24th Advent Window - Aurora borealis inspired

 With A being away for a while in Norway, my last advent window is a nod to the spectacular Northern Lights, which is was in the right place to see, just a bit early.

Stamp set: Snowflake Wishes and Heartfelt Wishes

Ink: Vera mark and Clear emboss powder for the snowflakes,

Night of Navy and Granny Apple Green with blending brushes for the background.

Card stock: Whisper White, Granny Apple Green

Accessories: Stitched Snowflake dies and 1 1/2" Metallic Mesh Ribbon

Enjoy this winter season,

have a wonderful Festive period,

and keep on Crafting.

GenGen xxxx

23rd Advent Window - Season's Greetings

 Somehow there are always a few cards I receive that I missed to post, so I designed this card thinking that I would put them in the post, arriving after Christmas - then hand delivered them!

Stamp Set: Merry Snowflakes

Ink: Balmy Blue, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party

Cardstock: Retired Glimmer, Shimmer Whisper White

Accessories: Stitched Snowflake dies with Foam strip to lift the card up from the printed and die cut snowflake, this also allows you to see the stitching of the snowflake outline.

Keep on Christmas Crafting, even if the mode of delivery changes,

GenGen xxxx

22nd Advent Window - Christmas Tidings Star

 My other obsession this year would seem to be designing without waste. Having taken a serious look at my craft room, as I struggle to rationalise it, it would seem I buy lots of DSP then put it on a shelf without using it!! So, in an effort to break this habit, my idea was to use the stitched star die, which leaves a gorgeous stitched outline, and it you swap around the cut stars you get to see the two lines of stitching.

I've used THE Christmas red of Cherry Cobbler to co-ordinate with the Tidings of Christmas 6"x6" DSP, and then . . . 

Lift the super simple design with adhesive sheet backed Gold Foil word sentiment (retired), and as you can see, also not rationalised from my craft room - Ho ho ho!

Keep Christmas Crafting,

GenGen xxxx

21st Advent Window - One Colour only!

 I think it's safe to say I'm fairly addicted to the New In Colors, particularly Soft Succulent and Evening Evergreen. So today's simple card uses soft green in all aspects.

Stamp Set: Festive Foliage, Poinsettia Petals

Card stock: Soft Succulent, Whisper White

Ink: Soft Succulent

Accessories: Soft Succulent 1cm Open Weave Ribbon

This background stamp really lends itself to a less is more card. 

Keep on crafting for Christmas, GenGen xxxx

20th Advent Window - Printed but hand delivered!

 At this point I'm trying to come up with designs that are possible to reproduce en masse, but as a finishing flourish I added a bow (so hand delivering for these ones) - ho ho ho!

Stamp Set: Sparkle of the Season

Card stock: Retired SU Gold edged cards

Ink: Soft Suede, Shaded Spruce, Garden Green

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler & Gold 1/2" Ribbon

Enjoy your Christmas Crafting,

GenGen xxxx

19th Advent Window - posting friendly!

 So having enthusiastically written a card to South Africa without realising that it would be considered a large letter and cost accordingly, subsequent designs have been slot friendly! So here I've added texture with an embossing folder and the contrast foil star.

Stamp set: Tidings & Trimmings

Card stock: Evening Evergreen, Cherry Cobbler, Tidings of Christmas 6"x6" DSP, Gold Foil

Ink: Evening Evergreen

Accessories: Wintry 3D Embossing folder, Christmas Trimmings dies

Won't be long till Tree Trimming!

Keep Christmas Crafting,

GenGen xxxx

18th Advent Window - no throw!

 So, today is a two window bonanza, just in case anyone is wondering what to do with off cuts - NEVER throw ANYTHING away - ho ho ho!

As you can see, I've swapped the "fill" from the Eden die, so there is a positive and negative vibe for the frame and background.

Stamp Set: Tidings & Trimmings

Card stock: Evening Evergreen, Soft Succulent, 

Whisper White, Gold Foil

Ink: Evening Evergreen, Gold

Accessories: Eden and Christmas Trimmings dies

Keep Christmas Crafting,

and reuse your offcuts ;-)

GenGen xxxx

17th Advent Window - Rainbow wishes

 As Rainbows have grown in popularity I thought I'd incorporate them into today's card.

This is of course the fabulous die from the Seasonal Swirls dies. Somehow this arch of Rainbow colours reminds me of a slinky, but then that's probably my mis-spent youth breaking through ;-)

The greeting is printed in Real Red from The Merriest Moments stamp set, with stars from the Sparkle of the Season stamp set.

Keep on enjoying the Rainbows,

GenGen xxxx

16th Advent Window - Tree presents

 As all the "children" we gift to grow up,

 I thought the money envelopes should illustrate this too.

This is the stunning Peaceful Place 12"x12" Specialty Designer Series Paper with the envelope maker for these 3" square envelopes, and the Wonderful Snowflakes placed centrally with a rhinestone just for a little more sparkle ;-)

Keep your Christmas Crafting simple,

GenGen xxxx

15th Advent Window - as night's are longer

 We've been lucky enough to enjoy some clear nights with wonderful moonlight and sparkling stars, so that inspiration lead to using one of my favorite dies . . 

Stamp Set: Sparkle of the Season

Ink: Versa with Silver Emboss

Cardstock: Night of Navy and Be Dazzling Specialty

Accessories: Stitched Stars Dies

Let a little Sparkle shine through,

keep on Christmas crafting,

GenGen xxxx

14th Advent Window - Favorite colours

 It wasn't really going to be too long before I revert to my favourite colour combination of Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive ;-)

Stamp Set: Tidings & Trimmings

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Gold

Accessories: Gold 1cm Shimmer Ribbon

Keep on crafting with your favorites ;-)

GenGen xxxx

13th Advent Window - Winter scene

 Having the luxury of a slow Sunday allows me the time to play. I'd picked up a copy of 100 days of Christmas Crafts magazine last month which provided lots of inspiration, with a beautiful illuminated papercut scene by Corinne Bradd - so here is my much simpler version.

I've used plain vellum, then Evening Evergreen Shimmer and Gold Shimmer vellum for the Trees and Reindeer. So this simple Christmas Dome with LED candle light, flickers gently in the evening.

Keep your Christmas Crafting simple,

GenGen xxxx

12th Advent Window - Simple stamping Sunday

 When a new Main Catalogue comes out I try to notice which Christmas sets carry over, and so today I'm just doing some simple stamping for today's card.

Stamp Set: Poinsettia Petals

Card Stock: Real Red, Evening Evergreen, Whisper White

Ink: Real Red, Evening Evergreen

Accessories: Detailed Trio Punch, Real Red 1cm Sheer Ribbon

A touch of Tradition for today,

Keep on Christmas Crafting,

GenGen xxxx

11th Advent Window - Cut out Inspiration

 My wonderful Advent gift yesterday . . . .

with shining light streaming through the cutouts. . . is the inspiration for today's card ;-)

Card stock: Be Dazzling Specialty Paper, Whisper White

Accessories: Stitched Snowflake dies and Little letters dies

Keep let the light shine through,

GenGen xxxx

Happy Birthday TLB xx

10th Advent Window - it's a wrap!

 Somehow this year is more chaotic, so I'm trying to wrap as I go . . . 

I am the biggest fan of brown paper, but adding festive print lifts the final result. This is the background stamp Festive Foliage stamped in Shaded Spruce Ink with Fine Art 1cm Ribbon (gold thread running through the buff weave). To finish off I cut 2" tags from printed Kraft paper and used a Tag Topper Punch for the ribbon slot.

2 done ;-)

Keep on Christmas crafting,

even if it's when you're wrapping,

GenGen xxxx

9th Advent Window - Merry Snowflakes

 Having FREE Be Dazzling 6"x6" Specialty Paper from the last Sale-A Bration I thought it was time for even more sparkle, with the added texture of a 3D embossing folder!

Stamp Set: Merry Snowflakes

Ink: Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Balmy Blue

Card Stock: Be Dazzling Specialty Paper, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White

Accessories: Stitched Snowflakes Dies, wintry 3D embossing folder, Glittered Organdy 1cm ribbon

Keep on crafting for Christmas,

GenGen xxxx

8th Advent Window - Woodland shaker

 It's fairly well known that my garden is over run by Rabbits, which is the inspiration for today's card. This design would look equally as effective with the doe or fox from the set too.

Stamp Set: Nature's Beauty

Ink: Smoky Slate

Card stock: Silver foil, Whisper white, Peaceful Place Specialty DSP, Window Sheet

Accessories: Oval Die, Beautiful Trees die, Subtle shimmer sequins.

Although this card is intentionally toned down, 

as some friends have had a challenging year, 

the sparkling sequins really lift the scene when shaken ;-)

Cardmaking for calmness,

GenGen xxxx

7th Advent Window - Snow in Aus!

 As you may know, some of my family live Down Under in Australia, and as they experience summer temperatures at Christmas time I can't resist sending some sort of snow inspired card. this year it's this . . . 

This is the gorgeous Peaceful Place Designer Series Paper, with some silver ink stamping from the Merry Snowflakes stamp set at the base, and silver foil card stock for the silver edge and for the So Many Snowflakes (Star) with central pearl.

Keep it simple,

GenGen xxxx

6th Advent Window - Season Sparkle

Stamp Set: Sparkle of the Season

Card stock: Evening Evergreen, Soft Succulent, Silver Foil

Ink: Soft Succulent

Accessories: Seasonal Swirls Dies, Soft Succulent 1cm Sheer Ribbon

I love this understated set and die, 

it can be as intricate or as pared back as you choose it to be. 

It is already set for retirement, but I'll continue to use it ;-)

Steal some time to craft in the chaos,

GenGen xxxx

5th Advent Window - Stitched Star

 There is always part of me that likes tiny things, 

so this is my miniature card 3"x3".

Stamp Set: Tidings & Trimmings

Ink: Evening Evergreen

Card stock: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Evening Evergreen, 

Tidings of Christmas DSP, Gold Foil

Accessories: Stitched Star and Christmas Trimmings dies

Keep sprinkling a little Christmas magic,

GenGen xxxx

4th Advent Window - Scandi Inspiration

You know sometimes you have an idea of a design, but it won't completely formulate in your head? Then when you're food shopping a similar image pops up in the form of a festive napkin . . . 

As my initial idea was for a simplistic Scandi red and white design, this napkin allowed me to come up with this . . . 

Stamp Set: Snowflake Wishes

Card stock: Real Red, Whisper White

Ink: Real Red

Accessories: Stamparatus to facilitate printing 12 card fronts, 

and retired red ribbon with Christmas kisses ;-)

Keep on Crafting Christmas,

GenGen xxxx

3rd Advent Window - Winter woodland

 With the wonderful Llandrindod Card Club I also did an autumn card with this stamp set, but took along this option to show a really scaled back and simple Christmas card. The Welcoming Woods Distinktive stamp illustrates depth and simplicity.

I used some of the Silver Foil Speciality Pack as a background for the simply stamped Grey Granite ink stamped image, with silver ink for the snowflakes and some of the free Sale-A-Bration glimmer paper for the added snowflake ;-) (die from Stitched Snowflake dies)

Keep yourself calm with Christmas Card making

Gen Gen xxxx 

2nd Advent Window - Merriest Moments

The wonderful ladies of Llandrindod Card Club invited me to my only workshop of the year in October and it gave me the perfect excuse to explore the possibilities of the Merriest Moments Bundle

Here, I've used the Merriest Moments Hybrid embossing folder for the white base card, the Evening Evergreen base was cut with the outline die before embossing, which then fits into the embossing folder, and I've detail cut the vellum top layer before embossing it too.

I simply added printed and die cut Holly leaves (in Evening Evergreen) and Poinsettia (in Cherry Cobbler) with red rhinestones, and a scrap of whisper white for the central sentiment cut out with the stitched die.

I thought perhaps seeing the dies, hybrid embossing folder and stamp set would illustrate the potential of this bundle - when you simply pencil colour the embossed image it can pick up the detail of the embossing. For a simplistic card you can simply leave the embossed image plain. The coordinating stamp set and matching die means you can also increase the detail and layering of the design.

Keep on Christmas Crafting, Gen Gen xxxx