PEACHY KEEN - WINTER PEEKERS

I know, another snowman !!  Once I had stamped this image out I mistakenly thought this would be a quick and easy card.  Then I decided to 'build a wall' brick by brick and although my bricklaying skills do not look too bad on the card it was a bit of a struggle.  When it was complete I sponged over it with Tea Dye Distress Ink to give it an aged look.

The wall looked too bare on the top so I used a MS border punch to make the snow.  The sack is also a Peachy Keen stamp - Feed, Santa, Flour Sacks as is the sentiment.  The presents are a retired SU set.  The background paper is from a pad I have and the white embossed section is CB Swiss Dot folder.  I nearly forgot about the snowman which is coloured in using SU crayons and a blender pen.  To get the rosy cheeks I find it easier to use chalks than ink.  The chalk gives a more subtle look.

STAMPIN UP - HALLOWEEN FANCY FAVOUR BOX 

This SU die, Fancy Favour Box, is one of the most used in my collection of dies for the Big Shot.  I love making boxes and the SU XL dies make it just so easy.

The image on the front of the box is a SU Jumbo Rollagraph called Haunting from which I cut the portion required and sponged the edges with Distress inks.  The sentiment is also from a SU set called Holiday Best.  The paper is out of a pack I bought years ago and the handle is lacing twine bought from the local hardware store.

PEACHY KEEN - CHILL BABY CHILL SNOWMAN SET

This dear little snowman and his big brother, are being abused on this Xmas season's cards.  Just seen a blog which reminds us it is 13 weeks to Xmas !!  And here was I thinking I was being over eager in the steady stream of Xmas cards I am producing. 

For this project I took a brown card, used an offcut of green which I ran through the CB, popped on scalloped edge and classic circles (made from scraps), topped it off with a Nestabilities egg, edges inked, and the snowman which had been cut out.  The sentiment is Hero Arts on a SU  punch called Modern Label.

MAGNOLIA - SNOWMAN

Magnolia is not a stamp company I am terribly fond of as most of their images have no mouths !  This one came with a full face and, given my fondness of snowman stamps, he appealed to me.

I coloured the image in using Copics for the grey on his body and a combination of markers and Smooches for the balance.  He was easy to cut out and I popped him onto a large scalloped oval (red) and a white label both from Nestabilities.

The paper is from our local stationery store and I think rather fitting for Xmas.  The sentiment is Hero Arts and I used a Nestabilities label with 2 snowflake eyelets to complete it.

REINDEER STAMP - UNKNOWN ORIGIN

I found this image in one of my craft boxes and decided to use him.  I have no idea where he came from but he is quite cute.

The corner punch I used is a retired CM one I bought on eBay, the green background paper is CM, next up is the SU Big Shot die in Creamy Caramel, a red Nestabilities die from my stash and a striped red piece also from my stash.  The sentiment is Hero Arts and the punch out it is on is SU Modern Label.



PEACHY KEEN - CHILL BABY CHILL SNOWMAN SET

Yes, I know these are not normal Christmas colours but I wanted to do something bright and this seemed to fit the bill !

Each year I seem to focus on one festive season image and this year it has to be this dear little snowman.  He is coloured in using Copics and I used Nestabilities labels for the image and the brown piece underneath.  The red paper is from a large pad I have and the lime green is CM.  The snowflakes are the left overs of a MS border punch which is used more for the punch outs than the actual border it produces.  Not sure about the sentiment - it could be Hero Arts.

ART IMPRESSIONS - DANCERS

Another one of the Girlfriends series from Art Impressions.  The next time I will not colour in using Copics as you are restricted to stamping on special paper which only comes in white.  I think a watercolour paper / cream background would be more subtle.

The 'stage curtain' is cut from the new Tim Holtz edge dies and I sponged the edges with my usual Tea Dye Distress ink.  The sentiment is also from Art Impressions and I just love it !

MOTIVET - BOY BUILDING A SNOWMAN

The dilemma was what to do with all the Xmas images I had coloured in and cut out.  Then a new CB frame embossing folder arrived and even though it is not a Xmas one I thought it had potential.

After running the folder through the CB I used Distress ink around the embossed portions, took a Nestabilities scalloped rectangle and cut out the middle of the frame and popped a piece of paper in behind to represent a winter sky.  Put the image on top, stamped out the sentiment (think it is Peachy Keen) on red and punched out with a SU oval.

Of course I got a bit carried away and did another half a dozen cards with the same concept using different images.  That is what happens when I like an idea !

FLOURISHES - BABY LOVE EASEL CARD

Here is my version of an easel card on which I used buttons to prop the card up.

I used the same Flourishes baby stamp as before but paper pieced it in blue this time.  The background paper is the same as in the last post and the scalloped border punch is SU.

When I hit on an idea which is quick and easy like this card I tend to make a couple of them so as to have some spare to either use or give away as a gift.

MOTIVET - CHILDREN CAROLLING

Motivet is another favourite stamp company and I found this image quite easy to colour in.  I also copied their colour picture which came with the stamp so at least I did not have to think about colour co-ordinating.

With using a very thin paper to stamp the image on,  the background dotted paper shows through, almost like snow falling.  Ok, so perhaps you have to stretch the imagination just a little !!

The dotted paper comes from Australia, I used a Nestabilities label for the image and an EK Success border punch at the bottom of the card.  The sentiment is SU as is the square scalloped punch.

MY BIRTHDAY CARD FROM AUSTRALIA

I was thrilled to get this easel birthday card from my sister, Debbie.  The cute teddy stamp is from the Kaszazz range and Debs coloured it in using Copics.

The idea of the easel card is for it to not slide forward when it is in the position as the photo shows.  What Debbie did was to raise the bottom front section on rises and the top part of the card tucks in nicely behind it.  When the card is in the closed position ready to go into an envelope, the section with the teddy image is on the top. 

I recently made one of these cards (so nice to have one to copy from) and used an A4 piece of cardstock in the portrait position.  I used an envelope as a guide to see just how wide the card would be then trimmed off the excess.  I then worked out where I would score the card for the almost even folds and was pleased with the result.  The card is scheduled to be posted later on in the week.

ART IMPRESSIONS - GIRLFRIENDS

Art Impressions are among some of my favourite stamps and their new range is fabulous.

I coloured these ladies in using Copics for the skin tones and a mixture of Copics and Marvy le Plume II markers for the balance.  Once I started to cut the image out I realised it was not the easiest of tasks but I managed it.  The paving is also an AI image which I stamped onto a scrap piece of paper.  The background papers are my usual Creative Memories which I love so much.  The 'wave' punch is from Fiskars and the sentiment is part of the Girlfriends stamp set.