Q is for Quick & Easy - or not!

This week's ABC Christmas Challenge is Q for Quick & Easy.  A sketch is provided and the optional extra challenge is to make more than 1 card using the sketch.  I love this sketch, but every time I try making a card with a grid system on it I measure, I cut, I lay out my DP and find that somehow my carefully cut and measured pieces aren't level and the tiny differences really irritate me!  So this is not a quick card for me:).

It was a great one to try out my Katzelcraft stamp which I think will be a good one for Christmas cards, so I stamped it with Versafine black on a piece of Glimmer Misted cardstock.  There's a bit of glitter added to the flourishes using a glue pen.  I mounted it on mirricard (how do you photograph mirricard without all the reflections?LOL) and used metallic DP from Craftwork Cards for the background.  The sentiment is also from Craftwork Cards and the gems are Hero Arts. 

I may have another go at this challenge using something else to mark the divisions, maybe thin ribbon.  In the meantime, it's another card ready for December:).

More Craft Barn purchases

Here's another quick card heavily influenced by my jolly to the Craft Barn :). I've made my image into a sort-of oval shape by adding a Nellie Snellen frame behind the main image, so it fits the lovely sketch by Bev at Create4Fun Challenge this week.

Stamp is Katzelcraft by Beatrice Neumeister and all backgrounds have Distress Ink on them, no patterned papers used. The two die shapes were new purchases at Craft Barn, as was the sentiment stamp (Personal Impressions). The gold edging is Brilliance Gold reinker, used from the bottle onto my craft sheet (thanks Beatrice! Another great tip). Really the only existing stash is the lovely organza ribbon with autumn leaves printed on it, which is almost completely obscured by the image and sentiment! Oh, gems are Hobby House from my stash too:).