One-layer Christmas card in gold and cream (1)

This card is for this week's Jingle Belles challenge. They're asking for the Midas touch. Apart from gold (or silver) we're allowed to use white or cream. I'm not entirely satisfied with how it turned out, so hopefully I'll be able to make an improved version tomorrow and/or a square card version.

I used some cream A5 cardstock. For the background I used a Marianne Design text stamp, featuring a Dutch Christmas song, stamped with Versamark gold. The other images are from a CardDeco "Stampies" Christmas set. For this, I used Ranger's embossing powder in gold and then added a few touches of gold glitter glue. The gold ribbon is from my stash. The edges were inked with Antque Linen distress ink.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long. This weeks' theme is "Mono".
Crafts 4 Eternity – Christmas projects

Green and orange Christmas card

The great thing about all these challenges is that they inspire you to try new things and develop your own style. This card is quite different from my other cards, and I've used colours I would not normally use, but I love the way it turned out.

The layout for this card is based on last week's sketch no. 108 over at Tuesday Morning Sketches.

Materials used:

DPs – from an old Christmas paper pad of an unknown brand

Stamps – Clearly Hand Stamped from Crafter's Companion

Lacey ribbon – from the local bookstore ;-)

Button – Autum Leaves Play Time Buttons

Gold thread – Avec Twinkle thread

Inks – Ranger's embossing powder (gold)

and distress ink (clear, spiced marmelade & antique linen)

Brads – from my stash

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

CCAYR – 4/9

Crafter's Companion – Glitter & Glitz

Bling It On – ABC (A/Alphabet stamp, Brown ribbn/lace, Circles)

Nadia's Challenge Blog – Anything goes (2nd entry)

Craft Us Crazy – Anything goes

Top Tip Tuesday – Shabby chic (hope this card fits the theme)

Charisma Cardz – Glitter it!!

Crafty Catz – Metal and lace

Totally Gorjuss – As you like it

Snowman in blue and brown

I've been too busy with work this week to do much crafting, so I've had to pass up on a number of challenges that this card would have been perfect for. Winter Wonderland was asking for cards for men/boys, but I have just discovered that the deadline was earlier today.

Materials used:

Stamp - Marianne Design

Cuttlebug embossing folder

Border - Silhouette design

Sentiment and brown/white snowflakes - Silhouette design

Other snowflakes - Marianne Design die

Paper-pieced scarf - DP from my stash (probably DCWV)

Brads - BasicGrey

Brown and blue colouring - my new Spectrum Noir pens

(didn't have any suitable brown cardstock, so I made my own)

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Non-traditional colours

Christmas Cards All Year Long - 4/9: stamping, textured paper, metal embellishment, stripes

Ooh La La - No backing paper

CHNC - Christmas birthday or Anything goes

Clean and Simple Stamping - Fall To Layout 154 (sketch)
Aud Sentiments - Anything goes
Christmas Card Challenge - Glitter (optional)

Especially for you

Actually, this one's a belated birthday card, but I thought the DP with the sentiment was just as fitting.

I coloured the Penny Black stamp with distress ink and also applied a tiny bit of ink on the edges of the Papermania DPs (Henbury Lane). I used the same ink to colour the small corner die cut, which had originally been cut out of a piece of lilac cardstock using my Silhouette. The scalloped frame is also a Silhouette design. I applied a little bit of glitter glue on the flower hearts and finished the card off with a few pearls from my Viva Perlen-Pen (ice white). The layout is based on this week's sketch from Mojo Monday.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Mojo Monday – Sketch 204

Allsorts – You've been framed

Tuesday Throwdown – Non-stamped sentiment

Penny Black at Allsorts – Free & easy

Nadia's Challenge Blog – Anything goes (use a stamp)

Aud Sentiments – Anything goes

Craft Us Crazy – Anything goes

Karen's Doodles NL – Zeg het met bloemen

Cute and girlie

Today I'm showing you a birthday card I made for a sweet little girl who turned 4. It will come as no surprise that I chose pink as my basic colour. Most little girls (and some big girls, too) seem to love pink.
I didn't have any matching design papers, so I created my own using the Silhouette software. The new software version includes a number of different patterns. So I drew two rectangles, making up a square, filled one with one of the patterns and the other with a matching solid colour, and then sent it to my printer.
I coloured this sweet image with distress ink and added some gold glitter for the crown, shoes and jewellery. For the layout I used sketch no. 201 from the Mojo Monday challenge. If you ever get stuck finding the right lay-out, just check out their sketch archive.

Materials used:

DP – created with the Silhouette software

Image – Sliekje's digi stamps.
You really must check out this website.
Angelique is a very talented lady who is sharing
her gorgeous creations with the world for free!

Sentiments – Studio Light

Flowers with gems – Bazix

Ribbon – from my stash
Bow with heart embellishment – given to me by a friend
who took it off a piece of clothing that was being discarded!

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Anything Goes – #47 Happy birthday/celebration

Papertake Weekly – Bingo (gems, ribbons, blooms)

Sir Stampelot – Whatever you fancy

Meljen's Design – #72 Sparkles, shine and glitter

Crafter's Companion – #15 Glitter and glitz
The Crafty Pad – #134 Cute 'n girlie

Light it up

I made this card for this week's challenge at Winter Wonderland. Unfortunately, Mr. Linky had already gone home by the time Blogger allowed me to write a new message.

Actually, I had already concluded this morning that I would not have time to play along this week, when I suddenly remembered the Christmas light font I had played around with in 2010 after downloading it from the Internet. I had a Dutch version ready to go. All I had to do was print it on a piece of white cardstock, add some embossing (Cuttlebug folder) and some red ribbon and paste it onto a red card. Simple as that!

I think I'll also make a version in English with the text Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. Fewer letters means I can enlarge the font a bit more.

One-layer Christmas card with distressing

I did it! After viewing a lot of demos on YouTube I dived in and got out my distress inks for some real distressing! Hope you like what you see.

Materials used:

Stamps – Artemio

Distress ink – clear, broken china, faded jeans, spiced marmelade

Embossing powder – white frosted

Post-it notes to mask off the area to be stamped

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp and Show – Show a Tim Holtz technique

Less is More – One layer, using ink

CHNC – One layer, keep it simple

Charisma Cardz – Distressing

Crafty Catz – Emboss it

Pink and black Christmas card

I did not have much time to make this card, so I kept it simple. The background paper (single piece, brand unknown) is – again – from the large stack of papers I bought some years ago. All I did was mat it on black and pink paper and on to some white cardstock, add a nestability with this cute, freebie Squiggle stamp, some ribbon and a punched tag. And of course I added some pearls with my Viva Perlen-Pen. I used a little distress ink (Worn lipstick) on the tag and nestie. The sentiment is computer-generated. The image was coloured with what I had available: for the bright pink of the ribbon and flower I used my sticker markers and I used my Derwent Coloursoft pencils for the rest of the image. Didn't have any pinks, lol. Besides, I wanted the pink ribbon to stand out. I have finally treated myself to a set of the brand-new Spectrum Noir pens. Cannot wait until they arrive, hopefully within the next few days.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

CHNC – Black, white and one colour

Meljen's Design – # 71 Use black

Ooh La La Creations – Oh Christmas!

Fussy and Fancy – Use a lot (at least 3 of your favourite embellishment)
Squiggle Stamps – Pink and black (+ Squiggle stamp)
Aud Sentiments – Merry Christmas sentiment
CCAYR – 4/9 (ribbon, inking, stamping, stripes)

All white

There seem to be quite a few white on white challenges right now. For this card I used this week's sketch from Mojo Monday. I had already cut out the cute Christmas bird with my Silhouette some time ago, and this seemed just about the right moment to use it. The background paper comes from a series of large packing sheets I bought at Ikea's a couple of years ago.

Materials used:

Background paper – Ikea
Snow bird – Silhouette design
Cuttlebug embossing folder
Scalloped nestability
Distress ink (Antique linen)
Sentiment – Studio Light
Aleene's true snow (for the hat)
Lace – Marianne Design
Ribbon – recycled (was wrapped around a flower bouquet)
Brad from my stash

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Bah! Humbug! – All white

Mojo Monday – sketch 203

CCAYR – 4/9 (ribbon, inking, textured paper, metal embelishment)

Christmas Card Challenge – week #36 Recycle
Fussy and Fancy – Christmas in July/August

Chilly penguin

Here's another Christmas card. I thought I would try a round card for a change. The bauble ring was cut with my Silhouette cutter, using a design from the Silhouette shop and textured, glossy paper. The image is a Squiggle Stamps digi, which I coloured with distress ink. I cut out the image and used some foam tape to adhere it to a scalloped nestie, which I had given a frosty glaze using distressing powder. The sentiment is stamped on another scalloped circle. The pearls were made using a Viva Perlen Pen.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Squiggle Stamps – Christmas Creations

Totally Gorjuss – Christmas in July

Jingle Belles – Shape up for the Holidays

Christmas Cards All Year Round – 4/9 (ribbon, stamping, textured paper, stripes)

Winter Wonderland – White on White (only image to be coloured)
Stamping with the Dragon – Red, green, white