Homemade Holly

I was pleased with my homemade holly

I’ve been playing at colouring-in again, but it’s not quite finished yet, so my share for A Card a Day Blogging is something I completed at the weekend.

It’s another card made from Papermania’s Henbury Lane paper collection.  Of course, I’ve done some inked edges and my favourite layers and dots and dashes.  For the sentiment I've used the letter tiles I got in WH Smith last year (I think they go well with the kraft card used for the base card).

I'm going to be brave and enter this card into the following challenges:

CHNC Challenge 99  Use something more than 6 months old
Victorine Challenge 47 Any-thing Christmas
Let's Craft and Create Getting Ready for Christmas

Holly: I thought the card needed that little something and I didn’t have just the right thing in my stash.  I saw a sweet die on-line but it was sold out.  So it was thinking cap time again.  I drew some holly freehand on dark green card with a gold pen.  I curved the holly with a bone folder then covered with glossy accents.  Then for the berries, I scrunched up some red paper for a 3D effect but it just didn’t look right.  So I went with something simple.  Three berries punched from red card with an ordinary hole punch.  I’ve added a few white highlights with my sakura white gel pen then added more glossy accents.  When the holly and berries were dry I stuck them on to the card with 3D glue gel, keeping a bit of height and shape.  I was quite chuffed with myself when it was done.  Hope you like it too.

Next, back to my colouring-in…

More Henbury Lane

the big poinsettias were part of the packaging

Just a cheeky wee post today.  It's a variation on a theme, another card made with do-crafts Papermania Henbury Lane collection.

It's similar to yesterday's post.  It's got my usual dots and dashes and inked edges plus a wee bit of glitter ribbon from my stash. 

The packaging on the paper packs was so cute I had to have a go at using it, so I cut out the big poinsettia at the side, built it up with glue gel and added some very fine lime green glitter.  I hope you think it works.

Watch this space: I've finally completed the two anniversary cards I have been working on.  I need to stand back and hope they will be liked.  I need to take photos, and will post once they are in the right hands but I have to warn you that they are decorated within an inch of their life...

Seasonal Swirls

I just had to add extra bits to this yummy Henbury Lane collection

Update: Today I have been busy cutting out flowers for another project but cannot share that one just yet.  I’m on to my second bottle of cough medicine, but before my next Lemsip here’s my card for Card a Day Blogging.

Inspiration: I really have found it very inspiring looking at other people’s blogs and attending card making classes at my local shop.  I do still like adding my favourite extra bits but it is great having a fresh outlook on my crafting (only down side is that my wish list of things I am going to try is getting longer and longer!).  The first class I went to at my local shop Craft-ed Creations  we got a pack of goodies that included the papers I have used here.  I found getting ideas from other crafters made me look at the papers in a different way and I came home full of ideas of things to do with my stash.  This is one of the cards a came up with.  The lime green is not the first colour I think of for Christmas but I think it works really well with other traditional Christmas colours.

• Products: Papers and topper from do-crafts Henbury Lane Collection; plain red and green card; Marianne Dies for swirls; Flower handmade using punches; ribbon from stash; glamour dust; peg and heart shaped brad from stash; Glossy Accents; letter tiles from WH Smith.
• Techniques: Mat and layering in contrasting colours with dots and dashes added.  Flower made from punched shapes glued together covered in glamour dust, centre is glue gel covered in glitter.  The leaves are hand cut from the kit and covered with glossy accents to look suitably evergreen.  Swirls are cut using the dies and stuck down with glue gel, I’ve left the ends unstuck for a more dimensional effect.
• Favourites: Dots and dashed with sakura white opaque gel pen and papermania permanent pens.
• Extra bits (because I love them so): I thought the wreath looked a little empty so I added the heart hanging on a pleat made with some glittery ribbon in my stash and added the little peg.  The little letter tiles were bought from WH Smith (I’ve ran out of ‘E’s so spelled JOY rather than NOEL!).

I’ve got a few more cards to share made with papers from this collection, but I’ll try to mix it up to keep them different.  Now time for that Lemsip...

Button up - it's cold outside

Humphrey looks so cosy in his duffel coat

Using up scraps to decorate the inside of card

Update: Mr Fantabulous Mayhem has a day off work today (he works shifts).  I had hoped to do lots of practical things in the home today with his assistance but it just hasn’t happened, and I’ve not got much crafting done either!

Inspiration:  I was reading on facebook about a friend taking his wee boy to a fireworks display and this image came to mind.  I know it’s an elephant but it makes me think of being wrapped up warm when I was a child and again when I did it with my children.  I am a bit of a big softie when it comes to art work that evokes memories.

• Products: This topper and the paper on the front of the card were part of the free gift in the Crafter’s Companion Inspiration magazine.  It’s from the Humphrey’s corner range and has a lovely hand drawn feel.  Kraft card and red card from stash; the green starry paper on inside is from the Papermania Henbury Lane collection; glossy accents; glamour dust; the chunky red and white twine is by Papermania; snowflake stickers from daisy and dandelion range.
• Techniques: Mats and layers, pyrimage(? not sure of spelling) and faux stitching and a jaunty angle thrown in.  I’ve added the glamour dust on the frosty leaves and spider’s web with a Quickie glue pen by Sakura.  There is a touch of glossy accents on his wellies and the berries in the background.  Snowflake stickers added randomly.  I’ve curled the edges of some of the backing paper for something a bit different.  I have been trying to use up little bits of card and paper by decorating the inside of cards as I go.
• Favourites: Kraft card; 8” by 8” card; inked edges; faux stitching; extra details inside card.
• Extra bits: Buttons (from an old cardigan) with a knot in the red and white twine, stuck on with 3D glue gel.  I sometimes like twine to unravel but this time I wanted a tidy knot so I put a tiny touch of PVA glue on the ends o stop fraying.

Watch this space: I’ve got a card to share tomorrow that has nothing to do with December.