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

Vintage Santa

A warm hello wherever you are, especially those in parts of flood ridden Britain. Thankfully we in Ireland have not been affected by this weather despite being so proximate.

I'm well and truly now in Christmas card production mode.

Background paper is by Swedish brand Maja Design (It's Christmas Time). I have distressed its edges and dabbed with Archival sepia to age and Adirondack paint dabber for snow effect. I won some chipboard ornaments at a raffle a few weeks ago and they are coming in handy! I inked the ornament with various Distress Inks, Metallic Stains and Cosmic Shimmer Mist (Rich Gold). Then stamped Santa (Stampington and Company, St Nicholas, K5545) with Ranger Archival Sepia and embossed with Sparkle n Sprinkle Chocolate EP. I also stamped Holly leaves around Santa (Stampendous SSC1068) but these ended up being mostly covered up. I gave the ornament 5 coats of UTEE and sprinkled in a small amount of glass glitter during coats. I 'aged' two small glassine bags from The Funkie Junkie Boutique with distress inks. Next stamped two 'tickets' using some stamps from Unity Stamp Company (IB-127) - one of these is stamped on canvas tag by Maya Road. I inked the button rims with Archival Sepia and tied through red bows. Added snowflakes and branches with my ubiquitous woodware and Martha Stewart punches using paper by Maya Road and SEI Velvet. Santa's Hat is also decorated with a little metal disc by Nunn Design that says 'Believe'. I painted a metal angel with Gesso and Archival Sepia. Liberally applied Adirondack paint dabber (Snow Cap) to all elements of card. Added ribbons and completed with metal clock hands on angel. Time is absolutely crucial to Santa on the 25th!

Very many thanks for visiting.
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Our Creative Corner - ABC Challenge
Sugar Creek Hollow - Vintage Christmas
Stamping Sensations - Traditional Christmas
Vintage Stamping Challenge - Red/Green/Blue/Purple

Oh Jingle Bells ....

Greetings from Dublin. Thank-you for stopping by and a warm welcome to my new followers. I've had my card today bobbing around in my head for the last week so am delighted to finally get it made and posted. This one was very tricky to photograph.

I've made an easel card to accomodate a musical scene with Rudolph, Dasher and Blitzen rushing over snowy stars (yes, climate change has a lot to answer for!) to bring wondrous toys to all the girls and boys. They are singing Jingle Bells as they go, with not a snowflake clinging to them as they are moving so quickly!

This might be a better angle;

CS is Bazzill. Papers and tags are from Melissa Frances (Countdown to Christmas and music sheet from 5th Avenue). Stamps are from the magical Stampington and Company (S7338 - Classic Christmas), with the dashing reindeer and Santa Moon inked with Encore metallic inks and embossed with Judikins sparkle EPs. The Jingle Bells ticket at front is from Unity Stamps IB-127 stamped with Versafine. The chipboard musical note has been inked with Distress Stains Metallic Pewter and then stamped with music stamp from Anna Griffin (580K21) using Versafine. (By chance I won some chipboard notes in a raffle at a crop last weekend, so I think it was serendipity to make this card). Same musical stamp also used on centre part of a doily backing the chipboard note. I've edged the top and slanting borders and punched snowflakes with Martha Stewart punches. Tied little bows to those jangling jingle bells (Anitas) and liberally applied liquid pearls and stickles for more sparkle. Dotted some of the snowflake centres with pearls (Artoz). The stars were handcut as I don't have a die cutting machine ... yet ... Santa?!

Thank you so much for checking out my blog. Have a lovely day! Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - Musical
Frilly and Funkie - Chipboard and Metal
Moving Along with The Times - Seeing Stars!
Milk Coffee Challenge - More Than 1 Fold
Crafts 4 Eternity - Marvellous Music

Christmas Angel Tag

Hi all. Welcome to my blog and very many thanks to all my new followers and commentors who make my blog posts so worthwhile.

Today I'm posting my first entry to the Challenge that Linda is running called The Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas. Linda's first tag is here and the challenge is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Check out the challenge blog for further details of the challenge and fabulous work for inspiration. The challenge has been running for 5 weeks so far and I am way behind so without further ado here is my take on Linda's first tag.

I did start out with intention of doing solely a tag, but it morphed into a card along the way. I've taken lots of inspiration from Linda's first tag however in that I decorated the tag with a central charm (angel in lieu of heart) surrounded by wings and sentiment, stamped a lot of flourishes and embossed with distress dry glitter. My tag too has been inked with Distress Inks and Stain. I also included stars at base of tag.

Base CS is Bazzill that I have edged and sponged with Distress Ink 'Worn Lipstick'. The white sparkle embossed vellum layer is from Papermania. The tag is a #8 Inkssentials manila tag. I sponged with a mixture of Distress Inks (Worn Lipstick, Victorian Velvet, Festive Berries, Rusty Hinge) spritzed with water. I also used Ranger Distress Stain Antique Bronze for lovely metallic shimmer and colour. I versamark stamped the tag with various flourish and script type stamps and embossed some of the stamping with Judikins EP Sticky Stuff and then added Distress Dry Glitter in Clear Rock Candy. (The glitter is subtle in daylight but it sure sparkles fabulously in artificial light.) Also painted some stars and a metal Angel charm with Distress Stain Antique Bronze - the metal took the stain very well. I decorated these embellishments with the dry glitter also. I punched a heart shape (Woodware) from vellum paper and stamped 'Peace' sentiment with Brilliance bronze ink. I also stamped some 'wings', again on vellum, with Distress Ink Worn Lipstick. Both of these stamps come from Andy Skinner Stamps (Simply Angelic ASCSA5010). I centred angel charm between all the 'wings' having added a stamped doily as 'wings' too. Also stamped a second sentiment using Distress Ink Festive Berries - stamp from Stampington and Company (All the year G1068). I added the stars that had been decorated with distress glitter. Also stained a crushed velvet ribbon with some of the distress stains and added crystals at corners to complete.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by,
Nicola x

I'm entering card to the following challenges;
The Funkie Junkie - 12 Tags of Christmas
Crafty Sentiments - Bows or Ribbons
Top Tip Tuesday - Things with Wings
ABC Christmas Challenge - U for Up to You
Lady Anne's Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafty Bloggers Network - Anything Goes
My Craft Spot - Emboss It
Ooh La La Creations - Christmas Sentiment
Crimbo Crackers - Pink
Create with Kate - Papercraft for Knit & Stitch Dublin