A blog devoted to the cards I make in my tiny upstairs space. When my sister stays there, she calls it an "artist's garret". I'm not an artist, but am an enthusiastic cardmaker - hence the title "Cardmaker's Garret".
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Friday, 8 August 2025

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.

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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


10 comments:

  1. I love this sweet Thelwell image Susan and with the 'Dear Santa' sentiment it works really well for a seasonal card, and that multi coloured embossed butterfly is gorgeous against the pretty stencilled bay branches and stamped script, and the green and gold sprays have given the leaves such a wonderful fluid watercolour look. x

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  2. Your Christmas card is so adorable with those wonderful images. It definitely conveys your wish you had (and still have) for Christmas. :) Your butterfly card is gorgeous. I love the mix of embossing powders and they are so perfect with the black base. The background really sets it off with your layered text and stenciling. Very artistic and creative, my friend. xx

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  3. Oh, I just love your pony card Susan! It's probably better you now volunteer with horses instead of owning one! No cost to you - but you still get to hug them! Wonderful mix of EF's on your giant butterfly card as well! It's fun to experiment with all our supplies! Julia xx

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  4. The step outside your comfort zone is beautiful Susan and using a favourite PB stamp, perfect for our theme at Stamping Sensations challenge, many thanks.

    Also adore the image on image on the first, can identify with what you say, I was fortune and had them all my life, mind you sometimes wonder at the wisdom cost wise, my last blog post had a photo of my GGD who rightly or wrongly I've indulged.

    B x

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    1. Thanks for the kind comment on my cards. Lucky you having ponies your whole life, but as you say, it's a huge cost - one I couldn't afford so I rode as much as I could and since I retired, I've been volunteering for therapeutic riding for kids and adults with disabilities, and also doing a lot of groundwork / natural horsemanship. That plus my dog, my garden, friends, crafts all makes for such a rich retirement!

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  5. Lovely butterfly card. Thanks for joining Stamping Sensations challenge. Anesha x

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  6. Wow, so cleverly created, it's awesome!

    Thank you for joining our challenge at Stencil Fun!
    Diane SF Co-Owner
    {Nellies Nest}
    {Stencil Fun}

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  7. Beautiful designs! Thanks or sharing your lovely butterfly card with us over at Sweet Stampin' for our Stencils Challenge. Hugs, Wends xoxo Sweet Stampin' DT

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  8. Your pony Christmas card is so cute, perfect for all your horsey friends :)
    I love your mixed media card, the butterfly is stunning with all the coloured EP's xx

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  9. Fabulous Christmas card - love how you've used those stamps!
    Thanks for playing at the ABC Christmas Challenge!
    Helen x

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