Tuesday 29 December 2020

Squash and snip

The first cards I've found myself in need of post-Christmas are not necessarily the ones you want to be making - a thinking of you for a friend and a sympathy card.

I used the current Let's Squash It challenge as inspiration for both of them. The challenge is to use a folder and die cutting or fussy cutting. I actually did both for the Thinking of you card - die cut the oval panel and fussy cut part of the embossed design so I could tuck the oval into the flowers and foliage. My dad bought me this folder as a Christmas gift - it's a beauty isn't it?

I embossed some grey cardstock, highlighted the texture with some gilding wax and used a gold gel pen in the flower centres for a bit of subtle variation. 

Stamps:
A very old HOTP sentiment set

Paper:
Grey
Bristol board 

Ink:
Hero Arts shadow ink (Soft Granite)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Flower Frame 3D folder (Nellie Snellen)
Silver Rub n Buff
Oval dies (Spellbinder)
Gold gel pen

For the sympathy card, I wanted just a little bit of embossing on a clean and simple design - I put the card in the folder and bashed one corner with a hammer (I think this was the first embossing folder I ever owned ). Then I  rubbed a tiny bit of microglaze on the raised bits and washed over with watered down Distress ink. I left the die cut feathers simple white and added a few tiny gems as it looked a bit unfinished somehow but as it’s a sympathy card I didn’t want anything too in your face.  

Stamps:
Big Day Today (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board 

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Tumbled Glass)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)

Other:
Feathers dies (Spellbinder)
Textile Texture embossing folder (Cuttlebug)
Microglaze
Nail art gems
Corner Chomper 

Thanks for stopping by - there are a couple of days left if you fancy joining in at Let's Squash It.

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Friday 18 December 2020

Tags, label and toppers

Our theme for the final week of our Christmas Countdown over at Daring Cardmakers is tags, labels and toppers - thing to decorate your parcels with.

These would have been quick and easy but those die cuts ain’t half fiddly - it took ages to get all the little bits to pop out, even though they’d cut cleanly. Dad picked up a few dies for me when they were on sale at The Works, back before the world went wonky, and this was one of them. It’s pretty, with a sort of vintage vibe, and looks lovely cut in glitter cardstock - I just need to remember it’s not one to use if I’m in a rush (or try the waxed paper trick next time)!

The glitter card is super-sparkly in real life - I bought a pack in the local pound shop ages ago and it’s a good weight for die cutting. A little bit of ink applied to the tag edges with a brush, a simple stamped image and a knotted ribbon complement the die cut.

Stamps:
Festive Foliage (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Mixed media by Hannemuhl 
Silver glitter

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Pearlescent Chocolate)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Antique Limen)

Other:
Merry Christmas die (The Works)
Tags dies (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
Ribbon

Thanks for stopping by, after this challenge DCM is taking a break until January 8th - hope you can join us! Wishing you a happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas and New Year. 

Friday 11 December 2020

Animal antics

It's Countdown to Christmas number six over at Daring Cardmakers and today our theme is "animal antics" - make anything you like as long as it features a Christmas critter or two.

When I saw the Cool Yule set on sale a while back I knew I had to get it for the reindeer head. A friend has a felt and fabric deer head on her wall year-round (he has a Libery print fabric nose) and I couldn't resist the idea of making a Christmas card for her although I didn't go for the ditsy floral nose in the end! I cut all the pieces from white card and added colour with markers. He's a bit fiddly but it's satisfying to see him emerge as you assemble the individual bits. 

His leafy wreath is not really a Christmas stamp but I figured if I gave it red ribbon and red berries it would make a reasonable festive stand-in. I used a glitter pen on the berries for just a touch of sparkle.

Stamps:
Queen Bee (Crafty Secrets, no longer with us)
Noel (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Bundled Sage)
Momento Luxe by Tsukineko (Love Letter)

Other:
Cool Yule dies (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
Copic markers
Gel glue (Pinflair)
Spica glitter pen (red)
Corner Chomper

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Friday 4 December 2020

December elements

It’s the first Friday of the last month of 2020! First Friday always means an “elemental” challenge over at Daring Cardmakers - choose at least three elements from the inspiration picture to kick start your project.

I chose the mittens, a square, some of the colours and little scattered circles. The mittens are from a digital image and I wanted a matching pair (the two mittens in the original have different patterns on them) so before printing I copied and flipped the snowflake mitten to get the other hand. I pressed a Distress Oxide pad directly onto the card base to get a slightly “shabby” background square.

Stamps:
Mittens and Merriment  (digital stamp by Power Poppy)
Sparkle All the Way (Crafter’s Companion)

Paper:
Bristol board
Premium weight copy paper to print image

Ink:
Momento Luxe by Tsukineko (Love Letter)
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide by Ranger (Cracked Pistachio)

Other:
White Enamel Accents by Ranger
Copic markers
White Prismacolor pencil
White paint pen by Posca 

Here's our advent inspiration this month! Thanks for stopping by.


Wednesday 2 December 2020

Link in the chain - November

It’s reveal day at Card Chain Challenge - mine went over the Pond to Jutta in Canada this time so once again, light and flat for airmailing was a good idea. 

From the options on offer this time I chose the colour palette (frost, blush and silver - pretty but not the easiest to pick up on camera) and two of the themes in that I combined an ungulate animal (that’s one with hooves if, like me, you’d never come across that word!) and stars. I also managed the product option of glitter to give the reindeer a little snowy drift to stand in.

Stamps:
Stars from Hello Baby Vol 1 (Darkroom Door)
Sentiment from an old Cornish Heritage Farms set

Paper:
Bristol board
Black

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Spun Sugar, Tumbled Glass)
Delicata by Tsukineko (Silvery Shimmer)

Other:
Corner Chomper
Reindeer Family dies (Paper Rose)

Star Framelits (Sizzix)
Crystal Glamour Dust (DecoArt)

Thanks for stopping by, hope you are keeping well.