Mixed Media Reindeer and Stencilled Festive Leaves

Playing around to create a card for 52 Christmas Card Throwdown's "Mixed Media" challenge.  And since it has an animal on it, it's also going to Try It on Tuesday's "Animals - Real or Imaginary" challenge.

My mixed media are ink, embossing powder, Bister powder, and white acrylic paint.

The background is green Bister powder, sprinkled on the cs and then spritzed with water and allowed to dry naturally. Then I splattered with some white acrylic paint. The reindeer is stamped and heat embossed on the Bister background. Then a torn strip of white cs creates the snowy ground that he is walking through. I used a silver shimmer card base for a bit of contrast.

I was really happy with how this turned out but not so happy with the second card I'm posting today.  It's for Addicted to CAS "Leaves".

I stencilled with various Distress inks and small blending tools so that I could get the right colours in the right spots.  Then framed it with a white panel so that I could have more "white space".  Added a sentiment and bordered with green cs.  I'm not sure why I don't like it - maybe I'd have liked it better as a square card?  Or with a different frame?  Anyway, here it is for what it's worth!

  

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Studio Light reindeer, unknown sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white cs, silver shimmer cs, mixed media cs
Size - A2
Accessories - clear embossing powder, green Bister powder, white acrylic paint

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - A Muse sentiment
Ink - various Distress inks
Paper - green shimmer, white, and mixed media cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders square inverted scallop die, TH stencil

Inlaid Die Cuts

For September, the Group of Cardmakers is making cards using inlaid die cuts.  I love doing jigsaw puzzles, so I really enjoy this technique!

First up, a poinsettia:

I die cut the poinsettia twice, once out of gold cs and once out of white.  I painted the flower part of the white one with a couple of shades of red Distress inks.  I popped the flower petals out of the gold one, then glued the rest to a piece of white cs, and then glued the painted petals into their places.  Added a red sentiment, trimmed with a square die, and attached it to a red card base.

I went with an ornament die for my second card:

I used a two-part die for this one.  There is a solid ornament and an inner circle with the holly flourishes.  I cut the solid one out of blue shimmer cs and out of scrap cs.  I then laid the inner circle die over the blue shimmer one and cut out the flourishes.  I cut the inner circle die once more out of dp.  I glued the remaining border of the blue shimmer one onto the solid one cut from the scrap cs and then glued the dp filler pieces into the outline.  A bit of ribbon to hang the ornament and a blue shimmer "joy" finished it off.

I wanted to see the difference between inlaying the pieces flush with the outline (as in the ornament) and inlaying the pieces with the outline raised from them so I went on to make this third card.

I die cut the Star of David three times, once out of scrap cs, once out of silver cs, and once out of a pale blue / silver flecked dp.  I needed something to glue it all on to so cut a circle out of scrap cs.  I glued the Star of David outline from the scrap cs onto the solid circle, then inlaid the dp into it.  Then glue the silver cs outline on top.  Added it to a dry embossed panel, along with a heat embossed sentiment.

I like both the flush inlaid look and the one with the raised outline so will use both methods in future.  Check out some more examples and some links to instructional videos over at Group of Cardmakers!

My second card is also being linked up at Try It On Tuesday "Pretty Papers" - the paper I used for the inset part of the die is one of the prettiest I have.

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Hero Arts sentiment
Ink - various red Distress inks
Paper - red, gold, and white cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - Spellbinders poinsettia die

Supplies for card 2:
Paper - white shimmer and blue shimmer cs, TPC dp, ribbon
Size - 5.25" square
Accessories - ornament die, PB Joy die

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - SU sentiment
Ink - Versamark
Paper - white and silver cs, pale blue with silver flecks dp
Size - A2
Accessories - PTI star of David die, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Stampendous Vintage Blue embossing tinsel, sentiment strip die, dimensionals

 

 

Poinsettia Postcard and Watercoloured Teddy

I love the Tim Holtz collage stamps but struggle with using them.  Here's one of my attempts, done for 52 Christmas Card Throwdown "Poinsettia".

I smooshed a bit of background with light colours of Distress Oxide ink (Pumice Stone and Old Paper), then put it in my MISTI and inked up the image with three Archival inks (Sepia for the script, Vermillion for the poinsettia, Library Green for the leaves), inking and stamping till I was happy with the results.  Being stamped over an Oxide background made some of it look a bit chalky.  Then bordered with a brown cs layer that went well with the Sepia ink.

A second quick CAS card for the Paper Players who want a CAS Watercolour card.

Very simple and CAS - stamped, watercoloured, trimmed, bordered with deckle edged green cs.

  

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Tim Holtz
Ink - Distress Oxide Pumice Stone and Old Paper, Archival Sepia, Vermillion, and Library Green
Paper - white and brown cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders rectangle dies

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black teddy, SSS sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - green and off white cs, watercolour paper
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, Spellbinders rectangle and deckle rectangle dies

A Red Train

The new Peace on Earth challenge has a mood board full of images of trains.  Not having any train stamps or dies, I borrowed this delightful set from my friend, Loll.

I stamped all the images, coloured them with alcohol markers, and die cut them with the matching dies.  Added them to my focal panel (die cut with a stitched rectangle die) and drew a black line under the train and added a sentiment below.  I added it to a dp background that perfectly matched the colours (the green holly leaves do match the green in the train but they are shiny so hard to photograph).

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

I'm also linking my card up at Sweet Stampin' where they want to see die cuts along with stamping, and at Christmas Kickstart "Santa in September".

 

Supplies:
Stamps - Sunny Studio "Holiday Express"
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - white cs, Glick dp
Size - A2
Accessories - Sunny Studio "Holiday Express" dies, alcohol markers

Gold Gilding Flakes and a Hedgehog in a Stocking

The Jingle Belles challenge wants to see gold.  I went with gold gilding flakes.

 

 

I patted the holly stamp with Cosmic Shimmer Flake and Glitter Glue (using a square of foam as an applicator), then stamped onto white cs. Then immediately washed my stamp with warm soapy water. Added the gilding flakes and pressed them into the glue, then used a craft scrubby to rub off the excess.

I used one of the SSS thin frame dies to cut a thin rectangle frame out of the white cs, then cut one out of gold cs with the same die, and inset it into the gap in the white cs. 

 

Next up, for Can You Handle the Pressure where they want to see layers and for We Love Stamping "Make It Cute".  By my usual CAS standards, I've got quite a few layers on this card.  And I think the little hedgehog in the stocking is very cute.

The background is a 3D pine tree embossing folder to create the idea that the hedgehog and his stocking are hanging in a tree.  He's stamped and watercoloured, and then die cut with the matching die.  The main panel and the sentiment oval are both bordered in dark green cs.

  

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Penny Black
Paper - white and gold cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Cosmic Shimmer gilding flakes, Cosmic Shimmer Flake and Glitter glue, SSS thin frames die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, white and dark green cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, Penny Black die, Tim Holtz 3D embossing folder, Spellbinders small oval die

Favourite Blue / A Card for a Child

Sweet Stampin' wants us to use our favourite colour.  Mine is blue.

My best friend also loves blue and she asked me to make an anniversary card for her to give to her partner.  

Stamped in royal blue ink, heat embossed with shimmery embossing powder, trimmed with a stitched square die, and bordered with royal blue cs.

Try It on Tuesday challenge wants to see a card aimed at children or featuring children.  I stayed with my favourite colour and did a variation of a card I've done before, featuring a child and also suitable to give to a child.  It's also for the We Love Stamping "Make It Cute" challenge.

I created a background by inking up an embossing folder and stamping with it.  I then stamped the tree, child and pony, and sentiment (created by combining two different stamps) in black, trimmed it and bordered it in a matching blue.  

 

   

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Visible Image
Ink -  ColorBox Royal Blue
Paper - white shimmer and royal blue cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - SU Irridescent Ice embossing powder, Lil Inker stitched square die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Isobel Craft Collection Thelwell stamps, Penny Black and Simon Says Stamp sentiments
Ink - Archival Jet Black, Distress Broken China                                                                            Paper - white and blue cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

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