Doves of Peace

Greetings all - today 12.12.12 is the last posting day to the North Pole so be sure to get your letters to Santa in the post!

I am really pressed for time today (who isn't!) so will be brief and just give card ingredients as follows;

Stamps - Penny Black 'World Peace' (3040K), Flourishes Stamps - Antique Map, Stamped Sentiment by Crafty Individuals
Inks - Versamark (for clear emboss resist), Distress Metallic Stain in Brushed Pewter, DI in Chipped Sapphire
Embossing powders - Judikins Silver Twinkle, Stampendous Twilight
Lots of UTEE for Dove image and sentiment
Bird cage die cut glittered with Silver Twinkle
Backing paper for bird cage a free image courtesy of the wonderful Astrid of Astrid's Artistic Efforts
Doves punched with Fiskars / Jenny Bowlin sqeeze punch and glittered with Distress Dry Glitter in Clear Rock Candy
CS - Stardream and Curious Metallic
Other - glass glitter (Stampendous), bells, pearls (Kaisercraft), clock hand charm (silvered and glittered), Corner punches by Fiskars, Stars

Thanks for taking the time to visit today as I know everyone is super busy at the mo! Hugs to those lovely people who leave comments or better still become followers. It means a lot!

Have a great day.
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Fashionable Stamping Challenge - To Die For
Penny Black Saturday - Glitter and Sparkle
Penny Black Allsorts - It's Your Choice
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Celebration
Sweet Stamping Challenge - Dies and / or Punches
Crafting Ireland - 12 Days of Christmas
LEJ Designs - Sentimental
No Matter Which Challenges - Christmas
Glitter n Sparkle - Use some metal
ABC Christmas Challenge - Y is for your favourite punch/die
Creative Card Crew- Use A Star
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Christmas with a background twist
Inspiration Emporium - Inspiration Journal - Joyful Creations

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

Deer in Snowy Forest

Hello to all and thank-you for visiting my blog. I hope everyone is well and all set for a great weekend with lots of crafting therein. I'm feeling rather wintry today with chill air outside. I've thus made a Christmas card with a snowy scene.

Base CS is Stardream. I've punched the top part of a square of SEI Velvet using a Martha Stewart Punch. I then stamped onto the Velvet with a 'Just for Fun' rubber stamp (no serial number on stamp) using Versamark ink. I then heat embossed the image with Stamp n Stuff EP (Winter Wonderland) for a lovely snowy sparkle. Next, I edged some gold Stardream CS with the same punch. Stamped a Penny Black image (The Sound of Snow 2800K) with Versamark and embossed with a deep red EP from Sparkle n Sprinkle (Japanese Lacquer). I added round metal disc (Brenda Walton Metal Art), metal owls charm, puffy stars and ribbon. Finally, I placed pearls for snow effect to link the two images.

Thanks so much for having a look see. Have a lovely weekend. Nicola x

Thank-you to hosts, DTs and sponsors of the following challenges that I'd like to enter;
Penny Black and More Allsorts - Animal Magic
Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Traditional
PaperPlay Challenges - Wooden It Be Nice
Cupcake Craft Challenges - Two's Company
Totally Stampalicious - Christmas Card
Southern Girls - Tie A Ribbon Around It
C.R.A.F.T. - Use metal on card
Little Red Wagon - Bowdacious
Whimsy Stamp Inspiration Challenge - All Things Sparkly
ABC Christmas Challenge - U For Up To U
Stamp & Create - Winter Wonderland

My favourite colour combination!

Greetings from sunny (but chilled) Dublin.

Base CS is Bazzill Dotted Swiss. The next layer is a heavyweight dot embossed paper in my favourite colour combination of blue and copper. I edged some Stardream copper CS with double sided sticky tape and poured copper glitter over it to adhere nicely. I also edged its base with a Martha Stewart punch. I then stamped a lovely Thai Silk paper with a Penny Black image (Adornment 3996J). I used Brilliance ink (cosmic copper) to stamp and embossed with Stampendous glitter EP in copper. Next placed several tiny crystals around the outer strands of wreath but they are not showing up well in photo. They do really sparkle though! Having afixed the silk paper to the cardstock with copper brads, I stuck some copper glitter on a Nunn Design star and centred it. Lastly I wound some blue satin ribbon around CS and tied two little organza bows either side.

Belated Happy World Cardmaking Day! Thanks for visiting! Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Penny Black Saturday - Sketch
PaperPlay Challenges - Shine On
Simon Says Stamp - Glimmer and Sparkle
Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Sparkle and Bling
Created with Love - Christmas
Robyn's Fetish Challenge - Circles
Southern Girls - Spots and Stripes

Chilly out there!

Hi there. I've made another Christmas card, so at this rate I'll be well prepared by Dec 25th (that will be a first). I realise that I've rushed the photo part but have put all the camera stuff away so I'll have to make do with bow jutting off to the side. Sorry for bad positioning. Anyway, here is my chilly snowman.

My CS base is Bazzill Bling. I've stamped and embossed the Snowman (Penny Black - happy soul 4106K) with Versamark and Judikins EP onto white SEI Velvet paper. I applied glue to lower portion of paper and liberally coated with Hero Arts glitter. Next, I punched (Woodware square and round punches) some white CS shapes. Then stamped and embossed them (Judikins EP again) using a Fiskars stamp set (Winter Wonderland 03-008263). I attached a (very big!) grosgrain bow. Linked the cutout shapes with brads and mounted them using foam squares for dimension. Wound a ribbon around the glittered portion for more colour. Punched out birds (McGill punch) and snowflakes (various Woodware and Martha Stewart punches) and finalised with gems and crystals.

I hope its warm wherever you are.

I'm entering card in the following challenges;
Penny Black & More - September - Early Christmas Makes
Stampin for the Weekend - Starting Christmas Early
Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Sparkle and Bling
Cute Card Thursday - Christmas in September
That Craft Place - Bling it on
Digidesignchallenge - More than 1 die cut or punch
Christmas Stampin All Year Long - Snowy
Heck of a Challenge - Anything Goes

Wishing peace - today and everyday

Hello. Today's card, whilst intended for Christmas, seems to me gently suitable for today's Anniversary.

Bazzill cardstock forms the card base. I've stamped and embossed Penny Black "Snow Dust" stamp (4102K) onto blue vellum. (The blue laid over the cream cardstock makes the vellum appear a gentle aqua colour). The embossing powder is 'Gilded Ivory' by Sparkle n Sprinkle and is more sparkly than captured on the photo. I've also stamped a greeting on vellum using a Stampendous clear stamp (Christmas Wishes ssc1068), punched some ornate corners and mounted onto cardstock. No card of mine would be complete without a ribbon! I then added pearls, stars and bows from stash.

Ive entered this card to "Sparkle Creations weekly Christmas Card Challenge", "Just Keep on Creating Christmas Challenge", "Unique Crafters Challenge, Anything Goes", "Daring Cardmakers, Vellum", "Anthing Goes Challenge Blogspot - Early Christmas", Stampin for the Weekend - Early Christmas and "Creative Card Crew - Trees"
http://justkeeponcreating.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/christmas-is-just-around-corner.html
http://uniquecrafterschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.no/
http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.ie/
http://stampinfortheweekend.blogspot.ie/
http://creativecardcrew.blogspot.ie/

Thanks for looking ....