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Monday, 22 December 2025

Deck the halls

Good Morning everyone

Today im sharing my last Christmas design of the year, a couple of cards made using this beautiful stamp i was given a couple of birthdays ago, Ive gone with a different colour combo for Christmas of teal and purple - just because I can😁

I stamped onto white linen card which has been a nightmare to photograph without it going all funny so i apologise for the dodgy photos!



A6 white linen card base.  I stamped the image onto white linen card with versafine clair ink 'warm breeze' I watercoloured the bird and berries with Derwent inktense pencils and added a touch of colour to the leaves.  I die cut into a rectangle with X-stitched edged die.  I stamped the image again, just inking the sentiment banner and stamped into it with one of the sentiments on the stamp set with 'purple delight' ink, cut out and decoupaged onto the main image.

I found a printed snowflake paper in teal and purple pearl cardstock die cut both with nested X-stitch dies, added across the middle of my card front and then adhered the topper panel with foam tape for a little dimension

To finish I added glitter glue to the poinsettia and the birds hat for a bit of festive sparkle and glossy accents to the berries.

Version 2, the same but different, this time another sentiment in the set and snowfall paper

You can see it a bit clearer at this angle without the linen going all weird!  

For the patterned strip across the middle, its not actually a full strip as the dies weren't long enough as they actually nest into the one i used for the topper, so i just cut the panel in half and glued into place, with the topper on top no one knows any different - it also means only need small scraps of paper too.

Items Used:
Lil inker stamp 'Tis the season'
MFT Xstitch rectangle die set
versafine clair inks 'warm breeze' & 'Purple delight' 
Derwent inktense pencils
CraftUK ltd white linen card
Purple card
Teal snowflake papers - old pad from 'The Works'

So I had a phone call end of last week from the eye infirmary and a cancellation spot for my eye laser treatment so that was very last minute and the best Christmas gift...didn't quite go to plan so have to leave my eyes 3 months to heal and have it done again but it worked enough to relieve the pressure so they are no longer close to rupture and the pain and sight loss should improve so fingers crossed....early days but hopefully day by day they improve.  Back to hospital for my next MS treatment today so hopefully thats all the hospital visits for the year.

Thank you for all your support and comments on my blog this year, especially when i haven't been the best blog buddy keeping up with you all. Wishing you all a Happy Christmas & A Healthy & Peaceful new year.  Big hugs Emmaxxx



Id love to enter the first card in the following:




 

Thursday, 18 December 2025

WLS Dec #2 - red & green

Good Morning everyone

Its the 1st sunday of the month so its time for a new challenge over at We Love Stamping where the theme is 

RED & GREEN

Very apt for the season but you don't have to make a Christmas card, just use these 2 colours but of course we still have the anything goes option as long as you use stamping

I came across a pack of small tags in my stash that are eons old, they came as a mix of kraft card and white so I decided to make an effort to use some of them.  At the same time had this stamp set arrive which I got in a sale from aall&create.  So a batch of CAS Christmas cards were made.  

4x6" card blank which I made for white double sided pearl card and embossed the front with a swirl EF, being 350gsm the card front holds its integrity well even when embossed with a 2d embossing folder, don't think it would work so well with a 3d folder.

I took the white tag and dipped into distress oxide inks id spritzed with water.  Once dry i stencilled on holly leaves with the same ink.  Then i stencilled on snowflakes with cosmic shimmer silver glitter paste which is very shimmery in the light.  I added this tag to the card front - after playing around I found off centre worked better for me.

I stamped the santa onto white, watercoloured with distress inks and cut out.  I added him to the front with glue gel for a little dimension, i also added a little curve to his body for a little shape.  Sentiment stamped onto a small die cut tag and tucked in behind santa to finish.

You can make out the shimmer of the glitter paste snowflakes better here.  I also added frosted lace stickles to the fur on his hat so with that, the glitter paste and pearl card this really shimmer and shines in the light.


Version 2, Made the same but I used the kraft tag as the starting point so used kraft card for my base card as well. Holly embossing folder here.  This one i also rounded the corners on to pick up on the rounded bottom of the tag - I couldn't decide if i preferred them rounded or not so of the 12 versions i made half have rounded corners and half dont!   


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And smaller set of cards using the smaller tags & stamps in the sets 

Dinky 3x5" kraft card.  Made the same way as the bigger ones, just using them landscape and the dinky little santa stamp.  I die cut merry christmas from white pearl card. 

Holly embossing folder - its been lovely digging out my very old embossing folders again.  Being 2d they don't warp the card front too much.

Pearl white version


You can see the shimmer of the glitter paste better here

Im very chuffed with myself to make such flat cards with just the santa added with glue gel for a little dimension.  Hopefully the different textures and finishes add enough interest.  I made 12 bigger ones and 12 smaller ones....personally I find batch making therapeutic as I concentrate on each element of the design once Ive made the 1st version.  This Christmas Im glad I got ahead and made Christmas cards earlier in the year when I was feeling better! 

Items Used:
aall&create stamp set #1216 'Santa's workshop wonders'
Funky Fossil snowflake & holly stencils
Cosmic shimmer glitter paste
Sizzix embossing folders - all very old
papermania kraft & white tags
CraftUK ltd kraft card
White pearl card
Distress Oxide ink - cracked pistachio, evergreen bough
Distress Inks - Fired brick, lucky clover, wild honey, salty ocean, black soot


Hop over to We Love Stamping to join in and be in with a chance of winning this lovely prize by Visible Image





Thank you for stopping by once again.  Last week was very wet, wild and windy here in Cornwall so hopefully the coming week is much calmer weatherwise for us all to venture out for that Christmas shopping😁   Whatever you get upto I hope its a good week for you all. Emmax



Id love to enter my first card into the following:






















 

Sunday, 7 December 2025

WLS Dec #1 - Red & Green Christmas Fairy

Good Morning Everyone

Its December - how scary is that! So time for a new theme over at 

The theme this month is 

RED & GREEN

So ideal for some Christmas makes but also don't just think Christmas, anything red & green, but of course we always have the anything goes option too as long as you use some stamping.



Today Im sharing a batch of star shaped Christmas cards using this lovely Christmas fairy stamp from Jane Davanport.  These were made back in the summer heat wave...a distant memory now its so wintry






Approx size 6x6"  I used star dies to cut my base card from green card, I cut 2 stars, scored a line at the top of one which I then attached to the front one - thus giving an opening card.
I die cut a smaller card from Ivory card and embossed with a spots embossing folder which I thought picked up on the baubles in her dress.

I sprayed green and gold pearl inks onto watercolour paper and let dry.  Once dry I stamped the fairy twice, once onto the green and once onto Ivory - on the ivory one I coloured her skin, wings and shoes with alcohol markers.  Then the green one I cut out just the dress which I added over the base image.  I then attached her to the card front with glue gel for a little dimension.

Festive wishes die cut from red mirror card and adhered - I don't offer use red mirror card so good to use that from my old stash and all the green card too. 

To finish I added red stickles glitter glue to the baubles on her dress and diamond stickles to her wings and the star in her hair - afterall its Christmas so the more sparkle the better! lol

Just a close up.  I used a dark blue ink to stamp the fairy as a bit softer than black



Version 2 


Made the same way just used a darker green base card and a swirl embossing folder.  Sadly the photos don't pick up the mica pearl spray used on the dresses 


and version 3

Again made the same way but a light green base card and a star embossing folder - I had so much green card in my stash its good to use some of it up.  

Items Used:
Jane Davenport stamp 'Christmas tree fairy'
Creative craft star dies
Sue Wilson festive wishes die
Sizzix embossing folders - various and very old
Cosmic shimmer airless misters
Ranger stickles 'diamond' & 'red'



We have this fabulous prize by Visable image this month so to be in with a chance of winning hop over to 


Thank you for stopping by once again.  I hope you all have a great December. 



Id love to enter my first card into the following:


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https://neglectedstuff.blogspot.com/2025/11/neglected-stuff-1225-challenge.html - my embossing folders are old and were gathering dust 




 

Friday, 5 December 2025

Christmas Decoration - Creative Artiste December

 Good Morning all

Its the 1st Friday of the month so time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste where the theme is anything goes mixed media - using at least 3 different mediums.  

The DT have gone with a Christmas theme fitting the season but you can join in with any theme.

Ive made a light up stained glass effect decoration for the wall or internal door.  It is 8x8" in size and Ive thrown lots at it - glitter paste, halo paste, alcohol inks, brusho's and some white gesso for the snowy effect.


I first added gold glitter paste and green halo paste to a piece of acetate with snowflake and star stencils.  Once dry I added blue & purple tone alcohol inks to the back

See below for how I made up the frame... once that was finished I die cut pine branches from brusho powder stained cardstock and my deer from brown card - for the deer I layered 3 together to give them a chipboard like feel and give the antlers more stability.  I tore some white card to fit the bottom and dabbled on white gesso to look like snow for the deer to stand on.  I added the pine branches in place with some mini fir cones.  

To finish I splattered on white gesso to look like snow and dabbed some onto the pine cones and deers antlers. 




You can see the texture paste on the bauble better here, the gold glitter paste is very shimmery and the halo paste is subtle but when the light hits it it has a green pearlescence 

And showing it all lit up







I made up a frame using nesting dies, white card and gold mirror card adhered together and then run through an A4 snowflake embossing folder.  This frame I added over another frame cut using a large bauble shaped die - behind the bauble frame I added the acetate.  By layering several frames together its given it all rigidity to hold upto being handled when turning the lights on and off and hopefully give a few years of enjoyment.

I die cut white card with the largest die I used for the front and adhered clear micro lights to the middle, taping into position.  I then added foam tape around the outside edge and adhered the front panel on top - the foam tape adds space for the lights to sit comfortably in place.  I adhered the light switch and battery pack to the very back of the decoration for easy access.

Items Used:
Cosmic shimmer Ultra sparkle texture paste 'sahara gold'
Stamperia Halo paste 'Green' K3P70B
Tim Holtz alcohol inks - shades of blue
Brusho Powder 'sea green, turquoise'
White gesso
Creative Craft XL Stretch circle dies
Spellbinders ornament die set (old)
Tattered Lace A4 snowflake embossing folder (old)
MFT deer dies 'die love' (quite old)
Pine branches dies (? so old ive forgotton the brand)
CraftUK ltd smooth white A3 card
Gold mirror card

Hop over to Creative Artiste to see what the rest of the DT and Guest DT have created and to join in with your anything mixed media goes. 


This is the last make for my 1st year on the DT at Creative Artiste as we have a break in January.  Its been great fun stretching my brain cells for so  many different mixed media projects this year.  I thought it would be fun to see them all together, just click on the link below each if you would like full details

     
Snowdrops                    Bee Awesome 

                          
       In the nest                                   Butterfly suncatcher

        
                        Key to the heart                       Mother Earth

                             frog ATC trio                        Lemon Wreath

 
                                Pumpkins                            Autumn


Thank you for all your support and encouragement this year.  Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year.  Big hugs to you all Emmax



Id love to enter my Christmas decoration into the following:

  

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