Christmas Card Club - Nativity Cards

 Welcome to another Christmas Card Club share.  It's Nativity cards this time and I've used the retired stamp set called Peace to You.  I stamped the image onto a piece of card and then fussy cut around the top which looks sort of stable shape and then I hand tore the bottom of the image.  I matted this onto a layer with soft blending brush ink and then onto a deckled rectangle die cut.  

The image itself is stamped in navy and then I used Stampin' Blends to colour the remainder of the image. The sentiment is from the same stamp set and stamped simply onto a piece of card which I snipped at both ends.  Simple, but the message is clear.  

Enjoy touring the other ladies in the Christmas CC and come back to visit again soon. 

Thank you 

Zoe x

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Handmade Christmas Card Club

It's been a long time since life has allowed me the luxury of joining in with my lovely friends at the Christmas Card Club.  I've made it today with a steady start as the theme is Clean and Simple!  I'm hoping be joining them for the rest of the year.

I embossed the base card and design layer using one of the retired Wintry narrow folders and these give that winter feel of pine and snow.  I stamped the sentiment from the Celebrate with Tags set prior to embossing and have added mittens to enhance that seasonal feel.  

 

Adding simple trim like white Baker's Twine and Festive Pearls is all you need to connect the narrow matt layer of Sweet Sorbet with the rest of the design.  

We are part of the CCC to make Christmas cards on a fortnightly basis with the goal of having enough when the festive postal season arrives.  We'd love a few more folk to join, but please note whilst you don't need to participate every fortnight it is customary to comment on the other members cards.   Contact me if you'd like to join in.  

Thanks for stopping by and check out my fellow team members super cards by clicking on the Christmas CC tab at the top of my blog.

Hugs Zoe x

Supplies 

Celebrate with Tags

Festive Pearls

Sweet Sorbet Ink, Card, Embellishments

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Christmas Card Club - Tidings and Trimmings Stampin' Up! Bundle

Today is the second Christmas Card Club of the year, but only my first so I have two cards in an effort to catch up.  The theme today is Nativity, but I've gone for anything goes which we can do if we are stuck for inspiration.  

I've used the Tidings and Trimmings bundle and the Tidings of Christmas papers.  Two simple cards, but the above one is full of texture and little details.  I really like the Hammered Metal embossing folder for adding some background detail and the staggered Label Me Fancy punched labels draw the eye across the design.  

For the card below it's a really simple design making use of this lovely stocking stamp again framed on a stitched and scalloped rectangle with an elegant font for the sentiment. 

Do look for more inspiration from the other lovely members of our Christmas Card Club and best wishes for the week ahead.  

Thanks for stopping by, keep safe and keep stamping.

Hugs Zoe x

Shopping List for these cards

Tidings & Trimmings 

stamp and die bundle

Stitched So Sweetly dies
 

Tidings of Christmas 6 x 6" papers

Label Me Fancy punch

Join and two stamp sets of your choice for free

January through 28 February 2022

Christmas Card Club - Tidings and Trimmings

Today is a poignant share for Christmas Card Club, we are remembering our lovely club member Shaz who sadly passed away earlier in the year. She had chosen our theme today of Decorations, baubles etc and so I have gone with a special star. 

I've created a background using the Festive Foliage background stamp which I stamped in Evening Evergreen ink. I've then used stampin write markers to with other shades of green to colour just some of the design leaves and berries.  

I've added a gold embossed stamped star from Tidings & Trimmings and die cut it with one of the Stitched Stars  and used the same stamp to add some pattern to the scalloped trim.  I've also covered the stamped star area with Wink of Stella for some subtle sparkle. 

A little ribbon which if I'm honest hides a finger smudge, but coordinates well lol! 

Have you exciting plans today?  We are starting celebrations for Olivia as it is her birthday this week and we are seeing my parents which always seems so special now following the past 18 months.  We are hoping it stays dry and warm so that we can enjoy the garden and watch our mad dogs excavate the lawn for us.  

Keep safe all and keep stamping.

Hugs Zoe x

Our new kit collection is now available

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Christmas Card Club

 Welcome to my Sunday card for the Christmas Card Club challenge.  Those in the club are used to me being a bit all over the place and I totally got my dates wrong for the last challenge which was a card with humour and today is meant to be winter sports, but I don't really have anything that would suit that and my punch art back up that I'd usually do for such a theme would be somewhat stretched so I'm catching up with my humour card.

I love this fun deer he just makes you smile and I really enjoyed the practice of using my alcohol markers. I think I'm getting better, but there's always room for improvement.  The image itself is a very old stamp set from my stash, so old I can't remember where it's from or from where I bought it.   He's just a jolly guy don't you think?

I added some border doodles with a marker pen and whilst you can't see it believe me there is a little bit of Wink of Stella on the fairy lights.  I layered him onto Granny Apple Green and Pacific point card on a white base.  I also like to make the odd card a different shape and size to the popular A6, but then Christmas comes and I'm rushing to buy or make envelopes.  Good way to use up some of those papers that we all hoard for rainy days though.  

It's stopped raining here today, but I'm going to chill with a little crafting as I had my second covid vaccination yesterday and feeling a bit sluggish today.  Hope you have a happy Sunday and that it stays dry wherever you are.  

Keep safe and keep stamping

Hugs Zoe x

Ice cream Tree for Christmas - What do you think?

 

Hello Christmas Card Club fans and the team.  Our challenge this Sunday is to share cards with Christmas trees on them and I've gone for a fun, cheery punch art card and believe it or not I've used an ice cream punch to create most of the tree and the decoration. 

I used the cone for the tree itself and the bottom of the ice cream part to create a garland which I've decorated with glue dots and gilded leafing.  I used both sides of my subtle dsp paper stack to create some more interest and added a simply white embossed sentiment from Itty Bitty Christmas stamp set along with a couple of bakers twine bows. It's simple and fun and a great one for children to receive or make. 

This weekend we're in the garden while it is nice and doing chores indoors.  Hubby is vaccinating doing his bit today I'm so proud of him and Charlie. C will volunteer again once his exams are over.  

Enjoy your Sunday and see you again soon. 

Hugs Zoe x

Ice cream cone builder punch

Gilded Leafing 

Subtles Designer Series Paper stack

Gifts, Ribbons and Bows

I'm excited to share my Christmas Card Club card with you today as for once as my choice I picked something some months ago as a theme and didn't then think "OMG why did I choose this!!!" .  I chose this theme knowing that we would have a new winter mini catalogue with lots of gorgeous seasonal stamps and trimmings, but never did I think it would work so well as this; a stamp set with literally ribbons and bows and I've added the gifts.  

 I used the 'Tis the Season papers and the Swirly Frames stamp set to add box edges in gold embossing before trimming my gift box shapes.  I've then added embossed, stamped or coloured bows to them all and a sentiment tag to the largest.  I created an embossed matt layer and chose the de-bossed side to add the paper parcels onto it as it was smoother to stick the papers onto but I think looked better behind the parcels.  

Regular visitors know I'm a bling lover and so a few red rhinestones just finished off my middle parcel.  Wouldn't it be lovely to receive Christmas gifts like this all coordinating and bowed!!

If you are looking for other gift wrap ideas why not look at my previous post showing a 3D gift box idea. 

Happy Sunday and I hope you have a great week.  I'm into Christmas mode now so making cards in my Christmas card buffet which you can join by post. Please email me for more information at zoetant@live.co.uk 

Thanks for stopping by.  Keep safe and KEEP STAMPING!

Hugs Zoe x

Gift Wrapped Bundle

Swirly Frames Stamp Set

'Tis the Season papers

Stunning Snowflakes for sentiment bold Christmas

Wow I love snowflakes but these are stunning.  Stampin' Up! have done an amazing job designing these beautiful dies this year.  I've used them to add sparkle to my Christmas card club card. It's Rita's   turn and she wanted Christmas Sentiments, and these gorgeous papers (Feels Like Frost) and the snowflakes set off my simple sentiment.  I cut 3/4" strips of the papers and top and tailed them with the Lovely Labels punch.  I then adhere them to a white matt layer before adding to my card base with stampin' dimensional.  My sentiment is stamped with Blackberry Bliss, not your usual Christmas colour, but it works don't you think?  

I stamped on Purple Posy card and added Purple Posy snowflakes that I die cut with double sided adhesive sheet on.  I made sure the sticky side was uppermost as I added some fine glitter to it to allow the card colour to come through, but also sparkle.  You could put the double sided adhesive on both sides of course but I only thought of that as I type, so mine are just added with wet glue.  It's a simple card but packs the WOW and is so so pretty with the beautiful papers that are printed photographs on one side with silver embossed designs on the other.  They are 6" x 6" with 4 of each design in the pack so you have two to stroke and two to use.  

As ever you can see some more designs on this theme by visiting the Christmas Card Club ladies blogs from the top link CC Club. 

Keep safe all and keep crafting. 

Hugs Zoe x

Feels Like Frost Papers

Lovely Labels Punch

 Snow Wonder stamp set

Adhesive Sheets

So Many Snowflakes Dies 

#simplestamping with Poinsettia Petals

Happy Sunday to one and all.  It's been a busy weekend here particularly for me with the Stampin' Up! Leaders Summit which closed its doors about 1.30am this morning, but I have to say tiredness beat me around 1am.  The great thing is I can watch bits I missed on replay and have learned so much from fellow demonstrators and the Company team.  Martin and I also popped to Sheffield to collect my Mum from her holiday and bring her back to my patient Dad who had missed her.  He stayed with us as he is elderly now and benefits from environments he knows and has been a super house guest. 

I have managed to make some cards for Christmas Card Club today too! Lovely Lorraine asked us to make cards with mainly red on them and I think I've just about managed it making these #simplestamping cards. Yes I know you might be thinking that these are not simple stamping, but they are mainly just stamps, ink and paper.  Fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator Ruth Trice shared a fab tutorial with the UK demos to create fabulous one sheet wonders and then chop them up to make stunning cards with simple additions of card base and sentiments.  You should visit her youtube channel where she shares lots of different ways to stamp these. 

For mine I used the gorgeous Poinsettia Petals stamps from the winter mini catalogue.  I started believe it or now to create a very subtle background with pale neutral colours stamping with my HRT packet!!! Yes I know who would have thought that an HRT blister pack could work for stamping.  I pushed the pack onto to my ink pad and then used it like a stamp until the ink ran out.  You may not be able to see it on the cards but it is there and effectively adds depth to the project without you realising.  The card below is probably the easiest to spot it on.  I like using items that aren't obviously stamps to create patterns and find others that work well are net bags from fruit/onions, scrunched up paper or a plastic bag, a pencil with a small eraser on the end and other household bits and pieces.  Your own imagination is all you need. Just be mindful of your ink pad as you place such items on it and also be sure that it doesn't affect what you use if it is required for another purpose. 

You build up the images bring stronger colours and first generation ink in last.  This poinsettia has two parts one is the outline of the flower with five petals, but you can twist it slightly for the second set of flowers ie stamp it twice with a small rotation of the stamp in between and then it has a second stamp that adds some colour and gives depth to the image.  The set includes holly, berries and other greenery along with some lovely sentiments although the one above is from the Tags, Tags, Tags set.  You can fill in gaps with splatter stamps from sets like Waterfront, Christmas Gleaming and use pinecone stamps and fir to add more detail.  I also put in the odd Pool Party snowflake too!

Adding matting layers of card and a base card are all you need then to construct your cards and add sentiments and small details like gold twine or odd sequins and gems.  

I'm off now for Sunday roast before chilling for the rest of the bank holiday weekend.  It's dry today so far here in Lincolnshire and I hope it is with you.  You can see the other ladies in our club by visiting the button at the top of my blog Christmas CC. 

If you are here in the UK enjoy your long weekend . Keep safe all. 

Hugs Zoe xx

 Poinsettia Petals Stamp set

Regals Ink Pads 

Gilded Gems 

Anything goes for me this time!

When Stampin' Up! launched the Daisy Lane Bundle I wonder if they had thought about using it as a Christmas stamp set?  

Our challenge for the Christmas Card Club from Elizabeth was for ornaments this fortnight, but I don't have any ornament stamps at the moment so I've gone for the Anything Goes fail safe option.  I've used the Daisy Lane bundle and turned the beautiful daisy stamps into snowflakes.  I have fallen in love with the new in colour Pretty Peacock and am finding it useful in some many colour combos and here is no exception.  It's simple stamping using one Daisy stamp ontop of the other  to give a snowflake look. By adding some silver and sparkly irredescent sequins it instantly give a Christmas look.  My simple Happy Christmas is done using the carryover Merry Christmas to All stamp set and coordinating Merry Christmas dies. It's a pair of products that you can mix and match to create your sentiment of choice and you can add the happy for example to any birthday that you might already have.  I've cut two happy die cuts one in silver foil card and one in Pretty Peacock.  By just off setting them slightly it creates depth.   The Christmas is heat embossed with silver powder and punched out with the Classic Label punch.

I'm late posting as we are getting Charlie ready for an interview for his next life chapter and also for his school trip to South Africa where he is going to study Elephant migration patterns and learn to scuba dive.  I'm really proud of him as he has worked hard to earn the money to pay for the trip himself by getting his first job and also washing cars at my crafting events for the lovely ladies.  Exciting times for him and us as we watch him grow into a young adult.  

Don't forget you can check out more inspiration from the other ladies in the Christmas CC via the link above.  

The Daisy Lane stamp set or stamp and medium daisy punch bundle is available for purchase along with the Merry Christmas products in my online Stampin' Up! shop.

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Thanks for popping by.

Happy crafting Zoe x

Christmas Card Club - Polar Bears of Teddy Bears

Valery chose Polar Bears or Teddy Bears for our Christmas Card Club Challenge this time. I was a bit stumped at first, but then remembered that Stampin' Up! set Cookie Cutter Christmas has a very cute bear and to be honest I had not used it before being drawn to the gingerbread man, Santa and Rudolph stamps instead.  However he's turned out to be perfect and I've teamed him up with some stickers from the Stampin Memories and More Santa's Workshop card pack, to give him a hat and cane. Once again the new Buffalo Check background stamp looks different in another colour namely Poppy Parade stamped onto card of the same name.

A handful of red rhinestones that I'm really finding useful for Christmas projects and a silver foil Happy stuck down by using the double sided adhesive sheets on the back of the foil card before die cutting it.  This helps you to cut a piece just the right size for the die.  The Christmas was stamped and heat embossed with white powder and die cut.

Now I started this challenge with a great plan to create a spinner card with the bear on a bauble and it got a little messy and complicated, but slowly it turned around and I'm happy to share although it isn't quite as elegant as I had planned, but then it is a spinner card with a teddy.

Using the Detailed Baubles Thinlits Dies I created an aperture for the spinner to fit inside and then I used a layering circle to cut one slightly smaller than the aperture.  I actually cut 2 in Pool Party and then stamped with the small Poinsettia flower from Dashing Deer and heat embossed a patterned in white.  I stamped and punched out the teddy from the Cookie Cutter set.  I added a layer of fine tip glue to the baubles and waited for it to dry as I was trying to create a sheen across the baubles. I added too much glue and so it was taking too long to dry.  I decided to add a teddy to each circle and push them down into the glue and then brushed of much of the glue so now instead of having a sheen they look more like papier mache which is fine just not what was planned.  I had to wipe off much of the glue so that the colour of the stamped bears didn't run.  It did a bit on the bow ties so to salvage I added another punched tie for each side.  Once done I left it to dry in the hope that all would not be lost.  It's turned out ok I guess in the end.  

 Now it was a little fiddly bringing it all together, but I used some silver cord from my stash and threaded it through the outer pretty border and by adding lots of double sided tape on each back of the bear circles I was able to secure it in the middle of the two circles.  I added pearls and a bow along with some more red rhinestones to enhance the bauble.

All's well that ends well and I think it would please a young child if not me! 

Remember the other ladies will have gorgeous creations to inspire you so please do visit their blogs via the Christmas Card Club button at the top of my blog, but just before you go here's a couple of pics of bears we saw in Canada on our trip this summer. 

Bears seen on our extended trip to Vancouver

I love bears

Happy Sunday all, hope you have a great week. I'm going to be busy visiting the hospital for my pre-op appointment with the hope that the scheduled operation the following week to fix my Achilles will go ahead.  Wish me luck.  

Hugs Zoe x

Challenges

Winterwonderland Challenge - use ribbon or twine

CHNC # 403 - Use gingham, check

Die cutting Divas - Any animal