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:

https://cyhtp.blogspot.com/2025/12/anything-goes-with-twist-of-celebrate.html

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https://inkspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/12/inkspirational-challenge-356-use.html - ive used snowflake stencil with glitter paste 

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https://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/its-christmas.html

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https://scscards.blogspot.com/2025/12/december-2025-reds-and-greens.html

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https://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/2025/12/its-all-about-santa.html

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July WLS #1 - sun, sea & sand

Good Morning everyone

Gosh the months are flying by, its time for a new challenge We Love Stamping with the theme this month chosen by me is

SUN, SEA &/OR SAND

So plenty of options there but if thats not for you we always have the anything goes option as long as you use stamping

I dug out a very old chocolate baroque stamp set with these fab seagulls which is very apt as as the seagulls which nest on my roof spend most of their time sat on the washing line posts in the garden.  In the heat the chicks have fallen off the roof so inhabiting the back garden so its a no go zone for now unless you like being dive bombed😁

6x4.5" card.  I first stamped the seagull image onto white card and then the poem beside it using dark blue ink.  I die cut into a fancy rectangle, this is a very old spellbinders die but i thought the edge had a bit of a rope effect look to it.  I then watercoloured the scene with distress inks.  Once dry i stencilled on the sun with lemonade distress oxide ink, keeping it soft around the poem.  I stamped the seagulls a 2nd time, watercoloured and cut out the posts and seagulls and decoupaged onto the base image with pinflair glue gel for a little dimension.  Added a few white gel pen highlights.

Then adhered to a kraft card base card, I went with kraft card as once again felt it picked up on the theme. 

The poem reads

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide is a wild call and a clear call that may not be dented; and all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, and the flung spray and the blown spune, and the sea-gulls crying.

Items Used:

Chocolate Baroque stamp set 'seashell collage'

Spellbinders die set S5-217 'Valiant honor'

Sheena Douglass 8x8 stencil 'sunrays'

Distress Inks  tumbled glass, salty ocean, chipped sapphire, vintage photo, wild honey, aged mahogany

Distress Oxide 'squeezed lemonade'

Kraft card

This month we have these beautiful set from Lisa Horton as the prize so do hop over to We Love Stamping to join in and be in with a chance of winning

Thank you all for stopping by once again. I hope you all have a good week whatever you get upto.  Emma

Id love to enter the following:

https://dd-tripleb.blogspot.com/2025/07/july-2025-challenge.html

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https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/07/summer-season-july-2025.html

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https://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/2025/06/add-some-text.html

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https://craftyanimals.blogspot.com/2025/07/challenge-96.html

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4 legged friends #2

Good Morning everyone

Time for our mid way May inspiration over at We Love Stamping

The theme this month is 

four legged friends

or you can go with the anything goes option as long as you use stamps

Ive used a set of dog stamps from aall&create (#1121) which I got back in their December advent sale so about time I used them! 

4x6" kraft base card.  I first stamped the dogs onto kraft card and watercoloured with inktense pencils, once dry added a little highlight detail with posca paint pens and then cut out.

I took a piece of kraft paper foiled with gold paw prints and bones and sprayed it with inks in similar colours to the dog, the foiling resists the inks.  Once dry I cut to size, matted onto ivory card and then the base card.  I die cut an oval from ivory card and adhered to the middle top and then added the dog with pinflair glue gel for a little dimension, otherwise its a flat card which is rare for me.

This fabulous sentiment is from a stamp set called 'fur babies' from creative craft products and I thought it fit the image perfectly.  I stamped onto ivory card, cut to size, added to the front with 2 teal glossy hearts to finish. 

You can see the shimmer in the mica spray a bit better here, when the light hits it, it really comes to life.  This image reminds me of my brothers dog 'Tig' as she is very slim and short coated and always gives her paw to everyone to say hello😁 

and also made 2 more cards using the other 2 stamps in the set

5x5" kraft card base 

I sprayed the background again and cut to size, i then die cut a circular shape out of the middle.  I cut a piece of white card to fit, stamped the sentiment where I wanted it to line up in the aperture of the kraft card.  I then embossed with a distress embossing folder - yes I embossed the wrong side so its actually the deboss on this one! Just breaks up all the white a bit.  I adhered this to the card front and then the kraft card on top.  I then added the dog with glue gel so that he was mostly in the circular aperture. 

and version 3 - actually used the embossed side this time - all the rest is the same as the last card.  The gold foiling really comes to life when the light hits it but hard to get decent photos! 

Items Used:

aall&create stamp set #1121 'Bingo was his namo'

Creative craft product sentiment stamps 'fur babies'

Craftuk Ltd kraft card

Foiled kraft paper (ancient B&M pad)

Derwent Inktense pencils

Cosmic shimmer airless misters 'green galore, pine green, hello sunshine, ocean sparkle'

Crafters companion 8x8 distressed embossing folder

White posca pen

We have these lovely prizes from Lavinia stamps to be won

Do hop over to We love stamping to join in

Its been a funny few weeks, I started a new treatment for my MS this week after months of supply issues with my last immune suppressant, this new one is self injection so thats an interesting one for me and hopefully the after effects and then also side effects settle down over the coming weeks.  I was happy on my last one as it was the only treatment in 23yrs of trying everything for MS that I could actually tolerate without nasty side effects.....so fingers and toes crossed for this one

Then Jess cat was poorly so several vet visits, she's finally cured herself as vets are none the wiser as to what was wrong with her, but i guess all those tests ruled out lots!!! She's definitely used one of her nine lives as it was touch and go, but she lives to fight another day and back out sunbathing full time so thats a sure sign she feels better as this cat is a real sun worshipper

I hope that you all have a good weekend.  Big hugs Emmax

Id love to enter the 1st card into the following:

https://neglectedstuff.blogspot.com/2025/05/neglected-stuff-may-2025-challenge.html - paw print background paper is over 5 yrs old

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https://paperfundaychallenges.blogspot.com/2025/05/may-2025-challenge-76-anything-goes.html - the dog stamp and sentiment stamp are both new

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https://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/2025/05/keep-it-simple.html - a simple card for me as not added lots of dimension or embellishments

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https://girlzmakesguyzcards.blogspot.com/2025/05/challenge-27-honden-enof-katten-dogs.html

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https://paper-rocks-scissors.blogspot.com/2025/05/may-4-challenge.html - 2nd entry, used scissors to cut out the dog and paper for the background

 

WLS March#2 - Hello Spring

Good Morning everyone

Gosh where does time go to, half way through March so time for more inspiration over atWe Love Stamping where the theme is

SPRING 

or if thats not for you we always have the anything goes option as long as you use stamps - physical or digital

In the January Sales I got this lovely tulip collage effect stamp from Studio light which i thought would be ideal for my easter/spring cards this year.  Ive also raided the scrap draw and used alot of paper offcuts up - using thin strips left over from making envelopes for the backgrounds & smaller pieces to paper piece the flowers.

I made 15 variations - they are also totally flat which is very rare for me, so easy posting

DL (8x4") Kraft card base with rounded corners.  I stamped the image in black onto soft toned patterned paper and die cut with lacy DL nesting dies, I watercoloured the leaves, stems & bulb with inktense pencils, also adding a little grey shadow around the flowers to give a little extra depth. I stamped the flowers again onto different papers, cut out just the flower heads and paper pieced flat onto the base image. 

I die cut another piece of patterned paper with one of the lacy nesting dies - actually I only die cut the end sections, cut off and adhered to the card front - great way to use up small pieces of paper & add interest to my layout - the cut edges are hidden behind the topper panel. 

I stamped the love spring sentiment from clearly besotted stamps onto scrap of kraft card, cut to size and adhered to the front.  I added green stickles glitter glue to the centre of the smaller flowers for a little bling to finish.

 

and the inside - again i raided the scrap paper drawer - very satisfying to have used up so many off cuts and little snippets.  I die cut a pale paper with the same lacy DL nesting die used on the front, stamped another clearly besotted sentiment stamp in black and a chocolate baroque tulip stamp in grey.

Version 2 - Ive yet to see turquoise tulips but who knows one day! lol

The sentiment quote is lovely and so true

'The first blooms of spring always make my heart sing' 

It is a magical time of year when everything is awakening.  Had my first hedgehogs out of hibernation last week and another 2 joined them this week...well thats only the ones I have seen in the porch eating their dinners...well breakfast I guess as they come just on dusk.

Version 3 - sorry for the not great photos - had a nightmare taking the photos

and another version😀

Items Used:

Studio light stamp #394

Chocolate Baroque stamp (tulip) 'spring is in the air'

Clearly Besotted stamps (CBSSE208) 'Seasonal sentiment'

DL nesting dies

Various patterned papers

Derwent Inktense pencils

Ranger stickles 'lime'

CraftUK ltd kraft card

We have these beautiful pennyblack stamps as prizes this month so do hop over to We Love Stamping  to join in and see what the rest of the DT came up with.

Thank you all for stopping by once again and all your amazing comments which i always appreciate. Emmax

Id love to enter 1st card in the following:

https://2sistersontheblog.blogspot.com/2025/03/challenge-95.html

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https://paper-rocks-scissors.blogspot.com/2025/03/march-2-challenge.html - used lots of paper and used scissors to fussy cut the flowers to paper piece

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https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/03/spring-season-march-2025.html

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https://lovethoseprettypapers.blogspot.com/2025/03/atg-using-pretty-patterned-paper-march.html #2 papers used for the topper panel and paper piecing 

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https://creativecraftinguncles.blogspot.com/2025/03/63-spring-and-or-easter.html

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https://pixiessnippetsplayground.blogspot.com/2025/03/challenge-502.html - everything apart from the kraft card is a snippet and scrap