Memory Box Challenge - November

I was thrilled to have my card for last month's Memory Box Challenge featured on their blog. You can see the card and details of this month's challenge here.
I had an idea which I've been meaning to try out ever since I saw the theme for this month's challenge but it's taken a while for me to get to spend some quality time at my desk this month. I wanted to give my prim poppies die (the first Memory Box die I ever bought) the glitter treatment and then add some other MB dies into the mix. I cut all the dies out of white card and painted with Twinkling H2Os. The poppy heads (and everything else in the vicinity!) were covered in hot lava ultrafine glitter. When dry I arranged them and added a few stems of woodland branch. Sticking all this down was a challenge to say the least but eventually I got them how I wanted them with some PVA and Zig glue. A big bow hid all the messiness and gathered the stems together. I added some fancy blossom diecuts to the stems and gave them black centres with Ranger enamel accents. Not all the Christmas cards I make at this time of year are christmassy but I thought that the glitter and the colours made this sufficiently festive enough to put a small seasonal greeting on. I edged the card with Brilliance cosmic copper and mounted it all on a white textured tall card blank.

UK Stampers Postcard Swap - November

This is the final postcard swap for 2015 on the UK Stampers forum as December is such a busy month for everyone. Jilly, our hostess has chosen Christmas as the theme.
I made a background by smooshing cranberry and meadow Adirondack inks onto a craft sheet, spritzing with water and picking up the ink on a piece of card. I did each colour separately and waited for it to dry in between to avoid the colours turning to brown. Then I dry brushed gold metallic mixative around the edges and a little in the middle. The stamp is by Katzelkraft and has been stamped in black and heat embossed with holographic powder. I added the holly stamp in the corners, the gold paint resists the ink and gives a faded effect. I doodled a rough frame around the card and added Glossy Accemts on the holly berries to finish.

Calendar Challenge - November

This month's recipe for the calendar challenge on the Craft Barn blog is Grey and Owls. I used a Sizzix die & stamp set called Autumn Owls for my 2 owls and a Memory Box die for the branch. They were all mounted onto some cloud patterned paper from My Mind's Eye. I used a different patterned paper to edge the top and bottom and used 2 scraps to hold the calendar in place to look like washi tape. I coloured in the beaks to give a pop of colour and added glossy accents to the eyes of the smaller owl and googly eyes to the larger one.

UK Stampers ATC Swap S for Sew

My last ATC for this month is 'Sew'. I glued an old pattern onto card as a background and added a dress form, embossed with a button folder. I made a thread reel out of card and added some ribbon onto it. I used various stamps from a CaroLines stamp set and stitched on a coordinating button (about the extent of my sewing abilities).

UK Stampers ATC Swap S for Sing

This is a Christmas stamp set that I've had for years and use every now and then. I decided to use the word 'sing' for this ATC and these carol singers seemed appropriate. It is embossed, then coloured with embossing pens and embossed again. The fur trim on their hats is embossed with a puffy glitter powder. I added some tartan patterned paper as a frame and a punched musical note.

UK Stampers ATC Swap S for Sky/Skyscraper/Star

This month's letter for the alphabet swap on the UK Stampers forum is 'S'. I chose skyscraper/stars/sky. A Clearly Besotted city skyline die on a pearlescent dark blue background with punched stars and some white marker dots. The stars were covered with a Wink of Stella pen to give a slight sheen.