A Rocking Horse with Gifts, Red and Green, and a Metallic Ornament

Lots of inspiration from some challenges today.  Shopping our Stash "Forever Young" wants to see a card for a child so my rocking horse image seemed perfect.  And the image has gift-wrapped presents in it so it works for the Paper Players "Gifting" challenge and the Double D "Christmas Wrappings" challenge.

Stamped, coloured with coloured pencils, and bordered with a multi-patterned dps.

Then for the challenges out there asking for red and green: We Love Stamping, Simply CAS, and Colorful Options, and for Festive Friday where I chose red, green, white, and a Christmas sentiment from their list of options.

I stamped the focal image / sentiment in green on rustic cs.  I trimmed it with a stitched rectangle die and rubbed the green ink pad along the cut edges of the rectangle, then layered it on a larger rectangle of rustic cs.  I added it to a red card base and embellished the image with red gemstones for the berries.  It needed something more so I die cut some holly leaves; to colour them and give them texture, I pressed some of the green ink onto my craft mat and mixed Nuvo glimmer paste into it, and then spread that onto the holly leaves.  When dry, I added them to the card.

A third card today and it's for Addicted to CAS "Metallic".

I sponged Cosmic Shimmer glue through a ornament stencil, removed the stencil (and washed it immediately), and put the stencil back down and carefully applied different metallic colours of foil to the glue.  Trimmed the panel with a label die and added it to a copper shimmer card base.

    

    

    

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Impression Obsession rocking horse, Rubber Soul joy
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, SU Real Red
Paper - white cs, dps
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Great Impressions
Ink - Distress Rustic Wilderness
Paper - red and rustic white cs
Size - 6x4.25"
Accessories - red gemstones, Nuvo glimmer paste, stitched rectangle die

Supplies for card 3:
Paper - white cs, copper shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Cosmic Shimmer glue, metallic foil sheets, ornament stencil, Sizzix label die

 

Peaceful Winter Scene

When I saw the top right image on the new Peace on Earth mood board (see it at the end of the post), I immediately thought of a Northwoods stamp that I've had for ages.  It has the snowy scene of trees, a stream, and deer.

I stamped it, then coloured with coloured pencils, trimmed it, bordered it with black, leaving enough black on the right hand side to have my little vertical sentiment also bordered with the black.  Finished off by going over the snow lines, roof, evergreen trees, and tops of the fence with a Quickie glue pen and fine clear glitter.

Most of our Peace on Earth Design Team were inspired by the same image as me!  Maybe one of the other images will inspire you?  Or if they don't, you can post an "anything Christmas" card.

Supplies:
Stamps - Northwoods, Rosie's Road Show sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white, black, and kraft cs
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, Martha Stewart fine clear glitter

Dove's Wings, Masked Snowflakes, and a Horsey Thanks

52 Christmas Card Throwdown's Stash challenge wants us to use our stamps.  The ABC Christmas Challenge is "w for wings".  I went with a beautiful dove stamp where the dove has his wings spread wide.

I stamped the bird and sentiment on watercolour paper in dark blue and heat embossed. I watercoloured the bird with light blue paint. Trimmed the panel with a square die, and cut the next size up of square dies out of blue glitter cs. I die cut three small snowflakes out of the centre of the blue glitter cs, then layered the dove panel onto the blue glitter cs, and glued the three little snowflakes on the dove panel. I used an off white cs for the card base as it matches the watercolour paper better than white cs.

Try It on Tuesday wants to see snowflakes.  

I used a mask to create the snowflakes.  I laid it on watercolour paper, then sprinkled blue Brushos over it, spritzed with water, patted dry to prevent colour seeping under the mask, and lifted the mask.  I let the panel air dry and then trimmed it, added it to the card base, and framed it with a die cut frame, cut twice and glued together.  I had a burgundy glitter die cut sentiment sitting in my UFO box and like the contrast it added.

A third card for today as I needed to make a thank you card for a friend who took me out for my birthday.  It's going to Sisterhood of Crafters who want to see Thanks.

 My friend has a horse so a card depicting a horse is perfect for her.   I sponged a background with various blue Distress inks, then cut the die cut out of a square of white cs, layered it over the background, and added a simple sentiment.

    

  

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Technique Junkies
Ink - Versafine Clair Twilight
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs, blue glitter cs
Size - 5.5" square
Accessories - watercolour paints, clear embossing powder, tiny snowflake dies, Spellbinders square dies

Supplies for card 2:
Paper - off white cs, watercolour paper, burgundy glitter cs
Size - A2
Accessories - TCW Winter Wonderland snowflake mask, blue Brushos, Impression Obsession frame die, Penny Black sentiment die

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - Memory Box sentiment
Ink - Distress Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire
Paper - white cs
Size - 5.25"square
Accessories - Starlit Studio die, Spellbinders square die

Stencilling with Mica Powders

This month, the Group of Cardmakers are experimenting with stencilling with mica powders.  Some of them will work without a binding agent.  Others need something like Heat & Stick powder to get them to adhere.  I tried both.

First of all, with the binding agent, in this case SU Heat & Stick powder.  

I pressed Versamark ink through my holly stencil, removed the stencil, then sprinkled the card panel with Heat & Stick, and used a heat tool to melt powder.  I washed and dried the stencil, placed it back over the image, and brushed green Pearl-Ex over it.  I die cut the best section of it with a label die.  I had some green glitter cs that matched the Pearl-Ex really well so cut the next size up of the label die set and bordered it with that and then put it on a dry embossed background.  Added a sentiment on a banner and red gemstones for the berries.

I then used a different holly stencil on black cs but with Perfect Pearls which work without a binding agent.

Like the first card, I pressed Versamark over the stencil, washed and dried the stencil, replaced it over the image, and brushed green Perfect Pearls over it.  A Swiffer cloth removes any excess.  Trimmed the panel with another label die and popped it up on fun foam on a panel embossed with another holly embossing folder.  I used a Lavinia stick-on sentiment on this one.  And again red gemstones for berries.

There is quite a difference between the two in terms of texture.  The use of Heat & Stick results in a noticeably textured finish whereas the mica powders that don't require Heat & Stick have a very flat, very smooth, and more pearlescent finish.

I went on to make a third card.  This one uses Heat & Stick and LuminArte mica powder on black cs. 

I kept the whole panel as a background and bordered it with silver glitter cs.  I die cut a Star of David out of the same silver glitter cs and also out of scrap cs and glued them together for more dimension.  Added it to the background, along with a strip of fancy ribbon that has six-pointed stars to tie in with the Star of David.  I put the Happy Hanukkah sentiment inside as I didn't want the front to be more cluttered.

I find the black background on the above Hanukkah card a bit heavy so I made one more with the same stencil on a white cs.  Again it uses the Heat and Stick, this time with a lighter blue mica powder made by Arteza.

I trimmed it down to a square, topped it with a die cut menorah in silver and gold glitter cs, and a small sentiment heat embossed in silver.  It's on a white shimmer card base. 

I think I have a strong preference for doing this on a white background rather than a black one.  Please let me know in the comments which you prefer! 

We'd love to see anything you might make using stencilling with mica powders.  Let us know if you have any hints for us.  There are more examples and more detailed instructions over at Group of Cardmakers. 

 

Supplies:
Stamps - unknown sentiments
Ink - Versamark, Memento Cottage Ivy
Paper - white and black cs, silver glitter cs, green glitter cs, gold glitter cs, white shimmer cs
Size - A2, last one 4.75" square
Accessories - SU Heat & Stick powder, green Pearl Ex powder, green Perfect Pearls powder, Dutch Iris LuminArte mica powder, pale blue Arteza mica powder, Penny Black holly stencil, SSS Holiday greenery stencil. Spellbinders label dies, sentiment banner die, Sizzix holly embossing folders, fun foam, red gemstones, SSS Star of David die, silver ribbon, Neat and Tangled star stencil, Spellbinders rectangle and square dies, silver embossing powder, PTI menorah die

A Gilded Reindeer, Red Ornaments, and a Horse and Sleigh

I'm working very hard on Christmas cards as my fundraiser (where I sell my Christmas cards and those kindly donated by Loll and Christine) is this Sunday.  Thank goodness for challenges that spark ideas in me!  I've got three cards today.

Fiirst up for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge "Just Add Antlers", I've got a reindeer with some very impressive antlers.

I sponged Cosmic Shimmer glue through a reindeer stencil, removed the stencil (and washed it immediately), and applied copper flakes to the glue.  Trimmed the panel with a hemstitch square die, layered over copper shimmer cs, and added a die cut sentiment out of the same copper cs. 

Colorful Options wants to see mostly red.

I stamped and heat embossed the ornaments in red sparkly embossing powder, and the sentiment in black embossing powder.  To make the border layer match the sentiment, I ran ink around the edges of the border layer of cs and heat embossed in the same black embossing powder.

The 12 Months of Christmas want to see a sleigh.  

The background is from my UFO box (a stencil monoprint created after making another background where I sprinkled Magicals through a stencil and spritzed with water - the leftover wet Magicals powder on the stencil was then used to create this background print - trees don't really come in this colour but it makes a lovely shimmery background!).  I tore a strip of white shimmer cs for the snowy ground, and added a gold die cut sleigh and horse, and a gold sentiment die cut with a banner die. The card base is white shimmer cs.

   

Supplies for card 1:
Paper - off white cs, copper shimmer cs
Size - 5.5" square
Accessories - reindeer stencil, copper foil flakes, Tim Holtz noel die, Spellbinders hemstitch square die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Indigo Blu ornaments, Paper Smooches sentiment
Ink - ColorBox red, Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white cs
Size - 5.75" square
Accessories - Old Island Red Dragon embossing powder, black embossing powder, Spellbinders square dies

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - gold
Paper - mixed media cs, white shimmer cs, gold shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - TCW birch trees stencil, Magicals, sentiment banner die, Memory Box horse and sleigh dies

 

Christmas Scarf and Washi Wreath

Sparkles Christmas Challenge wants to see "festive wear".   I've got a cat all bundled up in his green Christmas scarf.  It's also going to We Love Stamping "Anything Christmas" and Stamping Sensations "Christmas".

A simple card, stamped and watercoloured, trimmed with a wonky stitched rectangle die, and bordered with copper cs.

Simply Clean and Simple wants to see "Holidays / Winter".  It's also going to Try It On Tuesday "Get Ready for Christmas".

My lovely friend, Darnell, gave me some very wide fancy washi tape that has lots of Christmas images and matching dies - perfect for quick CAS cards.  I taped the washi tape onto white cs and then die cut it. For this card, I only used the wreath. Added it to a pale gold shimmer card base, and found a sentiment die that would fit in the centre of the wreath.

    

  

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Tim Holtz
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, copper and white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, MFT wonky stitched rectangle die

Supplies for card 2:
Paper - light gold shimmer cs, white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - PinkFresh Holiday Elements washi tape and die, Penny Black Be Merry die