Vintage Birds and Holly

I am not that good at the full-blown vintage style of cardmaking, but I do love vintage images.  I bought this one a while back but only just inked it up for the first time.

It's stamped, watercoloured, trimmed, and mounted on a holly embossed background.   Nothing complicated as I wanted the image to have pride of place.

Because of its vintage look, I'm entering it at A Vintage Journey where their current challenge is Holly Jolly Christmas.


Please check back tomorrow as I'm planning to list 10 cards that are the ones I'm most happy with from 2019.

Supplies:
Stamps - Crafty Individuals
Ink - Versfine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, cream cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, holly embossing folder

Poinsettia Day

Thanks to the wonderful Mac (Sweetest of Peas), I've discovered a new challenge, Day of the Month.  Not only do you get to enter, but you also get to vote on your three favourites of the entries - a fun twist on a challenge.

The current challenge is Poinsettia Day.

I used a stamp I've had for ages from a Vancouver stamp company, Local King.  I also inked it up with their markers, using the technique they demonstrate in this video (go to around 4:50 in the video).

I stamped a pale background in Adirondack Lake Mist on glossy cs with the poinsettia stamp and a small text stamp.  Then inked up the poinsettia stamp by randomly swiping the markers over it.  Trimmed it, bordered with a scrap of copper cs, and popped it up on fun foam on a red card base.

Looking forward to seeing what "days" this challenge comes up with next year!

Supplies:
Stamps - Local King Rubber Stamp Co.
Ink - Adirondack Lake Mist
Paper - glossy cs, red and copper cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Local King markers, fun foam

Glitter Everywhere

I got together with Loll and Christine to play with glitter a bit before Christmas.  Loll wanted to try Jennifer Maguire's glitter stenciling technique seen in this video.

So for this first card that's the technique I used:

I used a holly stencil, inked it up on the back with Versamark (to make it easier to get it off the double-sided tape - despite JM saying they are easy to peel off, they are not, so use the Versamark!), and laid it over a piece of cs that I'd covered with double-sided adhesive.  I added green glitter through all the openings, tapped off the excess, and then brushed off the remaining excess with a make-up brush.  After removing the stencil, I added silver glitter for the background.

I was going to make two very CAS cards out of it but ended up using both sections, bordered with the same holly die cut, as I wanted the sentiment to say "holly jolly".  When I tried to squish both die cut words into one of the frames, it looked too crowded so decided to add both frames to one card.  Not as CAS as I'd like, but I had to get the card mailed so left it!


Christine then wanted to try doing glitter with die cuts, so I made this card:

I put double sided tape on a piece of cs, and, leaving the release paper in place, I die cut the trees.  I peeled off only the sky part of the release paper from the die cut and added blue glitter, then tried to carefully brush off all the excess (but didn't quite succeed as you can see from the specks of blue in the white trees).  I then peeled off the rest of the release paper and added clear sparkly glitter to the trees.

Trimmed it down, put fun foam on the back, and added it to a shimmery cs base.  I smudged the sentiment when I stamped it directly to the card base, so redid it and cut it out with a label die.

One thing we quickly learned from a couple of failed attempts was that you need to have a strong contrast between the glitter colours.

Loll's craft room was sparkling all over!!  As were we!  And probably even our dogs as we got together for a doggy play date as well as a bit of crafting.

I'm entering the first one in the Christmas Kickstart Challenge "Last Minute Madness" as these really were last minute cards! 

And in the ABC Christmas Card Challenge "Y is for Yuletide" as I think of holly as a typical yule symbol.
 

Supplies for card 1:
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Poppy Stamps Holly Vine Frame die, Penny Black Holly Jolly dies, green and silver glitter

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black sentiment
Ink - ColorBox Blue
Paper - white cs, white shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Memory Box Evergreen Window die, blue and clear sparkle glitter, clear embossing powder, Spellbinders label die, fun foam

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

This week's SCS CAS challenge is asking for a card relating to our Christmas Eve traditions.  I love to sit by the fire and listen to beautiful Christmas carols, especially those by fabulous choirs like Kings College, Cambridge.

Here's a You Tube video of them performing Hark the Herald Angels Sing to put you in the mood of this card:

 

You might not be able to see it, but this stamp has the words "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" written across the top.

I used a snippet of Yupo coloured with blue alcohol inks from my box of backgrounds. With the stamp in my MISTI so it wouldn't smudge on the Yupo, I used black pigment ink and clear embossing powder.

Trimmed the image, bordered with a scrap of slightly shiny black cs, and popped it up on a shimmery white card base.

I'm linking it up at the following challenges:

Snippets Pixie's Playground (I used snippets of background and black cs from my leftovers)

52 Christmas Cards Throwdown (use a previous 2019 challenge - I used both May's Theme Challenge "Choral" and January's Technique Challenge "Heat Embossing") 

Christmas Kickstart Challenge "Last Minute Madness" - making a card on Dec. 24th is definitely last minute!

Supplies:
Stamps - Deep Red
Ink - various blue alcohol inks, Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white shimmer cs, black cs, Yupo
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - clear embossing powder, fun foam

Back to Christmas

I'm back to Christmas cards today.

First up, for the Addicted to CAS "Tree" challenge:

Stamped, watercoloured (including a shiny copper watercolour paint for the stars), trimmed with a wonky stitched rectangle die), bordered with copper cs, and added to a base made of a rustic cardstock flecked with copper.


Next up, for Christmas Cards All Year Round "Santa".  I did two slightly different versions.

I watercoloured the stamped image, changing the colours of the sleigh and house in the two versions.  I used two different sentiments and two different border treatments.  To both cards, I added glitter to the snow line, tree, rooftop, and the trim on Santa's robe.  I went over the snowflakes with a Stardust gel pen.

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Jofy tree
Ink - Archival Potting Soil
Paper - watercolour paper, copper cs, natural copper flecked cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, copper watercolour paint, MFT wonky stitched rectangle die

Supplies for card 2 & 3:
Stamps - unknown Santa stamp, A Muse sentiment on card 1
Ink - Archival Jet Black
Paper - watercolour paper; white, red, and gold cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, glitter, Stardust gel pen

Flowers Instead of Christmas

I was inspired by a couple of challenges to make flowery cards instead of Christmas cards!  (Though I do need more Christmas cards!)

First up, Penny Black and More "Flowers All Over" - flowers as the predominant focal element of the card.  I have a friend with an early January birthday and tulips are her favourite flower so it's good to get her card made well before the busy holiday period.

I inked up the tulips in my MISTI with mini Distress inks, then spritzed lightly with water, and stamped onto watercolour paper - I repeated until I was happy with the results.

I used a matching green cardbase, a white heat embossed sentiment on black, and added a scattering of pearls.


Second up, The Flower Challenge "Use a Die".   I needed a card to send off to one of my sisters who's going through a rough time.

I recently bought the Altenew Peony Bouquet stamp and die set after looking at it for a few years.

This is my first time using it. I actually layered three stamps so got a nice variation of colour.

I used the matching die cuts and taped the leaves flat to the cs and popped the flower up on foam tape.

A simple sentiment and three sequins finish it off.

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Penny Black tulips, Chocolate Baroque sentiment
Ink - various small Distress inks, ColorBox white
Paper - black and green cs, watercolour paper
Size - A2
Accessories - white embossing powder, pearls, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Altenew Peony Bouquet, PTI sentiment
Ink - various greens, pinks, and red Distress ink
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Altenew peony dies, Lil Inker stitched rectangle die, foam tape, white sequins

Bethlehem or Jerusalem?

A quick card for the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge "The Christmas Story" - something related to the reason for Christmas.

I did a card depicting the City of David:

I was confused as to whether it is Bethlehem or Jerusalem that is known as the City of David, so being a retired librarian, I had to look it up.  Apparently the Bible refers to both those cities as the City of David - Bethlehem because David came from there, and Jerusalem because David conquered it.  David was one of the early Israelite kings.  So there's your history / trivia lesson for the day!!

I stamped and heat embossed the city and sentiment stamp in black.  I die cut a Christmas star and some regular stars out of gold shimmer cs, bordered with the same cs, and added it to a white card base.

This will be for a friend of mine who is far more religious than me and always appreciates a card that depicts a more religious theme.

Supplies:
Stamps - old unmounted stamp - anyone know the make?
Ink - Versfine Onyx black
Paper - gold shimmer and white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Memory Box Star of Wonder die, small star dies, clear embossing powder

One Christmas Card and One Birthday Card

I'm sorry to have been so missing in action.  I was crazy busy getting ready for my fundraiser where I sell cards and shortbread to make money to donate to the therapeutic riding where I volunteer - I made many many batches of shortbread (and even so, sold out!).  And most of the Christmas cards made by myself (and those donated by Loll, Christine, and Trina - so grateful for their generosity) also sold.  I needed a week off after that!

But now I want to get a post done for a couple of challenges that are ending soon.

First up a Christmas card for 52 Christmas Card Throwdown's Technique Challenge "Watercolour":

 

I stamped the image in brown archival ink and watercoloured it. I did a blue wash around it and added glitter to the snow on the berries and branch. I used shimmery copper cs for the base and die cut sentiment. The panel is popped up on fun foam for dimension. 

On to the birthday card, for Seize the Birthday "A Touch of Red":

 

I inked up the raised parts of an embossing folder with Versamark and used it to emboss watercolour paper.  I then added a clear sparkly embossing powder.  Using red watercolour paints, I watercoloured the flowers and buds.  I then bordered with red cs and popped it up on the card base.  I added two little flower embellishments on each side of the sentiment.

Be back soon with more Christmas cards!

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Stampendous bird
Ink - Archival Potting Soil
Paper - watercolour paper, copper shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Gansai Tambi watercolour paints, glitter, small noel die, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Memory Box sentiment
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark
Paper - watercolour paper, red and cream cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Darice embossing folder, sparkly embossing powder, watercolour paints, small flower embellishments, fun foam