A CHRISTMAS CUPPA

 I was delighted to be chosen as one of the Top Cups over at Sunday Stamps this week.

 
Carrying on with my theme of Christmas cards for the challenges I enter - I must admit its a great way of getting so many varied styles of Christmas cards - If I didn't have the parameters of the challenges to work to I may just do the same old thing! 

 The challenge at The Paper Players this week is Clean and Simple but inspired by the theme of Warm and Cosy and their image.


 I've added both the mittens and the cup in my card.

 I've used some of the Stampin Up Merry Christmas Designer Series Paper from this year's main catalogue and used the framelits from A Nice Cuppa to cut out the tea cups.  A touch of the matching mittens paper at the top and a ribbon in Cherry Cobbler and gold just add a bit of sparkle - but not too much as this also has to be CAS.  The Sentiment is from Merry Little Labels and was inked with marker pens in both Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive for the holly - put on dimensionals and added to the ribbon with a bit of gold thread to make it look like a bauble. 

I like using sets that are not necessarily Christmas to give us more options and make us think out side the box.


 

MERRY LITTLE LABELS

Digging deep into my boxes of old stamps I found this one of the stockings hanging up ready to be opened. It doesn't matter how old my kids get - (26 and 23) I still do stockings for them and hubby and I always give each other stockings too - admittedly I have to give him ideas even after 32 years of marriage lol!

 The challenge over at Less is More this week was to CASE the designer who had done this delightful card

 

 I don't really have any cutesy type stamps - I did have the SU mice last year and wish I had kept them so I opted for the stockings.  As this is Less is More I stamped it direct onto the card and tried to keep a lot of white space.  Tricky for me. 

 I used just three colours to ink the stockings all Stampin Up - Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and So Saffron with just a touch of  Creamy Caramel for the branch.  The sentiment is from the current Merry Little Labels set and it was inked with marker pens in Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive.  Just a few glitter enamel dots finish it off to give it a bit of sparkle. 

I'm also adding this into the Stamping Sensations challenge which is asking for one layer Christmas Cards.

 
 

OH CHRISTMAS TREE

I have yet to find a nice stamp with the wording Oh Christmas Tree on it - I'm sure there are lots out there - it would have been handy for this card for the As You See It Challenge this week - which is a panel card and a sketch.


I've used an old SU stamp set here Season of Joy for the trees and Merry Little Labels for the Just for You.  The colours are the lovely Lemon Lime Twist ink, paper and ribbon.  The sentiment is stamped in Fresh Fig and Old Olive and is from Inkadinkadoo.

A touch of bling on the stars from some Rhinestones finishes off this card.

I'm loving joining in with all these challenges - I'm getting a really nice assortment of Christmas cards ready for the season.



 

MERRY LITTLE LABELS - BOXES #CHRISTMASPUNCH

I've been busy making lots of little boxes lately using the Merry Little Labels set and the matching punch.  #christmaspunch.  


The boxes are very simple to make and I've done a quick tutorial to show you how easy they are.  They can be left open at the top or closed as in the Christmas example below. 

 This example uses Crumb Cake as the base and stamped with leaves from Colourful Season and Jar of Love. The jar was cut out of the front using the Jar of Love Framelits and then stamped over it with the jar image.  The lid was added on an embellishment.  Clear Acetate has been put behind the jar and then you can fill it with all sorts of goodies - I've added some of our Sequin Assortment.

The leaf has been made with the Seasonal Layers Thinlets.  The tag has used the cut out of the jar and I've stamped one of the sentiments from Merry Little Labels on it and added some Linen Thread to the top.

 This is a slightly different example using Old Olive as the cardstock.  The leaf has been cut into the front.  I've used the same leaves from Colourful Seasons to stamp on the cardstock with Versamark.  A brad attached the label which has been punched out with the new matching punch - #christmaspunch.

 This is a Christmas version using Night of Navy and Silver Embossing Powder.  I've used the snowflakes from Colourful Seasons and a touch of Metallic Edge Ribbon in silver.  The Let It Snow is a perfect accompaniment and looks so lovely embossed in silver.

I'm adding my boxes into the following challenges:

SU Only challenge - which is asking us to use our favourite punches or dies  



The Paper Players this week is Autumn Floral 

Global Design Project theme this week is Grateful - 
 

CRAFT TIPS TUTORIALS - MERRY LITTLE LABELS #Christmaspunch

I am starting a series of mini tutorials on You Tube - about two minutes long or just over just to give new stampers and crafters some quick ideas. 

My first one is to look at those stamp sets you have in a different way.  I have used the Stampin Up Set Merry Little Labels as my first example.  Its a Christmas set - but there is a stamp on there which can be used long after Christmas is over and its the Just For You stamp.  It comes as a bundle in the catalogue which means you get the stamp set and the punch at a discounted price. This punch is going to be a real winner and it can be used a long time after Christmas - #christmaspunch.

The Just for You stamp though can be used on all sorts of cards or gift packaging as seen here used with Watercolor Wings.

As usual all products can be purchased direct from me - just click on my link below and have fun with your goodies.

Time Out Challenge - #90 - Watercolor Wings - Merry Little Labels

The challenge over at Time Out challenge this week is Autumn with a touch of Speed Stamping - eek.

I had a quick card I had been playing with so I just redid it tweaking the colours.  I wanted to use the Watercolor Wings as this is one of my favourite sets at the moment but I also wanted to add one of the stamps from the new Merry Little Labels set from the new catalogue to show how it could also be used for other cards - not just for Christmas.

 I used Very Vanilla for the base of the card - for the butterfly I used Lemon Lime Twist, Tangerine Tango and Soft Suede.  The tag was cut out from Soft Suede and stamped with Tangine Tango and the sentiment also inked in Tangerine Tango is from Birthday Blossoms.  A touch of  Dazzling Diamonds on the butterfly and an enamel heart on the tag finishes off the card.

Talk about Speed Stamping - this took me about 9 minutes to do and I have less than an hour to link it up - how's that for leaving things to the last minute!

Here's my original one with all our new In-Colours of Powder Pink, Berry Burst and Fresh Fig on Whisper White.

 

 HAPPY CRAFTING

 

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge - WWC133 - Penny's All About Christmas

 Hello and welcome to another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  I'm so excited to share this project with you as I'm actually giving you a little sneak peak of two of our new Christmas stamp sets.  These two were my favourite out of the new catalogue which goes live on 1st September and, although they don't necessarily go together, they make a great match!  All will be revealed on 1st September.

I've used some gorgeous Night of Navy as my background cardstock and all the elements have been embossed with Silver Embossing powder.  I've used Whisper White cardstock and tore the edges to give the effect of a snowy background and just did a little light sponging around the edges at the top with the Night of Navy.  The houses are stamped using Crumb Cake and I've coloured in some of the windows with a touch of Daffodil Delight to represent lights.  The Trees are stamped with Pear Pizazz and the cute little smoke out of the chimenys is Basic Grey.  

I hope you visit the rest of the Design Team and leave a comment - we love to hear from you all.  I look forward to seeing all your lovely Christmas cards - its getting closer!!!! 


I'm going to add my card into the Addicted To Stamps challenge which this week is Anything Goes and Inkspirational Challenge - which is asking for a wave.  My torn paper looks like a snow wave! Is there such a thing?