Getting my skates on for Christmas!!! ;)

Hello!! :)

Well, as my post title suggests, I’ve been thinking about Christmas cards this week...unfortunately, though, this is the only one I’ve finished so far so much more speedy metaphorical skating will be needed in the next month or so- anybody know how exactly it came to be November already, by the way ‘cause I think I must’ve missed at least six months of this year somehow!?! :S It's completely dark here already and decidedly chilly again- but sitting here with the lights on, anticipating a lovely warm cuppa in a minute and with the delicious smell of our Christmas cake baking in the oven waffting up the stairs is making me feel really quite cosy and cheerful- if rather hungry!!lol - despite the too quick marching of time!! :)

Anyway, I’ve chalked one more card off the list, at least, and it’s another gorgeous Lili of the Valley image taking centre stage:

I followed the fab sketch by Bev over at the LOTV challenge this week and I also used another colour of the Snowflake Digi Paper I made in my graphics program a while back along with a Digi Ticket sentiment that I made in the same program last week to fit with Crafty Cardmakers’ Digital Plus challenge :)

I’ve used Skating Along, which I stamped in Memento London Fog and coloured with Promarkers...but it was such a long time ago that I’m afraid I have no clue which colours I used except the Cool Greys and Duck Egg as I’d just got that one and was playing around to see what I could do with it!! I do seem to remember that it took me a long time of going back over with different colours to be even close to happy with the blue/green tones but you live and learn!! ;) Then I added some Crystal Stickles to the fur on her hat and coat and some Sakura Clear Stardust and Clear Glaze :) The matting layer beneath the image is paper coloured with Duck Egg PM and that and the image piece are punched with a decorative corner punch and very lightly edged with Broken China DI for a little more definition :)

I punched the snowflake strip with my MS Deep Edge Trim Snowflake punch from white card I’d coloured with Duck Egg PM and then edged that and my snowflake paper with a little more Broken China (I used my TH Paper Distresser very lightly on the paper edge, too). I made the paper by simply arranging some snowflakes from a free dingbats font I downloaded (called Faux Snow) on a page and then changing the colours to tones of blue that would go with my PMs. I made the papers a while ago in several colourways and patterns to go with the different colour groups of PMs I’m enjoying working with at the mo’ as I was struggling to find papers I liked online :) (Apologies if I'm boring anybody who’s already read about the papers in the post for the card I previously used them for but, as it’s part of one of the challenges, I thought I should explain again!! :) )

I made the sentiment ticket last week after finally discovering- totally by accident!! :D - how to get the inverted corners on a rectangle :) The snowflakes are from the same font as in the papers and I printed out quite a few tickets coloured to match the various papers I’ve made :) The edge is lightly distressed again with the TH tool and DI :)

The ribbon is white organza coloured with Duck Egg PM :D The snowflakes are cut from white card with the Marianne D Swedish Ice Star die and coloured with -guess what!?!- yup, Duck Egg PM!! :D If I’d thought ahead, I would’ve just written at the beginning that I’d coloured all my embellishments myself with the same pen as the image...ah, well!! ;D The smaller snowflake has some Broken China, too, and then both have a coating of Stickles- Crystal on the small ones and Frosted Lace on the larger ones- I’ve not tried this Stickles before and, to be honest, it was slightly underwhelming in the pot (enforced mail-order shopping has many of those kind of disappointing moments) but I actually love it now I’ve tried it (enforced mail-order shopping has a few of those happily surprising moments!! :) ) and think it’s perfect for snowflakes :) :) I put the smaller one on top of the larger while the Stickles was still wet and then left them to dry overnight but when I came back to it earlier to attach them to the card, I think I maybe should have left them separate and used foam pads to attach them together for a bit more depth?!

I’d like to enter this card in the following challenges: LOTV – Sketch by Bev which I loved using :) ; Crafty Cardmakers – Digital Plus :) ; Lexi’s Creations – Anything Goes :) ; The ABC Challenge - G is for Glitter :) ; Die Cut Dreams – Use a Christmas Digi (if the digi papers and sentiment count even though I stamped the image?!) :) ; Bah! Humbug! - Presents (she’s obviously been shopping for them!!) :) ; ABC Christmas Challenge – W is for Winter Wonderland with the optional extra of white ( I know it’s not quite how it’s meant but, as well as my finished card having quite a lot of white, I’ve just realised that literally everything I used started off white- paper, cardstock, even ribbon- ‘til I went mad with the Duck Egg and DI!!! ;)) ) :)

Right, I shall pop off and link those up then have a browse around some of your fab blogs to see what I fancy trying next!! :) I really do need to get cracking in earnest on those Christmas cards- and gifts ‘cos I’m meant to be making most of those this year, too...nothing like making life easy for yourself, eh!?! ;) I did go a bit mad last week actually and ordered quite a few new stamps- some more LOTVs and my first ever Sugar Nellies as I found a fab stamp which will be perfect for my lil sis’ 16th birthday card at the end of the month...but of course I couldn’t just buy one stamp now could I!?!lol- so whatever I do will probably include some of those!! Can’t wait to get playing!! :) Hope you’re all well at the mo’ and having a good week so far!! :)

Edited to add: The cake's done!!! :D :D

Thought I'd just add in a pic as it's now out of the oven- still warm and smelling even more tempting...the yoghurt and fruit I just ate (as I'm trying to be good at the mo' :[ ) really hasn't helped with the craving for cake!! We always put almonds on the top as my mum doesn't like icing- or having to ice the cake!!- so this is the decoration...I actually can't stand almonds but I've learnt there's no point in mentioning that so I just enjoy the delicious cake and leave them on the plate for her!! :D
hugs,