Sunday 22 November 2015

Off we go ......Christmas cards!!!

Hiya All,

I've finally knuckled down to making some Christmas cards.  I don't know why it's such an effort to get started because I love making them, lol!  Anyway, the other day Mr Postie brought me a stamp and stencil set called Holiday Birds by Dina Wakeley.... I love her scribbly birds and had to have them inspite of the fact I have oodles of Christmas stamps already!

I made a batch of 10 with this first simple design.


I made my card bases 15 x 15 cm and also cut squares 13 x 13 cm.  I stamped the bird off the edge so it looks like he's peeking round a corner or in a window.  There's a choice of 3 hats in this set and I stamped this one as though it's falling off and added the little lines to emphasise it.  I then deliberately painted him very badly with watered down Distress Inks.


Next I stencilled the snowflakes (from the stencil in the set, stamped the sentiment (from the same set) and finally gave his had some Stickles sparkle which you can see if you click on the pic.  I edged the square with a metallic brush marker and stuck it to the card base.

My second design is made with a Woodware clear stamp that I bought at the Stampmagic show a month ago.


Basically, I used stuff that was out on my desk from another project.  I stamped the trees onto a piece of vellum with White Versamagic ink and embossed with white ep and then drew in the ground with a white Pitt pen.  I dry embossed some lines around the edges and also the baubles with a ball tool, glued the topper to a piece of dark blue pearl card just in the corners and placed some pearls on top to hide the glue.  

I stamped the sentiment, which comes with the trees, onto the card base, adhered the topper to the card base and added some dark blue Stickles to some of the baubles.

So I've made a decent start on my Christmas cards and need to keep up the momentum this week and they'll be done in plenty of time except ..........then I have to write on them all, lol!

I hope you're all well on the way to getting your cards done and pressies bought.  That's something else I've been putting off........

EDIT  I forgot to mention that I'm linking my birdie card to A Monthly Challenge which is a new challenge set up by the lovely and very talented Paula just for the fun of entering ie no prizes or winners.  There are hardly any rules, just a theme to kick start the creative juices and which this month is 'Take Flight'.

Hugs
Lesley  Xx

14 comments:

sam21ski said...

Great start, I remember you getting the tree stamp - fab xx

Helen said...

I love the bird - I don't remember seeing them (not sure how I missed that!!) and the tree is gorgeous - lovely and simple but so effective. Well done!

jojo79 said...

Great cards Lesley x

Hazel Agnew said...

Great start Lesley! Love the birdie......starting is the hardest bit! Xx

Suzi B said...

You're so brave! Lol. I don't know where to start ....
Love the cards especially the birdie.
Suzi B xx

Claire said...

Lovely cards - especially like the little birdie one! I have yet to start mine lol - oh well! Claire xx

Kirsten said...

Gorgeous cards! I love the little bird.

Deborah Wainwright said...

So pretty Lesley hugs Debs xx

Annie said...

That's a sweet birdie peeking around the edge of your card. The snow storm is blowing his hat off. So cute. Love your white embossed trees card as well. I am very ahead of the greetings and gifting this season, so it should be a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable holiday time for me. Mission accomplished! LoL (A Monthly Challenge)

Aquarius said...

you've made a great start on the seasonal cards. They are both super but I particularly love the cheeky bird - really appealing the way it peeps into the frame.

Sue's Crafty Corner said...

What a great start Lesley, I love the bird and stencil card especially. I really must make a start on getting my cards finished in time for the Christmas posting (the rate I'm going it will be the New Year before I'm finished).

Sue xx

Paula Whittaker said...

Both cards are fab...I haven't even started making mine, and wonder if I will!
Thank you so much with linking up with my first challenge, really appreciate it. Hope you'll be able to join in again xx

Etsuko said...

There are gorgeous card, bird santa is so cute!! xx

Words and Pictures said...

How sweet is that bird?! I've only just got around to inking up Dina's original Scribbly Birds, so I think I'll hold off on these - but you're definitely making them look tempting!

Love those elegant trees too with their subtle sparkle.
Alison xx