Christmas Joy @ FUSION...

Time for more fun @ FUSION this fortnight! 

With inspiration from the fabulously versatile FUSION sketch and the colours (with an added pop of red!) and Christmas theme from the super Joyful inspiration photo, I combined this gorgeous poinsettia stamp from Uniko Studio, stamped heat embossed, fussy cut and layered, with this scripty sentiment from Mama Elephant, and a few rhinestones for a bit of extra Christmas sparkle. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I used rhinestones on a card - can you?

Love to see how you are inspired by FUSION photo, sketch or both!

Hope you get a chance to play along!

Hop on over to FUSION to see some more fabulously joyful inspiration from

 our amazing Design Team too:

Becca Cruger - Betty J. - Carol Mayne - Jeanne Jachna - Karren Johnson

Linda Callahan - Michelle Leone - Michelle Lupton - Michelle Williams

Also playing along with Winter Wonderland Christmas Flowers

Merry Monday Grey White and Red and

Little Red Wagon It's Embossable

Uniko Christmas

 

CAS(E) this Sketch on a Merry Monday...

Stamped these gorgeous Mama Elephant deer and bird silhouette images in Momento ink onto Lawn Fawn patterned paper, only to find you could still see the background through the image. Not wanting to see my patterned paper go to waste, I stamped onto plain paper in Watermark ink and heat embossed with Copper for the deer, and clear over red Momento ink for the bird, fussy cut and adhered the heat embossed images over my original stamping - patterned paper crisis averted!

The circular shaker box was created using Lil Inkers Stitched Circle and Dienamics Circle diecuts, to create a sandwich of foam sheet, clear acetate, and inserting "snow" glitter before adhering to the stamped pattern paper base. Added snow drift created using Mama Elephant diecut, and topped with Simon Says Stamp "Merry" sentiment.

So glad you could stop by!

Playing along with this versatile CAS(E) this Sketch, Merry Monday Birds, 

52 Christmas Cards Embossing (Heat), Winter Wonderland Frosty and 

Less is More Acetate or Vellum challenges.

(Belated) Christmas in July...

Invited a lovely group of my crafting friends over for a play on the last day of July. Much fun and laughter, though not much crafting by yours truly!

I had stamped and fussy cut a number of these gorgeous Papertrey polar bears in winter fair isles knits, together with a number of die cut combinations of this gorgeous Studio Calico "Christmas" and xxx Papertrey "Merry". Finally got around to completing this ensemble this afternoon with Heidi Swapps cute patterned paper as the background, and Dienamics landscape diecut snowdrift, so I thought I'd share it with you. 

After almost two months, you may say I'm coming out of hibernation LOL!

Playing along with Merry Monday 'Christmas in Summer'.

Blue Christmas FUSION...

Welcome to a Blue Christmas FUSION! 

I was running behind this fortnight, and whipped up these Christmas cards using WPlus9 Festive Greetings, stamped in Momento Luxe Bahama Blue. Card number two also features Lil Inkers Stitched Square and Stitched Snowflake dies, together with Ali Edwards Christmas die. I couldn't decide which was my favourite, so I thought I would be cheeky and include both!

As usual, you can play along with FUSION using either this gorgeous photo inspiration, or this fabulously versatile sketch, or a combination of both.

Pop on by the Design Team blogs for some more super FUSION inspiration:

Betty J - Brandi Hall - Deanne K - Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Karren J - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan - Michelle Folland

Michelle Lupton - Sandie Munro - Shannon Jaramillo - Stephanie Severin

Hope to see you playing along, can't wait to see what you create!

Also playing along with...

City Crafter Snow Queen (Card #1)

Her scarf reminded me of the tangled Christmas lights
CAS on Sunday Christmas (Card #1)


AAA Cards Anything Goes (Card #2)

Merry Monday Blue, White and Textured Christmas (Card#2)

A CAS(E) of Merry Winnie and Walter...

Playing along with the Winnie and Walter 1st Birthday Bash, inspired by this fabulous Collage Challenge with Laura, Shaker Challenge with Julie, CAS(E) this Sketch, Merry Monday Christmas Critters, The Pink Elephant Shaker Challenge and Darnell's NBUS #3.

This gorgeous background paper is by Kaisercraft, overstamped in white ink and Zing White embossing powder using Winnie and Walter Mini Scenery (NBUS), the stag outline is from Winnie and Walter Winter Wonderland, also stamped in white ink and Zing White embossing powder, then overstamped in Momento Luxe Rich Cocoa, to give the impression of a stag in a snowstorm. The snow glitter inside the shaker element is by Ruby Rockit. The sentiment is created using Winnie and Walter Christmas Cutaways, and Winter Wonderland sentiment, stamped in Hero Arts Mint Julep.

 

PS I'd LOVE if YOU could link up a post highlighting your favourite creations for 2014

on Our Favourite Things linky party on my blog here!

Coffee Lovers Holiday Blog Hop (Peace, Joy & Coffee)...

All I want for Christmas is...

to play along with the fabulous Coffee Lovers Holiday Blog Hop.

As a special Coffee Lovers Holiday treat, I have included the recipe for a coffee cocktail - as we celebrate Christmas in the midst of Summer here! Did you know it is rumored that Theodore Roosevelt (Teddy) drank a gallon of coffee a day! This cocktail was created by Mad46, a Manhattan rooftop lounge at the Roosevelt Hotel, as a salute to the hotel's namesake...

Teddy Tini

2 oz. chilled espresso

3 oz. vanilla vodka

1/2 oz. Kahlúa

Fill shaker with ice, add ingredients, and shake well.

Strain into chilled martini glass and garnish with 2 chocolate coffee beans.

Card created using Winnie and Walter The Big, The Bold and the Merry die-cut in pearl gold cardstock, MFT alphabet die-cut in pearl bronze cardstock and a La La Land fir tree, with background patterned paper from Simple Stories Cozy Christmas, and added silver star sequins.

How YOU can play along...

• There are also random 5 prizes for people that comment on ALL of the linked blogs see on Amy's blog for the list before 11:55 pm Pacific Time on Sunday, December 14th.

EXTRA BONUS GIVEAWAY if you comment on this post, this post or this post (my Coffee Lovers Holiday Blog Hop posts), you will also be in the running to win a FABULOUS Winnie and Walter The Big, the Bold and the Merry stamp set.

A BIG THANK YOU to our fabulous sponsors:

17 Turtles, Add A Little Dazzle, a●muse studio/Chris Franco

Butterfly Reflections Ink, Color Cast Designs, Create a Smile

Hero Arts, Kraftin' Kimmie, Kreative Kymona

Latina Crafter, Neat and Tangled, Newton's Nook

Paper Smooches, Pickled Potpourri, Poppystamps

Reverse Confetti, Stamp Academy, Stampin' Up/Veronica Zalis 

STAMPlorations, SugarPea Designs, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps 

The Alley Way Stamps, The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store, Two Paper Divas

Verve Stamps, Whole Wild World, Your Next Stamp

Also playing along with Merry Monday Gold, Silver, White and Bronze,
Cure for the Monday Blues

Jingle Belles Rock Anything Christmas,
Inkspirational Colour Challenge, Dies R Us Winter
 and Card Concept Silent Night Neutrals, Clean and Layered

  

FUSION - Silver Stars

I had such fun with this fortnights FUSION inspiration! Re-discovered these gorgeous mini bells from the $2 shop in my stash, and threaded them onto some silver cord, knotting the little bells in place at random intervals. Die-cut the circle window opening and adhered the silver cord and bells in a "wreath" around the edge of the circle. In the meantime stamped and silver embossed these gorgeous Avery Elle Look Up freehand stars, perfect non-Christmas stamps for a Christmas card! Fussy cut the stars and adhered at random intervals around my silver "wreath". Die cut Avery Elle Seasons Greetings from a reinforced (added cardstock backing) sheet of American Crafts Silver Glitter paper, and adhered across the circle window opening. Lined the inside of the card with red Making Memories patterned paper.

The Design Team have some FABULOUS creations to inspire you!

Amy Tsura - Betty J - Deepti 

Jeanne Jachna - Julia Aston - Katie Brooks

Kelly Griglione - Kimberly Wiener - Lynn Mangan

Michelle Folland - Michelle Lupton - Stephanie Severin

Please check the linky for the days left to play with us.

Hope to see you playing along, can't wait to see what you create!

Remember you can play along by being inspired by the photo, the sketch or BOTH (like me!)

So happy to be playing along as Catered Crop Anything Goes Guest Designer this fortnight too - please join in the last ever Catered Crop to celebrate Linda's fabulous challenge!

Reminder Mixed Media Card Challenge Christmas (Bells Optional).

 

Inkspirational Shine, Avery Elle Holiday, Merry Monday Christmas Bells, 52{Christmas} Card Throwdown Christmas Window, Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge Christmas card from non-Christmas stamps
Time Out Embossing (sparkle optional) - Thanks Sandie!!

Tag... You're Christmas!

Created an ormament shaker tag for the front of this card. Stamped the navy base layer of the Lawn Fawn tag with Verve Merry and Bright Snowflakes, in Superfine Silver embossing over white ink, then made a sandwich with a foam sheet Lawn Fawn tag (including the Clearly Besotted Signature Christmas ornament shape die cut out of it) added some holographic snowflakes and silver sequins, a clear acetate sheet, then the top layer of Lawn Fawn tag, also with the Clearly Besotted Signature Christmas ornament die cut out, stamped the Verve Merry and Bright sentiment in Superfine Silver embossing over white ink, added the Clearly Besotted Signature Christmas bow die cut in silver glitter paper, then added the whole tag to the navy card front.

Naturally Navy Verve Diva Inspiration

Merry Monday Silver and Blue Ornaments

Dies R Us Christmas

Virginia's View All Things Metallic

  

 

This made me smile...

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop - September...

Surfing the net today and happy to discover I'm on holidays for my first Papertrey Ink Blog Hop.

So happy to be able to join in with this quick card. Inspired by the warm colours and textures of today's inspiration photo, so I thought I'd create a not quite so traditionally coloured Christmas card. Using my favourite "Peace" die-cut from Papertrey Ink and papers from Echo Park Victoria Gardens, together with this gorgeous charcoal rose ribbon I discovered at a local discount fabric shop.

Happy Hopping!

Also playing along with Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes and 

Merry Monday Christmas Bingo Patterned papers, Ribbon, Punch

(I realised I have a die cut rather than a punch, so I hope that's OK!)

Merry, Festive, Seasons Greetings, a KIS with No Stamps...

OK so, I realise I may be leaving it a little late to start on my Christmas cards this year, but isn't that what October and November are for LOL! Inspired by the pinks, silvers and sparkles over at Festive Friday and Merry Monday The Words Have it! Christmas Challenges, I whipped up this card using an A5 sized piece of Princess Pink metal sheet from Add a Little Dazzle, ran it through the cuttlebug with a Tim Holtz Christmas sentiments folder, dipped a cotton bud in acetone to remove the pink layer from the "Seasons Greetings" sentiment and reveal the silver underneath, added some American Crafts silver glitter sheet, and voila my first Christmas card of the year!
Reminder for Keep it Simple No Stamps, and FUSION Shiny Pink too!