Handicrafts by Kate Perry and other ramblings

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Back in the swing, and a blog candy challenge

With just tomorrows Three Kings Fiesta to bring the seasonal celebrations to an end, I decided it was time to get back in to the swing of regular crafting. Although I enjoyed following several blog challenges regularly last year, I did find that the time it took me to do them left very little spare time to do 'my own thing' and I always felt sad that there was never enough time to leave many comments on other people's contributions. This year I have lots of new techniques to try and different media to experiment with. I am hoping to do more photography through participating in project 365, to follow an online watercolour course that I signed up to back in November but haven't managed to get started on yet, and to at least start on a hybrid scrapbook using the digital program Serif craft artist with added embellishments to give more dimension to the pages. So obviously some of the challenges will have to go. Instead, this year I am going to participate in a few when the theme particularly appeals to me, and when I am happy with a design I shall make a run of half a dozen or so of them, so that I will still have a good set of Christmas cards made ready for next year, and also some birthday cards ready before they are absolutely needed. (That'll be a first!!)

But to start me off I am sticking to what I am comfortable with, and making my first Christmas card of 2012 for Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge 53 which is an open theme this week. She also has some lovely candy on offer with this challenge so why not pop over to her blog and take a look.



I bought a rather lovely plate of stamps from Chocolate Baroque back before Christmas, but unfortunately it was really too late to use them, so they had not been inked at all. So today I took the main stamp image and stamped it onto a square of white paper that had been inked around the edge with Distress ink - tumbled glass, and I also brushed a little of the same ink over the center to soften the harsh white. I stamped the image with memento Paris dusk, and added colour to the holly with copic markers. I didn't like the blue robin, even when I added some colour to him, so I stamped him again with memento rich cocoa, coloured him and cut him out. Then I glued him flat over the main image which looked a lot better. The main panel is mounted on a 15cm royal blue card and I added crystal stickles to the snowflakes and leaves for a bit of sparkle. So now I am off to link this to CHCC, but this year I shall not be spending too much time searching for other suitable challenges for it. I'd rather be making a few more cards like this, and adding comments on to the blogs of other contributors to the challenge.

8 comments:

Hazel said...

Thank you for sharing your beautiful card for my CHNC challenge 53 and for linking for the celebration candy - hope you will still be able to take part in my challenges because I love seeing your Christmas cards - new challenge on Saturday x

Jean said...

Lovely cheery robin Kate, and I like the crystal bling on the snowflakes.Jean x

Carol said...

Gorgeous card Kate, love the robin. Thanks for your comment on my card. Carol x

Di said...

Absolutely gorgeous Kate! Love the robin all puffed up :) You're right, this week was my first entry into Hazel's Christmas Card Challenge - it appeals as there's a goal at the end, to have my Christmas cards well under way! Di xx

veronica said...

lovely card Kate - and I don't think I would like a blue robin either! A Christmas card challenge was the only one I did almost every week last year, and it was my salvation, so will be carrying on this year. Thank you so much for the beautiful decorations - really lovely, and fantastic attention to detail! (My long delayed PIF going out this weekend)
love Vronnie

Anonymous said...

Lovely card.
Enjoy the holiday.
In the part of Germany where I am living, it's a holiday, too. But not as big as in Spain. I read your blog posts about it and would love to be there.
Thank you for your very nice comment. I had to safe it from the spam queue - I don't know why, but my spam filter sometimes behaves strange. I hope, it will learn to divide between the nice commments and spam one day.

Saskia said...

I love the snow crystals on this card, they really make the difference.
Good luck with all your projects this year!

Erin (CelticCrafter) said...

I love the way the holly and bird stand out from the blue snowflake background. The stickles really add a nice touch of sparkle!
(This post will show up as Erin's - I'm on her computer and didn't change her sign-in. Ruth)