Christmas Card Club - Christmas Bird

Hi There. It's time again for our Christmas Card Club - and since last time I forgot about the challenge until late Sunday evening--AND since this week it was MY turn to select the theme for our challenge, (Cardinals or any Christmas bird), I knew I had to be on time for this one! :-} LOL...I'm going to get this post done early! Before we get started, though:

        HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all my friends who observe the holiday.

 

 

Now on to the Christmas Card Club Cardinal (you knew I'd pick the cardinal for the bird on MY card, din'cha?!)



 

 

- Northwoods image (PP9864) - colored with Copics, WoS on Mr. C, some Pentel Slicca gold pen to highlight the pine needles, and a bit of SnS Twinkling Clouds Sparkle & Soft on the branches for snow (DH's idea to add that. Come to think of it, believe he found this stamp at the Stampaway show. The guy has this idea from who knows where, that I possibly like cardinals). Before starting to color the image, the sky was inked with BG0000, but doesn't show well in the photo. The snowflakes and falling snow were inked with a white gel pen, then over-colored with a Sakura Silver Star pen, so pretty gleamings.  Added some crystal Doodlebug Silvery Sprinkles around for a little more sparkle.

 

Die cut the shape with S/B Labels 15 (#7 Die). Had a white edge around the frame, embossed with the rubber mat & die- with tape to hold in place. Image slipped during embossing and creased in places not meant to be embossed. Happily a Teflon bone folder aided in smoothing out most of the 'wrong crease marks', and the worst of the boo-boo hand trimmed away. Gold edging done with a fine-line Slicca gold pen, and a finger dauber with Tsukineko Northern Pines (a dark green) darkened any white at the edges.

 

Dark green snippet from another project on the front; [the final result was not the original plan. Had done some more smooshing & playing with acrylic silks in reds & golds; used a holly stencil and pan pastels to create a background...trimmed into 3 rectangles. Colors just did not look right with Mr. C]. Back to the drawing board. the doily half was in the debris stack (a Cheery Lynn die cut from newsprint dp). Inked the edge with Delicata gold, tucked under Mr C - ok...that looked better. Hunted thru some paper packs - found this blue dp that looked better with the sky background--- MS twig punch...that will have to do.

 

A Die-Versions sentiment die, from red glitter paper snippet and I'm done! You'll see the path not taken - on another project. (I hope). Disappointment is when what you envisioned at the start, just didn't look great at the end! However fun was had by all, and I hope you like the card.

 

Do check out what my fellow Christmas Card Club team shared on the Christmas Bird challenge. Their links are on the right side bar! Have a wonderful Sunday. Big Hugs and thanks for visiting.



Halloween by Northwoods

Good evening. Welcome. As promised, back with my 2nd Halloween card. This one is for DH - so excuse the skull motif. He likes that look, I don't! (shudder). So let's get 'er going:

- Northwoods wreath image (from Stampaway show - yippee). Stamped with Tuxedo Black on copic Xpress paper, colored with copics and WoS, a Sakura silver star gel pen on the spider webs. Fun & fast to color. Die Cut with an MFT Stitched circle that fit the wreath size & DI Weathered wood smudged along the edges of the die cut with a finger dauber.

- orange background created with Silk acrylics - orange and yellow shades, puddled on a craft sheet, and spritzed with water. This paper was Canson Mixed Media paper - think it's 98#...fairly lightweight. Smooshed c/s through the puddles, and got 3 backgrounds with one play. [Used 140# W/color on one that is pleasing, but too heavy for this card]. While the piece was still wet, spritzed with a gold Tattered Angels spray; dropped in some orange Brusho crystals with a very light 'fifft' Sepia Color burst (which is more powdery and harder for me to control placement.) Used a very light touch with the Sepia, but still got a big blob in a hidden spot. The Sepia has some pretty shading to it, but am finding the crystals give more exact placement for me. Used an old C/B EF to emboss once it dried over night.

- black paper chosen for the skull motif - from 6x6 Recollections Halloween Basics, purchased recently.

- Spiderweb border from a snippet of black glitter paper (lightweight) punched with a Martha Stewart punch.

- Sizzix Halloween thinlets dies to cut the spooky & Halloween sentiments..both from snippets. Bats & witches punched from small Bazzill snippet using an MS punch. Debating on whether to add some black WoS for a little pizzazz.

There's a big party going on over at the Snippets Playground to celebrate Week 200! YAY! I am a latecomer to the show, but I hear there's been ROWDY doin's and I wanted to be certain I didn't miss out on too much. There's already some superlative entries into the challenge, and Wow on the highlights too. Awesome. I hope I have enough snippets on this one, that Parsnip will let me slip through the gate. If you hurry, there's still a bit of time left with Mr. Linky and Miss has a good prize this week. Check it out!!!

Also do check out the Cards by Friends tab at the top of _this_ blog, as another wonderful card has been added - which is going on the mantel with the others we've been blessed to receive.

As always thanks for popping in to visit. A friend reminded me today - always choose to be Happy, no matter what the day brings. I know that, but every now & again, it's good to get reminded.
Big Hugs & come again when you can.

Halloween

Hello and Welcome! Before sharing today's card - finally got a Halloween card made {sigh}, let me give big shout-out to a new follower: Henriette van Mierlo. I'm trying to find a link so as to share Henriette's blog, but alas, I've not been successful. So Henriette, if you pop back for a visit, could you please share your link, and I'll post it so that my blog friends can perhaps become YOUR blog friends too!

Here's the card, and it's for the DD:

- Northwoods stamp purchased at the August Stampaway show - wood block. I LOVE their stamps, always have. The fact that the company was a vendor at this show was one of our reasons for making the drive to Cincinnati. Some others were to meet up with blog buddy Brenda W., having never been to this particular show, and also the fact that DH was originally from this area of Ohio....long ago.
Colored the image with fine line markers, except for copics on the ghost; WoS over the witchy sox,
then added some glossy accents.  The spider has a little dab of G.Accents, as does the cat's head. Used a Sizzix rectangle die to cut, then sponged with DI Spiced Marmalade and Wild Honey.

- MFT stitched curved die cut the background papers...the orange is from an old 12x12 Halloween pack (probably DCWV) and the stripe is from a 6x6 - newer purchase...of a Halloween pack.

- spooky sentiments from Sizzix Halloween thinlets by Tim Holtz - there are 2 different sets for Halloween. Provided an Amazon link to show the die set, but think mine came from local Hobby Lobby, using a coupon. These were cut from a snippet of black glitter paper.

Hope the Daughter likes it....we included a 'lunch on us' check, so we hope she'll enjoy.

Thanks for visiting, and I hope to get round to all my visitors today. Still got one more Halloween card to make for DH - it's his favorite holiday, so can't forget the guy who chauffers me around, now can I?

Big hugs, and Blessings too. Come again when you can.

=

Rudolph Day - Christmas Trees

Good evening and thanks for swinging by to visit this evening. It's been a gloomy rainy day here in our part of the Upstate for the 2nd day, and the temperature is much cooler as well. I kept busy finishing up my card for October's Rudolph Day. In case you don't know about this challenge, it opens the 25th of each month until the month ends. Our sweet Maureen of Scraps of Life by Scrappymoi is our hostess, and the challenge is very easy: A project with a Christmas Theme. And here's the link to October's Rudolph Day Challenge (or as I call it - Rudy Day). So heave ho, let's go!

- an Impression Obsession Cling stamp (and I can't find a link on the website..I bought this one on sale at a show). Colored this one while we were in Florida, using the Staedtler fine line markers purchased at Target some time ago. The pens are lovely for getting into tiny spaces, but they have a tendency (at least in my hands) to 'dig at the paper'. Used WoStella over the pen coloring, and then applied a coat of glossy accent over each tree. I liked that effect - looks very glistening.

- Die cut with a long S/B scallop rectangle, and created a faux mat by tracing the outer edge of the same die, making it a bit larger. Hand cut that...I was trying to ground the trees with a bit of green underneath them. Also wanted some separation from the white embossed background...which was done with 2 different embossing patterns.

- sentiment is from HLS Mixed Christmas Sentiments, using a Red Versafine ink, punched out with SU punch, edged with the same red ink. Red glitter sticker spots to trim, and Voila, it's done!

So how about joining in with October's Rudolph Day challenge, and perhaps you might be the lucky winner of a pretty Memory Box Small Blooming Poinsettia die.

I'm very behind with returning all the lovely visits from the 2 earlier DeeDee's card posts, but I'll try to catch up tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a few pics of the trees we see from the front porch. These were snapped after our drizzle moved in, so the colors are not as great as that of Sunday, when we still had some warm sunshine and wonderful blue skies. Hope you enjoy.



Little maple in our side yard

 

 

a Neighbor's tree

Tree in the yard of another neighbor next door

Thanks so much for your visit this evening, and hoping that your day went well. Big hugs and God Bless.