Snowy cabin

Greetings dear readers - welcome to yet another Christmas card post!

I was delighted recently to have won at The Artistic Outpost referral programme, and even happier still to select my choice of their gorgeous stamp sets as prize (not easy to choose from fab array!). After lots of deliberation I went for the 'Midwinter' set and now love it. I bet the occupants of this cabin are blissfully content in their isolation.

The top circle is Stardream card cut with a Cheery Lynn die. I stamped the cabin image and embossed with Stampendous 'Twilight' EP. Did lots of frantage for the snow 'blizzard'. Painted gesso for the snowy foreground and coated it whilst wet with Distress glitter in 'Clear Rock Candy'. Also glittered the roof, windows and tree branches. Next inked the circle edges with Versamark and embossed with Judikins 'Silver Twinkle' EP. The two sentiments are from the AO sets 'Midwinter' and 'Snowy Woods' and are embossed as per cabin, silver ringed again and dotted with sparkly gesso. Sentiments also have faint shadow inked snowflakes.

The lower circle is cut using a Noor die. Again I've embossed the edge with 'Silver Twinkle' EP and glittered it too with more 'Clear Rock Candy'. The two circle layers are each propped on cardboard circles and foam tape to heighten dimension.

For the blue 'galaxy' layer I inked white CS with a combination of Distress Inks 'Chipped Sapphire' and 'Stormy Sky', Perfect Pearls mist 'Perfect Pearl' and Distress Stain 'Picket Fence'. I then gave it 3 coats of UTEE for a good thick glaze. Whilst the UTEE was hot I sprinked on silver glass glitter and little stars. Then edged it with Idea-ology silver tinsel.

Added metal key and little star brads from stash as finishing touches.

Thanks so much for visiting - I genuinely appreciate all the lovely comments you leave me.

Have a Happy Day!

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Artistic Outpost December Referral - Anything Goes using AO
Vintage Stamping Challenges - Cold and Frosty Colours
Stamping Sensations - Free and Easy
Country View Challenges - Bah, Humbug!
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T. - Use Metal / Add a charm
Kaboodle Doodles - Start of Winter
QKR Stampede - Starting to Look a lot like Christmas
Everybody-Art-Challenge - Winter
Live & Love Crafts - Stardust

Joyeux Noël

Hello and welcome! I'm well and truly into Christmas production mode now - they certainly are my favourites to do.

Stamps: Artistic Outpost 'Snowy Woods' set

Papers: Maja Design, Pion Design and French book text

Dies: Mini trees and deer by Tim Holtz / Sizzix. Postage Stamp by MFT Dienamics. (The stamp 'frame' is triple layered for dimension).

Inking: Distress Inks ('Vintage Photo', 'Tea Dye', 'Walnut Stain', 'Brushed Corduroy'). Prima chalk edger 'Branch Bark'. Ranger Archival Ink 'Coffee' and 'Red Geranium'. Versamark. Stuart Gill Clear EP. Embossing Antiquities 'Weathered White' EP. Frantage 'Aged Ivory' embossing enamel. Glossy Accents. Crackle Accents. Gesso. Snow-Tex. Inkssentials white pen.

Punch: Woodware

Embellishments: from stash

I hope this post finds you all well and warm. I'm sending a special Get Well wish to dear Anne. May my pals in UK not have suffered too many ill effects of storm.

Thank-you so much for your visit - it's a pleasure to have you stop by.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:

Artistic Outpost - October Referral Programme
Simon Says Monday Challenge - Anything Goes
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Christmas Card Challenges - Bows
Christmas at Sweet Stamping Challenge - Cards for Men
It's All About The Vintage - Use at least 3 stamps
Flourishes Tuesday - Plaid/Houndstooth (on one of trees)
ABC Christmas Challenge - V for Vixen (Reindeer)
Rhedd and Rosie Challenge - Anything Goes

Miles to go ...

Hello All and thank-you for your visit.

I'm really on a Christmas card roll as here's another:

Stamps: Artistic Outpost (Snowy Woods), Crafty Individuals (Clock and numerals CI-354)
Papers: Pion Design 'Wintertime in Swedish Lapland' and cotton fabric for top edge
Dies: Memory Box 'Lantern', Memory Box 'Branch' and Bigz Snowflake On The Edge
Inks: Gesso, Distress glitter in 'Clear Rock Candy' (lots!) and 'Old Paper', UTEE, Adirondack Alcohol ink 'Rust', Brilliance 'Pearlescent Rust' and 'Pearlescent Chocolate', DI 'Tea Dye' and 'Vintage Photo', Prima Chalk 'Rust', Distress Stain 'Antique Bronze', Archival 'Coffee', Copper EP, 'Vintage Photo' EP, Frantage in 'Shabby White', Stickles 'Mercury Glass', 'White Fire' gilding wax, Glossy Accents, Dreamweaver paste. Paper Artsy Fresco paint 'Snowflake'
Stencil: Crafter's Workshop 'Art Is'
Punch: Woodware
Embellishments: Tim Holtz Ice Skates, bark heart, twine, pearls and clock charm from stash

Little details:

The adorable ideaology Ice Skates are 'aged' using the brilliant Tammy Tutterow's technique 'Distress stain on metal'. For the skates I used lots of rusty inks and metallic distress stain in 'antique bronze'. I opted to coat with UTEE instead of clear EP. Gesso is also on the blades.

The lantern has been aged to be 'Faux Rusted Copper' by adapting the always awesome Shelly Hickox technique for 'Faux Tarnished Silver' but instead using copper EP before the UTEE heat blast.

Before stamping the main image I painted the paper with Paper Artsy Fresco Finish paint in 'Snowflake' to have a matt 'snowy' base to stamp on once dry. The raised snow on the main image is done by sprinkling frantage onto wet gesso and drying with heat gun to puff nicely. All the 'snowy' edges are done with gesso and distress glitter.

To cut the cotton for the top edge I first needed to stiffen it ... so painted fabric with a coat of gesso and heat dried and then randomly dabbed chocolate ink. Once dry and stiff it was cut with the on the edge die.

I'm sorry I've not been blog visiting but I'm not too well this week. I hope to be properly back in action in a few days time.

Wishing everyone a warm and happy weekend,
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Simon Says Stamp Monday - Inspired by Tammy Tutterow
Crafts Too Challenge You - Christmas Festivities 'Scene'
Vintage Udfordring - Vintage card for a male with charm and twine
Vintage Card Cafe - Brown/Beige Colour Marathon
Artistic Outpost - October Referral Programme - Anything Goes
Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Use a mask or stencil
Deep Ocean Challenge - Christmas is round the corner
Try It On Tuesdays - Texture
Christmas at Sweet Stampin - Cards for Men
Simon Says Stamp - Use a rubber or clear stamp
Crafty Individuals - October - getting ready for Christmas

Blue Snowland

Hello and welcome to my Big Shot inaugural post! I officially declare my new toy from Santa as active and much loved already!

I've used Bazzill CS. The beautiful top quality papers are from Maja Design (It's Christmas Time collection). Dies are by Cheery Lynn and Memory Box. I'm just loving how easy it is to create diecuts and the 'extra' punch that they can add (no pun intended!). Distressed the first layer and edged with Antik Metallic paste in silver. I've stamped the forest using stamp by 'Just for Fun' and little snowflakes stamp by Fiskars and embossed them with Stampendous Winter Wonderland EP. I daubed some 'snow' with Adirondack paint dabber and gesso. Added some frantage silver glass glitter. Snowflake punches by Martha Stewart, pearls from Kaisercraft, Bird House by Prima (Ingvild Bolme). Partly distressed the papers and 'house' with Distress Inks.

Thank-you so much for taking time at my blog. I hope that it's warm wherever you are!

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Maja Design - January Mood Board
Creative Craft Challenges - New Beginnings
LEJ Designs - New Beginnings
Try It On Tuesday - New Stash
Tuesday Throwdown - Shiny and New

Smitten Penguins in Snowland

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans wherever you are in the world. Thank you so much to everyone who visits my blog and a very special thank-you to all my new followers.

No creations for the last week I'm afraid as I wasn't well. I hope to be more productive this week. I decided I would try and make a shaker card as a lot of YouTube videos make it look easy! It isn't ... mine sprung a leak alas and some careful plumbing work was required. I reckon I should get used to glitter on the floor for the next couple of weeks!

Onto Stardream cardstock I stamped some Christmas Penguins (Penny Black 3514H - Cheerful Giving) and then embossed with Judikins Black Diamond EP. I also stamped with Versamark and clear embossed some snowflakes around the penguins for a resist (Fiskars Winter Wonderland) but these aren't showing up too well against the pale blues. The background was sponged with a mix of Ranger Distress inks and Snow Cap Adirondack paint dabber. I punched some snowflakes with my Martha Stewart and Woodware punches and gave them gemstone centres from Hero Arts. Card is my literal interpretation of one of the challenges I entering - Home Sweet Home as I agree "home is where the heart is". This smitten little pair's home just happens to be the great outdoors. I've added little key and heart charms for them. Used Twinklets glass glitter (Diamond Dust) for the filling underneath the (now securely stuck!) clear acetate. I painted a diecut banner from Melissa Frances with layers of white Gesso. Whilst wet I blasted it with the heat tool so that the Gesso formed nice snowy blisters. I've addded bow, heart and tree charm (both painted and glittered) and stamped sentiment and embossed with Judikins EP. (Stamp was a freebie (amongst many fab freebies!) that I just received in an order from Crafty Individuals). Shaker mounted on Bazzill CS to complete.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Cute Christmas
Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Home Sweet Home
Aud Sentiments - Bingo (Embossing, Bling, Joy)
Sparkles Christmas - Contemporary Colour Combo
Bearly Mine - Snowflakes
Crazy Amigos - Colours of Winter
Creative Craft Challenges - Bingo (Blue, Stamps, Emboss)
Ladybug Crafts - Snowflakes
Fashionista Challenge - Blue Christmas
Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
Fussy and Fancy - Feeling Blue
Stampin For The Weekend - Use some texture