Allsorts Challenge #832

 It's my turn to chose the theme for the current Allsorts Challenge and as we head into Autumn I thought that **Leaves/Trees* would be an appropriate choice along with the usual *Anything Goes* option.  There is an assortment of prizes from the Allsorts prize box for the lucky winners.

For my DT card I've used some fun leaf dies cut from card which I'd coloured using some Pixie Powders and a few scraps of gold card.  The completed leaves were adhered to some slatted rectangle die cuts using cream card backed by rectangles of the coloured red card.  These were, in turn, mounted onto a square of cream card embossed using a leaf vein pattern.  Final addition was a computer sentiment.

Slatted rectangles - dies from Craft Addiction UK
Embossing Folder - Leaf vein pattern, I think from Crafter's Companion (no name on folder)
Sentiment - produced using MS Word
Leaves - Artsy Leaves Tim Holtz for Sizzix

Prize this time

Christmas Cards

 Getting reacquainted with my Christmas crafty stash has seen me making a few seasonal cards.  Each year as Christmas makes start to appear online there are always new items to add to the stash and although I do try not to add too much, there's always something or other which tempts me.  I was drawn to a couple of digi stamps which became available recently and for this card I've used a cute reindeer image which came as a pre-coloured version and an outline image as well.  I resized the outline image and coloured it using alcohol pens with the addition of a little coloured pencil work for shading.  Some snowflake and other papers were used and I simply added a small sentiment and a die cut snowflake from my useful oddments pot.  Together with some cards left over from last year and the ones I've been making, the collection is growing nicely.

Digi Image - from Craft Addiction UK, designed and drawn by Louise Dunne
Colouring - Copic pens and Coloursoft pencils
Snowflake Paper - printed from a Buddly Crafts download collection
Other Papers - from my Snippets collection
Sentiment - from a printed sheet which I've had for many years, source forgotten
White snowflake - die from Crafter's Companion (quite a few years old) 

More Wings

 I have another tag to share on the theme of 'Things with Wings' for the challenge at Tag-along (and ATCs)

This is a larger tag using some die cuts which were already made and in my 'useful pot'.  I cut a piece of light blue card to fit the tag and stamped a beehive scene in sepia, sponging the edges to match.  I then added the pot of honey, honeycomb and bees..  The words were from the stamp set with the beehive. The final touch was a toning piece of ribbon for the top of the tag.

Beehive Scene - from an  Chocolate Baroque stamp set from many years ago

Die Cuts - all from a Craft Addiction UK set
Tag - set of tag dies from Sizzix in several sizes (largest used)

Small Gift Tag

I've made a quick and easy small gift tag for the latest challenge on the Tag-along (and ATC) blog. The theme this time is 'Things with Wings' and I've mostly used bits and pieces which were on my desk in a container where I keep oddments ready to use.  I started by die cutting a small tag from a scrap of white card and then added a Christmas tree and snowflake along with a fussy cut digital image which came ready coloured so this was indeed a very quick project.  The little duck is dressed in his Santa hat, ready for the festivities

Tag - unbranded die
Tree - left over from last Christmas (one of my many tree dies)
Duck - Digital download from Craft Addiction UK, drawn by Louise Dunne

Another Christmas Card

 Having started to look at some of my seasonal stash I've made another Christmas card to add to my collection.  This time I've used a fancy circular background die along with a Santa die which I remember buying last year and I know he was only used once so I thought it was time he had a second airing.  A bit fiddly to put together but I do like him.  I feel that the Ho-Ho-Ho would have been better with a shadow backing (which this die doesn't have) but I think another time I will try to cut a suitable one.  Once the Santa was assembled this was quite a quick card to put together.

 Circle Background - die set from Craft Addiction UK
 Ho-Ho-Ho - unbranded die
Santa - also unbranded

Snippets Challenge # 514

 Time to pop along to the Snippets Playground to hand in my homework for the latest challenge and to see what refreshments are available - hopefully something warming because the temperatures have dropped somewhat now we are getting some much needed rain.

I decided to make a Christmas card this time and as well as using up some snippets I'm also using items from my stash rather than purchasing a die which has been tempting me for a while - one which cuts the word 'JOY' all in one piece.  With this in mind I remembered that several years ago I'd bought a set of quite large alphabet dies and, to my shame, they've not been out of their hiding place for such a long time so out they came and this card is the result.  Everything used here, apart from the card blank and the blue square, was made from snippets.  I started with the white snippet which remained after making my card blank and stamped, coloured and die cut the gnomes.  I also die cut a few snowflakes.  The white background was trimmed from a larger snippet and embossed with a falling snow embossing folder.  Finally I die cut the three letters from a snippet of blue pearlised card. Quite a bit of work involved here but I'm pleased with the result and pleased with myself for resisting yet another crafty purchase ☺️

Embossing Folder - Falling Snow from Stampin' Up (long retired)
Gnomes - Friendly Gnomes from Stampin' Up (retired)
Alphabet - Unbranded dies from probably around 8 or 9 years back
Snowflakes - dies from Crafter's Companion (also years old)

Allsorts Challenge # 831

 Time for a new Allsorts challenge and this time the theme, chosen by Donna, is **Birthdays** or of course the usual *Anything Goes* option.  I would think that birthday cards are the ones we make the most so why not share some of your makes to be in the running for the prizes this time.  Full details on the Allsorts blog post as usual.

For my Design Team card this time I've chosen to make a masculine card - often said to be the most difficult to make.  I used a downloaded image and combined it with a selection of toning papers from my stash and a simple sentiment.  It's just occurred to me that the camera might need some explanation for a younger recipient who has probably only encountered photos being taken using a mobile phone 🤣🤣

Image - Lili of the Valley downloaded printable image
Papers - Toning selection from my stash, trimmed to fit a 5" x 7" card
Sentiment - produced using Microsoft Word