Candy Canes, Candles, and Reindeer

I have this card for Jingle Belles:

They wanted a card in inspired by their banner:

I saw the image (on the left of the banner) of the candy canes tied up with Christmas greenery and gold ribbon, and immediately thought of a stamp I have.  And I kept lots of red in the card as the banner has a lot of red.

The image is stamped and coloured with coloured pencils, including a metallic gold pencil for the ribbon.  I trimmed it with a label die and went around the edge with a fine black marker to give the edge some definition.  I popped it up on fun foam on a border cut out of candy cane dp, using the next size up of the same label die.  I used a red cs for the base that has a tiny bit of gold shimmer in it (hard to see in the photo).

Next up:

Festive Friday is celebrating a Traditional Christmas - my card has quite a few of the elements from its list - I've got red, green, gold, candles, and a Christmas sentiment.  And the Colorful Options Challenge wants red, green, and gold so I'm linking it up there too.

Stamped and watercoloured, a bit of gold splatter added, a gold shimmer border and a gold sentiment cut out with a banner die. 

 

And one more card today:

Shopping our Stash wants a masculine card and The Paper Players want a deer - the two go together really well.

 

My card was inspired by a video I saw online a while back (that unfortunately I can't find again). The moon and the snowbanks are done with masking and sponging. Then the reindeer and the holly branches are stamped on top. I bordered with black cs, went along the snow lines with clear Stickles, painted the berries with a red Posca paint pen, splattered with a white Posca paint pen, and added a Tim Holtz sentiment sticker.  

I made a second version, adding a bit of text stamping to take the place of the sentiment sticker on the first version:

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - either Serendipity or Creative Images candy canes, tiny joy sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - red shimmer and white cs, candy cane dp
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, metallic gold pencil, Spellbinders label dies, black marker, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - unknown
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - mixed media, off white and gold shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, small banner die

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - Lavinia
Ink - various Distress inks, Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - white cs
Size - 5.25" square
Accessories - red and white Posca paint pens, clear Stickles, TH sentiment sticker, 

Blowing Snow and Candy Canes

I'm playing along with the current Tic Tac Toe challenge.  I chose the top horizontal row that says ink blending, snow, and tree.  A good chance to use one of my favourite stamps of snow blowing off a tree.

I stamped and heat embossed the tree in white, then tore a strip of scrap cs to create a mask for the snowy ground, then blended various blue Distress inks over it.  The heat embossed tree resisted the ink.  When done, I wiped the ink off the trees to make sure they really stood out.   I trimmed it into a square, bordered with kraft cs, added a reindeer die cut from the same kraft cs and with a bit of brown Distress ink blended on the edges, and added a sentiment die cut with a banner die.

My second card for today is for Jingle Belles challenge "Christmas Feast" - any kind of holiday sweets or treats.  I went with one of my favourites - candy canes.

The image is stamped and watercoloured, trimmed with the stitched die, mounted on fun foam on a dark green card base. I went over the ornaments with Glossy Accents, and over the ribbon with Wink of Stella.

   
 

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Penny Black Snow Dust, unknown sentiment
Ink - ColorBox white, various blue and brown Distress inks
Paper - white and kraft cs 
Size - 5.25" square
Accessories - white embossing powder, reindeer die, banner die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Impression Obsession image, Stampendous sentiment
Ink - Archival Jet Black
Paper - watercolour paper, dark green cs
Size - A2
Accessories -

Candy Canes for Peace on Earth

The new Peace on Earth challenge has a mood board full of Christmas treats like candy canes, gingerbread, etc.  I was especially inspired by the bottom left image with the greenery and the candy canes.  It inspired me to pull out a very old stamp - one of the first I ever bought when I started making Christmas cards.

Stamped and coloured with coloured pencils, including a metallic gold pencil for the ribbon.  I trimmed it with a stitched rectangle die, bordered it with dark green cs, popped it up on fun foam and added it to a candy cane dp background.

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

I'm also linking this up to a couple of other challenges - Inkspirational "Layer It" (I have three layers on top of my card base) and 12 Months of Christmas "Stitched" (I used a stitched rectangle die on my focal image).

  

Supplies:
Stamps - either Serendipity or Creative Images candy canes, unknown sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx black
Paper - white and green cs, candy cane dp
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, gold metallic pencil, Lil Inker stitched rectangle die, fun foam

Pink Candy Canes and Bow

Check the bottom right photo on the Peace on Earth mood board at the end of my post and you'll see my inspiration for this card:

I stamped the image and coloured it with Tombow markers.  Trimmed it with a stitched rectangle die, bordered with dark pink cs, went over the ornaments with glossy accents, and over the edges of the ribbon with a sparkly gel pen.

Please head over to Peace on Earth for more inspiration from the Design Team and then join us with either a card inspired by the mood board or an "anything Christmas" card.

I'm also adding the card to Christmas Craft Creations "Non Traditional Colours".

Supplies:
Stamps - Stampendous candy canes, Hero Arts sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - white and dark pink cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Tombow markers, glossy accents, pink sparkle gel pen, Lil Inker stitched rectangle die

Rainy Day Christmas

Vancouver is having a chilly rainy spell so what better time to work on Christmas cards?

Christmas Craft Creations wants Non-Traditional Colours so I went with blue and violet for the background for this card.

I sprinkled the blue and violet Magicals on watercolour paper, spritzed with water and let the colours run.  When dry I trimmed the panel with a deckle edged rectangle die, popped it up on fun foam on a white shimmer card base, and added the die cut ornament and sentiment, cut out of the same white shimmer cs.

52 Christmas Card Throwdown wants "Old Fashioned Christmas".  I used a never inked up Tim Holtz stamp so I'm linking up at the NBUS Challenge.

Stamped with a bit of colouring with coloured pencils, bordered in black, and added to a white mini slimline card base.

Then The 12 Months of Christmas wants Christmas Candy.  And it's time for the Rudolph Days Challenge too - any Christmas card made between the 25th and the end of the month.

Stamped and watercoloured, with metallic gold paint used on the ornaments and ribbon.  It was trimmed with a rectangle die, then I used the SSS thin frame die to cut a thin rectangle out of it.  I painted the thin rectangle frame with the same metallic gold paint I'd used on the image, let it dry, and then inserted it back into the gap.  Put it all on fun foam onto the card base.

     

Supplies for card 1:
Paper - watercolour paper, white shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - blue and violet Magicals, Spellbinders deckled edge rectangle die, Memory Box snowflake ornament die, Spellbinders Joy die, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Tim Holtz
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white and black cs
Size - 6x3.25"
Accessories - coloured pencils

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - Stampendous candy canes, unknown joy
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - off white cs, watercolour paper
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, gold metallic paint, SSS thin frames die, Spellbinders rectangle die, fun foam

Zooming Youngsters

Sneaking in under the wire for the ABC Christmas Challenge "Y for Youngsters and  / or Z for Zoom".  I've got both in this card with the young mice hanging on for dear life behind the older mouse as they zoom down the snowy hill.

Thanks to the challenge, I pulled out a stamp I'd never used before, watercoloured it, added a stamped sentiment and a TH chitchat sticker (seemed so perfect for what the older mouse might be saying), and bordered with red.

ABC Christmas Challenge "Y is for Youngsters and / or Z is for Zoom"

NBUS - Never Before Used Stuff

 

Supplies:
Stamps - Stampendous House Mouse stamp, sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - watercolour paper, red and off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, TH chitchat sticker

Candy Canes on Red and White Stripes

This week the Peace on Earth challenge has a mood board full of red and white and some greenery.  It inspired me to make this card:

A stamped and watercoloured image, popped up on fun foam on red and white striped dp, and finished off with some glossy accents on the gold ornaments.

Here's the Peace on Earth mood board if you want to be inspired by it.  If not, feel free to join us anyway with an "anything Christmas goes" card. 

Supplies:
Stamps - Stampendous candy canes, SSS sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - watercolour paper, striped dp, off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, Glossy Accents, fun foam

Cocoa, Candy Cane, and Marshmallows

For the new Peace on Earth challenge, I was inspired by the images of cups of cocoa with candy canes and marshmallows.

I stamped and watercoloured the image, and then laid a stencil over it and lightly stencilled the leaves in green Distress Oxide ink.  I bordered it with a similar green cs and used off white cs for the card base.

Here's the Peace on Earth mood board in case you want to be inspired by it, but if not, feel free to enter an "anything Christmas" card.  And be sure to check out the other cards by the rest of the Design Team.

I'm also adding it to the Stencil Fun Challenge.

And to Double D "Hot Beverages"

Supplies:
Stamps - Stamping Bella
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Oxide Rustic Wilderness
Paper - watercolour paper, green and off-white cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - watercolour paints, leaf stencil

Baubles and Candy Canes

The ABC Christmas Challenge is "B is for Baubles" and the Jingle Belles Challenge wants us to add candies, cookies, or other holiday sweets.

I pulled out a very old Stampendous stamp I've had for years.

It's stamped and watercoloured, and has a narrow gold shimmer border and a gold shimmer card base.  I used a Tim Holtz Chit Chat sticker instead of the usual stamped sentiment, placing it strategically to cover up a smudge of red paint.

The bow is watercoloured with a metallic watercolour paint and the ornaments have Glossy Accents on them.

ABC Christmas Challenge "B is for Baubles"

Jingle Belles Challenge "Add Candy, Cookies, Cake, or Other Holiday Sweets"

Supplies:
Stamps - Stampendous
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - watercolour paper, gold glitter cs, dull gold shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, Glossy Accents, TH "sweet" Chit Chat sticker, fun foam

Stamped Ribbon

I'm entering this card in the Jingle Belles Tic Tac Toe challenge and hoping that when they ask for ribbon, stamped ribbon rather than actual ribbon will count!

I stamped on Gina K heavy weight cardstock because alcohol markers won't go through it.

I went over the pine branches with a couple of different green alcohol markers, used a red one on the candy canes, and a bright green one for the ribbon. I did the ribbon's borders with a green glitter pen, and also the ornaments are coloured with a gold glitter pen.

I stamped the sentiment in gold and created a frame from gold shimmer cs.

I chose the right hand vertical column from the Jingle Belles Tic Tac Toe challenge - stamping, ribbon (the green bow of the image), gold.

Supplies:
Stamps - Stampendous candy canes, Rubber Soul jo
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Delicata Golden Glitz
Paper - gold shimmer and Gina K white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - alcohol markers (Copics, Letraset), Atyou Spica gold and green glitter pens, MFT pierced rectangle frame die

Christmas Treats

Nance is hosting CAS Christmas this month and she wants to see cards with holiday treats!

It gave me the perfect chance to try out a new stamp given to me by wonderful Bonnie Klass.  She noticed that when we had the CAS Christmas "Elf" challenge, I had to borrow elf stamps as I didn't have any, so she thought she'd fill in the gap in my stamp collection.  And the elf stamp she gave me includes Christmas treats so perfect for this challenge:

I stamped and then coloured the image with coloured pencils, blending with Gamsol.  Then trimmed the panel and popped it up on fun foam on a green card base.

Thank you, Bonnie - it is such a great image!

I'm looking forward to seeing what cards everyone comes up with featuring holiday treats!  Check out the inspiration from the rest of the CAS Christmas Design Team and this month's fabulous Guest Designer, the very talented Birgit (Rapport fran ett skrivbord).

I'm also linking up with Christmas Cards All Year Round where they want Christmas or winter food or drink.

Supplies:

Stamps - Stamping Bella

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper - Bristol cs, green cs

Size - 4.75" square

Accessories - coloured pencils, Gamsol, fun foam