More Pink for Jingle Belles and a Hanukkah Card

I really admire Stef and Lauren of Jingle Belles for running their Pink Christmas challenge every year to raise money for breast cancer research.  It's a challenge for me for sure as I struggle with using non-traditional colours on my Christmas cards.  But I persevered and this year I made two pink Christmas cards (the other was posted in my previous post).  Here's the second:

This one has a real old rose shade of pink.  I used a piece of patterned paper for the background and then chose the closest shade of pink from amongst the several different shades of pink glitter cardstock that I have.  I die cut the poinsettia out of it once, and then cut it twice more out of scrap cs, then glued them together and added them to the patterned paper.  I used a very pale pink/grey shade of cs for the base and for the sentiment square.

My second card today is for Inkspirational - it wants to see a seasonal card (a card for one of the occasions in one of the seasons).  I chose Hanukkah for a change from Christmas cards.

There is a SCS tutorial for making the paper star here.  I used a lovely double-sided decorative paper I've had in my stash for ages.  I topped it with a silver glitter die cut Star of David and added it to a plain white card base with a heat embossed sentiment.

One more thing - few weeks ago, I posted this card:

In my post (see here), I mentioned not being that happy with the card.  A couple of people offered suggestions in the comments so I looked at it again and decided to add a green frame around the stencilling.  I cut a square out of the same green shimmer cs as the border layer and then used the original inverted scallop die to cut out the centre of the green square.  I glued it over the white layer.  Here's the result:

I was pretty happy with the results so I'll put the card in my fundraiser sale and see if it sells!

    

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - small noel
Ink - Distress dark pink
Paper - dp, pink glitter cs, light pink/grey cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Penny Black poinsettia die, small square die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - SU sentiment
Ink - ColorBox silver
Paper - white cs, patterned paper, silver glitter cs
Size - A2
Accessories - silver embossing powder, SSS Star of David 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

 

 

Poinsettia Postcard and Watercoloured Teddy

I love the Tim Holtz collage stamps but struggle with using them.  Here's one of my attempts, done for 52 Christmas Card Throwdown "Poinsettia".

I smooshed a bit of background with light colours of Distress Oxide ink (Pumice Stone and Old Paper), then put it in my MISTI and inked up the image with three Archival inks (Sepia for the script, Vermillion for the poinsettia, Library Green for the leaves), inking and stamping till I was happy with the results.  Being stamped over an Oxide background made some of it look a bit chalky.  Then bordered with a brown cs layer that went well with the Sepia ink.

A second quick CAS card for the Paper Players who want a CAS Watercolour card.

Very simple and CAS - stamped, watercoloured, trimmed, bordered with deckle edged green cs.

  

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Tim Holtz
Ink - Distress Oxide Pumice Stone and Old Paper, Archival Sepia, Vermillion, and Library Green
Paper - white and brown cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders rectangle dies

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black teddy, SSS sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - green and off white cs, watercolour paper
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, Spellbinders rectangle and deckle rectangle dies

Joy with Cardinals and Poinsettias

I'm not good at using large dies but having seen so many great cards using the Penny Black Joy die, I broke down and bought it a while ago and am finally getting around to using it.

I  stamped the image of the cardinals and coloured with coloured pencils, then trimmed it to fit behind the "o" of the die cut which I cut out of green cs.  I used a stitched rectangle die to add interest to the edges of the card.

I'm linking it up with Try It on Tuesday ("Things with Wings") and Word Power (the sentiment is the focus of the card).

I had enough of the sheet of green cs left from cutting out "Joy" to make an A2 card base - I don't very often use coloured card bases so it was fun to think of what to add to it.  

I put the poinsettia stamp in my MISTI and inked it up with various mini Distress inks and Memento Dew Drop inks, spritzing, stamping, and reinking until   I was happy with the results.  I trimmed it with a Sizzix die, added it to the green card base, and added a green TH Christmas sentiment sticker and some gemstones.

I'm linking it up to Addicted to CAS ("Florals") and Twelve Months of Christmas ("Only One or Two Layers"),

  

   

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Serendipity cardinals
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white and green cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Penny Black Joy die, coloured pencils, Lil Inkers stitched rectangle die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black poinsettia
Ink - various mini Distress inks and Memento Dew Drop inks
Paper - green cs, watercolour paper
Size - A2
Accessories - TH Christmas sentiment sticker, Sizzix die, gemstones

Poinsettia and Star

Sneaking in under the wire with a poinsettia card for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge "Positively Poinsettias".  It's also going to My Time to Craft Christmas which wants Christmas flowers.  And I think it has enough of a vintage look for The Twelve Months of Christmas Link-up "Vintage" challenge.

I stamped the poinsettia postcard three times. For the bottom layer, I did a bit of watercolour painting on the tiny bell, tiny reindeer, and the flourishes. On the second layer I painted the green leaves and then fussy cut the whole poinsettia. On the third layer, I painted the red petals and just fussy cut that section of the poinsettia. I glued the two fussy cut layers onto the bottom panel and attached that to my card base.

I tried to photograph it so you could see the dimension and the layers.

My second card is for 52 Christmas Card Throwdown "Embossing", Can You Handle the Pressure? (use an embossing folder), Rudolph Days (anything Christmas), and Shopping our Stash "Outta this World" (I chose the option of stars).

 

 

I die cut the large star out of kraft cs and streaked a bit of white gesso across it. Pierced a hole in the top of it and threaded a strip of red gingham ribbon through it. Taped the ribbon on the back of the background panel that was run through a 3D embossing folder. I think this folder gives the idea of the star handing in a Christmas tree.  Added foam tape to the back of the star to pop it up a bit. Stamped the sentiment in red and added the bow and the small silver star.

 

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Viva Decor
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, off white c
Size - 6x4.25"
Accessories - watercolour paints

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Impression Obsession sentiment
Ink - Distress Candied Apple
Paper - white and kraft cs, silver mirri c
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders star dies, red gingham ribbon, SSS 3D embossing folder, gesso, foam tape

Vintage Poinsettia and Multi Coloured Holly

It's beautiful weather here at the moment - perfect for gardening.  Fortunately for my Christmas card quota, I can no longer garden all day like I could when younger (or my back protests very painfully) so I'm forced to do other things during the day.  Today I got a couple of cards made.

For The 12 Months of Christmas Link-up "Vintage" and the Christmas Kickstart "Positively Poinsettia" challenges:

With the stamp in my MISTI, I stamped it first in Antique Linen, then inked up the poinsettia with red and green TH crayons, misting lightly, and going back and forth until I was happy with the results. Trimmed it, bordered it with dark gold, added the sentiment, a dark gold border, and some champagne-coloured pearls in the centre of the flower.  

Then for Sparkles Christmas Challenge "Christmas Foliage" and Christmas All Year Round (be inspired by a line from Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - I went with "Deck the halls with boughs of holly"):

I stamped the holly stamp twice with an old Kaleidacolor pad to get the lovely colour variation, added the sentiment, trimmed with a stitched rectangle and popped it up on fun foam, added red Stickles to the berries and a little red bow.

 

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - TH poinsettia postcard, Mama Elephant sentiment
Ink - Distress Antique Linen, Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - off white and dark gold cs
Size - A2
Accessories - TH crayons, champagne pearls

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black
Ink - Kaleidacolor Caribbean Sea
Paper - off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Lil Inker stitched rectangle die, red Stickles, red cord, fun foam

A Feminine Shoe and an Encircled Poinsettia

My youngest sister loves shoes and she is a voracious reader.  I made this card for her and for Try It on Tuesday ("For a Lady"), Inkspirational ("CAS with a twist of stickers or ephemera" - I think the shoe counts as ephemera as I took it off a commercial card), and Word Power (the sentiment is the main focus).

I stamped the sentiment and trimmed with a pierced dot rectangle die, and popped the shoe up next to it - all on a matching pink card base.

And of course, getting on with Christmas cards.  This one uses up a lot of snippets of leftover cs so I'm linking up to the Snippets Challenge.  And to the Flower Challenge ("Add Circles") and Beautiful Blossoms (anything flowers). 

I die cut the poinsettia in red cs, sponged a bit of Distress Aged Mahogany around the edges, then layered them together. I embellished with dark red gemstones.

The sentiment and poinsettia are placed on white shimmer cs. I bordered the poinsettia's circle with a red cs inverted scallops circle. The card base is green shimmer cs.

   

 

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Crafters Companion sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white and pink cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders pierced dot rectangle die, shoe from a commercial card

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Rubber Soul sentiment
Ink - Staz-on black, Distress Aged Mahogan
Paper - white shimmer and green shimmer cs, red cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Memory Box Blooming Poinsettia die, Spellbinders circle and inverted scallop circle dies, dark red gemstones, stitched banner die