Layered (but not) snowflakes

 

Valerie's final challenge as host of 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is "One Layer CAS".

This was a bit tricky for me, as it's not my usual style - all the white space ideas I had involved layers of die cuts! Or I kept going back to this card I made in July. 

But I got there.

I stamped the sentiment first, in stormy sky oxide ink, then heat embossed with clear powder. I masked it with a strip of sticky note, then stamped the snowflakes. This is a layering stamp set from Simon Says Stamp. I stamped the base first, and added the white powder, then the top layer with gold powder. The white was hard to see so my lining up wasn't perfect! I then heated both layers together.

Finally I brushed stormy sky oxide over the side (with the mask still in place) to make the snowflakes pop out.

 

 It definitely looks better when you can see the shine!!

 

So I hope this is clean and simple enough for Valerie!

 

 

And now your turn.

You have until Friday 2nd September to visit us at the 52CCT blog and share your card.

Vintage sleds

 

Valerie has chosen "Skiing or Sledding" for her theme challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. Such a fun inspiration!

I decided to use some vintage images from design paper to fulfil the theme. I edged them in vintage photo, then layered onto hand made paper.

My background is a Christmas napkin. I drew spirals onto my card in black and grey pen, glued the top layer of the napkin down, then knocked it back with white gesso. I inked the edges in vintage photo.

I added coffee dyed lint fabirc and a strip of crochet lace under the toppers.

I stamped "Joy" on the right, and some crosses, and heat embossed in gold. I also used an embossing pen to add touches of gold around the edge.

 

The matte behind is bright red polka dot paper, I inked it with aged mahogany to get a more vintage feel.

This is a DL size.

I also made a 5x7 version, but don't like it - the Merry Christmas is wonky and the black writing looks odd. It'll go in the "I'll fix it when I have time" box.

This is the first time I've used a napkin like this, I like the pen marks showing through.

 

 

I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with! The challenge is open until Friday 26th August on the 52CCT blog. Happy crafting!

Framed Baubles

Valerie, our August host at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, has chosen a very pretty colour combination. It's not traditionally festive, but nonetheless is opulent and has a Christmas vibe (to my eye!).

 

I made this card as part of an online workshop with Angela Simpson.

The two layer frame was die cut with square stitched nesting dies. The baubles and foliage were stamped and embossed, then coloured with distress oxides and a water pen. I fussy cut them out (not my favourite job!) then arranged them inside and outside the frame.

As always, gold is hard to photograph, this was the best I could do to show the shine.

The frame does give a strong structure to the card, such a neat technique.

 

 

 

 

So now, over to you. Do pop over to the 52CCT blog to see the rest of the design team cards for inspiration. The challenge is open until Friday 19th August.

Scrappy trees

Valerie takes over as host at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this month.

She has designed this sketch for us:

I thought about other ways to use the triangles, but came back to - Trees!

I use two different sized tree dies to cut bases from junk mail, then raided my strip scraps stash for pieces to build up the trees.

The reindeer is an old stamp, coloured with pergaliner watercolour pens and cut out. I printed the sentiment.

My background has a piece of thread looped around for texture - I dipped it in glue, wiped the excess off, then lowered it onto the card. With wax paper over it, I pressed it to adhere. I saw this on a Luisa Heinzl video - she then changed her mind and took the thread off to leave an impression in her gesso, but I liked the effect so have left mine. I brushed distress ink round the edge of the card, then edged the base and the sentiment in dark brown.

As the trees are quite thick due to the layers, I added pieces of card beneath parts of the second tree and sentiment to have them level, then put the reindeer on foam pads.

 

 

 

Neither of the photos show the texture that well, but I'm pleased with how these have come out, the trees are fun!

 

 

 

 

 

Now it's your turn. Visit the 52CCT blog for more inspiration and to enter your our card made with our sketch. The challenge closes on Friday 12th August.

Christmas Eve in Watercolour

For her last week as host at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, Jenny has set us a technique challenge.

 

I took a while to settle on a design for this, but these houses are something I'd wanted to try for ages.

I doodled the houses with permanent drawing pens on watercolour paper, then watercoloured them and fussy cut them out.

For the sky, I added masking fluid through a crescent mask for the moon, then splattered for stars. (Where the splatters were too heavy I just rubbed some off again.) I then watercoloured over with dark blue and purple, and when it was dry I rubbed off the masking fluid.

The Santa is a diecut, which I again coloured, and added lines with the drawing pen to tie it in with the houses.

I arranged the houses at the bottom of the card, glued it all down, then edged with black.

 

 

I am really happy with how this has come out, the houses were such fun to do.

 

 

And now it's your turn - let us see your watercolour cards. The 52CCT blog has loads of inspiration, and the link to share your card. Happy watercolouring!

Festive Florals

Jenny has a theme challenge for us this week at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.

Red poinsettia may not be very original for Christmas, but they are so pretty! I used the stamp by Tina Cox from Claritystamp - I do love her designs.

I started by stamping text in black archival ink, then went over with brusho - brilliant red I think.

The white card is die cut, this is a Tim Holtz design. Part of the red card went behind, then I stamped the poinsettia on the rest, some on the text and some off to see the difference (not a lot), and fussy cut them out. I used a white gel pen to add highlights.

 

The first card was quite clean. I added the holly stamps from the same set, and a printed sentiment.

 

There was quite a lot of white space, so I tried something different for the second, with three flowers. I splattered the background with black gesso (watered down) for a grungier feel.

 

I do like this card, the lattice is so pretty, as well as the poinsettia, and the repetition of the red colour, and then of the white with the highlights, is pleasing to me.

 

 

But it'll be no suprprise that the busier grungier version is my favourite!

 

 

 

 

 

To play along with this challenge, click on over to our 52CCT blog. You have a week, until Friday 22nd July, to enter a card. There's loads of inspiration on the blog from the rest of the Design Team.

Happy crafting!

Simple reindeer

 

Jenny's colour choice at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week is fresh and bold:

 

I've opted for a CAS approach to this one - so it's WHITE red and aqua.

I ran my card through an embossing folder, the stamped the sentiment in black archival. I added the lines with a pen and ruler (with masking tape either end to get them even). I then added the little reindeer.

I tried a landscape version, but the folder edge marked the card when I put it at an angle, then the card warped when I tried to wetting it to get the crease out. I also didn't edge the card before embossing it, so the inked edge looks a bit messy. Hindsight is wonderful!

 

Maybe I'll remount it, with wide super sticky tape for the warping, and trimming the edge and using a matte behind instead.

 

 

 Simple, but quite stylish I think!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are lots more cards for inspiration on the 52CCT blog, then I'd love for you to share your own version of our colour challenge. You have a week, until Friday 15th July, to play along.