Old favourites!

One week soon I really hope to post a 52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge on time!

Goga's last challenge as hostess is a technique  - she's chosen windown cards.

I fell back on an old favourite for this - blues and snowflakes!

For the frame I smooshed my card with light blue and lilac distress oxides. I then stamped small snowflakes with versamark and heat embossed in clear. I then blended darker blue over this, so the snowflakes resisted the ink. I overstamped in the darkest blue with the same snowflake stamp.

I die cut the frame and aperture.

For the inner, I smooshed another piece of card. I die cut the snowflake spray, Snow word and some small snowflakes from silver centura pearl card. I also cut the word from card blended with blue ink, but wanted it darker so added black.

I put it all together on a 6x6 card blank, using foam to raise the frame.

Not my most original card, but if it works, why not?

The layers of blue and shimmer of the centura pearl card are very frosty and pretty.



To join in with this technique challenge, head to the 52CCT blog - this challenge is open until Friday 3rd April.

Have fun playing!

Last minute lights

Goga chose "christmas Lights" for her theme challenge at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.

This caused a bit of rummaging on my part! But I did find an A4 stamp set from a magazine that I have no idea when I got, that had a little one inch border stamp of lights.

So this card is based around that one little stamp!

I started with distress oxides, blended onto Sheena's card in stripes.

This was the last photo I managed! With all the coronavirus upheaval, and getting two young cats this week, this card has been done in very short bursts over many days!

I stamped the lights in lines along the yellow stripes, then heat embossed in black. I filled in any gaps with black pen.

I coloured the lights with inktense pencils and used the waterpen to make them bright.

In between the rows of lights, I used Christmas border stamps and distress oxides. Very bright, and sort of a Christmas jumper feel!

For the focus, I blended my inks onto a scrap of the same card, and die cut my NOEL, then recut in black for a drop shadow. 

I cut a small square of white card and stamped the lights again to make a frame - it's not a great stamp so I went over with black pen. Then I filled in with the inktense pencils again.

I blended green ink around the background, and edged the background and focus in black, then mounted on a 6x6 card blank.

I used the snowflakes that had come out of my die cuts on the corner.

I like the background I made here a lot, and I'm pleased with how the lights stand out. The middle bit I'd probably rethink if I had loads of time. But I don't! The die cut is very pretty, at least!



Not a lot of time left to join in with this one - the challenge closes on Friday 27th March. Head over to the 52CCT blog to check out the other DT cards and entries.

Lots of layers

Hello again. I'm back with a colour challenge for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week. Goga has chosen green, kraft and white for us to play with.

Now, kraft is a bit of a challenge for me, I'm not great at using colour on it. So as usual, I have die cut it, which I really like. This card uses a style I've been experimenting with a bit - layering different die cut patterns and shapes. This is the first Christmas card I've tried, with snowflakes, holly and ivy to give a festive feel.

I started by colouring a piece of kraft and a piece of Sheena stamping card with green shades of distress ink. I spritzed the ink on my blending mat and swooshed the card into it. I built up several layers to get a good colour.

To prepare my base, I stamped around one corner with a little diamond stamp from Clarity I saw when going through my folder the other day. I used my stamping platform and layered different shades of green distress oxide. I then splatterd on the same shades, from the same corner.

I die cut from the green coloured card, as well as plain white and kraft, using a range of background and shape dies.

I also stamped my sentiment in green (fern green archival ink) onto a scrap of card, and edged in the same ink.

Then it was a case of playing with the pieces to find an arrangement that pleased me. Once I was happy, I took a photo on my phone before taken them off and glueing - otherwise I'd never have remembered where I wanted everything!

I edged the background with the fern green, then sponged bundled sage distress oxide as well to give a stronger frame.

The background went onto a 5x7 card blank.

I'm really happy with how this turned out. I love the layers and contrasts in texture.

I also have leftovers in a growing box of die cut pieces, so I'm ready to for next time I want to do a card with this technique.




To join in with this colour challenge pop over to 52CCT.

You have until Friday 20th March to enter your card. 

Happy crafting!!

Star stencil sketch

Goga is hosting the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this month.

As always, we kick off with a sketch.

I had a session paying with a star and script stencil and spritzers. I also added distress oxides to the stencil and embossed with it.

I ended up with a lot of sheets I didn't like - they'll be die cut or painted over I guess!

But two I thought had potential.

I over stamped this one with salty ocean distress ink and a swirly star stamp, then with sentimet stamps. I edged in the ink, and a purple, and went round the star and banner with a grey fine liner pen.

I cut out the star and banner this time. The background is brushos with a snowflake stamp, I pulled this out of my stash.

I edged with background with ink, and went round the star and banner with an inktense pencil and a water pen.


To join in with this sketch challenge, head to the 52CCT blog. You have until Friday 13th March to enter.