Holly hexagons

As we enter August, Andreja is our new host at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.

This is the sketch she has chosen to kick off the month.

For this, I created two backgrounds. For one, I sponged weathered wood distress ink over the background, then over stamped in the same ink with a script stamp from IndigoBlu.

For the other, I stamped with the script and a hash stamp, also IndigoBlu, in weathered wood ink spritzed with water.

I did take photos, but they are completely blurred!

I cut the darker one to size for a 5x7 card blank, and then cut 4 hexagons and a strip for the side from the other.

To decorate the hexagons, I used a very old red rubber holly stamp that I love. I used versamark, and added platinum embossing powder. While that was still hot, I added a gold glitter powder, to give a touch of glitter, and melted it. I don't usually like glitter but fancied it here.

I then found a turquoise and gold embossing powder mix that I'd made up ages ago. After edging the hexagons with black archival ink, I used this to edge the hexagons and to add hatches with a scrapping tool.

I did the same to the strip, but then decided it was too much. So I cut another strip and recreated the background and hatches, and added the holly in second generation weathered wood ink. That was more balanced.

The script in the background was too prominent for me, so I tried blending more ink over it. When that didn't help, I spritzed with water and blotted. Which worked, but left the background too pale. So I added faded jeans distress oxide to my blending mat and brayered it out, then spritzed and dipped the card into it. Much better!

I used one of the offcuts of the background (before the added colour) for the sentiment, I embossed in the platinum, without the glitter.

The final touch was to add a little of the faded jeans distress oxide around the edge of the strip and the hexagons with my water pen. This gave a depth that somehow made the card come together.

This was meant to be a quick and simple card, but all the heat embossing, not to mention redoing parts of it, meant it took a while.

I can't pretend this is my favourite card ever, but I do like this colour combination, and the hexagons.


For more inspiration and to join in with our sketch challenge, pop over to the 52CCT blog. You have until Friday 7th August to enter.