No Stamps Allowed

This week's Merry Monday challenge is "no stamps allowed".

I went with an interesting background technique using Brushos with spray starch and
cling wrap, and topped it with a simple die cut:

To make the background, I started by spraying a piece of mixed media paper with spray starch. Then I sprinkled with a couple of shades of blue Brushos.  I scrunched a piece of cling wrap over the top and left it to dry for a few hours.

It made a beautiful winter sky to place behind my reindeer die cut.  I had thought of adding a die cut sentiment but I love the simplicity of the card the way it is so put the sentiment on the inside.

Supplies:

Paper - white cs, mixed media cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Ali Express reindeer and tree die, blue Brushos, spray starch, fun foam

Christmas Sentiment with Reindeer

I have always loved the sentiment stamps by Kay Foley.  I have lots of them, including several Christmas ones, so when I saw the Merry Monday challenge to use our favourite Christmas verse, I had to go with a Kay Foley one - but it was hard to choose which one.

When I finally settled on which Kay Foley sentiment to use, I made this card:

I let the sentiment be the star of the card.  All I added to it was a stamped and die cut reindeer positioned above the sentiment as if he is the reindeer making the sound of hooves as mentioned in the sentiment.

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black Leaping Deer, Kay Foley sentiment

Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa and Potters Clay

Paper - PTI cream, Bazzill rusty red

Size - A2

Accessories - Penny Black reindeer die, dimensional tape, brown gemstone

Two Cards, No Blue

My followers have probably figured out that blue is my favourite colour!  So today I have two cards without a speck of blue!!

First up for Merry Monday Inspiration Challenge:

I created this card using a new stamp I hadn't inked up yet:

Pretty basic - stamped, watercoloured, and popped up on fun foam on an embossed background.  I love the image - here's a close-up:

Then quite a different card for 52 Christmas Card Throwdown:

Santa and his sleigh are stamped and coloured with coloured pencils, with a bit of glitter added to Santa's hat and jacket.

The Memory Box Joyeux Noel die was just the right sized to put on the diagonal underneath Santa.  I'm not that comfortable with things on the diagonal but it worked with the Santa stamp.

All this non-blue is making me thing I need to go back to something blue tomorrow!

Supplies for the first card:

Stamps - Stamplorations

Ink - Archival Jet Black

Paper - watercolour paper, cream and dark pink (or is it light red?) shimmer cs

Size - 4.75" square

Accessories - Sizzix embossing folder, Gansai Tambi watercolour paints, fun foam

Supplies for the second card:

Stamps - Crafters Companion Nordic Christmas Santa

Ink - Ranger Potting Soil

Paper - white and red cs

Size - A2

Accessories - coloured pencils, Memory Box Joyeux Noel die, white glitter

A-Colouring I Will Go

Jingle Belles have a great challenge "A-Coloring We Will Go".  I'm watching lots of the Winter Olympics and, during the sports I'm not that interested in, I work on cards, do my email, fold laundry, etc.  So colouring an image fits right in with all that!

I stamped the image, and then coloured it with Copic markers.  I went over the moon with Wink of Stella (but it doesn't show up in the photo) and over the stars with a Stardust gel pen (they do look sort of sparkly in the photo).

I trimmed it, matted it with rainbow glitter cs, and popped it up with fun foam on a white cardbase.

I'm also posting it on SCS Christmas Card Challenge where the suggested theme for February is Santa and his reindeer.

A few more days of the Olympics to go so I'm planning to colour some more images!

Supplies:

Stamps - Crafty Individuals

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper - white cs, rainbow glitter cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Copic markers, Wink of Stella, Stardust gel pen, fun foam

Leftovers with Reindeer

The latest Merry Christmas Challenge has an optional theme of reindeer.  I decided that was a perfect way to use up some pieces I made after making the gelli print background for my previous post.  Here it is so that you can see the first print:

The print comes out really nice and sharp the first time.  But there is still lots of paint on the gelli plate so I like to make a couple more backgrounds to use up that paint.  Here's the card I made with the second print:

Because you have to spritz again with water between each print, it gets less crisp and sharp each time.

Here's the card using the third print:

But they are still nice backgrounds.  For both of these cards, I used the same reindeer die, one out of silver glitter cs and one just out of white cs.

I love getting extra backgrounds made when I've got all the supplies out!

Supplies:

Paper - mixed media cs, white cs, silver glitter cs

Size - 5" square, A2

Accessories - Rebecca Baer snow flurries stencil, Ali Express reindeer and tree die, fun foam, various blue acrylic paints

Cling Wrap Background

It's January 1st, the start of the New Year and the start of a new CAS Mix Up challenge.  You'd all think it was time to be done with Christmas cards, but sorry, my example for the Design Team is yet another Christmas card!  Hopefully you're all still in the holiday mood and won't mind!

The challenge this month is "Cling Wrap".

I went with a technique that uses Brushos, spray starch, and cling wrap to create my background for this card.

I started by spraying a piece of mixed media paper with spray starch.  Then I sprinkled with a couple of shades of blue Brushos.  I scrunched a piece of cling wrap over the top and left it to dry for a few hours.

I got the most beautiful background that seemed perfect for a winter sky behind my reindeer die cut.

The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed, and the panel die cut with a stitched square and then popped up on fun foam.


There  are several videos to give you ideas over on the CAS Mix Up blog, as well as cards by the rest of the Design Team and our wonderful Guest Designer, Christine of It's a Card Day's Night.  The challenge is open until January 24th.

Please remember to keep your card clean and simple, and include some stamping, a technique that uses cling wrap, and at least one other thing from the list on the right hand side of CAS Mix Up.  I have Brushos and die cutting.

And best wishes for 2018 to all my followers!

Supplies:

Stamps - Rubber Soul sentiment

Ink - Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue

Paper - white cs, mixed media cs

Size - 4.75" square

Accessories - Memory Box Deer Family die, Lil Inkers stitched square die, blue Brushos, spray starch, cling wrap, clear embossing powder, fun foam

A Very Last Minute Card

Here it is Christmas Eve and I need one final Christmas card for this year (to hand deliver, of course). 

Both the Merry Christmas Challenge and the Christmas Cards All Year Round Challenge have "anything goes" right now so I'll link up there. 

And also over at CAS Mix Up it's anything goes as long as there is stamping and at least two other of their optional elements.  I have stamping, spraying, heat embossing, and die cutting.

And at SCS, the Mixability challenge is Silent Night - "all is calm, all is bright" - use cool calm colours or all warm bright colours on a holiday card.  I went with calm and cool - blue, green, and brown.

The background is sprayed with a blue spray - not sure what brand as the piece was in my UFO box. Then I die cut the tree line, rubbed Versamark over it all and heat embossed with verdigris embossing powder that gives a great mottled look. I added two die cut reindeer and a sentiment.

Merry Christmas to all my blog friends and followers.  Thank you to you all for dropping in to look and to leave comments - it is so appreciated, and so encouraging!

Supplies:

Stamps - Make an Impression sentiment

Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa, Versamark

Paper - white and brown cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Impression Obsession reindeer dies, Tim Holtz tree line die, Ranger Verdigris embossing powder, blue spray

A Flexible Card

The Jingle Belles Christmas challenge this week is "Thankful for the Holidays" - either an obvious post-Christmas thank you card or one that could be quickly turned into a last minute Christmas card if needed or be saved for after Christmas.  I went with the second option as I never know when I'll run out!

,

I made the background piece by stamping a text stamp on a piece of tissue paper (after stamping off once), then spraying with various green sprays. I dried it with my heat tool, allowing it to wrinkle. I then glued it to white cs with matte medium. When dry, I applied white gesso with a palette knife on just the raised areas created by the wrinkling.

I trimmed the panel, bordered it with white, and added it to a green card base.

I die cut the tree, the deer, and the word "winter" twice and glued them together for more dimension. I glued them to the background panel, allowing the tree to overhang.

I figure "winter" is generic enough that it could be either a Christmas card or a post-Christmas thank you card.

Supplies:

Stamps - Inkadinkado text stamp

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper - white and green cs, tissue paper

Size - A2

Accessories - varioius green sprays, gesso, Tim Holtz multi matte medium, Impression Obsession tree die, Penny Black deer die

Glittered Sky

Christmas is fast approaching and CAS Mix Up has a challenge this month that is perfect for Christmas cards:

There are several videos linked up at CAS Mix Up to give you ideas.  I chose to use a stencil with two colours of glitter.

CAS Mix Up lists this video using a brass stencil and several colours of glitter, but I used an acetate stencil and only two colours.  See this video for the exact technique I used.  It is much more glittery in real life - I had a really hard time getting a good photo.

The reindeer was stamped in copper ink and then die cut with the matching die.  His back legs are glued down to the card and his body is popped up with foam tape to give the idea that he is leaping up into the starry sky.

Please come over to CAS Mix Up and check out the cards by the rest of the Design Team and our November Guest Designer, Robyn of Waterlily Cards by Robyn.  You have until November 24 to link up your card.  Please be sure it is clean and simple, includes stamping, glitter, and at least one of the "your choice options".

I'm also linking up to the new Jingle Belles challenge "Not a Creature was Stirring" - use animals on your Christmas card.

Supplies:

Stamps - Penny Black reindeer, A Muse sentiment

Ink - Delicata Celestial Copper

Paper - white cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Penny Black reindeer die, Glitter Ritz Gold and Canadian Blue glitter, wide Sook Wang tape, TCW Random Stars stencil, foam tape

Animals on Christmas Cards

I'm getting behind in posting the Christmas cards I make throughout the year so today I'm showing you three, all featuring animals.

First up a reindeer, done for this week's SCS CAS challenge, Wonderfully Wild! (use wildlife), and the April SCS Christmas Card Challenge, Christmas Creatures.

For the background, I laid a TCW stencil on watercolour paper, sprinkled two shades of blue brushos over the openings, spritzed with water, and immediately removed the stencil and let it air dry.

When dry, I stamped a bit of random script on it and heat embossed in white.

I created a stitched circle frame for the background out of shimmery cream cs, and cut it twice more out of scrap white cs. I glued those layers together for a bit more dimension (but not as much as foam tape would give). The card base is the same shimmery cs.

I die cut the reindeer out of shimmery black cs, glued his back legs to the frame and popped the rest of him up on foam tape.


Now on to a cute Christmas dog, done for a SCS Free for All challenge, Cuddly / Snuggly - "something that makes you think of cuddling or snuggling...It could be a cuddly animal, a warm sweater/coat/mittens...whatever it means to you, cuddle or snuggle":

I thought this dog looked pretty cuddly, and he's wearing such a nice warm snuggly scarf!

I kept it pretty CAS and managed to use up a piece from my stash of dp!  And it's nice and flat for mailing.


And lastly a horse on a Christmas card, done for a SCS Ways to Use It challenge - to include elements on your card project that spell out the word "HOPE."

Here's how I used the word HOPE:

H = horse
O = oval die cut for my sentiment
P = "peace on earth"
E = embossing - heat embossing on the sentiment, and heat embossed chunky white embossing enamel for the snow in the sky

The background is two shades of blue Brushos sprinkled on coated cs and spritzed with water.

The challenge was in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness month - it made me think of my riding instructor who is a breast cancer survivor, and who, coincidentally, has a horse she rescued from the slaughter house and named "Hope". I will give this card to her.

Supplies for card 1:

Stamps - Wendy Vecchi script stamp

Ink - ColorBox Frost White

Paper - shimmery cream and black cs, watercolour paper

Size - 5.25" square

Accessories - turquoise and oster blue brushos, TCW stencil, white embossing powder, Lil Inker stitched circle die, Penny Black reindeer die, foam tape

Supplies for card 2:

Stamps - Penny Black

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper - white cs, dp

Size - turquoise and oster blue brushos, TCW stencil, white embossing powder, Lil Inker stitched circle die, Penny Black reindeer die, foam tape

Accessories - copic markers

Supplies for card 3:

Stamps - A Muse sentiment

Ink - ColorBox white

Paper - white cs, coated cs

Size - A2

Accessories - white embossing powder, Frantage chunky white embossing enamel, Nesties oval die, StarLit Studio Horse Country die, blue brushos

Gilding Flakes Reindeer

This week's Merry Monday challenge is reindeer:

I decided to make a reindeer using gilding flakes.

 
I covered some cs with double sided tape, removed the tape protector, and covered it with gilding flakes in a gorgeous range of colours.  I then die cut both the reindeer and the sentiment.

I wish I could get inspired to use up my stash of dp but mostly it doesn't work for the cards I make these days.  But in this case, a piece of snowflake covered dp blended with the gilding flakes really well so I went with it.

Here's a close-up of the gorgeous colours in the gilding flakes:

Thanks for dropping by today!

Supplies:

Paper - cs, American Crafts dp

Size - A2

Accessories - Penny Black reindeer die, Tattered Lace Merry Christmas die, gilding flakes, double sided tape

Trees Two Ways

I'm still making Christmas cards!  Very last minute I know!  Here are a couple with trees as their theme.

SCS's Free for All challenge is to make a project with something wood. Real wood, wood texture or stamp, or a tree or branch image. I've got embossed birch trees and stamped fir trees.

I used the technique that I've seen on SCS where you add colour to the debossed side of the embossing folder and then stamp an image on it. Then put your cs into the folder and run it through the Cuttlebug or Big Shot.

I added a snowy bank, two die cut deer, and a die cut sentiment.


And a totally different tree:

The SCS Ways to Use It challenge is "Sing, Sing a Song" - be inspired by a song. I chose "O Christmas Tree".

I used Loll Thompson's alcohol ink smooshing technique with various green alcohol inks and Yupo.  See her video here (go to the 2:20 minute point).  Loll uses glossy cs, but the technique is the same with Yupo.

I had a negative left from a Tim Holtz Christmas tree die cut so layered it over the Yupo. I stencilled some snowflakes around the tree and added the sentiment "O Christmas Tree". It's popped up on fun foam for dimension.

Supplies for Card One:

Stamps - SU trees

Ink - SU Pool Party, Ranger Archival Jet Black

Paper - white, brown, and grey cs

Size - A2

Accessories - SU embossing folder, Impression Obsession deer dies, Tim Holtz winter die, foam tape, fun foam

Supplies for Card Two:

Stamps - Rosie's Roadshow sentiment

Ink - Memento Cottage Ivy, various green alcohol inks

Paper - white cs, Yupo

Size - A2

Accessories - Tim Holtz tree die, Memory Box snowflakes stencil, Aleene's glitter snow paste, fun foam

The Joy of the Full Moon

CAS Mix Up is challenging you to use "Masking" as the special technique in your November cards.

I came up with this card for my Design Team contribution:

I used two types of masking - masking paper to die cut a circle mask for the moon and a hilly mask to keep the bottom half of the panel white, and liquid frisket for the snow storm.

After placing my masks and splattering the liquid frisket with a toothbrush for the snow, I sponged with two blue Distress inks, keeping it lighter around the moon.  When dry, I rubbed off the liquid frisket and removed the masks.

I added a reindeer (die cut twice from bronze metallic cs), a stamped and heat embossed "Joy", and two lines of glue and glitter for the snow banks.

I popped the panel up on fun foam on a stitched border, and then popped the whole thing up on the card base.

Please come and join us up until November 24.  We have added two new very talented Design Team members - Julia from Create with Julia and Joanna from Jo-Jo's Spot.  And have a Guest Designer - Linda S. from Lin's Craft Corner.  So there is lots of wonderful inspiration for you!

Your cards need to be clean and simple, and include stamping, masking, and at least one other choice from the list on the right hand side of the CAS Mix Up challenge blog.  My other choices were die cutting, sponging, and heat embossing.

Supplies:

Stamps - Rubber Soul "Joy"

Ink - ColorBox copper, Distress Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire

Paper - white cs, bronze metallic cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Dee's Distinctively reindeer die, Lil Inkers stitched rectangle die, copper embossing powder, masking paper, masking fluid (liquid frisket), small circle die, fun foam, glue pen, glitter

Frameworthy and Inspired

Two great challenges on SCS at the end of last week - Free for All "Frameworthy" (add a frame to your card) and Inspiration Challenge (be inspired by a floral image on a website called Petals).

For the first one I created this card:

 

A month or so ago, I was at Loll Thompson's house and she shared her aspen tree stencil and her stenciling with brushos technique. I came home with a few backgrounds and am finally getting around to using one.

It is definitely "frameworthy" as it's such a great (and easy) technique. To see Loll's video tutorial on how to do it, go to this link.  I was totally inspired by this card of Loll's.

I added a die cut reindeer, a heat embossed sentiment, and a die cut pierced frame, and mounted it on a rustic cs base.

For the Inspiration Challenge, as soon as I saw this image in the wreath section of the Petals website, I knew what I wanted to make.  Here is my card:

I punched lots of pine brunches out of various green dps (usually with grass patterns on them) and glued them to a circle cut with two Nesties dies. Added red gemstones for berries.

The wall is made with white embossing paste through a brick stencil on grey cs. I popped it up on fun foam for some dimension and added a die cut sentiment.

Christine and I were at Loll's for another crafty get-together on Saturday and I came home with several great pieces just needing to be turned into cards - I'll be back soon with some of them.

Supplies for the first card:

Stamps: Rubber Soul sentiment 

Paper: mixed media, black and brown cs, PTI Rustic cs

Ink: Colorbox White

Accessories: Dee's Distinctively reindeer die, pierced frame die, white embossing powder, black brushos, TCW aspen trees stencil  

Supplies for the second card:

Paper: white, red, and grey cs; various green dp

Accessories: Martha Stewart pine branch punch, Nesties circle dies, red gemstones, Tim Holtz brick wall stencil, Dreamweaver white embossing paste, Tattered Lace sentiment die, fun foam  

Copper Die Cut for Happy Little Stampers

Happy Little Stampers' April Christmas challenge is "die cut/s".

I was at Loll Thompson's recently and she generously shared her copper sheets with us and had us heating the copper to get beautiful colour tones in it.  It works really well with the Sizzix Bigz dies so I ended up with this lovely die cut reindeer that takes centre stage on my card for the HLS Design Team.

I kept the card very CAS as I didn't want to detract from the reindeer.  I made a faux mother-of-pearl background with various green and brown Distress inks and some pearlescent paint.  I sponged a bit around the edges for definition and added a vertical heat embossed sentiment.

The card base is textured shimmery cream cs with a simple piece of knotted copper cord to balance the focal panel.

Come and join us at HLS and show us some Christmas die cuts!  There are great prizes - a $30 gift certificate to the winner and a $10 gift certificate to each of our Favourites, to spend at the Happy Little Stampers' shop.

Supplies:

Stamps - Northwoods sentiment

Ink - Versafine Vintage Sepia, various green and brown Distress inks

Paper - white cs, shimmery textured cream cs

Size - A2

Accessories - copper sheet, embossing powder, copper twine, pearlescent paint, Sizzix reindeer bigz die

Mixed Media with Reindeer

It's time for another Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media Challenge - and it's wide open this month as it's "Anything Goes".  I'm still in Christmas card production mode so created a snowy scene for two little reindeer.

My media are ink, embossing powder (two different kinds), white acrylic paint, glitter, and Deco Art Snow Writer.

I started by sponging the background with three shades of blue Distress ink.  Then stamped the trees and used this great new embossing powder that really adds tones and dimension.  I splattered with white acrylic paint and a toothbrush for a light snowfall.  The sentiment is stamped in dark brown and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

I cut a curved edge to a scrap of white cs and coated it with Deco Art Snow Writer and some glitter.  And finished off with two dark brown die cut reindeer glued to the snow and popped off the background with foam tape.

I'm also adding it to the Splitcoaststampers Christmas Card Challenge theme of "Santa, sleighs, or reindeer".

The Happy Little Stampers challenge is open all month so please come and join us!

Supplies:
Stamps - Tim Holtz trees, Rubber Soul sentiment
Ink - Versamark, Memento Rich Cocoa; Distress Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, and Broken China
Paper - white cs
Accessories - Impression Obsession reindeer dies, clear embossing powder, Ranger Verdigris Antiquities embossing powder, Deco Art Snow Writer, white acrylic paint, foam tape