Christmas is coming...

I'm sure it's not escaped your attention that Christmas is on its way. This year - for the first time in YEARS - I decided to make all my own Christmas cards. I took part in a challenge with a group of stampers around the world to produce half a dozen cards every month, starting in January (which seemed very weird at the time). So I do have quite a selection of handmade Christmas cards to send but, sadly, not quite enough.

So I threw together a handful of these at the weekend - they were really simple and quick to make; just a standard design with a bit of doodling thrown in for good measure. I love doodling - it's been one of the hot trends in papercrafting this year and it's so easy and fun! Just do what suits you; lines, dots, crosses, squiggles... whatever you feel comfortable with.

I coloured the night sky with Stampin' Pastels - which are basically chalks. They co-ordinate perfectly because they come in all the 48 Stampin' Up! colours, plus neutrals. The applicators that come with the set are ideal for tiny areas but for larger areas like the sky on this image I prefer a piece of torn sponge; I use the cheap decorators' sponges from Wilko. To get nice bright mittens and scarf, I used a marker.

Stamps: A Tree for All Seasons (p44).
Cardstock: Whisper White, Real Red, Night of Navy.
Ink: Basic Black.
Accessories: Stampin' Pastels (p82), Stampin' Write markers in Real Red (mittens and scarf) and Night of Navy (doodling) (p70-71).

And here's another quick card I made with the same set:



On this one I chalked all over the image, and highlighted around the snowman by removing some chalk with a rubber (American readers stop sniggering at the back please - you know as well as I do that I mean an eraser!).

Stamps: A Tree for All Seasons (p44).
Cardstock: Creamy Caramel, Whisper White, Real Red, Night of Navy.
Ink: Basic Black.
Accessories: Stampin' Pastels (p82), Stampin' Write marker - Real Red (p70), Gingham ribbon - red (p86), 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon - Real Red (p86).

(All page numbers refer to the UK Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue 2007-2008) I'm sure it's not escaped your attention that Christmas is on its way. This year - for the first time in YEARS - I decided to make all my own Christmas cards. I took part in a challenge with a group of stampers around the world to produce half a dozen cards every month, starting in January (which seemed very weird at the time). So I do have quite a selection of handmade Christmas cards to send but, sadly, not quite enough.

So I threw together a handful of these at the weekend - they were really simple and quick to make; just a standard design with a bit of doodling thrown in for good measure. I love doodling - it's been one of the hot trends in papercrafting this year and it's so easy and fun! Just do what suits you; lines, dots, crosses, squiggles... whatever you feel comfortable with.

I coloured the night sky with Stampin' Pastels - which are basically chalks. They co-ordinate perfectly because they come in all the 48 Stampin' Up! colours, plus neutrals. The applicators that come with the set are ideal for tiny areas but for larger areas like the sky on this image I prefer a piece of torn sponge; I use the cheap decorators' sponges from Wilko. To get nice bright mittens and scarf, I used a marker.

Stamps: A Tree for All Seasons (p44).
Cardstock: Whisper White, Real Red, Night of Navy.
Ink: Basic Black.
Accessories: Stampin' Pastels (p82), Stampin' Write markers in Real Red (mittens and scarf) and Night of Navy (doodling) (p70-71).

And here's another quick card I made with the same set:



On this one I chalked all over the image, and highlighted around the snowman by removing some chalk with a rubber (American readers stop sniggering at the back please - you know as well as I do that I mean an eraser!).

Stamps: A Tree for All Seasons (p44).
Cardstock: Creamy Caramel, Whisper White, Real Red, Night of Navy.
Ink: Basic Black.
Accessories: Stampin' Pastels (p82), Stampin' Write marker - Real Red (p70), Gingham ribbon - red (p86), 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon - Real Red (p86).

(All page numbers refer to the UK Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue 2007-2008)