Triple challenge combo time!

Don't you love it when a challenge on its own has you struggling but then something else comes along and you get an idea that combines them? DCM this week asked us to "tartan it up" and I couldn't think of anything tartan in my supplies. Then Lori set this week's Crafty Secrets challenge on Splitcoast to make fabric yo-yos (or other handmade fabric embellie) and it all fell in to place. I figured I might as well throw in a sketch challenge for good measure - lol! The card is based on Kazan's Sketch 36 over on 2 Sketches 4 You.

Unusually for me, the stamping takes a back seat but it's still there :o) This is one of those 5" square cards where you bless the fact you have a 6" square Scrapblock so you can stamp the whole background without piecing anything!

I made the yo yo by cutting a circle with the largest Nestie from the Large Circles set. A tip if you are making these - use big stitches round the edge if you want your yo yo to pull up tight in the centre, small stitches will give you a more open one.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Vintage Ledger Scrapblock
Vintage Christmas Expressions (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Paper:
Christmas Image and Journal booklet (Heartwarming Vintage)
Suede Brown Medium (Prism Papers)
Cryogen White

Ink: Versafine by Tsukineko (Vintage Sepia - stamped sentiment)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo - sponged edges)

Other:
Tartan fabric from an old shirt
Vintage buttons
Linen thread
Grungeboard Elements by Ranger
Gold carylic paint
Classic Circle Nestabilities by Spellbinder
Sewing machine and thread
Fiskars edge punch (Threading Water/Scalloped Lace)

If you arrived by way of the WCMD blog tour, please feel free to settle in and browse for a while if you have time - the last 10 days or so have all been holiday projects for the WCMD countdown. The PaperCrafts/CK store link and 25% discount coupon code are over in the side bar on the left if you fancy a spot of discounted shopping.

Don't forget to leave a comment on Tuesday's post before midnight tonight if you'd like your name in the hat to win those Kinkade paper packs.

Thanks for stopping by!

A quick gift (maybe for you, too!)

Gift cards are a popular choice for those "hard to buy for" people we all have in our lives. It's nice to dress it up and make it just a bit more personal though and these "pop up" gift card holders are one of my favourite ways to do it. Using the Thomas Kinkade papers means you get a really dressy result without spending a lot of time on it - perfect for the busy Christmas season!

I first saw this little gift card holder as part of a Splitcoaststampers challenge which pointed to the video instructions on the Hero Arts blog.

I warmed up the base with a fine houndstooth pattern (I find it easier to do this before sticking anything together) and then cut a section of one of the Kinkade quad papers with a Nestie to make a panel for the front. I wanted a narrow mat so I ran a blade around the outside of the same Nestie I used to die cut the image. A gold gel pen adds a little definition between the two and a gold embossed stamped sentiment finishes it off.

I punched a slot with a Making Memories slit punch to thread my ribbon through under the image panel.

Inside the holder, I used one of the background papers from the paper pack to make a nice finish. Just cut strips of 4" x 6" and stick them in place. I stitched a punched strip to one section before sticking it down to make a fancy edging to overlap the gift card. I've left it with no stamping or other images so there's plenty of space to write a personal message.

I didn't have a gift card for the photograph so that's my National Trust membership card posing as a "body double"!

If you watch the Hero Arts video, you might notice that my gift card is portrait orientation and theirs is landscape - either will work just fine as long as you cut the slit to the appropriate size, I just happen to like the proportions this way round.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Fine Houndstooth Scrapblock
Vintage Christmas Expressions (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Paper:
Winter Wonderland paper pack (Thomas Kinkade line at CHF - see below for a chance to get one for yourself!)
Stormy Light and Medium (Prism Papers)

Ink:
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Slate)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Detail gold embossing powder
Silk ribbon
Labels One Nestabilities by Spellbinder
Gold gel pen
Slot punch (Making Memories)
Border punch by Fiskars (Threading Water/Scalloped Lace)
Sewing machine and thread

Want the papers?

As well as this being a quick gift you could make, I have a quick gift for somebody today. I have a pack each of Winter Wonderland and Victorian Christmas papers from the Thomas Kinkade line to give away. Each pack has four different Kinkade pictures on a full size (8" x 8") piece, four quad sheets (parts of the picture scaled down onto quarters of the sheet) and two sheets each of four different coordinating background designs for a total of 16 sheets in each pack.

Just leave me a comment if you would like to go into the virtual hat - I'll close commenting at midnight Wednesday 30th September and pick out a name to receive the two packs. I'm happy to ship anywhere.

Thanks for stopping by on the continuing WCMD blog tour, I appreciate you taking the time!

Rustic Pines

Can you believe September is almost over? At CHF that means it's time for a new stamp of the month. These pine trees are versatile enough to do all sorts of things but of course since I'm still trying to keep up with a holiday card each day during the WCMD blog tour, I've used it to make a Christmas card.

Pairing up the trees with the woodgrain backgrounder lends a rustic kind of feel, I think. I didn't have any ribbon the right kind of colour so I used a Copic marker (Crimson) on a piece of plain white silk ribbon to get what I wanted. It matches the sentiment's ink colour much better in real life, the sheen of the silk has made it a bit pinker than it should be in the photograph, I'm afraid.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
The Pines (Stamp of the Month - releasing October 1st)
Woodgrain backgrounder
Vintage Christmas Expressions (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Paper:
Simply Smooth Vanilla
Olive dark (Prism Papers)
Kraft

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Ivy)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Crimson Red)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo)

Other:
Labels One Nestabilities by Spellbinder
Silk ribbon (dyed with Copic marker)

If you've arrived by way of the WCMD blog tour then feel free make yourself right at home - leave comments, ask questions, whatever you fancy. The discount code for the PaperCrafts/CK store is over in the sidebar on the left if you would like to go shopping with 25% off your cart subtotal (stock up on some Christmas gifts, maybe?).

I have something to give away tomorrow so drop back if you'd like your name in the virtual hat!

Thanks for stopping by today, your visits are very much appreciated.

Cold hands, warm heart!

I thought we'd take a move away from the more vintage and traditional feel of most of the cards I've done during the countdown to WCMD so far and have something with a bit more of a modern flavour!

This is Sophie - she's a sweetie, isn't she? She's available as a single stamp or as part of the Heartwarmers set in the Kim Hughes Collection. I've teamed her up with a simple sentiment and a sparkly snowflake with some torn cardstock snowdrifts to keep her bottom suitably chilled! The snowflake is a die cut coated in Glossy Accents and covered in glitter.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Snowy Sophie (Kim Hughes Collection)
Christmas Expressions (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Paper: Smooth white

Ink: Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Prismacolor pencils
Snowflake Wonder dies by Spellbinder
Deko Ice glitter (Efco)
Corner Chomper
Glossy Accents (as adhesive for the glitter)
Gingham ribbon

If you're new to my blog because of the WCMD blog tour then welcome! Feel free to leave comments, ask questions, grab a coffee and have a look at the last few postings for more Christmas card ideas if you have time to stick around for a while. The discount code for the PaperCrafts/CK store is over in the sidebar on the left if you would like to go shopping with 25% off your cart subtotal.

Thanks for stopping by today, I appreciate you taking the time to see what I've been up to!

Velvet Christmas!

This is a technique I love - it produces a rich and sumptuous effect with the right velvet (one with some synthetic fibre is better than a pure cotton one), perfect for a luxury, touchy-feely Christmas card!

Embossing velvet is really easy – just mist your stamp with water, place the velvet pile side down on the stamp, mist the back of the fabric and then place your hot iron on top for 15-20 seconds. Don’t move the iron around or you’ll end up with a blurred impression – if your stamp area is bigger than your iron, just pick the iron up and place it down on the next spot rather than sliding like you would if you were ironing a shirt.

A stamp with a reasonably bold design will give you the best embossed effect - tiny details will tend to get lost in very finely etched designs (so leave your Kinkades in the drawer if you reach for the velvet!). A deeply etched stamp is best.

Here's a detail shot so you can see the texture even better.

I've been asked if this technique harms your stamps. The answer is no! I'm not sure I'd try it with clear polymer stamps but natural rubber will take a lot of punishment before you do it any harm. The iron is never in direct contact with the surface of the stamp (if your fabric does not cover the entire stamp you can put a sheet of paper over before you place the iron on top). The only thing I've noticed is that the cling-mounted stamps will tend to feel a bit "floppy" just after you've done your embossing. Just as soon as it cools down to normal temperature, it's back to the normal rigidity.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Double Damask backgrounder
Christmas Expressions (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Ink:
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Raisin)

Paper:
Smooth white

Other:
Velvet
Mini Mister filled with water
Iron
Sewing machine and thread
Corsage pin and beads
Krylon Leafing pen (copper)
Flower by Prima Marketing
Vintage lace and button
Sheer ribbon dyed with Copic marker

If you've arrived as part of the WCMD blog tour, please make yourself at home! The discount code for PaperCrafts/CK is in the sidebar to the left of my blog if you would like it.

Oh, I finally caved and added the Followers widget to the sidebar on the left so if you use Google Reader it's now easy to follow my blog without having to know the technicalities of doing it for a blog without the widget! If you prefer not to have your profile pic on display on other people's blogs, just choose "private" rather than public when you become a follower.

Thanks for joining me today, I hope you enjoyed the card!

Day five... still counting!

Thursday on Splitcoaststampers is Ways to Use It challenge day. I decided to play along yesterday and see if I could get in another Christmas card for the blog tour. Julia asked us to take our stamping to places we don't usually go. I found this one tough as I don't think I really have a single style to move away from but here's why I think this qualifies:

- Regulars to my blog will know I rarely work with patterned papers. I seem to have some kind of phobia and while I can spend ages admiring other people's work with them, I usually suffer brain freeze as soon as I pick one up, even if I'm only going to use it as a base layer.

- I do vintage quite often but I rarely do retro/kitsch so I tried for a bit more that feel, even though the image is vintage (it's a Saturday Evening Post cover from 1923).

- I almost never work from sketches. It's a bit like the DP problem - brain freeze! This is based on the CPS sketch this week.

- I stamp partials quite often but I rarely think of actually cropping an image to a partial. This Santa stamp is gorgeous in its entirety but I think it works this way too and it's a whole lot less colouring!

Stamp (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Santa's Lap (Saturday Evening Post line)

Paper:
Daisy D's
Bazzill
Vellum
Simply Smooth (CHF)

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Silk ribbon
Vintage buttons
Sewing machine and thread
Classic Circle Nestabilities by Spellbinder

What do you think - did I succeed in doing something just a bit different from my "norm"?

If you're new to my blog and arrived by way of the WCMD blog tour please feel free to make yourself at home and look around - the last few posts have all been holiday cards to celebrate the count down to WCMD and if you'd like the PaperCrafts/CK 25% discount code, it's over in the side bar to the left of my blog.

Thanks for taking a look today!

Christmas Night

OK, so Janice said I really should try to post every day until October 3rd as part of the World Card Making Day blog tour. Still not promising but I figured one way to get closer might be not to make something new every day but to show you some things I haven't got round to blogging! So here's the first...

This is created with the same stamp set I used for Monday's project but I haven't used any of the same stamps - gotta love a set that lets you create a variety of looks!

I created a frame for this little scene by stamping the image once and cutting out the middle, then stamping again and colouring the scene. The holly frame is coloured on both pieces. I lined up the cut out frame and mounted on foam tape so there's some dimension going on.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Night Before Christmas (Rummage Bin line)

Paper:
Cryogen White
Simply Smooth
(red is done with a marker on white)

Ink:
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Espresso)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Crimson Red)

Other:
Copic markers
Copic Spica At You glitter pen (clear)
Pearls (Kaiser)
Foam tape
Detail scissors
Sewing machine and thread

My DH actually commented on this card completely unprompted the other day which is unusual for him so I guess I must have done something right with it!

If you've dropped by as part of the blog tour and would like the discount coupon code for the PaperCrafts/CK store, it's in the side bar on the left of my blog and also in Monday's post of the other project with this stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by today, hope you enjoyed the card!

Effortless Kinkade

It's not everyone who would appreciate the effort you go to when you colour a Kinkade stamp. The easy solution to that is to skip the colouring! The detail makes these stamps a great choice to just stamp and go - you end up with a project that looks very involved but takes very little time.

Intense blue and pristine white may not be traditional Christmas choices but I think they suit this stamp very well. Makes a change from the more vintage style of the last couple of projects, too! I choose Versafine ink when I'm doing a project like this as you get a beautifully detailed impression every time - you can click through for a better view.

It's not always easy to get matching cardstock so to make a perfectly matching matting layer, I just rub the ink pad around the edge of a piece of white cardstock. any slight imperfections in coverage won't show when you have such a narrow margin on display.

Stamps (Thomas Kinkade line at Cornish Heritage Farms):
Christmas Moonlight
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Paper:
Simply Smooth (CHF)

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Majestic Blue)

Other:
Snowflake Wonder dies by Spellbinder
Deko Ice glitter (Efco)
Crystal Brads (Making Memories)

There's something new on the CHF Be Creative blog today - Kristine has done the first of our new weekly tutorials and she's giving away a Sara England stamp that just might help with your Christmas cards, too! Check out the tutorial and the detail of how you might win the stamp here.

If you're dropping in on the World Card Making Day blog tour and would like the discount code for the PaperCrafts/CK scrapbooking store, it's 7YHZ-BMHR-NPTF. The coupon will be valid from midnight (MDT) on September 21 2009 through 23:59:59 (MDT) on 12 October 2009, and is good for 25% off your cart subtotal in the scrapbooking store.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed your visit!

Still counting...

Here's another card for the World Card Making Day count down - I'm not promising one a day all the way to October 3rd though!

I thought I'd go for a "winter" card rather than necessarily a Christmas one this time and the Evergreen Holiday set (designed by Becky Olsen for the All Things Considered line at CHF) seemed perfect.

I guess we all know people who don't really celebrate Christmas but appreciate a nice card anyway, just so they know they're in your thoughts. I think this design works either way - Christmas or just simply winter greetings!

This is a very simple card - just a small image to colour (five Copics: Brick Beige, Chamois, Dark Brown, Grayish Olive and Verdigris) and a little matting and layering with some thread and stitching to finish it off. I scuffed the DP and the textured cardstock a little to give it more interest. As ever, you can click through for a better view of the card if you'd like it.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Evergreen Holiday (All Things Considered line)

Paper:
Simply Smooth Vanilla (CHF)
Olive dark (Prism Papers)
DP from Earthy Paper pad (Heartwarming Vintage)
DCWV Neutrals Border Punch Strip

Ink:
Adirondack Dye ink by Ranger (Espresso)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo)

Other:
Copic markers
Linen thread
Sewing machine and thread
Sandpaper

The discount code for 25% off at the PaperCrafts/CK store and all the details about World Card Making Day and the WCMD blog tour are in the post right under this one if you'd like those.

Thanks for stopping by!

Countdown to World Card Making Day

The date for your papercrafting diary is October 3rd! I am very excited to have been invited by PaperCrafts magazine to take part in the World Card Making Day blog tour as one of their 25 featured blogs as we approach the day!

What does that mean? Well, it means I get to share a card created to celebrate WCMD and a coupon code that will get you a 25% discount at the PaperCrafts/CK store. It may also mean that you are new to my blog in which case - welcome!

Let's do the card first and then the coupon and some more info about World Card Making Day...

WCMD aims to give you a headstart on the busy Christmas season. I thought something warm and cosy would evoke that Christmas Eve feeling and what could be cosier than a favourite quilt?

I created my quilt squares by stamping the "Christmas is coming..." block and using the holly sprig stamp to create a random pattern to resemble quilting fabric. Sponging the edges of each square before piecing creates extra depth for your quilt and zig zag stitching completes the look - you can click through for a closer view of the pic.

Who's been eyeing up the great chipboard buttons that are around at the moment? Creating custom ones with patterned paper is fun but I stepped it up by using the same text stamp I used for the squares to create a button especially tailored to this project.

I stuck a stamped layer onto a piece of cereal packet board and cut the button with the smallest of the dies from the Classic Circles (large) Nestabilities set. I punched holes with a Crop-a-dile, sponged the edge with Distress Ink and then applied a fairly generous coat of Glossy Accents (don't forget to leave it alone until it's really dry before you do anything else and don't be tempted to speed it up with the application of heat otherwise you'll end up with a bubbly mess - ask me how I know!). A scrap of twill and a couple of vintage buttons finish it off.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms):
Night Before Christmas set (Rummage Bin line)

Paper:
Simply Smooth Vanilla (CHF)
Kraft
Cereal packet

Ink:
Versafine by Tsukineko (Olympia Green and Crimson Red)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo)

Other:
Prismacolor pencil (Crimson - for holly berries)
Classic Circle Nestabilities by Spellbinder
Crop-a-Dile
Glossy Accents
Vintage buttons
Nail art gems
Krylon leafing pen (Pale Gold)
Fiskars border punch (Scalloped Lace/Threading Water)
Sewing machine and thread
Twill ribbon
Linen thread

Techniques:
Paper patchwork
Sponging

If you'd like to go shopping at the PaperCrafts/CK store, your discount code is 7YHZ-BMHR-NPTF (I'd copy and paste that, if I were you!). The coupon will be valid from midnight (MDT) on September 21 2009 through 23:59:59 (MDT) on 12 October 2009, and is good for 25% off your cart subtotal in the scrapbooking store.

To find out more about World Card Making Day and perhaps lay down some plans to join in the fun on October 3rd, check out the WCMD web site and the others on the blog tour for cardmaking inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by, your visit is much appreciated! It's a Christmassy kind of week this week what with Kinkade/Elvis yesterday and I have more festive fun to share later. That discount code will be here for your reference, too so I hope you'll drop by again sometime!

Christmas with Elvis

Kinkade and Presley - does it get much more American than that, I wonder? The USA's biggest selling living artist painting the home of her greatest selling recording artist!

I kept the focus on Elvis and Priscilla unloading gifts from the car and the homey glow of the windows by concentrating the colouring in those areas, the rest of the scene is just given a little shading over and above the intricate detail provided by the stamp with three shades of cool grey Copic (C1, C3 and C5) plus Pale Blue Gray (B60). As ever, you can click through for a better view as it looks a little washed out on the thumbnail version here!

I resisted the tempation to add Elvis-style studs or bling but gave in to a touch of opulence with a silk bow. This is a larger format card (5" x 7") to give space for the wider matting to give a more elegant feel. A sentiment on a strip curved to give a little more dimension finishes things off.

Stamps (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Graceland Christmas (Elvis line releasing Septermber 25th)
We Wish you a Merry Christmas sentiment (Elvis line)

Paper:
Simply Smooth
Black

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Silk ribbon
Corner Chomper (1/4" side used to round ends of sentiment strip)

Thanks for visiting after a short break from me - I had a couple of weeks vacation and then came home to the most enormous pile of work so crafting and blogging have take a bit of a back seat. I'll have more things to share this week though so please stop by again if you have the time, I really appreciate your visits!