52 CCT Technique Challenge

Hello! Hard to believe that we are nearing the end of another year of challenges at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown! I hope that we have helped you make a pile of cards all ready to send off (if you can bear to part with them that is!) I love being part of the lovely Design Team and am already looking forward to next year's challenges. However, we still have a couple of challenges left to go, starting with this fab technique challenge -

 

 

 

I love creating inky backgrounds! On my card I have sponged a mixture of Soft Sky, Pool Party, Tempting Turquoise and Pistachio Pudding, using a ripped piece of copier paper as a mask. I then added some snowflakes in white and stamped the trees using SU's Wonderland. A bit of messing around with a chalk marker, the fine tip glue pen and some glitter, and I was done!

 

 

 

I hope that you will join us over at 52CCT and feel inspired by the DT's inky creations!

 

I am doing a last minute drag of my trees (for Parsnip to climb) through the gates at Pixie's Snippets Playground even though my snippetage of the week just involved a mask of copier paper (part of a shopping list!) Di very kindly had my Tic Tac holders as one of her picks last week which made my day! April x



Christmas Sock Exchange

Hello! I have had a lovely time taking part in a fab Christmas Sock Exchange organised by Kim of A Blackbird's Epiphany. I have sent my parcel (pictured above) off to the U.S., but the gorgeous socks that arrived here came from Kim. Amongst all the lovely gifts was one of her fabulous necklaces -  a fox in a bottle! I squealed with delight! ( I have worn it straight away - couldn't wait til Christmas!)

Here's the handmade card that went with my parcel. I hope my recipient enjoys receiving their socks as much as I have.

Such a super idea and so enjoyable! Thanks Kim!

April x

52 CCT Theme Challenge

Hello! We have a theme challenge this week at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown:

 

I decided to go with the friendship between a girl and a polar bear (hope that doesn't make me sound too odd...!) This lovely stamp is called Snow Kiss by Penny Black. My card didn't get off to a great start when I dropped a black inkpad on my jeans! I based my colour scheme on the piece of SEI paper in the gold frame, combining it with Chocolate Chip and Smoky Slate cardstock. I used Endless Wishes to stamp the background and the tiny tag is a very handy die that comes with the Curvy Keepsake Box.

 

 

 

 I would so much like a snow kiss with a polar bear, but I suspect the reality would be very different! I do hope that you will join us as we love seeing all the amazing cards that you very kindly enter into our challenges. Have a great weekend, April x

Tic Tac Holders

Happy Friday! These are the Tic Tac holders I made for last night's craft fair. They are perfect for tiny snippet use (or snippetage, as I like to call it!) The fab tutorial is here. I had a great time with Sam and Ruth on our stall. Here it is looking all festive!

I am flicking a Tic Tac at Parsnip over at Pixie's Snippets Playground (It sounds like he's just flicked a pile back. Such a loud and sudden burst of hail! I guess that's the start of the promised wintery weather). Wishing you a crafty weekend in the warm, April x

Coffee Gift Card Holders

Hello! I am continuing to make (slow) progress with my Christmas craft fair preparation. There is a definite coffee theme going on at the mo because I have been messing around with a fab MFT set of stamps and dies. I love coffee stamps, but I don't actually drink coffee...I do have one cup of coffee on Christmas day though. I'm not sure why! I think these gift card holders look suitably festive, but could be used at other times of the year too. I'm always conscious that lots of people have already bought their Christmas stuff earlier in the year, so I try to keep a balance between the Christmassy and the non-Christmassy!

I'm sending a cup of coffee to Di (and one to Parsnip) at Pixie's Snippets Playground.

April x

Christmas Workshops

I had two very enjoyable workshops this week where we made Christmas cards using the Cozy Christmas and Wonderland stamp sets. Two very different styles of card!

I had such a lovely time with great company and even managed to ration my mince pie consumption (a big achievement in the face of the food loveliness that was provided!)

 

Back to craft fair prep this week! Have a lovely Sunday! April x

52 CCT Colour Challenge

Our colour challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week is to use purple and green. Such a great colour combo!

I have gone with two shades of both colours here - Perfect Plum and Blackberry Bliss combined with Pear Pizzazz and Mossy Meadow. I used the 'rock and roll' technique to ink the stamp - it's not a weird photo defect! The lovely tree stamp is from SU's Wonderland set.

I hope that you will join us in our colour challenge - we love seeing your inspirational cards. Have a great weekend, April x

P.S. I am squeezing my trees through the gates for Parsnip over at Pixie's Snippets Playground. That bear needs a tree to hide up after all the firework frivolity, as does poor Miss Di with her 'grout'.

52 CCT Sketch Challenge

Wow! Hard to believe that November is here. At the start of each month we have a sketch challenge for you at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.

 

For my take on the sketch, I have used some cute snowman paper that came with a magazine. I inked a piece of cardstock with a variety of Distress Stains - Mermaid Lagoon, Blueprint Sketch, Cracked Pistachio and Tumbled Glass. I then cut a snowflake using one of Sara Davies' Trio of Snowflakes die. I cut another one from Glimmer Paper to layer underneath and added a snowflake sequin and an enamel dot.

I hope you will join us for our sketch challenge and be inspired by the DT's fabulous Christmas creations! Have a great weekend, April x

Craft Fair Production

Hello! Sam, Ruth and I have a stall again this year at Hoylake Evangelical Church's Christmas fair on 19th November. I have vowed to myself not to do my usual trick and leave all the making to the last two days!! I am hardly the fastest papercrafter and today's haul has been less than impressive - a gift card holder, two tic tac holders and a gift box. To be fair, the cats haven't even 'helped' today. I was delayed by losing the penguin's tiny bow tie stamp though. That involved twenty minutes with a torch!

The gift card holder was made using the Envelope Punch Board and this tutorial. The penguin is from SU's Snow Place. He is so cute! You can write inside.

Of course, craft fairs are perfect for full-on snippet use! This is my second entry of the week to Pixie's Snippets Playground. Have a great week, April x