Sleigh Ride on Music

The bottom right image on the new Peace on Earth mood board immediately gave me the idea for this card.

 

I had a perfect piece of patterned paper for the background.  I put it in my MISTI and stamped the silhouette sleigh image a few times directly onto the patterned paper until I got a perfect impression, then heat embossed it.  I went around the edges of the panel with a black marker.  I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment, sponged a bit of Antique Linen ink on it to give it the same slightly aged look as the patterned paper, and also went around the edges of it with a black marker.

 

We'd love to have you join us at Peace on Earth, either inspired by the mood board below, or with an "anything Christmas" card.

 

 

I'm also entering the card at the Jingle Belles' "Vintage" challenge.

 

 

  

Supplies:
Stamps - Tim Holtz
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Antique Linen
Paper - off-white cs, Paper Studio dp
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders rectangle dies, black marker, clear embossing powder

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

Vintage Poinsettia and Birds on a Wreath

Cracking on with Christmas cards every chance I get!

For Jingle Belles "The Spirit of Christmas Past", one of the options is to use a stamp that conveys a vintage vibe.  I used a Tim Holtz one that looks like a vintage postcard.

I put the stamp in my MISTI and stamped it with Antique Linen. Then I coloured sections of it with watercolour crayons, spritzed with water, and stamped again to add colour to certain sections. I then ran Antique Linen around the edges of the panel and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. The sentiment is die cut twice and glued together for more dimension. Champagne-coloured pearls finish it all off.

My Time to Craft Christmas's challenge is "Wreaths".  I used a never-before-used stamp so can also take the card to NBUS.

A simple image, stamped and watercoloured, trimmed with square dies, bordered in black, and embellished with glossy accents on the berries.

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Tim Holtz
Ink - Distress Antique Line
Paper - watercolour paper, off white and red cs
Size - A2
Accessories - SU watercolour crayons, clear embossing powder, Penny Black sentiment die, stick-on champagne pearls

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black image, SSS sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, off white and black cs
Size - 5.25" square
Accessories - watercolour paints, glossy accents, Spellbinders square dies

A Vintage Santa for My New Design Team

I'm very proud to announce that I was asked by Darlene and Diane to be on the Design Team of their Peace on Earth Challenge.  Given how much I love making Christmas cards, I was thrilled!

It's an "anything Christmas goes" challenge but there is always an inspiration board.  It inspired me to make this card:

The vintage Santa image is stamped and then coloured with coloured pencils.  I added the December 25 sentiment and trimmed the panel.  In keeping with the vintage look, I sponged some Distress Antique Linen around the edges.

It's bordered with red cs and then some dp that ties in with the swirls in the vintage image.

Here is the inspiration board for this challenge:

 

I was inspired by the Santa.  I have several Santa stamps but the circular snow globe he is holding inspired me to use this particular stamp as it has the Santa inside a circle. 

Please come and join us in the latest Peace on Earth Challenge.  You have until Thursday January 13 to link up your card!

Supplies:
Stamps - Deep Red Vintage Santa, Penny Black December 25
Ink - Versafine Clair Twilight
Paper - white and red cs, unknown dp
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils

Two Santa Cards

Vancouver had a big dump of snow last night and it's been abnormally cold (for us, though not for lots of you!) so it seemed a good day to make cards, do a blog post, etc.  Of course I'm still doing Christmas cards but the snow makes it feel like the thing to do!

First up one I did before Christmas but mailed out to a blog friend so didn't post it earlier.

One of the stamps in the SU Bokeh Dots set makes a lovely winter night sky background.  I stamped it, added a thin black border, die cut the Santa and reindeer in black, and added a vertical sentiment.

It is going off to:

AAA Cards Challenge - Christmas and Optional Twist "Slimline"

Next up is a rescue of a first attempt at colouring the Deep Red Vintage Santa stamp.  I made a real mess when I coloured the border around it and was going to toss it but decided to just die cut the inner circle and make a quick card with it.  I recycled the back of a commercial card I received last year so that I could link it up with "Z is for Zig Zag" at the ABC Christmas Challenge.

I used alcohol markers to colour the image - they are not my strong point so just used them like markers without any shading.  I do like the vibrant colours you can get with them and the way all the details and shading on a stamp will show through them.  There was a black blob below Santa's hand (actually the bowl of his pipe but by the time I realized that, I'd already added a bowl up next to his hand).  So to cover up the blob below his hand, I used a TH remnant rub over it.  It also takes care of adding a sentiment!

Come back in a couple of days and you'll see my more successful version of the Deep Red Vintage Santa!

Meanwhile I'm linking this one up with:

ABC Christmas Challenge - Y is for Yummy or Z is for Zig Zags

Christmas Cards All Year Round - Something that Starts with X, Y, or Z - so my zig zag background works here too.

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - SU Bokeh Dots background, Rosie's Road Show sentiment
Ink - Distress Faded Jeans, Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - white and black cs
Size - 6.3.25"
Accessories - Frantic Stamper Santa and sleigh die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Deep Red Vintage Santa
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - white cs, recycled red zig zag commercial card
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - Spellbinders circle die cut, TH "Dear Santa" Remnant Rub-on, alcohol markers, fun foam

One Birthday Card and One Christmas Card

I've got two cards for you today.  First up a birthday one for Just Us Girls who want script on the card:

I haven't used my old SU Elements of Style stamp for far too long. I stamped and heat embossed it and the sentiment, and then added text stamping and sponging around it.  I popped the panel up on fun foam and added pearls to the flower centres.

In hindsight, I wish I'd kept the sponging a bit lighter but was going for a vintage look.

Next on to a Christmas card for Jingle Belles and Paper Players who both want Stars and / or Stripes, and Addicted to CAS where they want Christmas:

 

 

A simple card, stamped and watercoloured. The stars are done with a shimmery dark gold watercolour paint (but the photo doesn't pick up the shimmer). It matches the dark gold of the card base. The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed in clear embossing powder - but I think my copper ink pad has dried out as I didn't get the depth of colour I wanted.

 

Just Us Girls

 

 

 

Jingle Belles - "Stars and / or Stripes"

 

The Paper Players

 

  

 

Addicted to CAS

 

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - SU Elements of Style, Penny Black script stamp, Chocolate Baroque sentiment
Ink - ColorBox Plum Berry, Distress Antique Linen
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - clear embossing powder, fun foam, stick-on pearls

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black hedgehogs, Paper Smooches sentiment
Ink - Ranger Archival Jet Black, ColorBox Copper
Paper - dark gold shimmer cs, watercolour paper
Size - A2
Accessories - clear embossing powder

Vintage Winter Sledding

A very quick CAS card today for a couple of challenges.

 
I added drops of blue metallic ink to coated cs, spritzed with water and let it spread around, and then patted off the excess with paper towel.

Once it was dry, I stamped and heat embossed in black, trimmed the panel, and popped it up on fun foam on a linen card base.

I'm linking up with these challenges:

Christmas Kickstart Challenge - "You Sleigh Me" - sledges, sleds, and sleighs

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - "Winter Sledges"

Supplies:
Stamps - Inkadinkado
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - coated cs, off white linen cs
Size - A2
Accessories - blue metallic liquid ink, clear embossing powder, fun foam

A Vintage Owl

I'm honoured to be the January Guest Designer over at Day of the Month Card Club Challenge.  The theme is "National Bird Day".  I used a brand new stamp and made a Christmas card with it.

I stamped the owl in my MISTI, using Distress ... on watercolour paper, then used a wet paintbrush to drag some of the colour out of the stamping.  I used a dark red marker on the berries and stamped the sentiment in dark red.  Some sponging and splattering around the edge of the panel gave it a vintage look.  I matted with dark red cs and popped it up on fun foam on a rustic cs card base.

Please come and join us at The Day of the Month Card Club Challenge.  The only requirement is to use the theme of National Bird Day and link up your card by January 31st.

Supplies:
Stamps - Crafty Individuals, Rubber Soul sentiment
Ink - Memento Rhubarb Stalk;  Distress Oxide Antique Linen and
Paper - watercolour paper, dark red cs, rustic cream cs
Size - A2
Accessories - dark red marker, fun foam

Vintage Santa

I made a last minute card today for neighbours who brought me a plate of their delicious Christmas baking and a card (never had a card from them before!) so made this to thank them and to reciprocate the card.  Their house is full of vintage things so I pulled out a vintage Santa image.

Simply stamped in black on PTI's Vintage Cream cs, with a dull gold shimmery border and a few matching dull gold gemstones.  Definitely a QCAS - quick clean and simple card.

I'm linking up to the following:

Day of the Month Card Club - "Santa's List Day"

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - "Any Challenge Featured This Year" - I went with Santa. 

     

Supplies:
Stamps - Deep Red Santa, A Muse sentiment
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocture
Paper - PTI Vintage Cream, dull gold shimmer cs
Size - A2
Accessories - dull gold gemstones