New Beginnnings

The last card for this year at Cardz for Guyz, where the theme is already looking to 2019 -  New Year, New Beginnings!

I made a fireworks background with Craft Artist, then added the words using letters from a Memory Box set of dies and some sequins. The odd black splotches towards the bottom are a rooftop and lamppost! I do hope you'll find time to join in with your makes for men.

A CAS Christmas

The final challenge of the year at Make My Monday is CAS Christmas and what could be better than this fabulous reindeer from PaperArtsy!

He makes me smile evey time I see him used!Although it doesn't show up on the photo, his nose is not just red but sparkly too! I hope you'll be able to join in with the challenge if youre not too busy stirring cakes and wrapping presents.

Purple Christmas

I have another non-traditional colours Christmas card for you today. This time it is for the new challenge at Cardz for Galz. This time I decided to go for purple!

The stamps are some new ones I got from Uniko recently. I stamped in purple and clear embossed, then mounted it onto some purple glitter card that has been in my stash for years. When finished it looked fine but the photo shows a very wonky bottom, which I've since corrected. Lots more inspiration on the challenge blog.

Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge

Welcome to the last Happy Little Stampers Chrismas Challenge before the big day itself!

 

 As always it is Anything Goes with an optional twist, and this month it is Snow.

Our winner for this challenge will receive a $20 coupon to spend at the shop! Check out all the details HERE.

IF YOU USE STAMPS BY HAPPY LITTLE STAMPERS AND YOU ARE OUR RANDOM WINNER, YOUR PRIZE WILL BE DOUBLED!

 As usual I used the optional twist and the faux vellum technique. Instead of leavine the image on the Kraft card I cut the bauble out and added it to a cream die cut panel.

I have to say I love these Crealies dies with the open scallop edge.

 I hope you'll be able to join in the fun this month, and if you need inspiration make sure you check out all my teamies fabulous makes.

Jolly Snowmen

This is the penultimate challenge for 2018 at Cardz for Guyz. and the subject is Snowman or men! Rather than make another Snowy card I opted for this Woodware stamp which hasn't been used enough!

I coloured them with a mix of Promarkers and Copics and added some sparkle with glitter pens. I embossed the base with a Creative Expressions embossing folder as it looked unfinished just left plain. Looking forward to seeing all your snowmen, but remember your card must be for a male!

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour Challenge

Here we are in December already - where has this year gone? So it's time for the last watercolour challenge of the year at Happy Little Stampers.

 

Our winner for this challenge will receive a $20 coupon to spend at the shop! Check out all the details HERE.

IF YOU USE STAMPS BY HAPPY LITTLE STAMPERS AND YOU ARE OUR RANDOM WINNER, YOUR PRIZE WILL BE DOUBLED!

Do you ever decide to use something and find it really doesnt turn out how you wanted it to? Well that's what happened with this card. This is about the tenth attempt to use this Dreamweaver stencil on a brusho background. I just could not get a good result with the embossing paste at the botom of the stencil. The top worked fine. I even tried turning it round and going from bottom to top, but it was the same. The background is a

bit spotty as I didn't use watercolour card, but I quite liked the effect of the different colours, just using green.

Be sure to check out all the other fab inspiration on the challenge blog.

Non Traditional Colours for Christmas

It's time for the last challenge of the year at Make My Monday and it is to use non-traditional Christmas colours.

I have used pink as that is definitely not a Christmas colour and a new cut and emboss folder. I'm still trying to find out what sandwich to use with the Grand Caliber to get a good cut and good embossing. If you have any suggestions please let me know. I backed it with a piece of pink paper that has holly sprigs on it and sponged over the embossing with pink ink.

I have to say pink Christmas cards don't do it for me!

Last Rudolph Day of 2018

Well it's not long now till the big fella in the red suit turns up! Are you all ready for it? I'm not! Although I have got a few presents which I bought on holiday. Some photos of our first ever cruise will follow, but first the card for Rudolph Day.

I have used my favourite Snowy stamp, I just love this snowman. Rather than colour everything I paper-pieced his hat and scarf to match the background paper, and just a little bit of colouring with copics to add definition. I finished it off with some diecut glittery snowflakes and some glitter tape.
Edited - also entered into Crafty Calendar Challenge - thanks Liz!

Now for some holiday photos. I was very dubious about cruising and really wasn't sure that I'd like it, but I'm hooked! No airport hassle, didn't have to touch the cases, once they'd been put in the taxi, till they were in our cabin. It was just so easy and I wasn't seasick either in spite of it being a bit rough in the Bay of Biscay.

First stop after Southampton was Oporto and a visit to a port winery.

Halloween on board with pumpkins carved by the crew. No 15 won!

Next stop Gran Canaria

Brilliant sunshine followed in Tenerife.Who knew they had pyramids there?

Very wet in La Palma but I did get to see inside a volcano.

 Funchal next where we just had a wander into town rather than do a tour, as we had had a holiday there 16 years ago. It had changed a bit!

Next day at sea with a beautiful sunset over the water.

Lisbon next but only half a day which wasn't long enough. We'll have to go back!

And finally the ship

and seagulls seeing us off on the homeward leg.

We've already booked another two for next year!

Flutterby!

The new challenge at Cardz for Galz is Flutterby, a nice change from Christmas cards!

I already had the butterflies coloured from a crafting evening a while ago, so chose my colours to go with them. After adding them to the card I liberally covered them in Wink of Stella so they have a really nice glimmer inreal life.
Do pop over and see what the rest of the DT have made and hope you'll be able to join in with us.

Christmas Critters at Cardz for Guyz.

I was originally going to use some cute mouse stamps for the theme "Christmas Critters" but thought they didn't look very masculine. So as Cardz for Guyz is all about making cards for the men in your life I decided to use this rather good reindeer head stamp that was a magazine freebie.

I stamped it in black and clear embossed it onto some gold cardstock and cut it out with a stitched rectangle die. The paper is from a nordic Christmas pad from a few years back. The tag is from the same pad.

If you are looking for more inspiration, check out the rest of the DT's makes.