B is for Butterfly and Blue Challenges

Stamping Sensations has a fun challenge - "I Spy something beginning with B".  I've got lots of "Bs" on this card - butterfly, blue, birthday, background technique.  I'm also entering it in the Neglected Stuff challenge as this is one of my favourite butterfly stamps and I haven't used it for ages.

The background is a stencil monoprint, using a stencil with tiny square openings, rubbed with several colours of Distress inks, spritzed with water, and then laid onto a watercolour panel.  When dry, I stamped some very faint text and postal stamps for added texture.  I stamped the butterfly and watercoloured it with the same colours as the background, then fussy cut it, glued its body down but popped up its wings with bits of dimensional tape. 

 

There seem to be a lot of challenges calling for blue this month!  Colorful Options "Blue and White", Inkspirational "Shades of Blue", and Color Hues "Blue and White".  So of course, I had to make a card for them!  And because it uses a leftover snippet from another card, it's going to the Snippets Playground.

Back in September, the Group of Cardmakers played with inlaid die cuts.  The piece I used on this card is the leftovers after die cutting and inlaying the centre of it into an ornament - see the second card on this post.

I simply took this leftover piece, trimmed it with a square die, and added it to a shimmery white card base and stamped and heat embossed the sentiment.

 

   

 

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Penny Black butterfly, unknown sentiment, text, and postmark
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, various blue Distress inks
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs, 
Size - A2
Accessories - tiny squares stencil

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black sentiment
Ink - ColorBox blue
Paper - white shimmer cs, TCP dp 
Size - 4.5" square
Accessories - Spellbinders square die, ornament die (for the inner circle of the dp), clear embossing powder

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

 

Textured Tissue Paper with Dry Embossing

This month the Group of Cardmakers is watercolouring tissue paper and dry embossing it for interesting textured backgrounds.  Full instructions are on our website.

I made three Christmas cards using the technique.  For the first two, I made green backgrounds and brayered over the raised sections with gold paint.

For the first card, I trimmed the panel and added a two-die sentiment (which perfectly covered up a blob of gold paint that wasn't on the raised part of the embossing).

For the second card, I die cut an ornament and the sentiment out of the panel and again out of scrap cs, and glued them together for more dimension.  I added gold cord to the top of the ornament, and embellished the card base with gold gemstones.

I then changed background and paint colours for this third card.

I used various blues and turquoises for this one (but I think there was a bit of green left on my craft mat!).  Then used a 3D snowflake folder and silver paint.  I added a snowflake / music die (cut three times for dimension - it needed that to make it really stand out), and a Let It Snow sentiment stamped in one of the ink colours and trimmed with a label die.

More examples over on the Group of Cardmakers' blog, as well as detailed instructions.  Be sure to read the information on different types of tissue paper!

Supplies for card 1:
Ink - various green Distress inks
Paper - white tissue paper, white and gold cs
Size - A2
Accessories - gold paint, SSS 3D greenery embossing folder, SSS Merry Christmas and shadow die 

Supplies for card 2:
Ink - various green Distress inks
Paper - white tissue paper, white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - gold paint, SSS 3D greenery embossing folder, Spellbinders ornament die, Hero Arts noel die
 

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - various blue and turquoise Distress inks
Paper - white tissue paper, white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - silver paint, SSS 3D snowflakes embossing folder, SSS Jingle Snowflakes die, Spellbinders label die

Inlaid Die Cuts

For September, the Group of Cardmakers is making cards using inlaid die cuts.  I love doing jigsaw puzzles, so I really enjoy this technique!

First up, a poinsettia:

I die cut the poinsettia twice, once out of gold cs and once out of white.  I painted the flower part of the white one with a couple of shades of red Distress inks.  I popped the flower petals out of the gold one, then glued the rest to a piece of white cs, and then glued the painted petals into their places.  Added a red sentiment, trimmed with a square die, and attached it to a red card base.

I went with an ornament die for my second card:

I used a two-part die for this one.  There is a solid ornament and an inner circle with the holly flourishes.  I cut the solid one out of blue shimmer cs and out of scrap cs.  I then laid the inner circle die over the blue shimmer one and cut out the flourishes.  I cut the inner circle die once more out of dp.  I glued the remaining border of the blue shimmer one onto the solid one cut from the scrap cs and then glued the dp filler pieces into the outline.  A bit of ribbon to hang the ornament and a blue shimmer "joy" finished it off.

I wanted to see the difference between inlaying the pieces flush with the outline (as in the ornament) and inlaying the pieces with the outline raised from them so I went on to make this third card.

I die cut the Star of David three times, once out of scrap cs, once out of silver cs, and once out of a pale blue / silver flecked dp.  I needed something to glue it all on to so cut a circle out of scrap cs.  I glued the Star of David outline from the scrap cs onto the solid circle, then inlaid the dp into it.  Then glue the silver cs outline on top.  Added it to a dry embossed panel, along with a heat embossed sentiment.

I like both the flush inlaid look and the one with the raised outline so will use both methods in future.  Check out some more examples and some links to instructional videos over at Group of Cardmakers!

My second card is also being linked up at Try It On Tuesday "Pretty Papers" - the paper I used for the inset part of the die is one of the prettiest I have.

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Hero Arts sentiment
Ink - various red Distress inks
Paper - red, gold, and white cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - Spellbinders poinsettia die

Supplies for card 2:
Paper - white shimmer and blue shimmer cs, TPC dp, ribbon
Size - 5.25" square
Accessories - ornament die, PB Joy die

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - SU sentiment
Ink - Versamark
Paper - white and silver cs, pale blue with silver flecks dp
Size - A2
Accessories - PTI star of David die, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Stampendous Vintage Blue embossing tinsel, sentiment strip die, dimensionals

 

 

Aqua and Silver

As soon as I saw the Peace on Earth mood board (see at end of post), I was drawn to the bottom right image of the aqua-coloured ornaments with some silver in the background.  Here's my card:

I die cut the ornament three times, once out of aqua glitter cs and twice out of scrap cs.  I glued them together, threaded both aqua bakers twine and silver cord through the hole, then glued it to a silver matte card base.  I die cut the sentiment and glued it to the card base.

We'd love to have you join us with either a card inspired by the mood board or an "anything Christmas" card.  There's lots more inspiration from the Design Team over at Peace on Earth.  Here's our mood board:

Supplies:
Paper - silver matte cs, aqua glitter cs
Size - A2
Accessories - ornament die, Essentials by Ellen sentiment die, aqua bakers twine, silver cord

Glittered Ornament and Jingle Bells

First up, a very CAS card.  My Time to Craft Christmas wants to see glitter.  I used a technique I saw on SCS for using up glitter.  It's also for the Try It On Tuesday Challenge to keep it simple.

I covered a piece of packing tape with a Christmas glitter blend I have (but had never used!). Added a top layer of tape and die cut the ornament. I "hung" it on my centre panel and popped that panel up on fun foam on the card base, and added a sentiment.

I used some of my hammered cs - it adds some nice texture to a very CAS card.  Since I've had it for a couple of years but haven't used any of it yet (and had never used the Christmas glitter mix that I've had for at least 10 years!!!), I'm linking it up at the NBUS Challenge and the Neglected Stuff Challenge.

Now on to my second card for today.  The Jingle Belles Challenge is asking for jingle bells, the ABC Christmas Challenge is "j for jingle bells", and the Double D Challenge wants us to use designer paper.

I die cut the bells twice and glued them together for more dimension.  Added them to some starry designer paper.  Stamped and fussy cut the sentiment and added it.  

   

 
 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Penny Black sentiment
Ink - ColorBox Gold
Paper - white hammered cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders ornament die and long rectangle die, Christmas glitter mix, packing tape, gold thread, gold embossing powder, sentiment strip die, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Dylusions sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx black
Paper - white and gold cs, decorative paper
Size - A2
Accessories - Lil Inker bell dies

Watercoloured Winter, Peaceful Ornament, and Grungy Birthday

Two more Christmas cards and one birthday card today!  

First, for ABC Christmas Challenge "W is for Watercolouring", Stamping Sensations "Winter", and Four Seasons "Winter" (the top left image on their mood board inspired me to pull out an old stamp that has a rustic wooden cabin as part of it).

The image is stamped, watercoloured, and added to a kraft cardbase.  Then I went over the snow lines, the snow on the fences, trees, and roof with a quickie glue pen and added glitter.  I put the sentiment inside as I didn't want to cover up any of the lovely image.

Next up for Addicted to CAS "Ornament":

A friend and I regularly go for tea at a little French bakery / coffee shop and the pastries are served on gold cardboard holders that I carefully clean and recycle to make large ornaments for cards. In this case, I dripped a couple of shades of red alcohol inks on the round part of the pastry holder and spritzed with rubbing alcohol to get it to run and cover the round part. When dry, I added a dove die cut from white glitter cs and a branch cut from green shimmer cs. I embellished with three little stick-on gold glitter circles and some matching gold glitter strips for the ornament's hanger. I let it all take centre stage on a plain white card base with just an added stamped and heat embossed sentiment. 

A male friend has a birthday coming up so I had my usual struggle to make a masculine card.  I'm linking it up with Sweet Stampin' "It's our Birthday" - they are celebrating the 15th year of their challenge.  And also Seize the Birthday "Masculine".

I found the stencilled piece in my unused background box - it was very intensely orange and I didn't like it, so I watered down some gesso and painted over it to lighten it up.  I stamped the Tim Holtz image in black and edged around it with Tea Dye Distress ink.  Then cut a rectangle out of the stencilled piece and layered it over the stamped image as a frame.  Added a birthday sentiment to the top of the frame.

   

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Northwoods
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, kraft cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, quickie glue pen, glitter

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - A Muse sentiment
Ink - ColorBox Gold, red alcohol inks
Paper - white cs, white glitter cs, green shimmer cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - Impression Obsession dove die, recycled pastry holder, gold embossing powder, Anita's Glitterations gold strips and dots

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - Tim Holtz man, unknown sentiment
Ink - various orange Distress inks, Distress Tea Dye, Versfine Onyx Black
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders rectangle die, clock stencil, gesso