Tracy is hosting the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this month. She starts us off with this sketch:
This card nearly didn't get made as I'm struggling with a bad back - but I was also missing crafting, so this is a quick and easy stash card. This is when all that stuff I keep that hubby rolls his eyes at comes into its own!
I pulled out the inky smooshed background from my stash, and some round stickers I made last year for wrapping Christmas presents.
Three of the stickers down the side gave me the main element of the sketch (I flipped it onto its side).
I masked the central rectangle, and sponged iced spruce and antique linen distress oxide around the outside. I then stamped with a long snowflake stamp, in faded jeans. These were the three colours I'd used for the stickers, so it all tied in.
I then masked the strip down the middle, sponged in antique linen and stamped in faded jeans with a word stamp.
The finishing touch is some doodling around all the edges with a faded jeans distress marker.
Plain and simple but pretty - I think more so in real life than the photo, maybe I'm biased!
To join in with this challenge, head to 52CCT - you have until Friday 12th July to enter.
This week at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, Rosi has chosen a technique I hadn't seen before, the eraser technique. Fortunately, she provided links with the instructions, here is my favourite.
I had two goes at this, as you can see.
I started with pounding the graphite dust through the Claritystamp leafy swirl stencil. This gave quite a delicate grey pattern.
I then stamped, using black archival ink. I used the Claritystamp Merry Christmas, and this holly swirl that I haven't got the brand for. The latter is a secondhand stamp, and not in the best of condition, so probably not the best choice for this project. Thank goodness I used the stamp platform, but I still had to use a black pen to sharpen the line.
I used a pencil eraser to remove the graphite from within the stamped images. Maybe it was my eraser, or because the graphite was too pale, or I'm not very thorough, but it didn't create much of a contrast.
I sealed the card with hairspray to hold the graphite; until that point I had been a bit paranoid about fingerprints and smudges, it's a messy technique in that sense, not in the way I like!!! I edged with the black ink pad.
This is the finished card, mounted onto a 6x6 card blank.
It's delicate and pretty, although I think needs a touch of colour, and doesn't really show the eraser aspect of the technique.
So, I had another go.
This time, I masked the card with tape. I was able to rub the graphite in, rather than just dab it on, so got a darker colour (although the camera angle doesn't show it below).
I stamped some Claritystamp snowflakes while the mask was still in place.
When I removed them, I got a much better contrast. Unfortunately, some of the masking tape took the top layer off the card on one side. I hate it when that happens!!!
I carried on regardless, and erased the graphite from within the snowflakes. This time I did get a better contrast.
I stamped a sentiment (also Claritystamp) in the centre. To deal with the tear, I trimmed back to the outside of the graphite area, then mounted onto another, larger piece of card, which I edged with the black ink. I sealed with hairspray before mounting. This then went onto a 6x6 card blank.
This one worked better from a technique point of view, but isn't so pretty. Maybe I needed more snowflakes!!
I'm also not sure about the lack of colour - although there's no reason not to use colour with this technique.
So, that's my experience trying out the technique. Let's see what you come up with! You have until Friday 31st May to have a play and join in with the 52CCT.
My blog has been woefully neglected recently, I've been feeling unwell and everything has gone by the by!
But I'm feeling much more human now, and May is my month to host the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown! So I've been concentrating on my cards for that, and can share them with you now.
Our first challenge of the month is a sketch challenge, and I've chosen this layout:
For my card, I played with my petite gel plates and distress oxides.
I started by cutting the card to size, and masking it off.
I used narrow tape, and a die cut circle of scrap card.
The first stamp I wanted to use was "Newsprint Holly" from Creative Expressions. This is too detailed to lift the ink off the gel plate (I'm so glad I did a test before trying on the card!) so I inked up the square gel plate with antique linen to give a background in the top left square. I then inked the stamp with cracked pistachio and fired brick, and over stamped (masking the other squares first).
For the opposite corner, I reversed the colours - red and green background using the gel plate, then over stamped with antique linen.
For the other corners, I used a snowflake background stamp from Crafty Individuals. I inked up the gel plate with faded jeans, iced spruce and antique linen - a combination Angela suggested at our most recent workshop! I pressed the stamp into it to lift off the ink, then stamped into the corner.
I love this colour combination, and the effect of the ink lifted off. I did the same in the opposite corner.
Time to lift off the masks for the big reveal!
I have to say, I love this! Messy techniques but a really neat card.
I got a bit stuck here with what to do in the centre (no, I don't usually start cards with much of a plan!) so it stayed at this point for over a week.
In the end, I started it by stamping a sentiment in potting soil archival ink.
I cut a mask with a smaller circle die, and attached it over the card. I sponged antique linen over first, concentrating more on the outside, then iced spruce at the edge.
I used the smallest of the "small snowflake" stamps from Sweet Dixie, dipped in water, to faux bleach the ink. This looked nice, but was a bit subtle next to the corner patterns.
So once it was dry, I over stamped with the same snowflake, using second generation iced spruce oxide.
For a mount, I cut card to size then used the gel plate and the same ink colours, printing around the edge of the card.
The first version look good on its own, but was too light and varied as a mount, so I went over with vintage photo, then with faded jeans, to darken it and make it more even.
I then constructed the card with a tape pen, on a 7x7 card base.
It's good to be back in the saddle with my first Christmas Card in ages!
To join in with the challenge, head over to the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. You have until midnight BST (7pm EDT) on Friday 11th May to enter. I can't wait to see what gorgeous entries we get!
I've lost momentum on the blog posts over the last few days, but I'm back with our new 52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge. Our first theme challenge of the year is "Fairies".
Luckily, I have a Lavinia stamp I got as part of my bargain dash last Autumn, which is perfect for this challenge.
The design of this card is copied from a card Barbara Gray demo'ed on TV recently. She used her design papers, I decided to make my own backgrounds.
I used distress oxides to make a random pattern. I wanted it quite pale. This first was purple and blue - wilted violet, faded jeans and broken china.
The next one was yellow and green - fossilised amber, twisted citron and cracked pistachio.
This one was quite uniform to start with, so I splattered with water and dabbed off for some faux bleaching, and spritzed with distress reindeers in green shades. It's still not perfect, but I really wanted to use these colours so pressed on.
Having cut the backgrounds to size, I then stamped my fairy image, using memento black ink, and the stamp platform.
I added different sentiments to each, in the same black ink.
Then the step I took from Barbara Gray. I cut a sticky note to 7 x 11 cm and positioned it over the centre of the cards, to cover the image and sentiment. I then brushed distress ink out from the sticky note. I used crushed olive for the yellow card, and for the purple one dusty concord followed by weathered wood.
This created a frame around the image.
I decided they did need something extra, so got out a small star stamp from Lavinia. I replaced the sticky note, and stamped around the frame - in silver pigment ink on the yellow one, and dusty concord on the purple one.
Masking the frame with tape, I grounded the trees, using torn paper and the brushes, without adding more ink so it was quite subtle.
To finish, I edged by dragging the ink pad round the edge - purple/black, and mounted on 5x7 card blanks.
Two more cards for the stash, and these are definitely post friendly.
To join in with our challenge and create your own Fairy themed card, pop over to the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, where you'll see all the great inspiration from my lovely design team colleagues.
The challenge closes at midnight GMT (7pm EDT) on Friday 26th January.
As the excitement of Christmas and New Year draws to a close, we're back with the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown for 2018! We've reverted to weekly challenges, helping you to build up your stash of Christmas cards through the year. Each month we'll have a sketch, a colour challenge, a theme and a stash/technique challenge.
We start with a sketch:
Although this sketch immediately suggests layers, I decided to be contrary and use masking instead. And I wanted to play with my gel press plate and acrylic paints.
I started with 7x7 card. The first layer is quite pale - a light sage paint with a pale gold. I used a snowflake mask from that special touch of... I had a few trial runs at this, the gel press works best with some layers built up on it!
I failed to get a focussed photo, but at least you can see the colours!
I then cut a rectangle from copier paper to act as a mask, and sprayed with stick and spray temporary adhesive. I fixed this to the centre of the card.
The next layer was a dark read, with some gold - I wasn't cleaning the gel press between layers so the texture was building up the whole time.
To build up the gold snowflakes, I used the rectangle petite gel press, so I could focus on specific areas.
I then used masking tape to create the banners. I added a teal/turquoise paint, again with the petite plate.
I wanted to give more texture to the red area, so masked off the banner. I used a script stencil from Clarity with a darker gold, and the mini capricious stencil from The Crafter's Workshop with burnt umber for the swirls.
Switching back the masking tape, I added dark gold snowflakes to the teal banner. I used a sponge through the stencil to give a stronger image.
This was the result with all the masks removed.
To add the star, I cut a template from copier paper with a punch, and used the petite gel plate to apply the teal paint - repeating to give better coverage. I then applied some gold through the swirly stencil, still with the star mask in place.
The final painty step was the sentiment - using a Clarity stencil I got for Christmas.
I used the teal paint, with the sponge to give a solid colour.
I was really pleased with it so far!
The best thing about the gel press plate is the cleaning up - I usually get the best prints with what's left on it at the end. I add a background colour of paint and pull prints to get as much off the plate as possible. I know some people get the plate clean like this, I never get it all off - maybe it's the paint I'm using.
This was my favourite clean up print from this session - absolutely gorgeous, no idea what I'll do with it!
Once the paint had completely dried, I trimmed my sketch piece to fit a 7x7 card blank (so although it's one layer it won't go in the post with a normal stamp - must try to be more post aware this year!).
I then got out the drawing pens to add details. I used gold and bronze around the outside, the shapes, the star and the lettering, and a thinner gold pen within the letters for interest.
I then used charcoal and Faber Castell pencils to add a drop shadow to the shapes, to add dimension, and look like the layers I had decided not to use! It's quite a clumsy effort, but still gives the effect.
And so I'm off the mark, with my first card of the year made!
To see the other great inspiration from the design team, and join in with our sketch challenge, head over to the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown page. You have until midnight GMT (7pm EDT) on Friday 12th January 2018 to enter.
Good luck, I can't wait to see what you'll come up with!
I wasn't going to do a second card for our current theme challenge at the Christmas Card Throwdown, but then I had a thought for a really simple card, and was curious about how quick it would really be!
I only have the one stamp that works for this theme, a drummer from a "Twelve Days of Christmas" set, so he came out again.
I stamped him once, in cobalt archival ink, onto stencil card I had cut to size for a 6x6 card.
I painted him with pebeo drawing gum, to mask him, then used masking tape to create a panel.
I stamped into the panel using the circle outline from Sam's shapes from Clarity, with iced spruce and weathered wood distress inks. For smaller circles, I used the lid and top of a small pill bottle.
They stamped pretty well!
I then brushed over lightly with iced spruce. With hindsight I wish I'd used weathered wood, so it was more blue than green, but I was going for quick, so wasn't about to start again!
This is the panel with the mask removed.
I rubbed the drawing gum away from the soldier.
I coloured him with distress markers, stormy sky and faded jeans.
Pencils may have given a better result, hindsight again!
I stamped a Merry Christams sentiment in the cobalt archival ink. The panel was edged with wiggly lines in the stormy sky distress marker (fine nib).
The final touch was stormy sky around the edge, and mount onto a 6x6 card blank.
I added an insert, and decorated this and the envelope with the stamped circles.
A simple, cool (colours) card. I'm not sure how long it took altogether, but certainly less work than some! I really like panel cards, they're a great go-to if I'm struggling for an idea.
If you'd like to join in with the fun, go to the Christmas Card Throwdown. You have until midnight BST on Friday 30th June to enter.
