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.

Lots to Do Challenge 5/12/09

Another commissioned card.  This one is for a customer.  I have used some Summer Driggs snowflakes backing paper and a gorgeous Moose stamp that I bought at Stamp Addicts and I have coloured in with watercolour pencils.  I inked the board snowflake and stamped and embossed it and stuck it on the card for extra dimension.

This card fits the Lots to Do Challenge this week of snow.

The Pink Elephant Challenge Blog 7/12/09

Another commissioned card.  This time it is for a customer's daughter - who is in fact a customer as well - which made it quite hard when making these Christmas cards as they needed cards for the same people but they all had to be so different!!!

I have used the poinsetta shoe download from Jak, Crafter's Kitchen as this lady loves bags/shoes etc.  Not a typical style of card but something fun.

This card fits the Pink Elephant Challenge this week of your favourite Christmas colour combination - well mine has to be the popular red, green and gold.

One Stop Craft Challenge - 5/12/09 and Pile it On Challenge 6/12/09

Another commissioned card - no I haven't made them all in one day - it's just this is the time I am uploading them all to the computer!!!

This card is for a customer's husband to give to his wife.  I have used a new Debbi Moore Art Deco CD for this one and used her template on the CD for a different fold card.  I like this card shape as it stands up "loud and proud" so I shall be using this style again sometime soon.

This card fits the critieria for the One Stop Craft Challenge Blog of "fancy fold" and the Lots to Do Challenge of Tinsel Town.

My Time to Craft Challenge 1/12/09

Another commissioned card.  This time it is a card for a customer's nephew.  I used some backing papers free from a magazine.  The image is a download from Scrapbooking Mad and the stickers are from DCWV.

This cards fits the criteria for the My Time to Craft Challenge of Winter Pals.

A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge 1/12/09

Another commissioned card.  This time it is for my customer's husband.  I have used a download from Jak, Crafter's Kitchen which when printed out on my printer turned a turquoise blue so the card was turquoise blue and silver.  Not my usual colour scheme but sometimes you have to come out of your comfort zone!!!

This card meets the criteria for the A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge Blog as the topic is non traditional Christmas colours.

Winter Wonderland Challenge 6/12/09

I have been asked for a number of cards for Christmas.  This is one of them.

The topic this week on the Winter Wonderland is Ho, Ho, Ho.  I have used a download available from Cupcake Crafting and made it into decoupage, added an insert and finally some card candy.

Tree Decorations

recently bought some wooden tree decorations after a friend bought me a Christmas Tree one to make myself.  I've had a go at mine but I've left it how it is for the time being.  For mine I inked it with Adirondak lettuce ink pad and Tim Holtz  Peeled Paint and Brushed Cordhuory using my cut-and-dry foam.  I found it a little difficult to blend the colour properly so went away and had a thought ..........

I made a tree decoration for my friend and also one each for her dogs.  She has helped me out no end this year with personal support and also sending me crafty things for my charity work.

I cut some holes out with my Big Bite.  This time instead of using the ink pads I dared to get messy and got out my Alcohol Inks.  This worked so much better.  No Christmas reds or greens used on them - I used different combinations of Raspberry, Purple Twilight, Cloudy Blue, Sunshine Yellow and Latte (brown).  I dabbed on different combinations on both sides.  I then used various stamps and Versamark ink and stamped on them and used gold embossing powder.  I would have liked to have tried white on one but I'd only got an opaque one and didn't want to ruin it if it didn't work.  I used some stamps to stamp the dogs' names on theirs and hey presto some very unique tree decorations.

Think I must have a play more with Alcohol Inks in 2010!!!

This fits the criteria for the Crafty Cardmaker Challenge Blog topic this week to make a card/project using alternative Christmas colours - I've used purple, pink, yellow, blue and latte (brown).

Christmas Card for a Friend's Parents

I wanted to make a special card for my friend's parents.  They are coming up from Bournemouth and popping to see us on their way through to Cambridgeshire.  I used an Elusive Images stamp, coloured it in with promarkers, added no end of glitz to it with Sakura Stardust pens and glitter, added some fibres and embossed card for texture and used my new Martha Stewart punch as well.

This card first the criteria for the following challenges:

Pink Elephant - use your favourite mediums - mine at the moment has to be Promarkers

Cupcake Craft - Red and green

Corrosive Challenge - Red and Green

Rosie-Dee's Challenge - Red, green and a bit of bling

Creative Card Crew - Christmas

Sassy Designs - Buttons and bows - I used some new glittery gold bows and a Christmas tree button I've had for a few years but liked too much to use

Paper Cutz - Digital or stamped image

Crafty Ann's Challenge - texture

Stampin' for the Week-end - Red, green and gold

Stamp Something - Glitzy somethings

The Play Date Cafe - Green, white and red.

I am soooooooooooooo excited!!!!!!!!

Some of you might know, some of you might not so I shall do a little introduction for you.

I started making cards in December 2004 - they were so basic that I hate seeing pictures of them. I then spent 7 weeks in hospital in 2005 and was off sick 11 months in all. I then started making cards again at the end of December 2005 and vowed that I would make them to sell and would give 50% of what I made to charity.

About a year ago I said to myself I wanted to get the total of charitable donations to £1,000 come the end of December this year, the 4th anniversary. 

My husband brought home £5.00 for a card yesterday that I'd made for someone at his work. £2.50 went into my kitty for more supplies but £2.50 went into the charities collection and that has made a grand total of £1,000.07. I am over the moon.

I have helped many charities including cancer charities, children's charities, animal charities, Children in Need, Comic Relief and a great deal of local charities/smaller charities here where I live.

I would just like to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone that has helped eg Forums for me to find friends on/gain ideas from, Blogs for me to look at and again find ideas/inspiration/ people who comment on items that I put on my blog, Challenge Blogs for me to push my boundaries in different directions and thank you for the fellow bloggers that have sent me items from kits they no longer use, stamping items, decoupage, card, paper, ribbon etc that I have all put to good use and for those people that have offered blog candy that I have been lucky enough to win.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR HELPING ME ACHIEVE THIS GOAL 

I have decided now that I will not set another goal. In 2009 I vowed I wanted to do more stamping. I didn't really start this until April but I've done more than I imagined but in 2010 I want to try some new things with stamping and need some time and no constraint on me whilst doing this. I have made cards for TV shows and maybe 2010 might be a lucky year to get me on a Design Team for a Challenge Blog but whatever happens I will continue to make my cards for charity. 

Sketch and Stash Challenge 23/11/09

I needed to make a commissioned card for a special mother whose first love is tigers and then likes animals like foxes.  Out came Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew CD and I have used this gorgeous fox image.  I liked the layout of this fortnight's Sketch and Stash Challenge so I went with this for this card.  I have used some lace and some ric-rac from a friend's stash and have used my new Versamagic Black ink pad to edge the grey paper and some of my new brown card candy.

Commissioned Card for my Son for his Work

My son came home last night from work and asked if I would make a card for his work for someone who has their birthday on Thursday.  I said I wasn't sure but I'd try.  Thankfully I'd received my new Debbi Moore Designs Art Deco Christmas CD and decided I would use of the lovely lady images for the card.  That was a bad idea - why you ask - I spent about half an hour trying to decide which gorgeous one to choose.  In the end I chose one of my favourites - a lady in green - and for those of you that know me I HATE green and have done since I was young and at one stage I wouldn't even eat green sweets but she is so magical.

Again, the card had to be A4 and as I had decorated the envelope of the first card I made for them and the second I had to do it on the third.  This time I used the topper sheet and just cut it up and set it out nicely.  I think it's a lot nicer to decorate the envelope when it's a card being given at work.  The main image on the card I used the snapshot tool and then sent it straight to print from there and she's gorgeous.  I luckily had some gorgeous green/blue ribbon that I won in the Ribbon Oasis' Blog Candy a while back and this matched perfectly.  I finished the card off with some card candy, a sentiment, some 50's strategically put on the card but not the front as not everyone likes numbers on cards and some blue/green fibres.

All I want to do now is ....................... keep it!!!  It has though been packed away in two jiffy bags for my son to take into work in the morning.