Snow Day

Well, Vancouver got one of its rare heavy snowfalls and everything I planned to do today is cancelled.  So a good time to get a blog post done before some of the challenges I like end.

First up, for the ABC Christmas Challenge "B is for Buildings" and My Time to Craft "Make It Male" (I figure buildings and dark colours make for quite a masculine card):

I started with the background - used a circle die to cut a round mask for the moon and a hilly slopes die for the snowy ground (both cut out of masking paper). Then splattered masking fluid on the sky for snow. Then sponged with two shades of blue Distress ink, leaving it lighter around the moon. Once the ink was dry, I removed the paper masks and rubbed off the masking fluid. I die cut the buildings and trees out of black cs and added them to the background. Finished off by using white gouache on a fine paint brush to add snow to the roofs.

Shopping our Stash wants "crafty remnants" - things out on our desks leftover from previous projects.  

For some reason, I'd die cut a lot of deer before Christmas and they were all still sitting there unused.  I also had an odd-sized background made with emboss-resist trees and some blue sponging.  So I thought the deer could prance across in front of the trees.  And I added a sentiment in a similar shade of blue as the sponged sky.

 

 





Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Make an Impression sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Chipped Sapphire and Dusty Concord
Paper - white and black cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - masking fluid, masking paper, SSS Winter Village dies, circle die, hilly slope die, Dr Phil Martin's bleed-proof white gouache

Supplies:
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - various blue Distress inks, Versamark
Paper - white and brown cs
Size - A2
Accessories - deer die cuts, clear embossing powder

Stars for Guys, a Winter Sky, and Birthday Horses

I've been on a roll with making cards this week, mostly Christmas, but did have to do a birthday one.  Challenges really help inspire me so thank you to all the challenge organizers out there!

For 52 Christmas Card Throwdown "Use a Stencil" and Cardz 4 Guys "Stars":

I stencilled the arc of stars with silver glitter embossing paste on black cs, then layered the white die cut on top once the paste was dry.  A very simple card to make!

For AAA Cards "Skies, Galaxies, Planet":

I created a wet on wet night sky with two shades of blue watercolour paint on watercolour paper that I first painted with just water. When dry, I splattered with white acrylic paint. I added a die cut of snowy trees (cut from white shimmer cs) and a stamped sentiment, then popped the panel up on fun foam on a matching white shimmer card base.

And last, AAA Birthday "Animals":

It's for a special friend who loves horses and the colour pink.  And the sunflowers are perfect for her autumn birthday!  Stamped and watercoloured, bordered with pink cs, a pink sentiment, and a few die cut pink stars.

 

    

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - PB sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - white and black cs
Size - A2
Accessories - star stencil, reindeer deer

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - SSS sentiment
Ink - Ranger Archival Cobalt
Paper - watercolour paper, white shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, white acrylic paint, tree die, fun foam

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - Impression Obsession horses, A Muse sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Fallen Leaves, Distress Picked Raspberry
Paper - watercolour paper, pink and cream cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, SU tiny label die, tiny star die

A Rainy Day Threefer

Vancouver is having such a cold wet spring.  I'm yearning to work in my garden!  But no such luck today.  So I've got cards for some challenges instead.

First up for The Paper Players.  They want to see a craft image on the card.  And for Colorful Options.  They have a beautiful mood board in pastels (see at end of post) that I tried to depict on this card.

A simple stamped and watercoloured card using one of the wonderful Anita Jeram images from Colorado Craft Co.   I love these cute mice painting the flowers!

Next for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown "Santa" and for My Time to Craft Christmas "Christmas Quote".

I made a circle mask out of masking paper to create the moon. Then I brayered on coated cs using two shades of blue and two of yellow, letting the lighter blue and the lighter yellow meet in the middle.

I stamped the sentiment with StazOn ink as I'd used coated cs. I die cut the Santa and sleigh with black cs, then bordered the panel with black.

And last but not least, for Inkspirational "Clean and Simple" and ABC Christmas Challenge "H is for Houses".

I had a scrap of dp that looks like a chilly winter night sky. I die cut the village out of white so that it looks like it's all covered in snow, making it look even chillier. Layered it on another piece of white cs and then on a white mini slimline card base.

Challenges:

The Paper Players

 

Colorful Options

 

52 Christmas Card Throwdown

My Time to Craft Christmas "Christmas Quote"

Inkspirational

ABC Christmas Challenge "H is for Houses"

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Colorado Craft Co. "Love Art", unknown sentiment stamps
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, black and cream cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Colorado Craft Co. sentiment
Ink - ArchiStazOn Black; Distress Wild Honey, Scattered Straw, Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky
Paper - coated cs, black and white cs
Size - 5" square
Accessories - Frantic Stamper Santa die, circle die to make moon mask, masking paper

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - SSS sentiment
Ink - Memento Nautical Blue
Paper - white cs, scrap of dp
Size - 6x3.25"
Accessories - Gina Marie winter village

Silent Night Sky

My goodness, even in these strange times time is flying by and here we are at May already.  CAS Watercolour is asking for a Night Sky this month.

I decided to dig out my neglected Twinkling H2Os as they give a nice subtle shimmer.

I did a watercolour wash alternating Black China, Blue Flame, and Periwinkle Twinkling H2Os.  I spritzed the paints liberally and kept the watercolour paper quite wet so the colours would run together.  I put down a layer, dried it with my heat tool, then repeated layering and drying until the colours were rich enough and I was happy with it.

I took the Solar Gold Twinkling H2O and spritzed the paint with only a bit of water to keep the paint thick, and then splattered the gold onto the sky.  I die cut a square out of it.

I die cut a Sizzix village die out of white, added a dark blue sentiment, trimmed it to fit the bottom of my square of sky, and popped the square up on fun foam.

Please come and join us at CAS Watercolour.  I'm looking forward to seeing how you create watercoloured night skies.  There's more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team and this month's Guest Designer, Tina (Treebug blog).

I'm also linking it up with the Christmas Kickstart "Winter Wonderland: Create a Scene" challenge.

Supplies:
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Twilight
Paper - watercolour paper, white cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - Twinkling H2Os (Blue Flame, Periwinkle, China Black, Solar Gold), Sizzix village die, fun foam