World Of Michael Trent

  Hello everyone and welcome to the January 2023 edition of The Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas.  If this is not your first time here, thanks for stopping by again.  But, if this is your first time here, on the 25th of each month, the Crafty Elves - me (World of Michael Trent), Debra ( Meticulosity ), Lisa ( Life of a BZScrapper ), and Misty ( The Jolly Fat Elf ) - post ideas and creations to help spark or and inspire your Christmas and Holiday cardmaking.   And this year, 2023, we are kicking it off in style with our first Guest Crafty Elf - Chris Franco ( Stamped Blessings ) - who is a good friend of Debra's and she's a Close To My Heart Consultant (CTMH) consultant.  When I lived in the states I loved CTMH stamps and I moved here with a boatload of sets.  I still miss getting the new CTMH catalog, brewing a cuppa Joe, and slowly going thru it, folding down the corner of pages that had stamps I wanted to buy.  And, for today's post, I decid...

  Hello all and welcome to a new "Woodblock Wednesday" - the perfect day of the week to make a card using woodblock stamps that have not been used in some time - or at all.   This week I am using two woodblock stamps I found the other day while "organizing".  A background stamp - Envelope Pattern ( Hero Arts ) and Holly Collage ( Memory Box ).  Both are long retired but, if you wish to recreate this card, I hope you have something in your own stash you can use.   My goal is to hopefully inspire you to make something from what I made.   Let's get started... I made an A2 card using a red cardstock in my stash.  I love it because it has a light watermark pattern on it.  Not that much will be seen.  I also wanted some shimmer so I grabbed my set of Starry Colors Gansai Tambi paints, my Mini Mister of H2O, small brush, and I splattered on some of the White Gold ink.   I also adhered a piece of white cardstock to the insid...

  Hello everyone and Happy Sunday.  Today is my 2nd Hanukkah/Chanukah card using the Glass Effects (S4-451) die from Spellbinders.  Although it's retired, you can still find it online.  This past Thursday I posted THIS Hanukkah/Chanukah card on my blog and IG in which I used the die with the  Team Tie-Dye paper from Honey Bee Stamps .  I only used the inside pieces of the die, not the outer border part. But I will use it now, for today's card.  I started by trimming the Glass Effects piece to 4" x 5.25", which I layered on a piece of white cardstock and I adhered a piece of fun foam behind this - to give a raised effect - but you can also use foam tape.  Then I die-cut a piece of white cardstock using a stitched rectangle die for the inside of the card.  And I made a top-folding A2 card using navy cardstock. I adhered the white cardstock to the inside of the card.  Then I adhered the Glass Effect piece to the card front.  OK, ...

  Hey everyone.  One of the things I want to really focus on this year is to make more holiday cards and to participate in some card sketch challenges.  I have major issues with "card sketches" and there is no better way to get over that fear other than to take part in them.  So, to kick off the New Year, I am playing along with the {BYSHC} Sketch Challenge 29, which has been extended thru January 31, 2023.   Here is the sketch -  And, if you want to play along, you can check out all the info over on the {BYSH) Cardmakers Blog (that's Build Your Own Stash).  Just remember, entries must be added to the challenge album in the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Facebook Group to be eligible for a prize.  The winner will be chosen randomly from the entries and will be announced in the Facebook group.   For my card, I used the Leaves & Berries stamp from Technique Junkies , which I also used on THIS card the other day.  I h...