Stitched Snowflake

Fabiola's last challenge as host at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is a technique challenge, and she's chosen sewing.

My card was inspired by a technique from Splitcoaststampers, which I've put my own spin on.

I started by raiding my stash of backgrounds for a suitable blue, I wanted a bright, solid colour. This is what I chose.

It has flecks of gold in it.

I then stamped a snowflake onto scrap paper.

This is a great new stamp set that lets me create multicoloured snowflakes, but I used it a different way today.

I fastened it over the blue background, then pierced holes through the snowflake to give me a pattern to sew into.

This is the back of the background, you can see the pattern in the holes.

And then I embroidered the card with needle and white embroidery thread. This wasn't a quick task, and a bit fiddly to find the right holes, but didn't take a long as I feared.

This is my focal point, which I die cut with a stiched edge square die - all kinds of stitching, faux or real, are fine for this challenge.

To make this into a card, I cut sections of other blue, snowflake themed backgrounds from my stash, and arranged them together. I edged each in grey and drew on faux stitching with a grey pen. I stamped the word "snowflakes" on a scrap and edged that in the same way.

Finally, I stamped a small snowflake onto a scrap of paper and used that to pierce through the card and add small snowflakes or stars, embroidered in pale blue.

This is a bit of a different card for me, but it turned out really pretty. Partly due to the delicate embroidered snowflake, and partly drawing on the variety of themed backgrounds I found.

To share your version of a sewn card, head over to the 52CCT blog. This challenge is open until Friday 31st July.

White on white

For Fabiola's colour challenge at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, she's chosen something typically stylish - all white.

Texture and movement are the name of the game when there's no colour to create contrast.

I started by cutting a 6x6 card blank down slightly. I die cut a corner lattice (Tim Holtz) into the bottom right. Above this, I used two embossing folders. The corner is designed for envelopes, and the snowflakes are a border folder.

To add depth, I die cut a layered snowflake - this is a new die set that I couldn't resist buying!

The bottom layer is shiny coated card, which I stamped and heat embossed in a pearly white.

The next layer is matt white, then white vellum. The centre is a white glitter paper I found, and I added a tiny white pearl in the centre.

I drew clusters of dots over the card and heat embossed in the pearl white too.

The corners were cut with a punch.

I placed this over a full size 6x6 card base, and attached at the top of the back, so it moves freely.

This isn't exactly how I envisaged the card would turn out, but I'm happy with how it hangs together. I think I've created interest without colour - I'm not usually good with leaving open space, and that turns out to be true even with a white card!

I hope you have fun playing with this challenge theme. To share your card with us, pop over to 52CCT, where you'll also be able to check out the amazing inspiration from the other DT members - such a variety of styles, but all gorgeous cards.

You have until Friday 17th July to enter this challenge..

Playing with new toys!

Fabiola is our host on the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown for July.

As always, we start the month with a sketch challenge. She has chosen for us:

I resisted the temptation to use a snowflake for the circle. Instead, I pulled out some gel plate backgrounds I made for the pink, purple and gold colour challenge last month and didn't use.

I cut the gold one to size for a 5x7 card. As I'd used a 6x6 gel plate to print it, there was a white strip top and bottom. I sponged the same paint colours into this.

From the other I die cut my circle, and a strip. I added distress ink to the strip to darken it a little.

The deer die cut was a recent sale purchase. I'd cut it in white card to see how it looked. I added versamark, then covered in Cosmic Shimmer mixed media embossing powder in "Funky Cold Patina". This has lots of colours and textures in and may be be new favourite thing!

I also covered a strip of scrap card in the powder, and dragged versamark around the edge of the card to frame in the powder.

To add pattern, I dipped my scrapper into the versamark and added hatching in the powder at the corners. 

The bottom half of the background was a little plain, so I overstamped with a flourish stamp and second generation plum stazon. I edged the card, circle and strips in black archival. Then put the pieces together (with glue).

The gold shimmer of the background doesn't really show here, or the sparkle of the powder. But I think you get an idea of the layers of pattern.






To join in with this sketch challenge, visit us at 52CCT. The linky is open until Friday 10th July. Have fun!

In complete contrast...

Becca's final challenge choice at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is:

In contrast to last week, this is out of my comfort zone, I don't usually do embellishments. But, that's not to say I don't have any - I have crates of things I bought on sales and for "maybe" and for mixed media.

I actually had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted to do for my cluster of embellishments, but not what to put behind to be embellished.

So, if I'm not doing my usual thing, I thought, why not pull out all the stuff I don't usually use and roll with it?

I started with design papers, and took the offcuts left from other projects in vintage Christmas patterns. I cut a thin card base to size and added the offcuts, rearranging until I liked them.

I actually stuck them down like this, but when I started to ink the edges with vintage photo distress oxide, I realised I wanted to do all the pieces, so carefully pulled them off again.

It's a small thing, but I think makes so much difference.

I then went through the aforementioned crates and pulled out everything I thought might go.

My centrepiece was to be a frame. I had various ones, but settled on a layered printed card one. It looked a bit, well, card like, so I added a layer of clear glaze. It then looked a bit plasticy so I added antiquing medium, which worked a treat. I also added more foam pads as the sides were sagging a bit.

I added an image from a design paper behind it. Then it was a case of arranging the other embellishments around it.

I had the metal words set from a sale - it was set 2 and I don't have set 1, so I have Merry but not Christmas. So I cut the word Christmas from the descriptive edging of one of my papers, and glazed it.

I also added sticker borders in a cross centred on the frame.

The embellishments are all adhered with heavy gel medium.

I added a swipe of cranberry ink around the edge for more definition, then done - mounted on a 5x7 card base.

A bit different for me - and definitely not a card to go in the post! The photo doesn't capture the warmth and cosiness I think this has in real life. I'm pleased with it, although I think the layered background is my favourite part!




To join in and play with embellishments, come and visit us at the 52CCT blog. This challenge is open until Friday 3rd July.

Snowflake bonanza!

Becca has given me a gift of a theme challenge at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week!

Given that I've had snowflakes on my last 3 cards, and probably on the majority of Christmas cards I make, this was an easy one! The biggest problem was how to narrow down what to do.

Having done a simple card last week, I decided to go more mixed media this time.

I pulled out adirondack inks, in denim and sandal, for a change. I started with two stencils, one positive and one negative.

I also used a word stamp from a very pretty snowflake set. It's not something I'd use as a sentiment on a card, but I love it for background in this context.

I couldn't decide whether to cut this down to 5x7 or 6x6, so hubby persuaded me to make a second and do both!

Spot the cat paws in the background - my little boy likes to sit close by when I'm crafting!

I took each of these in different directions.

The portrait one, I edged with the denim, and stamped some small snowflakes round for a frame.

I embossed opposite corners with a snowflake folder (I realised I have at least 4) and added bronze gilding wax.

I die cut a big snowflake and a little one, both Tim Holtz dies. I inked the little one in denim.

I also die cut two snowflake sprays, and inked one with denim and sandal, and added the gilding wax too.

I got a green tinge where the inks mixed, but I can live with it. It looks very verdegris!

I didn't want to add a sentiment, but felt it needed a little more focus. I stamped just "Snowflakes" from the word stamp onto an offcut of the background, to place among the swirls.

I arranged the diecuts onto the card, and mounted on a 5x7 blank.

I'm really happy with how this turned out - for once I resisted the urge to fill in every area so have managed to leave some relatively open space.







For the square background, I wanted to do something different.

I used a snowflake frame stencil around the outside. I inked the stencil in denim, then ran it through the embossing machine. While the stencil was still in place, I sponged white gesso over everything to knock it back .

I used a polychromo pencil to add colour to the stencil frame as it hadn't taken everywhere - and gesso had leaked under in places too.

I stamped a "Let it Snow" sentiment in the centre. I used the denim first, but it didn't take too well over the gesso. So I restamped with dark blue stazon. I lined up the stamp by hand as I'd taken it off the stamp platform in between, so it wasn't quite spot on, but looks like a drop shadow so I quite like it!

I edged in denim then the stazon, and used a white gel pen to bring out the sentiment more, and to add dots around the card for more detail.

This one went on a 6x6 card blank.

This frame is so pretty, I forgot I had it for ages and have been wanting to use it since I rediscovered it. For me this card has a delicate, snow flurry feel.




I've really enjoyed making two such different cards from one background.

Whether you have an obsessive number of snowflakes in your stash like me, or just a single stamp, have fun creating your own snowflakes Christmas card. You can share with us at 52CCT until Friday 26th June.

Pretty in pink.... and purple

At the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week, Becca has chosen pink, purple and gold for us to play with.

I struggled to think of how to use these, I played with my gel plate so have lots of half started cards. But in the end I went with a simple and soft option.

I stamped the snowflakes across my card using distress oxides - milled lavender, shaded lilac and victorian velvet.

I then stamped the sentiment, small snowflakes and crosses around the edge in versamark and heat embossed with Wow platinum embossing powder - it's a pale gold that I really like, I prefer it to a really yellow gold.

Then I edged in milled lavender and mounted on a 5x7 card blank.

So simple, but pretty, especially in real life when you can see the glimmer of the gold.







Maybe this weekend I'll play with the more grungy, rich backgrounds from the gel plate and add those cards too.

To join in with this challenge, click through to the 52CCT here. You have until Friday 19th June to add your card.

Funky Groovi snowflakes

Becca is our host at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this month.

She has kicked us off with this sketch:

While the snowflakes don't have to actually be snowflakes, they are my favourites, and I have more of them than anything else in my stash, so I have used them. I have a new Groovi plate with "funky snowflakes", so out that came!

First the line work, as always. I used a variety of plates, mostly with snowflakes!

Next, colouring. I used sharpie pens for the detail areas, as they give such a strong colour.

I used polychromo pencils for the background, and to colour the background snowflakes.

I wanted the smaller snowflakes that are from the sketch to stand out more, so I actually did some white work around them - I don't usually do any of the traditional parchment techniques. With hindsight, I'd use different style snowflakes with more area that I could colour with the sharpies.

I cut the parchment out with pinking shears, and cut a patterned background to go behind. I attached the parchment using tiny silver brads I found when I was going through a box of craft stuff the other day.

You can't really see the patterned paper in the photos, but it shows through the snowflakes.
I love the delicacy of parchment for doing snowflake cards, I think it works so well.



To join in with the challenge, visit the 52CCT blog - you'll also see the fantastic inspiration from my design team colleagues.

This challenge closes on Friday 12th June.