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Monday, 30 November 2015

#153 DEPICT THE POEM - ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas–

Before we get to today’s challenge, I just want to say a thank you to Vania who has moved on to pastures new. Thank you Vania.
 
OUR CHALLENGE IS TO DEPICT THE POEM, NOT JUST TO SHOW CHRISTMAS, IT HAS TO DEPICT THE POEM, OR AT LEAST ONE OF THE LINES OF THE POEM!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE DO NOT ENTER NATIVITY SCENES, AS THEY ARE NOT LISTED IN THE POEM, NOR ARE ROBINS ETC. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THE POEM BEFORE ENTERING YOUR CREATION AND PLEASE TELL US HOW IT RELATES TO THE POEM!
 
Lin is hosting our challenge this time, and her theme is 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. She would love to see your creations that depict one of the lines from the poem. In case any of you don't know the poem it's printed below!

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Clement Clark Moore

So over to the team for some inspiration:

Josephine
I've used a vintage image from Crafty Computer paper for this challenge, and teamed it with some embossed and sanded coredinations card, gold ribbon, die-cut holly and glass beads. So, there you have 'St. Nicholas' having come down the chimney as well as the stockings that have been 'hung by the chimney with care'.

Ina

I went with one of Santa's Reindeer embossing in gold leaping through the air
wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

Mary
I chose to use a stamp of sleeping mice from House Mouse Designs to illustrate the second line of the poem: 'Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.'.

Marlene

I have used Pan Pastels for the Night Sky. The Set is from Crafter's Companion Twas the Night Before Christmas Stamps, Liquid Pearls for the Snow

 Kimx
I used a lovely old Magenta stamp to illustrate 'the stockings were hung'.
As I didn't have a stamp I hand wrote the line from the poem.

Julie
Using Create A Card Die '
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Pam
Penny Black Stamp - Dreaming of a White Christmas '
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.


Jackie
I took my inspiration from the last verse -
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

even though I used the words of the first verse because I had them in a stamp!  I used some free stamps I got with a magazine and some Hobbyart stamps with some distress inks to make my scene.

 Maike
 
I was inspired by this part of the poem -

"He had a broad face and a little round belly,
that shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!"
I chose the images from the MFT set "Jingle all the way".

Sally
I used a file from the Silhouette store, a Brick stencil, stamps and pattered papers to create my card which was inspired by the line 'The stockings were hung by the chimney with care'.

I have been inspired by the reindeer and have used this great digital stamp from Bugaboo Stamps and my Heidi Swapp Minc machine. 
 

LIN W

#152 Winter Birthday, Winner and Top 5

 Josephine hosted our Winter Birthday challenge and she has chosen her winner and top 5, as follows:-
 

22 Pauline

and her Top 5 are:

 
 
 
 
 
 
Congratulations to you all, please take our Winner's or Top 5 badge for your blogs.

We hope to see you back at 12 noon for our new challenge.
 

Monday, 16 November 2015

#152 Winter Birthday

I am sure we all know some poor soul who has a Winter, or even worse a Christmas Birthday, mine is 27th December! So for our challenge this time we want to see your Winter Birthday creations.

Josephine is hosting this one and will get to choose our Winner/Top 5

Here is how the team interpreted the theme

Josephine
For this challenge, I've made a card for a friend who's got a December birthday. She loves Josephine Wall images, and so I framed one in Photoshop Elements and added a sentiment. I designed the paper using tones from the image, and finished the card with some lace and glitter.

Ina
I used a pre coloured digi set from Doodle Pantry for my Winter Birthday Card.

 Maike
I used the "Cool Day" stamp set from My Favorite Things for my Winter Birthday Card! The inside says "Have a cool day" to tie it all in together! 

Mary
I used a Lacy Sunshine digital stamp and using a Spellbinders die, a Darice embossing folder and Tatted Lace dies created an archway through which it can be seen. 

Here are the close up Photos


I have used a Square Concertina Die from Crafter's Companion with Border Die - Candy Canes and Freebie Stamps from Craft Magazine

Kimx
I have used a Woodware stamp, white embossing and some cool blues
for my Winter Birthday card. 

Lin
152 Winter Birthday
My Winter Birthday card has a spellbinders embossing folder for the background, a couple of wintry diecuts and an image from a free stamp.

Pam

 I made this card for my daughter who was born during one of the worst winter's in Ohio history.  This cute image is Valerie in Winter by Mo Manning.

Julie
I have used Hunkydory Festive Birds Of Britain.

I have used these cute little snowmen to make a winter birthday card complete with snowflakes.

For my Winter themed Birthday card I used some stamps, dies and stencils from my stash, a cool colour scheme and lots of snowflakes.

I made a shaker card for my wintery birthday card this time, using cooler tones in the distress inks to make my background and a simple silhouette stamp for my winter trees. 

LIN W


#151 Thank You, Winner and Top 5

Julie hosted our Thank You Challenge and she has chosen her winner and top 5, as follows:-
18  Louise

and her Top 5 are:







Congratulations to you all, please take our Winner's or Top 5 badge for your blogs.

We hope to see you back at 12 noon for our new challenge.

Monday, 2 November 2015

#151 Thank You

Julie is hosting today and she would like to see your Thank You creations. You might want to make a remembrance card as it's Armistice Day on 11th November, or just an old fashioned thank you card. Whatever inspires you we want to see it.

Here is how the team have interpreted the theme

Julie


Vania


A fairly simple card from me - using a stamp set from a recent magazine and some Sizzix Susan's Garden dies.

I used the Poppy Die from Memory Box for Remembrance Day and in memory of a friend who served in Vietnam.

I used a Tatty Twinkle stamp called Just for you and added a thank you peel off to the tag.

This adorable little image is "Fore You" by Di's Digistamps. This is a very special thank you to the owners of a golf course that my mom and dad were members of for many years.

I made this card using a Pink Gem Image. I made this as it is Remembrance Sunday next weekend coloured it with Promarkers
I created using kraft cardstock and colored Kaisercraft papers and added a house mouse stamp hand water colored by me and fussy cut

Bold and bright with this Shine Bright range from Kaisercraft.

I have used a cutting file from the Silhouette store, Distress Inks, Acrylic paint, a stencil, paper flowers and Hobby Art Butterfly stamps to create my Thank You card.

I made my Thank You card using a couple of lovely Hero Arts background stamps and the 'Resist with a Twist' technique.
I love the critters from Purple Onion Designs and wanted to create a simple card with Cedar the fox that lets the sentiment shine.
 
LIN W