CCC #16 Sylvie's Theme - Tree/s

Good morning.  I am here with another card for our little Christmas Card Club. It was Sylvie's choice this time and she wanted to see trees somewhere on our cards.  If you would like to see what the other girls made with trees you will find their links on my side bar.

My Card

Click on image  to  enlarge

 My card is 6" x 6".   The backing papers are from Me To You "Winter Wonderland"  which I have had for a few years and now am starting to use up some old stash.  (I'm not being as good as ScrappyMo but I am trying - some  might say very trying ... lol!)   Another LOTV topper from a couple of years ago.   I die cut the tree with Dees Distinctively A Cut Above  (what a mouthful that is!) and used glitter card - yet more very old stash.   The sentiment circle is from Craftwork Cards and  the pearls are from my stash.  It's flat enough for posting I think so I stopped myself from adding too much in the way of embellishments.

Sorry I'm not managing to do much blogging or crafting lately.  One of these days things might get back to some form of normality.  Hope you are all keeping well, and thank you for dropping by today.

Gift Bags and Money wallets

Hi

Since I found the carrier bags I made a couple of quick and simple bags and matching money wallets. I know they are extremely simple but in my experience children barely look at the wrappings but are far more concerned with what is actually inside! Lol!

I decided to give the children money this year but obviously they would need some little things to open. Turned out to be  pretty expensive little things!! Still, I enjoyed it and I know they will so that's what counts. And obviously I needed something to put these little things in, so here they are.

My Projects

gift bag

matching money wallet

These used toppers from Crafters Companion Inspiration Winter Edition, with some LOTV paper, SB Create a Flake 5 and Dees  DinstinctlyStacker Tree.

whoops, cut off the handles - in the pic!

matching money wallet

For these I used papers from Simple Stories Handmade Holidays pad and embellished with SB snowflakes. It was certainly quicker than the ones I made from the manilla envelopes, but not quite so satisfying! And they were so much nicer too. Note to self - in 2014 remember to take pictures !!

Must go. Take care!

Trees and Snowflakes

Good day to you all.  I am feeling very pleased with myself that I played catch-up with a vengeance  Ended up with too many Christmas cards!!!! A good start for next year. Lol!! They all went in the post yesterday, apart from a few that need hand delivering locally, so I can now relax a little and maybe make a start on sorting out my Christmas trees. Otherwise it will be time to take them down before I get them up!

My Card

Click on image to enlarge picture

This picture does not show the card at its best unfortunately. Unusually for me it is 7 x 7 inches because I wanted to use as much of the gorgeous First Edition Silent Night paper as possible. I also didn't want to cover up too much so I just die cut some snow flakes using SB Create a Flake 5, and a couple of trees using Dees Distinctly A Cut Above. I cut them all from another sheet in the set and dusted them all over with Pan Pastel Light Gold which, although not showing in the photo, gives a gorgeous pearlescent glow to the images.  The background paper is very neutral and the tree is beautifully glittered. The card  is a pale gold pearlescent card from Anna Marie Designs. (Part of a fabulous bargain at the NEC. About 8 or 9 pence per card and envelope, including 8 inch and pearlescent cards.) This is for my nephew because he doesn't like things too fussy.  I think it would make a nice winter birthday card too.

Have a good day.

Christmas Scene - CCC Challenge

Good morning friends.  Well, not a male card in sight today I'm pleased to say.  Instead this is a card for the Christmas Card Club challenge.  Lorraine's choice was for us to make a Christmas scene.  Unfortunately Lorraine is unwell and so is not actually taking part herself so let's hope she feels better soon.

My Card

Click on image to enlarge picture

From the side to see the 3D box effect and stand

I decided to make a 3D box card since it is so long since I have made one. I never quite know what to call these, I guess they are a bit like a shadow box only made from card. I started with a piece of card 8" x 8" and a slightly smaller piece for the back.  After the cutting and folding it becomes 6.5" x 6.5".

My stamp is  many many years old and is from an American company called Petaluma.  I stamped it in black ink and heat embossed with Blue Pearl which gives it a lovely blue colour.  To enhance the blue I matted it onto blue card and then attached it to the back of the box with foam pads.  I used glossy accents and Diamond Dust on the rooftops and trees.  I coloured the diecut fence with Promarkers.  I used Memory Box Snowflake Corner and Frosty Border and the Christmas trees are Dees Distictly A Cut Above - what a mouthful that is!!  Again I used lots of glue and glitter on them.  I didn't have any blue pearls so I coloured some with Promarkers and dotted them onto the snowflakes.  I finished off with a few peel off snowflake because the area at the top seemed a bit bare.  I have attached a stand to the back of the box but I might actually remove that and attach it to a card.  I have done both in the past.

I'm not a sports lover but for the next three weeks I shall be very happy following the Tour de France! Yesterday was the start in Corsica which was an interesting start to say the least. Can't wait for the rest.

Well that's it from me for today.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Love and hugs from Christine. xx

Exploding Cracker

Good morning.  Thank you everybody for all your birthday wishes. I was quite touched. (John has always said that!)  I really don't know what has happened to 2012, it seems to have come, and almost gone, so quickly!

I didn't have a great deal of crafting time yesterday so I just did a quickie. A little while ago when I was having a clear out I came upon this template that I haven't used for a very long time.

Click on image to enlarge pictures

I tried to take a picture of the open cracker but it was almost impossible to take a decent picture, so I scrubbed it. It doesn't take much imagination to see how it would fall open when the ribbon is removed. I obviously used much stiffer card the last time I made these because the sides didn't gape so much then. I wanted to use  double sided cardstock so I didn't need to decorate the inside but it was obviously  too thin.

I stamped the little angel with Versacolour Petal Pink pigment ink and embossed it with WOW Clear Sparkle then mounted her on the second size Spellbinders Floral Ovals. On the other sides I  put a diecut stacker tree from Dees Distinctly A Cut Above dies, and added some glitter to them. Inside I just put some choccies but a little gift could be substituted.

If anybody wants the template I can pop it on the blog for you.  I might do another one of these next week and do a  better job of it.

Hope you all have a good day.

With love from Christine xx