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!

A junk journal card

It's my final week hosting the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this year. I've chosen a technique challenge - I want to see something that moves on the card front.

I've been watching a lot of videos on junk journalling recently, and when I saw Luise Heinzl make this little dangle, I knew I wanted to make one for my card.

So this is a card that thinks it's a junk journal!

The dangle first - I printed the sentiment, then mounted on card, with tea dyed lint. I added it to a bulb ring I dyed with alcohol ink, with a snowflake charm.

I attached it to the card by gluing a Christmas glass piece on, with a bit of cotton ribbon underneath. I added distress crayon behind it to help it stand out - it looks really dark in the photos!

The background is a made with ink, brushos and a stencil, from my stash - I loved the burnt orange and green. The wood effect piece is also stash, and makes a pocket.

I added lace at the edge, and a cluster with a button. I sewed round the edges to attach the pocket - I think I should have gone round twice now I look at it!

To go in the pocket, I made a tag, using a stamp from IndigoBlu. I stencilled to add interest, and pick up the orange colour, and sewed round the edge.

 

Once it was in the pocket though, the deer are hidden and it looks a little dull. So I added another moving element - a paperclip. I die cut a snowflake from a scrap of the wood effect card, and mounted it on a circle I'd inked to match, with some more of the dyed lint.

The whole thing is mounted on a 5x7 card blank.

I had such fun making this! It's a bit unusual as a card, but I think would be fun to receive as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To play along, visit the 52CCT blog. The design team have made some amazing cards, with lots of different ideas for moving elements, so go and check them out.

You have until Friday 1st April (no fooling!) to enter.

Santa sleigh sketch

 

Gill is our host for November on the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, as Christmas gets closer!

This is the sketch she has chosen for us to play with:

 

This ended up being very last minute for me, what with everything that's been going on with lockdown 2.

So no process photos this time.

The panels on the card are inked with antique linen distress oxide, with a light touch of fossilised amber and vintage photo. I splattered with water to bleach.

The images are stamped in gothic purple stazon ink. The houses are from Clarity, the sleigh is a set from a magazine that I hadn't used before. I wasn't sure what the quality was like, but it stamped beautifully.

The background is also an antique linen base, then I stamped baubles and stars in potting soil archival ink all over. I embossed with a Spellbinders folder, then sponged vintage photo distress oxide over, which picked up the embossed detail.

I finished it off with ribbon and lace, and a clock face embellishment from Craft Box. I don't often use embellishments, but they seemed to be what was needed here.

This isn't at all how I imagined this turning out! I really like the background but battled with positioning the panels - I had a stamped sentiment to finish it off, but changed my mind!

 

To join in with this challenge, visit it us at 52CCT. You have until Friday 13th November to enter your cards.

Start with wood...

Oh dear, I'm late again with my 52 Christmas Card Throwdown card.

Andreja has chosen "Wood Background" as the stash challenge for June, so our design team have come up with some really lovely, natural looking, cards for inspiration. 

Here's my contribution.

For my wood background, I used kraft card and the wood design embossing folder from Sheena Douglas' textures collection.

I tried two approaches. I painted one sheet of kraft with white gesso first, the other I left plain. I added distress ink to the folder before embossing - brushed corduroy and crushed olive on the gessoed card, then the darker walnut stain on the plain kraft.

Love this! I've used the plain card this time, but I love the white washed look too, this would go well with dark red toppers.

For these cards I use iced spruce - I love this colour, a neutral that isn't a neutral, so pretty and versatile.

I firstly stamped this great scene from Hobby Art, using distress ink. I then used a water brush to add shade, picking up the same ink from my craft mat.

For my other cards, I used the distress oxide in iced spruce to stamp. I cut each image out with a die.

I didn't use all of these today, but the spares have gone in the  stash for another time.

For each card, I cut the wood background to size, then mounted onto white card, with an iced spruce edge. I wrapped lace and string round, then added the toppers using foam tape to lift above the string. I then added the lot to square card blanks - 7x7 for the two Christmas cards, and 8x8 for the birthday card, which is for my husband's aunt.

Simple and clean, showcasing the wood background and the gorgeous image.

A mixture of images here. I added a bit of foliage to the dragonfly (a Sheena stamp), masking the outside to give a straight edge, to add interest to that square. The sentiment is die cut from a spare scrap of the wood background.

Very simple, using a square stamp as it comes (I don't know the make). I think this one would look good in dark red on the white washed wood background.






To join in with this challenge head over to the 52CCT blog. As there are 5 Saturdays in June, you have two weeks, it closes on Friday 6th July. Enjoy playing and experimenting, I'd love to see what you come up with.

Use some lace!

My last challenge as host of the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this month is a stash challenge, and I've asked you to use lace to make your card.

My design team card uses lace in three ways.

Firstly, I used the gel press plate to apply gold pigment ink through a piece of lace to give my background. I then used the ink left on the plate to stamp the piece I used for my topper, giving a reverse impression of the lace.

Secondly, I added lace across the centre of the card, with dark red ribbon.

Thirdly, I used a lace border stamp to frame the background and topper - in gold pigment ink and cranberry adirondack respectively.

I stamped the sentiment (a Clarity stamp) in the cranberry adirondack too, then used a gold pen to highlight it. I used the gold inkpad around the edges of the background and topper, and mounted both on dark red card. The whole was added to a 5x7 card blank.

This looks far too neat to be one of my cards!

To join in with the challenge, go to the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.

Have fun!