Counting Down

 If you are counting down you will realise that it's just a month now to Christmas and of course this means that it is time for the Rudolph Days challenge.  An opportunity to join in from today until the end of this month.  For my card this time I've used a digital image which I downloaded and resized - available in coloured and/or uncoloured and this time I've used the coloured version.  I found a piece of red patterned paper and then cut a torn edge square slightly smaller; this was embossed for added interest..  I then made a frame using a couple of circle dies and added a circular die cut sentiment and popping Nutmeg and friend behind the aperture.

Image - from Craft Addiction UK, hand drawn by Louise Dunne, available to download
Circle Sentiment - unbranded die (from Temu)
Square and Circle - unbranded dies
Embossing Folder - unbranded (from Temu)
Background Paper - from my snippets collection

Snippets Playground Challenge #520

 I've made another Christmas card  and I'm headed over to the Snippets Playground to see what fun and games might be going on today.  I've used dies from a variety of different sets, some of which I've had for ages and some a little more recently acquired.  I had to cut into a new sheet of white card to cut a layer slightly smaller than my card blank.  I then used a curved die to cut through it and lightly brushed the top part with some blue Distress ink before sticking the pieces back together to form a background for my scene.  All of the elements were cut from pieces found in my Snippets collection, which as I've said before, seems to grow larger rather than diminishing but I do try hard to use them up on every possible occasion.  There is a lovely prize on offer for the person who is lucky in the draw at the end of the fortnight.

Stitched Curve Die - from Lawn Fawn 
Robin - from a set by Craft Addiction
Remaining dies came from various sets some old, some newer
Sentiment - from a long retired Stampin' Up Christmas stamp set.

Allsorts Challenge #837

 The theme for the latest Allsorts challenge has  been chosen by Helen and we would like to see cards where the sentiment is the main feature.  Prizes this time are from Sweet Poppy - full details in the Allsorts blog post where you can also see the cards made by the Design Team members.  There is also the usual alternative theme of anything goes.

I've chosen to make another Christmas card, this time using a large die cut sentiment in red, layered onto gold card from Tonic which has a subtle sheen.  The white square was cut using a torn edge die, then embossed before being backed with matching red square.  Two robins have been die cut and coloured using alcohol pens.

Red card - Cherry Cobbler from Stampin' Up
Gold - from Tonic
Large Sentiment - from Julie Hickey
Robins - from Craft Addiction UK
Torn Edge Die - from Amazon
Embossing Folder - Falling Snow from Stampin' Up (long retired)

Snippets Challenge #519

 Time to skip along to the Snippets Playground for their latest challenge although I reckon I'll be needing raincoat and wellies on this dark and wet morning.  I have a fun card this time and everything here used bits and pieces from my Snippets collection apart from the piece of patterned paper which came from a part-used pad which I've had for some time and of course the blank card although making my own blanks leaves me with a very useful Snippet strip of card each time.  These strips came in handy for me to cut the door and door frame panels and I thought the woodgrain paper looked good as the wall.  The dogs were die cut from some white snippets, coloured using alcohol pens with pencils for shading, and the door handle from gold.  Sentiment was composed on the computer, sized to fit a rectangle stitched die.  Not the most imaginative of card designs but I thought it was fun and fits the Snippet brief 😉

Patterned Paper - a pad from The Works from some years ago
Main Die Set - unbranded
Sentiment - computer generated, die from Stampin' Up Stitched Rectangles (retired)

Allsorts Challenge #836

 The theme for the Allsorts Challenge this time has been chosen by Christine, who would like to see a selection of **Christmas Projects** or you could go with the *Anything Goes* option.  Prizes this time of stamps and dies - full details on the Allsorts post.

For my DT card this time I've used a Funky snowman which was stamped, coloured and fussy cut.  I started with a piece of patterned paper slightly smaller than the card blank, then die cut a red tattered circle and a smaller white one.  The white circle was stamped in grey using a lovely large snowflake stamp.  The sentiment was stamped over this in black and then I just popped the snowman in place.

Background - paper printed from a download from Buddly Crafts
Circles - unbranded dies from Amazon
Snowflake and Sentiment - stamps by Crafty Roo (sadly no longer trading)
Snowman - stamp from a set by Funky Fossil

Texture at Tag-along

 The theme for the Tag-along (and ATC) challenge this month is **Texture** which gives us lots of scope.  There is also the *anything goes* option as usual and another great prize for a lucky winner. 

I started by die cutting a large tag in cream card, which I then over stamped with some text; adding a bit of floral stamping at the bottom using Versamark and some Distress embossing powder which is years old but still gives a fairly rough texture when heated.  Next I used a stencil (again one I've had for many years) along with some gold glitter embossing paste.   A little stencilling was then added for extra interest.  The focal element is a die cut flower using scraps of card from my box of 'inky play' pieces and finally three strips of narrow border which also have embossed texture on them.  These were cut from the same inky card as the flower stem.  A scrap of gold textured ribbon and that's it - a tag for the challenge.

Tag - die set of various sizes from Tim Holtz for Sizzix
Background Text - Dictionary page stamp from Stampin' Up (long retired)
Floral Stamp - from a very old Stampers Anonymous set, Nature's Discovery
Gold Lettering - Classic Words stencil Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 (years old )
Flower - Wild Flower Stems #2 Tim Holtz for Sizzix
Border Strips - unbranded die set 

Agapanthus

 A floral card to share today and the layout is based on one of the ones which the lovely Jules has generously provided for us on her blog (Always With a Heart).  I started by smooshing some ink onto a piece of white card and, once dry, stamped the flowers onto it with a purple ink pad.  This panel was backed with a slightly larger piece of purple card.  There was enough of the inky card to cut out two butterflies which were sparkled with some Wink of Stella.  Two toning pieces of patterned paper were trimmed to size and added along with three narrow die cut scalloped strips.  The sentiment was die cut using the same colours.

Flowers - Agapanthus stamp by Stampendous (a gift from a generous friend)
Butterflies - dies from Memory Box
Sentiment - dies from Crafters Companion
Border strips - from an unbranded set of mixed borders