12 Days of Christmas - Day 1!!!

Welcome to my 12 Days of Christmas series! Easy and quick festive projects to give your home that handmade cosy feeling, plus gifts for neighbours, friends and family.

Today's project might give you a kickstart to make some Christmas cards if you haven't already.

This is the finished card:

 A close-up of the Shrinkle star...

 Here is the alternative card made using a cookie cutter as a template. You could also try large Die cuts such as butterflies, other festive shapes or circles for different cards.

 Am loving the silver sparkles!!

See you again tomorrow for Day 2!!!!

Inspired

My recent visit to Convention has been quite inspiring. I really feel like I can achieve my goals, which reminded me of the set Just Believe. Such a beautiful set and I LOVE the sentiment from the set that I used in this card:

It's been teamed with French Foliage for the leaves and a piece of Cajun Craze CS that has been run through the Woodgrain embossing folder on the Big Shot. Simple, but a lovely card to send to someone who needs a little perking up.

Woodgrain

Today's card is based on one by Pink Backaroo Designs, Erica Cerwin.

I got to try out my new Woodgrain embossing folder on the Early Espresso cardstock base. I then stamped the Very Vanilla panel with French Foliage in Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie. Once the stamping was complete the whole piece was run through the same Woodgrain embossing folder.

A tiny scrap of Orchard Harvest DSP and some bits of spotty ribbon and Victoria lace finished off the card. I guess I could have added a sentiment but I wasn't feeling like there was one I liked enough to add.

600th Post

Good morning. Hope I am not posting too late for some of my visitors this morning. I've been having great fun using some more new products. The stamp set used is French Foliage. I started by embossing with the dotty folder on the Big Shot and then stamping the large leaves down one side. I used a new Illuminate ink which is shimmery and lovely and then embossed over the top with clear embossing powder.

Once this had cooled off I stamped some leaves, post mark and spots in Chocolate Chip and Crumb Cake ink. The next stage was to sponge over the top with Cajun Craze, Soft Suede and Garden Green ink. Quite a few stages but all of them were really quick. Once all the ink was dried I gently rubbed over the embossed leaves to remove any excess ink and make the leaves stand out more.

Next I got out Four Frames and stamped a frame and punched it out using the Label Punch which matches the stamp set. The sentiment comes from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

A bit of a different card for me with some different techniques but, as you'll see tomorrow I got a taste for sponging!

Grateful Leaves

Hello and Happy Monday! It's been a busy weekend and I he been working hard on a Scrapbooking kit for you. I'll show you that tomorrow...

 

Onto today's card:

It's based on a card I saw on Pinterest (of course!) made by cardmaker2 on Splitcoast Stampers.

 

My version uses French Foliage leaves and I stamped them on white shimmer card in Certainly celery, Lucky Limeade, Gumball green and Garden Green. Don't recognise the name Gumball Green?! Yes it's a little preview of one of the new In Colors for 2012-13!!!!

The background card is Pear Pizzazz (so sad it's going in a couple of weeks :( ...) and I spritzed it with Chocolate Chip ink for interest. The main stamped image was matted on Early Espresso and a sentiment was added from Apothacary Art. Indeed you're right, you can't purchase this set but I'm here to reassure you it WILL be in the new main catalogue! The card was finished with a Very Vanilla satin bow, which I was glad to use as I'll miss all the satin ribbons.

The weekend has been fantastic: warm weather, BBQ, cycling trips, running, lie-ins and family laughs!!! Hope you've had a good weekend too.

Little leaves

Hello all! Yesterday my lovely friend Fiona of Oakfield Crafts came to visit and we had a bit of crafty time together.

This is one of the cards that I made. It features the leaves from French Foliage. The splattered background is also made by a stamp in the same set. The base is Pear Pizzazz and so was stamped in the same colour.

The leaves were stamped in Pear Pizzazz and Certainly Celery and then cut out using a 1 1/4" square punch. These panels were raised up using Dimensionals to give the card interest. A simple card but I can image it would look great in autumnal colours too.

Check back tomorrow for another card made while we chatted!

French Foliage

Hooray hooray it's Tuesday. Today's card was made for my by my downline, Diane. Isn't she clever? It features French Foliage from the Spring Mini catalogue. She made a One Sheet Wonder using many stamps from the set and then cut it up into squares to create the central panel.

Munchkin's been under the weather again today. Meant we couldn't really go anywhere or do anything as she needed me stationary and by her side! Fortunately I started crafting at about 7.30am before her illness had reared its ugly head. I cracked open my SEWING MACHINE!!! Is this a hint about the contents of the new catalogue... you'll just have to wait and see....