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5/04/2016

HLS Christmas Challenge - May - Gifts

Welcome to the HLS Christmas Challenge.  The challenge for the month of May is Gifts.


The May Christmas Challenge is sponsored by Happy Little Stampers.Shop
Winner will receive one stamp set from HLS
 
Let's get started with what I've done for this challenge. Had several techniques I wanted to try out with a couple of gift dies that were in the stash..


 
 
- Cottage Cutz die using Sookwang tape, then applied Gilding Flakes over the top of it.  EF was inked with Delicata Gold and embossed using paper from an old 12x12 Christmas pack. This particular EF cuts deeply and that's why some white shows in the embossing. Used a sponge to go over that lightly with the gold ink. (message to self: Emboss 2 papers when doing this, so the folder does not emboss so deeply.) Added some gold ribbon placed like a wrapped package. Then decorated the ribbon with Nuvo Crystal Drops (this was Apple Green). Previously I've never had much luck using Liquid Pearls to shape this kind of embellishments. Am pleased to say this Nuvo product is working much better for me..and when the pearls were dry, they held the shape. Easy to use the bottle tip without clogging too. Hope it stays this way!  The sentiment is a small sticker.
 
 
 Another Cottage Cutz Stacked Gifts die cut from a different brand of double sided sticky paper - which I discovered did NOT work very well with the gilding flakes unless I used some extra glue. After recutting the die, used versamark, and the WOW Pearl Gold. Added a few Nuvo pearls. This time another EF was used to emboss a Coordinations c/s - which is much thicker than the paper used in the first card, and worked better. Used a sanding block to bring out the core color. Again, wrapped as a 'present'; stamped a little package, colored with copics and WoS, and punched with a SU scalloped punch. Still playing with the Nuvo crystals. Sentiment sticker.
 
Since I was not best pleased with either of the above cards, tried once more to do a card I was happier with the results.

 Boo-boo on the placement of the right hand package. Did not notice this until I saw the photo.
 Boo-boo fixed with placing the package ribbon in the proper position



used 2 S/B bracket dies to cut the edges to fold over the inside of this card. Fussy cut some gifts from an old foil 12x12 Paper Studio cardstock stack, and tied with a gold ribbon


PBlack clear Party Time image, colored with copics, WoS. Added in a Woodware Forest tree stamped in green, then embossed with clear.  Used Copic W gray to ground the scene. Matted with green and gold mats, tucked in another present from the foil paper stack. Sentiment is from the HLS Mixed Christmas Sentiments, stamped in versamark, heat embossed with Ranger's Queens Gold.

THEN using some bits from the You-know-where pile, made one last card, because I wanted to use a foil set of the Cottage Cutz gift die that had been made while I was trying different products.


Cottage Cutz die, from the non-Sookwang tape, (it's sticky, but not sticky E-nough!); added some Nuvo glue, burnished on some Deco foil, then ran through the Big Shot. This actually looks much better IRL than it does in the photo. All the white patches you can see in the photo, are not visible to the naked eye! Had this snippet from Brusho play, which had been embossed. It has sort of a 'leather' look to it. The turquoise looked nice with this (at least I thought so!). The blue bubbles border is from another Brusho play, and the sentiment was die cut from a snippet of white water color paper. Glued this down, then colored with a Turquoise Pentel Slicci pen (it looks blue in the photo, but is really a turquoise that quite matches the foil). Added a bit of WoS over the top of this, matted on a turquoise top fold card. Whew!

Hope you will join in with this fun challenge, get a head start on building a Christmas card stash for 2016 & perhaps win a fab prize too!

PLEASE REMEMBER YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE HLS STAMPS TO ENTER OUR CHALLENGES

Thanks for joining me today. Big hugs. 
 
 

38 comments:

  1. OMGoodness! You've been as busy as a beaver - and they're all just fantastic! Love the little "gift wrapped" cards. I've never had any luck with Liquid Pearls either. They always come out in blobs for me. Love the next card with that cute image inside and the wonderful design. The last one - equally wonderful! ALL are great!
    Lynn

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  2. Some great cards Mary, even though you are not happy with them. Love the die cut fancy fold card and the super inside of the card.

    Kath x

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  3. What a wonderful array of Christmas cards, complete with all those festive gifts! I like the wrapped gift look of the first and those golden gifts are beautiful! I'm especially fond of the card with the hedgie inside because those folded "doors" on the front are stunning! Everything looks so pretty, and I love all the details you included into each card!

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  4. Well you have been busy Mary, lovely cards, that PB is beautiful! image & love the card shape and colours.
    Pam x

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  5. You have certainly been busy and use so many techniques. I owe you an email must get to it but time runs away with me these days.
    Hugs
    Margaret M

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  6. You have been a busy lady with all these cards Mary - they are gorgeous! Love that last blue and tan one, and the gate fold with the curved edges is really striking.
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  7. Oh wow, these are all so fabulous, Mary!! I love the designs and details of each one!! You did an amazing job my friend!! Love them!! Have a great evening!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  8. We are never happy with our creations yet, when someone else looks at them, we say...wowzers! They are all really great. I love the background look of the first card and the present look of the 2nd. The 3rd card is so cute and I love the way it opens up like a present to reveal Mr. Cutey pie. The last card is so wonderful because of the unique colour used. They are all great

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  9. Wonderful card. Love the border dies you used. It's just perfect in every way.

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  10. Hi Mary, Lovely cards. Glad you were able to sort the boo boo out (can't say boo boo, without thinking of Yogi Bear's mate:))

    Hope you have a lovely day. Sue

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  11. What a lot of cards! Too bad I start only in September with my cards; they are great inspiration! The first cards that look like a present itself are my favo's; such a clever idea! Enjoy the Spring (hope you have good weather)!

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  12. Amazing and gorgeous display today Mary, can't pick one I like as I love the lot.xxx

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  13. OMGoodness Mary, I love hese cards. They are beautiful and fun.
    Well done. Hugs Veerle x

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  14. What a great set of cards Mary. I love the idea of wrapping the cards like a parcel and then the bracket die as a wrap with that sweet and beautifully coloured hedgie and lastly the gorgeous turquoise parcels with the pretty embossed background. x

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  15. You really had some fun with all these dies and glues and Nuvo drops! Wonderful selection of cards Mary. The backgrounds are lovely and the fancy gate opening card is super fun with little hedgie in there! Great work!

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  16. Fabulous projects here Mary my friend!! You haveleastMy Card Attic

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  17. Wow lots of beautiful cards you've been busy :) I hope you are doing well, Shirleyxx

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  18. Heavens to Betsy!! youv'e been so busy, and getting well ahead with your Christmas cards too. Each and every one is fantastic Mary, and the PB hedgie is so sweet, the use of the gold flakes on the parcels is brilliant, I just done get on with them at all and they lie at the bottom of my craft bag. Love them all, Kate x

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  19. Your cards are wonderful! Thank you for using our Deco Foil to add some shine!

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  20. Oh! my goodness Mary what a fabulous selection of cards with different techniques too, love the gold gilding and the Nuvo drops, (I Love them) Your red card has been "corrected" beautifully, I was trying to see where the boohoo was! Such a pretty shape too and adorable inside. Love the idea of glue and foil through an embossing machine. Looks wonderful.

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  21. Wow Mary, what a busy bee you have been! All of your cards are beautiful, the turquoise blue one is an absolute delight. You are well on your way to having lots of Christmas cards done this year - I wish I could get going! Hugs, Anne xxx

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  22. A lot of things I don't notice until the picture has been taken. I am pea green with envy you are quick to experiment - I wish I was. The card I like the best? The one you felt you goofed on!!
    sandy xx

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  23. Oh, my, what a lot of loveliness here, Mary!!! I think the first two cards with the lovely die cut gifts are very pretty and you've added the ribbons so creatively - lovely bgs, too!!!! And the gate fold card with the very cute little hedgie is just sooooo stunning, Mary, and yeah for fixing that boo-boo so cleverly!!! Well done and for sure a card to be happy with!!! And the last one is so beautiful in blue and gold with the lovely embossing and fancy border !!! All such wonderful cards, my friend!!!
    Have a great day!!!!
    hugz

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  24. Mary, this post got more and more awesome with the scroll! Fabulous batch of happy cards and love your variations in color on each. Hugs, Autumn

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  25. Hi Mary,
    what super Christmas makes.
    They are all so very lovely, but my fave is the red one with lovely hedgie inside heis soooo! cute.
    Not sure if I spelt hedgie right having a senior moment.
    Far too many of those lately.
    You are definitely well ahead with your Christmas cards with all those.
    Love and biggest hugs from my house to yours.
    Lots of crafty love. Jenny L.

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  26. Santa will be happy to see all these gifts done up, Mary! Love all these cards but the fancy fold one is amazing! Love the image and the lacy front folds! Awesome!

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  27. Gosh you've been busy Mary...what a beautiful array of "gift" cards. Love the shaped one. Carol x

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  28. Lots of beautiful cards Mary. Great job on all of them. Love the mix of products you've used to create so much interest, depth and texture. Really amazing! LOVE the sweet hedgehog and how you created the opening for that card --- very unique. xx

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  29. Mary! you been so busy! these cards are wonderful and so many different techniques. Your designs are always so imaginative and creative with the diverse styles. WONDERFUL! Hugs, de

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  30. Gorgeous cards! Thanks for sharing your techniques!
    Xoxo Olga

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  31. What a great collections of cards, Mary ... so much fabulous texture and dimension ... that little hedgie is adorable! Hugs, Anita :)

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  32. Wow! Mary, so many beautiful cards in one place! I love these openwork "door" of your card. The interior of the card is a surprise! A beautiful winter scene.
    hugs,
    BozenA

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  33. What a great collection of cards Mary and the open door card is just stunning!
    Hugs
    Carol x

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  34. A great set of cards Mary, love the little hedgehog. I failed to see a boo hoo so not sure what you meant there - it looked fine to me!

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  35. Oh my, look at all these beautiful Christmas cards!! You have out done yourself Momma Mary. I love them all and love how they are all so different and unique. Hugs, Brenda

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  36. Time to catch up on your wonderful gallery and what a marvelous place to start! I find these wonderfully delightful, festive and fabulous! The little hedgie...oh my! Adorable!
    ~c

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  37. I'm very late this month with getting comments onto the cards by my fellow DT members for HLS Christmas challenge! I'm so impressed with your wonderful selection of gift-themed cards! I love them all but especially the one you posted on HLS - what a fabulous design. And then the sweet little hedgehog on the inside - love him!

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