Honey Bee

A beautiful sunny day today although of course it is quite chilly.  I have a sunny card to share today which was made a little while ago before I got into the seasonal ones.  I started with some background paper which had bees and honeycomb design, die cut some circles and then added the sentiment (using the Misti of course) and a beehive and bee.  Finished with a simple sentiment and a piece of matching ribbon.

 Background - paper which came free with a magazine
Stamps - Honeybee set from Stampin' Up with matching dies
Sentiment - computer generated, punched with Stampin' Up punches (retired now I think)

Fun Snowmen

 I've been using more stamps from previous Christmas buys and this time decided to repeat the snowman three times so that he was turning cartwheels. Background paper is from a magazine freebie, the white circle was embossed to look like snow and I added snowflakes and a small sentiment

Image - Snowman stamp set from Stampin' Up (retired)
Embossing - Snowfall embossing folder by Sizzix for Stampin' Up

Blue Christmas

There is a pretty keen wind outside today but at lease it seems to be a bit nicer than yesterday when it lashed with rain all day long and was very dark and dreary - a good excuse to work in the craft room.
|Another Christmas card for my collection using stamps and dies along with some odd pieces of patterned paper and white card.  The row of trees, the sentiment and the stars were first stamped onto white card before die cutting the blue paper to put at the top and bottom of the card. Once the card was assembled I added a scattering of die cut snowflakes.

 Stamps - Curvy Christmas from Stampin' up with matching curvy dies
Snowflakes - from an old Crafter's Companion set called Frosted Tree
Blue paper was from a magazine gift, probably at least a year old if not more

Free as a Bird

 As I was trawling around a few blogs (as you do) I spotted a little row of birds on a branch which had been coloured as robins HERE so I decided to have a go.  I didn't have the colour of card which had been used originally but I tried mine using kraft card with Coloursoft pencils and my card layout is different but I think it has worked. Made a change from stamping  onto white and helped with the shading on the birds.. The image panel was backed with a circle which had been embossed with a 'falling snow' embossing folder and a piece of design paper was used also.  Sentiment stamped in red onto a scrap of white card with the ends punched.

Image - Free as a Bird stamps Stampin' Up
Sentiment - from a retired SU stamp set
Rectangle - die from John Next Door
Embossing Folder - Falling Snow Stampin' Up
Background - printed from Artylicious Season's Greetings CD

Squash It Challenge #2

The Squash It challenge this time has a theme of Christmas and stamps - pop along for a visit to them if you don't know what I'm talking about and all will be explained.  I started with a square of white card of suitable size for my card and  stamped the sentiment in place using the Misti.  Next it was embossed  using a snowy embossing folder.  I then found some red card and stamped two baubles using red ink then heat embossed using clear powder.  The bows were stamped onto some tiny scraps of gold pearl card and the baubles and bows were cut using  matching punches. Layered everything together with some more gold and red card onto a white card base.

PS - I've just been reminded that the same theme follows for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge so I'm popping over there with my card too - another interesting blog for you to take a look at

Baubles - Contempo Christmas stamp set and punch Stampin' Up (retired)
Bows - Holly Berry Happiness Stampin' Up (retired) with matching punch
Embossing - Snow fall embossing folder Creative Expressions
Squares - dies from Tonic and Phill Martin
Sentiment - clear stamp from my stash (unbranded) probably a freebie from way back

Trio of Trees

 Over the years I've attended quite a few craft Extravaganza days which I've always very much enjoyed and one of the 'perks' has always been a set of stamps to keep.  I've revisited a set from a few years back and come up with this trio of trees card.  Started by die cutting the stitched rectangle and then stamping the three trees in green, followed by stamping just the pots onto some scrap card in red and fussy cutting them to add to the panel.  The three tiny stars were from my little pot of 'die-cutting waste' where I save all but the tiniest pieces.  The square of green paper was left over from another project and a couple of red layers were cut to complete this card.  Sentiment was stamped onto a strip of white card and the ends punched to make into a banner.

Stamps -  Contempo Christmas set from Stampin' Up (retired)
Banner ends - punch also from Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper - printed from Artylicious Season's Greetings CD
Square Dies - Tonic
Rectangle Dies -  John Next Door

Seasonal Card

Yet another seasonal card, this time featuring an old fashioned post box in a little scene.  At first I was devoid of ideas when it came to using this die until I had the idea of incorporating a few animals.  Started off by die cutting the frame and then stamping the trees onto a piece of white card, brushing some blue ink across the sky area and stamping a sentiment.  After die cutting the post-box, fence and animals I played around with arranging them into a little group and that's it - another card for the Christmas collection.

Frame - Phill Martin die
Trees - stamps from a free set (magazine gift from last year)
Post Box - Britannia die
Dog - Xcut die
Cats - Impression Obsession dies
Robins - Memorycraft dies
Fence - Sizzix die
Sentiment - from SU Contempto Christmas stamp set (retired)