Christmas Baubles and Wildflower Thoughts

52 Christmas Card Throwdown wants to see "Baubles".

The ornaments are stamped in black (though it came out kind of light as the ink pad is old) and then coloured with two green and one red Tombow markers. I coloured the tops of the ornaments with a silver gelli pen. I trimmed it, leaving a white border, and popped it up on fun foam on a red card base.  And a non-Christmas card for CAS on Friday "Use Dies and Only Word Stamps": On the focal panel, I used a die to create three square openings and put a piece of dp behind them.  I stamped the vertical sentiment to one side of it.  And die cut the flower and added it to the top.

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Northwoods
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - white and red cs
Size - 6x3.25"
Accessories - Tombow markers, silver gelli pen, fun foam

Supplies:
Stamps - unknown vertical sentiment
Ink - Memento Nautical Blue
Paper - white cs, dp
Size - A2
Accessories - Poppy Stamps flower die, 3 square openings die

Finally, a Post from Me!

It's been ages since I posted.  I've had the horrible flu bug that's going around this winter (even though I had the flu shot in the autumn - but they say it doesn't have this year's variant in it!).  I'm much better but have what my doctor calls the post-viral cough that can last for a few weeks.  So annoying!

But I've got my energy back for making cards and posting so here are a couple.

Cardz 4 Guyz wants a masculine card with a Christmas critter.

My nephew has a ginger cat called Roger.  Roger is a bit skittish and wide-eyed like this image so I'm saving this for my nephew's Christmas card.  Stamped and watercoloured, trimmed with a wonky stitched rectangle, bordered in black, and mounted on kraft.  The beard and Santa hat are embellished with fun flock.

 

Double D wants a birthday card and my cousin's birthday is coming up.

 

I started by putting my wildflower stamp in my MISTI and inking it up with Tombow markers, stamping on the centre of a hammered cs cardbase, re-inking and re-stamping until I was happy with the results.  I then inked up the stamp with Versamark, re-stamped, and added clear embossing powder.

 

I took another piece of hammered cs and cut a piece of masking paper the same size as the hammered cs.  I die cut a rectangle out of the centre.  Then inked up the background stamp with Bundled Sage and Speckled Egg and stamped over the masking paper.  I then die cut a smaller rectangle out of the centre of the stamped section, leaving a stamped frame.  Using dimensional tape, I layered the frame over the wildflower.  Finished by adding a sentiment die cut with a stitched banner.

  

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Tim Holtz Christmas snarky cat and sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, kraft and black cs
Size - A2
Accessories - MFT wonky stitched rectangle die, watercolour paints, fun flock

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Magenta wildflower, Penny Black Enlightened background stamp, Memory Box sentiment
Ink - Distress Speckled Egg and Bundled Sage, Versamark
Paper - white hammered cs
Size - 6x4.25" 
Accessories - Tombow markers, masking paper, Spellbinders rectangle dies, clear embossing powder, stitched sentiment banner die

Thank You Flowers and the World is a Circle

Stamping Sensations wants to see Summer Flowers and ATCAS wants a thank you card, so I combined the two for this card.

 

 

I put the wildflowers stamp in my MISTI and inked it up with Tombow markers, spritzing with water, repeating as necessary. Added the sentiment, trimmed the panel, and popped it up on fun foam on the card base. 

 

The Paper Players' challenge is called "Round We Go" (feature circles - I've got an image of a globe and I die cut it with a circle die) and Time Out wants something to do with travel, and what better than an image of the world and all the places one could go.

  

I stamped and heat embossed the globe / dove image on a scrap of background that I'd made using watercolour paper and alcohol inks (using the technique in this video) and die cut it with a circle die. I die cut a leafy flourish from another scrap and entwined it around part of the circle. The sentiment is a TH metallic sticker, stuck on another scrap. Mounted it all on black cs and then on a white card base.

  

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Indigo Blu wildflowers, unknown sentiment
Ink - Memento Cottage Ivy
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Tombow markers, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Deep Red World Peace
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, white and black cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Spellbinders circle die and leaf flourish die, TH metallic sentiment sticker, clear embossing powder, alcohol inks

Designer Paper Christmas and Wildflower Birthday

I'm trying to make sure I make at least two cards a month using up some of my stash of designer paper.  The latest Double D challenge is "Designer Paper" so it prompted me to get this one made.  It's also for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown "Red and Green".

I used some old Graphic 45 dp that has images for the 12 Days of Christmas. The 12 drummers drumming panel is mostly red and green so I added it to a card base and then to make it more interesting, I die cut the snowflake / music die in dark red (and twice more in scrap cs, so that glued together they have some substance and dimension) and also the Joy sentiment die.

Seize the Birthday wants to see "Flowers", AAA Birthday is anything birthday, and Triple B is always any combination of Birds, Blooms, Butterflies" - I've got blooms and butterflies today.

The image is stamped and watercoloured. The tiny butterflies are die cut from a scrap of smooshed cs.

 

Supplies for card 1:
Paper - cream and red cs, Graphic 45 dp
Size - 6x4.25"
Accessories - SSS Jingle Snowflakes die, Spellbinders Joy die

Supplies:
Stamps - Indigo Blu wildflowers, SU sentiment
Ink - Versafine Smokey Grey
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, SU sentiment punch, Poppy Stamps Butterfly Sprinkles dies
 

Seasonal Cardinals / Blue and Yellow Birthday

The Inkspirational challenge wants "Seasonal" - cards based on occasions and images specific to the season.  I went with a winter card, that could be used for Christmas.  It's got holly, snow, and cardinals, plus a seasonal sentiment.

It's stamped and watercoloured, trimmed with a stitched square, and glitter added to all the snow on top of the fence.

As a break from Christmas cards, I needed to make a birthday card.  It's for Color Hues "Blue and Yellow" (one of my favourite colour combinations).  It's also for AAA Birthday (anything birthday).

I smooshed two pieces of mixed media cs, one in blues and one in yellows. I stamped some subtle text about happiness on the yellow piece, and stamped some silhouette wildflowers on the blue piece. I bordered the blue piece with a piece of corrugated card, tearing one of the edges for more interest. And finished off with a sentiment cut out with a stitched tag die.

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Penny Black
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, off white cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - watercolour paints, glitter, Lil Inker stitched square die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Magenta Floral Silhouettes, Savvy Stamps sentiment, PaperArtsy happiness text
Ink - various Distress Oxide blues and yellows; Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - mixed media, white cs, corrugated card
Size - A2
Accessories - stitched tag die

Monochrome Christmas and Birthday

This month the Group of Seven Cardmakers chose Monochrome as the technique for our cards.  I opted to do Christmas cards to build up my stash.  The first card I made followed the method in this video.

I stamped and heat embossed the poinsettia in white on red cs, then added colour to the poinsettia with red coloured pencils.  I trimmed the panel, added a red glitter border, added it to a red card base, popped on a white heat embossed sentiment, and embellished with clear gemstones in the centre.

Next up, shades of green:

For this card, I put the stamp in my MISTI and coloured it directly on the stamp with Memento Dew Drop ink pads, stamping and reinking until I was happy with the results.  Trimmed it, mounted it on a dark green card base, and added sparkly embellishments on the berries and a green bow on top of the stems.

And I had to get some blue in here so my third card is all shades of blue, and will go off to my sister in Ontario for her birthday.

I sprayed the background with various blue sprays, then die cut the hexagon out of it in three places.  I stamped various script and postmark stamps on the hexagon pieces I'd cut, and sponged around their edges.  I then cut hexagons again from scrap cs - put the scrap ones in first and then the sprayed and stamped ones on top for some dimension.  I created a piece of smooshed blue and die cut the wildflowers, sentiment, and tiny butterflies from that.    

There are lots of ways to make monochromatic cards - head on over to the Group of Seven blog and see all of the cards our Design Team has made.  We'd love to have you link up a card using your favourite method for monochromatic cards.

 

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Penny Black poinsettia, unknown sentiment
Ink - ColorBox white
Paper - red cs, red glitter cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - white embossing powder, coloured pencils, Spellbinders square dies, clear gemstones

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black greenery, Purple Onion sentiment
Ink - Memento Dew Drops Northern Pine, Bamboo Leaves, Cottage Ivy
Paper - light green and dark green cs
Size - A2
Accessories - sparkly stick-ons, green ribbon

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - various postage and script stamps
Ink - Distress Faded Jeans
Paper - mixed media and off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Tattered Angels, Perfect Pearls, and Mr. Huey's blue sprays; Gummiapan sentiment die, Poppy Stamps butterfly dies, Tim Holtz wildflowers dies, Spellbinders hexagon die

Simplified Bokeh

The Group of Seven Cardmakers are trying a simplified bokeh technique, following the instructions in this video "Bokeh Made Easy".

I liberally wet my watercolour paper and then dropped various shades of blue and purple watercolour paints into the wet paint.  Once dry, I tried stencilling different sized circles over it with white pigment ink but I think my ink was too dry to be effective.  So I put a blob of white acrylic paint on my craft mat and thinned it down with water, and then sponged that through the circles stencil, overlapping some of the circles.

My piece was large enough to make two cards.  One with a dandelion circle die over the bokeh and a blue glitter cs circle under it.  The other has white acrylic paint splattered on the bokeh and a winter cabin / trees die on top.

There's lots more inspiration from the rest of the Group of Seven cardmakers.  Feel free to join us by trying the technique and linking up your card.

Supplies:
Stamps - Hero Arts Merry Christmas
Ink - Distress Faded Jeans
Paper - white cs, blue glitter cs, watercolour paper
Size - first one is 4.75" square, second one is A2
Accessories - watercolour paints, white acrylic paint, SSS Twinkle Flower die, Memory Box Countryside die, Lil Inkers stitched circle dies, Spellbinders

Geometric Sympathy, Bright Butterfly, Christmas Heart

I need to send a sympathy card today so used the ATCAS "Geometric" challenge and a technique I learned from Eileen Godwin to make this card.  It's also for Shopping our Stash "It's Not Easy Being Green" challenge.

Using a straight edge and blending brushes, I lightly brushed four colours of ink on the background, turning the straight edge every time I changed colour.  This created the geometric pattern.  Then using the same colours, I lightly stencilled over top of it.

Then I stamped the image and sentiment on top of it, trimmed with a stitched rectangle and popped it up on fun foam.

Next up, a birthday card for my sister.  Penny Black Saturday Challenge wants "Wings", My Time to Craft wants "Create Your Own Background", and Sweet Stampin' wants "Bright Colours".

The background was created using the saran wrap technique with Brushos sprinkled on glossy cs, spritzed with water, then saran wrap scrunched on top and left to dry.  The butterfly was stamped on watercolour paper on which I'd sprinkled the same colours of Brushos and spritzed with water, letting the colours blend and dry naturally.  I then fussy cut the butterfly, glued its body to the background and popped the wings up with bits of foam tape.  I die cut the sentiment twice and glued them together for extra dimension.

For Christmas Crafts All Year Round "Hearts", I used a stamp that is a heart-shaped wreath.

The background was created by sponging with three shades of green Distress ink and splattering with some diluted white paint.  I stamped and heat embossed the heart wreath in white and added a bit of colour with Tombow markers.  Then trimmed the panel with a stitched square die.  Finished off with a dark red mat and a sentiment trimmed with a small rectangle die.

   

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Stampendous Branch Flight, Great Impressions sentiment
Ink - Distress (Shabby Shutters, Iced Spruce, Peeled Paint, Old Paper), Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Lime Citron stencil, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Penny Black butterfly
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white cs, white glossy cs, watercolour paper
Size - A2
Accessories - blue, yellow, and green Brushos; saran wrap, happy birthday die, foam tape

Supplies for card 3:
Stamps - Penny Black Christmas heart, unknown sentiment
Ink - green Distress inks, ColorBox white, Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white and dark red cs
Size - 5.25" square
Accessories - Tombow markers, white embossing powder, Lil Inker stitched square die, Spellbinders small rectangle die

Blue / Purple Sky and a Birthday Cat

Sneaking in under the wire for Color Hues "Light Blue and Purple":

The background was done with blue and purple reinkers on mixed media cs, then covered in wrinkled cling wrap while it dried.  The snowy tree die is cut from white glitter cs, and it's mounted on a blue/grey card base that in real life matches the blue in the background better than it does in the photo.

As you probably know, I'm very focused on making Christmas cards right now, but friends do have birthdays coming up.  I used Seize the Birthday "Neutrals Only" to get me to make one for a guy friend.  He adores his black cat, Maisie, so I had to add her to the card!

I inked up the background stamp randomly with various Distress Oxide inks, spritzed lightly with water, and stamped onto mixed media cs.  Once dry, I stamped the cat in black (using my MISTI to get a good solid impression) and heat embossed it, then bordered in black cs, and added to an off-white card base.

 

Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Make an Impression sentiment
Ink - ColorBox Heliotrope, various blue and purple reinkers
Paper - blue / grey cs, white glitter cs, mixed media cs
Size - 4.75" square
Accessories - cling wrap, Spellbinders circle die, Memory Box trees die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - Savvy Stamps sentiment, Lavinia cat, Magenta (?) branches
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne, various Distress Oxide inks
Paper - mixed media, black, and off white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - SU label punch, black embossing powder