Woolly Jumper

I'm still trying to make at least one Christmas card a week. This one uses the sketch from Christmas Challenges {with sketches}, and their challenge this week has the proviso that we use some kraft. I have used kraft for the base card. The pattern paper is from a cover-less pad so I can't attribute it. I used the sewing machine to make the zigzag stitch holes, but sewed it by hand. The cream strips were recycled from a birthday card and embossed in the bug. The sentiment is a peel-off, and the image is an old favourite from Whippersnapper, coloured with pencils.

I would like to enter this for:

Christmas Challenges (with sketches) #19 - use sketch and kraft

Crimbo Crackers #8 - no people or animals

One Stop Craft Challenge #167 - use stitching

Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

Christmas Inspirations #40 - Anything Goes

Blog Candy

Visiting some of the people playing along with the 365+1 photo challenge, I came across Hazel, and she just happens to have a card challenge blog as well! Why not pop over and have a peep? I might just have time to make a card in the morning and post it before the deadline tomorrow night.

I'm not too sure how many people will be reading this as I haven't been posting this past year and I expect my readers will have passed on to

pastures new...new blogging pastures that is, not the fields of heaven!

Edit: a card left over from this year's batch...Pink Petticoat papers and Edwin coloured to match using Derwent watercolour pencils. I often cut of his wings, but as it was Christmas I left them and added some sparkle

Friday Sketchers and Dare U2 Digistamp

Dare U2 Digi Stamps Friday Challenge this week is black, white and pink. I have combined it with Friday Sketchers Challenge to use this layout:



The B&W background paper is by Pink Petticoat, the cross strip is embossed with the Cuttlebug Divine Swirls folder, and the image is from Polly Craft's Cherry Kisses digi set, coloured with watercolour pencils. The little glass hearts were in a box of embellies given to me by my friend Dilys as a thank you for knitting some second sizers for her due-last-Tuesday-but-not-yet-arrived, great grandson.

Two for the price of one...

This fulfils the conditions for Charmed Cards' Crafty Goings On blogcandy as it has a digital download image that has been coloured. Why not pop over there and check it out?

Secondly, this week's Dare U 2 Digi Stamp Challenge is to use embossing on your card, either dry embossing or heated embossing. The background paper and the large circle are from a Funky Hand CD. I used the Cuttlebug to emboss a piece of dusty pink pearl card, the image is from Polly Craft's Cherry Kisses digital set and the sentiment is a Cuddly Buddly stamp. The image and sentiment have been coloured with watercolour pencils. I had problems matching the colours in the background paper, and the close-up shows that I need to learn to be a bit less wishy washy with my colour, but I'm getting there...slowly! The flower and braid are from my re-cycled stash...the braid was once on a dress, and the flower was originally in a bathroom vase.

I'm the lucky bunny...

..who's name came out of the hat on the Funky Fairy Challenge #21....


...and I have won a lovely paper download from the Funky Fairy shop! Thanks a bunch FFs!

Funky Fairy Challenge #21

The challenge this week is to make a Christmas card using at least one item from Funky Fairy. I have used the snow paper from their Blue Christmas free download, a Winter Tilda and a computer generated greeting. I'm not sure what happened to the perspective in the photo; the card looks a bit wonky, but it isn't in real life...

Cuttlebug Challenge #36

This, my first entry into a Cuttlebug Challenge, is for a man's card. All the men I know prefer simplicity in their cards, and they don't come much simpler than this!

Just under the wire...

...for the Papertake Weekly Challenge! Here's my Sunday night take on Dawny's Sketch #6.



Papers are Artylicious, base card, ribbon, corners and peel-off text from stash. The image is one of my hand-carved eraser stamps, inked up with a freebie four colour mini pad, and stamped onto textured card from a recycled Christmas card.

ATCs

I haven't made an ATC for ages, and as this blog was originally set up with ATCs in mind, I thought I would make an effort. The first one is my version of this Ismaki Challenge Sketch. The tree stamp is home carved, the swirl is Inkadinkado and the snowflake is a peel-off. The papers are scraps from my bit drawer.


The second ATC is supposed to be for a Christmas card collage swap on FAPATCs. As it is the twelth day of Christmas, the large decorated tree fading away into insignificance seemed quite appropriate! At the moment there is only one other name down; the person who suggested it, so this may be a one to one.

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #41

Background paper and the swirl are from a free Rhonna Farrar download, layered up by me in PS, then reduced in size and printed. Text plate layer is computer generated as well, using the colour picker to get the green from the swirl. I tend to do these plates in batches on a white background that I later colour in to match the card, but I coloured a couple of this batch before printing. The stamped image came in a swap lot, so I am not sure who it's by. Does anyone recognise it? I coloured it using ordinary felt tips scribbled onto my desk top and picked up with a damp brush, all except the skin; I did that with a watercolour mix of yellow and red from an old box of paints.

Funky Fairy Challenge #42

Funky Fairy's Papercraft have opened a Forum for their Challenges. This is my card for their Sketch Challenge #42. Papers used are Funky Fairy's Blue Christmas download. Dove stamp is by Uptown Rubber Stamps, coloured with two shades of blue felt tip and a waterbrush. Swirl is Inkakdinkadoo, and the sentiment is from an unbranded box of Christmas stamps.

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #37

The challenge this week is to use snow or snowflakes. Papers are Funky Fairy's Blue Xmas. The frames were either too big or too small for the card, so I used the inside of one as a pattern and drew the shape with felt tip. I didn't have a blue closer to the background colour, but IRL it is a good match for the base card. The punched snowflakes have pale blue gems. Tilda looks very pale and cold, but that is the fault of the scanner; I can't figure out how to correct this. I should really have a play with the settings...

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #36

This week's Challenge is to use green and red in a card. I still had the green and red Shabby Princess paper out, so I used that to make this card. The trees are part of the same free download. I don't know if it is still available, because it was from Christmas 2006! At this stage there was not a lot of cute about it, so I drew, painted and cut out the tiny elves; I hope they are cute enough for you...

Magnolia v Stampavie #3

This is this week's sketch;

Resizing of elements is allowed, but I think I went a bit over the top with the parchment work rectangle! It has the required scallops, but all the way round and not just on one edge; when you start on this intriguing craft, it is hard to stop once you get the rhythm of it...

This shows you that I forgot to rub out the yellow tracing lines, that I was not so much in the mood for pricking that I was prepared to perforate all round the edge, and that I need more precision in placing my tiny star tool...in other words; I need lots more practice!

Sketch Saturday #25 & DCM

The challenge at Sketch Saturday this week is to make a Christmas card following this sketch. I have pricked holes down the sides of the card to add a little interest. The holly paper is from an Artylicious CD, the vertical vine is recycled from a card, and I drew the little robin and coloured it with oil pastels and a stencil brush.
Daring Card Makers Challenge is to feature a bird, so this little robin qualifies, I think...

Sketch Saturday challenge #24

I can't stop coughing, and I feel like crap, but I am trying to keep myself occupied so I don't sleep all day. I borrowed a couple of the stamps from the Craft Club box, thinking I would make a couple of cards, but my stamping skills are pretty amateur, and I usually end up with missed bits that have to be filled in with pencil, or messy splodges where my inky fingers have hit the paper before the stamp. So it was with the post box image; there was a large black smudge in the top right corner....then I came across Sketch Saturday...the stamp is Anita's, coloured with watercolour pencils, the papers are scraps of Pink Petticoat, and the snowflake is made of wood and came from Casa.

Doubling Up

The low Winter sun makes photography difficult sometimes! I made this card following the sketch for the Stamp with Stampavie Challenge. Following a link on the blog of one of the designers there, I came across another Challenge Blog for Stampavie and Magnolia stamps, and their Challenge #2 was for a card that was "Clean and Simple with no more than three colours". I thought this card looked clean, so I am entering it there as well.
Stamp is Lily by RAM. Teabag papers and strip were designed by me years ago using royalty free images. Tiny tag is by Pink Petticoat.

Beate's Weekend Sketch #65

Here is my entry for Challenge #65. Papers are all from a Shabby Princess download. Snowman stamp is Stampendous, coloured with watercolour pencils.

My first challenge card...

...for Cute Card Thursday. The theme is Autumn or Fall.