Stencilled Stocking

I borrowed some Christmas stocking dies from my friend, Christine, so I could make my DT card for Peace on Earth last week.  I decided to use the same stocking die in a different way before I return it to Christine.  This one is for 52 Christmas Card Throwdown "Stencilling", Sparkles Christmas Challenge "Monochrome", Inkspirational "Christmas in July", and Stencil Fun "Patterns" (I used a Fair Isle knitting pattern stencil).

When I used the die earlier, I dry embossed it (see here if interested).  This time I stencilled it.

I used the smaller of the Tim Holtz Holiday Knit stencils, laid it over the die cut stocking, and used various shades of blue Distress inks.  I die cut it twice more from scraps and glued them together for dimension.  The background was made with various blue Brushos and with a Christmas text stamp (using stamped with second generation stamping to keep it subtle).  I attached the stocking to it with a blue brad.

It's a very different looking card to the other one I made using the same stocking die!  It's such fun to come up with different treatments for the same supplies!

    

Supplies:
Stamps - Stampendous Christmas Background
Ink - various blue Distress inks
Paper - mixed media and white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - blue Brushos, Sizzix stocking die, Tim Holtz Holiday Knits stencil, blue brad

Favourite Pet

I recently discovered a new challenge called As You Like It.  Their current challenge is Favourite Pet (and why).  Dogs are absolutely my favourite.  I've had them my whole life.  They are wonderful companions, they get me out walking every day (great for exercise and for meeting neighbours), they give unconditional love and loyalty, and they lower stress.  I currently have two dogs - a 10 year old English Cocker Spaniel, Tessa, and an 11 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Pippin.  Here's a recent photo of them sitting by the baskets where their leashes and harnesses are kept waiting to go out for a walk.

Here's my card, featuring a dog very similar to Tessa:

It's a really old stamp that I've had for years. It's coloured with coloured pencils blended with Gamsol to get nice shading on the dog (the bells are coloured with a silver metallic pencil). I trimmed it with a fancy label die and then sponged around the edges with Antique Linen - except it came out grey as the sponge I used was dirty! I popped it up on fun foam. I'm also linking it up with Inkspirational "Christmas in July", Rudolph Days (anything Christmas), and Neglected Stuff (I used a very old stamp).

Supplies:
Stamps - Creative Images
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Antique Linen
Paper - off white paper
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, silver metallic pencil, Gamsol, Sizzix label die, fun foam

Christmas Baubles and Wildflower Thoughts

52 Christmas Card Throwdown wants to see "Baubles".

The ornaments are stamped in black (though it came out kind of light as the ink pad is old) and then coloured with two green and one red Tombow markers. I coloured the tops of the ornaments with a silver gelli pen. I trimmed it, leaving a white border, and popped it up on fun foam on a red card base.  And a non-Christmas card for CAS on Friday "Use Dies and Only Word Stamps": On the focal panel, I used a die to create three square openings and put a piece of dp behind them.  I stamped the vertical sentiment to one side of it.  And die cut the flower and added it to the top.

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Northwoods
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - white and red cs
Size - 6x3.25"
Accessories - Tombow markers, silver gelli pen, fun foam

Supplies:
Stamps - unknown vertical sentiment
Ink - Memento Nautical Blue
Paper - white cs, dp
Size - A2
Accessories - Poppy Stamps flower die, 3 square openings die

Peace on Earth Stocking

The new Peace on Earth mood board gives an option of Christmas stockings or mittens.  I went with a stocking.

The background is a piece of dp.  I die cut the stocking from red cs and then ran it through the Cuttlebug insde an embossing folder that looks like an Aran sweater.  I attached it to the background dp with a green metallic brad and added the die cut bow and tag.

Here's the Peace on Earth mood board.  We'd love to have you join us with either a card inspired by the mood board or any other Christmas card.

Supplies:
Paper - Graphica dp, red cs, green glitter cs, chalk cs
Size - 6.25x4.25"
Accessories - Sizzix stocking die set, green glitter brad

Double Stencilling / Christmas Horse

The Allsorts Challenge wants to see stencils.

I stencilled with two different stencils on my focal panel. I started by spraying the piece of white cs with a pale blue spray (which left a few nice splatters as well as colouring the cs). Then stencilled the tiny grid lightly in purple, and then stencilled the branch with darker purple. I added a sentiment and few sequins and found a purple cs for the card base. It's for one of my sisters who has had some challenges lately so I chose an encouraging sentiment.  My second card is for Try It On Tuesday "Animals, Real or Imaginary" and Sweet Stampin' "Christmas in July". I stamped the horse and coloured with coloured pencils, then framed it inside a red panel with an oval die cut, and mounted on the card base.

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Red Lead sentiment
Ink - Distress Victorian Velvet and Seedless Preserves, Archival Jet Blac
Paper - white and dark purple cs
Size - A2
Accessories - pale blue spray, sequins, Memory Box Texture Mesh stencil, Lime Citron branch stencil

Supplies for card :
Stamps - Serendipity Clyde
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white and red cs
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, Spellbinders oval die

Mum and Baby Polar Bears

One of the images on the new Peace on Earth mood board is the sweetest picture of a mother and baby polar bears.  It reminded me of a stamp I have of a sweet baby polar bear riding on its mother's back.

I stamped and watercoloured image, trimmed with a square die, bordered with gold shimmer paper to match the gold paint I used for the stars, and then dotted on a few snowflakes with a white Posca paint pen (not sure they show up in the photo). Here's the mood board:   Head over to Peace on Earth to see the rest of the Design Team's interpretations.

Supplies:
Stamps - Crafters Companion
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs, gold shimmer paper
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - watercolour paints, gold paint, white Posca paint pen, Spellbinders square dies

M is for Mice

The ABC Christmas Challenge wants "M is for Mice".  And Christmas Cards All Year Round wants things that start with "M, N, or O" so my mice count for that, as does my sentiment "no peeking".

I cut three squares out of my top layer and stamped the mice with their Christmas gifts inside each square.  They are coloured with coloured pencils.  

  

Supplies:
Stamps - Penny Black sentiment, Colorado Craft Co. Anita Jeram mice
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white cs
Size - 6.25x3.25"
Accessories - Spellbinders square die, coloured pencils

M is for Mistletoe

Christmas Cards All Year Round, wants something starting with "M" card.  I went with mistletoe - die cut, dry embossed, and a mistletoe sentiment.  It's also for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown technique challenge "Embossing Folder".

I used a narrow mistletoe embossing folder across the lower part of the linen cs card base.  I die cut the mistletoe out of white shimmery cs and out of scrap cs and glued them together for more dimension.  And stamped the sentiment in grey ink.

 

Supplies:
Stamps - Penny Black sentiment
Ink - Versafine Smokey Grey
Paper - white linen cs, white shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - narrow mistletoe embossing folder, mistletoe die

Acrylic Block Stamping

The Group of Cardmakers are revisiting an old background technique - Acrylic Block Stamping.  

First up, a very basic way of doing it:

This is the original way I learned to do this - inking up a block with ink (in this case, with Distress Peeled Paint), spritzing with water, and stamping the block onto mixed media cs.  I used a block with a curved edge and grid lines on it to add extra interest.

I trimmed the panel, added a white die cut branch, popped it up on fun foam on a white card base, added a red sentiment, and embellished the branch with red Smooch for the berries.

For my second card, I used a different medium to colour the acrylic block - Twinkling H2Os watercolour paints.

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I spritzed the acrylic block with water, and then added my favourite shade of blue Twinkling H2O paint. I pressed it onto watercolour paper and let it dry. I then stamped the dragonfly and used a sparkly embossing powder, the colour of which is "marcasite" - not quite black, but darker than grey or silver, and with a lot of sparkle in it. I used the same powder on the sentiment. I added a shimmery black border and mounted it on a cream card base. For the third one, I used a technique I found on SCS (see here) that uses a coordinating colour of spray for the spritz instead of plain water. I used two Oxide inks - Broken China and Tumbled Glass - and smeared them randomly on a large block. I spritzed with Distress Blueprint Sketch spray and that started the two inks blending and moving. I wanted more movement so also spritzed with some water. Then I stamped the block onto watercolour paper. I love the blend of the blues and the variation in intensity! I die cut two reindeer out of off white cs (cutting each twice and gluing together for more substance). I trimmed the background panel, added the reindeer and a sentiment. There are lots more examples over at The Group of Cardmakers!

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - A Muse sentiment
Ink - Distress Peeled Paint, Memento Lady Bug
Paper - white and mixed media cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Penny Black Winter Branch die, red Smooch accent ink, fun foam, acrylic block

Supplies for card:
Stamps - Old Island Stamp Co. dragonfly, SU sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - Gina K ivory cs, watercolour paper, shimmery black cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Stampendous Marcasite embossing powder, Twinkling H2O Blue Flame, acrylic block

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - Simon Says Stamp sentiment
Ink - Distress Oxide Broken China and Tumbled Glass
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - acrylic stamp block, Distress Blueprint Sketch spray, MFT reindeer dies

Birds and Berries

I could make nothing but bird-themed Christmas cards as I love them so much.  So I was very happy to see the new Peace on Earth mood board.  I was inspired by the top left image of the birds with the berries.

The image is stamped and watercoloured.  I used gold watercolour paint for the oval border that is part of the stamp to reflect the lovely golden light in the mood board image.  Then I fussy cut around the border, popped it up on fun foam on the card base, and added a sentiment die cut with a banner die.

Here's the Peace on Earth mood board:

Please go to Peace on Earth and check out the beautiful bird-themed cards by the rest of the Design Team.

I'm also adding the card to the CAS Christmas Challenge "Bird".

Supplies:
Stamps - Northwoods birds, unknown sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, fun foam

Summer Cottage Garden and Dove Flying High

A card for Shopping Our Stash's "Summertime" challenge and Allsorts "Garden" challenge:

Stamped, coloured with coloured pencils, trimmed with a pierced dot rectangle die and layered over a pink rectangle so that the pink shows through the pierced dots.  Then bordered with some floral dp, and added to a yellow card base.

I used the same floral dp to line an envelope:

 

 

It's going to a friend who just bought a new house.

 

Try It On Tuesday's challenge is "Flying High" - something that flies high in the sky.  I made a peace-themed Christmas card with a dove flying high among the stars.

 

I sponged silver ink through a star die, leaving space on the bottom right corner for a stamped heat embossed sentiment.  I covered a piece of scrap cs with double sided tape and added blue / silver gilding flakes.  Then die cut the dove out of it.
 

     

 

 

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps -
Ink -
Paper -
Size -
Accessories -

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - silver
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Sizzix Delicate Wings dove die, Cosmic Shimmer Blue Ice gilding flakes, star stencil, silver embossing powder