Favourite Five Christmas Cards from 2013

I am a little late in joining in Debby's fun this year and sharing my Favourite Five Christmas cards - and hopefully will make it with my Favourite Five Creations from 2013 as well.  With family visiting, staying and needing to be fed, I've not had time to spend on the pc, but things should gradually start to settle down now, although we still have lots of DIY snagging jobs that need to be completed and I am determined that by the end of 2014 we should be all spick and span and tidied up!

Looking through my 2013 Christmas collection on Pinterest (makes life so much easier with a folder designated for the year's Christmas creations) I've selected my Favourite Five, so here is number 1 created with a Lili of the Valley stamp coloured with my Copics and finished off with glitter.


I was able to get a set of Go Kreate large dies that would go through my old Cuttlebug and give me fancy shaped cards, and of course my Marianne Design die cuts with the little mini poinsettias from a couple of years back that are so very useful and more than paid for themselves, together with new leaves and a mix of new and old snowflakes.  I have been trying to be a little bolder with my colouring this year so the mix of red and blue that is still popular this year meant I could use up some of the previous year's stash.


My second card stays with the red/blue colour mix thanks to some freebie magazine papers by Nitwits and a little bit of false blanket stitching - I discovered felt craft in 2013 and it's obviously been rubbing off on my cards.


The cute little girl image is a digi design by Sylvia Zett and available at Wee Stamps.  I've had problems with my printer all year so haven't been able to play with my beautiful Wee digi images as much as I would have liked, and this little Wee Berry has come off the printer larger than expected, so I coloured her with my Copics and fussy cut her out.  The embellishments are yet more Marianne Design die cuts with little pearls to finish things off.

For my third card I've chosen another stamp from Lili of the Valley that I treated myself to this year, again coloured with Copics and using more of the freebie NitWits patterned papers


This was my DT card for Cute Card Thursday's square challenge and my attempt to do a 'less is more' kinda design - so virtually no embellishments! Oh I could have chosen any number of my LOTV creations in my Favourite Five, together with Wee images they are probably my favourites!

And for card number 4, a design with no image, just die cuts, paper and ink, something that I've been doing more of this year, but don't get me wrong I still love my colouring in!


I'd had the Marianne Design stocking die for quite some time but hadn't figured out how to use it.  The papers are from an old K&Co Classic pad and work quite well, I think, for this shabby chic style I've created.  I've used a mixture of old and new MD die cuts and particularly like the new pine cones that come with the twigs.

Finally, number 5 is another die cut creation with my Marianne Design dies, and a new to me Darice embossing folder that looks like cracked ice


I struggle with the vintage style so was pleased how this turned out.  The reindeer head and pine cones were cut from dark brown HOTP card and distressed with an emery board - a different effect from being inked and I'm very happy with the result, of course now I need to find a UK stockist of HOTP card, it's smoother than Coredinations and also thinner, but that makes it easier to work with the dies especially when layering, inking or distressing.

Well that's my Favourite Five - I'm off to visit Debby and add my selection then wander about some of the other entries looking for next year's inspiration to pin onto one of my Pinterest boards.

Last minute cards!

Well Christmas is over for another year, and soon it will be New Year and time to tidy away all the festive decorations.  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas time with family and friends.  Here it was good to see the family, but with a few hiccups along the way .. .. hopefully all will be sorted out and 2014 will turn out to be a wonderful year for our family.  

I had tidied all my craft stash away then Mum needed a very last minute card to send to a neighbour she hadn't planned on .. .. so out came the festive bit box and here's my last festive card for 2013.  The paper is from Marianne Design and I just inked the edges before sticking down on a cream base card.  I already had the Marianne Design die cut pieces and the text, a Serendipity stamp, stamped out in green ink, so all it needed was the red berries adding and a little double red bow.  I think that with all the detail in the paper it didn't need much else, and besides there wasn't time to fiddle fart about!

These are the Marianne Design dies I used:

holly spray - LR0244

pine cones - LR0286

text mat - LR0180

At the Christmas Card Challenge blog it's anything goes, and Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge is raring to go again and asks to see either your first 2014 Christmas card creations, or some that you haven't yet shared from 2013 - mine is the latter!

CAS Christmas Robin

I know it doesn't look like much, and I do struggle with the CAS concept - but Mum needed a card PDQ so this is it.  I already had the kraft lacy mat cut out, and the little Nellies Choice robin stamped and cut out too so it was simply a matter of colouring him with my Copic pens, making a square white base, stamping the text and sticking the layers together.

I still have to make her a couple more - I tell you she gets more cards than I do these days!  So, although the germs are winning the battle, I'm not going to let them win the war and will soldier on .. .. I still have to get to the post office with my own cards and the fridge is looking decidedly bare of lacto free goodies for me.  Perhaps a breath of fresh air will do me good this afternoon .. .. and although Padstow Tesco's isn't the greatest, I can probably get what I need and it is only 15 mins drive away .. ..

The Papertake Weekly challenge theme is for Christmas creatures - robins fit that bill!

Will catch up with commenting and blog hopping when I get back.

Christmas Catch Up at CCT

This week on Cute Card Thursday we are playing Christmas Catch Up and our sponsor for the challenge is Whiff of Joy.  Do stop by the blog to read about the prize and see what the DT have created.

My card is one that thankfully I had made last week .. .. the pesky germs are messing me about and I'm struggling again.  I thought yesterday I was on the mend and managed to finish filling and rubbing down the small area of skirting board where the sideboard will go, and I even made some buns.  But, the buns are not very nice and the bugs hit me back hard in the night - or I've got a different lot knocking me for six.

Anyway, as I said, thankfully I had already made this card with sweet Don shoveling the snow and a couple of extra stamps from the winter scenery set, coloured with my Copic pens.  I've used the Marianne Design Wintertime paper bloc again and cut out various MD die cuts to embellish.

Here's the card.  I've used a soft blue chalk ink to highlight the embossing on the die cuts and around the edges of my papers and image, then finished off with Stickles and pearl drops for the falling snow.

These are the Marianne Design things I used:
Wintertime paper bloc - PK9100
to create the faux stitched effect - LR0161
Don shoveling snow stamp - DDS3337
Don & Daisy Winter scenery - DDS3331
Warm Wishes stamp from a MD freebie in a magazine last year (came with Don ice skating)
mittens - CR1255
snowflakes - LR0124
Scandinavian heart - CR1228
Let it Snow label - LR0187

Now to challenges I can enter with my winter scene: Moving Along With The Times are looking for a Winter Wonderland, Crafty Little Fairies' theme is Let it Snow, and so is Christmas at Sweet Stampin', Incy Wincy and Craft Your Passion.

I still have the 2nd quickie CAS card to share with you so will try and sort that out for tomorrow, until then it's back to the Lemsips.

A Christmas quickie!

I am full of germs and feeling sorry for myself, but things need doing so I'll have to be a brave little soldier!  Mum said she needed two more cards to post so I've made a couple of quickies, here's the first.

I had already planned the card but would have added more embellishments, but with the pretty busy patterned paper by Marianne Design and just the one die cut MD snowflake, I think I did ok!

The snowman is a LOTV stamp that sees ink every year .. .. he really is the best for a quick and easy card.  I've coloured with my Copics and then added glaze to the baubles, but of course you can't see that in the picture!  The text is, I think, a digi from Cuddly Buddly - I found a half page of them printed out in my Christmas bit box so just punched out this one and added Copic colours to match the image.  I finished off with Stardust Stickles for snow (still wet in the picture but I need to take it while still daylight).

If you are following my Gluten Free page, I've done a quick update with a picture of the latest cake I made, a spiced honey cake - yummy!  I'm sticking to the GF and lacto free and must say that I do feel better for it.  Certainly the foggy head is greatly improved, and my poor tummy is not quite as tender, and I rarely get the acid indigestion and reflux these days, but I do still get the bloating and farting!

I digress .. .. back to the card and challenges I can enter:  at the Corrosive Challenge it's anything goes, and the same at Created with Love.  I'll share my next Christmas quickie with you tomorrow!

Sinterklass Candy

December 6th is St Nicholas' Day, a time for giving gifts and in Holland it is the traditional birthday of Santa Claus!  To celebrate Marianne is giving away this little package of loveliness - just go to the Marianne Design Challenge blog, translate the page into your own language and do what is says!

Well you know how much I love my Marianne Design Dies and the papers too, and what could be nicer than to Celebrate with Cup Cakes, Coffee, and Cafe pretty papers and Create something with these Cute Craftables and Creatables to share with my Crafty friends.  Oh, and if I win, as I already have the Cute Cup Cake die set I'll be happy to pass it on, along with a Creation.  Ceeeee!

CCT Eternal Flame

Our challenge this week on the Cute Card Thursday blog is titled 'The Eternal Flame' and as always we are looking forward to seeing what you make of our theme, with different interpretations from the Design Team for your inspiration.  Our sponsor for this challenge is Bunny Zoe's Crafts, stop by the CCT blog to read all about the prize.

As I had already made a candle jar a couple of weeks back, I made a card with the darling little Daisy holding her own flame.  The stamp is from Marianne Design and I added to it with some of the scenery from the Don and Daisy Winter collection, coloured with my Copics, adding lots of Stickles for the snow and Liquid Pearls for the falling snow.

Here's the finished card.  I've used papers from Marianne Design and of course lots of MD die cut pieces from a soft pearl paper that shimmers nicely under the lights but isn't showing up in my picture.

Here's the list of Marianne Design products I've used for my card:
Wintertime Pretty Paper pack - PK9100
Daisy with candle stamp - DDS3325
Don & Daisy Winter scenery - DDS3331
red fancy cut circle mat - LR0141
snowflakes - CR1225
flower - CR1204 with red centre from the mini poinsettia set LR0142
mistletoe sprays - LR0189
fronds - LR0227

The Fab 'n' Funky challenge is for a touch of frost - to create a snowy scene or have frosting on your card - I have done both!  Totally Gorjuss are also looking for snowy creations so one for them too.

Christmas Magic

Another Christmas card to share with you today, and another with the Classic K&Co paper pack - it's the 12x12 size and seems to last forever, and even though I love the papers it is about time I used them rather than leaving them in a box in the cupboard. I have to downsize my craft stash so it's going to be use it or loose it to the charity shops!

Back to my card then, I have stamped a greeting by Serendipity Stamps onto the pretty Marianne Design die cut circle and inked to give definition to the embossed areas and the edges of my layers too.  My decoration is created from various other Marianne Design die cuts then finished with pearls.  Here's the list:

fancy circle - LR0168
flower - CR1202 & LR0160 for the centre
leaves - LR0117
little deer and little tree - COL1330
bigger tree tucked in behind the circle - LR0136
pine cones and branches - LR0286
snowflakes - CR1256
faux stitches on cream layer - LR0161

The Created with Love blog challenge is Christmas, so I can enter my card with them.