Christmas card

You can tell that September has hit as every day there is something scheduled! I missed last week's challenges but I have a card this week. It is a simple Christmas card. 

I started with a piece of white cardstock and used an embossing folder from Sizzix to make the frames. I coloured them in with Spectrum Noir marker LG5. I stamped the two images, both by Hero Arts, in Memento Tuxedo Black. I used another embossing folder from Sizzix to emboss LOVE and cut it out with the matching die. I stamped the sentiment, by Inkadinkado, in Colorbox Fresh Green pigment ink. I thought that frame looked a little bare with just the sentiment so I added the holly which is also Inkadinkado. I coloured in the holly with Spectrum Noir LG5, LG4 and LG2 and used DR2 for the berries.  I attached a piece of ribbon from my stash and then taped it on the card base.

I am entering this in:

Mod Squad Challenge Blog: Word Challenge - Holiday

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Finishing Touch

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes (with Hero Arts products, if possible)

Hiding in my Craft Room: Any Holiday

Fall card

Today I have a card I made for four different challenges. For the Hiding in my Craft Room Challenge we needed to use fall colours; for the Mod Squad Challenge Blog we needed to use stripes; for the Simon Says Stamp (SSS) Monday Challenge we needed to use a SSS product and for the Wednesday SSS Challenge we needed to make our own background.

I knew I needed to make my own background and needed to have stripes. We get extra brownie points if we use orange stripes and orange is a fall colour so I went with orange cardstock for my background layer. I  used the Simon Says Stamp Postage Stamp Edge Frame die to cut it out.

I wanted a little sparkle on the card so I used Perfect Medium and stamped some stripes. I actually used a rolling stamp that I had when I was a kid. It has little lines all along it. I stamped each stripe a couple of times so I was sure I had enough of the Perfect Medium on. I then used the Antique Copper Perfect Pearls to give the shine.

I used the smallest die in the set to cut out the cardstock for the greeting. I stamped the sentiment, from Inkadinkado Autumn Greetings set, with Stampin' Up Cajun Craze ink and stamped the leaf, by StampCraft, with more of the Perfect Medium. I used the Antique Copper Perfect Pearls on the leaves. I matted this with a piece of brown cardstock.

I wanted to put some twine on it but didn't have any in the right colour so I used Spectrum Noir marker TN4 and made my own. The postage stamp design made it easy to line up and it didn't slip out of place while I was attaching it. I used some foam tape to attach the sentiment onto the background layer and then onto the card base.

I took another picture from a different layer so you could see the shine!

Vellum and Acetate Christmas card

On the Mod Squad Challenge Blog this week, the challenge is to use both vellum and acetate on a holiday card. I knew I had some vellum but wasn't sure about the acetate. I found a piece that I think came from a package of some sort! Good thing I never get rid of anything! I am also entering this card in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge which are both about using stamps in celebration of STAMPtember!

I started by stamping the ornament and topper from the Spellbinders Heirloom Ornament set onto vellum using Versamark ink and then embossed with Martha Stewart sterling embossing powder. I cut a piece of red cardstock the same size and marked around the outside with a Sakura silver metallic pen. Some of the silver got on the back of the vellum and in trying to take it off I realized it had turned the vellum a slightly different colour. I decided I would use my mistake and made a little border around the edge of the vellum which you can see in the picture. I glued the layers together at the edge with Zig memory system 2 way glue and the silver pen just about hides the glue. I attached a piece of glittery thread that I made into a bow with a mini Glue Dot and I matted the vellum layer with white cardstock.

I cut two pieces of red cardstock to fit the front pieces of my card base. I used two more of the ornaments, stamped with Versamark and sprinkled Glitter Ritz Warm Highlight Micro Fine Glitter over. I attached the pieces to the card base with Mono Adhesive.

So then I had to use the acetate in some way. I decided to have another ornament that could be used as an embellishment. I stamped another ornament onto the acetate using Frost White Color Box ink. I used more glitter and let it dry for quite a while before I fussy cut it out, leaving a small border. I poked a hole in the acetate, threaded another piece of the glittery thread through and attached it to the card. It could be taken off and used as a real ornament, especially on a mini tree.

Thanks for reading!

Harvest card

Family was visiting over the weekend so I'm finally getting around to posting my card. It is a harvest card for the Mod Squad Challenge Blog - A Fruitful Harvest.  I am also entering it in Hiding in my Craft Room - Freestyle and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

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I decided to use pumpkins on my card which I coloured with Spectrum Noir markers and cut out. For the background I stamped the image several times with Versamark ink and used clear embossing powder to give a bit of a shine. I die cut a scalloped oval, and dry embossed it to bring out the middle. I used a Versamarker pen to colour the outside border and used clear embossing powder to match the background.

I used brown cardstock to create a small border around the background and wrapped some ribbon around the layers before they were attached to the card base. I popped up the oval with foam dots and used tape for the back pumpkins and more foam dots for the front two to give some dimension.

I used the following products:

Paper - White - Bazzill Basics Simply Smooth; Brown, Tan and card base from my stash
Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa, Versamark watermark ink and marker
Stamps - Inkadinkado Autumn Greetings set
Embossing powder - Recollections clear detail
Die cut, Ribbon - unknown
Spectrum Noir markers - CR10, OR1, GB5, GB3, DG3

Beach card

This week on the Mod Squad Challenge Blog our task was to create a project inspired by all things coastal. I decided to do a beach themed card.  I am also entering the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes.

I started with some watercolour paper and cut it on a slant to make a cascade card. I dabbed some ink onto an acrylic block, added water and painted the water and sand. I made a darker line at the top of the sand to show that the sand was wet from the water. I stamped the images onto paper, scanned them into my computer, traced, offset and cut them out with my Silhouette Cameo. I then stamped onto the cutouts and sponged the edges. I stamped the sentiment with black ink. I probably should have used brown ink but I wanted to colour in the sun and wasn't sure how the ink would react to the Spectrum Noir markers. I also added a bit of colour to the shell stamp. I used tape to attach the sentiment and used foam squares for the other images.  

Here are the products I used:

Paper - Hilroy watercolour paper, Bazzill Basics Simply Smooth

Ink - Tim Holtz Salty Ocean

      - Adirondack Cabin Fever

      - Stampin' Up Peach Parfait and Elegant Eggplant

      - Memento Tuxedo Black

Stamps - Inkadinkado Turtle, Fish and Seahorse

            - unknown Shells and Sentiment

Spectrum Noir markers - CT2, CT4, GB5, OR1

Masculine Birthday

I didn't have too much time to make a card this week because I was away. So I came up with a quick and easy card for the Mod Squad Blog challenge: Masculine Birthday. What took me the longest was finding the right paper for the image I had in my head!!

It was hard to get a good picture of this because I wanted to show that the paper at the bottom had some shimmer but I also wanted to make sure you could see the pattern. 

I used a brown card base, cut the patterned paper at an angle and attached it. I used some tan cardstock, stamped a cracked paint pattern on it and trimmed it to an arrow shape. I used a darker brown shade of cardstock, stamped a diamond shaped pattern on it and trimmed it. I attached the two pieces together with a brad and used some foam tape to adhere them to the card.

I stamped the sentiment above the two arrow pieces and I was done!

Here are the items I used to make the card.

Cardstock: American Craft and Bazzill Basics

Patterned paper: DCWV

Cracked paint stamp: Stampin' Up

Diamond stamp: Hero Arts

Sentiment: Jennifer Ellory, Bake a Cake set

Ink: Chestnut - Recollections; Rich Cocoa - Memento; White - ColorBox

Brad, tape and foam squares: from my stash

Sparkly Pink Paper Pieced Birthday card

A very long name for a card! I am entering it in four challenges: Mod Squad Challenge - Pretty Pieces; Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - In the family; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Make it Sparkle and Hiding in my Craft Room - Keep it Simple Sweetie.

I started by stamping the cake image using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. It is from a set called Bake a Cake by Jennifer Ellory. The two layers are paper pieced with some patterned paper from Provo Craft Celebrations paper pad. I stamped the candles with Stampabilities Cotton Candy ink and stamped the sentiment with Tuxedo Black. I cut and embossed the sentiment with a Spellbinders Shapeabilities die from the Labels and Tags set. While the paper was still in the die I sponged on some Cotton Candy ink, took it out of the die and gently sponged some more on the edges.

For the background I used a piece of a Wilton Fondant Imprint Mat, which is usually used for cakes you eat! I cut a piece off of the big sheet and inked it up with the Cotton Candy ink and laid a piece of pink cardstock on top and pressed down lightly. It gave a nice tone on tone effect.

I coloured in the striped part on the cake with a Spectrum Noir BP2 marker and used the same marker to colour a piece of ribbon. Then I added some glue to the ribbon and sprinkled on some Glitter Ritz Warm Highlights glitter. I attached the sentiment with a couple of sparkly brads over the ribbon.

I layered the background with some black cardstock and popped up the cake with some foam tape. For some extra sparkle on the candle flames I added a bit of Diamond Stickles.

For the In the Family challenge my family is the Pink family! I am not sure if it is simple enough for the Keep it Simple challenge but it isn't too fancy either!

Blue and Brown card

This week I am combining 3 challenges in one card. The challenge at the Mod Squad Blog is I've Got the Blues!, on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge we are to be inspired by the letter J and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is Anything Goes. I looked at this chair stamp and thought the fabric looked like Jacquard so that is my J inspiration!

I started by stamping the chair image (Stampendous) on some blue cardstock with Memento Rich Cocoa ink. I cut it out and embossed it using a scalloped oval die. I am not sure of the manufacturer as I purchased the set second hand. I cut out a larger oval from brown cardstock.

I stamped the sentiment (Inkadinkado) with Rich Cocoa onto a piece of cream cardstock and cut it out with a small die from the set and embossed it. I sponged around the outside with some Martha Stewart Blue Sky ink and then went around the edge with some of the Rich Cocoa.

I  laid everything on the cream card base and it looked a little bare so I used a stamp from the Mini Images Compilation set by Quietfire Design to make a background. I stamped the image with the Blue Sky and Rich Cocoa in lines, trying to match the ends of the stamp. I adhered the blue cardstock onto the brown and onto the card base with Tombow Mono Adhesive and used Pop Dots on the sentiment.

Shadow stamping

I tried a new technique this week for the Mod Squad Challenge - Shadow Stamping. I didn't do a very good job but I don't have time to make another card so this will have to do. I am also entering it in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Mid-Summer and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Emboss It.

I started with a piece of blue American Crafts cardstock made into a cardbase. I embossed it with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and inked up the raised edge with Salty Ocean Tim Holtz Distress Ink. I cut a piece of white AC cardstock to fit inside the border and inked the edges with the Salty Ocean. 

I stamped the branch with Green Pamass Pigment ink, the bird and wing with Stampin' Up Cajun Craze and shadow stamped them. The stamp set is from Stampin' Up.  I think I should have made a bigger shadow because this just looks like I smeared it when I stamped. Oh well, more practice needed! I stamped the sentiment (Impression Obsession , Inc.) with Memento Tuxedo Black. I thought the sentiment was appropriate for a bird!

It looked a little stark with just the white so I smeared some Blue Sky Martha Stewart ink over the whole white section. It doesn't show up very well in the picture.  I added a couple pieces of ribbon from my stash to finish it off.

Okay, so I just watched the video by Gina K. I definitely should have watched this before making the card!!

Christmas in July

Today I have a Christmas card for the Hiding in my Craft Room challenge.

I made a never ending card because I would like the spirit of Christmas to be never ending! People seem to be in a happy, generous and peaceful mood, which is echoed in the sentiment I used.

Basically I cut two pieces of plain cardstock 6" x 6", scored, attached them together and then cut the patterned cardstock to fit all of the smaller sections. I added the sentiment and a yellow rhinestone for the bird's eye and I was done.

If you would like the details of how to make this kind of card leave a message in the comments and I can send them to you or you can look on you tube.  I know there are lots of good videos.

Patterned cardstock - from the SEI Winter Song collection
Sentiment - Hero Arts
Ink - Rose Art washable marker
Rhinestone - Recollections

Here are images of some of the other 'sides' of the card.