Last minute Santa - TGIF 139

It's a great challenge for this time of the year from TGIF - last minute Santa.

The cards are done, my classes are done, the presents are bought. Time to think now about Christmas Day. Family members are coming to lunch so I wanted something festive for the table. Last night, I whipped up these faux crackers as table favours: an old design but a great one. They look lovely in the Year of Cheer specialty paper, with a touch more glitz coming from foil snowflakes cut with a die from Seasonal Layers.

Update: Happy to be the winner at TGIF Challenge!

Ingredients

Card: Year of Cheer Specialty DSP, Whisper White; gold, champagne and copper foil

Stamp: Merry Patterns

Ink: Gold versafine

Other: Seasonal Layers dies, envelope punch board, silver and gold cord (retired), mini-dimensionals.

Fab Friday 127 Free for All

Fab Friday is having a Free For All party. Hopefully, that includes not-cards!

Many years ago, I worked at a school where a lot of us patched and quilted. One of the others started a Christmas decoration group. Now, nearly 30 years later and even though we're all scattered around, we get together near Christmas and exchange decorations over a lovely lunch at one of our homes.

Over the years, we've diversified into different crafts and interests. For many years, I made different angels. Then, I went through an embroidery stage, making various cross-stitch, hardanger and blackwork decorations. I even had a brief flirtation with beading. Some of the others always work in felt. One woman loves to make 3D stuffed creations so often makes gorgeous things like tiny teddies in Christmas fabrics, complete with mini-button joints. Our trees are an eclectic mix of handcrafted decorations. 

Some years, the decorations are quick makes. Sometimes they're labour intensive, taking two or three hours per item. It's the same for the whole group depending on the idea we've had - and that's always a closely guarded secret! We take along our seven of the same decoration and come home with a basket with seven different ones.

This year, it's been a quick make but I'm pleased with how they've turned out.

I really like the way the checked paper has made such a fabulous pattern when it's made into a circle.

Regular readers - don't forget that shortly, this blog will be re-named Thinking Stamping. Don't be alarmed. If you follow me by email, you will automatically be re-directed to the new address www.thinkingstamping.co.nz

Ingredients

Card: Year of Cheer DSP, Copper and gold foil

Dies: Seasonal Layers thinlit dies

Other: Clear and gold faceted gems, scoring board, circle dies, metallic thread, hot-glue gun

Freshly Made Sketches 308

School holidays are rapidly drawing to a close and with them, the extra crafting time not being at work gives! This morning, the latest sketch at Freshly Made Sketches was revealed and with time running out, I was keen to give it a try.

It's inspired me to make this Christmas card. I do like black, white and gold as a combination - it feels smart and unfussy.

I'd wondered, in the middle of the night last night, whether the Hometown Greeting edgelits would fit in the Delicate Ornaments dies. I'm delighted to say that they do!

I gold embossed a few stars from the Hearts Come Home set to give the houses a sky without going OTT.  Having already gone the over-the-top (for me) step of using not one but two designer papers, I then did something else I seldom do - added bows. To be fair, the Christmas bauble really does need some way to hang on the tree, so in this case, it's justified.

Thanks for another great sketch, team!

Ingredients

Card: Basic Black, Whisper White, Gold foil, Cheers to the Year Specialty DSP.

Stamps: Hearts Come Home, Holly Berry Happiness

Inks: Versamark

Other: Hometown Greetings thinlits, Delicate Ornaments framelit,  Gold cord trim (retired), Gold mini-sequin trim, Gold faceted gem, dimensionals, gold embossing powder.

All products Stampin' Up.