Ice Skating Henry Mouse

I have a Christmas card to share today...featuring an old Whiff of Joy stamp called 'Ice Skating Henry Mouse'. I stamped him on to a snippet of watercolour paper, then coloured him using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used a Chloe Creative Stamps background stamp called 'Christmas Sentiment Background'...stamping it on to a piece of watercolour effect paper (from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations) using Versamark Ink, then heat embossing it in white. I added a snippet of white card along the bottom, then carefully cut Henry out, popped him on top using 3D foam pads, then matted it all on to navy card before adding it to a white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Favourite Non-Birthday Reason to Make Cards (Christmas - it's what started my addiction to carkmaking!)
• Christmas Craft Creations - Heat Embossing
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Inkspirational - Emboss Your Background
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Stamped

ABC Christmas Challenge - P, Q & R are for?

It's the second Wednesday of a new month, so that means it's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge! Helene is the host, and the themes are:

'P is for Pink'

'Q is for Quarters'

&

'R is for Reindeer'

There are some stamps from Helene on offer for the lucky winner:

For my 'Pink' card, I started by stamping a cute Lili of the Valley James the Bear image called 'Present Pile' on to some watercolour paper. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut around the top of the image. I made the background by stamping my 'Christmas Sentiments' background stamp (from Chloe Creative Stamps) on to a piece of pink watercolour effect paper (from the 'Watercolour Moods' pad from The Works) using Versamark Ink, then I heat embossed it using 'Diamond White' embossing powder from WOW. I layered the bear over the top, then matted it on to some hot pink card before adding it to my card blank.

For my 'Quarters' card, I embossed a piece of watercolour paper using a Sizzix 'Snowflakes' embossing folder, then I swiped some Distress Inks (Cracked Pistachio, Salvaged Patina, Peacock Fathers, Broken China & Chipped Sapphire) over the raised areas. I then spritzed it with some water to blend the colours, then left it to dry. I cut it into quarters, distressed the edges, then matted them on to some aqua card, adding a sentiment (from the 'Winter Blessings' set by Crafter's Companion), heat embossed in white, on some more of the aqua card.

And for my 'Reindeer' card, I used one of the dies from the 'Winter Wonderland' set by Tim Holtz/Sizix to cut the reindeer, then I inked over him with some 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink. I gave him a little red nose using an adhesive pearl, then added him to my card blank using 3D foam pads. The sentiment is from the 'Many Blessings' set from Hero Arts.

I'm also entering these cards into the following challenges:

• Allsorts - Make Your Own Background (First & second cards)
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Reindeer (Third card only)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Jingle Belles - Blue Christmas (Second card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Spritz & Splatter (Second card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Embossing (Second card only)
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Reindeer (Third card only)

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Stocking Snowy

Today's card features a cute little Penny Black snowman from the 'Holly-Jolly Christmas' set. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, then doodled some snowy ground before colouring him using watercolour pencils. I carefully cut around the top of the image, then made a snowy sky background using my 'Christmas Sentiments Background' stamp by Chloe Creative Stamps. I stamped it on to a snippet of paper from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad (by Craft Sensations) using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Diamond White' embossing glitter from WOW.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS Christmas - Snowman
• Christmas Craft Creations - Heat Embossing
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Make a Scene')
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Make a Scene

Snow Friends

Today's card features something new...the 'Christmas Sentiment Background' stamp by Chloe Creative Stamps that I received for Christmas...paired with something old...a digi stamp by Prairie Fairy called 'Snowman Friends' that I won in 2010. I stamped the background stamp on to a snippet of paper from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations using white pigment ink, then heat embossed it using white embossing powder. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut around the top of it, before adding it over the top of the embossed background. I matted it all on to a snippet of lilac card before adding it to my card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crazy for Challenges - Something New
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - New Products
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Something New
• Sweet Stampers - Snow/Winter