Santa's Workshop #3 & Finale for Merry Monday !

The last of the large Santas Workshop Memories and More cards...

With a couple more small ones for those of you that were looking carefully!

Yes I couldn't resist chopping up one of the larger cards... so bringing my card total to 23 in total... 12 small and 11 large...

Though of course my ladies ended up with 20 as they only got half of those speciality ones from their half pack...

But thinking on for next year... armed with a full pack...

This format can so easily be a 40 cards class!! Just perfect for Christmas!

Embellishment just using the stickers in the M&M card pack... Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Red Rhinestone Jewels (discounted in the Year End CloseOut Sale... so stock up for christmas berries & baubles next year! I certainly am!) and stripy Thick Garden Green & White Bakers Twine...

Simple on Sunday - Santa's Workshop Memories & More cards

So the 10 small cards were shared yesterday...  So today it is time for some of the large cards...

First up are the 6 Speciality cards in the pack... which are all lovely and glittery...

The ladies had half a pack of the Memories & More cards  (now out of stock unfortunately!)...so they had an either/or choice...Hopefully self explanatory with these photos...

But this one was the revered one!! I thought we were going to have an auction - or a game of Pit - mid class!

Embellishment just using the stickers in the M&M card pack... Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Red Rhinestone Jewels (discounted in the Year End CloseOut Sale... so stock up for christmas berries & baubles next year! I certainly am!) and stripy Thick Garden Green & White Bakers Twine...

Saturday Memories & More Santa's Workshop cards #1

So I finally succumbed... and did a Memories & More Santa's Workshop card class that have been all the rage this year! So here are a few different versions for you...

I just have the 10 small cards to share with you today...

So much so "all the rage" ... that the M&M card packs have completely run out of stock in Europe (& pretty much worldwide I believe)...

Though you can still buy the Red Cards & Envelopes packs...which are great value if you haven't spotted them!

They may be simple... and so easy to put together... but such fun...

And I still got 20 cards even thought I only used half the pack of cards!

And just adding embellishment using the stickers in the M&M card pack... Dazzling Diamonds glitter,

Red Rhinestone Jewels (discounted in the Year End CloseOut Sale... so stock up for christmas berries & baubles next year! I certainly am!)

and stripy Thick Garden Green & White Bakers Twine...

But just one regret... I didn't buy the co-ordinating Enamel Shapes... I think they were out of stock at the time... what a shame!

And 2 versions of this last card... as I started off adding Dazzling Diamonds glitter to make a glittery yellow bow( as shown below)... but then thought what the heck... and grabbed the gold glitter instead... 

And its funny... I prefer the gold bow in the flesh... but I prefer the yellow bow version from these photos!!

Simple Santa's Workshop cards for Merry Monday

So the Santa's Workshop suite is out and about for classes here this week... and in my usual style I just had to "tweak" some of the cards I had already made...

But before I start... a couple of news items!

Come back here Wednesday 5th December for the Year End Close Out Sale... and the official launch of the new Stamparatus Craft & Carry bag!

And do you know that I operate Christmas Wish List and Gift Voucher services? Click here to contact me for more information and/or the Wish List file... but bear in mind orders need to be placed by 12th December latest for Christmas delivery...

So back to the card... this one is a card that "grew and multiplied"... inspired by this Signs of Santa swap card made by Julie... love the Poppy Parade dots and dashes border...

Just added to a 5 1/2" Square card blank with some flocked and stripy paper...

And then I had to make another one and add this cute image! It certainly makes me feel more merry! Though I do think that I should have coloured the drink in the glass... maybe more beer than milk for our Santa with this greeting !!

And you do have to love a bit of fussy cutting in an evening! (well I do!!)... as this image is cut straight from the Santas Workshop papers... simple papercrafting at its best!

Sunday Share - My Christmas Wreath for the front door!

Had to share! I had the pleasure of going TO a workshop yesterday... and making this beauty for my front door for Christmas.. (though these photos are actually of the back door as there just happened to be a hook there when I got home!!)

It has been a long time since I went to a creative workshop... as life has become quite busy enough running those of my own!! And I have to admit that is was a very nice change... so I think I will be on the look out for some more to go to in 2019... happy days!

So thank yous... To Denise for organising me! And to Clive for lunch at the Fauconberg Arms!

To Sue at Brown Paper & String for your brilliant wreath workshop (which I can highly recommend!)... which formed part of The Homemade & Vintage Christmas Fair... Though Sue is also running workshops next weekend 8/9 December at The Tea Rooms, Byland Abbey...

And to Homemade & Vintage for the lovely Pop Up Shop and Cafe Christmas Fair event running this weekend in Coxwold Village Hall... on today too if you are around this stunning North Yorkshire area & village...

I just wish I had thought to take a few photos around the room as it looked so lovely with lots of bunting, vintage finds & cafe and all the wreaths being made... well next time!

The wreath is a lovely mixture of both spruce and ivy... which makes it look different and very special... particularly as mine ended up very dense... and I can't wait to raid my garden for further supplies...

And I thought you might like a few closeups... particularly love the pops of dried limes and feathers... who would have thought!

And I have to admit that most of my chosen embellishments just sum up my Christmas (but maybe not everyone's)... as I always have sprays of berries around the house...  bowls of pine-cones mixed with pot pourri... bowls of walnuts for eating (along with the nutcracker device's annual outing!)... and cinnamon sticks for my mulled wine... 

And now I want to dry some limes (and lemons and oranges!)... as I think they look particularly brilliant!

And then all I need is to introduce some feathers and gypsophila (which I thought looked like a touch of snow!)... and my wreath can sum up my christmas decoration!!

So ... what do you think?

Simple on Sunday - Celebrate Lovely Floral You...

Another simple make using the mix of the Lovely Floral embossing folder...and the Celebrate You dies...

Die cut "celebrate" washed with colour using the Aqua Painter and Coastal Cabana and Lemon Lime Twist inks for a bright & breezy and very colourful effect...

Finished off with the fantastic Basic (self) Adhesive Backed Sequins...

A card to make you happy... and feel that all is well with the world...

Lovely as A Tree Beginners Class

Today I am going back to part of a class I ran in August... One of my lovely class ladies, Sarah treated her sister to a private Craft Spa card making session... and she did ever so well! We all had a really lovely time...

Luckily I decided to focus on 2 stamp sets... Dandelion Wishes and Lovely as a Tree... as these were the 2 sets that most attracted the eye of my complete beginner... so I really couldn't have planned that better if I had tried!! Especially as I was supposed to be using Varied Vases!!

But Lovely as a Tree is such a perfect set to teach complete newbies how to stamp... and then how to colour... etc etc etc... whilst also getting to create a lot of cards to take away...

Now this is the last of my posts that I am purposefully not sharing the cards that we are doing in our class today!!

So lots and lots of new makes to share with you for the next couple of weeks!!

And just in case you were wondering... the little additional details for the 4 cards shown are as follows... in the order that the individual cards appear! And I used either Shimmery White card or Watercolor Paper for the watercolouring

(1) Just as it comes...
(2) Add a bit of Watercolor Pencil [blue scribbled over trees.. and green just on horizon) and blend out around the trees and horizon using an Aquapainter..
(3) Add more Watercolor Pencil and more water... and blot out light clouds using a scrumpled up tissue...
(4) As (2) but with grey Watercolor Pencil on the horizon to create the wintery scene... along with the finishing touch of Wink of Stella for the (masked) glittery moon...

Simple Sunday Stylish Christmas card #1

So one of my lovely customers bought the beautiful Stylish Christmas set in the Annual Catalogue... available in Wood and Clear Mount...

And then asked me what she should do with it... So seeing as I was waiting for my pre-order box of Christmas goodies to turn up... I was happy to oblige...

A little while later I had 3 card designs in my hand for her... hope you like them all Jane!

So this is the simplest of the trio... just double time stamping on a mat and card blank.... using Real Red, Mossy Meadow and Sahara Sand inks... on Thick Whisper White & Real Red card... and then "textur-ised" (is that a proper word!!?) using the Subtle Embossing Folder...

Poinsettia centres finished off beautifully with the gold Metallics Pearls.... which I reckon are just made for the job!! Pack contains half gold and half silver mini pearls...

Love this simple card...