Seeing Stars

     Well it's getting closer to Christmas, so if you haven't started making your cards pop over to Christmas at Sweet Stampin' for some inspiration. I chose to go with the optional theme of Stars for my card.

     I started with a 6.75 inch white card blank, then I cut a 5.75 inch gold mirri mat. I wanted the stars to shine through from the mat layer so I cut a dark blue mat and die cut Tim Holtz Swirling Stars into it.
     The scene is John Next Door O Little Town die set cut from Kraft card, I thought this looked a bit like a sandy desert. To add a little light to the scene I inked the edges with white. The beauty of these dies is they are open ended so I could have the scene as wide and as deep as I wanted.
      I stuck the buildings section on to the dark blue and then trimmed it to make sure it was right to the edge. I thought about putting the camel section on foam pads but changed my mind and kept it flat, better for postage I think.
     A gold mirri die cut greeting was all that was needed to finish this one off, inside will be stamped later when I decide who to send it to.
      Christmas At Sweet Stampin' has lots of inspiration for you, whether it's to get started or to keep you going it's worth a look. Come and join us, we'd love to see your creations.

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

Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Angels or Nativity

The 12 Months Of Christmas - Anything Christmas/optional Sensational Santa

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas/optional Focal Sentiment 

The Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas

Twinkle, Twinkle

     More recycling for Altered Eclectics new challenge which starts today, this time you will have two months to upload your project as we are taking our January break to return on February 1st.

 
     Just incase you hadn't noticed I love working with magazine straws, it takes a while to make a batch but they can be done a few at a time and stock piled.
     These stars were made after watching a really good video on You Tube that takes you from start to finish.

   
    The addition of a little glitter on the ridges makes all the difference to them, the silver one is so pretty I shall hang it in my window for Christmas, these pictures don't really do them justice.
     Please pop over to the blog and see all the amazing projects the DT have made, it also well worth browsing through the array of stunning work submitted by our followers, you can't fail to be inspired.
     All that remains for me to say is Seasons Greeting to you and Altered Eclectics will see you again in February.

I would like to enter these stars in the following challenges:

Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes   (F)

Star Stampz - Add Some Sparkle   (F)

Jingle Belles - Baby It's Gold Outside   (F)

Magazine star

     As you can probably tell I love working with these magazine straws, this time a star is born. This was the first design I saw and fell in love with but when I saw the trees I had to make those first.

     Again there are lots of fabulous tutorials on You Tube and Pinterest so pop over and have a look, there are different styles to try too.
     I have given some of the stars instead of cards this year, just writing my message on a handmade tag attached to the star.
     This large star is sprayed gold, then when dry I've added some PVA glue and gold glitter randomly over it. The beauty of these is you can make them any size or colour you want.

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

Paperminutes - Stars

Little Red Wagon - Stars

Glitter 'N' Sparkle - Christmas with Glitter

Twinkle, Twinkle

     Several months ago I bought a kit to make 15 German Stars, last night I sat down and made them all, plus a few gold ones. I like to have something a little different on the table at Christmas, nothing too tall, so I have filled a bowl with the stars and added some battery operated LED lights.

      The kit had full pictorial instructions with it but I found a YouTube tutorial much easier to follow, here's the link to part one, you can reach part two from there.
     Once I had done four with the tutorial I could carry one and make the rest with out it, next week may be a different story!

      Having made so many I would suggest cutting the ends to a blunt point as it makes them easier to thread through, don't pull too tight and don't crease the paper unless it tells you to.
     I wanted a few gold stars in with these patterned ones so I had to work out the size of the strip needed. The paper needs to be about 120gsm, patterned both sides and long enough to be a continuous strip. This limits things slightly as most papers only have pattern on one side and the biggest I have is 12x12 inches (about 30cm).
     The kit had strips of 86cm for the large star and 45cm for the medium star. I could only get a maximum of 30cm in length from an A4 sheet, this meant the strip had to be no more than 1cm wide, finding gold on both sides was easy.
     I placed a medium star in the bottom and built the large ones around the outside, keeping one for the top. I mixed in the lights, medium stars and the gold stars as I went, finishing with the battery pack on top covered by the last large star.

     This would be a great way to use up strips of patterned paper, make half a star as a gift wrapping topper. It doesn't have to be Christmas paper, these stars would look great for a birthday or a congratulatory party piece. If you have the time you could stamp a pattern on both sides of the paper or a message.

I would like to enter my star bowl in the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes

Sparkles Monthly - Anything But A Card

The Sisters Of Craft - Anything Goes

Through The Purple Haze - Christmas

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

The Glory Of Christmas - Anything Goes

Male Room Merry Christmas

     Seasons Greetings from The Male Room, this is our last challenge of the year and it's a masculine Christmas or Seasons Greetings, nice and easy in this busy month.

     I have used a Bubble stamp from Woodware, it's one of my favourites, it's simple enough with out the greeting to be used for congratulation cards or even birthdays. 

     The star is stamped and embossed in silver on blue card, as is the greeting. Not every bubble is filled in, those that are have been filled with a mixture of peel off dots, Candi, gems and glue dots covered with transfer foil, glitter and micro beads. The centre dot is covered with a jewellery finding finished off with a tiny gem.

     Using silver peel off dots and white Candi gives you the ability to colour them to co-ordinate with your project.

     The same stamp has been used to decorate the backing paper, light blue stamped and embossed in white. With a small silver mat layer between them and mounted on a white card the card is finished.

     Please come and join us at The Male Room, we would love to see your masculine holiday cards or projects. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, see you on the 6th January for the first challenge of 2016.

Materials list - available from your  local craft shop

Woodware Craft Collection - Stamp - JGCL548 Bubble Star

                                          Versamark

                                          Stampendous Embossing Powder - Detail Silver / White

                                          Candi - Icing Sugar

                                          98091H  Holographic Dots Silver

                                         

Stix2 Anything -  Glue Dots - 3mm / 6mm

                         Glitter / Micro Beads

                         Transfer Foil

                         

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

AAA Cards - Night Sky

Happy Little Stampers Christmas - Star

Christmas Card Challenges - Anything or Photo Insp

Jingle Belles - Anything Goes

Seeing Stars

      Today sees the start of a new challenge at The Male Room, we are looking for anything masculine featuring stars.
     My inspiration came from an idea I saw at Chocolate Baroque to suspend a die cut within a die cut frame. I have tried this before but strung the centre piece on thread, not very successfully. This idea suggested using acetate.....much better!
     I cut my star shaped hole in the card first, then embossed it with a star folder. Tip 1- cut first and then emboss or you will squash the embossing when you cut!
     Each little star has been coloured with a glitter gel pen to add twinkle. I have cut a blue glitter star from paper put on to double sided sticky sheet, this helps me stick it down without using wet glue, that way I can't stick the card shut! (Tip 2) Peel back one corner of the sticky cover, close the card and ease the star through the hole, this will line it up perfectly, then remove the rest of the sticky cover sheet (Tip 3).
   

     The centre star is cut from glitter card using the smallest die in the set. First cut two stars and a strip of acetate long enough to go from the small star to the top of the inside of the card. Glue one star on to the acetate, then turn over and stick the other star on to line up with the first one, it looks nicer with an inside star as well.
     Line up the small star with the blue star with the card open, put double sided tape on the acetate strip at the top and close the card carefully so they stay aligned and press gently to secure the sticky tape. The acetate holds the star in position perfectly and is hardly visible.

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

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes ~ with tips

Christmas Card Challenges - Embossing, Wet or Dry

Christmas Cards Al Year Round - Sparkle and Shine

Damask Snowflakes and Stars

This creation was inspired by a clever lady named Becca Feeken at Amazing Paper Grace and my son.
Becca made a fan shape with one of the Spellbinder Damask Motif set which made me think of snowflakes. When putting it together my son suggested that I should off set the points for a snowflake but not for the star and I think you'll agree he was right.
Both decorations are made fully dimensional so they can hang anywhere giving you something pretty and delicate to look at and as they are paper they're safe for little hands or paws too!

I would like to enter this in Winter Wonderland - Anything Goes  challenge this week.
If you would like to know how I made these then please leave me a comment and I will get around to typing up a tutorial in the next few days.