Bah Humbug- Christmas Trees

Well, it's my last week as a Guest Designer over on the Bah Humbug Blog. The time has absolutely flown by! As you read this, I will be in Malta with my Husband having a weekend break, so thoughts of Christmas probably couldn't be further from my mind!
My first card was made using a couple of Tim Holtz stamps, stamped onto cream card, coloured with Distress Inks. I embossed the piece stamped with the music stamp, using a Tim Holtz tree embossing folder, and picked out the embossing, using Pine Needles Distress Ink. I matted both pieces of card onto dark green card, and used a lovely backing paper from Papermania. I then made a handmade flower from brown parcel paper, using a Nestability die. I added a red button and some paper string. Some leaves cut from a Magnolia die finish the flower off.

My second card was made by stamping an Elusive Images tree onto acetate with white Stazon, and glittering the back. I stamped a sentiment onto watercolour paper, and mounted this onto a green mirri card. I used a lovely Christmas paper from Artylicious, and added some red brads to attach the acetate to my card.

The acetate was so shiny, it was difficult not to get a reflection of myself in the picture!

Don't forget to pop over to the Bah Humbug Blog to see what everyone else is getting up to, and thank you so much for stopping by for the last four weeks. I have really enjoyed my stint as Guest Designer. Judith xx

Bah Humbug Metallics

The theme over on the Bah Humbug blog this week is metallics. I have made two cards using my favourite colours. Years ago, I had my colours analysed, and was described as a 'Winter' person, dark haired with fair skin, able to wear strong colours like Aubergine and Teal, Black and White. I hate the cold, so I am not a natural Winter person, but I love the colour Aubergine, and this is what I have used on my first card. I took a piece of metal that colour, and embossed it through my Big Shot with a Kabuka mould, and then refined it with my tools. After sticking the metal to a tag, I used the 'controlled squish' technique taught by Linda Brown of LB Crafts to create the harlequin pattern, and drew some squiggles on every other diamond. I aged my piece of metal by rubbing black acylic paint over it, and wiping off the excess.

I stamped my Elusive Images bauble onto pearlescent card with Versamark, and then used Moonglow embossing powder to give a lovely metallic sheen. I added two types of Burgundy ribbon through the top of my tag, and a burgundy bow to the top of my bauble. I embossed the sentiment using Versamark and Moonglow embossing powder again straight onto the Artylicious backing paper.

For my second card, I chose to use another Eluse Images stamp, which I stamped onto acetate, using Stazon. I then applied my adhesive, and metal leaf, before matting this onto silver mirri card. I used a backing paper with the matching image totie everything together, then added a ribbon with a metal snowflake charm. 

This is my third week as a Guest Designer on the Bah Humbug blog, only one more week to go, the time is just flying by! Don't forget to pop over there to see what everyone else is getting up tp. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Bah Humbug Apertures

Hi folks, it's the second week of my stint as a Guest designer over at Bah Humbug. This week the challenge is to make a card or project using apertures.
For my first card, I managed to use three stamps that I haven't used before. I have had them for ages, and they have sat neglected in my box of Christmas stash, gathering dust. They would qualify for my other Friday post, lol! They are a set of bauble stamps from Great Impressions, with the words 'Peace', 'Love' and 'Joy' on the baubles. I chose to stamp these on acetate, and cut three apertures out of my main card. I glittered the baubles, and stuck them into the apertures, and then covered the back with another layer of acetate, to keep the glitter nice and tidy, then added a layer of card, to tidy up the inside of my card.

Apologies for the ornament in the corner of the picture, but I need a nice sunny position to take the photo, and the windowsill was handy!

My second card is a tri-fold card, made using a stamp from Elusive Images, stamped onto watercolour paper, and coloured with Polychromos pencils. I have placed it so that it can be seen through an aperture on the front of the card. I have added some flowers and leaves cut from Crealie dies.

Don't forget to pop over to the Bah Humbug blog to see what everyone else has been up to, and thanks for stopping by, I'll be back later with my Forgotten Friday post, see you then! Judith xx

Bah Humbug use a cd or dvd

Hi folks, well I've had a whirlwind two days with Jo, the weather has not been kind to us, but we've had a lovely time, crafting, craft shopping, and consuming way too many calories. I'll miss her now that she has gone home again, but we are meeting up again soon, at the GNPE at Harrogate in March with another Craft Stamping Quartet friend Lesley. In April, the four of us are hoping to get together at Ally Pally, which will be a rare but treasured occasion. I've made my Bah Humbug card by the skin of my teeth this week, as the deadline is lunchtime tomorrow. The challenge was to use a cd or dvd in some way. I chose to stamp on my CD, using Teal Stazon ink, using an Elusive Images snowflake stamp, to match the gorgeous turquoise backing paper that I have used. I have stamped and coloured a Crafty Individuals image called Snow Baby, cutting it out with a Nestie shape, and mounting it onto a lovely teal coloured card. I have used a piece of teal coloured ribbon underneath my image, and hung a snowflake charm from the bow. Don't forget to pop over to the Bah Humbug blog to see what everyone else has been getting up to this week. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Bah Humbug Doilies

The challenge over at Bah Humbug this week is to make a card or something incorporating 'Doilies'. I chose to use this lovely angel stamp'Guardian of Hearth and Home' by Carmen Medlin for SCACD which I bought from Quixotic Paperie recently. I used a backing paper called'Twinkle' from Basic Grey, and coloured my image in pale blues to match.

Although I have some actual paper doilies, I chose to use my Martha Stewart doily punch, to create a frill around my image, an idea I saw on this blog and then added a border with the same punch on the base of my card too. I also used a pretty acetate doily on the base of the card, underneath the sentiment, which came from Lili of the Valley.

I'm looking forward to seeing what this week's challenge is now, although I have several craft commitments to get done and dusted first! Thanks for stopping by today, Judith xx

Lots going on

I've been very busy this week, working on lots of different projects. I've been working on Design Team projects again, which is a lovely feeling. I can't tell you about those, but hopefully, there will be lots of news regarding the Company and the new stamps soon.

I've joined in with an altered charm swap in the United States. Last year, I signed up for a napkin swap with the same lady, it was a great idea, you collected some napkins, sent them off, and you got sent some in return. I got some beauties, and want to make something with a few, time permitting, ha ha! Anyway, this time, you make a minimum of five altered charms, send them off, and you get five charms back, with a pin to hang them on. I have made two so far.

I followed Roni's suggestion to use plastic tubing to look like fused glass. I'm hoarding bottle caps to make a couple more charms today, and eyeing up an old dice to stick a hook in to make another one! She has some fabulous ideas, I don't know where she gets them all from.

I've also made a card for this week's Bah Humbug challenge, which was 'Buttons and Bows'. My card is not in traditional colours at all. I have used a set of stamps from My Sentiments Exactly, with Gingerbread men, which seemed to call for reds and browns. I was trying not to use Kraft card this week, but it sneaked in there again! Hopefully next week, I can go a little bit more traditional.

I've got lots more projects on the go this week, so hopefully, I'll be posting some more very soon. Thanks for popping by, Judith xx

Bah Humbug Oldie but Goldie

It's time for my Bah Humbug post again this week, and I'm actually slightly quicker this week! I've managed to make my creation on Tuesday, wonders will never cease! The challenge this week was Oldie but Goldie, to use your old stash, an old stamp, or paper, etc. I fished out a lovely stamp by Stamps Happen Inc, which I've never actually managed to use on a Christmas card so far, as it always looked like too much work. I decided to stamp it onto Kraft card, so that I could try colouring with a white pencil for a change. I've seen a lot of this about lately, and it looks great. I used my Coloursoft pencils, and a few Derwent Artists pencils too, to get all of the colours that I needed. I blended everything with Zest it afterwards, and my paper stumps.
I decided to stamp around the edges of the Kraft card with another old stamp by Stempelglede, which I've had for ages. It's from the Grunge Flourish Hearts set. I bought this set before they were available in the UK, and they are just such a pretty set of stamps. I stamped the flourish using my white Adirondack paint dabber.
I then dug out an unused Christmas paper pack from Papermania, that I bought a couple of years ago, and found a page that seemed to tone in with the colours that I had used just perfectly. It even had a sentiment already on the page! I actually made this card with a bad headache, so at this point, a sentiment on the page was a blessing for me.

I have placed the snowmen picture onto acetate, which forms the front of my card, and there is a matching piece behind it, on the other side of the acetate to hide the double-sided tape. You can also write your message there.

Pop over to the Bah Humbug Blog and see what everyone else has been up to. Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx

Bah Humbug Crackers

The challenge over at the Bah Humbug Blog this week, is Crackers. I was a bit stumped at first, but I googled cracker templates. I downloaded a template that I liked, and decided to make a cracker and matching Christmas card.
I decided to go for a Kraft and red colour scheme, which was a nice warm blend of colours, and threw a little bit of green in there too. I stamped a swirly Elusive Images background onto brown wrapping paper for the cracker itself, and thicker Kraft card for my actual card. I made a couple of Poinsettias from sticky backed canvas mounted onto Grungepaper, after I had sprayed it with Adirondack colour wash sprays. I fixed the layers together with large brads, curling them a little bit. I used an Elusive Images sentiment for my card, and cut out a piece of cream card, using an oval Nestability. To get a fine mount for this, I drew around the same Nestability onto my red card, and cut this out by hand. I use the small curvy parchment scissors, which are great for cutting curves.

I really like the way the cracker turned out, so I may make some more of these for the Christmas meal, I just need to collect some useless cracker jokes, and the bits to go inside them, between now and December, and I'll be fine!

Thanks for stopping by today, any comments you care to make are really appreciated, Judith xx

Bah Humbug Stencils

The Challenge on Bah Humbug this week is to use stencils on your Christmas cards, either as a background, or main feature. I have chosen to use this lovely Dreamweaver stencil of winter trees as a background for an Elusive Images reindeer. I have chosen an Artylicious Christmas paper in Green with a lovely swirly snowflake pattern all over.

I inked through the stencil with Distress Inks, and then took a  clear Stardust pen down the left hand side of each trunk and branch to represent frost. It's hard to see in the photo, but it's very shimmery.

I've used one of my favourite Elusive Images sentiments to complete the card. I added a little bit of purple, (my favourite colour) in there for good measure, as the snowflakes on the backing paper are actually purple. It was refreshing to work with an unusual colour palette for a Christmas card.
Pop over to the Bah Humbug blog to see what everyone else has been getting up to. Thanks for popping by, Judith xx

Bah Humbug challenge my first entry!

I decided to enter the Bah Humbug challenge this week, and am getting in pretty much by the skin of my teeth. I have had trouble with headaches which has made crafting really difficult, but no matter, my card is together now. The theme this week was Holly or Fairies, or you could use both. I chose to use a digital image by Mo Manning called Holly Fairy, which is just perfect for this challenge. I used some lovely backing paper from Sei, from their Winter Song range, that I have been cherishing for a long time, and that formed the basis for my colour scheme. It is a lovely soft turquoise colour. Some of the other papers in the range have a deep red in them, so I decided to choose a deep red Bazzil card as my mount.
I have used Diamond Stickles to edge a lot of my layers, to add a bit of Christmas bling, you always have lots of glitter at Christmas, don't you? I have used a Whiff of Joy die to cut out my Holly leaves, and a Crealie die to cut out my lovely flowers from the remaining Bazzil card. I wet this before I curled the flower points to add dimension to the flowers.

The sentiment comes from Elusive Images, and the brads are from Hobby House. I saved a biscuit tin left over from Christmas, as per the tip on the Bah Humbug blog last week, so this card will be the first to go in there ready to send out at Christmas. It feels really good to say that I've started to make my Christmas cards for this year!!! Thanks for stopping by, Judith xx