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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Christmas Stars

Good Morning everyone

Today im sharing a batch of cards that started out using very slim offcuts of Christmas/winter themed papers left over from previous years from making envelopes.  I had no idea where these would end up but first off i used the strips to make a 'new' paper by adhering them all to a piece of paper.

I raided my stash for old silver mirror & glitter card which was about time it was used, the silver going nicely with the blue tone papers.  

DL card white card base (approx 4x8")

I cut my stripe paper to size and put through a 3D embossing folder, this helped embed the stripes together as well as add a lovely tactile feel.  I then dry brushed over the top with vintage white chalk paint and a light touch over the top with white pearl cadence dora paint which gives a beautiful shimmer.  I matted this onto silver satin card and then the card front.

I cut the middle out the silver mat layer which i then used for my die cut elements - thus making it go further and no one would know as the hole is hidden behind the beautiful embossed panel.  

I die cut the circular sentiment from navy blue card, then cut a circular frame from white card using 2 circle dies, then a larger frame from the same silver card used for the mat layer.  You end up with a 'doughnut' so can see through the middle to the paper and embossing. 

I then die cut alot of stars from the various silvers, blue and white and adhered a different centre into the frames....very fiddly but worth it, i used a bit of tape behind the star to hold the solid centre into the frame.

I then adhered 3 under the sentiment as if hanging from circle, I used pinflair glue gel here so could get them at different levels etc..

Close up on the stars.

Navy solid star with silver satin frame

Silver solid star with silver glitter frame

Silver glitter solid with navy frame

Sadly the photos just don't show the beauty of the glitter, mirror and beautiful pearl stars😞  In real life they really shimmer and sparkle in the light.

Version 2 using silver mirror card for the mat layers

Version 3 uses silver glitter card for the mat layer

This shows my paper stripes adhered to A4 paper to make my 'new' paper.  When i did this i had no idea what i was going to make so on one i adhered the patterns horizontally and the other vertically.  The papers are all slightly different widths so i just stuck them on randomly, not over thinking it.

Left photo shows it just embossed and the right one shows it after i dry brushed the white and pearl paint over the stars, it just softens it all and helps bring the different patterns together.  Honestly in real life it is very shimmery

Items Used:

MFT Christmas sentiment circle die

Spellbinders Circle dies

Frantic stamper Star on a string die 

Lisa Horton Slimline 3d embossing folder 'Starry Night' LHCEF077

Various scraps of patterned papers

Jane Davenport gess-oh 'white' 

Cadence Dora paint 'white'

Id love to enter card #1 into the following:

https://pixiessnippetsplayground.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-541.html

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https://12monthsofchristmaslinkup.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-136-anything-goes-christmas.html

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https://craftingacutabove.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-challenge-20.html - 2nd Entry

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https://peaceonearthchristmas.blogspot.com/2026/09/peace-on-earth-challenge-120.html

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https://lovethoseprettypapers.blogspot.com/2026/09/atg-love-those-pretty-papers-september.html

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https://merrylittlechristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/mlccb-70-anything-christmas-goes-mlccb.html

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https://hollyandivychristmas.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-212-anything-christmas-goes_01649853709.html

 

WLS May#2 - All creatures great and small

 Good Morning everyone

Time for some midway inspiration for We Love Stamping where the theme is 

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL

I went with one of the smallest creatures (mouse) last time so this time its one of the largest creatures and this fabulous whale stamp from aall&create, this is another one thats been neglected for a while too so good to get it out.  I have teamed it up with one of my brusho/pixie powder backgrounds - I have a draw full of backgrounds as I often have sessions making them when i don't feel like properly crafting... plus I make such a mess using brushos that its good to get lots made at once and then one lot of clean up!

Card Size approx 5x7" die cut from navy blue cardstock, I felt the rounded corners on this die set picked up on the curve of the whale nicely. I die cut my brusho & pixie powder background to fit the card front, then stamped the whale stamp with blue versaclair ink and then used a circle embossing folder - this to pick up on bubbles in the water. I then lightly inked over the top with chipped sapphire distress ink to just help the embossing stand out a little bit more - not too heavy as i still wanted it to be in the background.  I used posca paint pens on the background stamping to add a little bit extra colour, using yellow and white on some of the hexagons.

I then stamped the whale onto a pinky patterned paper which is not a very realistic colour I know but a nice contrast to the background!  I added some white pen highlights, curved her body and adhered into place with glue gel.

I then die cut some seaweed bits from green holographic card off cuts that were on my desk.  Sentiments stamped onto white with the same blue ink and adhered into place - these sentiments come from a ZinskiArt mermaid set but fit well i feel.

You can make out the mica of the pixie powders in the background better here and the holographic seaweed, both shimmer & dance when the light hits them like the sparkle of sunshine on the water.

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and version 2 which is more muted

Made almost the same way as the first one but this time i started with a background made using oxide inks so very muted.  I die cut an old tim holtz holey die into the background and matted onto silver holographic cardstock.  The whale was stamped onto card that had been sprayed with blue & purple ink and bright pink mica spray.

Hard to really show off the holographic but you can make it out more on the bottom of the photo, with the matt finish of the oxide background it really shimmers and dances - i went with this to give the effect of bubbles in the water

Items Used:

aall&create stamp #390 'sea life'

Funky Fossil 'ZinskiArt' stamp set 'Making waves'

Funky Fossil stamp set 'weird fish'

Sizzix circle embossing folder (very old!)

? Nesting dies

Dawn Bibby die set DBC0371 'Into the deep' embellishment set

Brusho Powders

Cosmic shimmer pixie powder

Chipped Sapphire distress ink

Distress Oxide - shaded lilac, cracked pistachio, tumbled glass & iced spruce

Versafine Clair ink 'Medieval blue'

Silver & green holographic card from Aldi

Navy cardstock

We have these lovely stamps from aall&create as the prize this month so hop over to We love stamping to join in, as well as the all creatures great and small theme we always have the anything goes option as long as you include stamping.

Id love to enter card one into the following:

https://craftrocketchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-136-not-square.html

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https://2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com/2026/05/critter-crazy-challenges-110-anything.html

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https://craftyanimals.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-105.html

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https://creativefriday.blogspot.com/2026/05/creative-friday-411-jedes-tier-ist.html - all animals permitted

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WLS April #1 - Wakey Wakey spring is here

Happy Easter to you all.

Welcome to April and our theme over at We Love Stamping this month is 

SPRING

Or you can always go with the anything goes option as long as you use stamping

Ive gone a bit outside the box this time and not used a spring designed stamp or my usual spring florals and instead had the idea to use this bear stamp who is waking up and drinking his coffee after coming out of hibernation.  I was also on a mission to use some very old paper pads which had spring colours in them.

Sorry for the bit blurry photos, my camera just kept focusing on the bear as the focal point and not the whole card....after nearly 50 attempts I had to accept defeat and the camera won😒

Approx size 6x6"  I used 300gsm A4 cream linen card, I folded in half and cut to 6" tall, on the right hand side of the front panel I die cut the tulip edge die - just to add interest and also use the die again! 

I took one of the papers from the 6x6 pad to line the inside which peeks through the tulip, i kept it a plain paper so can be written on.  I then cut another paper to fit the front, using the tulip die to get the right curve on the right hand side and also cut a smaller panel of cream card and embossed with a leaf embossing folder - I matted these and adhered to the card front.

I stamped the bear onto more of the cream card used for the base and one of the patterned papers, i coloured the bear with alcohol markers, cut out his pj's and pieced onto the base image.  I die cut this into an oval and matted onto another oval and added to the card front.

Computer printed sentiment 'wakey wakey' & 'spring is here' as the bear comes out of hibernation.

Showing it stood up and the lovely tulip edge 

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I made a few versions so made a little dent in some papers!

A more pink version.  Im quite pleased as managed to use really busy patterned papers that get left in paper pads and by having them as the matt layer behind my embossed panel its not too overwhelming

A more blue and green version, again behind the embossed panel I used a paper which is lovely but the pattern made my eyes go funny....these are double sided papers so I actually die cut the oval heart out of the middle of the patterned paper mat layer as i knew it would be hidden behind the embossed panel - thus making those luxury papers go further

Items Used:

aall&create stamp set #253 'Morning'

Technique Tuesday Tulip edge die

Sizzix leaf embossing folder (very old)

crafters companion 3d lace embossing folder

Paper pads - all very old and some loose left over pages

Ivory linen 300gsm card

Alcohol markers

white gel pen

We have lovely prizes from Lavinia for the lucky winner this month so hop over to We Love Stamping to join in and in with a chance of winning

I hope you all have a wonderful month of April.  Big hugs Emmaxx

Id love to enter card #1 into the following:

https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/03/challenge-846.html

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https://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-634-easterspring.html

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https://daranddiane.blogspot.com/2026/04/double-d-humor-challenge-2026.html - I think my card is humous and tongue in cheek😁

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https://creativeknockouts.blogspot.com/2026/04/568-april-2-embossing-delight-rachelle.html

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https://paper-rocks-scissors.blogspot.com/2026/04/april-15-challenge.html - used paper for the background & bears PJ's and scissors to cut out the bear

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https://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/03/sweet-stampin-spring-or-easter-creations.html

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