Christmas Card Club - Challenge 22

Good afternoon and welcome. I'm a bit late with my CCC post. Today Christine selected the theme as Winter Wonderland for our group of card makers who share Christmas cards every 2 weeks all throughout the year. One member decides what the theme will be for that week, but we have the option of "anything goes" if we don't have the necessary supplies, or want to take a different approach, as long as it's a Christmas theme.

My card was the usual last minute decision scramble as to what to make. After looking at Pinterest, Youtube and other time wasting places I enjoy...I searched through lots of stamp sets and decided on a 'look'. Combined 2 Penny Black clear sets to create today's card. I hope Christine will like it.

Penny Black Prancers Transparent set (trees)
Penny Black Nature's Silhouettes set(stag)
Sizzix Word Set

Created the sky using DI Shaded Lilac and Stormy Sky. At first created the snow drifts - which I thought looked pretty good (I rather struggle with creating snow drifts and it shouldn't be _that_ hard! Watched a couple of youtubes on that technique). Found I had trouble placing the trees well, even  using post-it mask. I did see one video that suggested starting from the top, and doing the sky first, and that was helpful. First effort not great with the tree placement & snow drifts, so flipped the Bristol Smooth Vellum c/s over, and started again. After creating the sky, this time I put the trees around first. Used different greens for depth, and Memento Gray Fog to create the background trees. Once I had the forest created, then used the torn hill/sky mask to brush some Shaded Lilac around to create the snowy drifts. Found that using a Inkylicious dual ended brush to swipe the 'snow' around, I was able to achieve a lighter touch than with using a dauber/blending tool.

Inked the stag with Black Versafine, stamped & used a black copic marker to touch up. A piece of double stick Sookwang was laid over the finished effort; added Cool Diamond Ritz Glitter & burnished well. Hope this finished look evokes a snowy forest wonderland. The sentiment was from a Sizzix words set, cut from some hologram glitter c/s.

Hope you have time to visit my fellow team members, whose blogs are listed on the left side bar.

The wedding came off nicely, although it was held outside (the actual ceremony part). While it was sunny, the skies had some dark clouds rolling up, and it was quite windy. The bride looked beautiful in a gorgeous dress. Lots of our extended family showed up, and the groom had an even bigger family. Food was delicious (southern bbq fare, with all the fixin's). Don't know any scan results yet; hopefully tomorrow will have a report from the GP. Appreciate all the good wishes on that.

Thanks for joining me today, and God Bless. Hugs too.

Christmas Card Club Challenge #21

Good Morning. Here's hoping that you've had a good weekend so far;  for my American friends, I pray you were safe if you were in the path of our most recent storm, Michael. So many folks in that Florida Panhandle area had such devastation. It will take a long time for those communities to recover. So many prayers go out to them, and many thanks go upward that the rest of us were kept safe. In our area, we had been told to expect heavy rains and winds. We did get some good rains on one afternoon, then it stopped. Next morning, we had some good rain again, but in the afternoon, sun was back out. We did need the rain so it was good to get what we did. We've had 2 very pleasant days that have been more like what we normally experience at this time of the year.

Today is our Christmas Card Club Challenge, and our Kate chose today's theme of monochromatic. As always, we have the option of Anything goes. I was a little surprised to find myself struggling as to just how to do a monochromatic card...I hope Kate will approve what I did! (It was a good challenge to take me out of my comfort zone as I don't think I've ever done a monochrome card. I didn't use any copics!!!)

Stampendous wooden block - a very old NBUS stamp

Distress Inks Shaded Lilac and Chipped Sapphire

Paper Studio Blue Rose Cottage small paper pack

Used Shaded Lilac DI to sponge a white Bristol Vellum smooth cardstock. Dried the sponging with heat tool, then used the Bag Buddy so that I could do some embossing. After treating the sponged piece, stamped this fairly large block with Chipped Sapphire ink, as that stays wet enough to emboss with Ranger Clear Detail powder.

This was slow to emboss, and that's why there is a little yellow bit up in the branches. I decided I would leave this instead of trying to redo it. It sort of looks like the sun breaking through.

IRL the embossing has a nice shine, and added a narrow black mat to frame it... then placed on the blue dp that covered the side fold white cardbase.

My first effort, I used versamark to emboss a sponged piece that I'd made quite dark, using several blue shades of DI, along with a couple of the purple tones. I was pleased with that deep night sky look. But then I tried embossing with some dark blue cobalt glittered EP, and because the branches have so much tiny detail, that EP just stuck too much to even show the intricate tree branches. Other than the 'burn sun spot' I liked the final result on this effort, though.

Please take time to visit my fellow card club members. Their blog links are listed on the right side bar.

Thanks for visiting and apologies for being so behind once again in returning visits. I hope I can catch up this week. Have the birthday cards caught up until December!!! Have a great day, and God Bless.

Christmas Card Challenge #20

Good Morning, welcome to Challenge #20 for our Christmas Club Challenge. This time our challenge theme was selected by Rachel. Rachel wanted to see turkeys, camels or sheep. As always, if a member does not have any supplies that fit with the particular challenge for the week, it can be anything goes. I have plenty of turkey images, but they are for Thanksgiving or Fall cards, rather than Christmas. Discovered I don't have even any digi images of a sheep! So it had to be camels. As for those, only have camels with 3 Wisemen riding them.

So here's the card I made for today. As usual, it didn't end up as I'd envisioned when I started out.

SU Come to Bethlehem set for the 3 Wisemen and the sentiment

Die-Versions Bethlehem die

Taylored Expressions Poinsettia EF
Cuttlebug Snowfall EF

DI Dusty Concord, Seedless Preserves (DOX) and DI Chipped Sapphire for the sponged sky, and Aged Mahogany DI for the ground.

Brutus Monroe Copper Penny, Gilded Gold EP -(Star) and Ranger Queen's Gold

After sponging the watercolor weight c/s, stamped the SU image and heat embossed. My idea was to mask and have the city of Bethlehem in the distance. That didn't work. Sponged another c/s, used just the wisemen to stamp part of the image and again emboss. Die cut the Die-versions City of Bethelem and that didn't fit my idea. Decided to fussy cut the Wisemen from the first boo-boo. Cut the City die and placed it on the card so that I could layer the Wisemen in front of the buildings. Used some dimensional foam behind part of that die. Placed the cut out Wisemen over the stamped Wisemen- which created a shadow effect.

Edged this piece with some more Copper Penny to frame it. Cream lightweight c/s was embossed with a Taylored Expressions Poinsettia EF, and another cream piece embossed with the Cuttlebug Snow EF. Cut a border from the Snow EF, adhered all to a tent fold card base. Lastly the sentiment from the SU set was heat embossed with Queen's Gold, and colored with gray & lavendar copics, hand cut to fit the space, and edged with Queen's Gold.

Please take time to visit my CCC team members to see their ideas on this challenge. Their blogs are listed in the right hand sidebar. As always, thanks for taking the time to visit, and have a wonderful Sunday. Hugs

Christmas Card Club - Challenge #19

Good evening, and it's my 2nd post of the day. We're still quiet weather wise here in my area, and thankful to be so. Hope it stays that way overnight. We're expecting some rain (according to MSN, but MSN has predicted rain all week, and we got none)

It's time again for the Christmas Card Club Challenge, which is a group of card makers who share cards every 2 weeks on a theme selected by one of our members. We also have the choice to do 'anything goes' if we don't have the particular images needed for that week's challenge. Mrs. A chose a theme of Polar Bears or Teddy Bears. Had images for both but there's a NBUS set I've had for a while, found while looking (of course) for something else. So I decided on Polar Bears.

 

 

MFT Stitched Rectangle Frames

Avery Elle Snow Much Fun stamp and die set

Hampton Art Tree Die (this has some clear patterned tree  images with the die)

 

Frame die cut was versamarked, and heat embossed with Sparkle n Sprinkle EP in a dark blue, then re-inked and sprinkled an icy blue over the darker blue.

 

- snippet of snow flake paper added to make a sky background. Used the center piece cut from the frame, just covered it with the DP.  Various snippets of Christmas paper used to cut the trees. The solid green tree is the reverse side of the circle pattern tree. I decided to go for whimsical trees rather than make realistic ones.

 

- white c/s embossed with the C/Bug snowflake EF (it's called snowflake, but it looks like dots to me) Tore this embossed c/s to make snowbanks. Adhered, then tucked the trees around. Lastly added the polar bear and bunny on the sled, which was done with copics and WoS. The frame was adhered to the card base, then inlaid the 'created scene' inside the frame. Sentiment & sled popped up on dimensionals.Thought about using some Nuvo drops to put ornaments on the green tree, decided to stop. Sometimes I have a problem knowing when to quit :-)

 

Team member blog links are on the right sidebar. Hope you'll give them a visit and see what they've shared for Mrs. A's Bear Challenge.

 

On another note: Blogger is once again not sending all comments to my email. Some are coming in, some are awaiting publication. I don't know why. But I'm trying to be sure I don't miss anyone.

 

Ya'll take care and hope you have a wonderful Sunday. Be safe if you're having weather issues. God Bless and thanks for visiting. Hugs too. 

Christmas Card Club - Challenge 18

Welcome to another Christmas Card Club Challenge...The theme for Challenge 18 was selected by Zoe. Zoe's choice was Christmas Foliage/Trees. This group of card makers has a challenge every 2 weeks and our theme is chosen by one of the members. We also have the option to do something 'anything goes' as long as it's Christmas related. I hope Zoe will approve of my choice of "Christmas Foliage".

This is a Penny Black image which I decided to try water coloring with Tim Holtz DI markers. Used a Direct to Rubber technique, stamped and restamped using the Misti. After getting the ink down, I used a regular #4 round brush dampened with water to spread the color around a bit. I'm trying to get accustomed to the proper amount of water on a brush so that it moves the color and doesn't 'blob'. First stamped this using 140# watercolor paper on the smooth side, and was not happy with the result...too much texture. So tried again using a smooth Bristol card stock, and liked the results much better.

A Sue Wilson Double Stitched rectangle die cut the piece, which is popped up on craft foam; added some candy stripe washi tape to each side of a top fold card, then glued the berry piece and this one is done. 

Edit: Thanks to Brenda for advising  that the above card will also fit into the September CAS Mixup Challenge. So linking that allenge. 

************************************************

Decided to use another Penny Black cling image, but this one I colored with copics.

Used the same white Bristol card stock, stamped with Tsukineko Rich Cocoa, then used various copic markers to color...adding some white highlights to the berries with a white gel pen. Then used some DOX to edge around the corners and edges to tone down the 'white'. Used a snippet of Christmas paper as a mat (cut out the center)...and this one is done. I found coloring the pine cones much easier than  #1's berries.  I'll keep trying to work on my watercolor and hope I can improve over time. I know it takes practice, practice, practice.

Now I hope you'll take time to visit my team members, whose blog links are listed on the right side bar. As always, thanks for spending time to visit here. I'm trying to visit all the sweet people who leave comments - still not getting the comment notices in my email, although I've followed the instructions in order to get blogger to send me a 'subscribe' notice. Not happened yet. I hope I don't miss anyone.

Ya'll have a good day, and for my American friends, have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Be safe. Hugs and Prayers to those of my friends who are needing them. Blessings.

Christmas Card Club - Challenge 17 - Nativity

Welcome to another Christmas Card Club post....today our group has the challenge theme Nativity - which was chosen by Margaret.

 

 

A piece of previously created brusho background came in handy. This piece was done by placing cling film over a wet brusho background, leaving it to dry.

 

- Penny Black manger die (51-254), die cut with sookwang tape over white c/s, then Ritz Silver microfine glitter applied. Cut the brusho piece to fit behind the circle ornament.

 

- SU Watercolor Winter for branches & pinecones, using 2 shades of green, with some brown for the pinecones and brown on the branches.

 

- SU Bells & Boughs for the sentiment

 

- Crafter's Companion Spirit of Christmas EF

 

Please take time to visit my fellow Club members whose blogs are listed in the right side bar.

And have an absolutely wonderful Sunday! Hugs & Blessings, and thanks for visiting.

 



Christmas Card Club - Challenge 16

Hello and welcome to a new Christmas Card Club post. Challenge 16's theme was selected by our Scrappymoi (Maureen, she of the Rudolph Day fame). Maureen wanted to see  winter activity themes such as sledding, skiing, or sleighs. As always, we members have the choice of 'anything goes' if we don't have suitable images for that challenge's theme, which is helpful. Anyway, when I saw the challenge theme, I immediately remembered an old Penny Black Snowie, which I've always loved to color. In looking for him, discovered another old wooden stamp, no manufacturer name on it, so made 2 cards this time. I needed a bit of copic coloring therapy.

 

 

 

The 'icy snow' on the hillside looked a bit pink when I spread it out with my fingers for 'snow'. It's Stickles Stardust. All of my stickles are pretty old stash, so I don't know if this product discolors with age...It doesn't look pink in the bottle, and didn't at first when I was smooshing it around. As it dried, it has a pinkish look.

 

Some Impression Obsession and Sue Wilson die trees cut out of snippets, colored with various copic greens. The die is a Memory Box one, cuts 3 pieces. Adhered the larger rectangle to Snowie, then inlaid the outer rectangle, finished with the oval center. The DP is from an older 6x6 winter pack. Since I knew I'd be using the additional trees for dimension, thought it would work.

 



 

 

No idea who made this cute little sled of mice, but it was fun to color. Did some cloud practice on the sky and added white flocking for the snow. Again, some stardust stickles right around the sled, and this didn't look pink (same Stardust bottle though). MFT stitched frame with red & white dots. Hmmm...then tried to find something besides plain white to use as DP. Thought the blue snowflakes DP would work, then added the MB Christmas die in the leftover red from cutting the frame. After I looked at this one for a while, sort of wished I had stayed with just plain white, maybe embossed with a snowflake EF. Oh well....Sometimes what is in my creative thinking doesn't turn out as I hoped it would!!!

 

Hope you have time to check out the other team members interpretation of this challenge. Their links are in the right side bar. Wishing all of you a happy Sunday and our heat is back. I will be doing some blog visiting this afternoon to see what lots of you have been sharing. Thanks for joining me, and big hugs coming your way

 

 

 

 

Christmas Card Club - Challenge 15 Carolers

Good Morning, and welcome to another Christmas Card Club post. This week our theme was chosen by Margaret  and the theme is Carolers.  I chose a Penny Black image, colored with copics.

After coloring the image with copics, some Nuvo Crystal Glaze was used on the Mouse glasses, a white gel pen to add a pattern to the turquoise scarf and Sakura Silver glitter pen on the book pages.

A S/Binder die shape to cut out & emboss the image, edged with DI tumbled glass while still in the die. A green, red and white stripe glitter paper was cut from a larger size of the same die used for the image; then inlaid the image into the stripe frame. The center portion of the stripe shape will be used on the inside of the card.

Red cardbase was debossed with a holly EF that had been inked with Delicata gold.

- used red and green cardstock to stamp Heartfelt Poinsettia set with a red and green ink. Heat embossed the wet ink with Ranger Queen's Gold, then die cut and formed the poinsettias using the Heartfelt Poinsettia mold. Added gold rhinestones for the centers.

A simple sentiment stamped in Gina K red velvet, heat embossed with clear EP to make it shiny, and it's done! I hope you'll visit my team members to see their inspiration on this theme. Their blog links are listed in the right side bar.

Also there's a new card on the Cards by Friends page that I think you'll feel is as beautiful as we did!
So thanks for joining me today, hope your weekend has been good. We had a fairly relaxed weekend, but were a bit busy over the past week. Trimmed some tree limbs and then had to clean up the mess. Took 2 days to recover from our labors.

Hugs & Blessings. Come again when you can.

Christmas Card Club - Challenge 14 - White on White

Hello and welcome to another Christmas Card Club post. These 2 weeks fly by so quickly it seems. Christine selected the theme for Challenge 14 to be White on White with just a smidgen of color. So let's get to it.

 

 

- Sizzix Tim Holtz 3D Botanical was used for the background behind the Memory Box Shining Candles die. Cut white cardstock with a S/Binders Scalloped Labels One die. Then used WOW embossing ink over the EF, embossed this, then heat embossed with WOW White Pearl. This made the background show as pearl paper, while the flourishes are just the white cardstock. Very pretty look I think.

 

- Used Sookwang tape over white c/s to die cut the candles. Not a great idea, as the outlines of the candles were extremely fussy to try to place properly. Kept the flame part of the tape in place, while Ritz Cool Diamond microfine glitter was applied to the outlines and holly base, then burnished to a shine. Removed the flame portions, sprinkled a gold glitter over that part. Glued this over the background...(and that was a bit touchy as well, as the skinny outlines did not want to stick to the raised surfaces.)Then inlaid the inner parts of the candles into the frames, added a Warm Diamond micro glitter to the 'candles' and IRL - the slight color difference in the glitter whites shows quite nicely.

 

Heartfelt Poinsettia & Holly Clusters Stamps and Dies were used with a pearlized vellum to stamp, heat emboss with Wow White Pearl, die cut. Then used the matching mold to shape the flowers. Sprayed the vellum very lightly before using the mold to shape the flowers, and again, probably would have been better to not spray. However, once the petals had dried, I was able to glue and arrange the poinsettias. I wanted the poinsettias to hide the places where the vellum sentiment was glued down. The sentiment hides a lot of the holly cluster at the bottom of the candle arrangement, and I rather wish I'd just skipped having a sentiment on the front.

 

Do please take time to visit my team members to see their inspirations on Christine's White on White theme. Their blog links are on the right sidebar.

 

Have a lovely day, come again when you have time. Hugs

 



Christmas Card Club - Challenge - Challenge 13 - Candy Canes

Good evening, and welcome to a late post for our Christmas Card Club Challenge. I'll just skip the excuses and get on with it! Today's challenge theme was chosen by Lorraine who asked the group to do Candy Canes or Gingerbread (and this year we also have the option of an "anything Christmas" if we don't have the images/supplies for the selected challenge). I decided to use a NBUS Spellbinder die and go for Candy Canes.

- S/Binders Candy Cane die and the ribbon was part of the set.  Die cut from red c/s and then from white glitter c/s.  Inlaid the white glitter pieces into the red canes (saved the glitter frames and red pieces for another card). Applied some Nuvo Crystal glaze - comes out of the tip so much easier than Glossy Accents. Several layers of white snippets cut the bow, colored all the pieces with green shades of copics, then added some Nuvo glaze after it was adhered to the oval doily.

- S/B Floral Oval die

- Simon Says Marilyn Full Card Die   (cut fairly well after using the super-duper metal shim that I have). Next time this die is used, must remember to use some Stick it, as there's lots of places that glue had to be dabbed on, in order to get it to adhere well.

- Dark green cardstock covered the white card base.

- Wplus9 Hand lettered Holiday WP9D-103. several layers of the dark green c/s, then topped with 2 layers of red snippets from cutting the candy canes. Added the Nuvo glaze. (the link is to the stamp set. Simon Says apparently doesn't have the matching die in stock at the moment).

Hope you will take time to visit my team members to see their inspiration for Challenge 13. Their blog links are in the right side bar. And big apologies, Lorraine, for being so late with this post!

Thanks for visiting, and ya'll have a great upcoming week. Blessings and Hugs.

Christmas Card Club - Challenge 11

Hello and welcome to another Christmas Card Club post - Challenge 11 for 2018. Today our Shaz selected the theme of "Trees - Indoor or Outdoor". I'm a bit late with my post, but we've had guests this past week (one exciting visit, more about that later!) So let's get started: 

 

 

- Memory Box die - 6x6 paper from stash. The tree design was cut from the DP, then cut the tree shape again from white snippet, and gold snippet. Adhered the stripe cutout with the white snippet, then had the gold on top. Inlaid, although the photo does not show the dimension all that well. There's lots of gleam and shine on this card, so hard to photo well (even if I were a good photographer!)

 

A black snippet was heat embossed with Gina K white detail powder. The black snippet was a piece of textured paper, but still the embossing showed up quite well. This is the first time I've used this particular white EP. 

- More snippets (from this card) using the Memory Box Oval Master frame. The silvery oval rim was white, just like the oval inlay shape. Used a Pentel silver slicci pen to color it. Adhered this to a white backing, which the edges were colored black with a Copic marker.

- Tree is cut from 2 different Dee's Distinctively dies, one does the green tree silhouette, one did the silver overlay.  Adhered the tree over the oval, added a vellum sentiment, embossed with WOW platinum ep.  This topper was placed on a purchased pale gray card base.

Apologies to Shaz for being late with my post. I hope you'll take a few moments to check out my teammates' inspiration for this challenge. Their blogs are listed on the right side bar.

Now for my exciting guest: My sweet blog pal Brenda was visiting some relatives on the east coast of South Carolina, and was able to get over to my part of the state for an overnight visit. Her son, Bret, who just graduated very recently, was kind enough to spend his time driving her about 5 hours  off their route home, so we could finally meet face to face! We'd tried once before when we were traveling through her state of Pennsylvania, but things didn't work out for a meeting. I was so looking forward to it. As you might guess, we had a delightful time, yakking away. (I felt bad for poor Bret, having to listen to us gabbing away. Thank goodness young folks have their phones and Ipads to keep them amused). Got a call yesterday evening, that they had arrived safely back home. It was a big blessing to finally meet somebody with whom I've grown to known via blogging and emailing for many years, gotten very attached to. She was just as I thought she would be.  Makes one thankful for taking up blogging, I can tell you! You meet such wonderful people.

Anyway, I'll be back later with a post for May's Rudy Day...  so ya'll have a good day, and thanks for visiting. God Bless and Hugs.

Christmas Card Club - Sentiment as the Focus

Hello and welcome. Also a big Happy Mother's Day to all of you Mothers who might visit today.

It's time again for our Christmas Card Club to share our cards for Challenge 10 - and today's challenge theme was chosen by Carol ; Carol wanted our cards to be geared to having the sentiment as the main focus. I hope she'll like what I am sharing today.

- Northwoods Stamp - Colored with copics, WoS on the letters and some slicci gel pen on the 'doodles' - with some gold highlights on the pine branches.

 - Memory Box Oval Master Frame (99357) cut in red c/s and white c/stock. Used the red for the framing, and white for the holly embossing.

- Holly embossing folder - dry embossed, then used versamark to ink generously

- WOW Atlantic Seaspray WS99R embossing powder

Thanks for joining me today. I hope you'll take time to check out my team mates' cards to see their interpretation of this challenge. Their blog links are on the right hand sidebar.

Ya'll have a lovely day. Blessings and Hugs

Christmas Card Club - Challenge #9

Hello & Welcome. Once again it's time for a Christmas Card Club post, and the theme of our challenge for this week was selected by Rita . Rita wanted to see wreaths. Got lots of wreath dies and stamps too, so I decided to focus on some dies to make my 2 cards this week.

First though, I'd like to welcome a new follower, Ishani, of Quillish. I do hope you'll take time to go over, say hello to Ishani, and enjoy some of her fabulous cards. I found Ishani via Maxine of Kiwime's Kreations. I love finding new friends at an old friend's blog! You might want to say hi to Maxine as well, if you don't already know her!!

Card #1 - a Penny Black wreath die - 3 layers. I forgot to use my nice metal shim that is so good for intricate dies. Had 3 layers that were cut from a piece of white insert cardboard(snippet!). The dies cut pretty well, but I still had to do some fussy scissor cutting on each die cut, because of my forgetting. The ribbon cut very well, however. Colored each layer with copics, glued together. Used a generous inking of versamark, then Ranger Queen's Gold. On the red ribbon, also colored, used some new Gina K Red Hot. I've been looking for a nice red embossing powder, and I think this one made me happy.

 

Cuttlebug embossing folder, heat embossed the edges with the Queen's Gold. The sentiment was cut from the same insert cardboard, 2 layers - copic colored, embossed with Red Hot.

 

Card #2

 

 

 

 

Multiple wreath dies, some 'twig' shaped dies from Gina Marie were cut from colored snippets, also previously made backgrounds. Two other leafy wreath dies were cut from different green snippets. Then a holly leaf die was cut from white c/s and colored with copics. This die had the bow, jingle bell and extra leaves. Added the layers together. Colored the bow and jingle bell (2 layers) then added some Nuvo Crystal Glaze. The card front was a previously created background made with various sprays, then embossed with a poinsettia EF. The sentiment was from a Concord & 9th set, 2 layers, embossed with the Red Hot. 

 

Hope you enjoyed my efforts. Do please visit my team mates, whose blog links are on the right side bar. Should you be interested in joining our group, let me know. It's a great way to build your December stash.

 

Ya'll have a great Sunday, and come again when you have time. It's getting porch weather so pretty soon we could swing, have some ice tea, and watch the world go by! Hugs & Blessings, and thanks for visiting.

 





Christmas Card Club Challenge #8 - Christmas Greenery

Every 2nd Sunday,  our group of ladies in a Christmas Card Club share our cards - designed to a specific theme one of us has chosen. This week it was my pleasure to select the challenge theme of Poinsettias or any other type of Christmas Greenery. I had just used the poinsettia theme for our last Challenge of Christmas Flowers, so decided to go with Christmas Greenery. This stamp had a basket of holly, so decided that would be my card focus for this challenge.

- image colored with copics, WoS. I liked the way it turned out, but since there was a piece of water color paper that had been cut to size, messed up on one side, I decided to use the opposite (clean) side, to stamp the image again, and try to watercolor it using Zig markers. Used Hero Arts Concrete Flannel, the misti, and several stampings to get a good outline on the w/c paper. (140#). Heat set the outline before starting to w/color and it didn't bleed.

 

 

Tried to replicate the same colors as card #1 and I have to confess, I _still_ think #1 looks better. I see in the photo, which I had  not caught IRL, that I need to do some darker shading on the berries to sort of 'separate' them. I can do that with pencils - I hope. I keep trying to master this w/color stuff...

 

Used the same supplies on both cards. (the red card front c/s came from a Christmas pack. Took out 2 sheets without realizing I had 2 sheets in hand, cut to make the 4.25x5.5 size card shape I usually use. Voila, there was 2 sheets together so I made one card base with the solid red, and the other with the red & gold dots.)

 

-MBox sentiment die - 3 layers, used Brutus Gilded Gold to emboss it. The circle mats were also gold embossed but I think I used a different gold power for that.

 

Hope you can visit our card group to see some gorgeous cards made on this theme...their blog links are in the right side bar. Enjoy. Thanks for visiting and come again when you have time.

Hugs & have a great day.

 

 



Christmas Card Club Challenge #7 - Animals

Hello. It's time again for our bi-monthly Christmas Card Club Challenge...#7 for 2018. This time our Kate selected the Challenge theme of Animals.  This challenge is a group of cardmakers who share cards every 2nd Sunday during the year, and each member takes a turn to pick a theme...something related to Christmas. If you'd like to join in our group, let me know, as we'd love to have you join us. It's a good way to build a stash that come December, you'll be happy to have ready.

 

 

This trio of dancing penguins was one I found in the UFO box. I thought these little guys could fit the bill of 'animals' for the challenge (guess they could rightly be called birds too- but I decided for this card, they are definitely animals! I hope this is ok, Kate ).

 

The image had been colored with copics, so just added some colored gel markers on their hats & scarves, added some Sakura Silver Star to the snowflakes. Mixed some Stickles Star Dust & Liquid Pearls opal and brushed on under their feet. IRL it's quite irridescent. Added some glossy accents over that, to look like ice (looks a bit yellow in the photo, but looks 'slick' IRL).  Added some Hero Arts Silver stars and sequins.

 

Background was DOX blues applied with a large sponge dauber.

 

- Poppy Mod Snowflake Background coverplate die over the blue background. Applied WOW embossing ink, then WOW Clear Glitter EP. This is very sparkly, as the EP is translucent, and you can see the color behind the EP. Had meant to do this over the sponged blue background, then had a change of plan to use the coverplate. Some of the Hero Arts sequins were added to the die cut snowflake centers. I'm not sure why the snowflake die & 'ice' have a yellow look in the photo. It looks white IRL.

 

- The sentiment was stamped with  Memento Teal Zeal  ink, then applied a WOW blue pearl EP over the ink to get a nice gleam.

 

I hope you'll take time to enjoy the cards my fellow team members have shared today. Their blog links are shown in the right hand sidebar.

 

Thanks for joining me - I'm a bit behind in returning comments. Been a little busy and will try real hard to catch up in the next few days. Don't give up on me!  Blessings & Hugs. Come again when you have time.