HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS SC428 -

This is our last challenge for you for 2023 from Hand Stamped Sentiments.  The Design Team are going to take a well earned break over the festive season and will be back in full swing in January 2024.  If you've stuck with us all year and so many of you have give yourselves a big pat on the back.  We couldn't do it without you joining in with us and sharing your talent.  A big thank you from me.  So for our last challenge we have a nice simple sketch for you.

Oh you know me - I don't do simple!  So I used an old embossing folder I think it may be Sizzix which has stockings on it.  I then wanted to use this old stamp from Tim Holtz called Carved Christmas.  I added some greenery from Tim Holtz dies and added one of his bells to make the card sing!  This card is going to be for hubby this Christmas. 

It only remains for me to wish you all a Happy and Peaceful Christmas/Holiday/Winter season and see you all again in the New Year.

CHRISTMAS CRAFT CREATIONS - ADD A HAT

Welcome back to another monthly challenge at Christmas Craft Creations - if you've been with us all year you will have a great start to your Christmas card collection.

Our challenge this month is Add a Hat.  This nearly had me stumped but then I remembered this older Tim Holtz set Carved Christmas 1 with the great linocut hat and knew I had to use it. 

I used a Tim Holtz stencil for my background using a soft palette of Aged Mahogony ink over an Antique Linen background.  I added some Tim Holtz collage Holly paper,  I embossed the stamp then cut it out and added it to a gold stitched circle.  I added a white gel pen to the word Jolly.  I cut out some Tim Holtz foliage and added it under the circle and added a twine bow.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks - All occasions 

Time Out - Winter/Holiday

The Holly & Ivy - Christmas 

Tuesday Taggers - It's cold outside - cold enough for a woolly hat? 

Crafting from the Heart - AG 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS #CC427

Welcome back to another Hand Stamped Sentiments Colour Challenge.  I chose colours as close as I could for our challenge this week.  I first cut out a circle out of copy paper and added it to the cardstock before creating the background with  a mix of TH Pumice Stone and Bundled Sage Oxide distress inks.  The holly stamp and the stamps around the circle were inked with Stampin Up Mossy Meadow.  The stamps are by Tracy Evans Aallandcreate.  I added a touch of Berry Burst to the robin and the berries.  The sentiment is from Tim Holtz. 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA

Welcome back to another Creative Artiste Mixed Media challenge where our challenge are always Anything Goes.  I'm in full-on Christmas mode at the moment - it is my favourite time to craft and my favourite type of crafts.  I love all things Tim Holtz for Christmas so decided to go full on with this canvas and use some of his little squares which I think came out last year.  I covered the canvas with gesso first and then used Ultra Matte Medium from Liquitex to stick all the pieces down.  

I added some little wooden ornaments from my stash, having first inked them with Distress and added a touc of sparkle.  The Believe is a die cut I also had in my stash.  I added some Tim Holtz Ideaology bells and quotes.  The deer is from Tim Holtz die set. 

I loved the way this turned out and will definitely be making a few more. 

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Love to Craft Challenge Blog - AG 

Mix It up Challenge - AG 

The Outlawz - AG Card free

Double D - Deer 

Merry Little Christmas - AG 

The Holly & The Ivy - AG 

Peace on Earth - AG 

THE MALE ROOM - FEATHERS

I'm taking a break from Christmas cards at the moment with our challenge at The Male Room of Feathers.  

I used the gel press again to create the background and added a stencil to remove some of the ink before pressing the paper onto the press.  The gorgeous pens are from Tracy Evans from a lovely set called Nibs and Mushrooms.  I stamped it once on the card and then added an extra part cut out and coloured in and added to the top of the original stamp.

The ink well and the feathers is from another Tracy Evans set called Pen and Ink. I stamped it and cut out and layered the feathers.  I added some more background stamping and found the word writing from an old dictionary I use for mixed media.  I kept it all monochrome to add to the vintage feel in keeping with the pens.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Fabnfunky - Masculine 

HAPPY LITTLE STAMPERS - ANYTHING GOES WITH OPTION OF EMBOSSING

Welcome back to another month's challenge for Happy Little Stampers Watercolour Challenge.

I started off by adding some ink to  my gel press then adding a Creative Expressions Stencil to lift the inks before adding the paper.  It gives that subtle background.  Once the inks were dry I added the Christmas words stencil from Visible Image stamps and white embossed it.  The remainder of the stamps are from Tracy Evans - this little robin is one of my favourites.  I cut out and added the numbers 25 behind the robin which had been cut out three times and layered.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide to colour the bird.

I added some Tim Holtz velvet ribbon to the bottom and added some red ink around the white card as a mat.  There is some sparkle on the baubles and around the edges.  

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wed - Emboss 

Critter Crazy - AG 

Christmas Cards All Year Round - When the red red robin.....

Merry Little Christmas - AG 

The Holly & The Ivy - AG 

Use Your Stuff - AG 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS - IC426

A wonderful autumnal/harvest mood board for you at Hand Stamped Sentiments this week.  I focused on the pinecones and knew exactly what stamp set I wanted to use.

The stamp set Pinecone is by Tracy Evans for Aallandcreate.  I started by inking my background with Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks and I added some Cosmic Shimmer Mica Powder to give the blue shine parts. I used a stencil by Tracy called Undergrowth which you can just see as the pale parts which are leaves.  Some extra Tracy stamps Ticketed Snippets, Seasons and Bulb Gazette were stamped in the background.  

The little bird is from Ticketed Snippets and I added it to a metal embellishment from Creative Expressions.  It fit just perfectly. I added some water droplet embellishments and a metal tag from Tim Holtz.  I added some Spectrum Noir sparkle to give it extra shine.

STAG

I spotted this challenge blog on my travels today Just Us Girls and it intrigued me so I thought I would try and join in.  I've recently just created my own template/stencil for circles which was on my desk so that was my first thought.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink Saltwater Taffy to fill in the circle which isn't a colour I normally use.  I then used a Visible Image stencil to stencil in some stars in the same colour.

My gorgeous stag is from Lavinia Stamps and I kept him simply stamped with Versafine Chianti and added just a few water droplets to his antlers.  The sentiment is a die from Creative Expressions and I found a scrap piece of paper in my stash which I had covered with Distress Mica Stain in Tart Cranberry and it was just perfect.  CAS cards are always tricky for me so I hope I've kept this CAS enough.

SNOWFLAKE TAG

 I love making Christmas Tags - they get used on family presents but I always make sure I get them back - I couldn't bear for them just to be torn up or put out with the wrapping paper!

My tag today was inspired by the challenge at Inkspirational which asked for Cold.  I used the lovely Tim Holtz Distress Mica Stain in Winterfrost for my background.  Adding in a touch of Salvaged Patina and Cracked Pistachio for some background stamping with foliage stamps by Tim Holtz.  The Snowflake is also by Tim and I added some of his foliage dies behind it.  I added some water droplets.  The sentiment is another Tim Holtz one and I embossed it in white embossing powder.  I added a lovely white satin ribbon.

I'm adding this into the following challenges

Inkspirational - Cold 

Peace on Earth - cold moodboard 

We love 2 Create - AG 

Allsorts - Embossing 

The Outlawz Challenge - not a card 

CHRISTMAS CRAFT CREATIONS - MONOCHROMATIC

Our theme this month at Christmas Craft Creations is monochromatic. I've chosen to use the newly released Christmas Tree Dies by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions.  These are called the Snowflake Tree-O.  I used some Tim Holtz Distress Mica Stain in Winter Frost to cover my paper then cut out the trees and the matching stars.  The dies come in three sizes so I layered the different sizes using some layering dots to add extra depth. 

There are some fabulous prizes to be won so don't forget to add our logo to be in with a chance of winning a prize.  Good luck.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Daring Cardmakers -  A Bit of Bling 

Rudolph October Days - Christmas AG 

Never Before Used Stuff - New dies 

AUTUMN

I'm lucky enough to be on the Design Team for Creative Expressions and get lots of lovely crafting goodies to play with.  A few months ago we received the lovely set by Jane's Doodles called Apple Pumpkin Spice.  It has a great range of autumn stamps and I loved playing with them.   Here are a few of my makes.

I'm adding these into the following challenges:

Just Us Girls - Pumpkin

Make My Monday - Autumn colours 

Outlawz - Fall Add a pumpkin

Inspiration Station - pumpkins galore

Use Your Stuff - Autumn 

ROBIN

The robin is one of my favourite birds, right up there with the cardinal but sadly we don't have those in the UK - but robins I have a plenty in my garden.  They always fly down at this time of year to my conservatory waiting for me to put out some dried oats!

The challenge over at We Love Stamping is a mood board and I saw nothing other than the robin.  I've created a wintry scene for my little robin - he's standing on the watering can which has frozen in the cold.  All stamps are by Tracy Evans for Aallandcreate.  

I'm adding this into the following challenges

We Love Stamping - Mood Board - robin 

Simon Says Stamp Monday - add words 

A place to start - AG 

Peace on Earth Christmas - moodboard - inspired by the white scene with the red truck

Allsorts - AG 

Most Magical Time of the Year - Christmas 

Krafty Chicks - Christmas 

Delighted that my Robin was chosen in the Top Picks at Krafty Chicks 

How exciting - my robin also won Simon Says Stamp Challenge gift voucher 

HAND STAMPED SENTIMENTS sc425

Another Sketch Challenge for you this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments and I look forward to seeing what you do with this one.  

I started my card by using some of the new Cosmic Shimmer Botanical Stains by Sam Poole in Carrot Top Green and Tea Leaves and I also added a bit of Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet Spray Stain.  I then used one of the new Francoise Read stamps from Creative Expressions  called Worn Notebook Page which is a great background stamp.  The thistle in the circle is from another of the new releases called Discovery.  

I added some Tim Holtz linen fabric ribbon behind and added some lace to the bottom and some thread behind the circle. 

Christmas Kickstart Challenge

I'm joining in with the Christmas Kickstart Challenge which is celebrating the life of Janis Woolbright who used to run the Cat Lovers Challenge.  I joined in with one of her blog hops a few years ago when I found her and as an ardent cat lover I loved the idea of celebrating cats.

My card started off with a Tim Holtz Christmas Tree stencil inked in Bundled Sage Distress Oxide.  I then stamped one of the Trees from TH Watercolor Trees. The large branch is from Sunny Studios Holiday Style.  The cat is a TH snarky cat with that great sentiment - I wanted it to look as though he had broken the decorations from the tree - we've all had cats that have been interested in Christmas trees! I added some google eyes just to make him look more amusing.

My two rescue cats - Jet now aged about 10 we've had him since he was 2.

Amber now aged 14 - we got her when she was 9!

I'm also adding this into the Crazy for Cats Challenge 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA

A rare sharing of my journal for our project this month at Creative Artiste Mixed Media.  It's not something I always show as I think journals are personal things but my page is just celebrating autumn which is my favourite time of the year.  My journal book is a gorgeous leather bound handmade paper book which hubby bought me years ago and sat unloved in a cupboard.  So I decided to use it as a journal.  The leather has got a bit gessoed but it gives it character oops! 

I always gesso the pages just to give them more strength and as it is hand made paper it helps to protect the paper from all the media stuff I'm going to throw at it.

I started off with my gell press and added some Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink in Fossilised Amber and Frayed Burlap.  I spritzed it with water and then just added the press direct to the page.  Once dry I added some Cosmic Shimmer Antique Sand Paste by Sam Poole in Moss Blanket. I love this paste and this gorgeous vintage colour. I used a stencil from my stash and just added it to some opposite corners.  I used the Nibs and Mushrooms stamp set from Tracy Evans direct to paper and cut some extra ones out for the picture frame.  The frame and the butterfly elements were from Taperlogy.  The extra words are also from Tracy Evans at Aallandcreate. 

In the margins I have added some journaling as to what Autumn means to me.  I love the colours of this page and how it all turned out.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Try it on Tuesday - Autumn

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Texture 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Stencil 

Alphabet Challenge - N for Nature 

Creative Fingers - AG 

Creative Inspiration - AG 

Shopping Our Stash - favourite colouring method - distress water colouring