WLS Nov #1 - Christmas Critters

Good Morning Everyone

Its the first sunday of November (scary!) and time for a new challenge over at We Love Stamping where the theme this month is 

CHRISTMAS CRITTERS

So time to get those last Christmas cards made.  Ive used a reindeer stamp which is within an arch so it made sense that i used my very old and much loved crealies Arch dies with it.  I also decided i needed to use some of the pile of backgrounds ive made over the years.

I first dug through my box of inky offcuts for pieces for the reindeers which has given us a rainbow of reindeer - but then these are magic reindeer with their wings ready to lead Father Christmas through the night sky🎅

Approx size 5x7" Card base die cut using Crealies XL arch dies.  

I stamped the image with dark blue ink onto the background and the piece for the reindeer.  The background i die cut into an arch, i added white posca pen to the stamped details and a grey alcohol marker for some shading.  Then put the panel through a dotty embossing folder for some falling snow. 

I fussy cut the deer from the 2nd stamped image and gave it some vellum wings by stamping just the wings onto white vellum, cutting them out and adhering behind the body.  I then adhered the reindeer flat onto the base image leaving the wings unstuck to add a bit of movement. 

I raided my luxury card stash and found this beautiful gold holographic went perfectly with my golden deer for a mat layer.  Woodware sentiment stamped onto white using the same blue ink used to stamp the image and added across the front. 

 I used a hole punch to punch to circles from the offcut from the blue background and adhered these to the sentiment strip, they give a faux gem look but match the colours perfectly and are totally flat for posting.  In the past i have done this and added glitter or glossy accents to them but in this case as my background is very blingy i left them plain. 

Just a close up, sadly as usual the photos don't show the beautiful shimmer of the mica powders in the background and the reindeer, well or the holographic either.  When the light hits the card it really does dance and sparkle.

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I made a batch of these for Christmas making a good dent in my pile of backgrounds and inky offcuts.

The reindeer is a scrap of paper I'd marbled years ago using the shaving foam technique - fun but oh so messy! As the marbling has pink in it i matched it with a blue brusho background which has flecks of pink pixie powder in it.  Matted onto ombre glitter card which went really well with the reindeer. 

Another marbled scrap for the deer, this one had flecks of green so picked a brusho and pixie powder background with touches of green

This is more traditional deer colour, the brusho background had this lovely section of pattern so i stamped the reindeer to encase it, giving it a mane like appearance which reindeer do get.  It also has a soft orange hue so i used orange satin card for my mat layer, which is beautiful but looks rubbish on the photos.  You would think with all the amazing technology these days we could get cameras that actually pick up on sparkle, shimmer and shine😁 

Items Used:

 Stampendous Laurel Birch 'Reindeer Spirit' #LBCP006

Crealies XL arch dies

Woodware Sentiment stamp

Sizzix swiss dot embossing folder

Brusho powders

Cosmic Shimmer pixie powders

VersafineClair Ink 'Medieval Blue'

White posca pen

Grey Alcohol marker

Various holographic, glitter & satin cardstock

CraftUK white hammered card

Papermania vellum

We have this amazing two red robins prize this month so hop over to We Love Stamping to join in with your stamped projects

Id love to enter the first card into:

https://jinglebellesrock.blogspot.com/2026/10/while-shepherds-watched-their-flocks.html

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https://addictedtostamps-challenge.blogspot.com/2026/10/challenge-529-any-occasion.html

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Pumpkin Kitty

Good Morning everyone

Today im sharing an autumnal card.  It started life as a 6x6 sheet of full on orange glitter card with a printed jack O'Lantern pumpkin in the middle.  Ive teamed it up with printed paper from a different brand and the cat and flowers from a 3rd brand to make my card for a friend who loves her garden, cats and pumpkins.

6x6" black card blank.

I cut the pumpkin out of the middle of the orange glitter card and matted the beautiful paper onto it and added to the card front.  I adhered the pumpkin to the middle with pinflair glue gel then arranged the cat and floral spray after cutting them out - also added with pinflair glue gel.  The colours from the floral spray cut from the Ciao bella papers goes perfectly with the background paper from 13arts.  

Usually i don't leave a white border around anything i cut out but in this case I felt it needed it to help it stand out from the background otherwise the black printing of the cat and black flowers would have melded into the dark pumpkin.

The chat sticker was in a halloween chit chat book from Tim Holtz and fit perfectly to finish.

My friend has ragdoll cats so the complete opposite of this little black kitty who looks like my little Suki. In the UK it is still mostly considered lucky to have a  black cat cross your path....which is just as well as where I live 85% of cats are black.

Its a shame the photos don't show the amazing colour and shimmer of the orange glitter paper and pumpkin as it really is full on sparkle.  

This is how the pumpkin started, its a very very sparkly all over orange glitter paper which was too much for me, so I cut out the pumpkin in the middle and used the rest of it for matting my patterned paper onto...the cat image hides the face and gives it a totally different look and feel.  I was given a few sheets so don't know the brand but they are a few years old now. 

Items Used:

13arts 6x6 paper pad 'end of summer'

Ciao Bella junk journal 'The witch's grimoire'

Glitter pumpkin paper - brand unknown

Tim Holtz halloween chat sticker

Black card

Id love to join in the following:

  

https://inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/10/inspiration-station-challenge-october.html - cats on pumpkins insp.

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https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/10/challenge-851.html

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https://lovethoseprettypaperspart2.blogspot.com/2026/10/love-those-pretty-papers-october-2026.html

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https://inkspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/10/inkspirational-challenge-379-visual.html

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https://www.simplyellibelle.com/2026/10/ellibelles-garden-party-no-20-anything.html

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https://timeoutchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/10/challenge-324.html

 

Skull & Cross bones

Good Morning everyone

Today im sharing a fun Halloween project made for a crafty friend who loves the season. I do love letting my imagination run wild, its such a therapeutic treat from all the normal themes we do month after month which i do enjoy but its nice to sometimes just throw the rule book out and create something totally different.

This started out as an idea for a cardboard skull ive had for years, to make it more realistic i added texture paste and paint and then while deciding on where to go next i was also making my witches shadow box and found these big plastic bones which were the perfect size for this skull - they were always too big for my other projects so to find a use for them is another bonus - keep anything long enough and it comes in perfect😂

Approx size:8x6.5"

See below for how i did the skull.  I die cut white card for the base of my plaque and matted a smaller oval die cut from orange mirri card, to soften the mirri so not so in your face i die cut an oval the same size from this lovely holey handmade paper and then tore the edge in places to make it less perfect, this I adhered over the orange mirri.  The mirri shines nicely through all the holes in the paper and the paper gives a softer feel than full on mirri card.

I added plastic eyes behind the skull and adhered the skull into place using pinflair glue gel.  I then added the 2 bones below.

To finish i used lots of tim holtz halloween chat stickers.  Ive had this book for at least 10yrs and only use one or two a year so wanted to use several here. The one at the top of the plaque reads 'days and nights has thirty one' and the one under the bones reads 'skull and cross-bones' and all the other ones are kind of random

I first added grit texture paste to the cardboard skull (left pic), the paste is blue but i knew it would be covered with paint, in places i just added dabs of normal texture paste, filling in some of the teeth so his smile isn't so perfect.  Once dry I got dabbing on matt acrylic paints in off whites, grey and beige, randomly stippling the colours. I forgot to take a photo of it before, but it was just flat white card so im chuffed with the outcome, its amazing what a bit of texture paste and paint can do.

Items Used:

Skull - that's crafty

plastic bones - ebay

plastic eyes - the works

handmade paper

orange mirri card - hunkydory

CraftUK white card

XL oval dies

Tim Holtz ideology halloween chat stickers

Rich Vintage texture paste #5110 'Mavi-egean blue'

White texture paste

FolkArt matte acrylic #420 'linen' #515 'vintage white'

Andy Skinner matt chalk paint 'cool mint' & 'ice blue'

Id love to enter the following:

https://crafterscafeblogchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/10/335-anything-goes-optional-no-cards.html

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https://halloweencraftsallyearround.blogspot.com/2026/10/spooktacular-october-challenge-1.html

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https://twooldbatshalloweenchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/10/october-2026-mid-month-reminder.html

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https://craftrocketchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/10/challenge-141-autumn-andor-halloween.html

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https://neglectedstuff.blogspot.com/2026/10/neglected-stuff-october-2026-challenge.html - skull, bones and chat stickers are all 5+ years old

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WLS Oct#2 - Shades of Autumn

Good Morning everyone

Time for some mid month inspiration for We Love Stamping where the theme is

SHADES OF AUTUMN

I decided i wanted to use the same stamp as my first card of the scarecrow and i also had a few wheat stems left from this Wheat wall hanging that i wanted to use.  This is a very unusual one layer card for me, with just the wheat added, so to add interest Ive die cut the front of the card on a jaunty angle 

Card Size approx 6.5x5.5" (16x14cm) from A3 cream linen card

I used my MFT scalloped edge die to cut the front of the cardfront at a nice angle, I then worked out how much i wanted to the right for the wheat before cutting that back edge to size.  Corners rounded to tie in with the scalloped edge.

I first stamped the scarecrow, pumpkins & birds into place to build the scene with my ombre ink pad which has beautiful autumnal shades in it.  I then made myself a small leaf stencil using a mini leaf die and some scrap card and very lightly inked through with the same inkpad, i kept these light as only wanted a hint of falling leaves in the background.

I stamped the sentiment with dark brown ink and then arranged the wheat stalks.  I built up a sheaf of wheat to the right on what is essentially the inside back of the card.  I then had 3 left over which seemed a shame to waste so added them around the scarecrow so it looks more like he is stood in a field.....

Showing it closed flat

Showing it stood open, i used orange paper for the insert and cut at the same angel as the front, autumn sentiment stamped in dark brown. Its from a very old magazine freebie set of stamps which is one of my most used, all autumn themes  Sentiment reads

'Every leaf speaks bliss to me, falling from the autumn tree' 

How i made my 'stencil' just used the smallest leaf dies i had and scrap card

Just showing it before i added the wheat.

Going by all the birds around him he isn't very successful😁  Growing up on a farm for a while they used a bird scaring gas 'gun' when had freshly tilled fields, i don't know that it worked that well on the birds but it always gave us humans a heart attack, minding our own business when suddenly a massive bang goes off.  Called a gun but didn't shoot anything, was just designed to make an almighty massive bang to scare the birds, but they only came back a few minuets later - birds aren't stupid.....its like all the tactics used to scare seagulls around here - well they soon work out a plastic hawk isn't moving...like an old fashion scarecrow - as it doesn't move the birds know its not scary.  On the farm 'gally baggers' work the best - just old bags tied with string to fences and posts which move around in the wind and as the wind gets into the bags they make a horrid noise and the light hitting the plastic tricks them into thinking its eyes, as they keep moving it keeps the birds away...of course only any good if you get alot of wind

Items Used:

Studio light stamp set 'pumpkin' #SL-ES-STAMP877

Studio Light Stencil set 'Leaf background' #SL-ES-MASK372

Clearly Besotted sentiment stamp set 'seasonal sentiments'

MFT Xstitch rectangle die

Stitched fishtail banner die

Kaleidacolor ink pad 'Cappuccino delight'

Versafine Clair Ink 'Fallen Leaves'

FolkArt Acrylic paints

We have this fabulous prize for the lucky winner so to be in with a chance of winning hop over to We Love Stamping

I hope you all enjoy the rest of October as we head into school half term, halloween and the clocks going back then it really will be heading into winter.  Emmax

 

WLS Oct#1 - Shades of Autumn

Good Morning everyone

The first sunday in October so time for a new challenge over at We Love Stamping where the theme for this month is a nice easy one

SHADES OF AUTUMN

So dig out your stamps and have fun with all the colours of this beautiful season

Long ago in the January sales i bought a fab scarecrow & pumpkin stamp set and a layered leaf stencil both by Studio light which ive used here. Ive used a rich gold pearl card for my base and background and after testing inks decided to use acrylic paints for both the stencilling and stamping as they gave a much crisper image than all my different inks.

After doing the background (see below) I put the panel in my stamp platform and lined up the scarecrow stamp.  Onto a mat i put black and navy blue paint and using a sponge dabbed lightly onto the stamp and stamped, letting it settle for a while to allow the paint to transfer, it did need a 2nd coat to get a nice deep colour to cover the background - so the stamp press ideal here for a second stamp.  I then stamped the birds onto his arms the same way.

I loved how the black and navy paint naturally mixed and gave the effect of light and details in an old scarecrow outfit rather than it being a flat colour.  I added a little more light detail with a pastel yellow posca pen - using a white pen for highlights here would have been too harsh.

I then dug out all my offcuts and snippets of card in autumn colours for stamp the pumpkins on, again stamped with paint. These are shilouette stamps so when i cut them out i cut a border around the edge to help them stand out. I then arranged them around my scarecrow.  

Sentiment stamped onto cream card and die cut, adhered to the top and added one of the little pumpkins to finish.

The rich gold pearl ive used as a subtle leaf pattern already embossed into it which sadly was impossible to pick up in the photos, although you can make it out a bit better here, it is amazing when the light hits it.  It is beautiful and Ive had it years from an old company called 'payper box' where you could pick and mix card

The background.  I stencilled the first layering stencil of the leaves onto the pearl card with acrylic paints in yellow, orange & a little touch of green and the acorn bodies in warm browns.  Once dry i stencilled the next layer of the leaf veins in burgundy, the acorn hats in dark brown and the 'confetti' in a pale green.  You definitely need small detail stencil brushes here as the elements were all quite close to each other on the stencils and a bit fiddly when you have the shakes. 

Items Used:

Studio light stamp set 'pumpkin' #SL-ES-STAMP877

Studio Light Stencil set 'Leaf background' #SL-ES-MASK372

Clearly Besotted sentiment stamp set 'seasonal sentiments'

MFT Xstitch rectangle die

Stitched fishtail banner die

FolkArt Acrylic paints

Rich Gold pearl card (from payper box now closed)

Various coloured card

Posca white pen

We have a fabulous prize this month so do hop over to We Love Stamping to join in and be in with a chance of winning 

Id love to enter the following:

https://craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-280-anything-goes-woptional.html

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https://lilredwagon.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-878-autumn-colours.html

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https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/10/fall-season-october-2026.html

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https://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/2026/09/autumns-beauty.html

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https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-859.html

https://inkspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/09/inkspirational-challenge-377-visual.html - pumpkins, leaves & birds