Christmas – Oops :)

Ahh – well, it’s just getting to be my usual these days – 3 miles behind myself so once again didn’t get any posts up prior to the big event.  I was SOOOO far behind this year with C. cards after last year’s wedding – I lost 2 months out of my cardmaking schedule which I never really managed to recover so started this season with much less than usual.  Then I had the same problem I have every year – starting in July it’s just so hard to make C. cards with the sun splitting the sky.  I refuse to start playing the music any earlier than October although that may change but I do need some sort of help to get a shade more inspiration much earlier in the season.  Invariably iI only really ever get going by mid October with just 2 weeks to go before I stop making, and start finalising (inserts/envelopes etc).  So there you go – what can I say.

These 2 cards are just a couple of my nicer ones from this year as I found myself doing a LOT of repeats from last year for speed.

The first was one of my quick cards made using diecuts which I loved.  I used an A6 landscape/portrait card if that makes sense (fold at the top rather than the side :).  Another slightly smaller piece of single card was then cut and I printed on my various scripture texts.  I then diecut a circle out of the top end to make a frame.   On a small piece of scrap card (just enough to fit behind the circle) I coloured a background using dewdrop chalk inks to provide a little backdrop to the diecuts.  This card has 2 shepherds with their lambs where others had a few more or a different setting.  But they made a great quick and easy card to make.

 

Added on some stars and a nice glitter border peel off and that was it.

Then the 2^nd card was another very quick and easy one as I got an unexpected order for solely Christian cards at the end of October and was in a flap as to how to produce more (most of the rest were already allocated) plus I wanted something that would really stand out too.

So this was the solution.  Another A6 card – this one a landscape one.   Corners were punched and a piece of mirri paper (I used all the colours to make my set – this one is purple) was die cut with a Spellbinders A2 border die before having it’s corners punched also.  An S/B small silver floral frame was put in the middle and a scripture text cut to size to put into it.  A couple of snowflakes and a peel off greeting to complete.  

These are being entered into:
Word Art Wednesday 214/215 challenge.  
Crimbo Crackers
Crafty Creations 

Word Art Wednesday #154

Oooohhh where IS the time disappearing to?  How can it possibly be October already & also halfway through the month too?!! 

Apologies to all my blog friends who enjoy seeing my creations as while I’ve been kept fairly busy making, I’ve just not had enough time to get posts written & put up.  But as ever, the wonderful Word Art Wednesday challenge blog captivates me enough to go & get some cards done & up.

So this month’s offering is a couple of Christmas cards from a set I’m making just now – a friend had lent me her Spellbinders A2 scalloped die set two & I just had a ball playing about with it.  I’ve got landscape ‘templates’ as well cut (had to give her back her dies last wk L), so have the chance to make more designs yet.

I made these as A6 landscape fold cards and used the diecut as a topper so that I could mat it onto some mirri card to coordinate.  Then I used some ribbon as a border at the top along with a bow.  Finally diecut a S/B medium Floral Oval to mat the printed verse onto and that was it.  Nice & quick which is what I need.  I’m ridiculously far behind in my volume despite having started in August, but I’d cards to do for my brother’s wedding in Sept & pretty much up until 2 wks ago with the Thank You ones, so along with having had other general cards to add on which I’d normally not do, I really just haven’t got many C. cards done.

BUT if I do manage to now get into a groove & churn out a reasonable quantity no doubt I’ll share some of them with you all.  All I can say is thank goodness for WAW or I’d probably not have got many made much this week at all!!!

So this is going to be entered into:

Word Art Wednesday Challenge 154

Blessings!

 

The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. 
Exodus 15: 2

Word Art Wednesday - Challenge 138

I’ve had to make quite a few Sympathy cards of late sadly for friends and my mum-in-law which can sometimes be a tough challenge, but I’ve had some wonderful inspiration with using Word Art designs in particular rather than my usual decoupage designs.

So this one is a little A6 card done in a black and white theme which I feel works well for the occasion.

I embossed the background with a vine design and then used the MS Leafy Lace border punch to make 2 border strips.

I wrapped a strip of black ribbon on one side and added a black bow before putting the diecut sentiment onto a doily to make it a little less severe.  Had to hold off on the bling but was still very pleased with the end result.

I then created an insert with a suitable sentiment using some of the wonderful Christian poetry by Michelle Lowndes which has become a total life saver for me as her verses are so perfect for cards.

I've entered this into the Word Art Wednesday challenge 138

Joys of the Season

(As ever, apologies for the minimal attendance this blog is getting from me of late, but I’ve had a tough year health wise, so like some others in the blogosphere, just haven’t been up to doing too much until recently.)

I love, Love, LOVE this time of year - I love the dark nights, colder weather (you can always warm up but SO much tougher to cool down!!), & especially the colours of Autumn, running into Winter, & all the glitz & glamour of beautiful Christmas cards.  What's not to love!!!

Because of my horrendous health decline this year I figured when I finally escaped from hospital (after 3 months in), that I might be safer to start into making my C. cards a little earlier than usual, so began them at the start of July (I’d normally have held off until August).  And just as well I did as I managed to end up spending most of September in as well ultimately :(. 

Unfortunately because of all the time constraints & my continuing poor health, I felt I really didn’t have the time luxury to make my boxed “specials”, plus few people really want them at Christmas unless they can hand them over, as the postage is just so prohibitive on them, esp for the elderly in my family.  So, I’ve concentrated on the quick & cheap for the most part, yet somehow seem to have managed to still spend an utter fortune on new stuff (utterly unnecessary but heck, it’s so nice to treat myself now & again, well ok, monthly!!)

So this is just a couple – I’ll put more up as & when I’m able.

The first one is using a downloaded vector graphic (can't find this particular one again, but many others are freely available online) which you literally just print and use. This design was very easily decoupaged by printing off a couple of extra copies.  There were quite a few of this style of design, some of which work wonderfully for decoupage, with others only suitable to use as single flat images or pyramage etc.  When I’ve more time I’ll probably add to this design by putting on some thin 3 mm ribbon around the baubles which would really work wonderfully I think.

This second one has rapidly become a favourite of mine for this season – so quick & simple, yet, to me, really effective & beautiful.  Easily made, you just print off a verse or quote onto A6 card, then cut that smaller than your A6 base card and border cut the bottom, before matting it on (same would apply if you want to make other sizes). I’ve just stuck the card mat at the top so that it has some movement, but you can obviously stick the entire card on if you prefer.  Then, put whatever you want in the space at the top or the side (depending whether you’re making portrait or landscape designs).  I’ve used the wonderful K&Co Glad Tidings Poinsettia & Holly Layered Accents for most of mine, although I’ve also used some smaller decoupage designs on some too.  But the poinsettias go so wonderfully with the red card & ribbon etc.  I then finished them off with some gold holographic peeloff borders & small snowflakes or stars etc.

These cards will all just get simple inserts rather than anything requiring more work, just so I can ensure I get as many made as possible.

I invested (LOL!!) in the wonderful Heartfelt Creations superb Christmas 12 x 12 pad which has lots (!) of readymade card fronts available just for the sticking on, so will show you some of those next time around, hopefully in a few days.

Enjoy!