Lacy leaves

I found a new (to me) card challenge which I like the look of. ( I really want to enter as I like their banners and badges!) I think I'll just get this in under the wire. 

                                                                                                                  

This week is a colour challenge and these are the colours:

                                                       Yummy.

I made this as a relief from Christmas cards. It's lovely to get out some non-Christmas stamps.
I started the card with a plan in mind and it went really well until I smudged the words when I stamped them. So I stamped them again on a square of card and added them on top. I am very cross as I think it would look sooo much better as a one layer card. I'll probably have another go as I love the leafy pattern and background. 

Anyway, I always admit my clumsy mistakes, as you may know. I do think I am getting more careful but my tip for this week is if you are looking for scrap paper to use as a mask, don't choose a piece with a hole punched in it!
Stamps used are Card-io leaves and and Kaisercraft Crackle. Kanban 'Thank-you'.  
Ink Memento Teal Zeal, Distress Slate and some silver thread. 
                                 

Christmas greenery

It's so difficult to take good photos on these gloomy days. I need to take advice on getting good colour in photos. 
You'll have to take my word for it that the colours look great in real life. I decided to go away from red and green so this is just greenery with teal accents and a little gold. 

I stamped the wreath and then added a few baubles in copper dye ink and then topped with glossy accents. The cut out bow finishes it off. 

I think it adds some subtle sparkle without being too bling. Although if you can't have bling on a Christmas card, when can you?
Incidentally, if any one knows how to get on with dye inks please let me know. I have this copper one and when used un-ebossed it never really dries and the copper sheen comes off on your hand.  
I'm entering this into the Less is More - Jingle all the way challenge. Anything Christmassy. 
Most of the stamps used here are Card-io plus one Kanban leaf stamp and an Inky Doodles bow.

Country Christmas

I started the day by tidying AND cleaning my desk. I threw out all those scraps of paper and part made things that really were useless and stacked bits of card that might be useful. I still have far too many scraps but at least it's mostly collected together. My desk is in the corner of my bedroom and when working I spread everything out along my bed. Obviously, I have to clear up every night so all the bits go into a pile. It had got to the stage where the pile had started toppling over!
Then feeling very Zen I sat down and made two cards without too much drama or repetition.

   This card was for the 52CCT challenge. I've always admired piercing on cards but have never done it.  I decided to prick a frame with my sewing machine. It doesn't come out much these days which is a shame. While looking for an old needle I could blunt I found one with two points so I thought I'd use that and it  made a pretty frame. 

I mounted it on red hoping it would show through the holes. I also found the cutter that made the wavy edge which I thought added to the country look. I forgot I had that.  
My hand hovered over the inkpad but I decided against a sentiment. I like it very plain. 
Plain and simple but pretty, I hope you like  it. 
                                                        

Grungy Christmas window

Often I know where I'm going with a card but with this one it happened as I went along. 
I'm not sure I like it much although I like the individual ideas.
 

I made the window frame using a square punch four times and amazingly got it pretty straight. The panel behind is inked and the white snowflakes embossed with Silver Pearl. Then the blue ones stamped over. 

The gold edge embossing is done by swiping the glue pad and then sprinkling on embossing powder. Not my idea, it's copied. You don't need to worry about speckles though. 

 

The tags are inked, stamped and then embossed with clear all over. 

I made this for the current challeng at 52CCt which I am just in the nick of time for.

                                                                

So that's it. Made in a rush. Hope to do better next time!

Round the world

I've done a small amount of research about what men want from a card. One said a piece of paper with 'Happy Birthday' written on it! More research needed, maybe.
I've made this swing card. I think the mechanics will appeal to the male mind!

A birthday is just the first of another 365 day journey round the sun. Enjoy the trip!

 I found this saying on the internet (anonymous) but arranged it in a circle myself usuing a computer -without help, so I was chuffed. Then I found I could have it on a wood background, perfect for  The Male Room challenge. Wood. I deliberately left it quite plain.

 

It's a very simple idea but looks impressive. It folds flat into a 6x6 envelope and best of all for me - it is made from half a piece of A4 card. I am always left with strips of card which I save and rarely use. I could make several hundred gift tags with the pieces I have left. I should do that with Christmas coming up. Unstoppable now, I think. 
This is the first swing card I have made but I'll definately make more. 
Normally all my cards are stamped but I don't have many stamps that would appeal to men. I've use design paper to cover the card and only stamped the corner patterns. The centre is computer printed, as I said.

Pink snowflakes

This card was supposed to be blue, I'm not sure what happened. I inked with an old Big and Juicy and must have wandered into purple more than blue.So I've made another card with non-Christmas colours.
I made it for this sketch at 52CCT:
                                                                  

My various ideas were complicated but the card has turned out very simple and quick, a good thing in a Christmas card. I masked the top, inked and stamped. Of course I did smudge the ink, normal for me but managed to erase it.

I do feel quite smug, I have a good stash of cards as well as having made some for a friend who is not able to get out and choose hers. And mine are all different whereas usually I make them all along a similar theme.

Autumn wreath

I'm having a rest from Christmas with an Autumn card. I don't need much encouragement to use the wonderful colours of Autumn so when I saw this challenge, I wanted to have a go. 

                                                              
                                                               
I've used the lovely foliage colours as inspiration and then chose the grey/blue colour as a backing.  I guess it's clean and layered.

The flowers here are a tribute to the Rudbekias in my garden which are still flowering away in November and giving me joy every day.     
                                          

Pink for Christmas

The challenge this week at Less is more here is for a Non-traditional colour Christmas card - so no red and green. 
I've gone for full on pink! Well, why not?

I cut out the aperture first, in case it went wrong. I don't have machine so I cut it out with a knife and generally it does go wrong when I try that sort of  thing. Then I embossed right on the edges of the aperture and the outside of the card with a board and tool. 

Then I made a panel to put behind by inking and stamping the snowflakes in the same colours of inks. The white snowflake is embossed and then the whole panel is embossed with clear embossing powder which works a kind of magic on it. I sprinkled a little glitter into the final embossing layer, after all it is for Christmas. 
I'm very pleased with it. I held off from adding a sentiment to the front, I think it would detract.
I hope you like it. 
Thanks for visiting.