Nordic Christmas

Here is this week's challenge from 52CCT.
When I saw this and the lovely embroidered/knitted style I had to resist the urge to rush out and buy this kind of stamps. Partly as I promised myself to use only what I already have in my stash for this years Christmas cards. It's working so far. 

I decided to go for the red and white colour scheme and have repeat stamped in rows (hopefully) to give and embroidered look. Then I wanted an accent so added a heart stamped on red paper and embossed in white with a button and ribbon bow. 
I'm quite pleased with it but can't get a decent photo.
The stamps are mostly Inky Doodles from Warm Winter Wishes, Print Backgrounds 2 and the large heart from Primitive Angel. The snowflake and 'Merry and Bright' are Marion Emberson, which I thought went quite well with the others. 

Silver snowflakes

Still on my mission to have some Christmas cards made in good time, I enjoyed this colour challenge from 52CCT. 

I chose blue and silver to go with the black and white. I embossed the snowflakes in silver onto the blue background and then double mounted which is unusual for me.  

The card did not go exactly to plan, of course. 

I meant to have the ribbon on the bottom and stamp the greeting onto the card. Then I stupidly swiped my nail across the wet embossing so suddenly it was a good idea to have the ribbon in the middle!

The good news is, I think I am getting fewer inky smudges on things. I have learnt the hard way but maybe I'm getting somewhere.

Anyway I think it gives the card a contemporary look to have the greeting in the middle. 

I'd like to have a go with red and gold colour scheme but probably won't manage it by Friday. Still plenty of cards needed so lots of opportunity.

I've lost the label from the stamps and I can't remember whose they were.

Christmas baubles

Phew, I've done it. I was determined not to give up in week 2 of my 52 week Christmas Card challenge and then was given an honourable mention for last week so I was even more determined to come up with something post worthy! Thank you for that, I appreciate it. 
However this sketch really didn't come together for me. I had so many ideas but none of them worked so I was just going to give up and admit defeat.  I'd made this little bauble for one of the many plans and then suddenly I had another idea and this one worked.

At least I think so. I found this Christmas paper with red on it and had already coloured the bauble to match the ribbon so, as these things go, suddenly it came together. It's a small card only 10.5 x 10.5 but I quite like small Christmas cards. Then I stuck the bauble ribbons on squint so all was normal again!
Here is the sketch:

52 (Christmas) Card Throwdown

The bauble stamp is Marion Emberson, embossed in gold and then coloured with sponges and Adirondaks, Cranberry and Eggplant,to be precise, then mounted on foam pads. 
So I rose to the challenge and can sleep tonight. Bring on the next one...(easy please).                             

Chocolate and mint

I've eaten more chocolate than is probably sensible this week but it was nothing to do with this challenge...
                                               

CHOCOLATE MINT

These were not colours I would have thought of using but that is the challenge after all.

Here we have chocolate and mint, stuck on milk chocolate and matted with dark chocolate. I used these stamps from Inky Doodles. I overlooked these stockings when buying the set which I chose for another stamp - but they are really cute. I coloured with pro-markers and then added a few highlights with a gold gel pen but that doesn't really show here. I even cut them all out - most of my Christmas cards will have to be a little quicker to produce!

Christmas Card Throwdown

I discovered a new card challenge by following a link on someone's post. I can't remember who now. (I went looking and it was Kath with this beautiful card. And so many more on her blog).



 This suits my idea of not leaving all my Christmas cards until the last minute (and then not having enough and so not sending them - two years ago). I have a couple made so far but I'm hoping to make a few more over the coming weeks.
I managed to make this one in between coming home from work and cooking so that was a good use of time and it came together fairly quickly for me.
This week it is:

                             To pick a previous sketch from the archive.

I started off using one sketch but it finished up loosly based on another! It morphed from Sketch 4 to Sketch 1.
                                             

I hope you think it is close enough to count. I was just pleased to finish something I was pleased with and nothing went in the bin!

The wreath stamp is Inky Doodles coloured with gel pens. Then I added a bit of stitching. It seems I can't make anything without stiching just now. 
I hope you like it. I am pleased with the simplicity and the colours.