Two Turtle Doves

I love this turtle dove stamp that came with an issue of Creative Stamping  either last Christmas or the one before.

I've teamed it with words from the same set - stamped around the edge of the card using a platform to make sure they line up precisely - and a holly corner stamp, also from the same set. I coloured everything with Promarkers,  being careful NOT to blend them to create a stylised effect that I think works well with these stamps, and then cut them out with a narrow border and used the very thinnest size of foam pads to add just a hint of dimension.

I think this would be a lovely card to send to a couple spending their first Christmas together.

I am sharing with

Addicted to Stamps and More - Make Your Mark 
Jingle Belles - 12 Days of Christmas 
Little Red Wagon - Nice and Clean 
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - anything goes with a creature

Aqua hummingbird

Once again, I've been delving in to the bag of embellishments and  pre-printed die cuts i found lurking in my stash.

This time I've added some caged-bird patterned paper  from a Dovecraft pad (who on earth would want to cage a humming bird?) , some lovely Moorish-effect buttons from my apparently bottomless button box and a sweet little silver humming bird charm.

I'm sharing this with

Shopping Our Stash - it's a Charmed Life 
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge - September 

A Christmas Barcode

The challenge at Christmas Kickstart this time is a photo inspiration challenge - but not any old photo, it's the blog header.

I love the "barcode" effect of the scarf and hat brim and decided to base my card around it.

I masked off most of the card front and used alcohol markers to rule a random barcode design in the space remaining. Then I stamped and heat embossed the word Christmas, using aqua ink and clear powder, and stamped the smaller words in red without embossing. To tidy the edges of the barcode I added a gold peel-off border which picks up on the small amount of gold in the inspiration photo. Finally I backed the  barcode area with white card to avoid the ink showing through on the inside.

I am, of course, sharing this with Christmas Kickstart and  am also popping in to Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge

Winter Wishes at Sparkles Christmas

This month's challenge at Sparkles Christmas is Winter Wishes. It's a very useful phrase for me because I have several friends who have non-Christian faiths yet they all have some kind of mid to late December festival and I can sent them a card that fits whatever they are celebrating.

For this card I have used stamps that came with one of last year's issues of Creative Stamping.

I used watercolours to colour the image and edged it with snowflake patterned washi tape.

Anything goes at CD Sunday Plus

We have an Anything Goes challenge again at CD Sunday Plus  - but don't forget to use something from a CD, USB or download.

The CD  I have used is Debbie Moore's Shabby Chic Paris and I've made the double easel style that I always think works so well with her designs.

Pretty in Pink

Sometimes a stamping platform makes the impossible possible...

Although I've used ink pads in two shades of pink, neither of them shows up very much with a single impression. Thanks to my Misti, I can stamp over and over again and know that the image will always line up precisely so I can repeat until the colours are my desired intensity.

I also used it to make sure all the corners were precisely in the same position. All the stamps are from a Hot Off The Press set.

I am sharing this with

Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything goes 

Sweet Stampin - Pretty in Pink 

Celebrate at Cardz 4 Guyz

Have you got something to celebrate? If so, why not make a card for it and share it with us at Cardz 4 Guyz, because that's our new theme.

My stamped sentiment uses a very old Hot Off The Press stamp - it must be about 25 years old because it's from the very first kit I bought from QVC. The stamps, dies and embossing folder I used for the rest of the card came with a magazine 2 0r 3 years ago and the colouring is done with Promarkers.