Black Gold and White for Christmas

Well it  appears that I like making Christmas cards with Gold/Black and White because these two cards came together very quickly and easily. This first card was made combining two dies

to make a shaker tag. The Merry & Bright die does not cut well through the gold mirror card which is a shame. It meant I had to put it through the machine back and forward twice which means the gold card gets pressure marked but its not too bad and still looks beautiful.

I cut the main tag twice, once in the gold mirror gold with the 'merry & bright' word die attached for the front and once in a gold rough look gold for the back panel. I attached some acetate  then double sided foam tape, two layers, poured in the mixed soft coloured sequins then attached the back panel.

I added some gold speckled gems, gold ribbon then attached to a card base that has been covered with black and white poinsettia pattern paper that I then added shadow to with a gold gel pen.

This next card, I have cut the 'joy' word die from the black card panel, added white glitter

paper behind then attached to a card base.

I cut out a pile of gold stars then attached randomly to the black card base then decided it needed something else so stamped in gold ink the sentiment 'to the world, but most of all to you' having removed the 'joy' part of the sentiment.

Two big easy striking Christmas cards.

Challenges:

Just Add Ink #388 Glitter

Joy to the World

Watercooler Wednesday WWC #147 Anything Goes

Merry & Bright

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes

Joy to the World

Muse Christ Visions #90 Any Christmas Card

Merry & Bright

Thank you so Much for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon

A couple of Christmas Cards and a Small Reminisce

A couple more Christmas cards using Stamping Bella Stamps coloured with Copics and

adding some KindyGlitz glitter for the dress. This card was claimed by Sopie

who wasn't very happy with the plain wooden stars. She wanted glitter. I offered to

take it home and glitter but then the thought of having to part with it meant that

the plain wooden stars weren't so bad after all. the stars covered my boo boo's.

Next came my cute little chick with reindeer horns and presents and a perfect

Christmas sentiment. Finished off with some Washi glitter tape. So easy and

quick.

My photos aren't the best and the cards look warped being one layer but they

are all looking good IRL.

Not getting much done though I have new Christmas stamps and so many images stamped and coloured, life is getting in the way and craft is having to take a back seat. The cards I had planned for the Nursing Home will not happen this year but will be partly ready for next year.

Challenges:

Come and Get it Challenges : Animal Challenge

Sending you Christmas Cheer

AAA CARD CAS Game #104 Christmas

Sending you  Christmas Cheer

Stamping Sensations November - One Layer Christmas Cards

Friends like you make the season so bright

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #269 CAS

Sending you Christmas Cheer

The Merry Christmas Challenge Challenge #44 Anything Goes + Christmas

Friends Like you Make The Season So Bright

Thank you So Much for Coming to Visit and I hope you come again soon.

Nostalgia Photo

Flash back photo today is of mum and her twin Pat. Today's  a bit of a sad post as many of you who know me are aware that mum is battling a very aggressive form of Alzheimer's that was only diagnosed  2 years ago. Already mum has progressed so far that she is now in her own world and no longer aware of us and what is going on around her. Sometimes a small spark appears and she will talk about something in the clearest of voice then it is gone.

But todays post is about mums identical twin who is in a different Nursing Home and has had some injuries happen in the home. She is not recovering from these injuries and is now in Palliative Care and has been asking for mum. We are bring mum up to Sydney to visit her today and tomorrow and hoping that Pat will be alert enough to know mum is there and that mum will register the visit. It is a very hard sad time.

They were the closest of twins, doing everything in life together, often one would be trying to call and finding the phone engaged because the other was trying to call. They both made their own clothes and would find they had bought the same material. They grew up best friends as well as sisters and though they had different illnesses they both fell ill around the same age and deteriorated at the same rate. The link is so very strong. I hope and pray they know each other at this time.

Celebrate the Season & Magical & a couple of Alcohol Ink Backgrounds

 Anyone who has followed me for a while knows I love using these

Purple Onion critters to make a Christmas Tree. I stamped my

three critters to make the tree on watercolour cardstock.

Watercoloured with Zigs. Then of course I needed to add some Christmas

bling, hence the hanging silver snowflakes and a bunch of mini bells

on top of the tree. I cut around the image and added a layer of red fun foam .

Here you can see I have used a patterned paper that I put through the Minc with a piece of

rainbow coloured foil. It really looks fabulous but was impossible to catch on photo. The top section you see here is what it looks like all the way down.

Added a 'magical' die cut

This next card I white embossed the sentiment  on a piece of watercolour paper then filled the letters with my Zigs carefully, not using any water. I then built a scene with a Santa that fits so well over here in Australia, just love his cool shades and those shorts. 

Added a die cut cole of coconut trees and a drink for Santa . He's not too excited with the cocktail as he really prefers a beer but he's lost his bottle opener thats why he's standing over there on the left.

I love the card but realise I forgot the ground again and maybe thats why it looks incomplete to me, mmm maybe a bit of long grass and a bottle opener sticking out???

Two alcohol ink pieces I played with on the weekend. I find like with my Copic colouring I struggle to stop at enough but felt I did pretty well with this top one. I feel both are framable and I promised Ruth an Alcohol ink background and she said she liked blue so now she must choose which. 

This one is a bit more intense and has silver as well but both are beautiful. With a white piece around them then framed they will look great and the framing will cover the small pink bits in the first one.

My hands were so covered in pink by the time I did these I was contaminating everything. Both pieces are done on Yupo but the first is on Yupo Transparent which looks more like freezer paper to look at. The ink and blending solution sits on top a lot longer on this one which allowed for that such smoother finish.

I also learnt that you cannot be drying a piece and start looking for something else (one job at a time Aileen). I had made a beautiful pink and blue soft background piece that the next time I looked had a volcano centre. And that was that......

Last photo, flash back. Was asked by one of Elysha's friends from the Signing Choir if I could look for photos from the early years. Found this one- this was Elysha's first year in the Choir, last on the right, front row. She's in her first year of school there, kindergarten. The choir is also the class as they are all in the same class, all deaf, Teacher was hearing Teachers Aid deaf sign was the first language in the class room . Amazing to think this is 20 years ago.

Challenges:

Animal Friends Challenge #56 November 2017

Must include an animal

'Magical'

Sweet Stampers Challenge #14 Christmas

Magical Christmas tree

Crafty Girlz Challenges November Challenge Anything Goes/Optional Christmas

Celebrate the Season

Thought I would share an Aussie Christmas

Merry Monday Christmas Challenge #266 Santa Claus

Celebrate the Season

Check out how we do it in Australia!!!

AAA Cards CAS Game #103 Celebrate

Celebrate the Season

Thank you so much for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.

The Flower Challenge #14 Reminder

It's that time again when we remind you that you have 10 more days to make a card or two join us in our latest challenge at:

For some people the thought of CAS can be intimidating but really don't let it stop you giving it a go.

We are really relaxed at The Flower Callenge and its not like we are saying 'one layer and CAS cause that can be really SCARY' no its just CAS which is Clean and Simple so keeping your design with lots of white space of card colour space if you used a coloured card base and a very simple design (which of course includes Flowers as your main image) and of course it meeds to to simple.

My photo is shocking but you get the idea. I stamped and white embossed the flower panel from Stamplorations and then I just added Zig water colours and washed it out with water till I was happy with the colour. One layer then another in the palest blue and then a little place brown for the flower centres.

I diecut the panel with a new die I got from PoppyCraft Dies the link I have is for Australia which of course means if you are overseas they are even cheaper but they are all 40% off these xxx stitch dies cut beautifully and comes in squares and rectangles and circles etc. The ones I used there are 8 in the set so I used the two closest in size (I don't get commission for mentioning companies by the way which is lucky cause half the time I get them mixed up lol).

I cut the under layer in pale blue, directly attached to the white card base then added by hello (WPlus9) die cut that was cut in silver mirror card.

So simple and pretty and ready to go.

Now its time to go check out what the rest of the Design Team have been up to then sit down and create and join us.

Thank you so much for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.

May all your holiday wishes come true & Celebrate

I think this is the only sentiment I have ever with 'holiday' rather than

Christmas. To be honest I wish the stamp companies would sell stamps with both

options available. I grew up Catholic and we have always celebrated Christmas 

and we continue to celebrate Christmas and all its beauty.

So now I have a stamp for cards for people when I am not sure

and I am sure they will love these little chickies too. How cute are they. They are all individual so

you can layout in any design you want. I added KindyGlitz to my Santa hat and Copic 

coloured everything. A few silvered gold stars finished off the card perfectly.

This next card I had a bit of fun photographing as a breeze keep springing up

and blowing it over just as I went to take the photo.

Of course I was too lazy to go find something that would hold it in place

(mind you I would have been going to find the right thing not being at home).

But I finally got a couple of photos that aren't too bad. Coloured with copics. Edged with silver

sparkle washi tape and finished off with a die cut 'celebrate' cut from silver mirror cardstock.

Thats me in the bright pink dress and with the light purple hair for the Christmas party!!!!!

Challenges:

Glitter 'N' Sparkle Challenge Blog #265 Anything Goes

Celebrate

AAA Cards CAS Game #103 Celebrate

Celebrate (I hope its CAS enough, if not 

let me know and I will remove)

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #157 Use More Than One Stamp

May all your holidays wishes come true - 4 stamps used

613 Avenue Create Challenge #203 Anything Goes Without The Twist

Celebrate

Creative Finger Challenge Blog #140 Anything Goes

May all your holiday wishes come true

Thank you so much for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.

Three Copic Coloured Christmas Cards Three Different Companies Stamps

I've started off with a Stamping Bella stamp that I bought last year and and I think I got one card made with it so thought I better  get some more done. Its cute, and I must say I look at the reindeer and wonder how jolly he is feeling as his feathered friends decorate him.

After copic colouring I added some Glossy Accents to all the Christmas lights

to add a bit of dimension. A quick and easy card to colour.

This next card is a Penny Black with an image drawn by Mo fro Mo's Digital Pencils. I do so love her drawing skills and have started collecting some of her images as stamps.

Again I have coloured with Copics.

This image is a little out of focus but I like that it shows the snow I added with KindyGlitz white 

dots on the front of the card to look like snow.

I love how the colour combination turned out and her red cheeks and nose. I can see that although we don't have Christmas in the Winter it will become a popular stamp for me.

I have had a lot of fun playing with these fellows from Mama Elephant. Another set I ordered last year and they didnt arrive till too late for last years Christmas so perfect for this year. This card I have used all of them and made a Christmas tree with two deers 'a-leapin'

In this photo they look a little rosier than they actually are but thats just the way the photo turned out. As they filled the card perfectly I really didnt need to add anything else. I finished off with Glossy Accents on all their noses and the Merry Christmas from the same set.

Ohhh they are so cute.

Challenges:

HLS November Christmas Challenge : Anything Goes

Merry Christmas Reindeer Tree (without the Twist this time)

Addicted to Stamps #157 - use more than one stamp

Merry Christmas - used 9 stamps all up

Stamping Sensations November Christmas One Layer Card

Tis the season to be Jolly

Crafty Friends Challenge #70 Christmas

Hope you Have a Magical Christmas Card

Crafting With Friends Always anything Goes #54

Tis the season to be Jolly

As You Like It Challenge Christmas or Non Christmas and WHY?

Christmas- I grew up traditional and it was all about Christmas and as my parents both disappear into Alzehimers I find it even more important to be as traditional as possible. Not only for them but to share with my grandchildren and hope that they too will continue the tradition.

Hope you Have a Magical Christmas Card

Thank you so much for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.