Bringing Gifts

Today's card features stamps from a Woodware set called 'Bringing Gifts' that I won a little while ago over at the Snippets Playground. I stamped them onto a piece of marble effect paper from a pad from The Range using Versamark ink, then heat embossed them all using metallic gold embossing powder from WOW. I inked around the edges of the paper using 'Dusty Concord' and 'Chipped Sapphire' Distress Inks, then matted it onto some gold mirror card, distressing all of the edges, before adding it to an A5 white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Jingle Belles - We Three Kings (I know that my three of a kind didn't need to actually be 'Kings' , but I couldn't resist!)
• Just Us Girls - Emboss
• Krafty Chicks - Christmas
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

Chocolate Wreath

Every Christmas since 2012, I have made a Quality Street chocolate wreath for my family - still using the original polystyrene ring! This year, due to the ever decreasing number of chocolates in a tub (barely enough to cover the ring anymore), and the sad-looking, dull paper wrappers, I decided to switch to a selection box from M&S...they're in lovely shiny papers (devoid of any branding). As always, I used a hot glue gun to attach the chocolates to the wreath, and added some silver glittery ribbon to hang it with.

Challenges for this wreath:

• Crafty Calendar - Winter/Christmas
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Anything Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Sparkle & Shine

Quality Street Wreath & Button Trees

I have a couple on non-papercraft Christmas makes to share today. The first is a Quality Street chocolate wreath. I make one of these every year...and am still using the same polystyrene wreath shape from 2012! It's on its last legs, so it I may have to retire it after we've eaten the chocolates! I simply attached the chocolates to the wreath using hot glue, and used some organza ribbon to make the bow and hang it.

My other items are some little Christmas tree ornaments...in the shape of Christmas trees...made out of buttons and beads. They're super easy...I just arranged the buttons from largest to smallest, threaded them on to some wire, starting with a couple of smaller brown buttons at the bottom for the trunk, and once I'd added all of the buttons, I added a little gold star bead, then twisted the wire together to secure the beads and make a hook to hang them with.

PBSC January - Anything Goes (Optional 'Something New')!

Happy New Year!

It's the first Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Something New

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with 'New Year' and I'm sharing the calendar that I made for my Mum for Christmas. I've been doing several of these for gifts each gifts for years...the calendar balnks are from Paper Mill Direct...currently in the sale if you fancy getting some for yourself.

I used all Penny Black images, and papers from a variety of brands...lots of snippets used up! I added some faux stitching to the edges, and that's about it...no embellishments, otherwise it becomes rather bulky (and heavy!).

I'm also entering this calendar into the following challenges:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Crafter's Cafe - Favourites (Penny Black stamps & patterned papers)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop pver to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Quality Street Wreath

I have something a little bit different to share today...it's a wreath made from Quality Street chocolates. It's become a tradition to make one of these each Christmas, and I'm still using the same polystyrene ring that I first covered with chocolates in 2012! They're really simple to make, all it takes is a tub of Quality Street chocolates (you could use any wrapped sweet really, but these have the least obvious branding on the wrappers, and there's a variety of colours and shapes) and a glue gun.

Challenges for this wreath:

• Christmas Kickstart - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Christmas Time
• Creative Knockouts - 'Tis the Season
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - Use Metal

This week's Pile It On! Challenge is to use:

'Metal'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Add a Little Dazzle:

Prize a $25 Gift Certificate!

The DT were each sent some gorgeous metal sheets to play with by our generous sponsor...Add a Little Dazzle...I used mine to make a piece of wall art. I used my Memory Box 'Darla Butterfly' to cut shapes from the sheets of metal, then embossed them using an assortment of Cuttlebug and Craft Concepts folders. I mounted the butterflies on to a piece of white card using 3D foam pads, then placed it in a shadow box (from The Range).

Apologies for the reflections on the glass...this was really tricky to photograph! 

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Use Metal
• 4 Crafty Chicks - No Stamping
• Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
• Crafting for All Seasons - Things with Wings
• Craftitude - Use a Die
• Crafty Catz - Embossing
• Crafty Girls - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Embossing & Bling
• Dream Valley - Things with Wings
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Whimsy Inspires - Two or More Die Cuts

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Pile It On! Challenge.

I want to ride my bicycle...

I inked up some of my (many) bicycle stamps to create a simple masculine card...these ones are a Hero Arts cling set simply called 'Bicycles'. I used shades of Distress Inks (Mowed Lawn, Brushed Corduroy & Spiced Marmalade), a sentiment stamp from a set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous called 'Going Somewhere', then simply doodled a border using a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS on Sunday - Masculine
• Crafty Creations - Keep It Simple
• Creative Knockouts - No Square Cards
• Less is More - Masculine

While I has my bicycle stamps and Distress Inks out...I used them to create a piece of wall art:

I used the same stamps as on the card above, another Hero Arts one ('Classic Bike') and a couple from a set by Avery Elle called 'Roll With It'...I had to play around a little bit with layout to get them to fit on my A4 card, but I'm pleased with the end result. The frame is from The Range.

This is going to go on the wall in my new craft space...I'm going to be sharing it with my flatmate, who will be using it as an office for his business...he runs cycling training courses...sells bikes...and generally eats, sleeps & breathes all things bike...so that explains my choice of images!

I will be making some others...but thought I'd start with this one as a sweetener...I'm not sure he realises the full extent of my craft stash! I'm usually only a weekend crafter (except during the school holidays...I'm a music teacher) and all of my stash is currently stored in boxes in a cupboard on the landing...I'm hoping that if I have easier access to my stash, and a dedicated space for crafting, that I might be able to sneak some in during the week!

Right now the room is completely empty...our other flatmate moved out last weekend...we have a trip to Ikea planned to pick up some pieces of furniture, and various bits'n'pieces for storage, so hopefully it won't be too long before it will be usable. I'm so excited about finally having a dedicated place to craft (even if I'm having to share it!)...up until now it's mainly been on the floor in my room!

Challenges for my stamped bicycle artwork:

• All Crafts Challenge - Anything but a Card
• Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

The Pink Elephant Challenge #1

Whilst blog-hopping on Sunday, I discovered a fab new challenge blog, called The Pink Elephant. The design team are a talented bunch, and with a new challenge every Monday, it's definitely worth a look if you haven't already seen it. The theme for their first challenge is a colour scheme of 'Pink, Black and White', which is a combination I seem to be using a lot lately.
For my card, I've used a fab Whipper Snapper stamp called '"Moo"d Swing' - I just love the expression on this cows face! The spotty paper is by Doodlebug, and the sentiment stamp is by Autumn Leaves (from a set called 'Talking Circles'). Inspired by the Colour Create challenge this week, I've had another go at making another DIY flower. This time I used my scalloped circle Nesties (the three smallest ones) to cut shapes from pink and white mulberry paper, then cut 'petals' with scissors. I then embossed them using my Cuttlebug 'Textile' folder, shaped the petals with my fingers, and added a touch of glitter glue to the tips of the petals, before attaching it to my card with a jewelled brad from The Range.

I think I must be getting forgetful in my old age...I made this card on Sunday night, along with the two I uploaded yesterday, but forgot to photograph it with the others...I think I thought I'd already put it on here...oh well, at least I've remembered to do it before the challenge is over!