For Tracy's theme challenge at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, she has asked us to create a card using a silhouette.
So perfect opportunity to get out the Christmas Wee Folk from Clarity.
But first things first, the backgrounds.
I stamped the diamond shape outlines (also Clarity) onto card, and cut masks to cover them.
I used this stamp set, which I bought recently from a destash group - they are so dangerous!
For the first card, I used purple, yellow and turquoise acrylic paint. I brayered them onto the gel plate, then picked up the paint with the stamp to add to the card. I also dipped the card into the paint that was left, which had the stamp impression in it.
Because I was having fun, I made another, with red, lime green and teale.
This is how they looked with the masks removed.
I stamped the Wee Folk using midnight blue and fern green stazon inks. I used the stamp platform as I needed to repeat stamp, and the outside of the mask so I stayed in the apertures.
I used posca paint pens to outline the diamonds, and added chains up and down from the points. I also edged the cards. I used the white posca and a white gel pen to highlight the diamonds and chains so they stood out.
I did a little pencil work in the diamonds to ground the figures, but kept it minimal.
Finally I used a scrap of card I'd used to pick up spare paint from the gel plate, and stamped the sentiments (mini word chains from Clarity), in stazon ink. The white gel pen came out again to make the words stand out. I edged with the posca pens and added to the cards. I went around in the white posca pen to highlight.
I love the colours on this card, and the figures playing in the snow are my favourites.
These colours are more festive, and I do love how the background came out. I chose the more festive celebration Wee Folk for this one, which I like.
To join in with this challenge, and see the inspiration from the rest of the Design team, head ove to the 52CCT blog. You have until Friday 22nd May to enter.
This week on the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Tracy has asked us to use non-traditional colours.
I called on one of my favourite combinations for this - wilted violet, picked raspberry and twisted citron distress oxides.
I stamped a design from Tina Cox for ClarityStamp, and embossed in clear. I then added my colours, using the ink pads direct to paper.
I spritzed with water to move and merge the colours.
I'm definitely having a phase of resist embossing.
This was paler than I wanted, so I added more ink to my mat, sprized and dipped the card into it.
To emphasise the design more, I added the colours with a water pen, into more specific areas. This worked well, but if I was doing this again, I think I'd use white embossing powder.
I cut down to size for a 5x7 card blank.
To frame, I cut narrow strips of white card and arranged around the main design. I cut the sentiment and added that to the bottom. But I wasn't happy with it, so cut my honeycomb die, to tie in with the hexagons in the design. I added these around the corners, lifting the sentiment so the honeycomb went underneath.
These background dies are becoming very helpful to "rescue" cards that I'm not totally happy with, they make great frames to tone down a background and add interest.
I still love this bright colour combination, and the great stamp design.
To play along with this fun challenge, visit the 52CCT blog. You have until Friday 15th May to join in.
Tracy is our May host at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.
She kicks us off with this sketch:
I went vintage mixed media for this one. I took a lot of inspiration for this card from this art journal spread by Preeti D for the Lindys Gang blog.
The first layer is texture paste mixed with walnut stain distress reinker. I put it through two stencils onto card cut to size (for a 5x7 card base).
It really doesn't look like much does it? But I think the dark lines and stag give structure to the finished card.
While that dried, I die cut my wrap around pieces. I used a tag die for the kraft card, but didn't cut the bottom so I could extend. For the white card I used the tag top as a template and cut to size by hand but narrower than the kraft. These I ran through a knitted pattern embossing folder, then stained with distress inks. I used antique linen, then regretted it as it was too yellow. So I added browns and some weathered wood to tone them down.
Once my texture paste was dry, I added weathered wood distress ink to a band across the centre, and spritzed to diffuse it.
I ended up widening the band with a sponge before I completed the card.
I then added walnut stain distress ink around the edge.
At this point I stopped taking photos!
I used a variety of stamps in the background to add texture and layers (with archival potting soil ink). I also stencilled the trees and rings. I cut the piece down a bit and re-inked the edges, and created a mat which I inked with the weathered wood.
I die cut holly, ivy and a pine cone from kraft and white card inked in weathered wood and walnut stain. I stamped the two postmark stamps in archival, die cut out, then aged then with the same two inks. I added crackle glaze to give a contrasting finish to them.
The sentiments are from the Clarity occasions sticker pack, mounted on scraps of card inked in weathered wood. I aged them with walnut stain - I overdid the "Joy", which annoyed me.
I raided my embellishments box for a piece of hessian, which I pulled most of the threads out of to make it more see through, to go behind the wrap around and die cuts, and for the string to close the wrap around (although I stuck it down too).
I used a mixture of super sticky tape and wet glue to put this together, with foam squares to lift the lower post mark.
It feels like ages since I've done something mixed media and grungy like this. It's such fun building up the layers and working out what to add when and where. I love these colours together, such a classic combination.
To join in with this sketch challenge, visit the 52CCT blog. You have until Friday 8th May to enter your take on Tracy's sketch.
Hali's last challenge for April at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is a technique - Herringbone.
This was a new one to me, but Hali has provided some links to "how to" videos - see the 52CCT blog.
This uses strips of paper or card - so should be the perfect technique for me, I have masses of offcuts from previous projects and backgrounds. I went through the shelf where I dump all the leftovers, and had a sort out. This is the pile of strips - the actual backgrounds made three even bigger piles!
I pulled out two sets, one in rich jewel-like colours, one in blues and purples. I cut the wider bits down, to 1 cm, although the ones that were already narrower I left so were a range of widths.
I used sheets of double sided adhesive on copy paper, cut to size for a 5x7 card, then built up the herring bone patterns.
This is the jewel one:
Using such a range of colours and patterns makes it quite full on! I haven't quite worked out what I want to do with this one yet.
And this is the blue one:
I love how these build up. But I didn't exactly have a plan of what to do with them.
I put the blue one through an embossing folder with a snowflake pattern, then gently rubbed a silver ink pad over to pick up the pattern.
To keep it simple, I cut a panel and matt from Centura Pearl card. I took one of my newly sorted backgrounds, added more chipped sapphire ink to darken it, then cut a bigger matt, sentiment and snowflakes. I edged the herringbone with the chipped sapphire.
I put it all together with wet glue and double sided tape - I've run out of tape pens and can't pop to the craft shop as usual! Although our brilliant local one is doing deliveries so I am building up a list to place an order.
So I've made another blue snowflake card! Good job I like them. I do like the herringbone effect. I think a more coordinated set of patterns and colours might make it easier to work with.
To try this technique for yourself, go to the 52CCT blog. You have until Friday 1st May to join in.
The Berkhamsted Creative Challenge theme this month is "Favourites". These cards, made for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, definitely count - as well as using brushos, a favourite product, they are some of my favourite Christmas cards I've ever made!
Branka's theme for the week is "Forest and Deer".
I wanted to use this deer stamp from Clarity that I got last month.
I started by stamping and embossing. I used stazon for the colours, but as this doesn't stay wet long, I used the stamp platform and overstamped in versamark. This allowed me to emboss in clear.
Next I spritzed with water and added brushos for my forest. The square one uses leaf green, orange and olive green. The other uses dark brown and emerald green. The embossed deer resist the water and brushos, and create lovely swirls where the colour moves around them.
This was meant to be the first step, and I'd work over the top, but I loved them so much I left them pretty much as they were.
I cut them down, edged with a sharpie, and used a grey inktense pencil and water pen to ground the deer. On the portrait one I used a yellow pencil to bring out the antlers where the brusho was very dark. I stamped the sentiment on offcuts using the same stazon colours as the deer, and edged.
I love the drama and movement in this one. The sentiment would probably have looked better much lower, but I didn't want to cover the speckled brusho pattern.
This one looks a bit more forest- or foliage-like. The flashes of light I think look quite ethereal and gorgeous.
To join in with this challenge, head over to the 52CCT blog. You have until Friday 24th April to play along.
I have finally done it! I have my 52 Christmas Card Throwdown card for the week ready on time. I've even gone overboard and made 4 cards!
The theme that has me so productive is a colour challenge - red and white.
I started with one idea, then had variations on that which went in different directions.
I wanted to create a red "splodge" to which I'd add a die cut Christmas tree in white.
I cut out the tree from card and copy paper, then took the copy paper aperture and tore it to make the shape for my splodge.
I taped the apreture over my card, and started to stamp through with an assortment of Christmas stamps.
I made sticky note masks for some of the stamps. I won't try to list all the ones I used, they are a complete range, from Clarity to magazine freebies.
To define the area further, I brushed over with the same ink (red carnation archival).
This was the result. The shape is still a bit tree like, I'd maybe make it less triangular if I were to do this again.
To finish this card, I die cut the tree in red car, mounted behind the white die cut to help define it, and adhered. I stamped a sentiment on a scrap of paper, and edged that and the background in the same ink. It all went onto a 5x7 card blank (as did all these cards).
The first variation used the same aperture. I spritzed water through it, then sprinkled on brilliant red brusho powder. Usually brushos split into many colours so aren't great for colour challenges, but the red is an exception.
I cut this down, edged with a red sharpie, and stuck a white die cut tree onto the red area. The sentiment was again stamped onto a scrap, and heat embossed in clear to brighten it.
Putting them together shows how different the shades of red are!
The second variation started with stamping a large "merry Christmas" sentiment, using barn door distress oxide. I used the stamping platform so I could repeat and get a good amount of ink down.
I then spritzed with water, leaving the stamp in place on the platform.
The first one I thought I'd over done the water, so I repeated.
One is definitely more diffused - which isn't a problem except I was worried it was a bit orange given this is a red colour challenge!
I then over stamped the words with the same ink and stamp selection as I used in the first card.
This is actually a lot of fun, masks definitely help here.
I then put the card back into the stamp platform and restamped the large sentiment, in versamark ink, and heat embossed in white.
This is a technique from Leonie Pujol, she used masks for the words rather than the overstamping, but the effect is similar.
I filled in the spaces in the words with red inktense pencils and a water pen. I used them as I'm still in love with my inktense, and they have the intensity of colour. But as they don't wipe off the embossing when you go over the lines, something like a distress oxide ink, would probably have been better and neater.
To finish, I cut the card down, edged with barn door distress oxide, then mounted on red card. I didn't like the shades I had so added the red carnation ink to them around the edge. The darker one I added directly from the ink pad, the brighter one I sponged on.
I really love how these have come out, and am disappointed in the photos. I have another camera, that I inherited, I really must figure out how to use it as my current one really isn't up to it!
To join in with this colour challenge, head to the 52CCT blog. This challenge runs until Friday 17th April. Have fun!
Another week and another 52 Christmas Card Throwdown card that I'm posting late. I really thought I'd get this one done in time but it took longer than expected. I also made some other cards for a birthday and to send to friends who're having a hard time, so I haven't been a crafting slouch this week.
I'm hoping to go and start next week's colour theme card this afternoon, so fingers crossed that one's on time.
Branka is our host for April, and this is the sketch she's chosen to kick off the month.
I wanted to do another Groovi sketch card. I got some new Groovi plates for Mothers Day and our wedding anniversary recently and wanted to use a couple of them specifically.
My challenge to myself was to not use snowflakes, as they are my default. However, I got some other plates that are just snowflakes so there will be some parchment snowflake cards in my not too distant future!
Line art first, using these plates, plus the square and circle plates for the outlines, and a new sentiment plate.
I coloured from the back using Faber Castell polychromo pencils. I shaded behind the sentiment to help it stand out from the background.
For the background I used two patterned papers. One formed the base, the other I cut strips and a circle to define the edges and the sentiment circle.
I cut out the parchment with pinking shears, and mounted on the background with tiny pieces of super sticky tape, behind the coloured areas.
It needed something else before going on the card blank. I didn't have quite the shade I wanted, so cut a piece of pink card, then blended seedless preserves distress oxide round the edge.
I wanted to use bright colours for the card, a change from my usual blue and purples, which I've achieved! I do like the cute elements from Tina's Groovi plate.
To join in with this challenge, head to the 52CCT blog. This challenge is open until Friday 10th April.
