25 Days of Christmas Tags with Casual Fridays Stamps

Today, CAS-ual Fridays Stamps are sponsoring Tracey McNeely's wonderful event, 25 Days of Tags!

The Ink Squad have been busy creating their own holiday themed makes and we're celebrating with some fantastic offers - as well as a new Short & Sweet Mini Set - Most Wonderful. It's such a cute, little set and, between November 20th - 26th it's free if you spend $50 (including shipping!) at the Casual Fridays Store. As if that's not incentive enough to head on over, all of the Hanukkah and Christmas stamps and dies are on sale!

So, here's my make for the celebration. I wanted to keep it fairly simple, and used some non-holiday sets to make a little shaker. I've used the Heartboard Fri-die, Mistletoe Fri-die and Fun-fetti Fri-dies!

Killing Kits: In The Christmas Mood

Hello! It's time for a new video for the Killing Kits Series and today, I've used the leftovers from my wonderful November 2018 Wild Hare Kit so that I can make room for some new holiday themed stash! Honestly, the best bit of finally finishing off all of these kit leftovers, is that I feel less worried about the occasional stash addition!

The kit was full of the most incredible selection from the December Days Collection by Pinkfresh Studios, Sweater Weather by American Crafts and a whole host of extra embellishments. Now, I felt that I used most of it in my December Daily 2017 album, but I still had a lot leftover and I've utilised most of those leftovers in the video to make a set of little cards!

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Please feel free to leave comments here, on YouTube, or find me over in the Counterfeit Kit Facebook Community. I would love to hear from you!

Wild Hare Kits: November 2018 Kit Reveal

It's kit reveal day at The Wild Hare Kits and this month I've received a fabulous Deluxe Kit, full of  full of stash from Emerson Lane, Along The Way and Auburn Lane and it could not feel more 'me' if I'd curated it myself! You can see it in all of its glory over on my YouTube Channel! 

If you would like to request your own custom kit, just complete the Style Profile. There's no monthly commitment, so it won't hurt to try!

CAS-ual Fridays New Releases: Pear Tree Fri-Dies

It's time for the brand new releases from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps - and I'm so excited to share them! Over the last week, we've shared all of the new releases over on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog, along with some amazing projects from the Ink Squad!

The last of the new releases is the fantastic set of Pear Tree Fri-Dies, which co-ordinates with the Partridge In A Pear Tree Stamp Set.

To start, I embossed the main illustration in black, then hefted out my watercolours. I used a combination of colours on the tree, then used a silver colour to fill in that adorable little birdie! 

I had a little leftover section of watercolour, with a blue and silver splatter, and decided to make the most of it by turning it into a cute little tag. I used the main die to cut the water-coloured illustration, then moved it around on the base until I decided on where I liked it best. 

As it's a fairly small 'canvas' I didn't have a lot of room to add a sentiment, so I sectioned off one of the sentiments to read 'with love' and added it to the corner. 

You can see that I only used smaller sections of the sets, but I love that it almost feels like a different set! 

If you can't handle the excitement, you don't have to wait until the end of the week to see all of the new sets. Head on over to CAS-ual Fridays Stamps and have a little sneak at the New Releases. 

CAS-ual Fridays New Releases: Naughty'isms Stamp Set & Naughty Fri-Dies

It's time for the brand new releases from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps - and I'm so excited to share them! You can see more projects from the Ink Squad over on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog.

Can we have a little chat about how cute the Naughty'isms Stamp Set & Naughty Fri-Dies are? I love them so much. Just a little bit of snark :)

I wanted to make a nice, but neutral card, so started with a white card base and black ink. In the test run, it looked a little flat, so in this version, I added some scored lines - and I love the subtle effect. I used a combination of the sentiments from the Naughty'isms Stamp Set, then added some twine - with a cute, little bell! A few, little white sparkles finish off the card nicely! 

If you can't handle the excitement, you don't have to wait until the end of the week to see all of the new sets. Head on over to CAS-ual Fridays Stamps and have a little sneak at the New Releases. 

CAS-ual Fridays New Releases: Merry Christmas Fri-Dies & Happy Hanukkah Fri-Dies

It's time for more of the brand new releases from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. If you haven't been to visit the CAS-ual Fridays Blog, then you are missing out on some inspirational projects - and some amazing prizes!

Next in the fantastic new releases are the Merry Christmas Fri-Dies & Happy Hanukkah Fri-Dies. I love the font on these dies. It's so pretty and the sentiments turn even the most basic cards into something really special!

For the first of my cards, I've used the Merry Christmas Fri-Dies to create a cut-out sentiment in some cardstock (it reminds me a little bit of a blizzard!) and then backed it with some Rinea Gold Foiled Paper. It so shiny!

I left a little strip of the Gold Foil on show at the top edge, then layered some more cardstock behind it, to add some colour. Finally, I added some cute little heart stickers that have been in my stash *forever* and I'm so happy that I waited for that one 'Perfect Project' to use them on!

My second card shows how fantastic the dies look with even the most basic techniques! I used some matt black cardstock, backed with Rinea Gold Foiled Paper to set off the Happy Hanukkah die, then mounted it onto a white card base. The addition of some black, shiny sequins and a few little sparkly dots finished it off wonderfully!

If you can't handle the excitement, you don't have to wait until the end of the week to see all of the new sets. Head on over to CAS-ual Fridays Stamps and have a little sneak at the New Releases. 

Killing Kits: Mix & Match Cards

Hello lovelies! It's time for a new video for the Killing Kits Series and today, I've used the leftovers from my Wild Hare Kit from May 2018. It was full cardstock and embellishments from the Be You Collection by Pinkfresh Studios and I didn't have a lot of it left!

I've made the most of all my little leftovers by combining them with the Chevron Mat Die from Avery Elle, but it's really easy to adapt my 'mix and match' method - and, as a bonus, you could use up some extra washi, ribbon or trim!

Please feel free to leave comments here, on YouTube, or find me over in the Counterfeit Kit Facebook Community. I would love to hear from you!

CAS-ual Fridays New Releases: Mistletoe Fri-Dies

It's Day 3 of the brand new releases from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. Over on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog, we're sharing all of the new releases, along with some inspirational projects from the Ink Squad!

Our next release is the Mistletoe Fri-Dies, which co-ordinate with the 'old favourite', Mistletoe & Holly Stamp Set.

This is such a lovely little illustration and, happily, it's really easy to combine the stamp and the die, so no need for fussy-cutting! Fussy cutting really is not my favourite! 

First I embossed the mistletoe onto some white cardstock, then coloured it with some of my favourite watercolours. It's a new technique for me, but I am starting to enjoy the way that the colours combine. Whilst the mistletoe dried, I used the same watercolours to create a wash, then used that to back a section of my teeny, tiny card.

Inside the card, I've stamped the 'Merry Kiss-Mas' sentiment.

Finally, I mounted the mistletoe to the front of the card and added some little sequins!

If you can't handle the excitement, you don't have to wait until the end of the week to see all of the new sets. Head on over to CAS-ual Fridays Stamps and have a little sneak at the New Releases. 

CAS-ual Fridays New Releases: Dashing Stamp Set & Snow Fri-Dies

The second of the brand new releases from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. Over on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog, we're sharing all of the new releases, along with some inspirational projects from the Ink Squad!

Next up, the new Dashing Stamps and coordinated Snow Fri-Dies. I know that I'll have lots of fun with these sets - I love how the sentiments in the stamp set combine - and can't wait to use them in my December Daily album!

Inspired by the idea of falling snow, I used a few different shades of blue watercolours, to create a splattered effect on some cardstock. Then, once the watercolours had dried, I added an embossed sentiment in a silver tone, to create a little shine! 

If you can't handle the excitement, you don't have to wait until the end of the week to see all of the new sets. Head on over to CAS-ual Fridays Stamps and have a little sneak at the New Releases. 

CAS-ual Fridays New Releases: Big Hope Fri-Die

It's time for the brand new releases from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps - and I'm so excited to share them! Over the next few days, we'll share all of the new releases over on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog, along with some amazing projects from the Ink Squad!

The first of the New Releases is the Big Hope Fri-Die. I love this die so, so much. It's such a beautiful sentiment that I wanted to make sure that it was the focus of my card, so I went with a classic colour combination and a 'chilled out' easy, layered look. 

To make the sentiment stand out a little more, I cut the die three times, then layered it to create a bit of extra dimension. A few little sequins finished off the card nicely!

If you can't handle the excitement, you don't have to wait until the end of the week to see all of the new sets. Head on over to CAS-ual Fridays Stamps and have a little sneak at the New Releases. 

Killing Kits: Stitched Backgrounds

Hello lovelies! I'm back with a new video for the Killing Kits Series and today, it's a little short and sweet (because I lost the last little bit of video!) But, better short and sweet, than not here at all!

I've used the leftovers from the 'Rose Garden' Counterfeit Kit that I made in October 2011. It was, and still is, one of my favourite Counterfeit Kits and I must have wanted to save every last bit of it. I can't remember exactly why I decided to reduce it all down to little squares but, since I've been known to make a 'Patchwork' or two before, I can only assume that I believed I'd make one a little sooner :)

I must have, at some time, added to these leftovers with some from other kits - as there's Basic Grey and, what looks like at least one other kit (that I don't remember) in here too!

I'm afraid that the video doesn't include the machine stitch, as I lost this little bit in the edit, but the main idea is there - and, hopefully, it's one that you may decide to use on your own projects!

Please feel free to leave comments here, on YouTube, or find me over in the Counterfeit Kit Facebook Community. I would love to hear from you!

Washi Storage Ring Tutorial

I'm back on the Casual Fridays Blog today, with a tutorial for all of those washi hoarders! It can't only be me, can it? 

I have a lot of washi and, to make matters worse, I like to swap washi samples with all of my 'Happy Mail' friends! I love that I have such a wide selection to choose from when I sit down to create. But, I've not been happy with how I store all of those mis-matched samples, so I decided to make my Bubble Box Fri-dies work a little bit harder. Why limit yourself to cards, eh? 

Head on over to the Casual Fridays Blog for the tutorial and remember that you can use my code, CLAIRSENTME, in the Casual Fridays Store, for 15% off anything in store at any time.

Little Love Card

Hello! Hello! I'm back with a 'Little Love Card' for CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. At the end of each craft session, I like to make sure that my desk is clean and today (I know, I know!) and ready for the next session. But, isn't it more fun to use all of those little leftovers, than to sort them and stash them away?

I like to use them on smaller, 3x3 sized cards, and often use this basic idea to make several cards in advance - stamping, and adding, the sentiment, whenever I need a quick card. Here I've used Tin Roof* as a base, then I've added little sections of cardstock in a similar colour scheme to the bottom of the card. Then, I added a bit of machine stitching for some texture. It's like my signature move ;)

For my sentiment, I used a favourite from Bushy Tailed. I love little sentiments that are suitable for several occasions - and this set is so versatile. To finish, I added one of my beloved enamel dots. All done!

* Tin Roof and a some of our other, older sets are soon to retire. Head on over to see the Retiring Sets and buy them before stocks run out. You can use the code CLAIRSENTME at any time, for a 15% discount! 

Wild Hare Kits: October 2018 Kit Reveal

Yay! It's kit reveal day at The Wild Hare Kits and my new Petite Kit is exactly what I need to make a start on some new ideas - combined with some old stash!

You can request your own custom kit, by completing the Style Profile. There's no monthly commitment, so it won't hurt to try!

Geek Girl Layout

Sneaking in one last, little layout made with last month's kit from The Wild Hare Kits before we reveal our new kits tomorrow.

I found this lovely notebook at Wilko and decided to start an 'old school' scrapbook for some of my current favourites. I loved the splatter effect in the notebook and chose colours to work with them - isn't the epoxy flare beautiful?

Absolutely adored this kit, but can't wait to share my new kit tomorrow! 💕

Happy Mail (Killing Kits Series)

Hello lovelies! It's Clair with the latest video in the Killing Kits Series and today, I'm sharing some 'Happy Mail' that I made with the last little bits of my 'Field Notes' Counterfeit Kit from September 2017.

I'm actually a little sorry to have finished this kit. It was one of my all time favourites! Do you have a favourite? Have you kept little bits of it around to look at wistfully? Let me know, okay? It would be nice to know I'm not alone!!!

Please feel free to leave comments here, on YouTube, or find me over in the Counterfeit Kit Facebook Community. I would love to hear from you!

'The Best Of The Best' Card

Hello lovelies! I'm back with my usual 'end of the month card' that I've made with the last little bits of my Wild Hare Kit! I loved the selection of cardstocks from Amy Tan's 'Shine On' collection that were included in my Deluxe Kit for September, but I still had a fairly substantial section of the 'Three Sides' cardstock leftover from earlier layouts - and I wanted to use it! (If I file the last bits of my kit away, it could be a really long time before they come back our for my Killing Kits Series!)

I combined the cardstock with my own Chevron Mat Die from Avery Elle to 'tone down' the cardstock a little and leave me with an area for embellishment. I love how the cardstock 'shines' out from behind the die-cut. I made a little bow from the same cardstock. I decided where I wanted the bow to sit, then chose one of the small phrase stamps from the Heidi Swapp 'Hawthorne' set that was included with my kit - it's a really versatile set!

Once I'd added the sentiment and adhered the bow, I finished the card off with some enamel dots from the Simple and Sweet collection by Pinkfresh Studios. I love the little bit of colour that it adds!  

'Last Minute' Cards & Process Video

Hello lovelies! I'm on the CAS-ual Fridays Blog today with a tutorial for an easy way to make last minute cards, without too much time, effort or mess!

You can make these in a few minutes and it's easy to 'batch make' the bases (so all that's needed later on is the sentiment.) Use different colours and/or sentiments to vary the look! The tutorial covers basic blends and my method for 'sectioning off' areas of the card base!

You can use my discount code CLAIRSENTME in the CAS-ual Fridays Store at anytime, for a 15% discount! Enjoy!

Best Birthday Layout

This month The Wild Hare Kits DT at have chosen another member of the DT to scraplift - it's such a fun way to find out more about each other and learn to appreciate new styles! I lifted a lovely layout by Kelly Barron. There were a lot to choose from, as I love Kelly's style - and it seems that we share a love of stitches on our layouts!

Of course, my layout does look a little bit different. Kelly works in 12x12, while I've moved to 8.5x11. This means that I've clustered all of Kelly's elements into the centre, and I've had to add some extras at the base, and across the top, of my layout to make sure it balances well. 

I loved the Heidi Swapp Hawthorne Stamp Set that was included in my Wild Hare Kit this month - and used one of the smaller sentiments on my layout. It's semi-circular but, because it's thin, it's fairly flexible and I was able to 'straighten' it for a different look!

One of my favourite elements on the finished layout is the little row of enamel dots, mirroring Kelly's row of hearts. I normally use them in clusters (like those spread across the layout) but I think I've found a new way to add more of them to my projects!

All The Feels Layout

I *think* this may be my favourite make of 2018. When I filled out my Style Profile for this month's Wild Hare Kit, I had absolutely no idea that I would end up scrapping a wedding. It really wasn't on my radar. I had no idea what I wanted to work on, so I asked for a versatile kit - one that would work for cards, layouts and other craftiness - and that's exactly what I received. (You can see my Wild Hare Kits: September 2018 Kit Reveal on my YouTube Channel.) 

I adored all of the black and white elements in my kit; a lovely mix of cardstocks from Amy Tan's 'Shine On' collection, Project Life cards, Simple Stories washi and, of course, the beautiful (exclusive) sequin mix from Spiegelmom Scraps. 

Basing the layout on this month's sketch, I had tried several of the Project Life cards with a different photograph. But, I didn't like the colour combination and I wanted to 'lift' the layout a little. Then I found this photograph of my nephew and his lovely bride, taken at their wedding in April 2017, and I knew I was 'onto a winner'.

Once the main area of the layout was completed (it did take a little while to make sure the idea of that sequin section worked well!) I moved on to embellishment. First I added a little extra embellishment to the sequin section, with an Epoxy Badge from the Simple and Sweet collection by Pinkfresh Studios. I love the little bit of colour and how it brings out the shimmer in the sequins. I then added extra detail with a little stamp from the Heidi Swapp 'Hawthorne' set, and set it off with a few enamel dots that are also from the Simple and Sweet collection.

I added the date of the wedding, with the Hawthorne set (so, so versatile!) and then used some of the 'Shine On' cardstock to make a little bow detail above the date. At the base of the layout I added a section of washi from Simple Stories, with two score lines above for a bit of extra detail. 

I'm so thrilled with my (unintended) layout!