A quick mica sketch

As we get nearer to Christmas, my Christmas card making seems to get squeezed more and more! I guess there's so much else going on, especially as we have the builders in at the moment. That's one reason why I love doing the Christmas Card Throwdown - I have a stash of cards built up by this time of the year, so no last minute rush!

Here's another quick card using our current sketch challenge.

I started with a mica powder background. This is a Wow stamp I got a while ago as it was so gorgeous, but haven't actually used before. I stamped in versamark then dusted over with blue mica powder, it looks so gorgeously shimmery! If I hadn't been so last minute, I'd have stamped more and used different colours, to put aside for another time - although I'm meant to be reducing my stash of backgrounds, not adding to it!

I cut an aperture with a die from a magazine.

To go behind, I used a snow scene stamp from Hobby Art. I stamped in black momento onto white card - super simple!

The image was a little narrower than the aperture, so I added more leaves at the top and flowers at the bottom by inverting the stamp - the stamp platform really helps with positioning.

For a sentiment, I stamped in black on white, to tie in with the image, and die cut with a rectangle die.

I trimmed back the mica background; the size of the stamp determined the card size, which is A6. I constructed with foam tape to lift the aperture away from the image.

This one really relies on the beauty of the stamps to make the card, along with the mica. I haven't used mica powder much recently, although it's one of my favourite products.






To join in with our sketch challenge and top up your christmas card stash, head over to the challenge blog, you have until midnight GMT on Friday 17th November to join in.

Two stash cards

My cards for the current Christmas Card Throwdown challenge are really last minute, even for me. I started about 5.30pm Friday evening!

We have a sketch to play with this time.

I was looking in my stash for a background to use, when I found these pieces.

I made these playing with distress oxides and embossing folders. The two at the bottom are in pink, red and green as I made them while the September colour challenge was on, but didn't get round to making them into cards. The two on the left are using coated card, as a friend at a crafting workshop had suggested trying it for a less chalky finish. The two on the right are uncoated.

I trimmed the snowflakes down for 5x7 card bases (the folder size was a match so I basically trimmed back to the embossed area). I then cut ovals from the houses, using a die. I went for the left side, on the basis that I'd be left with usable pieces for other cards - waste not want not!

I edged the ovals and backgrounds with the distress oxides I'd used to make them. (This meant I had ink on my blending mat, so you know I made some amazing mop up pieces for my stash - but as I took four out, and put three back in for this project, that's a net win on clearing the stash!)

I wanted to frame the ovals, so die cut a wreath twice from white uncoated card. I cut this into sections to fit around the coated card oval. I cut an ivy die from the same card, again twice, trimmed a little and used to frame the other oval.

This was quite fiddly - at this point this went from being a quick and easy card to a bit more involved - it was inevitable!

I needed a sentiment for the bottom of the cards, and this involve more faffing about, trying different die cut words and stamps/banners.

In the end, I die cut "Noel" and inked with the distress oxides for the coated card. It didn't stand out enough, so I mounted onto white and fussy cut around with a border.

For the uncoated card, I used a solid stamp. I inked up in two distress oxides to match the background (stormy sky and peacock feathers) and stamped onto white card, then trimmed back to give a white border.

I attached the backgrounds to the card blanks with double sided tape. As they are embossed, and had warped a little as they'd had a lot of water on them when they were made, I wanted something stronger than a tape pen.

I mounted the ovals and sentiments with foam tape.

I'm pretty pleased with the results. The snowflake backgrounds are gorgeous, so atmospheric. I don't remember being that impressed when I made them, maybe I had a different result in mind, but I love them now. The topper colours are a little random, I wouldn't have planned them like that, but it works, serendipitously.

To play along with this sketch challenge, head over to the Christmas Card Throwdown. You have until midnight GMT (7pm EDT in the States) on Friday 17th November to join in.

I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Canvas and Wood

It's time for a stash challenge at the Christmas Card Throwdown.

This month, we'd like to you make a Christmas or Winter card using canvas and/or wood.

For this, I pulled out a roll of canvas I got "on spec" over the summer.

I cut a length, and started painting it in purple shades.

I added streaks in silver and metallic white.

I also painted a smaller piece in metallic white. I used the same brush, so some streaks of purple came through as well.

I added purple brusho to the larger piece, and spritzed to activate it.

Once dry (I used a heat gun to speed it up), I watered down some silver paint and splattered it over the canvas.

I cut the length in half, and die cut one piece with a spellbinders background die. I moved the die, lined it up again and recut to turn a rectangle into a square.

I had to put it through a few times, and use a shim. Some of the narrower diagonals are a bit delicate, where I've cut through the weave of the canvas, but I'm sticking this down onto the other half of the canvas so it doesn't really matter.

I decided I wanted the die cut piece to stand out a bit more, so I dry brushed the background with more silver paint to tone down the purple and give more contrast.

I trimmed both pieces.

I then die cut from the metallic white canvas, to give my sentiment.

This really is a bit thin to cut from canvas, you can see the "s" has come off, and it's broken between the "e" and "r". All repairable when I stick it down.

The final touch is two wooden snowflakes. I was going to leave them plain, but decided they would look better if they coordinated more - I painted them with purple, then gradually added more metallic white until I was happy.

I constructed the card with PVA glue, onto a 6x6 card blank.

I have really struggled to get photos of this card, it comes out blue a lot! The shimmer doesn't help. But I hope you get the idea. The texture of the canvas looks lovely, and a bit different to the usual card.



To join in with our stash challenge, head over to the Christmas Card Throwdown, we always love to see the cards that people share with us. You have until midnight GMT on Friday 3rd November to play!

Gel Plate Skaters

Another couple of cards for our "Winter Sports" challenge at the Christmas Card Throwdown.

Tired and want to get to bed, so I'll fill in the details tomorrow!

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I'm back!

I saw Leonie Pujol using with her gel press plate on telly the other day, and she inspired me to get my plate and paints out for a play! I love using paints, and they're not really that messy (they come off fingers much more easily than dye ink!) but I do have a mental block about using them if I'm in a rush.

I also used my Sam's shapes stamps from Clarity - the ovals. I cut masks out first, and added them to my card (which was cut to size for a 6x6 card blank).

On the gel plate, I started with red and green paint, brayered to spread it. I then used Clarity snowflake stamps to lift paint off (and stamped onto spare paper with them). I used a corner stamp with smaller snowflakes to do them same, then pressed punchinella into the paint.

Then I pressed the plate over the card to transfer the paint and pull a print.

I have to say, I was very pleased with this for a first attempt!

I cleaned my masks and attached to another piece of card.

There was still a lot of red and green paint on the gel plate, I added magenta and a lime green to it. I then lifted some off again in the same way. My spare paper built up into a great pattern.

I pulled my second print.

I adore this! The blending of the colours just really appeals to me!

I carried on with the gel plate, making more backgrounds for other cards, and in my art journal. Even cleaning the plate gave me some gorgeous backgrounds. My attempts to reduce my stash are not going well!

Back to my Christmas cards. Time to fill in the ovals.

The theme for the Christmas Card Throwdown is Winter Sports.

I have an ice skater in my Clarity Christmas wee folk set, so I used her, and two children throwing snowballs. I'm not sure that snowball fights count as a Winter sport, but I think they should!

I used my stamp platform and black stazon ink, for a really crisp outline.

I used the outline oval stamp to define the ovals.

I didn't line up very well, so I used pencils to fill in the gaps outside the line. I don't mind the paint inside the line, it all adds to the interest. This technique is not about being perfect!

I also used the pencils to add a simple suggestion of a landscape behind the figures.

For the ice skaters, I used a straight edge, to suggest a frozen pond.

For the snow ball throwers, I used torn paper for hills and snow drifts.

I didn't want to do much more to these, so the gorgeous backgrounds could carry the day. I edged with a black ink pad. But they did need something more, so I added a sentiment. I chose a simple "Happy Christmas" in a scroll script that I think goes with the detail in the background.

The words disappear a bit, especially on the red background, so out with the white gel pen to highlight them.

It makes such a difference, and works so well over acrylic paint.

Then it was just a case of mounting onto my 6x6 card blanks.

The ovals and figures stand out beautifully, but for me it's the gel plate backgrounds that  make these cards, I love this technique and can't wait to play some more.

To join in with the Winter Sports challenge, head over to the Christmas Card Throwdown. You have until Friday 20th October to play.

Ski Sunday

I'm a bit late posting my DT card for the new Christmas Card Throwdown challenge.

Our theme is Winter Sports.

I knew this challenge was coming up and that I didn't have much I could use. So when my local art and craft shop had a sale recently, I was on the look out. I've had a run of craft bargains - after that sale, one of the charity shops in town got a lot of stamps in, then a couple of weeks ago I found out about a "Stash busting super sale" that was arranged locally. The idea being that craft people could sell their unused stash. I went as a buyer, and got a lot of stuff.

This is just a part of my haul from the three events.

But to get back to my point, I was on the look out for something Winter sports themed, and found a set of stamps of skiing penguins. It's not the sort of thing I usually use, and I wouldn't have bought at full price, but for £1, I was happy.

Here's the set stamped out, for me to see what they looked like.

I went with the top right penguin. I stamped her in archival onto an off cut of card. Colouring isn't my thing particularly, but I got out my Faber Castell pencils and had a go.

I was quite pleased with how she turned out.

Then for a background - much more familiar territory for me!

I used some super smooth watercolour card I'd treated myself to. I spritzed with water and added distress stain (a stash buster purchase) in chipped sapphire, weathered wood and picket fence.

Whilst wet, I placed cling film over the top and scrunched it up, then left to dry.

The next day, these were the results.

I love this effect! I used the darker piece for the card.

I added snowflakes from Sweet Dixie over the top. I stamped in versamark and heat embossed in white.

These snowflakes are so pretty and delicate. I blended chipped sapphire distress ink around the edge of the background, to frame it.

For interest across the card, I stamped some Urban Stamps Christmas borders onto more scrap card. I used adirondack ink in cranberry, bottle, denim and slate.

I cut the borders into strips then shorter lengths, and arranged in a brick type pattern across the background.

I used slim foam pads to attach them, and then cut off the excess at the edges.

I cut my penguin out with an oval die, then stamped the smallest snowflake from the same set around her, in tumbled glass distress ink.

She was then added to the top of the card with foam pads, and it was mounted on a 6x6 card base.

To join in with the theme challenge, go to the Christmas Card Throwdown. You have until midnight BST on Friday 20th October to play.

I look forward to seeing what you do with this challenge.