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Saturday 23 May 2020

Simple embossing


I recently re-found two embossing folders that I bought at a destash sale last year and had never used. I wanted to use them for Tracy's embossing challenge at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, even though I'd already done a resist embossing card.


So a couple of days ago, while chatting to my mum on the phone, I knocked out these quick cards. I never do quick cards so this was a bit of a surprise! I'm sure there are much more exciting things you can do with these folders, but I think these are pretty nonetheless.

I cut card to size for a 5x7 card, then ran through the folders.



I lightly wiped pigment ink pads over the top to catch the embossed areas. It was't perfect but I don't think it matters.

I then added a white glitter embossing powder to the ink, for a touch of sparkle. (The photo of the other card is refusing to upload for some reason!)


I edged the cards in the same inks.

On a scrap of card I gently swiped the inks over then die cut my sentiments.


I couldn't find a placement on the blue card that I liked, until I thought to spin it round to a landscape card.



Simple, subtle, but very pretty I think. And two kinds of embossing!








The sage green and copper colours on this one don't show that well, and nor does the sparkle. Trust me that this looks really pretty in real life!







Share your embossed Christmas cards at the 52CCT blog - this challenge is open until Friday 5th June.

Embossed forest and deer





Tracy has given us a really flexible challenge for her technique week at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.


This can be dry embossing or heat embossing, so gives us lots of choice to play with.

This card started out as an entry for "forest and deer" last month, but didn't get finished in time so has rolled over. It is also part of my current resist embossing phase.

To start, I went through and pulled all the natural, rustic colours out of my distress oxide box.


Not sure I needed this many colours!

I sponged them onto an A5 sheet of Sheena's stamping card, very roughly, just twisting the sponges.


I stamped my holly deer (Clarity) with versamark and heat embossed with clear powder.


For the next stage I prepared a birch tree stencil by applying distress inks - not as many this time, mainly yellows and browns.


I then spritzed the card with water to make the ink run everywhere but the embossed area.


While this was still wet, I pressed the inked stencil into it to create the forest behind the deer.


Once this was dry, I cut down to fit a 6x6 card.

I sponged inks around the deer's feet with a natural sponge to create texture in the foliage on the forest floor. I added a bit around the edge, and inked the edge in brown.


I used a scrap I'd cut from the edge to stamp the sentiment, mounted this on another scrap that I inked with a little brown, and added to the corner.



I love the misty effect this has created in the trees. The colours are a little less vibrant than I'd expected, but this does make the deer stand out, I think it looks like a shaft of sunlight has caught it.




To join in, visit the 52CCT blog.

This challenge runs for two weeks (as we have a fifth Saturday in May) so you have until Friday 5th June to enter.


Saturday 16 May 2020

Silhouettes - Winter vs Christmas


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.

Saturday 9 May 2020

A little bit funky



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.

Saturday 2 May 2020

Grungy sketch


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.