Triple round baubles

Tracy's final challenge as host of the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is a technique.

I decided to change it up by using circles instead of rectangles. I have a nested set of dies with narrow increments, although the borders are still a little wider than usual I think.

I stamped the image, and embossed in black. For the colour I used pergaliner pens, and a waterpen. The background is coloured with bundled sage distress ink.

Finally, the sentiment is printed with a fun font.

I put the image onto a 5x5 card blank.

 

Bright and colourful, with a different twist!

 

 

 

 

 

 

To play along do head over to our blog 52CCT. The design team have some wonderful cards. You have until Friday 4th June to join in with this challenge.

Triple Stamped Christmas Jumper

The final 52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge for June is triple stamping, with brads.

I haven't tried triple stamping before, so good to do something new.

The obvious stamps to use were snowflakes or holly - but neither helped my personal stash challenge - to use something I've had for ages but not used.

Then I realised I could use my Christmas jumper stamp set, from Clarity. This is one I coveted for ages, as a stamper and a knitter it was a must have. I finally bought it, but still hadn't used it.

After measuring up the stamps and working out what size card to use, I cut my three layers from stencil card, and attached them using repositionable tape.

I put a strip of masking tape across, as a guide for the stamping.

The first row of stamping is this star pattern. I used fired brick distress ink.

I then added rows, building up a wide stripe across the card.

Next I made the topper. I used the jumper stamp for this, with its mask.

First I decorated the main body section, using this for the sentiment.

I then swapped the masks around and patterned the sleeves.

Finally, I used a matching distress marker to add the ribbing to the cuffs, next and waist.

I trimmed this back, then cut the matts for each of the layers. I used my perfect layers rulers, using the 1/8 inch side.

I started to layer it all together onto an A5 card base, then realised I still had to add the brads, so had to take it off the card.

There was a little red smudge above the jumper, so guess where I put my first brad!

Once it was all together, it felt like something was missing, so I got out my bakers twine, in red, white and green. I tied a double bow, and fastened it across the bottom of the card, using super sticky tape to hold it.

I think if I was doing it again, I'd angle the patterned stripe the other way, and might use more colours - green as well maybe. But I definitely like my jumper stamp, and it was easier to use than it looked.