Gilded CASE

 

Gill's final November challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, and our last "regular" challenge for 2020, is a stash challenge.

Gilding flakes or foiling is what we're looking for.

I CASEd one of my own cards from 2017 for this. I'd forgotten this technique until I looked back!

The base is champagne modelling cream, brayered over the card. I then stamped in brown over the background. I used adirondack ink initially, as below. In my previous post I said this dried fine - I must have left it for a while as this did not dry, even with a heat tool! So I started again and used archival ink. Presumably the first one will dry eventually and can be used.

Next I applied bronze modelling paste through a stencil, and added gilding flakes over it while wet. I had to be careful not to squish it.

And the same again with a stag head stencil.

 

When the paste dried, I wiped off the excess gilding flakes to reveal the stencil design, with random metallic flecks over the bronze.

For the sentiment I used an offcut of the card and embossed with copper powder. I wiped a little bronze paste around the edge. The mount has dark brown stazon ink added.

 

I cut the base to size, and sponged the archival brown around the edge. I then edged with the stazon dark brown for a stronger frame.

Quite a vintage look to this one, with a shabby chic vibe too. But the shine gives a bit of a festive, celebratory feel too.

I do like these layerd cards, built up from plain white piece of card!

 

 

 

To join in with our technique challenge and top up your card stash ahead of the main event, visit us at the 52CCT blog.

You have until Friday 4th December to play along.

Winter Wonderland

 Gill's theme choice for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is:

 

I wanted to create a snow scene with a bit of fantasy and sparkle.

The idea for this card started out as a 3D card, inspired by the gorgeous designs from our fancy folds challenge a few weeks ago. However, it's busy time of the year as we have a birthday as well as the run up to Christmas, so it became a flat card.

The background is violet, ultramarine and cobalt blue brushos. I stamped into them with a tree stamp and snowflakes, although it doesn't really show.

The die cuts are in Centura Peral hint of silver card. The dies I used are a tattered lace reindeer, Tim Holtz trees and large snowflake; I'm not sure of the brand for the smaller snowflakes.

The frame idea came from the original 3D plan. I saw a beautiful mixed media piece with a stamped background outside the frame, so used the same idea here.

 

 

As always, the camera doesn't capture the shine on the card, or how pretty the brusho background is - I think this is lovely in real life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you are inspired to play along with this challenge. There's lots more inspiration from my design team colleagues on the 52CCT blog, as well as the link to enter. You have until Friday 27th November to join in.

Leafy impressions

 

Gill has chosen a very traditional colour combination for us to play with at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week:

I wanted to try a technique I'd seen online for this. It uses a die cutting machine to press leaves to imprint onto cardstock. I tried ivy first, as we have loads in our garden and it's Christmassy. Holly, as well as not growing in our garden, is too thick and waxy for the techinique. However, it turned out ivy is too! So I gathered other leaves from the garden and found the dogwood worked best. It also has a red stem, so is perfect for this challenge.

I arranged the leaves on watercolour card, and laid another sheet on top, and ran it through the machine to get two impressions. I didn't get the clear print of veins etc that I'd seen online, more experimentation may be needed. But it's pretty nonetheless.

I splattered old paper distress ink over for more detail around the leaves.

For the sentiment and base layer, I inked more watercolour card with aged mahogany and barn door distress oxide. I spritzed to soften the colour, to match the subtle leaf impresion better.

I die cut the sentiment (an old favourite from Tattered Lace) from the centre of the card, then used it for the base.

For variety, I made one portrait and one landscape.

 

Simple design and (relatively) simple to make.

To join in with this week's challenge, head over to the 52CCT blog. You have until Friday 20th November to play along.

Santa sleigh sketch

 

Gill is our host for November on the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, as Christmas gets closer!

This is the sketch she has chosen for us to play with:

 

This ended up being very last minute for me, what with everything that's been going on with lockdown 2.

So no process photos this time.

The panels on the card are inked with antique linen distress oxide, with a light touch of fossilised amber and vintage photo. I splattered with water to bleach.

The images are stamped in gothic purple stazon ink. The houses are from Clarity, the sleigh is a set from a magazine that I hadn't used before. I wasn't sure what the quality was like, but it stamped beautifully.

The background is also an antique linen base, then I stamped baubles and stars in potting soil archival ink all over. I embossed with a Spellbinders folder, then sponged vintage photo distress oxide over, which picked up the embossed detail.

I finished it off with ribbon and lace, and a clock face embellishment from Craft Box. I don't often use embellishments, but they seemed to be what was needed here.

This isn't at all how I imagined this turning out! I really like the background but battled with positioning the panels - I had a stamped sentiment to finish it off, but changed my mind!

 

To join in with this challenge, visit it us at 52CCT. You have until Friday 13th November to enter your cards.