Secrets

There are some new ones coming but I’m not up-loading them yet because the people I designed them for will ‘know them’ straight away and there goes the surprise.  Some metallic papers, some pets, some elegance, some fun.  Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.........=^..^=

Three – again

I love using this layout of 3 panels across a horizontal card (have posted about it before too).  And who can go past this happy, happy Santa twirling through the clouds.  The red paper has a textured leather look which is great.  It’s fairly thin though and difficult to cut up on the paper slicer.  It tends to tear and I think next time I will mark it and cut it with scissors =^..^=

Buttons - 2

Another use for buttons - now only 1/2 million left in the tin =^..^=

Glitter baubles

Surprisingly this glittery decorative paper range is from the same pack as the country feel (below).  To me the baubles have a slightly kitschy feel and I really wish that I had more because the paper was fun to play with =^..^=

Country Feel

This is a country feel range of decorative paper.  It took me a while to work out how to use it because the paper is really designed for scrap-booking rather than card making.  The images are offset around the border of the 12” paper and the middle was just a pale pink.  I wasn’t really sure about the end result but the cards feel complete =^..^=

Embossing and gold baubles

This is one of my favourites of this batch of Christmas cards.  The Cuttlebug embossing folder is snowflakes and the card is a lovely cream.  I am happy with it, but I would love to work out a way to get gold ink to pop more.  I don’t want to go the glitter route because on a card like this that would be overkill.  I did add a few small dots of gold glitter glue around the edges of the baubles which help make it pop.  I guess what I’m looking for is a way to make gold and silver ink shimmer without being overwhelming....any ideas.....? =^..^=

Buttons

Finally found something to do with buttons....now what to do with the remaining millions???  I really like the slightly funky feel of the patterned paper and didn’t want a very complicated design that would detract from it.  I like this layout, it always seems very versatile and can be used with very detailed designs or very simple designs like I have here =^..^=

An attempt at Christmas vintage

I think that I must have a mental block for vintage style cards.  This one was like pulling teeth even though I started with a fairly clear image of the final product.  For some reason it just wouldn’t come and I think it took me at least 3 hours to feel happy enough with it.  In the end I think it’s ok but it doesn’t feel especially warm to me.  I know that I could have copied something directly from a mag but I wanted to design something reasonably original.  Maybe the colours are too strong for vintage?  Don’t know, can’t make up my mind =^..^=

Embossed tree

I've left this as a large image because the embossing doesn't show-up very well otherwise.  It's one of my favourite Cuttlebug embossing folders and it's so elegant.  My one reservation about it is the size of the tree.  I wish it came in a smaller size so that it would fit more easily on an average sized card.  With this size I had to cut down and re-size an A5 envelope, not a big deal just a bit of a pain.  Time I would rather have spent crafting =^..^=

Some oldies

Forever Friends

Isn't this just the cutest teddy
you've ever seen? =^..^=

3 Views

It was fun to play around with this design and see what would happen with three fairly different styles of decorative paper.  I'm pretty fond of teddy bears so I have to say that this green one is my favourite, although the penguins are fun too =^..^=

Meow - Margaret Sherry designs

Margaret Sherry's cat designs are the bees knees.  They're warm and cuddly and you can just imagine kitty curled up on the end of your bed or on your lap while you are asleep on the couch. I have loved her designs for years and the first time I came across them is in a calendar in a cross stitch magazine.  One cat per month, the set is called Catitudes.  My favourite is terribly politically incorrect.  It is a tubby kitty wedged inside a bird cage.  The only evidence of a bird are the feathers trapped in the corner of the cat's mouth =^..^=

Christmas Birds

I just love this country feel paper range. It has a really love naive feel
and was great fun to design with.  Rik rak seems like the perfect embellishment =^..^=
                           

Just like a Nitwit

                                      This collection of paper is from Nitwit so of course it caught my eye straight away.  The colour scheme is a sweet alternative to the traditional red and green of Christmas.  It's funny, I don't really think of purple and lime (ish) green being a good colour combination but it seems to really work well.  I really like the patchwork-y applique feel of these images =^..^=

Vintage Christmas

I thought this was a nice design to showcase these lovely vintage feel papers =^..^=

Flourish Tree

This is one of my favourite stamps.  The tree flourish is so elegant and versatile.  The background stamp is Christmas music and seems to coordinate well with the tree stamp.  I liked it so much that I made it in four different colour schemes =^..^=

Christmas Card Countdown

The start of the Christmas card countdown.  Actually, I lie, this is a card from last year which I am posting in the hopes of being inspired.  Ah, it'll be fine, only 250 or so to make.....hahaha......=^..^=