Direct to Paper Background

The Group of Cardmakers are playing with the "direct to paper" inking technique.  It made a wonderful background that I used for this card.

I followed the instructions for the second technique in this video to create the background.  I used three different blue Distress inks and blended them a bit more than Kristina did in the video.  Then splattered with white ink.  Instead of stamping on it like Kristina did, I die cut the trees and the sentiment.  Both were die cut twice and glued together to give more dimension.

Take a look at what else the Group of Cardmakers made, and if you're inspired, give the technique a try.

Supplies:
Ink - 3 different blue Distress inks
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Tim Holtz tree die, Penny Black winter cheer die, Dr. Phil Martin's Bleedproof White Ink

A Bird and a Birthday

For the Christmas Kickstart Challenge "Season's Tweetings", I used an image where it looks like the birds are tweeting at each other!  It's also going to Triple B "Birds, Blooms, or Butterflies" and to Rudolph Days "Anything Christmas".

Stamped and watercoloured with some Distress Antique Linen sponged around the edges and some glitter added to the snow on the branches.

And then a birthday card for my nephew for AAA Birthday "Anything Birthday Goes" and Inkspirational "For the Guys".

I die cut the globe out of a piece of cs sprayed with Lindy's sprays, then rubbed Versamark over it and heat embossed with UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel).  I added it to a background lightly sponged with blue where the globe is and a bit of Antique Linen around the edge.  It's then layred on a script dp and a sentiment added to the top.

   

  

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Nellie Snellen birds and musical score, Hero Arts sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Antique Linen
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, glitter

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - unknown happy birthday
Ink - Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - white cs, script dp
Size - A2
Accessories - Lindy's brown spray, globe die, UTEE

Musical Snow and a Simple Robin

Four challenges inspired this card - Time Out "Music" , Jingle Belles "Snow", Allsorts "Monochromatic", and Colorful Options "Black and White".

I made a background of snowflakes with silver glitter paste, a snowflake stencil, and black cs.  Trimmed it and added it to a white cardbase.  Die cut the snowflake / music score twice out of white cs and glued them together for more substance.  Stamped "let it snow" on a scrap of black cs, heat embossed in white, then rubbed ink around the edges and heat embossed the edges in white.

Christmas Kickstart "Seasons Tweetings", Simply CAS "Things that Fly", Sweet Stampin' "Things with Wings", Try It On Tuesday "Keep It Simple", and ABC Christmas Challenge "J is for Just Enough (Clean and Simple) - all inspired this card.

I stamped and watercoloured the image, and trimmed the panel into a square. Then using the SSS thin circle frame, I cut a thin circle out of my square. With the same die, I cut a thin circle frame out of red cs and inserted it into the gap in the square.

   

    

   

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Art Impressions sentiment
Ink - ColorBox white
Paper - white and black cs
Size - A2
Accessories - SSS Jingle Snowflakes die, white embossing powder, silver glitter paste, Paper Rose snowflake stencil

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Nellie Snellen bird, Penny Black sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, red and off white cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - watercolour paints, SSS thin circle frame

Mice with Presents

I pulled out some not-yet-used stamps after being inspired by the mice with Christmas presents in the bottom left image of the new Peace on Earth mood board.  I've got three mice with presents and a similar colour scheme to the image.

I stamped the two images and coloured them with coloured pencils.  Then on another piece of cs, I stamped the sentiment, cut two square openings, and trimmed it with a wonky stitched rectangle die.  I popped this layer up over the stamped images.

It's also getting linked up with Sparkles Christmas Challenge "Gifts" , We Love Stamping "All Creatures Great and Small", and Stamping Sensations "Cute Creatures".

Here's the Peace on Earth mood board that inspired me.  Be sure to check out what the rest of our Design Team created and then come and join us!

  

Supplies:
Stamps - Penny Black
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - off white and kraft cs
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, Spellbinders square die, MFT wonky stitched rectangle die

Black and White Horses with Red Hats, and a Red Cardinal on Blue

Two Christmas cards to get into some challenges at the last minute!

ABC Christmas Challenge "H is for Hats", Colorful Options "Black and White with a Pop of Color", and Sweet Stampin' "Christmas in April":

Stamped in black, the hats coloured with a red marker, fun flock added to the brims and pompom, a bit of glitter on the top of the fence, trimmed with a stitched rectangle die, and a red border. 

For Cut It Up "Something with Wings":

I stamped and watercoloured the cardinal, then cut it out with the matching die.  Stamped the sentiment and cut it with a stitched banner die.  Added both to a snowy dps.

      

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Impression Obsession horses, PB sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white and red cs
Size - A2
Accessories - red marker, fun flock, glitter, Lil Inkers stitched rectangle die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Local King Rubber
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs, snowy dp
Size - A2
Accessories - Local King matching die, stitched banner die

Robin and Tea

A couple of quick CAS cards today.

For Shopping Our Stash "Up, Up, and Away" (something you'd see in the sky) and Can You Handle the Pressure (anything goes as long as there's an embossing folder).

The robin is stamped, watercoloured, and fussy cut. Then set inside the little joy frame die, and added to an embossed holly background. For the Double D challenge "Tea or Coffee".   Tea is my beverage of choice. My best friend and I get together for tea a lot. So I'll send this to her as a little hello. Very CAS - stamped, heat embossed in copper, bordered with copper shimmer cs, and popped up on fun foam.

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Stampworks Sheena Douglas robin
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, gold cs, white cs
Size - 5" square
Accessories - Memory Box joy die, watercolour paints, Sizzix holly embossing folder

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Hampton Art
Ink - ColorBox copper
Paper - copper shimmer and white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - copper embossing powder, Spellbinders rectangle dies, fun foam