Link in the chain — December

Happy New Year! It’s reveal day at Card Chain Challenge and having forgotten to sign up for November’s I made sure I was early in the sign up list for December. It’s the month that departs from the usual pattern of sketch/colour palette/theme etc and gives us a tic-tac-toe board to play with. 

 It’s a five by five board and even though I’m usually up for extra challenge I find 25 options a bit too much! So I played the “regular” way and chose the penultimate horizontal line — squares, deer, emboss, splats, Santa. I hope Rudolph counts in the “deer” category!

I used a square card base and embossed with a die for more squares before stamping the image, masking it and using low tack tape to mask off the edges, blending three shades of blue ink and splattering with metallic watercolour. The image is coloured with Copics and then came the scary bit! I thought it should work to do an eclipse style sentiment using an embossing folder rather than cutting out and sticking back the lettering. It was still a bit nerve-wracking putting the carefully coloured card into the folder and squishing it through the Big Shot. It worked pretty well I think, just like a “traditional” eclipse sentiment, it shows more at some angles than others.

All that embossing and masking means I managed to stick to my one layer preference for CCC. It’s gone to Arlene in California, hope she likes it!

Stamps:
Holly Jolly (Penny Johnson/Stampavie)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch, Chipped Sapphire)

Other:
Stitched square frame dies (Paper Rose)
Copic markers 
Sayings embossing folder (Darice)
Gansai Tambi Starry Colours watercolour paints

Believe

It’s Friday so it must be time for a new challenge at Daring Cardmakers — it’s our last before Christmas and follows our previous one word prompts. Today’s word is BELIEVE.

I couldn’t resist tying in with Let’s Squash It where the theme is snowflakes and stars. Sadly, LSI is calling it a day, at least for the time being. I’ve been really honoured to be chosen as Empress three times. Gail and Jo have been fabulous challenge hosts and all the regular players will be sad to wave farewell. Thank you Gail and Jo!

For today’s card I used a sentiment that includes the DCM word of the week, stamped and heat embossed on vellum with torn edges and laid over a background of sanded embossed snowflakes. The stars are die cut from silver card and I added glitter to the largest one for a bit extra festive pizzazz. I haven’t used the confetti die that produces the little stars for ages — it was nice to “rediscover” that!

It’s wintery and festive with plenty of die cut action so I’m linking up at Die Cut Divas, too.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and peaceful festive season.

Stamps:
Sparkle All the Way (Crafter’s Companion)

Paper:
Bristol board
Textured blue (came with the folder)
Vellum
Silver mirri 

Ink:
Versamark  by Tsukineko

Other:
Glamour dust by DecoArt (Crystal)
Stitched rectangle dies, A6 size (Paper Rose)
Snowflakes embossing folder (Darice)
Stars Framelits (Sizzix)
Confetti die (Mama Elephant)
Bright white detail embossing powder (Wow!)

White out

It's time for a new challenge at Daring Cardmakers and we have another in the series of one word prompts in the run up to Christmas. This week’s word is WHITE. 

I’m combining again with Let’s Squash It (any embossing folder on a Christmas card) and Die Cut Divas (where this month anything goes with a die and/or embossing folder). 

My mostly white card features embossed snowflakes and Snowy Sophie who has just a touch of colour. I had some white on black computer-generated sentiments left on my desk from last week’s card so I used another one here. 

I've lent most of my Christmassy embossing folders to my dad but forgot about this one as it was in my pile of "not yet used stuff" rather than in the Christmas box - sorry Dad!

I ran a line of pearl paint pen round the outside of the die cut embossed rectangle and poured glitter on it. Sophie is cut out (I redrew her arms onto the card with a fineliner so I didn’t have to cut out the fiddly bits) and given a sparkly snowdrift to nestle into using the same paint and glitter. 

Stamps:
Snowy Sophie (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Stitched rectangle dies, A6 size (Paper Rose)
Snowflakes embossing folder (Darice)
Glamour Dust by DecoArt (Crystal)
Pearl Pen by DecoArt (Ice White)
Black fineliner 

Proud as a peacock

It's my turn to set the challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week - I'd like to see projects inspired by the beauty of the peacock. It could be an image of the bird itself, a beautiful "eye" feather or just the gorgeous colours applied to other images.

I decided to combine with the current challenge at Let's Squash It which is asking us to create some white space while we're embossing and add some bling. 

This peacock feather is slap bang in the middle of the folder - it makes a lovely dramatic focal point but leaves little flexibility for anything else.

I managed to position a card front in the folder so that the feather is on one side, leaving plenty of flat real estate for a good-size sentiment. The slot at the top of the folder is helpful as you can angle the card by letting a corner poke through.

The feather is coloured with several media, all of which have metallic or iridescent finishes which don't really show up on the photo - please use your imagination to supply peacock sheen! My go to tiny gems add a bit extra bling.

Stamps:
Putting on the Ritz (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Versafine (Onyx Black)

Other:
Peacock feather folder (Darice)
Metallic pencils
Metallic markers
Perfect Pearls
Spica glitter pen (Turquoise)
Nail art gems

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Box of flowers

The challenge this month over at Let’s Squash It is to make or repurpose a box and use a floral embossing folder. I’ve had this idea in my head since the challenge launched and finally managed to get it made today. 

 

I used a large matchbox (you might know the brand Cook’s Matches if you’re in the UK) as my base. I painted the tray with black acrylic paint and added a ribbon tab pull. This floral folder makes me think of chrysanthemums and to me those needs autumnal shades (they were my mum’s bridal flowers for an autumn wedding) so I rubbed a gold ink pad over the raised areas and brushed on copper, gold and bronze Perfect Pearls. The embossing wasn’t quite wide enough to do the full top and sides of the box but I managed to centre the embossing and I think the flat margins look as if they’re meant to be there along the bottom edges.

Supplies:
Empty match box
Bold Floral embossing folder by Darice
Delicata by Tsukineko (Golden Glitz)
Perfect Pearls by Ranger (Copper, Gold, Bronze)
Black cardstock
Ribbon
Small copper brad
Black acrylic paint 

Thanks for stopping by!