Christmas stencilling - Tonic magazine 04

Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by!
I still have quite a few last-minute Christmas cards to share. To be honest, most of this year's Christmas cards were more or less last-minute. A great incentive to start working on next year's cards asap!
Anyway, today's cards were made using part of the stencil and one of the stamps that came in a Tonic magazine kit that I purchased earlier this year. I simply could not resist the huge snowflake die set that came in the kit.

I started with blending several green inks and then used a coloured pencel to add more definition and shading. I also used the lightest colour of green for some sutble stencilling on my base card.

To finish off, I added gold splatters and die-cut my panel using a SSS stitched rectangle die.

I'm linking up my card at:

HLS Stencil - AG

HLS Christmas - AG (option: stencil)

12 Months of Christmas - AG

CHNC - #626 AG Christmas

Christmas blessings

 Wishing you all a Joyous Christmas!

For this card, I used a NBUS cut and emboss folder and 

did some simple ink blending behind the apertures.

I'm also linking up this card at:

Let's squash it - #27 Snowflakes and/or stars

HLS Christmas - AG (optional: stencil)

Can You Handle the Pressure? - AG Embossing (optional: snowflakes)

Pink Christmas in December

Hello everyone. I am back with a few more pinkish Christmas cards. I started creating the one with the pink background for the annual pink challenge for Jingle Belles back in October but did not manage to finish it before my trip to the Netherlands.

And because it's such a simple as well as fun card to create, using only some patterned paper (Tonic Studio Christmas kit), a die (Winnie & Walter), a NBUS stamp (Crafter's Companion) and some black ink, I created a few more. This time, I decided to keep the background white. 

I'm linking up my trio of cards at:

Beccy's Month of Holiday Cards - Q for quick and quirky

NBUS #45

Jingle Belles - Wrapping up 2022

Sparkles Christmas - #143 Non-traditional Christmas colours

SSS Wednesday - Anything goes

November Card Chain Challenge reveal

It's time for the Card Chain Challenge reveal. Since my card was going to Dawn in New Zealand, I opted for a summery floral card and simply went with the Friendship option for the challenge.

I stamped my NBUS image (Crafter's Companion) and coloured it using CC TriMarkers. I then coloured the background using a Copic marker and used a piece of soft rag and rubbing alcohol for a softer effect.

Do check out the CCC challenge blog and sign up for next month's card exchange!

I'm also linking up my card at:

NBUS #45

Twofer with patterned paper

Hello everyone. I have two more cards to share for my Christmas stash.

I simply cut a square sheet of PP in half, trimmed it to size and then matted it with this soft green paper from the same paper pad and added a stamped sentiment before adhering everything to my card base.

I'm playing at:

Beccy's Month of holiday cards - P for patterned paper

November Rudolph Days - Always AG Christmas

52 weeks to Christmas - Geïnspireerd door DP/Inspired by DP

Merry fishes and crocodile wishes

Hello everyone. I'm back with two more cards for my Christmas card stash.

Both images are from the NBUS Jungle Christmas stamp set by CraftEmotions (designed by Carla Creaties). I stamped them on some scraps of Neenah cardstock and did some simple colouring using Copics and added Glossy accents to the eyes of the fishes, crocodile and crab. The patterned papers are from the same paper pad that I used for my armchair card.

I'm linking up my fishes card at:

Beccy's Month of holiday cards - F for fishes

Fab'n'Funky - #561 Christmas animals

Crafty Animals - #67 Always AG with an animal

I'm linking up my croc/crab card at:

NBUS #44 Always AG with NBUS

MLCCB - #47 Anything Christmas goes

We Love Stamping - Christmas

Stamping Sensations - Christmas celebrations

Falalala

Hello everyone. I originally started these cards for the annual October pink challenge at Jingle Belles, but did not have time to finish them before my trip to the Netherlands. 

The patterned paper is from my NBUS Tonic Studio card kit that I purchased a few months ago during their birthday celebration week. The kit came with a stencil (cards coming later this week), a stamp set and huge snowflake builder set (that I intend to use soon). The scalloped rectangle die is from an old Winnie & Walter set. I die cut the trees (NBUS, from last year's Violet Studio Home for the Holidays collection by Crafter's Companion) from a scrap of smooshed watercolour card and did some additional ink blending for extra shading. The sentiment is from a stamp set from the same collection.

I'm linking up my cards at:

Beccy's Month of holiday cards - D for die cutting

NBUS - #44 Anything goes with NBUS

CHNC - #621 Alwasy AG Christmas

HLS Anything goes with dies

Easy Christmas card with background stamping

Hello everyone. Two more quick Christmas cards from me.
When I was visiting my sister last month, we had some crafty time together and I had a play with one of her rubber background stamps and a paper pad with punch-out images.

After stamping the background and adhering the images, I blended  a little antique linen distress ink around the edges. To finish the cards after I got home, all I needed to do I mounted my panels onto my A2 card bases.

I'm linking up my set of cards at:

Beccy's Month of holiday cards - B for background stamp (and blue)

Allsorts - #703 Anything goes

Double D - Hot beverages

Cozy Christmas arm chair

Another quick Christmas card from me. I picked up an A4 paper pad with background papers and precut printed images when I was in the Netherlands last month for a family visit.

I had created several backgrounds using the same stencil and a soft green ink and decided the background would go well with some of the images from the paper pad.

I combined the cozy armchair and tree with the rug.
The paper pad also contains several images and sentiments on vellum.
I cut out one of the sentiments and hid the liquid glue after the holly leaves.

I'm linking up my card at:

Beccy's Month of holiday cards - A for armchair

Allsorts - #703 Anything goes

CHNC - #621 Always AG Christmas

A cup of cheer

Hello everyone! I am finally getting busy with this year's Christmas cards. This one came together very quickly since it was created with elements from my UFO box and some light background stencilling.

I'm linking up my card at:

Beccy's Place - 10th Month of holiday cards
C is for ... cup, coffee, cocoa

CLBH - Anything goes with a caffeinated design

SSS Wednesday - Stencil it

Stamping Sensations - Christmas celebrations

Stencil Fun - Anything goes with stencilling

(Thanks Darlene for the tip!)

Double D - Hot beverages

Day of the Month - #45 National espresso day

HLS Stencil - Anything goes

September Card Chain Challenge

Hello everyone! I'm back!
I am ready to get back to crafting, and the Card Chain Challenge seemed like the perfect incentive to sit down and actually try something new.

As soon as I saw one of the many prompts for the September challenge, Zentangle, I was reminded of the booklet that I had purchased a couple of years ago, but had not done anything with, until now.

I found it very relaxing to do and look forward to doing more.

Do check out all of the other cards that were exchanged last month at the Card Chain Challenge, and when you are there, why not sign up for next month and join in the fun!

Thanks for visiting, and I hope to be back with more creations soon!

Spring flowers for the April Card Chain Challenge

Hello everyone! It's the second of the month, which means it's time for another CCC reveal.

I'm still very busy working on my own personal growth, but the Card Chain Challenge is a good incentive to create at least one card a month, even if I'm usually late in sending it out.

Anyway, this past month my card went to Tina in Slovenia.

I used a NBUS stamp set that I had won during a new Uniko release (Background Blocks Layered Modern Floral). The stamp comes with the flower layer, the leave layer and a few small elements. After stamping, I used a white pencil to add a little detail to the flower petals. The sentiment is from an older Altenew set.

I'm also linking up my card at:

NBUS - Anything goes with NBUS

SSS Wednesday - Anything goes

March Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Hello everyone! It's the second of the month, which means it's time to show you the card that I sent out for the March Card Chain Challenge.

Life has been busy this past month with work and personal stuff, so I did not have a lot of time to spend in my craftroom. That's why I pulled out an old card from my stash to send to Pia in Norway. It was perfect for this month's themes of friendship and farm. Besides, it was perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

Some of you may have seen this card before on my blog. It was a super quick and CAS card that I created using a digital image by Faith Skrdla of From the Heart Stamps, who sadly passed away much too soon a few years ago. This card reminds me of how her images always make me smile, so I intend to create some more cards using the images that I own.

Do check out the other cards that were exchanged worldwide this month. If you want to join the fun, you have until April, 6th to link up for the April Card Chain exchange. You can play as often as you like, since you need to link up for each month that you wish to play.

Butterfly for February Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Hello everyone. It's the second of the month, which means it's time to show you all what I created for the Card Chain Challenge. This month, my card went to Debbie in Michigan, who was participating for the very first time this month.

I went with the sketch and the product/technique option (paint).

I found some scraps in my scrap box that seemed to combine really well. I tore the green scrap (from a not so successful 'drunken acrylics' experiment) lengthwise and added die-cut circles from another scrap. If I remember correctly, I used Marabu acrylic effects paint on this scrap. I had stamped and heat-embossed the butterfly last month while working on my January CCC card, so all I had to do now was to fussy cut just the butterfly and add it to my biggest circle. I adhered the butterfly body with liquid glue and put a strip of foam tape under each wing. Both the butterfly and and sentiment are from the Block Prints set from Fun Stampers Journey.

Do check out the CCC challenge blog to see all of the wonderful cards that were exchanged worldwide last month. And while you are there, why don't to link up and join us next month? Each month, you can decide if you want to play or not.

I'm also linking up my card at:

SSS Wednesday - Anything goes

More greens

Hello everyone! I almost typed in 'Eat more greens!' as the title. I don't normally use much green on my cards but I am trying to incorporate more plants into my diet, so maybe that explains why I have 2 cards to share today that are predominantly green. Or maybe it's simply because I wanted to create cards for a few challenges LOL.

Anyway, my first card was created especially for the current Let's Squash It challenge, where I am guest designing this month. I thought this was a good moment to ink up my NBUS dandelion embossing folder (part of an embossing folder and stamp set, Fairy Wishes, Practical Publishing) that I bought last year or so. I used distress oxides and a small brayer to add colour to the EF before running it through my die cutting machine with a panel of Crafter's Companion watercolour card. I repeated my inking with the various greens until I was happy with the coverage. I stamped the block of sentiments (NBUS Subway Art: Dare, STAMPlorations) using the darkest green ink. I used the photopolymer stamp but I have just discovered that is also available as a digital set, together with the Subway Art Create sentiments. For my insect, I used this sweet ladybug brad from a NBUS set that I bought from the Eyelet Outlet many years ago. On the spur of the moment, I decided to also stamp a snail from the Fairy Wishes stamp set. I did not want to trim my panel, so I added it to an A6 card base.

I'm linking up my card at:

Let's Squash It - #17 Green + insect

We Love Stamping - AG with stamping (option: stencil)

Stamping Sensations - AG stamping (option: wings or tails)

NBUS - #35 AG with NBUS

STAMPlorations - Never-ending AG with STAMPlorations

My second card is one for my Christmas stash. I used a previously stamped and gold heat embossed panel from my UFO box. To add a little more interest, I matted the panel with a slightly larger white panel before adhering it to my green card base.

I'm linking up this card at:

52CCT - Green, white and gold

CHNC - #581 AG Christmas

HLS Christmas - AG Christmas

Let's Squash It – #17 Grasshopper Green

Hello everyone. It's time for a new challenge at Let's Squash It, and I'm thrilled to be making a guest appearance this month after being crowned the Empress of Squash for these cards that I created for the challenge back in December.

The idea of the challenge is to get out those embossing folders that many of us have been hoarding and put them to good use. If you check out the challenge blog, you'll find plenty of inspiration, especially from Gail and Jo, to use your embossing folders in different ways.

This month, we're asking you to feature an insect (or several insects), the colour green, and an embossing folder of course. Here's what I came up with:

I pulled out an old Sizzix Texture Fades EF by Tim Holtz (Winter berries – thanks Gail!) and ran it through my die cutting machine with a panel of Crafter's Companion watercolour card. I have discovered that using watercolour card gives a very crisp embossed impression and does not crack. And in most cases, the result is so smooth that no one will notice you've used watercolour card. It also works great with 3D embossing folders.

Anyway, after embossing my panel, I added colour by gently swiping several green ink pads over the raised surface. I decided to use some long neglected Studio Calico color theory inks (Yes Peas, Going Green and Lime Light) because these ink pads have a very stiff surface. When I did smudge the ink where I did not want it, I used a wet watercolour brush to scrub at the ink to make the marks less noticeable. That turned out to be a very happy accident, so that I turned it into a feature and drew out some of the ink in other places as well. I also added some splatters using the darkest green.

The butterflies (from an old (2013) stamp set by Clearly Besotted) were stamped in Versafine black and coloured in using Catherine Pooler inks and a ZIG blender brush. After fussy cutting them, I added some sparkle using a Spectrum Noir glitter brush and popped them up on foam tape.

The sentiment is from an older PTI stamp set (Bitty Butterflies).

I hope you will check out the Let's Squash It challenge blog for all of the details and play along!

I'm also linking up my card at:

SSS Wednesday - Emboss it

HLS CAS - Inky

Stamping Sensations - AG with wings or tails

January 2022 Card Chain Challenge reveal

Hello everyone. It's the second of the month (where did January go?!), so it's time to reveal the cards that were exchanged last month for the Card Chain Challenge.

My card went to Michaela in Austria, who joined us for the first time this month.

I used the sketch as well as one of the technique options (embossing folder). Both the embossing folder (Braided, Taylored Expressions) and the stamp (Block Prints, Fun Stampers Journey) are NBUS supplies. The sentiment is from an old Impression Obsession sentiment set.

I'm also linking up my card at:

SSS Wednesday - Anything goes

Oceans of Happiness

Hello everyone. Hope your week is off to a great start. 
I managed to create a card in the nick of time for the current Under the Sea theme at Let's Squash It!

This was a perfect opportunity to take out my NBUS stamps and embossing folder that came with a UK crafting magazine (Creative Stamping 97) that I recently ordered in a sale.

I started by die cutting a panel from CC watercolour card using a stitched rectangle die (SSS). Next, I used one of my NBUS Tim Holtz diffusers that I have had for a few years but never used so far (because I could not find them when I actually did want to use them ... sound familiar?). I had intended to centre my embossing, but the diffuser shifted. I decided to go with the flow and love how it turned out in the end.

I used a brush to wet the embossed area before dropping in some smooshed distress ink colours and used a foam applicator to add a little Faded Jeans on some of the raised area once the panel was dry. I used Juniper mist ink (Catherine Pooler) to stamp some small fish and add colour to my sentiment strip before heat embossing one of the sentiments from the stamp set.

The dolphins from the set were stamped using Memento black ink, coloured in with Copics, fussy cut and popped up on foam tape.

To finish up, I did some stamping on the inside using Juniper Mist. The happy birthday sentiment is from a SSS stamp set.

I'm linking up my card at:

Let's Squash It! - #16 Under the Sea

NBUS #34

SSS Wednesday - Anything goes

SSS Monday - Use an embossing folder

ATSM - #421 Make your mark

Passion for Markers - #625 Embossing 

(heat or dry - I used both)

Stamping Sensations - Stamping and dies

Zero-calorie sweets and treats

Hello everyone. Thanks for stopping by. I have another duo of cards to share for a couple of challenges.

I had these stamped and die cut Christmas gingerbread cookies (Gingerbread Fun, Paper Discovery) in my UFO box after creating some cards last year, so these cards were really quick to put together.

All I needed to do was add a selection of gingerbread cookies to a strip of dark red cardstock and adhere these to my cards. A simple sentiment (Winnie & Walter) finished them off.

I'm linking up my cards at:

Jingle Belles - Getting fit for 2022 / sweets and treats

January Rudolph Days

SSS Wednesday - Anything goes

CHNC - #578 Anything Christmas goes