HLS November Christmas Challenge - Tags

Hello and welcome to the HLS November Christmas Challenge, and this month, the theme is TAGS!

Our Challenge Sponsor is Happy Little Stampers

The winner of this month's challenge will receive a free stamp set from HLS, so we hope you'll find time to join in with your Tags, anything as long as it's Christmas Themed, have some fun, perhaps be a winner. Here's what I came up with (and remember, I'm not great with tags! So if I can do it, so can YOU!)

 

 

 

- Tag created from 140# watercolor paper and an Elizabeth Craft Tag 3 & More die to die cut.

 

- used Viva Décor Inka Gold and some Maya Inca Gold ** dabbed on a craft mat, spritzed with water, and 'smooshed' the w/color tag around through it. (here's an excellent tutorial by Loll, and while I didn't have exactly the same products Loll used, it still creates some wonderful looks) 

 

 (**Photo of smooshing products below)

 

After the tag dried, used a TCW Christmas tree stencil, and some Viva Décor Glitter paste to make the dimensional trees. (not sure that the link is the color that I have, but you can see the product). It was extremely thick and hard to spread - and yes, I am always careful to put the cap back on quickly when using these pastes, so that it doesn't dry out. Doubt I will use this stuff again, but I might try to see if I can thin it.

 

Snow bank was torn paper, spread out some TomBow liquid glue, and sprinkled some Sparkle n Sprinkle Twinkling Cloud over the sticky glue, and pressed it down, shaking off the excess.  Makes terrific snow.

 

- Lawn fawn Toboggan Together clear set for the penguin fun, stamped on white Xpress, colored with copics, then some WoS, and a coat of glossy accents. The companion die set used for the penguins, but after deciding to add in some more stamped trees, those were fussy cut with scissors.

 

- SU scalloped oval punch on a snippet of white, then stamped with HLS Mixed Christmas Sentiments. A couple of Jolee packages & a Spare Parts Penguin brad were added for some more dash.

 

Happy Little Stampers has a brand new stamp release this month. There's some really darling sets available, and you won't want to miss seeing these. Now do be sure to check out what my fellow DT members have shared for the HLS November Tag challenge, and join in the fun. Hey, you could be the winner of a lovely new stamp set!

 

Edit: Also linked to Stamping with Loll Day One Twelve Tags of Christmas

 

Thanks for joining me & Big Hugs & Blessings.

 

**Here's the products used, and the backgrounds made from the 'leftover smoosh'. The center bkground happened to be a piece of glossy c/stock and it really turned out nicely. On this center one, used a piece of plastic small bubble wrap to pounce into the 'smoosh liquid' and then over the c/s with a twisting motion. The others were just dragging the cardstock through the liquid on the craft mat.

 

 

 

Christmas Card Club - Christmas Bird

Hi There. It's time again for our Christmas Card Club - and since last time I forgot about the challenge until late Sunday evening--AND since this week it was MY turn to select the theme for our challenge, (Cardinals or any Christmas bird), I knew I had to be on time for this one! :-} LOL...I'm going to get this post done early! Before we get started, though:

        HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all my friends who observe the holiday.

 

 

Now on to the Christmas Card Club Cardinal (you knew I'd pick the cardinal for the bird on MY card, din'cha?!)



 

 

- Northwoods image (PP9864) - colored with Copics, WoS on Mr. C, some Pentel Slicca gold pen to highlight the pine needles, and a bit of SnS Twinkling Clouds Sparkle & Soft on the branches for snow (DH's idea to add that. Come to think of it, believe he found this stamp at the Stampaway show. The guy has this idea from who knows where, that I possibly like cardinals). Before starting to color the image, the sky was inked with BG0000, but doesn't show well in the photo. The snowflakes and falling snow were inked with a white gel pen, then over-colored with a Sakura Silver Star pen, so pretty gleamings.  Added some crystal Doodlebug Silvery Sprinkles around for a little more sparkle.

 

Die cut the shape with S/B Labels 15 (#7 Die). Had a white edge around the frame, embossed with the rubber mat & die- with tape to hold in place. Image slipped during embossing and creased in places not meant to be embossed. Happily a Teflon bone folder aided in smoothing out most of the 'wrong crease marks', and the worst of the boo-boo hand trimmed away. Gold edging done with a fine-line Slicca gold pen, and a finger dauber with Tsukineko Northern Pines (a dark green) darkened any white at the edges.

 

Dark green snippet from another project on the front; [the final result was not the original plan. Had done some more smooshing & playing with acrylic silks in reds & golds; used a holly stencil and pan pastels to create a background...trimmed into 3 rectangles. Colors just did not look right with Mr. C]. Back to the drawing board. the doily half was in the debris stack (a Cheery Lynn die cut from newsprint dp). Inked the edge with Delicata gold, tucked under Mr C - ok...that looked better. Hunted thru some paper packs - found this blue dp that looked better with the sky background--- MS twig punch...that will have to do.

 

A Die-Versions sentiment die, from red glitter paper snippet and I'm done! You'll see the path not taken - on another project. (I hope). Disappointment is when what you envisioned at the start, just didn't look great at the end! However fun was had by all, and I hope you like the card.

 

Do check out what my fellow Christmas Card Club team shared on the Christmas Bird challenge. Their links are on the right side bar! Have a wonderful Sunday. Big Hugs and thanks for visiting.



Halloween by Northwoods

Good evening. Welcome. As promised, back with my 2nd Halloween card. This one is for DH - so excuse the skull motif. He likes that look, I don't! (shudder). So let's get 'er going:

- Northwoods wreath image (from Stampaway show - yippee). Stamped with Tuxedo Black on copic Xpress paper, colored with copics and WoS, a Sakura silver star gel pen on the spider webs. Fun & fast to color. Die Cut with an MFT Stitched circle that fit the wreath size & DI Weathered wood smudged along the edges of the die cut with a finger dauber.

- orange background created with Silk acrylics - orange and yellow shades, puddled on a craft sheet, and spritzed with water. This paper was Canson Mixed Media paper - think it's 98#...fairly lightweight. Smooshed c/s through the puddles, and got 3 backgrounds with one play. [Used 140# W/color on one that is pleasing, but too heavy for this card]. While the piece was still wet, spritzed with a gold Tattered Angels spray; dropped in some orange Brusho crystals with a very light 'fifft' Sepia Color burst (which is more powdery and harder for me to control placement.) Used a very light touch with the Sepia, but still got a big blob in a hidden spot. The Sepia has some pretty shading to it, but am finding the crystals give more exact placement for me. Used an old C/B EF to emboss once it dried over night.

- black paper chosen for the skull motif - from 6x6 Recollections Halloween Basics, purchased recently.

- Spiderweb border from a snippet of black glitter paper (lightweight) punched with a Martha Stewart punch.

- Sizzix Halloween thinlets dies to cut the spooky & Halloween sentiments..both from snippets. Bats & witches punched from small Bazzill snippet using an MS punch. Debating on whether to add some black WoS for a little pizzazz.

There's a big party going on over at the Snippets Playground to celebrate Week 200! YAY! I am a latecomer to the show, but I hear there's been ROWDY doin's and I wanted to be certain I didn't miss out on too much. There's already some superlative entries into the challenge, and Wow on the highlights too. Awesome. I hope I have enough snippets on this one, that Parsnip will let me slip through the gate. If you hurry, there's still a bit of time left with Mr. Linky and Miss has a good prize this week. Check it out!!!

Also do check out the Cards by Friends tab at the top of _this_ blog, as another wonderful card has been added - which is going on the mantel with the others we've been blessed to receive.

As always thanks for popping in to visit. A friend reminded me today - always choose to be Happy, no matter what the day brings. I know that, but every now & again, it's good to get reminded.
Big Hugs & come again when you can.

Halloween

Hello and Welcome! Before sharing today's card - finally got a Halloween card made {sigh}, let me give big shout-out to a new follower: Henriette van Mierlo. I'm trying to find a link so as to share Henriette's blog, but alas, I've not been successful. So Henriette, if you pop back for a visit, could you please share your link, and I'll post it so that my blog friends can perhaps become YOUR blog friends too!

Here's the card, and it's for the DD:

- Northwoods stamp purchased at the August Stampaway show - wood block. I LOVE their stamps, always have. The fact that the company was a vendor at this show was one of our reasons for making the drive to Cincinnati. Some others were to meet up with blog buddy Brenda W., having never been to this particular show, and also the fact that DH was originally from this area of Ohio....long ago.
Colored the image with fine line markers, except for copics on the ghost; WoS over the witchy sox,
then added some glossy accents.  The spider has a little dab of G.Accents, as does the cat's head. Used a Sizzix rectangle die to cut, then sponged with DI Spiced Marmalade and Wild Honey.

- MFT stitched curved die cut the background papers...the orange is from an old 12x12 Halloween pack (probably DCWV) and the stripe is from a 6x6 - newer purchase...of a Halloween pack.

- spooky sentiments from Sizzix Halloween thinlets by Tim Holtz - there are 2 different sets for Halloween. Provided an Amazon link to show the die set, but think mine came from local Hobby Lobby, using a coupon. These were cut from a snippet of black glitter paper.

Hope the Daughter likes it....we included a 'lunch on us' check, so we hope she'll enjoy.

Thanks for visiting, and I hope to get round to all my visitors today. Still got one more Halloween card to make for DH - it's his favorite holiday, so can't forget the guy who chauffers me around, now can I?

Big hugs, and Blessings too. Come again when you can.

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