24th Advent Wishes

At this point even I'm putting up decorations, and wanted to finish this advent run with the revamped wreath that I have recycled from Easter, it shows the sentiments that I which for everyone that has looked in on my blog over this festive time, Peace and Joy.

 

 

It's no surprise that stars feature heavily with this years door wreath, some from my Merry and Bright pack, a few willow ones done at a workshop, Cherry Cobbler printed Bright & Beautiful Star printed three times for a 3D effect, trimmed with the gorgeous Cherry Cobbler Linen Ribbon.

 

He's on his way and all that remains is to wish everyone a . . . .

 

 

Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

Keep on Crafting ;-) Gen Gen xxxx



23rd Advent window - time for trees

Even I'm thinking of putting up my tree today - a day early! With that in mind I have done this card with three tree handmade ornaments, one for each of the children.

 

 

I made them with simply pressed clay pressing tree stamps from the Festival of Trees stamp set into the clay for the embossed detail, used an Old Olive blendabilities marker to highlight the stamp detail, added some red dazzling details and sequins and gold thread to hang them on the tree, with the remaining card looking glimmer-tastic with the silhouettes . . . .

 

 

After all that glimmer and with the wrapping next, I was reminded who would be gathering his reindeer and made present tags using owl and bird builder punches, he must be nearly ready to deliver presents to my niece and nephews down under, ho ho ho !

 

 

Keep on Christmas crafting, Gen Gen xxxx

 



22nd Advent Window - the flip side

This year has been seriously sparkle influenced and has also re-initiated my love of the flip cards, I just wanted to use a little more of the All is Calm Speciality Designer Series Paper.

 

 

This Snowflake Card Thinlits Die has such detail that I wanted to keep the design clean cut, with the Pool Party and Lost Lagoon colours with the Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer snowflake creating a background for the Silver foil die, highlighted with rhinestones.

 

 

Just with the small silver foil snowflake on the inside, there are lots of combination possibilities with the DSP, and made these too, look on Pin Interest for a FREE template ;-) thinking of putting this collection into the front porch to make it festive, ho ho ho!

 

 

So Not On The List (NOTL), but fun time on a Sunday afternoon :-)

 

Keep on Christmas Crafting, Gen Gen xxxx

 

21st Advent Window - handmade hearts

 

 

With an opportunity to focus on the festive season I have had a chance to create some of the ideas that have been in my head. I am always in and out of my local haberdashery, which is where the fabric comes from, and an ideal excuse to team it with the fabulous Venetian Crochet Trim and the Very Vintage Designer Buttons, perfect hand craft while watching Christmas films and having a slow day ;-)

 

 

Keep on Christmas Crafting,

there's loads of time ;-) Gen xxxx

Advent Window 20 - Dec the Hall!

Last year at the annual children's Tea Party in our village I helped make this bunting as a community project with the Mum's of crafting children, and this year it is hanging in the community centre, a little bit of festive bunting :-)

 

 

It also carries the sentiment that I wish to all reading my blog, everyone who has invited me to demonstrate workshops and all the customers that have allowed me to indulge myself in all things Stampin' Up!, it's not as though I need a lot of encouragement ;-)

 

 

I used Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green card stock with Gold Glimmer letters cut with a letter die on my Big Shot,

the pennants were background stamped, and it's wonderful to see it up for all to see.

 

Keep on Christmas Crafting, Gen xxxx

19th Advent Window - postal friendly

I love the Wondrous Wreath stamp set, but needed a nice flat design to make it through the postal slot, so changed the colours to my favourite colour combination of Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler, with Wild Wasabi as the lighter green foliage print with the wonderful gold foil greeting. All glued down nice and flat to fly through the post ;-) With the stamp set and matching die even flat designs can be striking :-)

 

Keep on Christmas crafting, Gen xxxx

Advent Window 18 - Trio of trees

A quick post today, with a simple design. This is the Festival of Trees stamp set all printed in Versa Ink and Silver embossing powder on a background Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise and Blackberry Bliss, with matching 3/8"stitched satin ribbon, on a background of Dazzling Diamonds - you can never have too much sparkle ;-)

 

Keep on Christmas Crafting, Gen xxxx

17th Advent Double Window!

At the risk of boring anyone that has been looking at my blog I would just like to say that I have simply used spare stars that I had printed for an earlier card and made this little box for the Snowflake earrings for a friend who is struggling with her ho ho ho! They were so simple to make that I made a pair for myself too - hee hee hee!

 

These are of course the All is Calm Snowflake Embellishment with a simple jump ring on silver hooks. Just my sort of crafting, instant enough to do while preparing dinner last night ;-)

Keep on Christmas Crafting, Gen xxxx

Advent Window 16 - stellar!

So I have to apologise that I am having a Bright & Beautiful obsession over the past few days, but today's card is very pared down, Cherry Cobbler and Gold ink on the buff card stock with a little side order of gold sequins for a little seasonal bling ;-)

 

I'm hoping that the sequins will be utilised after the festive season as the recipient does the most marvellous mice creations,

check them out at https://www.facebook.com/ArtCafempm/photos/a.262906180548757.1073741827.262613460578029/262909290548446/

 

Keep on Christmas Crafting, Gen xxxx

Advent window 15 - Punch art snowman

Even I have been humming the tune to the Disney Frozen film, so with this ear worm racing around my head for the last few days I made this punch art snowman who has a canny resemblance to Olaf - if only I knew what I was talking about! I have yet to see the film, but hoping that the young family I'm sending this card to will enjoy it as much as I did making it ;-)

 

Keep on Christmas crafting, Gen xxxx

14th Advent Window - when a card is a gift ;-)

So yesterday's card used stamp sets, Letterpress Winter, Bright & Beautiful, and Many Merry Stars, just in case you were wondering.

 

Today's card is the card that keeps on giving,

or at least that's what I hope.

Having seen the simply pressed clay tree ornament on page 14 of the Autumn/Winter catalogue I wanted to do something along those lines, so this is air dried clay cut with a star cookie cutter and the small star from Bright & Beautiful stamp pressed into the centre and simply covered in silver ink, a tree ornament, and when the silver star gets hung on the tree the card will look like this . . .

This is the sensational Bright & Beautiful stamp set, cut with the co-ordinating Star Framelit Die, Silver Glimmer paper as the background for the Confetti Stars Punch, with the central star Wild Wasabi Embossing powder on Basic Black card stock. Hoping your days have a little sparkle and shine ;-)

Keep on Christmas crafting, Gen xxxx

 

Advent Window 13 - time for a triple!

Since I found a tutorial from a fellow demonstrator on the fundamentals of a triple layer card, it gives plenty of opportunity to have a real play with colours and use as many different stamp sets to mix things up!

 

So today's advent challenge is to guess the stamps used in this card ;-)

 

The base card is Tempting Turquoise with of course whisper white for the stamping, then as many cool winter colours as you can get on a card, Night of Navy, Coastal Cabana, Soft Sky, Bermuda Bay and Silver. Some baker's twine and the gorgeous snowflake that I may be adding to my tree this year.

 

Keep on Christmas Crafting, Gen xxxx

Advent Window 12 - half way there!

So this year I'm full of cheats, or as I like to think of them short cuts to ease the pressure of the festive season.

Keep calm it's only Christmas!

 

I treated myself to some Festive Designer Kraft Paper for wrapping, with the Cherry Cobbler 1" Sheer Linen Ribbon with the Seasonally Scattered Merry stamp for the tags and then a Gift Box made with the Gift Box Punch Board, gold ribbon and Cherry Cobbler circular tag with Kraft card stock printed tree from the Festival of Trees and Tree Punch - as always I have the matching punch ;-)

 

Ho! Ho! Ho! Hope LK,TK and JI like the presents inside!

Keep on Christmas Crafting, Gen xxxxx

11th Advent Window - revisiting wreaths

When I started thinking about Christmas I was asked about stamping a wreath, before the release of the Wondrous Wreath stamp and die set, and I just wanted to illustrate that with any stamp you can create a wreath.

 

This a foliage stamp from one of the hostess sets of the current catalogue, stamped around a circular piece of paper in Old Olive Ink with a few clustered berries and some red gingham ribbon, a real less is more week ;-)

 

A little nod towards Birthday Girl TLB as she loves Old Olive, see you soon!

 

Keep on Christmas crafting, Gen xxxx 



Advent Window 10 - simple stamping

I have been keen to play around with this stamp set, and there are times when I simply want to keep it simple to show off the stamp detail.

I am seriously over using the Seasonally Scattered Merry stamp as I have been using it for tags and the inside greeting of some of some of my cards, the snowflake detail is seriously fab, here in Real Red ink and then the Fir tree from the Festival of Trees stamp set in Old Olive ink.

This goes along with my motto - K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple Silly ;-)

 

Keep on Christmas Crafting, Gen xxxx

Advent Window 9 - Let it Snow?

As we have had the lightest sprinkling of icing sugar snow on the highest hills here, I couldn't resist showing you this snowflake card, lets just keep it on the hills for now though!

This is of course the Snowflake Card Thinlit die with All is calm Snowflake embellishment, Designer Washi Tape and Frosted Sequins with the Letterpress Winter and Petite Pairs stamp set, in Coastal Cabana and Whisper white.

 

I was aiming for a less is more design once more, but got carried away with sparkly things ;-)

Keep on Christmas Crafting, Gen xxxx

Advent window 8 - star in the darkness

As you can clearly see I succumbed to the Autumn-Winter Supplement, the Many Merry stars Simply Created Kit helps all of us that are a little short of time, but still hankering after the wow factor.

 

It doesn't get simpler than this all of the stars come ready to put together with double sided tape, with the addition of Cherry Cobbler 1" Sheer Linen Ribbon which is totally gorgeous and will be around my Christmas present, if all goes well!

 

Keep on Christmas Crafting, Gen xxxx

Advent window 7 - Reindeer revisited

Lovely Gill and Anne invited me along last Friday for a little Christmas crafting, and I would like to thank them, as with all my workshops I learn lots at workshops too.

 

As they had requested a Brayer exercise I reverted to a previous format which justifies not getting rid of many of my stamp sets, or at least that's the way I choose to see it ;-)

 

Using a circle mask for the moon and curved card for the snow hills we used Tempting turquoise ink on Whisper white card stock with the brayer for the sky, and sponge daubers for the hill layering, with a little Silver Sparkle dazzling details for the hill horizons, on Silver Glimmer card stock. Chocolate chip for the greeting and reindeer, and the new Dazzling diamonds glimmer paper as a background for this picture, you simply can't have too much sparkle!

 

Keep on Christmas crafting, Gen xxxx

6th Advent window - for the love of trees

As always my approach at this time of year is less is more, especially when time is running as fast as it is at the moment!

 

This is of course the Lovely as a Tree stamp set, here in Chocolate chip ink, simply stamped off (stamping again without re-inking) for the trees in the distance to create depth.

 

I have used some Tom bow glue and dazzling diamonds at the base of the trees and a little over the trees for sparkling snow.

 

The corners are a quarter small circle punch, and the Cherry cobbler greeting was a demonstrator reward - you have to love the freebies :-)

 

Keep on Christmas crafting, Gen xxxx

Dazzling 5th Advent Window

When the days are short and the dark nights long, we ALL need some dazzling diamonds to add sparkle to our day!

 

In today's advent window I'm sharing this paint effect, which is now hanging in the window dazzling with the street lights :-)

 

This is made from MDF and even though I'm a huge fan of the rustic look I wanted a bit more sparkle, so initially covered the surface with Craft ink, printed the small spray stars from the Be a Star stamp set in Pacific point ink, using a sponge dauber to highlight the letters and star edges. Then covered the surface in Vera Ink, heat and stick powder, activated with my heat tool and then Dazzling diamonds for the final sparkle!

 

Here's hoping there's some sparkle in your day,

keep on Christmas crafting, Gen xxxx

Advent window 4 - Twinkle twinkle, 3d star!

 I simply couldn't resist this gorgeous Bright & Beautiful star stamp set, or the temptation to create a little 3d decoration, and this year I have kept it seriously simple.

Here I've used 5 printed stars, cut out with Star Thinlit on Pacific Point card stock, Silver ink, and 1/8" Silver Ribbon.

And after the above modern colours I have of course succumbed to a more traditional take.

Real Red card stock,
Gold ink,
and 1/8" Gold Ribbon

As you can guess these are, at present the only decorations up in my home ;-)

Keep on Christmas crafting, Gen xxxx

Advent Window Number 3

 

Here is another Workshop Wow that I cased from a fellow demonstrator who was fabulous enough to put her tutorial on You Tube, where would we all be without that resource?

 

This is of course the Curvy Keepsake box Thinlits die in Chocolate chip for the pudding, Very Vanilla for the brandy butter sauce, red glimmer paper punched out with my cropodile for the pudding cherries and Garden green for the Holly leaves created with an oval punch and then a small circle punch to make the points of the leaves, and blendabilities coloured pearls for the holly berries. Of course the little tag that comes with the die, and some 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Real red for the finishing touch.

 

Perfect for tree treats or small presents,

hopefully looks good enough to eat ;-)

 

Keep on Christmas crafting, Gen xxxx

Second Advent Window

Here's the card that I shared with Llandrindod Card Club in November, many thanks for asking me along :-)

I cased this from the Autumn-Winter Supplement and this workshop allowed me to play around with the shaker window concept. Having made the most of a previous SU promotion I bought star stamp and framelits together and have been using them lots since!

 

Stamp set: Many Christmas Stars, Sassy Salutations

Card stock: Bermuda Bay, Costal Cabana, Brushed Silver, Window Sheets

Ink: Bermuda Bay, Silver Metallic Encore

Accessories: Shaker Frames, Frosted sequins, Stars framelits

 

You can never have enough shimmer and shine ;-)

Keep on crafting, Gen x

First Advent Window!

 

So with the first advent window we have some glitz and serious traditional colours. This is my favourite Old Olive and the fabulous Wondrous Wreath stamp set and matching framelit dies.

 

Stamp set: Wondrous Wreath

Inks: Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Real Red

Card stock: Old Olive, Real Red, Whisper White and Gold Foil

Accessories: Wondrous Wreath Framelit die, Perfect pennant Framelit die, 1/8" Gold ribbon

 

Just wanted to start my virtual advent with a message of joy,

if all else fails keep on crafting, Gen xxxx 

It's a cupcake kind of day!

Although preparations and workshops for Christmas are well under way I'm going to continue with my card creation catch up, and somehow I'm still showing things I did in October!!

 

As always with SU products, colour co-ordination comes with ease when their stamps and matching punches do the work for you. As I'm continually lying in the hammock and never leaving things till the last minute (if only!), when products go together like this, cards can be made in a jiffy which gets me out of tight squeeze again and again!

 

Stamp set: Cupcake Party, retired greeting

Inks: Melon mambo, stamped off, Basic Black

Card stock: Silver Glimmer paper, Basic Black, Whisper White

Accessories: Melon Mambo embossing powder, Cupcake builder punch and small star punch from Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack 

 

Just so you can see the detail of the stamp, here's a close up . . . .

 

 

And for a different look, on the same theme a few days later in the month . . .

 

Stamp set: As above, cheeky cherry stamp in the set!

Inks: Real Red, Chocolate chip

Card stock: Red glimmer paper, Whisper white

Accessories: Cupcake builder punch - contains the cherry punch! 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch

 

And just for something completely different, using SU card stock and punches, but simply copying from original artwork I made this for adorable Archie, who is the ultimate Thomas fan . .

 

Stamp set: Retired greeting from Party this way

Inks: Pacific point and Project Life journaling pen for the expressions and outline

Card stock: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Smokey Slate, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, Soft Sky for the background.

Accessories: Assorted circle punches and Stampin Trimmer for cutting, Word window punch for greeting.

 

Here's hoping the trip to Llandudno to visit Thomas went well ;-)

 

Keep on crafting, Gen Gen xxxx

Where does the time go?

Somehow our friends daughter has reached her 18th Birthday - where does the time go?
 

As the theme of her party was pastel candy colours and Hawaiian flower garlands I tried to pick up on that with her Birthday card.
 

 

Card stock: Whisper white, Blushing Bride, So Saffron, Soft Sky, Marina Mist & DSP

Inks: Blushing Bride, So Saffron, Marina Mist

Stamps: Flower Shop, Beautiful Birthday

Accessories: Big Shot Pop Up cutting pad (retired), Deco labels Framelits, Cupcake Builder Punch and Subtles Candy dots for flower centres.

 

Keep on crafting, Gen xxxx



Distressed technique

 

Lovely ladies Gill and Anne have been inviting me round for a wonderful workshop afternoon and requested a play day with distressing techniques. I used Early Espresso and Pink Pirouette colours.

 

Stamp set: Something to say

Ink: Early Espresso

Card stock: Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Word window punch, Blossom punch, Vintage brad, Sahara Sand Seam Binding, Small scallop Stampin' Trimmer.

 

With the above card being very female orientated I thought we should do something for the boys too.

 

 

Stamp set: Background stamp Sanded, Label Love

Ink: Early Espresso, Chocolate chip

Card stock: Whisper white

Accessories: Label punch, Banners Framelit, 1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon

 

Keep on crafting, Gen xxxx

Seriously starred!

It's easy to get carried away with new stamp sets and matching dies! It really doesn't take a lot for me to be tempted :-)

 

It seems an age ago that it was my brother's Birthday, but at least he can't spy his Birthday card here before it arrives down under!

 

Stamp Sets: Sassy Salutations, Be the Star

Ink: Pacific Point, Versa Ink & Silver Emboss Powder

Card stock: Whisper white, Pacific Point

Accessories: Stars Thinlits for the Big Shot

 

Along the same lines, here in a male and female theme . . .

 

 

Melon mambo and Blushing bride colours for the girls, while the boys are Coastal cabana and Pacific point. Now, if I could just have enough in stock to keep up with my friends talented teenagers! Well done Jordan and Louis - proving what stars you are!

 

 

Keep on crafting! I'm looking forward to stellar inspired Christmas cards this year, just need a little time to play :-) GenGen xxxx





Blendabilities - who doesn't like colouring in!

I've always been a fan of colouring in, so Blendabilities gives me the perfect excuse to Keep Calm and Carry on Colouring In!!

 

Stamp sets: Everything Eleanor for the background swirl, Something to Say for the Greeting

Ink: Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry

Card stock: Old Olive, Watercolour card

Blendabilities: Rich Razzleberry

Accessories: Word Window punch

 

 

I also bought the colour lifter and playing around with it, you can lift colour, which looks like light I think ;-)

 

As well as the excitement of totally new products I have managed to tempt myself with a new stamp set (Cupcake Party) for the Cupcake Builder Punch I already have :-)

 

 



Any excuse to use some retired DSP that we all have hanging around, in varying shades of Pacific Point and Soft Sky, and then just for fun . . .

 

 

. . . a Real Red and Chocolate Chip combination with Red Glimmer Paper as a background, with a cheery cherry on the top, a real less is more card!

 

Keep on crafting, Gen xxxx