Embossed Snowflakes

 

Branka rounds off the month of June at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown with a technique challenge, and she's chosen:

I decided to use the letter presse technique, with stormy sky distress oxide. The ink only transferred around the snowflakes, not sure why, but it's very pretty!

After that I kept it simple - a white die cut snowflake, and printed sentiment. I added dyed lint behind to help it stand out.

At this stage, the background looked a bit much, it needed breaking up. Thread didn't work, I wanted something more open, so added the little die cuts from my stash, inked with chipped sapphire. I used water to faux bleach, to knock them back a bit, but think they're still a bit strong. Maybe needs another one at the opposite corner for balance.

 

 

Pretty, delicate, and also has the bonus of fitting with our June challenge at the Berkhamsted Creative Challenge of "Blue".

 

 

 

 

To play along with this challenge, come and visit us at the 52CCT blog. You have a week, until Friday 1st July, to play along.

 

 

 

 

Vintage stamps

 

Edit: I took my own advice and added a sentiment, with a brown drop shadow and coffee dyed lint to help it stand out. Still not perfect, but I'm much happier with it now it has a strong focus.

Branka has chosen "Vintage" for her theme week at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.

This is such a great theme - and hard to do as it's so broad! It took me a while to settle on an idea.

My background is a letter to Santa that I wrote in Word, used an old fashioned handwriting font, then printed onto coffee dyed paper.

I folded and crumpled, and stained further with vintage photo distress ink.

The stamps are cut from design paper, inked, the mounted onto cream and cut with pinking scissors. You could use a small hole punch for a more authentic look but I didn't have time! I stamped postmarks onto them, and added the "1st" from a stamp stamp.

I added twine to add to the postage feel, and used a grey pencil for a drop shadow around the stampes to make them stand out.

The mount is an olive green, inked in brown.

I'm not sure this works completely. The background is a bit plain, and the composition a bit off, it needs more of a frame and a focal point. Maybe I'll tinker later - a die cut large sentiment in the olive green might work!

 

 

 

 

To play along with this challenge, hop over to the 52CCT blog for more inspiration!

The challenge is open for a week, until Friday 24th June.

Simple greenery

Branka has chosen a simple colour challenge for us at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week - Green and White.

I'm continuing my simple card theme!

I printed the sentiment out vertically, and cut the card to size for DL cards. The stamp is from Lavinia Stamps. I used bundled sage and old paper distress inks.

I sponged bundled sage round the outside.

The only problem - these cards seem impossible to photograph! I have so many blurry pictures. Must be the white space - not usually a problem for me!

 

Very simple and easy, but I think also pretty.

To play along, visit us at the 52CCT blog. You'll be able to see the inspiration from the rest of the design team, amd enter your own green and white card. You have a week to join in, until Friday 17th June.

Black and White

For June, Branka is hosting the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. She starts with a sketch for us to play with.

 

I have a lot on at the moment, so am trying to keep it simple for my cards.

This one started with the base sqaure, I die cut a circle into it. I edged the circle and outside edge in black, then ran it through an embossing folder.

I cut a smaller square to go behind, and stamped the poinsettia, from Tina Cox for Clarity. I used versafine clair for a strong black.

I stamped the swirl stamp in the same ink, and cut the strips. They looked a little odd individually, but together you can see the swirl pattern and it works much better. The sentiment is printed. The strips and sentiment were edged in black, then I put it all together.

 

 

Simple and stylish in black and white - at least I think so!

 

 

 

 

 

Now over to you, how will you interpret the sketch? You have a week to join in on the 52CCT blog, until Friday 10th June.