The Golden Pear

     Here is my first DT project for Creative Expressions, I hope you like it. I shall be back every week with a new project featuring the great products available from Creative Expressions that you can buy in your local craft shop.
     Today I am working with the 'Partridge In A Pear Tree' stamp set. there are twelve stamps in this set, I have only used three for this project so there are more possibilities to come.
     I began by using the tiny pear background stamp to create a full background on cream card. For this I used Distress Inks Scattered Straw and Forrest Moss, stamping in a regular pattern to fill the sheet of card.
     I have used Distress Ink Crushed Olive to colour the edges of a white card blank so that it matches my chosen focal point card. The large pear is stamped on green card and embossed with Cosmic Shimmer Bright Gold.
     The frame is cut using a Spellbinder die Captivating Squares and antique gold card. The pear is mounted on the gold card and then mounted on foam pads on to the background card.
   

     My favourite part of this card is the little Partridge, he is stamped on Kraft card and embossed in Cosmic Shimmer Clear. I then used a white gel pen to colour him, along with brown, black and red alcohol markers, the markers work very well on top of the embossed areas allowing detail to be added. He is then fussy cut and mounted on foam pads, one on his head and two on his body to keep him level.
     To finish off my card I have added tiny yellow gems in the corners to give a little Christmas sparkle.

     Thank you for calling in, I hope you enjoyed my first creation for Creative Expressions, I hope to see you again soon.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Jingle Belles - Feature A Creature

The Artistic Stamper - Christmas Is Coming
Crafty Calender - It's All About Christmas

Santa's In The House...Of Cards

     Welcome to the House Of Cards November edition. We've changed things around a little this month to make sure you get to see all the DT inspiration at the beginning of the month, with a reminder of the different styles each week. We have all worked to the same sketch, you should see the variety that has been generated, it never fails to amaze me how many different cards can be made from one idea, you crafters are amazingly talented people!
     I have tried to use everything from stash for this card. I thought if I used up some of what I have here already Father Christmas wouldn't mind bringing me a few new items, that's probably as good as I'm going to get!
     The backing paper is something I bought so long ago I can't remember where. I cut it to fit my 5x7 white card blank, leaving a small border all the way around. The card blank has been coloured with Distress Ink Festive Berries to give me that lovely red. Before sticking the backing paper on it has been distressed with DI Old Paper to tone it down a bit.

     The green strip of card has been cut with a Martha Stewart holly punch down both sides, then the centre has been embossed with a small strip folder that came free with a magazine. To finish it off I have added a couple of gold strip peel offs.
     The Santa face is from a pack of Victorian style scraps that have sat in my stash for years, some of them are a bit scary but this one looks happy. It was a bit thin so I stuck it on to thin card and cut it out, then mounted it on the card with foam pads.
     The greeting is cream card cut with a Spellbinder die and distressed with DI Old Paper while the die was still on it, this gives a clean border to the shape, I have then added a gold peel off greeting and mounted it on foam pads.
     Please come over to the House Of Cards and take a look at all the different cards, not all Christmas, to see what sparks your imagination.


    For those of you who love to make festive cards all year round there is a new challenge starting in January called CASE-ing Christmas, come and join us and get ahead with your cards for next year.
   

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Must Use Patterned Paper
Christmas Card Challenges - Anything Goes
Holly Jolly Christmas - Bingo (Texture, 2 Designer Papers, Punch)

Ava and Deacon sitting pretty

     November already! Where is this year going? It doesn't feel quite so odd to be making Christmas cards now it's cooler and darker.
     Today's offering is for CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra, we have an 'Anything Christmas Goes' challenge running so please come and join us with your cards or decorations, we would love to see them. This is a digi stamp from Bugaboo, who very kindly sponsor us at CHNC Extra, called Ava and Deacon Merry Christmas Sign.
     I have printed two copies of the same picture making sure they are the same size. One I have cut to fit a 7x5 card blank, the other I have die cut bauble shapes using Spellbinders Heirloom Ornaments.

     Both Ava and Deacon are coloured with alcohol markers, including the background. The letters are coloured with a sparkling gold gel pen that I found in a friends art shop in West Wales, it's a long way to go for a pen but they're worth it!!!
     Once coloured the baubles are mounted on foam pads and then on to the card making sure to line up the images perfectly. There are also tiny pale blue gems stuck in the middle of every snowflake.
     The white card is mounted on to green card and then on to a white card blank that has been coloured with Distress Ink Festive Berries. I do this a lot, it saves me having to hunt down coloured card blanks, which are sometimes a little dearer to buy. You only need to colour the edge that will be seen so it doesn't use too much ink either.
     Please come and join us at CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra with your seasonal creations, we would really appreciate it.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Christmas Card Challenges - Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments Challenge - Two or Three Word Sentiment
Fab 'n' Funky - Christmas

Screw loose?

     Today sees the beginning of a new challenge at The Male Room - Wood. A masculine themed project that features wood is all we ask, so why not come and join us.
     I spent this afternoon putting a flat pack bookcase together, by myself, with no cursing, no bloodshed and no spare bits left over!!  It is loaded and still standing five hours later so I'm feeling a little chuffed! Could this be because I read the instructions?!
     My card started as a Kraft blank that was then stamped with Stampin' Up Hardwood stamp in Archival Coffee ink.
     The tools are die cut in satin silver card, then the handles where coloured with alcohol markers before being glued on to the front.
     The Label holder is die cut in thick card and painted silver, it is held in place on the card by two screw head brads. The greeting is a tiny peel off coloured blue with an alcohol marker as I don't have any stamps that tiny.
     Come over to The Male Room to see the DT inspiration, we have all done quite different things. Hopefully there will be something to spark your creativity, we would love to see what you make.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Cardz 4 Guyz - Metal ( faux - tools, real - brads)

Guess Who Made The Team This Year.....

.............and a sneak peak, but don't tell !

     What a nice surprise it was to get a lovely e-mail saying I had made it through selection and was now part of the amazing design team at Creative Expressions.
     It will be my pleasure to bring you a new project every Monday made with some of the great new releases and few of the old favourites too. Here's a sneak peak at some of the things I'm working with right now.
     Creative Expressions stock a wide range of craft items from the ever popular Sue Wilson stamps and dies to the amazing Cosmic Shimmer range of paints, waxes, mica's and my favourite, cannot do without, dries clear glue. That glue will stick almost anything, I've been using it for years now and very rarely use anything else, it's even mended some of my sons toys!
     As you can tell I'm really pleased to be joining the team, a little bit apprehensive at being surrounded by so much talent but I promise to do my best. I hope you'll join me on my journey.
 

HOC Die Cut Challenge

     This months challenge at House Of Cards is to use dies or punches to create your card.
     My contribution was inspired by my Granny who has been gone for ten years now, but is often in my thoughts. I have a tiny Wedgewood trinket box that belonged to her, that is what inspired this card.
     I covered the front of a square white card blank with thin blue card, overlapping the folded edge by about half an inch and fixing it on the back, I find this makes for a neater look.
     I have used a mix of dies from Spellbinder and X-Cut, all cut in white card. the small motifs are the leftovers from the corners. They are not quite as delicate as Wedgewood but I hope it gives the general idea.
     I have added some pearls to the corners to add a little shine to the card.
     We are changing our format a little next month at HOC, you will be able to see all cards made by the design team at the beginning of the month, with a reminder each week of the different styles we make. The challenge will still run for a month so you will have lots of time to come and join us.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Simply Create Too - Shop Your Craft Room (Everything is over a year old, inc card!)

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes/Cards Only

One Layer Christmas Card Catch Up

      This weeks challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown in a one layer card. I am so far behind with my Christmas cards I just had to make the effort to join in. Here is what I came up with after looking at the DT inspiration.
      I really liked what Deborah had done with a die so I set about trying to do something similar but with a different shape. I put the die under the front of my card with the rubber embossing mat on top of the card front and hoped I got it right, if not then it would be a die cut window card for another time, but to my joy it worked! This gave me an embossed shape to work with.
     The snowman is stamped in Archival Jet Black on the card and also on a sticky note, making sure his hat is well on to the sticky area, this is to be used as a mask. I also die cut a window in thin card with the same die for a mask.
     

     Placing the snowman mask over the stamped image and the mask window over the embossed shape, I then used a torn piece of paper to make another mask. This last mask was used with Distress Ink Faded Jeans to create snowy hills in the background. Before the ink could dry I flicked water over the scene, left it for a little while and then mopped it away to create a snowflake effect.
      Once dry I removed the masks and coloured in the snowman. The green in his scarf is a little too dark but other than that I'm happy with him. He has a little shading done with a Promarker.
      To get the silver around the embossed shape I placed the die over the shape and drew around it with a silver glitter pen.

      The greeting stamp is embossed with silver.  It was bought as a larger stamp and I have carefully cut it so that I can use parts of it separately. If you do this don't trim the parts, this way you can put it back together again to use the full stamp and it will meet up perfectly.
     Now that I have the masks cut I can make a few more of this style of card, in different colours, to help boost my card stash.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges :

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - One Layer Card

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Use something Forgotten (snowman stamp)

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Use Your Imagination 

Christmas Card Challenges - Photo Inspiration

Crafty  Bloggers Network - Christmas

Penny Black  and More - Get ahead for Christmas