Favourites of the Year 2018

Almost the end of another year, so time for my look back at favourite makes of the year. One thing I did realise while looking back through my makes is that I made very few stamped cards this year, most were die cut or stencils. And I made far more Christmas cards than any other. In each of my selections, I've linked to the original blog post for more info.So, in no particular order, let's start.

One technique I really enjoyed was  adding foil to stencil paste with my laminator, and these Bauble cards, using a stencil called Damask Baubles, by Sweet Poppy, really made great use of the technique.

More foiling, and most of these were done using Tim Holtz layering stencils to apply the paste through. Not used many yet, but they will make great fast cards, as the background is so striking, all they really need is adding to a card base and a sentiment.

 Die cutting this time, and the die is a Tim Holtz Thinlits one, called  Butterflies. You get two different shaped butterflies in it,which come as a solid shape and an overlay. I  also used either a textured cardstock, or ran it through an embossing folder first. Again, nice and simple, and just need a sentiment to finish.











 One of my few stamped cards, using a Honey Doo stamp called Floral Corner Flourish, with the flowers stamped again onto white pearl paper, then layered on top.

















 This was one of my favourite Christmas cards, although die cutting & punching out all those snowflakes was ridiculously messy! I did  a few in either blue/white/silver, or white & silver.

This easel card was made for my DIL's birthday, and the majority of the colouring was done with Prismacolor pencils, which I admit have finally turned me into someone who enjoys colouring. Still struggling with the Promarkers, though! The sentiment was cut from a sheet of card I'd swiped stencil paste over, then laminated with some holographic foil.

Some more stamping appearing, these used mainly cardio stamps, and various Bauble stencils to ink & stamp through.

This technique, for using up card scraps by cutting into strips and sticking down onto paper/card, I learnt about from Jennifer Macguire, and had a lot of fun with.
 There are a few posts about these, so I'll link them HERE, HERE and HERE.

 
These were some more quick die cut cards, using glitter card, and a few different overlay dies with a die cut sentiment.

 Back to Christmas, and stamping. I'd made loads of cards, so for this Christmas Card Club challenge, I made tags. Really easy, and a great way to use those smaller stamps in a set, or stamps such as Card-io/Majestix.

And that leads me to my final favourite of the year, which I've never blogged. As WOYWWers know, this years crop had a very special guest, our own lovely ShazinOz. 
I thought it would be nice for her to have a keepsake of her visit,and wanted to do a photo triptych, but being mindful of the weight going in her luggage, I made a photo frame using photo mount inserts, covered in a silvery paper stamped with a flower stamp and heat embossed in a sparkly embossing powder.I added some acetate behind the panels, and added a back afterwards, leaving room to insert the pictures. I made a panel with the WOYWW in, plus the date & place, then added a group photo taken on the day, and an older one from a previous crop of Julia & Jan together, as Julia couldn't be with us for this one. Finishing touch was some Tim Holtz  corners, for protection.

So thats my round up of the year, I think my New Years Resolution must be to do more stamping!