Blue Christmas Deer

 

I wanted to try out some new dies (Poppystamps Nordic Flourishes Background and Nordic Deer) - needless to say I was not disappointed - they cut beautifully despite being so intricate and the deer in particular is so clever with the way the legs have been designed and I just love the lace!  There is a shadow die for the deer but I've opted not to use it here.

A couple of challenges caught my eye and inspired this creation

Die Traumfabrik #123 - has the movie Cobalt Blue for inspiration;

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #82 - I added a touch of Gold for that Midas Touch;

Little Red Wagon Challenge #738 - Show some snow (this background flourish die is stylised snow flurry isn't it);

Get Creative Challenges #127 - Snow Much Fun;

 Peace on Earth #55 - The bottom right image in this inspiration pic made me think of this Nordic Flourishes background die;

I'd also like to enter the following challenges

NBUS Challenge #58 - The Nordic Deer and Nordic Flourishes Background die are both NBUS;

Four Seasons January 2024 Challenge - Anything Winter Goes;

Crafty Animals Challenge #79 - Anything Goes with Animals;

Krafty Chicks Challenge #698 - Christmas Week;

I'd also like to give a shout out to a new challenge

Word Power Challenge #1 - Use a sentiment that's prominent!

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

Brrr ... day Greetings!

A few days ago, while visiting the lovely Gundi's blog I spied an interesting challenge - Day of the Month Club Challenge #59 with the theme Penguin Awareness Day!  And as I had just taken delivery of some new penguin dies from Gummiapan it was the perfect opportunity to play with them!

Actually I've used 2 sets here - Penguins and Ice Fishing.  I cut the penguins from white card stock and coloured the black bits and the noses - I did separate them to try and create an illusion of depth but that just looked weird so ended up joining them back together again.   With the hole in the ice, there are three layers.  The bottom layer is a complete die cut (I added a bit of tape behind it to stop the hole from falling out).  Above that I lay another die cut with the hole missing.  Then I cut a (preprinted) panel with a stitched rectangle and the ice hole towards the bottom and snipped off the rim of the ice hole.  Then it was just a matter of laying this panel over the other two layers, trimming off any excess behind and attaching it to the black mat layer with foam tape... then attached that to the embossed panel.  I did accent the ice hole with a pale blue alcohol marker and blender - but it's hardly perceptible in the photograph.

The sentiment was computer generated - I was going to go with the obvious "happy bird-day" but the cold weather we're experiencing here at the moment inspired the brrr...day!  I briefly considered something like "not frozen food again" but opted for this more useful sentiment.  This fun font "are you freakin' serious" is one of Christine Stokes' favourites - Christine has inspired my love of all things Gummiapan!

The background embossing folder is a really old one.  It has no name on it and the packaging was discarded long ago!

I'd also like to join these fab challenges

January Four Seasons Challenge - Anything Winter Goes;

Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Cute Critters;

NBUS Challenge #58 - New Penguins and Ice Fishing die sets;

Seize the Birthday #275 - Embossing Wet or Dry;

Little Red Wagon #738 - Show some Snow;

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

Celebrating 2024

 

I'm here with a reminder card for Challenge #254 at Time Out - where for another week we challenge you to be 

New! 

Hopefully you'll find some time over the next few days to play along with our NEW challenge at Time Out.  We are being generously sponsored by Gina K Designs and they are offering our top pick - as chosen by the design team - a $25.00 store credit.   

Our Top Pick will also be invited to join us as a guest in a future challenge!  And speaking of guests, we are joined this challenge by Cynthia Olheiser of Stampin' in Alaska who has created the cutest Conga line I've ever seen - you really should pop over and see it and while you're there, don't forget to tell her how much you love it! 

 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, new job or new baby!  I have chosen to celebrate a New Year - 2024!  I don't want to tempt fate, but I have a good feeling about this one!

I bought this Fireworks die set (Globeland) on Amazon in early December.  It's so kind of Amazon to suggest things I might be interested in purchasing!  Normally I ignore such suggestions but I had been wanting a fireworks die set for a while now and with the New Year approaching I popped this into my basket and checked out before I could change my mind!   And of course, there was that one more card needed after Christmas and so I pulled it out for a play!  

I had some fun blending inks (Chipped Sapphire, Spun Sugar and Squeezed Lemonade) and spattering with water (ok my spattering still needs practice ... lots of practice)!

Then I created a skyline using the die set pictured below!  You may recognise it as I was having a giveaway after Christmas and this was one of the prizes.  This set is meant to create a 3D aperture scene and I wanted a single row of buildings (and that fab ferris wheel) along the base of my card so a little surgery was required - I just snipped the buildings apart and then added them to the base of the card so that they were in a straight line and then trimmed off the excess.  

I cut the fireworks from snippets of holographic card!  Here's a closeup of the fireworks!  Each of the coloured holographic card stocks has a different holographic pattern so they all create different patterns when they catch the light!

I used a couple of new sets here - the Fireworks, the 3D city skyline set and the frame (Pinkfresh Diagonal Stitched Rectangles) so I'd like to enter NBUS Challenge #NBUS Challenge #58!

I'd also like to enter Snippets Challenge #471 where the theme is CELEBRATION!  It's 12 years since Di took over the Snippets Challenge so celebrations are in full swing in the Treehouse!  Here are some of my snippets

I was also inspired by this pic from Inspiration Station Prompt #57 - the silhouette along the base and the different colour "layers"!

I'd also like to enter Make My Monday Challenge #216 which has a theme of New Year!

And the Incy Wincy Challenge for January - Lets's Celebrate January 2024!

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