Today I'm sharing a card for the challenge over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown that uses the current layout over at Tuesday Morning Sketches:

As with my previous Christmas card make, today's card features another of the patterns in the retired Storybook Gnomes designer series paper pack - where else can you find Christmas mushrooms?! Here's my card:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

I chose a busy pattern featuring lots of gnomes and mushrooms/toadstools, split it into 3 as per the sketch layout, then added a circle embossed with the retired Wintry 3D snowflake embossing folder, where I highlighted the details with some white craft ink, before adding another toadstool and gnome that I diecut from another sheet of designer paper. I also added some puffy snow to my toadstool for an added wintry detail:

My sentiment comes from the coordinating 'Kindest Gnomes' stamp set, which I also used to add some detail to the inside of my card:

I couple of sparkly enamel dots complete the detail on the front of my card. The hubby ventured into my craft room the other evening as I was finishing this card, and was properly bemused to see me making a Christmas card in February. As I pointed out, it pays to be prepared! How is your Christmas card stash coming along?

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Today I have a nice early post for you as I'm guesting with the lovely team over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week! I won their December sketch challenge with this card so was delighted to be invited by Andreja to join them as a guest. This week it's colour week and they are inviting us to make cards using a blue and white colour combination:

For my card I used the current layout over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and grabbed some retired Storybook Gnomes designer series paper and set to work. Take a look at what I came up with:

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

My card started with that vertical panel of blue and white patterned paper - so pretty! I added a simple Balmy Blue banner then a sentiment from the retired stamp set 'Hug In A Mug' and a gnome that I diecut from another sheet of paper using my Gnomes Dies:

 I added a little extra detail on the inside - a sentiment from 'Gnome For The Holidays' and a partial toadstool house: 

Lots of little touches of blue for another Christmas card to add to my stash!  Thank you to the team over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown for having me as their guest this week and for keeping me making Christmas cards throughout the year!

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

I managed to squeeze in a little crafty time today to make a card just in time for this week's challenge over at Just Us Girls:

It's Clean and Simple Week and the theme of colouring - two of my favourite things, so I'm so glad I managed to find a little time for some mindful colouring today. I still had my Friendly Gnomes stamp set out on my desk from tomorrow's project (consider this one an 'extra'!) and stamped and cut out one of the gnomes out with the co-ordinating Gnomes Dies for my card - take a look:

I paired my gnome with an 'XOXO' sentiment, made with my Alphabet A La Mode Dies, replacing the last O with my heart-hugging gnome. I coloured my gnome with my Stampin' Blends (listed in the table below). These are my favourite medium to colour with; my top colouring tip is to use lots of colours and to work in small, circular motions, from the outside of the shape inwards, blending as you go. To get a smooth, blended look, be prepared to go over and over each layer of colour until you have achieved a look you are happy with. As a final touch, I added some clear Wink of Stella to the heart that the gnome is holding.

That's all there is to it! I finished the inside with the sentiment 'There's GNOME-ONE BETTER than you' - got to love a good pun! I'm also linking today's card up over at The Alphabet Challenge where they are on 'X is for XOXOXO'.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

FRIENDLY GNOMES PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (23.00)	GNOMES DIES (29.00)	ALPHABET À LA MODE DIES (40.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (5.75)
STAMPIN’ BLENDS LIGHT COMBO PACK (8.50)	STAMPIN’ BLENDS MEDIUM LIGHT COMBO PACK (8.50)	CALYPSO CORAL STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	BALMY BLUE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	NIGHT OF NAVY STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	POOL PARTY STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)
BERMUDA BAY STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	REAL RED STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	CHERRY COBBLER STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	WINK OF STELLA GLITTER BRUSH (7.50)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a recipe challenge:

I normally struggle with recipe challenges, but this one came together really easily, especially with the layout over at Atlantic Hearts this week - take a look:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

My starting point for today's card was the Storybook Gnomes designer series paper, and specifically the pattern that I used for the rectangular panels at the back that you can barely see on the finished card! It has a lovely mix of blues and earth tones, so ticked off two of my ingredients. Having layered these panels, I decided to build a scene using a combination of stamped diecut elements (my toadstool - check) and some other elements I'd already cut out from other patterns in this pack, namely the moose and the gnome. I added in a precut snowflake and some smaller snowflakes cut with the Chic Dies, to which I added some glittery gems - even a masculine card can have a little sparkle, right?!

I added a panel with my stamped sentiment and wrapped this in some (retired) white and Early Espresso baker's twine (check) to continue the earthy tones and tick off my final ingredient. 

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

This is one of those cards that just evolved with a mish-mash of bits and pieces until I felt like I had a cohesive scene. I think I'll send this to an old university friend who has an adorable little boy - I think Mr Gnome will be right up his street!

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can leave you lots of lovely comments. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use #AYSIXXX when uploading to a public gallery.
• If you’re unsure about ‘the rules’, check the details under the Challenge Guidelines tab on the As You See It Challenge homepage.

Enjoy your day; I have a helper to complete my chores today as the oldest of the James Juniors is enjoying an extended half-term break. Keep your fingers crossed that the weather stays dry this evening please as we are off to a fireworks display at the school of James Junior number 2. It is usually a fantastic display and as it's within the school grounds, far enough away from residential housing to cause undue trauma to the neighbourhood cats and dogs. I'll be back on Sunday with my project for our new challenge over at The Paper Players. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

KINDEST GNOMES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (46.75)	STITCHED RECTANGLE DIES (33.00)	CHIC DIES (35.00)	STORYBOOK GNOMES 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)	FINE SPARKLE ADHESIVE BACKED GEMS (7.00)	WONDERFUL SNOWFLAKES (5.75)
ELEGANT FACETED GEMS (7.00)	BALMY BLUE A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (9.75)	SOFT SUEDE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	NIGHT OF NAVY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)

Hi everyone! I've a quick post this evening with a cute card I made using the triple dare colours over at Color Dare for the 1/9ths challenge over at AAA Cards, with the optional twist of gnomes:

I went for a cute girly gnome - check her out:

Some simple colouring with Stampin' Blends and a paper-pieced hat using some retired plaid paper in my scraps box. I diecut my stamped image using my Gnomes Dies and added some Balmy blue ink with a blending brush behind my sweet gnome:

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Clean and simple - done! Enjoy your evening and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

KINDEST GNOMES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£46.75)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.75)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	BALMY BLUE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	BLENDING BRUSHES (£11.75)	BALMY BLUE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)
CHERRY COBBLER STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	FLIRTY FLAMINGO STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	SMOKY SLATE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Jaydee to host this week and she has my favourite, a sketch challenge for us to work with:

I decided to go with another Christmas card today and spent some time fussy cutting a host of cute and cuddly animals, gnomes and toadstools from my Storybook Gnomes designer series paper to create a sweet festive scene - take a look:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

If you don't mind a little fussy cutting, this card comes together really easily. I added a panel of patterned paper to my Balmy Blue card base, then built my little scene for the horizontal element. The gnome and toadstool can be cut out with the Gnomes Dies - only the remaining animals require fussy cutting. Here's my completed lineup:

 A sprinkling of (retired) adhesive snowflakes, a simple stamped sentiment from the 'Kindest Gnomes' stamp set and a little stamping on the inside completes my card:

I am also linking up today's card over at Alphabet Challenge Blog where they are currently on 'M is for Magic', so my magical gnome and friends should fit right in!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

Enjoy your day; we are having a day of catching up with homework, ready to start the new school week. I managed a little crafty time yesterday so I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

STORYBOOK GNOMES 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£11.25)

KINDEST GNOMES CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£23.00)

BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.75)

BALMY BLUE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)

PACIFIC POINT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)