Wax resist snowflake kisses...

The challenge at http://cuttlebugchallenge.blogspot.com/ this week is a new technique - well new to me anyway. The techinique involves using wax crayons and ink to create wax resist backgrounds and images.

Of all the thousands of wax crayons I have had in my house over the years had I got any when I needed them - NO? Anyway my lovely daughter went to the Early Learning Centre and bought me a very professional looking pack. I was a bit worried when I saw the age range on the side - ages 2 - 10 years - as I'm way past that but oh boy did I have some fun...

and mess!!!

There are warnings about the mess on Mel's tutorial at http://melstampz.blogspot.com/2008/07/cuttlebug-crayon-resist-makes-nice-faux.html and actually I did my work in the kitchen near the sink so it wasn't too bad at all.

Here are my first attempts:

These were made using a white wax crayon and an Adirondack blue denim ink pad. I used a stippling brush to put the ink on and then quickly polished it off the waxed areas. This was the messy bit as bits of tissue fell off and the excess wax and of course you get inky fingers - all great fun.

It was quite tricky to decide what to do with the finished pieces as I wanted as much of the pattern to show as possible. My snowflake card uses an Anita's stamp I have had for years - one that I particularly like because it has wonderful preset spaces for bling. This card is just right for the challenge at http://wednesdaystamper.wordpress.com/ where the theme is snowflake kisses.

My snowman card is made using just the snow words embossing folder. I thought the snowman looked so cool and chilly that I wanted him to take centre stage. I've added a 'Happy Holidays' charm and crystal.

Materials used:

• heavy duty acetate
• silver card
• white card
• cuttlebug embossing folders
• white wax crayon
• Adirondack ink pad - Denim
• silver border and sentiment peel offs
• charms and gems from stash

Gift bags...

Christmas is definitely getting nearer and thanks to challenges giving a bit a push in the right direction I think card wise I am actually well organised. I wish I could say the same for challenges as I was going to enter these two gift bags for the challenge at http://www.dutchdare-cardchallenges.blogspot.com/ but it seems that particularly challenge is well and truly over.

I know I'm usually late with my entries but I've never been two weeks late before!!! Make mental note to update challenge list more carefully!! LOL!

Anyway these two bag are some that I made with daughter last weekend. I bought a set of 4 at Poundland with the intention of 'changing' them.

Shelley, my daughter, did the red one. Isn't it fabulous? She used the Christmas stockings from that gorgeous clear stamp set I have from Stamptivity and did some paper piecing.

I'm embarrassed to say that the other one is mine and I was so lazy and used peel offs, but in my defence I was helping my daughter's friend to do hers and I was chatting to a friend on the phone in the middle of it all so that is my excuse.

Materials used silver gift bag:

• white card
• snowflake cuttlebug folder
• silver holographic card
• silver bauble peel offs
• silver sentiment peel offs
• white organza ribbon

Materials used red gift bag:

• white and red card
• clear stocking stamps by Stamptivity
• gold border and stocking peel off

Let it snow sketch...

This week the challenge at http://stampchallenges.blogspot.com/ was a really interesting sketch. I'm afraid I failed to get it exactly like the sketch as I misjudged the size of the space for the squares, but it's not too different I hope.

The stamp I used is one by Stampendous and is a square stamp made up of 9 different squares. I thought it was ideal for cutting up to use on this challenge and made one card using the snowmen squares and card number two using the rabbit squares.

I must be on a roll (or sickening for something), because I also decided to use the whole stamp to create this square card.

All the cards are on a snowy theme and are suitable for the challenge of 'Let it Snow' at http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/ and 'Snow or snowflakes' at http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.com/.

The last card is also my entry for the Joanna Sheen forum challenge where members have been asked to make a card to illustrate their favourite Christmas song. I don't say this is my favourite, but everytime I use this cuttlebug embossing folder that song comes into my head. Infact alongside 'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas' it's beginning to drive me mad!

Materials used:

• white card
• silver mirri card
• pink card
• Stampendous stamp
• snowflakes cuttlebug embossing folder
• pearleslent watercolour paints
• pink gem stones from stash
• silver die cut sentiments from stash

Bird silhouette quote...

I can't believe it but this card is actually for five challenges - I had to count them five times to be sure I'd got it right but here are the challenges:

Birds at http://www.daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/ and also at http://themethursday.wordpress.com/

Things with wings at http://rainbowladyschallengeblog.blogspot.com/.

A quote or a verse at http://artygirlzchallengeblog.blogspot.com/

and last but not least silhouette stamps at http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/.

My card is an acetate one and I have stamped the bird from a set by Inkadinkadoo on to the acetate using white Stazon. It's actually the first time I've done this and although it may not be perfect I'm quite pleased with the results. The quote is one I particularly like that was sent to me last week by a craft company in an email.

I have tried my best with the photos but I think acetate is even harder than mirri card to get a good picture of.

Materials used:

• heavy weight acetate
• white Stazon
• computer generated quote
• silver mirri card
• silver border and corner peel offs
• gemstones from stash

Monochromatic Penny Black...

Here is my card for the challenge at http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/ where the challenge is use black and white or shades of one colour.

My Penny Black stamp is 'Burst of stars' which was stamped on to white card using Versefine Black ink and then I added a touch of fine glitter to the flower heads.

Materials used:

• black textured card
• white card
• silver mirri card
• Penny Black Burst of stars stamp
• black organza ribbon
• silver sentiment peel off

Embossed die cut...

The challenge at http://cuttlebugchallenge.blogspot.com/ this week was to emboss a die cut. I don't use that many dies except for tags and nestabilities so this was a bit tricky in that I hadn't really got very much choice of what I could use to emboss. In the end I used this small sizzlet die from a Christmas set I bought ages ago and combined it with a pine branch stamp from a Christmas set by Stone House stamps.

Materials used:

• green base card
• gold mirri card
• white card
• pine branch unmounted stamp
• Sizzlet die cut
• gold sentiment peel off
• gold twine

Day 7 of free stamps... Rabbit day...

As promised here is a card made with my free stamp. Sally at http://bootifulstampz.blogspot.com/ is still running this free stamp give away. All you need to do is post a message on her blog and a link on your own blog to be in with a chance. Good luck.

Think it must be rabbit week at my house because here's another card made with Joanna Sheen's Messy rabbit and that fabulous clip art I bought recently. I'm having so much fun using the clip art and the stamps together.

Materials used on first card:

• white base card
• rabbit from Bootiful Stampz
• Fiskar's Shapeboss template
• pink pearlescent paper
• watercolour shimmer paints
• pink gems from stash

Materials used on second card:

• blue base card
• silver mirri paper for matting and layering
• PC Crafter clipart
• Joanna Sheen Messy Rabbit stamp
• Derwent Inktense pencil crayons
• silver sentiment and corner peel offs
• white organza satin edged ribbon
• silver icycle charm and silver links