Merry Christmas Everyone

Hi everyone, Christmas Day is here at last, so I’m following one of my annual traditions of scheduling a post for the card I made for my husband, as I never publish it before I’ve handed it over to him on Christmas morning 😀🎄

This year I was inspired by Lavinia’s  latest Christmas robins Bobby and Jemima. I think I’ve mentioned previously that I didn’t think I liked them when they were first released, but as I have seen more and more beautiful makes with them and various colouring options they have really grown on me. I’ve only used them a couple of times before, so I’m still very much at the experimental stage with colouring them but I thought I’d give it a go! 

Originally I was hoping to produce a card using the beautiful techniques from a tutorial by Lisa Taggart, but I couldn’t get the watercolour background to work for me no matter how hard I tried, so I decided to go in a different direction and make a mistletoe wreath (what else for a romantic card?) to host the robins. 

I cut a 6” square of white stamping card (it was meant to be slightly bigger but after a couple of failed attempts I measured it wrongly and didn’t realise until later!) and created a circle using a mask and blended Elements inks. I stamped the branch (with leaves wiped clean of ink) and robins using Pinecone VFC, then added Mini Holly leaves in 1st/2nd generation using Rain Forest VFC. I stamped a wreath of Christmas Mistletoe around the circle using Grass Green VFC and I filled the gaps with 2nd generation Mini Mistletoe, then added a further piece of Mini Mistletoe in Bobby’s beak and some little hearts ❤️.

 I coloured the robins and branch using a mixture of Zig pens and white Signo pen, the holly berries with red Signo pen topped with Sakura Stardust pen, the mistletoe berries with white Posca pen topped with Spectrum Noir sparkle pen, and the mini mistletoe with clear Sakura Stardust pen. I added white Posca snow on the branch topped with Stickles, and Posca falling snowflakes. I matted the panel onto a green frame and 8” square card blank, and finished by stamping, cutting out and attaching the sentiments. Unfortunately I was rather rushing by the end so have suffered bleed through of colour on the snow on the branch and a couple of the snowflakes, which no amount of touching up has covered! Luckily my husband just loves the fact that I make him a card, and knows that I did my best! 🥰

Stamps: Lavinia Bobby, Jemima, Vine Branch, Christmas Mistletoe, Mini Mistletoe, Mini Holly, Group of Hearts Mini; Uniko Christmas Wishes, Fizzy Moon For Him;

Media: Lavinia Elements ink (Della Blue, Dark Denim); Versafine Clair (Pinecone, Rain Forest,  Grass Green, Strawberry, Nocturne); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Signo pens (white, red); Sakura Stardust pens (clear, red); Posca pen (white); Spectrum Noir sparkle pens (clear): Stickles glitter glue.

Challenges I would like to enter:

613 Avenue Create (December) - Anything Goes with option Any Winter Holiday (3rd entry)

As You Like It (December) - Anything Christmassy (3rd entry)

Crafty Calendar (December) - Christmas (2nd entry)

Creatalicious #284 - Anything Goes with option Christmas (3rd entry)

Creative Crafting Uncles #60 - Christmas and/or Happy New Year (3rd entry)

Festive Friday (December) - Christmas (3rd entry)

Inspired By #315 - Christmas (2nd entry)

Lavinia Creative Challenge (December) - Snow Is Falling (3rd entry - picture without sentiments)

The Male Room #193 - Anything Goes

Papercraft #113 - Under the Mistletoe - TOP 3

Peace On Earth #78 - Anything Christmas Goes (3rd entry)

Pearly Sparkles #102 - Christmas (2nd entry)

Rudolph Days (December) - Anything Christmas Goes

Simon Says (Monday) - Cold and Frosty

Sweet Stampin’ (December) - Christmas Creations (3rd entry)

Triple B (December) - Birds, Blooms and/or Butterflies (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #679/680 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

I’m taking a little blogging break now until after New Year, so I’d just like to thank everyone who has visited my blog and left kind comments during the year - I really appreciate your support. 

Finally I would like to wish to all those who celebrate it a very Merry Christmas, and to everyone a happy, healthy, peaceful and creative New Year xx ❤️

Hugs,