The first ....

.... of my 50 Christmas cards is also, serendipitously, my DT entry for this week's PaperPlay Challenges, as our challenge this week is called "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow".  How convenient!  Our sponsor this week is Craft Brulee, the lucky winner will receive a store voucher.  Here's my finished design:

I'm entering quite a few challenges with this card: A Spoon Full of Sugar (distressing), ABC Challenge (holiday), Simon Says Stamp (sparkle), Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge (Sparkle & Shine), Totally Gorjuss (traditional Christmas colours) and Magnolia Down Under (shabby chic).

I keep my Christmas cards simple, with only one layer of patterned paper - and hand-stitching would be out of the question (although it kills me not to do it!).  The shaped nesties were great for adding a bit of interest, along with copious amounts of vintage photo ink, and two colours of stickles on the image.  Here's a slightly closer view of the image:

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey "Jovial"

Stamps: Snowman from Inkadinkado "Holiday Silhouettes" set; Magnolia "Merry Christmas Seal"

Colouring Medium: Prismacolour pencils

Other: Nestabilities "Labels 8", Xmas Red and Diamond stickles, gold gel pen, hairy string.

Now, post done, I'm off out this evening to my daughter's school play.  She was supposed to be dancing in it but, unfortunately, has pulled a hamstring so can't dance.  But I'm going anyway to re-live the 80s, 'cos the play is "Footloose" - remember that movie?!!  Kevin Bacon and ....... whatsherface?!!!!  Now where did I put my legwarmers?!!!!

Thanks for looking!

Knew I'd forgotten ....

.... something, I meant to put glitter on this card, but as I've given it to the customer, bit late now!!!

It's for one of the teachers in school, for her mother's 50th birthday.  She said her Mum loves flowers and cooking.  I immediately thought of a cute little Tilda stamp that I've had for a while but never inked.  Here's what I ended up with:

I used the sketch from this fortnight's Basic Grey Challenges, used BG Capella and Sugared papers, and Sugared brads.  I'm also entering this into Magnolia Down Under (make your own embellishments - mine is the lollipop flower), Little Red Wagon (Do it in 3s - I have 3 papers and 3 brads), Cute Card Thursday (anything goes) and Stamp Something (Digi Day - OK this is pushing it a bit, but my sentiment is computer generated - does that count?!!).

The colours are very slightly off, I took the picture two or three times in different areas, either ended up too yellow with artificial light or too blue with natural light. Ah, the pleasures of winter!!  Having said all that, the adjust contrast thingie on photoshop made a massive improvement, how did I ever work without it!!

I coloured the image with distress inks, still loving this technique.  Here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Papers: BG Capella and BG Sugared

Stamp: Magnolia "Baking Tilda with Wooden Spoon"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: MS "Branch" punch, BG Sugared brads, needle + thread

Thanks for looking - I'm off to make apple crumble now as we have a guest for dinner.  The weekend plans include making a start on my Christmas cards - production line here I come!!!