Peaceful Deer

Hi everyone, The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge is back for our first challenge of 2024 and Challenge #254 has just gone live.  I know it's a bit early to start preparing for next Christmas but it's always good to be prepared!

 

I had two sparkly deer left over from a previous project and found this lovely 6x12 piece of plaid in my stash from which I managed to cut 2 square panels.  Further rummaging through the Christmas leftovers box revealed two gold glitter bows (Memory Box Mistletoe Bundle)!  Quite a bit more rummaging and I managed to find a snippet of gold glitter paper big enough to cut a "peace" sentiment (Reverse Confetti Winter Words) and another snippet of gold mirror card.  It would have been better cut from glitter card -  and believe me I did look but that's what you get with leftovers.   I stamped the "on earth" (from one of my old Waltzing Mouse sets).

Et voila, 2 really quick Christmas cards made up almost completely from leftovers and snippets - but I think they're ever so elegant!

If you're keen eyed, you might notice that one of the panels is smaller than the other.  The problem with die cutting a patterned paper with straight lines like this one is you have to be really straight - at least someone as OCD as me does!  And one of the panels was slightly off - not a lot but enough to annoy me!  So I cut it again with a slightly smaller frame.  Nothing is irredeemable!

I do hope you'll join us in sharing your Christmas makes - not necessarily cards - with us at the Holly and Christmas Challenge!

I'd like to join the following challenges

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #82 - The Midas Touch (add a touch of gold);

Peace on Earth Challenge #55 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #54 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Ellibelle's Corner : January Crafty Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate

Winner, Winner!

 

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my Year in Review.  

Random.org has chosen Maria Patrick of Maria's Merry Makings.  Maria get in touch with me leshfamilyig  at  gmail dot com with your name and address and I'll get your prize in the post asap!

Hugs, 

Kate!

Something New

It's a brand new year and we have a brand new challenge at Time Out - we challenge you to be 

New! 

You can interpret "NEW" anyway you like, You might like to use some new goodies or perhaps a new technique or make something for a new home, job or baby!  Or it may be just to welcome in the New Year!  I can't wait to see how you will be inspired!

Challenge 254 is being sponsored by Gina K Designs and they are very kindly offering our top pick as chosen by the design team a $25.00 store credit.  

We had a new addition to our family in December and so that's where I went with "NEW"!  I also used some new supplies!  I signed up for the Gummiapan Advent Calendar in 2023 so spent the whole of December opening a present every day.  This baby cradle was a lovely surprise on the 10th of December and I started planning a card to welcome baby Zoey straight away!

I created a circular aperture (Waltzing Mouse Stamps Pretty Circles die), placed some foam tape around the opening and then added a snippet of some pretty patterned paper behind it.  

First I started with the curtain which was begging to be cut from vellum and I found some pink vellum which was the perfect shade.  Gummiapan dies are designed so that it's very simple to snip the die cuts apart and layer them up.  The frill at the base of the curtain and the gathering at the top were easily snipped off a second die cut (cut from card stock) and added over the vellum - which gave me a way to hide the adhesive I needed to add it to the card.  

The cradle was cut twice.  The first one was kept intact - I even added a little tape to the back to prevent the heart falling out.  From the second die cut I removed the back of the cradle and the legs and laid this over the complete cradle.  I coloured the heart a deeper shade of pink and added this back into the top layer.

I then created a circular aperture (Waltzing Mouse Stamps Pretty Circles die), placed some foam tape around the opening and then added a snippet of some pretty patterned paper behind it - what's the point of having a vellum curtain if you can't see some pretty wallpaper behind it! 

The "welcome" (Winnie and Walter) was cut from the same snippet I used to back the aperture (also cut twice from pink card and stacked).   

I still had enough to cut the name (MFT Little Alphabet Lower) and the teddy bear (Gummiapan Lying Teddy).

With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight vision, I wish I'd chosen a smaller alphabet for the name or made the aperture higher up the panel but it is what it is ... and it should be winging its way to Australia now!

I would like to thank the inimitable Christine Stokes for showing me the possibilities of these die cuts and also Deb Hallett  - both brilliant card makers (I recommend looking up both and subscribing to their YouTube channels)!  I’ve been watching Christine for well over a year now - it was she who put me onto the Gummiapan advent calendar when she showcased each day last year.  I already had a few dies - one of best crafting buddies is Swedish so of course she drew my attention to them at craft fairs we attended together over the years - but I’m pretty sure they were NBUS before Christine showed me the full potential of these little dies!

I'd like to join the following challenges

NBUS Challenge #58 - NBUS Cradle die and Teddy die;

Snippets Challenge #470 - Anything but Christmas is the theme ... and snippets of course!

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Something New

Paper Minutes Challenge #827 - Something New

Little Red Wagon Challenge #737 - What's New!

If you haven’t already, you might like to check out my next post, which is a blog hop and prize and finishes later today!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate