Bear in a Shaker and Small Vertical Elements

52 Christmas Card Throwdown's technique challenge is "Shaker Card" and CAS on Friday's theme challenge is "Animal".  I've got both in this card:

The bear is watercoloured and fussy cut and placed on top of a square of silver cs embossed with a snowflake embossing folder.  I added thick dimensional tape around the edges of the silver cs, sprinkled in some sequins and micro-beads, then added a layer of acetate to the top of it.  I set it behind a white square of cs out of which I die cut a centre square.

The ABC Christmas Challenge wants "U for Use It Up" and / or "V for Vertical".  I included both - using up a scrap of background and a vertical sentiment.  And Christmas Craft Creations wants "Monochromatic".

The background is a tiny leftover bit from a larger background I created by smooshing blue Distress Oxide inks on mixed media cs.  I added a small vertically-oriented die cut and stamped a vertical sentiment.

     

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - unknown bear stamp, PB sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne, SU Real Red
Paper - white cs, silver cs, watercolour paper
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - watercolour paints, snowflake embossing folder, sequins, microbeads, dimensional tape

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Rosie's Roadshow sentiment
Ink - various blue Distress Oxide inks
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - unknown die, fun foam

Winter Fun and Spring Flowers

First up a card for the Shopping Our Stash challenge "Winter Fun":

I chose a stamp I've had for ages of old-fashioned winter sports with women having to skate in skirts and a child on an old-fashioned wooden sled. It's coloured with coloured pencils on kraft and bordered with red and mounted on a teal card base - to my eye, they are kind of old-fashioned colours that suit the image.

My second card is for a friend's birthday.  She loves blue and she loves flowers.  It's for AAA Birthday challenge "anything birthday goes":

The image is coloured with coloured pencils. I stamped the text around it in a blue / grey ink but unfortunately there was some leftover red ink on the text stamp that changed the colour in a couple of spot. I then added blue / grey sponging around the edges.

I used the thin frame die to cut into my panel and then cut the thin frame out of blue cs and put it into the gap I'd made.

I stamped and heat embossed a white sentiment on dark grey cs and trimmed it into a banner.

Shopping Our Stash challenge "Winter Fun"

 

AAA Birthday "anything birthday goes"

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Inkadinkado
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - kraft, red, and teal blue cs
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black bluebells, Wendy Vecchi text, Memory Box sentiment
Ink - Archival Jet Black, SSS Barely Blue, Hero Arts Soft Sky, ColorBox white
Paper - white, blue, dark grey cs
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, white embossing powder, SSS thin frame die

Silhouette Skaters

It's time to remind you to enter CAS Christmas's January challenge "Silhouette".  Here's my reminder card:

Loll taught me how to do Eileen Godwin's great technique of creating a geometric sponged background with some stencilling over it - perfect for a silhouette stamp.

Check out Eileen's video here.

I created the geometric pattern with pale wintery shades of blue and lilac Distress inks, then stencilled some snowflakes over it.  I put it in the MISTI and stamped the image of children skating and the sentiment.

Then popped it up on fun foam over an angled scrap of black cs to reflect the angles of the geometric background.

You've got until January 24th to link up a clean and simple Christmas card featuring a silhouette.  There's more inspiration from the Design Team over at CAS Christmas.

I know Christmas is only just over, but it's never too early to start making them for next year!

Supplies:
Stamps - Impression Obsession skaters, SSS sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocture, Distress Weathered Wood, Shaded Lilac, Victorian Velvet, Stormy Sky
Paper - white and black cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Carta Bella snowflake stencil, fun foam

A Merry Bear

Merry Monday's challenge is "Outdoor Activities":

I used a new stamp showing a bear skating, and CASEd my friend, Christine's card that she showed me recently but hasn't posted yet.  Here's Christine's card:

And here's my card:

To represent the ice, I used a leftover scrap from a background of brushos sprinkled and spritzed on coated cs and then left to dry with a piece of scrunched plastic wrap on top of it.  I trimmed it with a diamond-shaped die cut as that was all that would fit it!

The bear is coloured and lightly shaded with copics, except for his skate blades that are coloured with a silver gel pen.  Then fussy cut and popped up on foam tape.

I sprinkled some blue Frantage embossing enamel above the bear for a sense of falling snow and a bit of sparkle.

Supplies:

Stamps - Ali Express bear, Old Island Stamp Co. sentiment

Ink - Archival Jet Black

Paper - white cs, coated cs

Size - 4.25" square

Accessories - blue brushos, plastic wrap, Spellbinders diamond die cut, copics, silver gel pen, Frantage Shabby Blue Embossing Enamel, foam tape

Vintage Winter Sports

The new Christmas Card Throwdown challenge is "Winter Sports".  And the SCS Inspiration Challenge is to find inspiration at the Victorian Trading Company website.  It's a great website. I went through their Christmas section and found this image of skaters and this one of kids sledding and thought about a great stamp I have of old-fashioned winter sports.

I stamped it on the smooth side of watercolour paper, watercoloured parts of it, bordered it with black cs, popped it up on fun foam, and added a bit of fun flock to the pom pom and brim of the girl's hat.

Supplies:

Stamps - Inkadinkado

Ink - Ranger Archival Jet Black

Paper - watercolour paper, white and black cs

Size - A2

Accessories - Gansai Tambi watercolour paints, fun foam, fun flock