Handicrafts by Kate Perry and other ramblings

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Two more Christmas cards.

When I saw that CrazyHazelnuts challenge this week was to use a reindeer I knew exactly what I would do, because last week I bought two of the latest Marianne dies of a reindeer and a sleigh.

I cut the deer twice from tiny off-cuts of brown pearlescent paper. Then I looked for a piece of card for the sleigh and found a little rectangle of an alcohol background I must have made at some time for another project. It was just big enough so I used that. I decided I didn't like the empty sleigh so I searched clipart until I found a picture of Santa that I could use. I had to mirror image him and trim him up quite a bit, but I did manage to cobble something together. (If I made this again I would print him on different paper to make him stand out more). I then stamped a couple of SeeD's parcels to fill the space at the front of the sleigh and mounted it all on to some starry scrapbook paper that I also bought last week. I mounted this panel on to a white DL base card and it was sort of finished, but I wasn't very happy with it. It was all rather dull, so I drew a rough frame with diamond black stickles glitter glue - it's slightly smudged as it is very hot here and I was working with both my ceiling fan and a floor standing one on, and they suddenly lifted my card and flipped it over! But I salvaged it as best I could. I also added ice crystal stickles to the main stars, and after a rummage through my Christmas peel-offs I found this one that says 'Santa's on his way'. It's not a sentiment that I would normally use but it fitted this card quite well and filled the empty corner of sky.

So I am entering this card in:
CraftyHazelnuts Christmas Challenge 30: Reindeer.
Die Cut Dreams Challenge 94: Animal Antics.
Gingerloft Challenge 22: Make it Sparkle.
Creative Inspirations Challenge 64: Christmas in July.
Craft Us Crazy Challenge 13: Anything Goes.

And now for my second card. This one was for the Bah!Humbug! challenge which was to use some beads. I love beads but am not particulalry good at using them on cards. I get frustrated trying to thread them onto bits of ribbon or fibre to make a 'dangly' embellishment. However I remembered one of my bargain buys from many years ago, and sure enough, right at the bottom of my Christmas stash, I found a whole heap of peel-offs with pricking patterns on for stitching. I don't remember where they came from but whenever I find I have a lot of something, it is usually from a bulk buy pack at the QVC seconds shop in Shrewsbury, near to where I used to live. They sell items that have been returned, split packs, and some that have been opened to use a bit for a demonstration. Sometimes they bundle a whole lot of oddments together and sell them really cheaply, and I have found myself the owner of lots of things that I might not otherwise have bought, and they can come in very handy sometimes. Anyway, I chose a Christmas tree image and stuck the peel-off onto little scraps of green and red card. At that stage it looked like the picture on the left. Then I raided my lace-making boxes and found some metallic thread and beads, and before long it looked like the picture on the right. Then I just needed to make it into a card.

I decided to follow the sketch given for SFYTT July challenge which you can see over on I love to stamp , because it was a fairly simple one which suited my tree. I covered a white base card with some pale green paper and made a mat for the tree from vellum printed with holly. Then I cut a strip of darker green paper to go down the left side. All three papers were from a very ancient book of Christmas card kits which I think is Dutch. It's time I used some of them! The band across the bottom of the panel is Woodware paper lace coloured with copic markers. For the three top motifs I chose three different sized bauble peel-offs, stuck them to the left-over piece of pale green paper and also coloured them with copics. Then I cut them out and glued them to the card. To finish it off I added a silver star to the top of the tree and stamped a Crafty Individuals greeting at the base of the card in Memento cottage ivy. So here is the finished card. Sorry there are such deep shadows on todays photos. It was very sunny, but I still get better photos outside than indoors. I only took them out for a few seconds but the sun immediately made the corner of the vellum layer curl up. But I shouldn't complain. If I could bottle a bit of our sunshine and send it to you all I would!I am entering this in:
Bah! Humbug! Challenge 29: Beads.
Christmas Inspirations Challenge 29: Free Christmas project.
Delightful Challenges: Christmas in July.
A Sketch For You To Try: July Sketch.
Make it Monday Challenge 47: Any Craft project.

And I am linking this to Shirley Anne's blog, Stamping for Joy to add two more cards to my collection please.

22 comments:

Hazel said...

I love both cards. That reindeer die is super and I love the way you've used it on your card. Thanks for joining in my CHNC challenge 30 - hope to see you again soon. x

Hazel said...

I meant to say that the link you left didn't work, but I found the card and have now corrected the link. x

CARLA PREDIGER said...

What a nice card. Thanks for joining us at Christmas Inspirations challenges. Hope to see you with us again soon.,

Jean said...

Great cards Kate. The new dies look good, and clever you to make a Father Christmas to fit in the sleigh. I like the stitched tree as well, good to use up old stash. Jean x

Chrissy said...

Very pretty Christmas card...lovely tree.

Thanks for sharing with us at ‘Make it Monday’

Luv CHRISSYxx

Don’t forget. .if you leave a comment on another entrant, mention that you saw their card on ‘Make it Monday’ for a chance at second prize.. the more you comment on and mention MIM, the more chances at winning second prize.

NancyD said...

Really beautiful stitching and lovely card. Thanks for joining us at Delightful Challenges.

Shirley-Anne said...

Hello Kate .Two great Christmas cards .Love the way you have used lots of odds and ends of papers and cards along with some real life images as well as some computer generated ones to complete the projects .
Thanks for joining my blog challenge , will add them to your tally now .
hugs Shirley-anne

Saskia said...

Both are very pretty christmas cards. How many did you make alreday this year? I must start too one of these days.

Maria@Crafty Cre8tions said...

Two terrific cards!! The reindeer on the first one are great! Along w the santa!!

gorgeous trees on the second!! Great job with the sketch :)

Maria

Di said...

These are both terrific Kate - you must have the patience of a saint!

Two thoughts, as you use snippets you could join in Jules Crafty Snippet challenge - and I just bet people would be so interested to see what crafting in Sunny Spain is like, on WOYWW!!

I posted your nibs, Air Mail of course 'cos you want them in time for Christmas, yesterday!

Di
xx

Márcia Mattos said...

Beautiful card!
hanks for joining us at Christmas Inspirations challenges. Hope to see you back soon.
Hugs

Purple Crazy said...

fab cards, i love my new dies too, thanks for joining us at DC this week x

Max said...

2 super cards - your beaded tree is fabulous. Thank you for sharing with us at Bah! Humbug!

Luv'n'Stuff
Max
xx
Max's Craft Creations
Bah! Humbug! Challenges DT

Annie said...

wow Kate more gorgeous creations. Thank you for the lovely comments about my scrapbook pages - so kind. You will love Craft Artist - I am very much a beginner - I only use the very easy stuff at the moment, but the possibilities of what it can do just blow me away. Make sure you join Daisytrail as the people on there are so helpful and there are freebies available in the shop too.
Enjoy your visitors during August and try to stay cool - must be tricky at this time of the year for you.
Ann xxx

camcraft said...

Wow .. Love both of your cards. I especially like how you have used the beads. Very clever and stylish looking.
Carole x

Magali said...

Beautiful card!
Thanks for joining us at Christmas Inspirations challenges. Hope to see you back soon.
Hugs

Deb said...

Gorgeous christmas creations, thanks so much for sharing with us at Die Cut Dreams
Debs
xxx

coldwaters2 said...

Two wonderful Christmas cards that first one with Santa is totally great thank you for joining us at Creative Inspirations.
Hugs
Lorraine x

Lena said...

Very nice card. So sweet and well done.
Thanks for joinning us at Christmas Inspirations challenges.
I hope to see you again soon!
Hugs
Lena

Michelle said...

Hi

wow, fabulous cards. The Christmas tree come up looking a real treat.

Thank you for sharing with us at Make It Monday this week.

Michelle :o)

An Occasional Genius said...

Don't you love those bargain bits that you never imagine yourself using & then suddenly they are perfect for a particular project!! Beads look great on your tree & an altogether fab card (they both are). Thanks so much for playing along with Bah Humbug x

Lori said...

Wonderful Christmas cards! So glad you linked up at Craft Us Crazy!