Wednesday and .. how's the weather? Springlike or not?

Morning readers,

What a lovely day we had here yesterday, it was so nice to be able to sit out and have coffee on the terrace (actually patio but terrace sounds so much posher!!!). In fact, we ended up coming back inside as it was a little TOO warm - go figure!

Naturally, with the hot weather I thought of a Christmas card (doesn't everyone?) so here is my first make for today .... I'm determined to get ahead of the game this year! Something else you don't expect to see from me and that's patterned paper!!! AND another thing, it's a gatefold card too! Woo Hoo a post of rarities! Make the most of it - I'll probably be back to my usual, more CAS self next time!

My card

The inside of my card

 

The front and back of my card and envelope

Materials used:

• 5" square cream, 250gsm card and matching sized envelope
• One piece of cream card cut to fit as an insert
• Snippets of card in red and kraft and some DCWV patterned paper, cut to fit and mat
• Nesting "faux stitched" square dies, used to die cut the image panel and matting layer
• MFT sentiment and image (from SY-01 "Sweet Holiday Penguins") stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Faber Castell polychromos pencils used to colour my image
• Stardust stickles and Anita's dimensional gloss used to "bling up" my image

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

1. Christmas Cards All Year Round - April challenge - SNOW BUDDIES OR ANYTHING (Christmas) GOES ... well penguins would be snow buddies!!
2. Sparkles Christmas Challenge - challenge No. 111 - CHRISTMAS CRITTERS
3. Merry Little Christmas Challenge - challenge No. 21 - ANYTHING (Christmas) GOES
4. Happy Little Stampers - April Christmas challenge - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) Festive Animals

 

And now for another Artist Trading COIN - I've made a good few of these recently, they're great for using up snippets of leftover card (of which I have MANY) and I actually quite like their scale (2½" diameter). I found a set of Imagination Crafts stamps which are THE perfect scale for ATC's (cards and coins) and have deployed both sets on the coin below - I hope you agree.

My Artist Trading COIN - I debated doodling a border but in the end, decided not to!

A closer view of the detail

Materials used:

• Snippets of card in cream and pearl blue (DCWV)
• Nesting dies to cut the 2½" and 2¼" circles
• Using a makeup brush (which turned out to be still wet from washing) I applied Distress Inks in shaded lilac and seedless preserves - the coverage was extremely uneven so I abandoned my original plan of even coverage perfectly blended!!! As it happens, once dry I REALLY liked the way it turned out!
• Imagination Crafts script (from 12991) stamped using Memento tuxedo black ... because I wanted something darker than the grey flannel but not as black as the Versafine Clair inks!
• Imagination Crafts lines image (from 12991) stamped using Memento grey flannel ink
• Imagination Crafts "hessian" image (from 124535) stamped, just around the outer edge, using Memento Paris dusk ink
• Magenta foliage image (23640-H) stamped using the extra dark Versafine Clair nocturne ink

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

1. Pixie's Crafty Workshop - challenge No. 375 - USE SNIPPETS
2. All Fun - challenge No. 5 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 129 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Corrosive Challenge - challenge No. 4 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Happy Little Stampers - April ATC challenge No. 7 - MAKE YOUR OWN  BACKGROUND