Woodware - Quick Christmas

This week at Woodware our theme is "Quick Christmas". Which is rather appropriate as I left this to the last minute and it was literally a 10 minute card.
I chose the rather beautiful Stampendous cling stamp CRP213 Oh Christmas Tree for my quick card.

I simply stamped with embossing ink onto white card stock and embossed with a detail white powder. This makes sure you can make out the detail of the writing. Then with dye inks I blended over 3 shades of blue from light to dark. This gives a nice night sky effect. Then a few splatters of water to look like falling snow and its done.
Some simple layering and a bit of ribbon and it's done. 

I am going to try this with some other colours like greens and perhaps some soft pinks and lilacs. 
Check out the Woodware blog for some other quick Christmas card ideas.
Have a good weekend everyone. I for one will be starting the Christmas shopping as I have not started yet!!
See you next week.

Woodware - Sketch Challenge 28

Time for the next sketch challenge over at Woodware this week. This will be number 28. It is a nice simple sketch and as it involved two ovals I decided to incorporate two current favourite Stampendous stamps.

The two Stampendous stamps are Snowy Postcard and Train Postcard. Then sentiment is also by Stampendous and I really like the words. 

I just used the inner oval from each of the two images and stamped them onto card that I pre- blended some blue and brown inks for a quick background.

The background for the ovals was coloured with soft blue and brown inks, softly blended. then I stamped with a pine sprig (also Stampendous). I stamped the first layer with brown ink then over stamped with gold Encore pigment ink and embossed with gold powder.

I quite like the old fashioned, nostalgic feel of this card. 

Here are a couple of close-ups to see the images in more detail.

I am first to post this week so it will be fun to see what the other girls come up with on the Woodware blog!!

Woodware - Paper Piecing

We are pleased to be playing along with the Crafty Card Makers this week, the challenge will be open on their blog for two weeks. If you would like to play along with us please check the Crafty Card Maker rules then use the link on the Crafty Card Makers Blog to add your card or if you are not a blogger yet you can e-mail your card to me as usual Dorothy@woodware.co.uk  and I will post it and add it to the Crafty Card Makers Blog

This week's challenge at Woodware is paper piecing. This is not something I do much of as I hate cutting out fiddly things. So I chose an easy design to paper piece. This Woodware dove lends itself perfectly to this technique. I chose some soft blue and brown winter background papers.

If you are careful you can get several doves from one lot of stamped papers, so quite good if you are batching your cards.

As you can see I added a few pearls and some faux stitching on the background circle. A die cut or punched snowflake finishes off the card.

Remember if you join in you could win a Woodware voucher. For lots of other ideas on paper piecing be sure to check out the Woodware blog this week.

Well I am back to work today after a great trip to London with my sister. Now I need to get some serious batching done to get my own Christmas cards made!! Every year I say I will start earlier but never do!!

Have a good week. 

Siobhan x

Woodware - Treasured Memories

Our challenge this week at Woodware was set by Christina from A Maze of Memories. As well as setting the theme she has also a tutorial on her blog on how to create a chalkboard effect. I must make time to have a go at that, it looks really effective.

I have been having an on-going clear out over the past few weeks. I keep coming across little things my kids have given me over the years and other mementos from loved ones past and present. So when I so this week's theme that gave me the idea to decorate a box to keep them in.

My box started life as an A4 Manila document box. It was fine as it was but a bit utilitarian. So I gave it a makeover. I painted the whole box with gesso first to prime it. Then a couple of coats of acrylic paint. I also sponged a soft pink on the lid to soften the effect.

On the top of the lid I stamped a panel of paper using various Stampendous stamps. I used a scroll stamp (also Stampendous) around the edges to frame it and embossed it in gold. I then finished off with some frantage powders round the edges of the lid.

The photos aren't great. I was starting to get dark. I am quite pleased with my altered box. And it's nice to have a proper place to store all those little memories.

Talking of memories. My sister and I are meeting up in London on Thursday. It's her 50th birthday soon so we are going to celebrate it together by having a little trip together. So no doubt we will create some nice new memories.

Be sure to check out the Woodware blog for lots of great ideas and inspiration.

Keep warm and keep crafting.

Siobhan x