Little Santa with Die Cut Diva's

I made this card in September, thought I had posted it, but I can't find it.  I'm

hoping I am not writing this post up only to find that I actually DID post the card.  Enough about that; let's pretend that I didn't post it.  We would love to see you at  Die Cut Diva's December Challenge of "Winter or Winter Holidays" sponsored by the generous Di's Digi Download's - although the holidays are over, it's still winter!

I am a huge fan of Mama Elephant's "little" stamps - I have every one except the newest release!  I love coloring these little stamps and I thought having Santa peeking out of all of these circles was a fantastic way to showcase him.

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Red Card
Authentique Festive Paper Pad, 6" x 6", #FES009 {retired but available}
Watercolor Card {I use this}
Mama Elephant Little Santa Agenda stamps
Mama Elephant Little Santa Agenda dies
Lawn Fawn Say What? Christmas Critters stamps, #LF1778
Uniquely Creative Circle Cover Plate, #UCD1801
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Zig Clean Color Markers
Sakura Gelly Roll Pens, Stardust

I began by stamping, coloring, and cutting all the Little Santas - there are more in the set, but I chose the ones I felt would fit this card the best and set them aside.  I cut the cover die out of the patterned paper, flipped over the surrounding square and one of the circles, and attached all of the background to the red card except for the green circle.  On the green circle, I stamped the sentiment and attached it to the middle of the cover plate.  I arranged the Santas around the circles and glued them all in place.  Lastly, I attached the entire front to the red card and that to the card base.  It was an easy card to make even though I think it looks complicated.  The longest part of making the card was coloring and cutting the Santas and that only took a while because matching up those tiny die cuts with the correct Santa can be a bit time consuming.  In fact, what I finally did with the Little Cat Agenda set was I copied the dies and put them under the stamps so when I used a stamp it was easy to find the die that went with it.  The Santas are easier to find the matching dies because their shapes are distinctly different but I may end up doing that little trick to all my Little Agenda sets.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my little tutorial!  I hope I've inspired you to grab some of your stamps and dies and combine them in a way that's new to you. And don't forget, come play with us at Die Cut Diva's!!  I appreciate you taking the time to visit and hope that your holiday season has been creative and crafty!  Fondly, Christi

I am entering my Little Santa's in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes (entry #2)
Crafting by Designs - Holiday Anything Goes
Winter Wonderland - Anything Christmas Goes
CARDZ TV - #79, Anything Goes
CHNC - #418, Anything Christmas Goes
Sweet Stampers - #27, Anything Goes

Angel Ornaments

Each year I try to make a special little ornament for my sister who has a table top Christmas tree that she sets up.  This year I made a bunch so she could choose the one she likes best.  These were relatively simple to make and I hope I inspire you to step out of the box and make some decorations or gifts yourself!
This is a long post, so settle in with a cup and relax!

What I Used to Make my Angel Ornaments:
Ranger Glossy Accents
Retro Art Cafe' Coffee Break Designs BASIC Fairy Shrine
Retro Art Cafe' Coffee Break Designs ANGEL Shrine
Retro Art Cafe' Coffee Break Design SWEETHEART Style 4
Retro Art Cafe' Tiny Fairy Doll Head Paper Cuts - 1 pk
Dresden Wings, Small Gold
From my Stash: Tiny Red Fabric Heart, Pink Heart Shaped Stone, Iridescent Star, Tiny Gems, Die Cut Waste, Scrap Paper
Stickles in Gold, Iridescent and Platinum
Jump Rings, 4 Medium
Lindy's Gang Embossing Powder in Raspberry Lemonade, Imperial Crown Purple Gold, Midnight Teal and Bougainvillea Red Teal
Ranger Embossing Powder in Rich Red {unavailable but any dark red will do!}
E6000 adhesive {you probably have some}
Krylon Leafing Pens in Silver and Gold

I love Retro Art Cafe' and the cool products they carry; seriously I could spend an absolute fortune there! When I was a brand new crafter making shrines was THE thing {besides cards and scrapbooks - I don't think there was ever a time when those 2 paper crafts weren't popular}to make.  Mixed media was just born, Suze Weinberg was the Embossing Powder Queen {do a google search or check out You Tube} and Ranger Ink was still in it's infancy.  Collages, canvases, altered books and so much more were being made at breakneck speed.  That's when I found Retro Art Cafe' and I still shop there; most likely I will until one of us is done!  When I was brainstorming for this years ornament I knew if I went there and browsed around I'd find something awesome to spark my imagination and Retro Art did not let me down {plus, they have awesome sales!}.  I saw the Inspirational Fairies and I knew that was what I needed to use this year, so I bought a bunch of kits, matching heads and Dresden wings. I actually wasn't sure what wings would fit the shrines so I emailed Kristin and asked what she thought and she was kind enough to recommend the small Dresden wings.  Once I got my goodies I got to work.

This what was left of mine;
Saving them - you never know!

Each pack of Shrines has four pieces in it so you can make 2 double figures or 4; it's up to you and your design. The set includes 2 solid pieces and two shrine pieces {the shrine pieces have a hole in them to make a small window}. For these I used two pieces for each, one solid piece and one shrine piece.  The first step I took was sandwiching a jump ring in between the two pieces so I could attach an ornament hanger, piece of string or ribbon or even put them on a necklace if I wanted.  I first tried to stick them together with regular glue because I was all out of E6000 - no luck; the jump rings were so loose I could pull them out.  So once I got a new tube of E6000 I glued the rings back in and used binder clips to keep the pieces together while they dried.  I let them dry for  few days to ensure they'd be

The Blue Angel 

sturdy.  I also sandwiched the wings I used between the layers on one of the ornaments; my intent was to do that to all of them, but then I decided since I was going to be decorating them with who knows what that I'd attached the wings to the other three when I was done.  They also come with teeny little pieces of product that you can mount them on so they will stand up.  As well as crowns!

The Red Angel

I wanted a super shiny, almost enamel look on the bodies so I embossed them.  I embossed them so many times I lost count using all the delicious colors from Lindy's Gang as referenced above.  I used my fingernail {something I am SO guilty of - I know I shouldn't use them, but they are so accessible and I often find myself using them without even thinking.  However, I don't recommend it!}  to remove the embossing powder, while it was still warm, on the Red ornament to try and keep the heart shape.  Once all of them were embossed, I coated each with Glossy Accents, except for the head area, and again, on the Red one where the heart design wasn't.  Let them sit again for a few days as I

The Pink Angel

had plenty of projects to finish.  I edged each one with a Krylon Leafing Pen {I've had these pens for YEARS - another throwback to the beginning of my paper crafting.  We used them for everything, mostly to edge paper and to do the original Polished Stone technique with alcohol inks} and used the pens to cover the wings.  Turns out the wings I had attached between the two parts at the beginning took a beating with all the embossing and stuff so I wanted to jazz them up a bit and bring the wings to life.  I also used a leafing pen to color the gold wings silver.  Once the wings dried I layered some matching Stickles on them to make them shine even more; the leafing pen can have a dull finish.  I embellished my angels with bits and bobs I've had in my stash for years and attached the doll head cut outs so they could have faces.  Lastly, I painted one crown silver {with the Leafing Pen} that I gave to the Blue angel, and added some gold dots of Stickles to the Purple angel's crown that was a part of her head.

The Purple Angel

Then I was done.  I find waiting for things to dry the most annoying part of making art and this was a study in patience for sure!  But it felt really good to make something 3D, something fun and out of the box.  I hope my angels inspire you to get some older art supplies {or, buy some new goodies at Retro Art Cafe'!} and have some messy fun.  I really had no idea how these babies were going to turn out so this entire project was an experiment for me.  On that note I'm glad I bought more than one set of the Angel Shrines because I have LOTS more ideas for these!  I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and are having a safe, healthy and artful holiday! Fondly, Christi

I am entering my Angel Ornaments in the following challenges:
Altered Eclectics - M, Anything MM Goes
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - M, {running til Feb} Anything MM Goes
More Mixed Media Challenge - Anything MM Goes
The Three Amigos - Winter
Bleeding Art - M, Shiny & Sparkly
An Inky Mess - Anything MM Goes
CHNC - #416, Anything Christmas Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Christmas
Moo-Mania - Angels
Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge - Anything MM Goes
Crafter's Castle - Anything Goes OPTION: Christmas Ornaments
Lindy's Gang - M, Color Challenge

HLS Mixed Media Challenge - Fantasy

Always Jingle

I consider myself very blessed to have such a great relationship with my brother; especially because he is twelve years older than I am.  The older we get the more alike we are and we both have a sense of humor that leans on the darker side.  I made this Christmas card for him.

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Holiday Patterned Paper {from stash}
Katzelcraft Cats stamp set, #KZT152 {the image was already colored and fussy cut}
The Ink Road Happy Holla Days stamp set
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Die-Namics Stitched Circle STAX

I put this together in about 10 minutes, of course it helped that the cat was already stamped, colored and fussy cut.  So all I did was cut the circle out of white card. stamp the sentiment, glue the cat on, attached the patterned paper and let the whole thing dry.  Easy as pie!

I always stamp, color and cut out extra of whatever I am working on, it makes putting cards together SO easy {IF I can find the images; I have a horrible filing system that is basically a huge pile in a tray.}  I'm going to work on that.  I hope you like my snarky holiday card; I think this card is perfect for those who see things a wee bit skewed and my brother fits the bill.  Thank you so much for visiting! I'd love for you to let me know you were here so I can visit you back! Happy holidays! Christi

PS: I just have to share with all of you - it is incredibly hard for me to type out Christmas and not just type my name! You have NO idea! LOL

I am entering my Always Jingle Card in the following challenges:
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - #125, R is for RUDE Christmas

The Artistic Stamper - M, Christmas
Dies R Us Challenge - #111, Anything Goes Christmas
Animal Friends Challenge - #69, Anything Goes Christmas
Cardz TV - Anything Goes
Creative Friday - M, #220, Christmas Animals, entry #2
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Christmas
Shopping our Stash - #384, 'Tis the Season
SUYP - Meowy Christmas

You Warm my Heart

I made this card especially for the current theme on the Lawn Fawnatics challenge blog - the 40th challenge is this cool color inspiration:

Now, using these colors was a stretch for me, but making this card was a nice break from all the holiday and fall colors.

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Lawn Fawn Really Rainbow Petite Christmas Paper Pack,  6 x 6, #LF1740
Lawn Fawn Snow Day Stamp Set, #LF723
Lawn Fawn Snow Day Dies Set, # LF724
Colored Paper from Stash
Watercolor Paper
Zig Clean Color Markers
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Hero Arts Ink in Amethyst
Tim Holtz Stamp Platform

I first have to share why you shouldn't be crafting at 2 AM - can you spot what I did wrong?

It was an easy fix because I do this ALL the time - I have even gotten into the habit of checking which way my card opens before I attach anything to it and I STILL attach things upside down or on the wrong side.  Nothing a quick cut won't fix.  

My first step in making this card was finding one of the background papers from the Really Rainbow Christmas Pack.  I knew I wanted to use the cute heart and the scarf from Let it Snow and I had a vision in my head of what I wanted to do.  I needed to find a paper that didn't clash with my intentions and I chose the rainbow snowflakes.  

Then I stamped my scarves on watercolor paper and colored them in using Zig Clean Color Markers.  I cut them all out and set them aside.  I thought using pastel color papers for the hearts would work but they were too bland.  So I found coordinating paper {that matched the scarves} and die cut the hearts from bright colors.  I paired the scarves with the matching hearts.

Another Peek

The sentiment comes in the set as a square and I didn't have enough room to use it in that shape so I used my Platform and some sticky notes. I didn't take pictures of the process because it was getting late and I was tired.  It took me a few tries before I got the sentiment to line up sort of straight, but by that time I felt it was good enough.  I basically used the sticky notes as masks to stop the part of the saying from stamping where I didn't want it to. All in all I think it was a successful adaptation, but next time I'll give myself enough time to screw up without stressing myself.

I hope you like my card; I enjoy making holiday cards out of unexpected colors and this one fits the bill in my book!  Thanks so much for swinging by. ~ Fondly, Christi

I am entering my You Warm My Heart card in the following challenges:
Lawn Fawnatics - #40, Color Challenge
Stamping Sensations - Christmas Inspiration
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - #411, Anything Goes Option: Something Beginning with H {Hearts!!}
Cardz TV - #74, Anything Goes
Colour Crazy - #46, Anything Goes
4 Crafty Chicks - #429, Snowflakes
As You Like It - Monochrome or Rainbow? I like to stretch myself and monochrome is MUCH easier for me, so Rainbow it is!
Lost Coast Designs - #65, Cute {badge below}

Scrapy Land - #101, Anything Goes w/ a Company They Carry

Sweet Stampin' Christmas - M, Anything Christmas Goes

That's Crafty! - M, Winter Wonderland

Bastel-Traum - #71, Winter/Christmas {badge below}

Lost Coast Designs

Bastel-Traum 

Laminate Chip Ornaments ~ Oldies but Goodies

I was looking at some of my older {these are at least 8 years old - some of them even older than that} creations today and I came across a bunch of these Formica™ and/or Laminate Chip Sample Ornaments.  Back when using these chips was all the rage, I emailed one of the companies and somehow ended up with a huge box of discontinued samples, all different colors and sizes.  I remember feeling like I hit the jackpot!  In fact, I still have a bunch of them somewhere - I should dig them out and figure out another project for them.  

Years back I used to make a small ornament every year and I've gotten out of the habit.  However, I've just ordered a bunch of teeny little embroidery hoops and I hope to create something festive out of those for this year.  My sister has a tiny little Christmas tree that she puts up and she has all the little ornaments that I've made over the years decorating it.  I think it's time to make her a new one.

There really is no "how to" on these; just use whatever you have on hand.

Take a look at these oldies but goodies:

I used Dresden trim, buttons, and an old pin on these.

This one was made with a sequin tree and a bunch of iridescent little circles.  I remember making the sentiments using Publisher - I obviously hand cut this one!

Another button, sequin, and hand made sentiment ornament.  I think I still have some of that background paper somewhere.

This one is using ribbon and Dresden trim - the snowflake and gold lines are the ribbon.  I just ripped a hole in it to accommodate the string. 

Those are the only pictures I have left of the many ornaments I made.  I didn't think the same way I do today; I never thought I'd have a blog or ever show these publicly.  Thinking back on what my life was like when I was making these was a fun little visit back in time.  I hope you enjoyed visiting with me and if you have any chip ideas, please share them with me!  ~Fondly, Christi

I'd like to enter my Laminate Chip Sample Ornaments in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything But a Card {entry #3}
The Happy Craft Challenge - M, Anything Goes
Creative Artiste - M, #43, Anything Mixed Media Goes
Crafter's Castle - M, #10, Anything Goes OPTION:Winter
An Inky Mess - M, #23, Anything Mixed Media Goes
Altered Eclectics - M, Anything Mixed Media Goes 
The Cat's Pajamas - M, #351, Holiday

Technique Time ~ Noel

Hello all! I know the holiday season has passed us but the technique I used making this card is something you can do any time of the year.  So, one last little holiday card and then I promise to move on.

What I Used to Make My Card:
White Card Base
Gold Card
Strip of Matching Design Cardstock {whatever you have on your desk!}
IndigoBlu Dinkie Noel Stamp, IND0115
Spellbinders Opulent Ovals Dies, #S5-160 {discontinued, but available}
Watercolor Markers {In this case I used Clean Color Markers in 044, Deep Green & 022 Carmine Red}
Delicata Ink in Golden Glitz

Stamp #1

Basically what I did with this stamp is color the parts I wanted colored and just over-stamped again and again for each color.  This is MUCH easier now that we have tools like the MISTI - but we did manage to make it work in the old days.  I started this image with the leaves on the stamp which I colored green.  I stamped them quite a few times - it is easy to miss little spots, but it also creates different color depths which can be beautiful.  

As you can see from my photo of Stamp #1, I did OK with the left side of the stamp but was missing some color on the right side.  I just kept coloring the leaves, huffing on the stamp {supposedly moistens the ink - I don't know if it actually does anything, but I've been doing it forever, so why stop now?} and restamping the image, never moving it off my MISTI.  

Stamp #2

The photo on the left, Stamp #2, is almost my last time stamping

Using Delicata Ink on the Sentiment

the leaves.  This  stamp also has itty bitty berries in the ivy leaves; I didn't bother taking any pictures of stamping those as it only took me two or three impressions to complete them.  Once I had my leaves and berries stamped, I wiped off the stamp using a baby wipe and covered both sides of the leaves with sticky notes.  I then used the Delicata ink on the actual sentiment.  I used the sticky notes to stop any of the gold ink getting on the leaves and/or berries.  Since I only had to stamp the sentiment once, the sticky notes held just fine.

I completed the card buy cutting out the sentiment and a layer of gold card, using the Opulent Ovals dies, and layering that over a strip of cardstock I literally had lying on my desk.  I'm pleased with the results and I have decided

Just another look

to search for some more old techniques I can bring back to life.  I have enough old magazines hanging around {I just CAN'T throw them out! They are a wealth of beauty and knowledge! Hoarding craft magazines is definitely an "issue" of mine} that I will have techniques to resurrect for ages.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I'd love it if you'd follow me and if you decide to, please be sure to leave me a comment so I can follow you back! Have a wonderful day. ~ Christi

I am entering my NOEL card in the following challenges:
A Perfect Time to Craft - M, Jan, Anything Goes
Country View Crafts - M, Jan, Anything Goes
Love to Craft - #18, M, Jan, Anything Goes
Dream Valley Challenge - #169, Christmas
A Gem of a Challenge - #209, Anything Goes Christmas
The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes Christmas, running 1/7/18
The Merry Christmas Challenge - #49, Anything Goes Christmas
Words 2 Craft By - Christmas in my Heart

Mom's Tree

Some of you may know my mom is completely blind in her left eye and has very limited sight in her right eye.  Since she no longer decorates for the holidays, I decided to make her a tree she could essentially keep up all year long.  And, since this tree is embossed, she can literally run her fingers over it.

What I Used Making my Project:
8" x 8" Panel
Watercolor Paper
Oxide Inks in Salty Ocean, Seedless Preserves, Peacock Feathers, Wilted Violet and Cracked Pistachio
Embossing Ink
Simon Says Stamp White Detail Embossing Powder
Indigo Blu Baroque Christmas Tree Stamp

Clear Embossing Powder

White Embossing Powder

I used an entire sheet of watercolor paper to make this.  The first step is to emboss your focal point using white embossing powder.  I did a test; I did one design in clear powder and one using white powder.  These pictures don't do it justice, but the white powder was bright and clear while the clear powder just sort of faded into the background.  The tree on the right was embossed with clear powder and the tree on the left with white embossing powder.  Now they do look sort of similar but, once the inks dry, that white powder POPS as you can see by the tree I made.  Of course, in the spirit of full disclosure I used a lot more of the Oxide inks on the "white" tree since I knew that one was going to be the one I was going to give Mom.  I guess the bottom line is use whichever you prefer to get the look you are trying to achieve.  

I inked and spritzed the tree a lot.  I wanted it to be vibrant enough so my Mom could see the colors if nothing else.  I was positive the ink would stain the embossing powder but it didn't.   Once I was pleased with the colors, I trimmed the piece of watercolor paper down and mounted it onto the panel.  I tried to frame it but the bulk of the panel made that difficult, so I just gave her the panel.  And she loved it, of course, but she's a bit biased. That's it! The project took me about 3 days, but I am sure it would have gone much faster if I hadn't fiddled around with the Oxide Inks so much. I really do love the white popping out of the colors. I only have a few more holiday posts that I want to get published; so I hope you haven't lost your holiday spirit! Thanks, Christi

I am entering my Mom's Tree in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Inkspirational Challenge - Just Stamping
Stamping Sensations - Winter Trees & Flowers 
Rhedd's Creative Spirit  (running til 1/31/18) Altered Art/Etc
The Rubber Buggy - #8, Christmas/Winter
Altered Eclectics - (running til 1/31/18) Altered Art/Etc
Eclectic Ellapu - (running til 1/31/18) Anything Goes Altered Art
Inspiration Destination - #140 (running til 1/2/18) Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin' - Anything NEW {first time I have used this stamp}

Hero Arts ~ Christmas Village

I love getting My Monthly Hero Kit each month from Hero Arts.  Not only do I get introduced to new products, but it is truly like Christmas every month! I haven't had a chance to play with December's kit, yet, but I made this cute little village scene using November's kit.  I hope you enjoy it :)

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Watercolor Paper
My Monthly Hero, October, 2017
Hero Arts Intense Black Ink
Distress Markers
Derwent Inktense Colored Pencils
MISTI
Wink of Stella in Clear
Oxide Inks in Salty Ocean, Seedless Preserves, Broken China and Faded Jeans
Stickles in Christmas Red and Green
White Glitter Paper
Silver Gel Pen
Red Glitter Gel Pen
Dimensional Dots

I began this card by making the sky using the Oxide Inks.  I am stunned every time I use them and they work to give me a beautiful sky! I honestly never thought I could make a scene with a truly amazing sky and I am thrilled I can do it now! 

Some Parts

As the Oxide Ink sky dried, I stamped my images on watercolor paper, using Intense Black ink and my MISTI.  I stamped a few of the images a couple of times so that if I ruined one {or two} with my coloring, or die cutting, I'd have other choices to use.  I used the pencils to do the bulk of the coloring, accenting the images with Stickles, gel pens and Wink of Stella.  

Once everything was dry, colored and cut out, I cut the mountain range out of

Another Look

white glitter cardstock.  I attached that to the sky panel, then placed my buildings, and Mr. & Mrs. Claus, onto the mountain, occasionally using dimensional dots for some of the buildings.  I debated for a while if I should have put something in the sky, a sentiment or something, but then decided to leave it as is.  I'm fairly sure you can tell it is a Christmas Card.

I would love to know if you get the My Monthly Hero Kits, or any subscribed kit for that matter and your opinion of them.  I hope to be able to see some of your creations and if you've made a village scene, please leave me your blog address in the comments so I can go leave you some blogger love.  I hope you & yours are having a healthy, happy and safe holiday season ~ Hugs, Christi

I am entering my Christmas Village card in the following challenges:
A Blog Named Hero - M, Winter Holiday
The Artistic Stamper - M, Christmas
Christmas Cards All Year Round - M, Anything Goes
Die Cut Diva's - M, Winter Cards 
Emerald Creek - M, Happy Holidays
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Christmas/Winter Holidays

It's Holiday Time at Twofers ~ Challenge #10

Hi all! Welcome to the Tenth Twofers Challenge! It was my theme choice for this challenge and it being so close to the holiday season, I chose Holiday as my challenge.  Little did I know that across the pond holiday is also used to refer to a vacation. So, whichever way you choose to interpret the challenge is fine.  Just remember to follow the rules: There must be rubber stamping, you need only one project, and follow the challenge prompt - there are a few more rules here, so please take a peek.

The background paper isn't as purple as this picture makes it out to be.

How I Made my Card:
White Card Base
Happy Holidays sentiment came from a 3 pack of stamps by Hero Arts (I have NO idea about this stamp)
Memory Box Die - Frostyville Corner, #98637 (disc? Available on the web)
White Glitter Paper
Bluish Silver Background Paper (I think it is Bravissimo Paper, which is discontinued)
Stickles in Stardust
Silver Ink from Color Box Petal Point Alchemy

The very first thing I did for this card was die cut the Frostyville Corner out of white glitter paper. I had actually done it about a month ago, when I first got the die, because I was dying to see how it would look.  So I built my card around the die cut.  I attached it to the bluish silver background paper using an adhesive I have been reluctant to buy but I am SO glad I did! I got the Quickie Glue Pen by Sakura and it is perfect for those little places where I always, ALWAYS, put too much adhesive.  I used it to attach the die cut to the paper and was tickled to see not a stray glue mark anywhere! I

didn't glue the entire die cut down, so you may see some parts that aren't stuck to the paper; I did this so there would be some fluidity in the design.

After my die cut dried, I trimmed the paper a bit and added Stickles to the mix.  I just randomly dotted  the glitter glue around the die cut, almost like snowflakes.  I stamped the sentiment, using the silver ink, on a piece of white card, trimmed it down and used Stickles again on the 3 little stars included in the Happy Holidays.  It's hard to see in the photo but they are there.  Once all the Stickles dried, I glued the sentiment onto the card and I was done.

I really like the textures of this card - the background paper has a texture of light lines, and the die cut has texture due to being cut from white glitter paper and of course the Stickles ad texture as well.  The card looks pretty striking in person.

Thank you so much for stopping by to see my creation and I would love it if you became a follower - I am striving for 100 new followers in 2015 and I need about 15 more people and only have about 5 weeks to do it - I promise there will be many goodies if I reach my goal so please share with your friends.

Also, don't forget to enter your Holiday creations at Twofers for our 10th challenge.  The winner will get a whopping $20 Gift Certificate to Alleystamp - and trust me when I tell you, the prices are often better than those daily deals.  If you have a moment, please stop by my teamies blogs, both Jane & Zoe adore getting comments! Thanks!! Christi

This shows closer to the true color of the background paper

I would like to enter my Happy Holidays card in the following challenges:
Cut it Up! - #86, Brrrrr! Winter
Fussy & Fancy - #154, Happy Holidays! (runs til 01/14/16)
Jingle Belles - Happy Holidays
Little Miss Muffet - #127, Holiday Cheer
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Die Crazy!
Inky Chicks - Merry Christmas
Scrappy Land - #32, Holidays
Die Cuttin Divas - #246, Christmas Anything Goes
Fan-Tastic Tuesday - #116, Anything Goes TWIST Make it Sparkle!
Try it out Tuesday - Snow, Snowflakes or Winter Whites
Crafty Cardmakers - #154, Snow
Dies R Us - #39, Winter, Use Snowflakes
Virginia's View Challenge - All About Glitter (runs until 12/14/15)

Christmas Door Hanging at Through the Craft Room Door

This week at Through the Craft Room Door we are sponsored by the wonderful Anne Fenton. Her art can be found at Anne's Digital Art .

I chose the image Christmas Grapevine Wreath to make my wall hanging.

Here is a close up of the digi

If your curious on what I used to make my wall hanging please take a look at the TTCRD website. As always, the challenge is Anything Goes, so you can enter any of your creations! After you enter your piece of art, please take a look at my teammates' blog's - we all appreciate nice comments :) And be sure to check out the online magazine - it is chock full of inspiration and goodies that you won't see anywhere else - there is a small preview on the TTCRD website, at the top, under the title.

I plan on giving this to my Mom to hang on her apartment door - she lives in a high rise, so the piece won't get exposed to any inclement weather (in fact, as I write this, snow is once again on it's way to Denver, probably today! ~ edit: we got over 18" of snow and I couldn't get online ALL day!!) as it's really nothing but cardstock.

I hope your holiday preparations are going smoothly and I invite you to become a follower of mine and to help me reach my goal of 100 new followers in 2015. I only need a few more people and the clock is ticking! Fondly, Christi

I would like to enter my Christmas Door Hanging in the following challenges:
Paperminutes -#413, Winter Greetings
A Snowflakes Promise - #12, Winter/Christmas Theme
Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - (month of December) Anything Goes Christmas
Unicorn Challenge - (M) #4, Winter Time
Use Your Stuff - #203, It's Christmas Time
The Paper Girls - #93, It's Christmas
Not Just Cards - (M) December
Come & Get It Challenge - (M) Anything Goes Christmas
Glitter 'n Sparkle - #167, Traditional or Non-Traditional Christmas Colors
That Craft Place - Christmas
Just Us Girls - #323, Sequins (there are little star sequins around the holly)

Serene Christmas Scene

When I received my card from Asha, via the Card Chain Challenge, I fell in love with the stamp set she used. She told me that it was manufactured by Clearly Besotted, called Christmas Cheer, but, sadly, had been discontinued. Well, I went on the hunt - I found the stamp set at one store and the dies at another, and I won't even tell you how much I spent to get the set, a gift to me from me.  This is my first card with the new set and you'll notice there are no decorations on the tree.  If there were, the cat would be sure to turn this serene scene into a mess!

What I Used to Make my Card:
Vanilla Card Base
Clearly Besotted "Christmas Cheer" stamp & die (discontinued)
Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous "Scribbly Christmas" #CMS249
Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Tea Dye, Mowed Lawn, Fired Brick, Pumice Stone and Brushed Corduroy
Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink in Red Geranium
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Vanilla, White, Black, Gold Glitter Cardstock
Stickles in Gold
The Art Institute Glitter in True Red
McGill Cat Punch
Pop Dots

First thing I did was stamp all of the Clearly Besotted Christmas Cheer stamps and then die cut them. I die cut the candelabra twice, once out of black cardstock and once out of gold glitter card, layered them together and adhered.

Once I had all my pieces, I stamped the string across the fireplace to hold the round banner.  I assembled all the die cuts and set them aside to dry, including the flames, which I also put gold Stickles on and loose red glitter from the Art Institute.  I took a vanilla card panel and stamped one of the trees out of the Scribbly Christmas set on it, being sure to leave enough room for the fireplace.  I have a very old McGill cat punch (ok, I have  a few many, many cat punches) and I punched the cat out of black cardstock.  I assembled everything, adhered it all to the vanilla panel and edged the panel with Pumice Stone ink. I saw the strip of gold glitter card on my desk, so I grabbed it, glued it to my base card and then pop dotted the panel to the base.

Another look

I adore the Christmas Cheer set and I am so glad I found both the stamp set and the matching dies. Not a one could be found, not even on eBay!  I am already thinking of other ways to use these stamps and to me, that makes it a good investment worth the money I spent (I can justify almost anything).

Please consider following me as I have a goal of getting 100 new subscribers to my blog before 2016 and I think I only need about 7 more to make it - I would greatly appreciate it and will follow you back if you mention that you are following me in your comment.  

I am entering my Serene Christmas Scene in the following challenges:
The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - #49, X is for Xmas
Cut it Up - #86. Brrrrr! Winter!
Frilly & Funkie - 'Tis the Season
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Holly Jolly Stamping
Dream Valley Challenges - #121, Die Cuts & Punches
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - #259, Anything Goes, as long as it's Christmas
Show Us Your Pussies Challenge - (M) #1, CatMouse is Coming!

 

Christmas Bird Crazy

In case you haven't noticed, I am addicted to coloring the Bird Crazy birds from Tim Holtz.  I resisted coloring for a very long time, I never learned how and I just was not into it.  Now I am frantically looking through my stamps for more images to color! I am really enjoying it and I suspect that is because I don't know how to do it correctly - I have had a few Copic markers for years and I finally took them out for the very first time (you can see the results here). I have succumbed to peer pressure and I am glad!

What I Used to Make my Card:
Kraft Card Base
Watercolor Paper
Silver Paper
Glitter Paper in Red & Green
Distress Markers in Brushed Corduroy, Tea Dye, Gathered Twigs, Ground Espresso & Squeezed Lemonade
Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Bird Crazy Stamps, #CMS212
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Bird Crazy Die Set, #660954
Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Crazy Things Stamps, #CMS237
 Tim Holtz/Sizzix Crazy Things Die Set, #660953
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Embossing Folder, Beaded Garland, #660041
Stickles in Diamond
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Mini Wreath & Bow, #658267
Pop Dots
Dove Blender Pen
White Cardstock Scrap
Red Cardstock Scrap

It seems like I used SO much to make this card, but it truly wasn't that complicated.  I started, as always, stamping the bird on watercolor paper and used a Dove Blender Pen to blend all those Distress Markers. Then I used another stamped bird to cut out just the wing and pop dotted that to the bird's body. I was trying to make the bird look like a robin, what do you think? Once the bird was colored and dry, I used the die cut set to cut him out.  Setting the bird aside, I had already run a piece of silver paper through the Beaded Garland Embossing Folder and used the Stickles to sparkle every bead on the garland. Honestly, this was already made as I knew I'd be able to use it somewhere and I got this embossing folder last year and was dying to use it.

I glued my silver paper, after cutting it down to size, to a Kraft card base (the typical size I use is A2, 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 - if I use another size, I note it in my supplies list) and put it under the large floor tile I have on my desk for heat embossing - double duty is a wonderful thing (I do wrap whatever I am putting under the tile with wax paper so the glue doesn't stick to it and nothing that is on the back marks the card - learned THAT the hard way).  I then stamped the Santa Hat on a scrap of white cardstock and did the same to a scrap of red - then I die cut both  stampings, using the red as the hat's base and layering the white ball and trim onto the hat.

I just got the Mini Wreath & Bow die - I got a great deal and rumor has it that the set is going to be

discontinued, so if you want one, better get one now - and I die cut the wreath out of green glitter paper and the bow out of red glitter paper, glued the bow onto the wreath. All I had left was gluing the bird to the card, and then I pop dotted the wreath.  Done!

Thank you for stopping by! I am trying to get 100 new subscribers by the end of the year and I only need 10 more - please, help my holidays to be less stressful and join! I've got candy to giveaway <wink> - enough bribes.  I sincerely hope your holiday season is going smoothly and that you & yours have a wonderful time! ~ Fondly, Christi

Another look

I am entering my Christmas Bird Crazy Card in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More - #173, Holiday
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday (M) - Holiday Card
Paperminutes - Holiday Card w/ a Bird on It
Tuesday Throwdown - #272, Cute & Cuddly
A Snowflake's Promise - #11, Anything Goes Holiday Themed
Holly Jolly Christmas - Embossing (dry embossed background paper)
Merry Monday Challenge - #182, Christmas Card w/ a Bird
Emerald Creek Dares - Bringing Bits of Cheer