TGIF!

Morning readers,

Hubby's had "manflu" all the week and I've fought it off but ... beginning to feel like I may not have fought it off quite as successfully as I might have liked - DARN IT!

Nice catch up with a pal yesterday ... we headed to a community coffee shop close to me, in a park. We sat and nattered over a coffee before taking the air by waling around the park - a lovely morning AND we got some exercise - win/win!

I've a make to share with you today .... it wasn't all that long ago that I couldn't make anything BUT Christmas cards, that sort of stopped just after Christmas (go figure!) - now that I've had a couple of weeks off, here's a Christmas card!!! I simply don't use die cut apertures enough ... they can add so much extra "texture" and interest whilst still keeping your card CAS (Clean And Simple). I was following a sketch recently and die cut the aperture mask you see below ... it was just too tempting to use it again whilst it was out on the desk! And, of course, the penguin image was just too cool - perfect in light of the recent "darn chilly" weather!! Stay warm peeps!

My card

And a closer view which, I HOPE, shows the sparkle better
- the gifts were coloured with glitter gel markers, for more sparkle!

 

The front, back and inside of my card along with the front and back of the envelope

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 250gsm, card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to fit
• One piece of navy card, cut to mat
• Scrap card with aperture cut out, to use as a mask - I made/used this mask for the first time in my Monday post, in case you think you recognise it!
• MFT penguin with gifts image (SY01 "Sweet Penguins") stamped using Memento tuxedo black ink - I stamped it on to a piece of post it too, cut it out and positioned over my stamped image before placing the aperture mask on top again. With the two masks in place I applied Memento Bahama blue ink over the aperture/image, using a makeup brush and then Memento Paris dusk around the outer edges
• Tim Holtz star stencil (from set #30) place on top of the layered masked image and applied Memento Paris dusk ink through the stencil with the same makeup brush.
• Having then removed both masks I coloured the image using Crayola pencils
• Paper Artsy sentiment (from JOFY17) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Stardust stickles used to add the sparkle to the stars and I also two glittered blue droplets

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Sparkles Christmas Challenge - January challenge - FOR A CHILD
2. Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - January challenge - ADD SOME SPARKLE
3. 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - January challenge - GIFTS
4. Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - challenge No. 473 - ANYTHING (Christmas) GOES
5. Christmas Kickstart - January challenge - PENGUIN PARADE