Aqua and Silver

As soon as I saw the Peace on Earth mood board (see at end of post), I was drawn to the bottom right image of the aqua-coloured ornaments with some silver in the background.  Here's my card:

I die cut the ornament three times, once out of aqua glitter cs and twice out of scrap cs.  I glued them together, threaded both aqua bakers twine and silver cord through the hole, then glued it to a silver matte card base.  I die cut the sentiment and glued it to the card base.

We'd love to have you join us with either a card inspired by the mood board or an "anything Christmas" card.  There's lots more inspiration from the Design Team over at Peace on Earth.  Here's our mood board:

Supplies:
Paper - silver matte cs, aqua glitter cs
Size - A2
Accessories - ornament die, Essentials by Ellen sentiment die, aqua bakers twine, silver cord

Muted Blues and Greys

I've got three cards today, all in muted blues and greys.

For Double D "Butterfly", Triple B "Birds, Bees, or Butterflies", and Stamping Sensations "Birds, Bees, or Butterflies", I messed around with some mixed media:

I stuck random bits of Tim Holtz rice paper on a piece of white cs, added a bit of gesso, went over some sections of a harlequin stencil with molding paste, stamped with music, text, and splat stamps in grey on a few random places.  Then trimmed the panel and edged it with a black marker.  I stamped teh butterflies in grey, fussy cut them, and edged them with the black marker and popped them up on the card.

Still in the grey colour scheme, I did a variation on a card I made a while back.  This time it's for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge "Let's Wreath It Up" and the Cut It Up Challenge "Anything Goes with a Die Cut".

Using a brick wall stencil, I went over it with a rough mixture of black, copper, and white embossing paste. It came out way too dark and too shiny so I then sponged white gesso over it to lighten it and dull it down a bit. I also splattered a bit of the white gesso on it and then trimmed it with a square die. Trimmed it with a square die and popped it up on the card base with fun foam.  I die cut the wreath twice out of scrap cs and once out of off white shimmer cs, glued them together and added it to the brick wall.  I added a sentiment (die cut with a narrow banner die) over the centre of the wreath.

The new Sparkles Christmas Challenge is "Include a Tree".  

I went with my old Penny Black stamp of snow blowing off trees.  I laid down a circle mask for the moon and then stippled around it with pale blue ink.  Stamped the trees and sentiment and heat embossed with sparkly embossing powder.  Trimmed the panel and popped it up on fun foam.

 
     

     

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - The Stampin' Place butterflies, various music, text, and splat stamps
Ink - Versafine Morning Mist
Paper - white cs, TH rice paper
Size - A2
Accessories - molding paste, harlequin stencil, gesso, black marker

Supplies for card 2: 
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - Distress Pumice Stone and Hickory Smoke, Versafine Smokey Gray
Paper - mixed media cs, chalk cs, off white shimmer cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - MFT brick wall stencil, Dreamweaver black, copper, and white embossing paste, Sizzix wreath die, fun foam, white gesso, narrow strip die

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - Penny Black Snow Dust tree, unknown sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne. Memento light blue
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - clear sparkling embossing powder, circle die to create moon mask

Embossing with Dies

The Group of Seven Cardmakers has changed its name to the Group of Cardmakers.  We're still doing the same thing - trying different techniques and products.  This month we're embossing with dies.  

My first two cards use the embossed die cut as a background pattern or almost a shadow for the actual die cut.

For this one I smooshed the actual die cut in green ink and then slightly offset it over the embossed die, making the embossed one appear to be a shadow.  I used red liquid pearls to create the berries and added a matching green sentiment.  The shape of the die made it ideal for a mini slimline card.

 

 

I went with a white-on-white look for this second one.  I trimmed the embossed die panel with a deckle die and added a sentiment in grey.  I die cut the mistletoe twice and glued them together for more dimension.  Then glued it over the background with it very much offset from the embossed pattern.  I finished off with using white liquid pearls for the berries.

 

This third card uses an embossed die to frame the image.  This is a great use for dies - I must remember to do it more often.

 

I stamped and coloured (with coloured pencils) the dog, then fussy cut it.  On my focal panel, I embossed with a postage stamp die and glued the dog's feet onto it and popped up his body and head with dimensionals.   I sketched a few lines under him to ground him.

 

Head over to Group of Cardmakers for some more ideas on embossing with dies and get more out of your supplies!

 

I'm linking up the third card with Sweet Stampin' "Animals" and Simply Clean and Simple "Cute Animals"

   
 

 

 

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Make an Impression sentiment
Ink - Distress Bundled Sage
Paper - white cs
Size - 6x3.25"
Accessories - unknown berry die, red liquid pearls

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black sentiment
Ink - Versafine Smokey Grey
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - unknown mistletoe die, Spellbinders deckle edge die, white liquid pearls

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - Colorado Craft Co. (Anita Jeram)
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, PB postage stamp die, dimensionals, tiny sentiment label die

Sleigh Ride on Music

The bottom right image on the new Peace on Earth mood board immediately gave me the idea for this card.

 

I had a perfect piece of patterned paper for the background.  I put it in my MISTI and stamped the silhouette sleigh image a few times directly onto the patterned paper until I got a perfect impression, then heat embossed it.  I went around the edges of the panel with a black marker.  I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment, sponged a bit of Antique Linen ink on it to give it the same slightly aged look as the patterned paper, and also went around the edges of it with a black marker.

 

We'd love to have you join us at Peace on Earth, either inspired by the mood board below, or with an "anything Christmas" card.

 

 

I'm also entering the card at the Jingle Belles' "Vintage" challenge.

 

 

  

Supplies:
Stamps - Tim Holtz
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Antique Linen
Paper - off-white cs, Paper Studio dp
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders rectangle dies, black marker, clear embossing powder

Adapting Thelwell to Christmas and Out of My Comfort Zone Butterfly

ABC Christmas Challenge is "N for Non-Christmas Stash".  My childhood wish was to get a pony for Christmas (sadly I never did but I've managed to spend lots of time with ponies over my lifetime!). I used some non-Christmas pony stamps (of illustrations by the cartoonist Thelwell) on this Christmas card:

I made it very Christmas-y by using red and green borders and stamping the tree in green and the sentiment in red.  I combined two different Christmas sentiments to reflect the child's desire for a pony.

Playing around in the craft room on a rainy day, I decided to mix some embossing powders on the same image and ended up with this card.  Definitely outside of my comfort zone in terms of colours!  It's for Sweet Stampin' "Use a Stencil", Stencil Fun Challenge "Trees and / or Leaves", and Stamping Sensations "Birds, Bees, and / or Butterflies".

I created the butterfly by stamping it on black cs with Versamark ink and then carefully adding various embossing powders to different sections. Then I fussy cut it.

The background is stamped with a text stamp in light ink on mixed media cs. Then I laid the bay branches stencil over it and sprayed randomly with three different sprays - love the effect I got!

Layered the butterfly on top with foam tape popping up his wings, and used a cream card base.

    

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Isobel Craft Collection Thelwell stamps, Penny Black and Simon Says Stamp sentiments
Ink - Archival Potting Soil, Memento Cottage Ivy and Rhubarb Stalk
Paper - white, red, and green cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders rectangle dies

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black butterfly, SU French Script
Ink - Versamark, Adirondack Lake Mist
Paper - mixed media, black, cream cs
Size - A2
Accessories - various embossing powders, Heidi Swapp gold spray, Mr. Huey's leaf green spray, Lindy's mystic malachite spray, TCW mini bay branches stencil, foam tape

Red House in the Woods

For Peace on Earth's new challenge, I was inspired by the bottom left image in their mood board (see it at the end of my post). 

I kept the background white and completely clean like the image in the mood board.  I die cut the house and trees die out of watercolour paper, then painted the trees and house with Distress inks.  I stamped the sentiment with Fired Brick (the same red as the house) and die cut it with a stitched sentiment banner.  Both dies were also cut out of scrap cs and doubled up to give more dimension.

Here's the Peace on Earth mood board.  To see what the rest of the Design Team was inspired to create, head over to Peace on Earth.  If the mood board doesn't inspire you, you're welcome to link up an "anything Christmas" card.

 

I'm also linking it up Sparkles Christmas Challenge "Include a Tree".

  

Supplies:
Stamps - Rubber Soul sentiment
Ink - Distress inks in red and green
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Memory Box house and trees die, stitched sentiment banner die

Summer Lilies

Inkspirational wants to see a birthday card and Stamping Sensations wants to see summer flowers so perfect to combine in this card:

The flowers are stamped and heat embossed in white, watercoloured, and fussy cut. I used foam tape to mount them.  I made this for my dear friend, Loll's birthday a few weeks ago but was very slow in posting it.  The lilies are Loll's favourite colours!  Good thing I have friends who like different colours to me or I'd do nothing but blue cards!!!

  

And that's it for me today - I usually post two cards but I've been really busy lately.  I'll be back tomorrow night with my Design Team card for Peace on Earth.

Supplies:
Stamps - SU Fifth Avenue Floral, unknown sentiment
Ink - ColorBox white, Distress Worn Lipstick
Paper - watercolour paper, white shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - white embossing powder, foam tape, label die, watercolour paints, Reverse Confetti rectangle die

Northern Lights Christmas Cards

I've seen various people make northern lights backgrounds for card and wanted to give it a go.  I tried the ones where they create swirls of colour but I ended up with a horrid mess and tossed them.  Then I tried the technique in this video where the colour is in more vertical bands.  I ended up with three backgrounds I was happy with and turned them into three Christmas cards.

My favourite is this one as I got a bit of quite vibrant colour.

I stamped the image in black using my MISTI so that I go quite an intense image.  I then sponged a lot of Distress Black Soot ink along the bottom of the panel.  I heat embossed the little Noel sentiment in white on black cs and cut it out with a tiny square die and covered up a bit of smudged ink.

My second favourite is this one:

I die cut the village scene out of black cs. layered it over the northern lights background, and added a very small sentiment.

My least favourite is this one:

My northern lights turned out a bit too muted and I wasn't happy with my white splattering as I got some blobs that are way too big.  Black stamping or a black die cut didn't look right - not enough contrast.  So I went with a white die cut sleigh and horse and added two coordinating sentiments.

I found it easier to sponge the sky on a very slightly glossy cs - not as glossy as photo paper but with a definite bit of gloss.  I didn't find much difference between regular Distress inks and Distress Oxide inks (the first one was done with Oxide, the second and third with Distress).

My friend, Loll, also did some northern lights cards and we decided to post them on the same day.  Please go to this post on her blog to see hers - quite different to mine but beautiful!

Supplies:
Stamps - Stampendous "noel", Katzelkraft deer and trees, SSS tiny Merry Christmas, SSS Jingle Bells and Dashing All the Way sentiments
Ink - various Distress and Distress Oxide inks, SSS Intense Black, Versamark, Versafine Clair Twilight
Paper - white and black cs, slightly glossy cs
Size - A2 (the first two) and 6x4.25" (the third card)
Accessories - white acrylic paint, white embossing powder, tiny Spellbinders square die, Memory Box Country Landscape die, tiny sentiment die, SU sleigh and horse die

Christmas Horse and Snowy Dove

Two Christmas cards today.

For 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, the theme is "Critters".  I chose a horse.

The image is stamped and then coloured with coloured pencils.  To add some background colour, I used a simple bordering panel of red cs, and die cut the focal panel with a dotted rectangle that lets bits of the red show through.  And then stamped the sentiment in red.

And for Can You Handle the Pressure, the challenge is "In the Sky" (anything you can find in the sky), I chose a dove and placed it against a snowflake embossed background.

I ran the focal panel through the embossing folder and then lightly rubbed a blue ink pad over the raised sections.  I cut the dove and the sentiment out of a scrap of background I'd made using blue Inka Gold.  

   

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Serendipity Clyde, Make an Impression sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, ColorBox Chianti
Paper - white and red cs
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, Sizzix dotted rectangle die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps -
Ink - Distress Broken Glass
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - snowflake embossing folder, dove die, peace sentiment die, fun foam

Snowman in Joy

The new Peace on Earth mood board consists of four images of snowmen, all wearing scarves and hats.  I pulled out an old snowman stamp that would fit inside the letter "o" of my large "Joy" die.  I also wanted to use some dp as a background - I'm on a mission to try and use dp on at least two cards a month!  I have to make a dent in my stash!!

I stamped the snowman and sentiment in grey ink and did a bit of colouring with coloured pencils.  The snowman stamp includes some snowflakes around the snowman but I needed to add a bit more snow to fill in the circle so I used an old peg stamp of random dots.

I die cut the "Joy" once out of matte silver cs and once out of scrap cs and glued the two together.  I trimmed the snowman panel to fit behind the "o".  Then added the whole thing to the snowy dp background.  I went over all the snowflakes and dots with a Clear Star gelly roll pen and added some fun flock to the hat brim, pompom, and mitts' cuffs.

There's lots of other ideas from the rest of our Peace on Earth Design Team.  We'd love to see if our mood board inspires you or if you just want to do an "anything Christmas" card.

I'm also linking this card up with the Neglected Stuff Challenge as the snowman stamp is one of my very oldest stamps and hasn't been inked up for a long time.

Supplies:
Stamps - Old Island Stamp Co. snowman, Rubber Soul sentiment, Rubber Stamp Tapestry dots
Ink - Versafine Clair Morning Mist
Paper - white and matte silver cs, red dp
Size - 6x4.25"
Accessories - Penny Black "Joy" die,