Steampunk Robin

Jenny's theme choice for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week is Birds.

 

The card above is not the one I meant to make at all! I was all set, and had started, a card using the very pretty bird bauble stamps from Tina Cox for Clarity. However, when on holiday I'd found this steampunk Christmas stamp set, which I couldn't resist. So I decided to play with this while the other card dried - and ended up having such fun I finished this one instead!

I stamped the bird first, and heat embossed with a mixture of black and copper. I then masked this and stamped the tree, heat embossing partially in gold and partially in silver.

Masking the bird again, I brushed some colour (fossilised amber and vintage photo distress oxide) into the background. I then over stamped with other stamps from the set, as well as a cog background I already had, in potting soil archival ink and other distress oxides.

I sponged some vintage photo around the bird (using the mask still) to give a drop shadow.

I coloured the bird with distress oxides and a water pen. Rusty hinge was perfect, and apt, for his chest, with green and red for the holly to give a festive touch. The rest was various browns, used alone and mixed, and with black soot, to give a variety of shades. I also used the water pen to activate the oxides in the background within the tree, to define it a bit more.

The sentiment is also from this set, I stamped and embossed in copper. It was getting a bit lost on the busy background, so I sponged antique linen oxide over the area to knock it back, then wiped the ink off the embossing.

To finish, I blended vintage photo around the outside, and swiped a black archival ink pad across the edges.

 

I am really rather fond of my steam punk robin, with his rusty chest. A bit different and quirky! And the set I think will be useful, some of the smaller stamps will be great for backgrounds.

 

 

 

So, I hope you're inspired to play along with our challenge. To see the fabulous cards from the rest of the design team, and share your card, visit us at the 52CCT blog. The challenge is open for a week, until Friday 27th August. Have fun!!