Christmas Foliage

For this week's 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge, I have made a card that is impossible to photograph! This was about the best of many photos that I took trying to get a realistic image. So I'll have to ask you to indulge me with a bit of imagination on this one.

The theme is Christmas Foliage.

I decided that I wanted to avoid the very green card that this theme suggests, so had a play with a holly embossing folder from Tattered Lace, glycerin and mica powders.

I applied the glycerin to the folder with a brayer, then put it through the Grand Calibur with kraft card. Then I added mica powders, the idea being that they'd stick where to the glycerin was applied in the deboss, but not in the raised areas.

Well, it didn't quite go like that! The glycerin was a bit patchy, and the mica powder also stuck to the rest of the kraft card. So the results were a lot more grungy that I'd hoped.

I tried different colour combinations, and using the emboss and boss sides of the folder. I also put through some Centura Pearl card as well - the mica powder spread everywhere even more with that!

This was the selection of patterns I ended up with.

Rather than pick one for a background, I thought I'd go with a selection to make up a pattern. I chose 6, and cut a corner to around 60 degrees on each - they weren't exact, so the final sheet was measured against the others to fit.

Then, using part of an adhesive sheet underneath them, I arranged them into a circle.

I then cut it back to a square to fit on my card, with the meeting point in the middle. I have quite a lot of waste, so I might be able to make a second background with the left over pieces as well.

For a topper, I used a Spellbinders holly wreath die. I cut it in kraft card and centura pearl, using the kraft card as a shadow for depth.

Then for the centre, I cut a little tag in kraft card and stamped "NOEL" in permanent ink. I used an alphabet set from my local craft shop, which has really a really fun font.

To attach the tag I used a curl from a wreath I'd cut that had torn. The tag is on foam pads to lift it.

I used foam pads for the wreath as well.

The background is layered flat onto kraft card, then I used foam tape to attach it to the 6x6 card base.

And this is where the issues began - trying to get a photo with the shine of the mica that doesn't wash out the colours.

I tried different places in the house, different camera settings, different angles - none really did it justice.

But hopefully you get the idea!

A Christmas foliage card, that's not green - at least not totally green!