Commissioned Christmas Card

A colleague wanted a card making for her husband for Christmas.  They've only been married for a few months but together 22 years!!!  I used in an image from a Michelle Marsden Christmas Triple Treasures CD and decoupaged it up on on a number of levels of matting and layering.  As my friend likes her jewellery I ordered some rather glitzy stick on gems - I nearly had to abort this idea as I bought them over a week ago and they only arrived tonight and I wanted to take the card in tomorrow.  I've finished the card off with some sentiments made on the computer, an insert done in Word, the gems of course and some beautiful organza ribbon.

This card fits the criteria for the following challenges:

Pink Elephant - Winter and/or Christmas

Sophisticats - Christmas Theme

Joanna Sheen's Forum Monthly Challenge - Snow

One Stop Craft - Christmas Love.

Retirement Card

A colleague at work is retiring at work tomorrow so I wanted to make a special card for her.  I have used some Summer Driggs papers and some silver mirri board.  The image was stamped with Memento ink using an Artylicious seaside stamp.  I have then coloured in the picture with a mixture of Promarkers and watercolour pencils.  I then used two different blue and two different green ink pads with cut-and-dry foam to distress around the edge.  The card is finished off with some ric-rac ribbon, a sentiment from the computer, some ribbon and two nautical charms.  Just hope she likes it.

This card fits the criteria for the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz Challenge - anything but Christmas

Paper Play Challenge - New beginnings - hope this card is OK.  Retiring is known as a new beginning ie you have finished your work life and then it's time for you

Sketchy Colors - Green/blue

CRAFT Challenge - free for all

Tellen's Place - Need to use a black card base (I don't normally take a photo of the back of the card but wasn't sure if on the front picture it could be clearly seen that I'd used a black card).

Card for my Sister-in-Law

It is my sister-in-law's birthday on 28 December so I always try to make her a non-Christmas colour card.  I did try using a Tellen's Place image but couldn't work out how to do it with a white outline so had to abort for the time being until I feel up to playing.  Instead I used a new Dottie's World digital image entitled Sugar and Spice.  They sell the images with a white background or transparent but I always tend to go with transparent.

I then copied the image several times in My Craft Studio and overlayed it over a purple (for the dress), pink (for the dress bodice), orange (for the dress bow) and brown (for the little girl's hair) background/colour collection and then did some faux-matting using the My Craft Studio Parchment CD to make a backing for the image.  It was all printed out and then I cut out all the paper piecing bits and then mounted it up using some Summer Driggs paper and some cream paper from my stash.  It was finished off with two flowers cut from Allissa Design Studio CDs, a flower from some recent blog candy and finished off with some glossy accents and a load of seed beads.

This card fits the criteria for the following challenges:

Digital Tuesday - Happy Birthday

Daring Cardmakers - NO Christmas but polka dots

Cute Card Thursday - Sew beady

Tellen's Place - Paper piecing.

I've won some blog candy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Think my son passing his driving test today has given me a good omen as I see that I have won a stamp sheet from The Stamp Man's recent blog candy.  Oh I am sooooooooooooo excited!!!!  I found it soooooooooooooo hard to pick a favourite one to go for but decided on the fancy flourishes.  I am so lucky and know that I will put these stamps to good use for my cards I make for charity so thank for the chance of winning.

We are so proud of our son today!!!!

Our eldest son was 17 in the middle of August.  He had his first driving lesson the next week.  He passed his theory some weeks ago and then went this morning for his practical test.  He's felt very anxious in the last few days and we've tried hard to quell this as much as we can.

He had his test at 9.17am this morning and by 10.15am there was no call like he said he would.  Five minutes later the driving school car arrived outside the house.  I was trying to nod my head and shake my head to the driving instructor and we got back a nod of the head.  He passed for 4 minors, not signalling early enough at a slip road ie you are supposed to do it as soon as you see the III marking, two minors for hesitation as a van flashed for him to go at a junction but our son didn't feel he was slowing down enough so waited for the van to pass with the driver waving his hands and shouting at the learning school car and one minor for a small error with the mirrors.  You are allowed up to 15 minor errors but no majors errors - bit different to when I passed my driving test 20 years ago!!!

We had the ceremony of tearing up the L plates.  We are so proud that he's gained enough confidence of driving to put in for his test so soon to starting and that he's passed FIRST TIME.

I did though make him a card last night.  It took me ages as I'd been at work and kept going wrong and more wrong, went down a treat.  I have attached a photo above of his card (I've blanked out the area where I put in his registration number of his silver car with My Craft Studio).  I used a Dottie's World digital image and coloured it in with Promarkers.  They are blandish colours as my son likes to wear white or cream tops and jeans.  I'd have liked a bright red or bright blue car but as his car is silver out came the grey pen.  If only I'd have known I'd be doing this card as I would have ordered a few more shades of grey for shading but only had Ice Grey 4 so had to keep shading it over and over in parts.

I shall use this card as my entry for the Creative Card Crew Challenge this week as the topic is "anything goes".

Some more Christmas cards

Here are a selection of some Christmas cards I've made over the last week.  It includes items from Cuddly Buddly, Scrapbooking Mad, Polka Doodles, Cute Daisy May, Summer Driggs and Pollycraft Designs.  I just love having the freedom of so many places to look for items for my cards.

Another Christmas Card

This card has been made using a free Cuddly Buddly snowman image.  I have coloured him with Promarkers and Sakura Stardust pens.  He's such a cutie.  I have used Polka Doodles backing papers and sentiment and decoupage some of the trees and done some doodling.

This card fits the criteria for the following challenges:

Crazy 4 Challenges - Snowman and/or snowflakes

PaperCutz - Snowman or snowflakes

Simon Says Challenge - Let it Snow.

Commissioned Christmas Card

I was asked to make a card for a customer's son.  I haven't actually seen the son for some years now so hope I have judged the card right - if not, I'll be in trouble!!!

I have used a Cute Daisy May image of a lady showing her leg and coloured her in with Promarkers and Sakura Stardust pens to add some glitz/twinkle (not that it's showing up too well on any of the photos I took!!).  The backing papers are from Polka Doodles and I thought they were quite boy-like and I've teamed it all up with lots of silver as I thought that more masculine.  I've finished it off with some fibres and some sentiments off the computer.  I just hope he likes it!!!

This card fits the criteria for the following challenges:

Our Creative Corner - Holiday theme, Christmas or Hannukah

Creative Card Crew - Gold or Silver 

Cute Daisy May - Twinkle/stars - well there is twinkle courtesy of Sakura Stardust pens and I hope the recipient gets a twinkle/sees stars from receiving it!!

Saturday Challenge 12/12/09 and The Corrosive Challenge 13/12/09

A customer asked for a card to be made for his daughter.  This time I used Debbie Moore's Magic Moments Glitter and Glitz CD for the negative and positive purple papers.  The image is from Pollycraft Designs and I have coloured her in with Promarkers and accentuated the snow with crystal glitter glue.  The card is finished off with a purple feather, a flower given to me by a friend and the glittery inside of a set of flowers I have in my stash.

This card fits the criteria for two challenges:

The Saturday Challenge - Snow

The Corrosive Challenge - Walking in a Winter Wonderland.

Magical Crafts Fortnightly Challenge 13/12/09

Well here is my first attempt at a parchment card.  It's not done from scratch but using the My Craft Studio Parchment Delights CD.  I have problems with my hands and eyes and struggled at times and did a bit, left it for a day, went back to it etc.  I did enjoy it though.  A friend gave me some tips as she does parchment and even attends workshops with Pauline Loweth who appears on Ideal World and Create and Craft.  I've got a long way to go but my friend and I will have a session soon to give me some more tips and a play with her tools.  I have also used the My Craft Studio No Stamp Required CD for the poinsettas and have decoupaged them.  I just hope the recipient likes my first attempt at parchment - or should I say my first attempt that I feel brave enough to send out of the front door to a post-box!!!!

This cards fits the criteria for the Magical Crafts Fortnightly Challenge of a Christmas Card.  I'd not come across this challenge blog until a few days ago.

Commissioned Christmas Card for a Colleague of my Son

My son came home a week or so ago with a request for a card to be made for someone at his work for a friend for Christmas.  I have used some Scrapbooking Mad digital downloads for this card and made the insert inside with the Artylicious Season's Greetings CD.  I have finished the card off with some fibres, a sentiment off the computer and some card candy - well I have got "card canditis" thanks to Lisa from Allissa's Designs (as she made a card for my 40th birthday with them on and whilst I was away for my birthday treat I found some in Dawn Bibby's shop so I had to have them didn't I???).

This card fits the criteria for the following challenges:

Quixotic Challenge - to use charms

Simon Says Challenge - to use charms.

Some more Commissioned Christmas Cards Made

Here are some more commissioned Christmas cards I have had to make over the last few weeks.  They are mainly for a mum and daughter for the same members of the family - so that proves extra difficult when choosing things to do as they all have to so different.  I got there in the end and hopefully all the cards will be OK.

These gingerbread people cards were made for my friend's children as little notelets to accompany their cheque as a Christmas present.  The download is a freebie as being part of Sharon Duncan's Club.

This card used some Le Suh decoupage I had been given and for the backing it is paper from Cupcake Crafting and Artylicious Season's Greetings CD.  The sentiment is off the computer.

This card used some Le Suh decoupage I had been given and for the backing is paper from Cupcake Crafting and Artylicious Season's Greetings CD.  The sentiment is off the computer.

This card used a Cupcake Crafting download.  I printed off two of the ready printed cards onto pearlescent card so that I could decoupage up the poinsetta.  Inside is a matching pearlescent insert.

This card used a Sarah Kay image that I was given.  I coloured it in with Promarkers and the backing is from the Artylicious Season's Greetings CD.  The sentiment is off the computer and card candy.

This card used a download from Peerless Designs - he's such a cutie snowman.  The backing paper is DCWV and I have punched out some snowflake shapes and added some glittered snowflakes.

This little chappie is from a Scrapbooking Mad download.  I think he must be someone's Christmas present.  The backing paper is a freebie from a magazine.

This card is made from some stamps I got in a Christmas QVC set.  I stamped Father Christmas with Memento and also made the holly border.  It's all mounted on some black and white card and some silver was added for contrast.  Not sure if I should have added the red on the holly or not.

This little chappie is from a Scrapbooking Mad download.  I think he's a cute little one.  The paper came with the download and I've just added a sentiment and some card candy.

This little gingerbread man and his lovely sweetie house was from a magazine.  Some magazine freebies aren't very good quality whereas this one was perfect.

This gingrebread man was made from a download as being part of Sharon Duncan's Club.  The backing papers came from a magazine and the white card was cut with my scallop circles nesties and inked around the edges.

These teddy bears were made from a digital download from Craftylasses.  They have been printed onto matt card and decoupage up, finished off with a sentiment and some glitter snowflakes.

These little toy soldiers were made from a magazine - just right for a little boy for Christmas.

Papertake Weekly Challenge 8/12/09

This is a card made for a customer.  This time I have gone for black and white and have used backing paper and die-cuts that I got in a QVC set in the summer.  The card is finished off with a sentiment from the computer and some card candy.

This card fits the criteria for the Papertake Weekly Challenge as it is no red and green to be seen.  Very hard for me at this time of year as I like traditional Christmas cards but I have to make cards for different tastes.

My Time to Craft Challenge 8/12/09

This is another commissioned card.  This is another card that has been made from a download from Jak, Crafter's Kitchen.  These baubles are gorgeous.  I edged them with the gold Pentouch pen, added the ribbon at the top and hung them on the card with ribbon, laying one flat and one raised for dimension.

This card fits the criteria for the My Time to Craft Challenge this week of Christmas foliage.

Cards for Men Challenge Blog - 5/12/09

Another commissioned cards suitable for a challenge.  This time I am hoping it is suitable for the Cards for Men Challenge blog for a Christmas card for a man/boy.  This card is for a customer's partner who is mad about trains.  I have used a Le Suh decoupage image I was given and used from Artylicious backing papers from the Seasons Greetings CD.  To make the train look like it was in the snow I used an glue pen and some crushed glass glitter.