Beat the Christmas Rush - the March edition

A little bit late but here are my cards for Beat the Christmas Rush - if you would like to join in and get organised for Christmas by having a nice stack of cards made ahead, then feel free to join in.  All you have to do is make a few cards (I aim for at least five cards each month) and then link them here so that everyone can take a look and we can share inspiration.

For this month's cards I used a die that I bought last year and to my shame never got round to using.  I am so glad that I have now dug it out and used it as it is lovely and I will definitely be making more cards using it - I am thinking blue and silver for my next cards.

The dies are Thinlets by Stampin' Up and are called Delicate Ornaments, there is also a matching set of stamps that I haven't used yet - maybe I will use those next month!!

The papers are some that came free with a magazine and should have been for making Christmas Crackers with, but they are perfect for cards.  The top layer is cut with SU Cherry Cobbler and the bottom layer is various gold and mirri cardstock from my stash.

The sentiment is by Lili of the Valley and the bows are ones that I have rescued from shop bought cards.

I can't add a linky tool at the moment so if you do join in please leave a comment and I will come and see what cards you have made.

Negative Die Cut Cards - 52 cards challenge (week 16)

The great thing about the 52 cards challenge is that it is getting me trying out techniques that I haven't tried before.  Week 16 was to use negative die cuts - the bit that usually we would discard after cutting out a shape.

I cut out snowflakes for my Christmas card using a set of Spellbinder dies and raised the piece of cardstock up with foam pads over the top of some patterned paper.  I then decorated with gold peel offs.

For my other cards I used a set of Stampin' Up stamps (Apothecary Art) that have a matching set of Sizzix Framelits.

I coloured the stamped image using SU markers in Rose Red, Old Olive and More Mustard.  I raised up the negative die cut with foam pads so that it sat over the top of the stamped image.  The stamped flowers around the edge of the die cut are flowers from Elements of Style coloured using the same marker colours, fussy cut and raised up using pinflair gel.  I made another two with different greetings.