Allsorts Challenge

 I'm not sure if I've entered the Allsorts Challenge before but if so it was a very long time ago.  As the request this time is to use a die I thought I could make use of something from my vast collection accumulated over the years.  The word die I think was one which I was lucky to have won in another challenge last year and because of course it arrived in the New Year it has been tucked away safely just waiting to be brought out of hiding - first time of using for this one.  I started by die cutting a scalloped square in the Cherry Cobbler card before then taping the Merry and Bright word die in place to cut the greeting. A slightly smaller square of white card was cut as a backing.  Background paper is the last sheet of a collection from last year and as this is quite a busy design the simple die cut words seem to be just right for this simple and quite quick card.  Lots of lovely inspiration from the Design Team, well worth taking a look.

Word Die - from L'il Inker
Scalloped square - Tonic die
Background - paper from Stampin' Up - last season, so is retired

Pixie Snippets Challenge #417

Some stamps just lend themselves so well to paper piecing an that in turn  makes them suitable to use for the Pixie Snippets Playground Challenge.  Everything here apart from the card blank has come from my snippets mountain.  I started by stamping the image onto a piece of white card and then stamped again onto scraps of patterned papers, just inking the parts I needed for each section.  These were then carefully fussy cut before sticking into place, also adding a couple of small circles punched from a scrap of silver glitter card.  Next I sorted out some slightly larger snippets so that I could cut some layers and a background.  This time there is a choice between two great prize bundles so well worth taking the opportunity of using up some of your own snippets to make a card for the challenge.

Stamp - Woodware Little Festive Branch
Dies - Phill Martin and Tonic

Time Flies

 Well I can hardly believe it, somehow almost a week has gone whizzing by and I've barely noticed it!!  I've been doing a variety of mainly crafty things so maybe that's what has contributed to the speed 🙄. Anyway I have another Christmas card to share, this time one using a large bauble stencil to emboss the card before using the same stencil as a mask so that I could build up a little inky scene for this CAS design which I don't think requires a sentiment.

Stencil and stamps - from Card-Io

Paper Piecing

 I do like a bit of paper piecing and this is the technique used on today's card.  Image was stamped onto white card and then again onto three scraps of Designer Paper so that I could carefully cut out the three trees.  I then used another paper from the same pack as a background, adding a sentiment, ribbon, gold stars and some gold Glamour Dust to accent the icicles and snow.

Stamp - Woodware
Designer Papers - Stampin' Up (retired)

Snowman

 Yes, it's another Christmas card, this time inspired by watching a recent demonstration on the craft shopping channel.  Rather than being tempted into buying the latest new sets of stamps I went to my box of those bought in previous years and have come up with a card similar to the one demonstrated. I prepared a mask for the snowman and a piece of torn paper for the snow-line, brushing some blue ink around the stamped snowman and into the area where I later stamped the tree.  Simply added some rabbits to keep him company.  Glitter and stickles have been applied but I'm not sure they show up in the picture.

 Snowman, bird and rabbits - stamps from Card-Io
Tree and Sentiment - stamps from Penny Black

Can't Stop!!

 Can't seem to stop making cards for Christmas - each time I delve into the box of seasonal 'stuff' I'm inspired with another idea for a card.  I've noticed that there appears to be a trend towards pink this year - not too sure if I like this idea myself or not but I've gone along with it for today's card.  Nothing too pink here apart from the poinsettias which are die cut from some lovely shimmery vellum and some of the little berries in the background paper are also pink.

Using Up 'Bits and Pieces'

 Whenever I get into the craft room to make something I seem to get carried away and prepare too many 'bits and pieces' for the card I'm about to make and of course you will understand I can't bear to throw any of them away, however random they might be. Add them to the offcuts of card and paper which 'happen' and the mountain of Snippets just grows, week on week even though I do try my best to use them up.  This brings me to the latest Snippets Challenge and the card I've made, where everything has been selected from the treasure mountain apart from the base card and a piece of patterned paper from the remains of a Christmas paper pack from a past year.

The snow globe was die cut from a fairly large snippet of silver white pearl card, as was the snowy slope inside; the sky was aa scrap of patterned paper; Santa, reindeer and tiny tree were 'waste' from a die cut scene; Penguins with accessories were stamped and fussy cut; sentiment used up more small snippets of card and I just happened to find a couple of snowflakes in my box of treasures.

If you visit the Playground you will see there is a guest designer this time and she has made a fun card using up some of her own snippets and featuring the stamp and die set which is the prize for one lucky winner this time - worth having a go I'd say as I'm sure you will be able to find enough snippets in your stash to play along 😉