Candy Cane Wishes, Gingerbread Hugs

Hi Crafty Friends,

It’s challenge time with the “Crazies” over on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog. Being a brand new month it is time to introduce our new challenge hostess, which is me!

Our challenge this week is ..... Favorite Holiday Stamps. Let's keep this week simple, use your favorite holiday stamp/s or die/s on your creations today. If you don't celebrate the holidays ... then use one of your favorite stamps.

A few month's ago Honey Bee Stamps released a House Builder die set along with an optional Halloween Add-On die set Of course I loved the idea, so had to buy both. I have already uploaded two cards previously using those products. 

Well about a month ago, in their most recent release ... they came out with the Gingerbread Add-On die set and a co-odinating stamp set. As I had the other two products, I had to add those to my stash which is what I have used for my card today.

My past two cards have been Easel Cards, and as I like making that with this die set, I created a Gingerbread version today. I stepped this one up a bit, by using Pear Blossom Press's EZ-Light battery pack, to make my card light up.

I have a quick video above, which shows my card in action.

You need to use the House Builder die set, for the basic house shape, and the red window frames, but everything else on the card was from the Gingerbread Add-On set which is a massive set!

The battery pack is hidden underneath the rectangle sentiment panel on the base of the card. For this I used two older Spellbinders die set that created tall rectangles and scalloped rectangles.

For the gingerbread girl and boy, I used the stamps from the coordinating stamp set and then used the dies included in the Gingerbread Add-On die set to die cut them out. 

I stamped "Press Here" and an arrow pointing to the Gingerbread boys hand so that the recipient knows to press the hand for the card to light up.

My card folds flat so it can be placed in an envelope for posting. 

All the white pieces on the card other than the fence and candy canes where die cut using white glittered cardstock. The sugar jelly's along the fence etc, were also die cut from white glittered cardstock and then colored using Copic markers.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the “Crazies” cards over on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog and also their individual blogs for more details.

Amy Ottmers

Karen Ostergard

Kathleen Adams

Maryann Einam

Rebecca Ednie

Tracey Farr

Nicky Foden

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

Candy Cane Wishes sentiment stamp - Penny Black (discontinued)

Tall Rectangles Die Set - Spellbinders

Tall Scallop Rectangles Die Set - Spellbinders

Foiled Christmas Ornament

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today I have two foiled Christmas cards to share with you.

My cards today use the Spellbinders Ornament Glimmer Hot Foil Plate die set. This die set contains the large ornament glimmer plate, along with four sentiment plates and then the dies to create the poinsettia and leaves etc.

I couldn't decide what color to use for the ornament and also for the background panel, so in the end I made two cards.

For my first card, I used gold foil for the ornament and red foil for the Merry Christmas sentiment in the centre of the ornament. After foiling the ornament, I cut it out using scissors as this doesn't come with a die. 

The background panel was created by gold embossing the Noel Bold Print stamp from Hero Arts. 

I adhered the ornament to the background panel and then decorated the top of the ornament using the flowers and leaves from the set.

For my first card I gold foiled on white cardstock and added a red poinsettia. For my second card, the ornament and sentiment were both gold foiled. I then die cut the poinsettia using a white glittered cardstock, it's not completely glittered, just flecks all over the cardstock.

For the inside of the card. I used a Crafter's Companion Happy Christmas Hot Foil Stamp and gold embossed using the same colored cardstock as the background on the front of the card. This Hot Foil Stamp comes with a coordinating die which I used to die cut the sentiment.

I then added a poinsettia and pines to the top of the sentiment using the same colors as the flower on the front.

It's hard to show the beauty of the gold foiling in the photos, in real life there look amazing.

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

Christmas Bear Parcel Pop-up Card

Hi Crafty Friends,

It's challenge time with my friends over on the CCEE Stampers challenge blog. Being a brand new month it is time to introduce our challenge hostess for December, which is Lynn McAuley.

For our challenge this week Lynn has given us the theme .... Bold Christmas Sentiment - create a holiday card where a BIG and BOLD sentiment is the star on the front of your design.

For my Bold Christmas sentiment I used Karen Burniston's Merry Christmas sentiment. I die cut the sentiment from red and green cardstock, layering the two together slightly offset. 

 I added two circles using the circles from the Crosshatch - Circles die set and added a bow to the top of the circle which makes it look like an ornament. I then added my sentiment over the top of the circles.

For my card today I have used the new Parcel Pop-up die set, this die set will suit so many different occasions. Of course with Christmas so close, I decided to make a Christmas card.

Here is a quick video to see my card in action.

While hunting through my paper stash for papers to use on this card, I found this cute parcel themed paper which I used as inspiration for the parcel pop-up.

I envisioned Christmas day, someone opening their present and discovering a bear inside. For the bear I used an older stamp from Lili of The Valley, unfortunately this is no longer available as a stamp but I did find it as a digital stamp. So I have linked that below instead.

Behind the bear I added a couple of presents which I die cut using the larger rectangle included in the Parcel Pop-up die set and added bows that are included in the new Gift Pivot Panels die set.

I added the bow and gift tag to the present, these two dies are also included in the Parcel Pop-up die set. The sentiments on the tag are from a Mama Elephant stamp set.

For the sentiment on the base of the card, I used an older Kaisercraft stamp set which I stamped onto a circle from the Crosshatch - Circles die set.

Don't forget to check out the CCEE Stampers blog (goes live 12 AM EST) to see the rest of the creations the CCEE Stampers created this week. You can also see more details of their creations on their individual blogs:

Anne Harmon

Liz Williams

Lois Bak

Lynn McAuley

Maryann Einam

Vicky Gould

Kelly McKown-Santi

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

Jolly Sentiments - Kaisercraft

 

Happy Christmas and New Year

Hi Crafty Friends,

I am back today with another foiled Christmas card. There have been a number of fabulous Christmas themed hot foil stamps released this year and I could help but add a few to my stash. You can capture the beauty of the foil when you take a photo, but in real life this card has beautiful gold and silver shiny appearance.

Both of the hot foil stamps on the front of my card are from Crafter's Companion. The one along the bottom of the card is called Pine Forest Border, if you look carefully you can see all the trees and to deer on the left where there is an opening. I gold foiled the trees to the bottom of my card onto a teal cardstock. Once I had that along the bottom, I was able to trim my card to the size I wanted. I blended Distress Oxide Inks in Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire around the top and sides of the card.

I added the "Happy Christmas" sentiment to the left side of my card which I foiled using silver foil.

For the inside of my card I added an older foil stamp I have had in my stash for a few years. This one is Couture Creations/Anna Griffin Peace on Earth.

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

Snow Much Love

Welcome to our December Karen Burniston Designer Challenge.

Check out Karen Burniston's blog on Wednesday (US Time) when you will be able to see what all the designers created for the challenge this month, plus Karen will have an amazing video tutorial to share with us all.

Our challenge theme this month is .... "SURPRISE!" - use the Surprise Ball or the Parcel Pop-up for a card of any theme.

Today I am sharing another Christmas card I created using some of the new Karen Burniston pop-up dies which are being released this month.

Last month for our Designer Challenge, Karen Burniston created an accordion card where she used snowmen to decorate her card. I was thinking of something to do for my card for this month and seeing her snowmen gave me the inspiration to create a snowman using the Surprise Ball Pop-up die set. You can see a quick video of my card to see the card in action.

I die cut the main die from the Surprise Ball Pop-up die set from white cardstock, I used the layering dies including in the set to die cut the pieces from white cardstock that had Clear Double Sided Adhesive on the front, and then covered the adhesive with Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter

Now as you can probably see in the video, this card is bulky because I wanted the hat to be layered. I won't be sending this in the mail, so it doesn't matter. Whoever gets this will be hand delivered. To create the hat I used a circle from the Crosshatch - Circles die set for the smaller circle of the hat, die cutting about 30 or so and layering them together. The larger circle is from the Snowman Twist Circle die set.

I used the smaller circles for the mouth and eyes are from inside the wheels of the Train Pivot Panels die set. The white part of the eye using the smaller set of 3 circles included in the Surprise Ball Pop-up die set and the larger black circle is from Coffee Cup Pop-up  die set.

The "carrot" nose I die cut a triangle from another die set and then trimmed it to size.

When placing the snowman onto my card, I first placed a large circle of white glittered cardstock to the panel which represents the body of the snowman. The black circle on the front is one of his buttons.

I die cut one red crosshatch circle which has the decorative edge and two more circles with the inside of the circle removed to create a frame. I layered these together and then added these onto the centre of the white glittered circle. I added a large bow from the Parcel Pop-up die set to the side of the snowman. This red piece is the scarf a snowman might wear.

I used the arms from the Snowman Twist Circle Pop-up die set for the arms of the snowman which are attached under the large white circle.

Here is an overhead shot of my card so you can see the whole card. 

On the back panel, I added the greeting using the Merry Christmas Sentiment which is layered onto ovals from the Crosshatch - Ovals die set. I added a few snowflakes to the card using the snowflake from the Snowman Twist Circle die set.

To help keep my card closed when needed, I created a belly band. I added two score lines on either side of the belly band, to allow for the depth of my card when closed.

I added the snowman from the Snowman Twist Circle or the Snowman die set ... both are the same snowman. I layered this onto circles from the Crosshatch Circles and Twist Circle die sets. It's hard to see in the photo above. But I also used the snow border die  from the Nature Edges die set, to create a snowy hill for the snowman to sit on.

To finish of the belly band, I added a sentiment from Mama Elephant's Snow Angels stamp set.

Here is a look at the front of my card when the belly band has been added.

Don't forget to visit Karen Burniston's blog on Wednesday when you will be able to see what all the designers created for the challenge this month.

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

It's Penguining To Feel A Lot Like Christmas

Hi Crafty Friends,

Well it's now just over three weeks until Christmas arrives, so for most of this time I will be sharing Christmas themed cards or projects with you.

Today I am sharing a fun card feature penguins.

For the front of the card I used Mama Elephant's Penguin Waddle Stamp set with coordinating dies. I seldom buy coordinating dies for my stamps as I normally use my Scan & Cut, however I loved the large sentiment die that was included in the die set. As the only way to get that sentiment was to buy the dies, that is what I did.

I created my background panel using Distress Oxide Inks in Tumbled Glass & Faded Jeans and then I splattered white paint all over the background.

I added the sentiment to the top of the card which is from a Mama Elephant stamp from last year called Cool Penguins.

For the inside of my card I created a snowy scene pop-up using Karen Burniston's Gift Pivot Panels which was released last month. I love that this can be used as a generic pop-up die if desired.

I die cut the "Oh So Merry" die set which is the sentiment die I was talking about that comes in the coordinating die set for the penguins on the front of the card. I cut the sentiment apart, so I could have the "Oh So" on one side and the "Merry" on the other.

To decorate the card I used the cute penguins from the Mama Elephant Little Penguin Agenda stamp set. Most of the penguins I used have a Christmas theme, however I did add a couple more that could be used for anytime.

The trees that I also added to the scene are from Lawn Fawn's Winter Skies stamp set.

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

Divinity Designs - December Release

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today I am sharing two projects I created using new stamps, dies and papers from Divinity Designs December Release.  For more inspiration using the December Release, and to see the other designers projects, be sure to visit the Divinity Designs Blog.

With Christmas being only 24 days away, the release this month is again Christmas themed. There are 3 new die sets, 2 new stamp/die duo sets and 2 stamp sets being released.

One of the dies I am excited to see being released is the Book Fold Card with Layers die set, I have been hoping for quite some time that this would be released and it finally is. So of course for my cards today I created two Book Fold Cards, one in the landscape orientation, and the other in portrait orientation which gives it a bit of a pop-up card look. 

For my first card, I created my Book Fold Card as it was intended which makes it look more like a book.

I used papers from Divinity Designs Christmas Collection 2017 6 x 6 Paper Pad for all the layers on the card.

To decorate the book fold portion of the card, I used the new Country Christmas Stamp/Die Duo set ... I love the country snowman in the set, and the set includes a birthday sentiment so can be used on occasions other than Christmas.

I used the Curvy Slopes die set to die cut some white glitter cardstock to create the snow hills at the base of the panels. I also added trees using the trees from the Trees & Deer die set.

The "Warm Western Wishes" sentiment is also from the Country Christmas Stamp/Die Duo set which I stamped and layered using the Double Stitched Circles and Circles die sets.

As the focus for this card is the inside, I kept the front of the card fairly simple. I used one of the same papers I used on the inside for the large panel on the front.

I stamped the Christmas sentiment to the top of a circle using the Double Stitched Circles die set which I layered using the Circles and Scalloped Circles die set.

To decorate the circle panel, I die cut another snow bank using the Curvy Slopes die set and then added some more of the trees & deers from the Trees & Deer die set.

For my second card today, I turned the Book Fold Card on it's side so that it looked more like a double pop-up card rather than a Book Fold Card, this gives you extra mileage to your die set.

I have again created a Christmas card, but this time I used the new Angel die set which I die cut using White Glitter Cardstock. The sentiments used on this card are from the Good Tidings stamp set. I stamped the sentiment using black ink onto white cardstock, and then used one of the ovals from the Double Stitched Ovals die set for layering.

I used Divinity Designs Christmas Collection 2019 Paper Pad for all the layers on the card.

For the front of my card, I didn't want to find the tree in the beautiful paper, so I added my sentiment to the right hand side of the card using the Double Stitched Ovals and Ovals die sets for the layering.

I also added a few glittered snowflakes which were die cut using the Christmas Dove die set.

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

Showers of Love

Hi Crafty Friends,

It’s challenge time with the “Crazies” over on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog. Nicky Foden our challenge hostess for the month finishes off her month with one last challenge.

This week Nicky has given us an Inspiration Challenge. Use this piece of art as inspiration, you can choose it as a colour challenge or design, texture, however it speaks to you. 

For my card today I took my inspiration from the girl holding the yellow umbrella. I created a seed bead shaker card using MFT Stamps Falling From The Clouds Die-namics and the Rain and Shine stamp set.

Here is a quick video to see my card in action.



The Falling From The Clouds Die-namic comes with the frame and a die that has slits in it for using to hold the clear thread which has the seed beads added to it.

I die cut a second frame from the set so I could trim out the clouds only for the top portion of the card.

Along the bottom of the card I used the Tucked In Turf - Vertical Die-namics.

I added the girl and ducks to the card.

On the top cloud portion of the card, I added a stamped sentiment which I stamped and then die cut using Honey Bee Stamps Banner Builder die set.



For the inside of my card I added the other girl that is included in the Rain or Shine stamp set, along with the puddle, clouds and sun. I also added another sentiment.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the “Crazies” cards over on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog and also their individual blogs for more details.

Amy Ottmers

Karen Ostergard

Kathleen Adams

Maryann Einam

Rebecca Ednie

Tracey Farr

Nicky Foden

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.