with several different paint colors. The rather Christmassy die-cut serves as a kind of finial to the scene and was hand colored. As was the putto. The putto is raised and the stamped sentiment slipped under his hand.

Entering it in these lovely challenges that inspired me today:

Daring Cardmakers: One-word prompt: Wish

My Time to Craft Christmas: #74 Theme of snowflakes/ Christmas

We love Stamping: Christmas characters 

Paper Dragonfly: #23 Anything goes/ flies

Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge: #tttc 236 I selected the row Stamping - free - layers 

Blue greetings

 I am forever inspired by the lovely ideas found so profusely in the challenge blogs I follow. Today I was again inspired by several.

All these papers have been gelliprinted to ensure color variation. The giant snowflake has been die cut from sparkling silver cardstock.

Entering this in:

Fab 'n Funky: #584 Blue hues

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Make it sparkle

Time Out Challenges: #252 Winter/ holiday

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #691 All occasions

Inkspirational: #303 Seasonal

Thank you for your visit!

Crocodile greetings

 I can offer you guys no explanation for this, but I find crocodiles fun as Christmas critters. I picked my color scheme from a lovely challenge and added die cuts and some stamping.

Entering this card in the following challenges:

Die Cut Divas: All about holidays

Crafting Happiness: #149 Turkeys or any animal

Critter Crazy Challenges: #80 AG with a featured critter 

Crafty Animals: #78

Just Us Girls: #706 Moodboard 

Also entering in this fun challenge:

 Christmas Kickstart Challenge: #80 It's Christmas, Jim, but not as we know it!

Have a lovely birthday

A floral fabric served as an inspiration for this bold and colorful birthday card. The flowers are cut from paint samples - I love them for their uniform coloring and somewhat glossy finish. The large sentiment has been stamped with white and then embossed with a white embossing powder.

Entering this in the challenges that inspired me today:

AAA Birthday Cards: Game #55, Large sentiment

613 Avenue Create: AG/ Optional: Wet/dry embossing - I chose wet embossing

Cards4 Gals: #212 Embossing wet or dry

Time Out Challenges: #251 Photo inspiration