Kaboodle Doodle Challenge # 52 - Make it Monochrome

Good morning crafters

Its Monday again and time for the next Kaboodle Doodles Challenge # 52 - Make it Monochrome.  The DT were given some images to play with from Fresh Frewed Designs.

and here is my DT card

Try and pop over and join in the fun and Kaboodle and win some prizes from this week's sponsor.

Happy Crafting.

Tina
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I've found a new love.......

Hi everyone hope you are enjoying your Friday - I am - as I've just finished a card which has made me happy :)  I've found a new love (well two actually!) one making these gorgeous flowers from punched hearts (or in my case Cricut cut).  There is a fab tutorial here by the lovely Leanne.  Here are a few I've made this week.  I scruched up some as per the tutorial and just curled others putting them on to the brad in different directions for different looks.  I bet they would also look good if you stamped your paper first.

So next I set out to make a card using one of these gorgeous flowers.  I got my inspiration for this card from the lovely Clare - you MUST have a look at her blog her creations are simple gorgeous here.

So here is my card in close up

and here is the full card

And this is my card recipe.  The main panel is my "other" new love of using distress inks on pearlescent card and in this case its the gorgeous spun sugar - I LOVE it!  I used both a word stamp and a flourish stamp to create a background effect all in spun sugar.  I then diecut my label and edged the shape with the distress ink to give it a bit more definition (don't need to tell you that though!!!!)  I then used my glamour dust and quickie glue pen to highlight a very small line around the shape.  For the card blank I used a swirl pattern embossing folder for the bottom of the card (I wanted the top to be plain) - but I was left with a problem in that the embossing folder didn't quite cover the whole width of the card so - and this might make you laugh - I placed a small bit of the embossing folder over the edge of the card I wanted to emboss - but because of the angle it wouldn't go through my cuttlebug - so I put it on the floor and "bounced" on it - thinking with my collossal weight that would do the trick - but no it only slighted embossed it - so option 2 was to put the card back in the embossing folder and use an embossing stylus to go over the light impression that my standing on it had created!  Why I didn't think of that first......... Tilly wondered what the heck I was doing - LOL!  Still I got the result that I wanted!  I then lightly went over the card with the spun sugar.  I tied some seam binding and some gorgeous lace across the card and placed my handmade flower (which by now I had decorated further by adding some sparkle to the petals and also glossy accents to create "dew drops" ) on the top with my trusty Pinflair glue gel.  I then finished off by placing some small pearls over the swirl patter of the card.

All in all I'm so pleased with the card and love this "look" - just wished it came naturally to me! 

I would like to enter into a couple of challenges:-

Paper Sundaes challenge-53 - Distressing
Crafty Cardmakers challenge-38-flubbers - Floral

Have a great weekend.

Happy Crafting

Tina
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The Shabby Tea Room # 46 - Winter Wonderland

Afternoon everyone I'm joining in The Shabby Tea Room again this week.  They have the most beautiful photo inspiration with the theme winter wonderland:-

and here is my card in close up:-

and the full card:-

Here is my card recipe details:-

The main card panel was created by using distress inks and glimmer mists over a snowflake mask onto pearlescent card.  I then highlighted the outside of this panel with some glamour dust.  I recently bought some lovely seam binding and tied that round the panel and added in a silver snowflake on some sparkly twine.  Lastly the gorgeous swirly tree has been cut from one of my Cricut Xmas cartridges and I sprayed it with glimmer mist and highlighted areas with my glamour dust.

I'm also going to enter it into Flourishes - Timeless Tuesday's challenge - 102 add some hardware onto your card (mine is the silver snowflake).

Anyway that is my offering for today hope you likey!

Happy Crafting

Tina
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Kaboodle Doodle Challenge # 51 - Glitter/Bling

Good morning all - hope you are having a good start to the week?  Doesn't Monday come round so quick...  So over at Kaboodles we have our weekly challenge and this week it's Glitter/Bling. 

The design team were kindly given images by Digi Doodle Shop

and here is my card:-

I love this owl sitting on his branch!  The bp was a freebie with a magazine and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.  I was wondering how I was going to glitter/bling up this particular image but I think I succeeded!  Let me know what you think!

Hope that you might have time to join us this week.

Have fun and Happy Crafting

Tina

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Simply Create Projects - Part 2

Good morning can't believe it is Sunday already.... As promised yesterday here are my other two cards made from my December Simply Create Kit.

The crown came as a blank I just added a couple of layers of black acrylic paint to mine, and the large square crystals on the crown have been recycled.... some of you may remember a post last year where I went around at my cousin's wedding collecting up all these gorgeous crystals that were on the place cards and table plans as I just COULDN'T let them get thrown away - he he - (I did get the bride's permission first BTW - LOL)  So this card as well as being red, black and blue is also a little bit green!!!

Ok now I've got to confess this last one is my fav (I know I shouldn't have a favourite) but it might be to do with the fact that I added some sparkles using my new toy: Bazzill Jewel Templates!  (In previous posts I've called them Bazzill Bling Templates - but in fact its Bazzill Jewel.  Jewel, bling, sparkles they are all the same thing to me!!!!!!!!!!!! and its soooooo easy to use.

Anyway hope you likey likey and I'll be back in the week.  Can't wait to watch Dancing on Ice tonight (its replacing the gap that has been left by Strictly Come Dancing.....!)

Happy Crafting.

Tina
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Simply Create projects

Its the weekend - hope you are having a good one...  With Simply Create still on my mind (did you see my post from yesterday?? Big prize to be won.....) I haven't shared with you any of the projects I made from the last kit I received back in December.  Again it was a challenge as the colours were outside my "comfort zone" but I'm getting used to being in that zone with all these lovely kits...... and as I've said before that is what a challenge is all about right?!

Here are my first two and I'll post the remaining two tomorrow:-

All the printed papers in my projects are from the Scarlett Collection by Glitz Design - along with the bird cage stamp - just gorgeous!  The ribbon across the blue card is actually stretchy plastic with lovely swirls on it - that was fun to use (and I have to admit to having bought myself some stretchy plastic ribbon with flowers on it at a craft show a few years ago and yep its still in my ribbon box unused).

Anyway see you again tomorrow.

Happy crafting.

Tina
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Simply Create New Challenge...

Simply Create have a new challenge open at the moment with £100 of stash to be won - yes you read that right £100's worth of stash.  The good news for me is that the DT are allowed to enter too......!

Using the inspiration board make something with paper or fabric reflecting the colours and what this board suggests to you. The best entry will be judged by Jacqui's Mum and will win that large amount of stash.  Closing date 14th February 9 am GMT.   For more details and to enter pop over to Simply Create blog. 

So get your thinking caps on and get creating for a chance to win a mega prize!

Happy Crafting

Tina
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The Play Date Cafe Challenge # 65

Afternoon all its Play Date Cafe challenge time again - here is the photo inspiration

Its surprising when you get a challenge that use colours you would never put together but they really do look lovely together - I guess that is the fun of challenges!  Having said that you know when you make a card and one minute you like it the next minute you don't!  So can't make up my mind on this one really!!  But I'm being brave and entering it anyway!  The stamps I've used are from a new Papermania range called Birdsong and they really are lush!  The paper doily (used as a wrap) is from Craftwork Cards.

Anyway let me know what you think of my card!

Happy Crafting

Tina
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The Play Date Cafe Challenge # 64

Morning here I am bright and early with my next challenge card this time for the The Play Date Cafe.  Here is the colour inspiration photo - gorgeous eh!



and here is my card

I love the "just because" it was cut from my new Cricut cartridge "Paper Lace" so many gorgeous things on this cartridge that I'm probably going to use it a LOT.  I also added to this card a bit of "sparkle" using my fav bling templates!  I finished off tying some seam binding (that arrived in the post yesterday from The Ribbon Girl) gorgeous - I've got it in quite a few colours so watch out for that appearing a lot more too! Anyway hope you like the card - clean and simple and quick to do! (just the way I like it!)

Happy crafting until my next post...

Tina
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Kaboodle Doodle Challenge # 50 - Black, White and 1 other colour

Good morning to you all on this wet, dreary Monday morning (well its like that in Essex anyway!!)

So with it being Monday that means its the next Kaboodle Challenge and this week the challenge is a colour challenge: black, white and 1 other colour.  The DT were kindly supplied with a selection of gorgeous images from Sassy Studio Designs

So without further a do here is my DT card:-

I opened my image in Photoshop and digitally coloured her hair, flower and her mermaid tail - I was quite pleased I managed to do that because I still don't really know what I'm doing with photoshop.  I then cut the image out but kept a small white border all around so that it helped the image to pop out from the black background I wanted to layer her on to.  I then finished the card off with my new fav thing Bazzill Bling template and then layered up some gorgeous ribbons from my stash.  This type of image is quite unusual for me but I like how it has come out!

So if you have time would love to see you over at Kaboodles for our weekly challenge.

Thought I would enter my card into a few challenges too:-

ooh-la-la - Challenge # 71 - "Bling it on"
belles and Whistles  - "Anything but Winter"
The Shabby Tea Room - # 45 White and Bright

Happy Crafting everyone

Tina
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Challenge card

Good morning all

Thought I would enter a couple of challenges with this card - it was what I gave to my hubby at Christmas - the reason for the black with lilac/mauve colouring - well it had to match my home decor!!!

Its a similar in design to the one I made for my friend Shirley - but I have changed it slightly!

The Tree stamp is Hero Arts and the background snowflake stamps (just visible) are tapestry stamps the wording computer generated and its been distressed with TH milled lavender - I then got a versamark black ink and just did the edges.  I also tried out my new Bazzill Bling template to put the crystal swirls on (am lovin' that template and I think I'm going to get through crystals at a rate of knots!)

Hope everyone has a good weekend and I will be back on Monday with the next Kaboodle Challenge.

Challenges I'm entering with this card
Sir Stampalot Challenge - A Winters Tale
Craft Your Days Away - # 11 Anything goes

Happy Crafting

Tina
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Shabby Tea Room Week # 44 Sketch This

Good morning everyone

Hope everyone is OK and enjoying crafting!  I decided to do the The Shabby Tea Room challenge # 44 this week which is a sketch.

Here is the sketch

and here is my card

and a close up

You can't quite see in the photo but the BPs have a really subtle polka dot on them one with large dots and the other with small dots and the papers also have a subtle sheen to them too (from Craftwork Cards BTW).  For the middle panel well I was with my crafting buddy Shirley one day and we were having a play around with masks and distress inks and that is when this was created - I loved have it turned out but up until today it has been in a folder in my cupboard - such a shame really!!!!  But I guess we have all got lots of things hidden away.  I love the shabby chic look but its not usually something I try - I hope in this card I've done the shabby chic look some justice - or maybe I need to practice some more - but that would mean buying more gorgeous ribbons and embellies - LOL!

Anyway thanks for stopping by and any comments (good or bad) greatly received!

Happy Crafting

Tina

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Kaboodle Challenge # 49 - Do it with Digis

Good morning all

Its time again for this weeks challenge over at Kaboodle and this week we have a Do it with Digis challenge.

This week the DT were kindly given images from The Stamping Boutique

Here is my DT card

It would be lovely if you could join in the challenge!

Happy Crafting

Tina

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Kaboodle Challenge # 48 - Anything Goes

Hello fellow bloggers and crafters!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

Well I hope that you've all had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed your New Year celebrations! - more about mine in a future post, because today there is another Kaboodle challenge to tell you all about!  Well to start with over at Kaboodles our challenges are now weekly!!!! (so my New Year resolution I had better start putting into action - ie to be more organised!!)

This week's challenge is Anything Goes! Our sponsor for this week's challenge is Chi Chi Memories and they have graciously provided the design team with some images to play with.

Chi Chi Memories is the labor of love of gifted artist and designer Natalie Tong. Chi Chi Memories provides fun images that are meant to be happy and bright. You can visit the blog, challenge site and store by clicking HERE. There is a FREEBIE waiting for you in the shop, so make sure you go and pick it up. The new January images are available now and you will love them!!


Here is my DT card for you to have a peek at:-

How cute is he!!!  I printed him off and coloured him with Promarkers and used Glamour Dust to add sparkle.  The sentiment is computer generated and I have a font that has snow on the top so perfect!

Hope that you might have the time to come and join us over at Kaboodles as its such an easy one!

Until my next post,

Happy Crafting

Tina
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Kaboodle Doodle Challenge # 47 - Leftover wrapping (ripped or torn)

Hi everyone

Here is hoping that everyone has had a great Christmas - not long now for those New Year celebrations either! 

Well its Monday 27th December and time for our next challenge over at Kaboodle Doodles and this week it is leftover wrapping paper ripped or torn.  This week we are sponsored by Shelly's Images.  The DT were kindly provided with images from Shelly and for your inspiration here is my card:-

I was tempted to call it Tilly's House but went for Lilly instead!  I printed my image onto kraft paper and then coloured it in with my promarkers.   The bottom ripped layers are gorgeous shimmery papers from Craftwork Cards - "but that's not leftover wrapping paper I here you say" well for this challenge we don't mind what paper you use provided it is ripped or torn.  My sentiment was computer generated and printed onto kraft paper.

So pop on over to Kaboodle Doodles to join in the challenge - we would love to see you there.

My next post will probably not be until 2011!!

Happy Crafting

Tina
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Merry Christmas Everyone...

Hi to all of my lovely followers - just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.  Here is a photo of a particular favourite christmas card of mine that I made this year for my dear crafting buddy Shirley (I'm sure she won't mind me sharing it with you all - LOL).

The image and sentiment are both Hero Arts, the embossing folder Cuttlebug, snowflake die Cuttlebug. I coloured my image background with TH Distress Ink: Tumbled Glass and Versa Colour: Black.

Thank you for taking the time to leave me your lovely comments since I started blogging back in February.  You have all made me feel very welcome and  they are so very much appreciated. 

Have a great Christmas and my very best wishes for 2011.

Big Hugs

Tina
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Can you guess what she is trying to tell me...

Afternoon everyone

Hope you are all up todate with everything festive......... (you kidding)

Anyway not a card today but a couple of photos of Tilly - can you tell from this photo what she is asking me????? Answers on a Postcard.. (ha ha, answer at end of post).

but don't let that cuteness fool you look at this one a second later  - if looks could kill!

 see what I mean!  I hate to think what she is thinking here.......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The answer is: "I want my dinner!" - it was 4.30pm and she usually has her dinner at around 5pm - but sometimes she asks for it earlier and earlier.... so she has got her wish and she ate it with lightening speed (don't all dogs anyway!) and is now out in the garden....... I'll stop there - you don't need to know the rest! LOL

Hopefully I will be back tomorrow with a card if I can find my mojo (and get through a BIG pile of ironing).

Happy Crafting

Tina

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The Play Date Cafe Challenge # 60 - Colour Splash - Yellow

Good morning all

Thought I would enter this weeks The Play Date Cafe Challenge # 60.  Its a colour splash challenge and the colour is yellow.   Here is there inspirational photo:-

Well I can honestly say I don't think I've ever used yellow on a card - so what a great challenge.  So here is my little entry:-

The image is from Craftwork Cards and the bright yellow drops are from Claire's Accessories!  The muted yellow is where I've coloured with my yellow promarker and then added glossy accents.  So as you can see a very quick to make card - just what I like - and just as well as I'm adding my entry close to closing time!

Happy Crafting

Tina
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Mum's Birthday and Wedding Cards

Happy Friday afternoon everyone!! - nearly the weekend.....

A couple of weeks back I posted some photos of my mum's wedding, but what I haven't yet posted is the wedding card I made for her and also one that I made for my sister to give to Mum.  It was also our Mum's birthday that day too so I also made cards for my sis and I to give her.  Thought it was about time I posted them as I haven't been good a posting in the last week or so - probably something to do with Xmas cards!!!  So here they are:-

My birthday card for Mum

I used Ooh La La paper collection from Craftwork Cards for this one.

My Sister's birthday card for Mum

My sister had seen a card that I'd made using the kraft paper and with the stitching detail and said she loved it and could I do that same theme for Mum's birthday card - she was really pleased with the card!

My Wedding card for Mum and Tony

I wanted to have blue on the wedding card as I knew that mum's dress was blue - albeit navy - and I thought that navy wouldn't look quite right on a wedding card (but I'm sure someone out there in blogland could prove me very wrong!!!!)

My Sister's Wedding card for Mum and Tony:-

My sis said to me that she wanted a wedding cake on her card - and so this is what I did.  I cut out the tiers myself from this gorgeous sparkly wrapping paper that I've had for donkey's years!  The sparkle doesn't show up that great in this photo though!

So there you go a few cards that I made a while back hope this makes up for not posting for a little while!!

We haven't AS YET got any snow in my part of Essex........but I think its coming this weekend.

Have a great weekend - Strictly final tomorrow - I'm so excited - I've loved Matt all along and think that the judges have been quite harsh on him!  Mind you Kara and Pamela are also fantastic dancers and so I can't call it - who knows who will win they all deserve it.

Happy Crafting

Tina
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Kaboodle Doodle Challenge # 46 Clean and Simple

Hi everyone - I can't believe its over a week since my last post (naughty me!)  Doesn't time fly.....  Well we are on to a new challenge over at Kaboodle Doodles this week and this time the challenge is Clean and Simply (so right up my street eh!!)

Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps and More are sponsoring us again this week and are happy to offer the winner of this challenge 5 digital stamps or digital paper sets of their choice.  They have a great selection so go check them out!
 Here is my DT card

To create my card I used an opaque plastic card blank that I've had in my stash for an age.  I ran the front of it through my cuttlebug with the dots folder.  I then printed off and coloured the snowman image with my promarkers and highlighted his hat and cuffs with Frosted Lace Stickles glue.  I tied some funky fiber around the spine and added a lovely metal snowflake charm.  Finally I stamped the Let it Snow and went over the letters and the background dots with some stickles glitter glue to make it all sparkly!  Oh I forgot to mention - do you like the pom pom on his hat!!

Hope you are all well and are getting through making your Christmas cards - I've just a couple more to make and then I'm done!

Happy Crafting everyone.

Tina
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Christmas Tree

Hi Everyone

Well, I spent the cold and snowy weekend snuggled up at home, so thought I would put the Christmas Tree up.  Well I'm proud of my tree - sorry to those who like the real thing, but mine is a fake one and its black - yep black (I've had it for around 7 years now and I LOVE it!)  I've always decorated it with crystal sparkly decs last year I added some purple baubles as I have that accent colour in the front room.  Well the tree went up lovely and looks sooooo sparkly (well it should do there are 400 lights on it - yes you read that right 400!).  Now my problem is trying to get a good photo of it!  You will laugh when you see the photo below as its the "middle section" of my tree!  I wanted to take it in "TV" (time value) so that you get the effect of the glistening lights and well, I don't have a tripod and definitely dont have a steady enough hand to hold it for a long exposure so I put my camera on my coffee table and hence that is why I could only get in the middle section as my front room is not big enough for me to move the coffee table back any further!!!!!!!!  I'm still not sure that this photo does my tree any justice at all - but thought I would post it anyway. 

I'm going to take some photos of the decorations close up and post those up later (bet you can't wait!!!!)

I do love Christmas because - as you know my absolute  love of anything sparkly.

Has anyone else put up their tree yet?  Love to see some of your pictures!

Take care everyone and happy crafting.

Tina
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Penny Black At Allsorts December Challenge

Morning all

Is anyone fed up of the snow yet...... my two Penny Black hedgehogs are having a great time!!

Here is my entry into the Penny Black at Allsorts December Challenge "Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder":-

Hope you like my more contemporary colouring!  I do love blues and mauves.... and of course lots of sparkle!

Backing paper and sentiment from Craftwork Cards.

Happy Crafting.

Tina
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The Play Date Cafe Challenge # 58

Afternoon everyone hope you are snuggled in the warm out of this very bitterly cold weather?

Some of you may know that earlier this week I wanted to enter the challenge over at
The Play Date Cafe Challenge # 58  but sadly I missed the deadline!!!  I posted my card on my blog anyway and received some lovely comments from the designers over at PDCC - so thank you all very much for that.  

SO this week I was determined that I wasn't going to miss it!  This is the inspiration photo - how lovely and the colours of the challenge are rich red and fresh white - gorgeous.  The DT cards are stunning BTW.

and this is my entry

 and this is a close up

The card blank, scallop red square, sentiment, tree and bauble are all from Craftwork Cards.  The ribbon and snowflake are from my stash. 

So thats another xmas card made and added to my pile to send out!  Still got about another 15-20 to make.  I send around 50-60 cards each year (and yes I hand make ALL of them) in fact since I've been making cards, and with my hand on my heart - I've NEVER purchased a shop bought card for any occasion - call me stubborn but I just don't - I HAVE to make it myself.   On the xmas card front this year I feel I've got off lightly as in previous years I've done craft fairs where I've made up packs of cards and have made between 400-500 cards!  This year I haven't done any craft fairs and am not feeling phased by the amount I've got to make - ROFL!!!

I would love to know how many cards you hand make for Xmas?  Also do you ever purchase ready made cards?

Thanks for popping by and happy crafting!

Tina

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Simply Create DT Kit

Morning all and as promised on my WOYWW post yesterday here is a little sneak peak at what came out of my goodie box from Simply Create.  Haven't a clue yet what I'm going to do with it - but guess its early days....

Hope you are all having a good day.

Happy Crafting

Tina
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WOYWW - 77

Here is my desk this morning for WOYWW

So today I'm in the middle of shuffling around my desk a card I've been asked to make for a man's 60th birthday (the navy card and silver stars and blue ribbons).  As we all know men's cards are hard to do - hence lots of shuffling and generally a very untidy desk.   You will see just on the left of the picture my Gypsy box - I was having a play with that yesterday - still haven't finished reading the manual to understand all the functions - but getting there and I do love it.  On the right of my desk is a box I received in the post this morning from Jacqui at Simply Create with my new DT goodies in - I will share those with you tomorrow!  I also received a thank you card in the post this morning from my aunt and uncle who stayed with us at the weekend.  Right behind that is a photo of my dog Tilly when she was just 6 weeks old (in fact it was the first time I had ever seen her).  Here is is in full:-

Sorry couldn't resist posting this pic in full as I'm just having a "proud mum" moment I love my little girl sooooo much!!

So thats it today, suppose I had better get back to that shuffling and try and create something today!

Happy Crafting

Tina
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The Play Date Cafe Challenge # 57

Thought I would join in The Play Date Cafe - challenge # 57 this week but I just went to add my link and I've missed the deadline!!!!  Oh well here is what I was going to enter!

Not a colour combo I've ever used before but the DT cards were so lovely thought I would have a go too - so here is my entry!

I stamped the reindeer in Versafine Smokey Gray twice and then coloured one with my brown Promarker, cut it out and placed over the top of the first image.  Next I used my Winter Night Sky tapestry stamp set and used VersaColor inks: Bark and Silver to create the "snowy" background (in this photo the bark stamp looks red but IRL it is brown!)  I then added Glamour Dust to the reindeers nose and to the small snowflakes for that extra sparkle.  I then matted this on to some silver grey shiny paper and then stamped out a fancy border on.  This was then mounted on to some lovely brown shiny paper.  The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and I used my brown Promarker to colour it in and mounted this onto a mat cut from the silver grey shiny paper.

This is one of those cards that "I'm not quite sure" but I'm posting it anyway!

Happy Crafting

Tina
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