Christmas roses

In a change of pace — something more on the elegant side and very die-based compared to my usual stampiness! I’ve had this set for years and barely used it so thought it was about time it got a proper workout.

This started life in my head as a white on white creation with a silver sentiment.  I couldn’t make the florals look anything but bland though (I don’t know how others pull it off for gloriously chic creations!). I ended up going through every sort of colouring medium and eventually binning them and starting again! This time the flowers are cut from red card, edges inked with Distress and a little bit of detail added with a white pencil. The rest was cut from white and coloured with Copics with a tiny bit of pencil on the holly veins. 

I heat embossed the gold sentiment then added the frame and assembled everything in the corner, using scraps of card to vary the heights, and finally called it done. 

I confess it reminded me why I don’t do this style of card very often — it doesn’t come naturally and takes me longer than seems humanly possible 😂 It’s a good job I know the intended recipients will appreciate it!

Stamps:

Noel (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Bristol board
Red

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Versamark
Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Barn Door)

Other:
Christmas roses dies (Sue Wilson/Creative Expressions)
Branch die (Craft Emotions)
Stitched square frame dies (Paper Rose)
Detail embossing powder (gold)
Branch die  (Craft Emotions)
White pencil

With so many die cuts, it would be rude not to join the Die Cut Divas’ Christmas/winter challenge, don’t you think? Click the graphic for all the challenge details. 

More kraftiness

I enjoyed colouring Sidoney the dog on a kraft card base a few days back so when I set out to make a card for cat-loving friends I decided to go the same way. The standing cat is coloured to look a bit like the all white one they have now, her curled up companion bears a passing resemblance to their previous cat. Neither of them would stand for the antics of that pesky rodent though!

I’ve used another of the fantastic Katzelkraft sets I bought recently. These are such fun to combine in different ways. I did have plans to use the wrapped gifts from the accessories set as my friend’s cat is an avid box fan, if there’s an open box, she will be sitting or standing in it without question. In the end though, I couldn’t resist a little scene with the cheeky mouse teasing his two opponents. 

I wanted a Christmas tree in the scene but didn’t have a suitably sized stamp in my stash so I decided to have a go at drawing my own. I sketched it on some scrap paper first to make sure my limited drawing skills were up to the task, then scribbled pencil on the back and transferred it to the card, drew over the faint pencil lines with a fineline marker and coloured with pencils. The garland (or string of tiny lights if you prefer to think of them that way) is just dots of paint pen. I think it turned out OK!

Stamps:
Les Chats Russe (Katzelkraft, no longer with us)
Sentiment from Foxy Christmas (Woodware)

Paper:
Kraft 

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Coloured pencils
Posca paint pen (white)
Black fineliner
Corner Chomper

As my little mouse is definitely showing some sass, I’m playing for the first time at Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers where this month’s theme is “Cheeky Christmas” — click the image for challenge details!

Santa Sidoney

Another quick card for the pile of last minute Christmas cards (although the masking took much longer than it had any right to do, I’m out of practice!). 

Having only just got round to using these stamps, I ordered some more Katzelkraft in the That's Crafty Black Friday sale. I  subsequently discovered that Katzelkraft ceased trading in the spring so I went back and ordered a few more! I’m really sad, not only because I’ve not long started building a little collection of their stamps but because one of the reasons for the closure is the cheap knock-offs flooding some of the better known online shopping platforms  ☹️ If you know anyone tempted by such “bargains”, please try to talk them out of it, it’s killing genuine businesses, many of them small concerns run by passionately creative people who deserve to be properly rewarded for their time, energy and creativity.

So, with that off my chest — Santa hat from the accessories set stamped and masked, Sidoney stamped to suffer the ignominy of having to wear it and then everything coloured with pencils. Stamped sentiment with a few paint pen dots and my usual rounded corner to finish it off.

Stamps:
Chien Sidoney (Katzelkraft, no longer with us)
Les droles d’accessoire (Katzelkraft, no longer with us)
Sentiment from Foxy Christmas (Woodware)

Paper:
Kraft 

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Coloured pencils
Posca paint pen
Corner Chomper

Why not join in at Christmas Kickstart if, like me, you’re playing catch up?! As Jo says — if it’s Christmassy, link it up!

Going gnome for Christmas

I’m gradually getting back into the swing of cardmaking as I increase the amount of usable worktop in my craft room! And I’ve found my two favourite black inks so things are looking up. I’m concentrating on getting a few Christmas cards made so at least a few folk will get a hand made card this year  

Lost Coast Designs has an “anything goes” challenge this month so I'm playing along there as Pointy Hat Gnome is doing his very best Santa impression — I even gave his hat a pompom topper! Jo is sticking to her December tradition at Christmas Kickstart of “if it’s Christmassy, link it up!” so PH Gnome is putting in an appearance there too. Links to both challenges at the bottom of this post.

I did start off colouring directly on the card base with pencils but I couldn’t get the colours quite as vivid as I wanted so I stamped and coloured on white cardstock then fussy cut and stuck him on. 

Stamps:
Pointy Hat Gnome (Lost Coast Designs)
Sparkle All the Way (Crafters Companion)

Paper:

Raven black
Bristol board 

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Blac)

Other:
Detail embossing powder (silver)
Copic markers
Posca paint pen (white)
Corner Chomper

If you’re still in Christmas card mode, why not come and play?

One night only...

I'm sneaking in under the wire for November's Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is Just Add Antlers. Jo and her seasonal elf always come up with something fun!

Rudy was quietly minding his own business, walking through town when he spotted this poster for his namesake and favourite band - Rudolph and the Reindeers! He stopped to gaze up, dreaming of being in the audience, perhaps even being picked out and invited up on stage... a guy can dream, right? If Courtney Cox got to join Bruce Springsteen, anything might happen.

That's one thing I love about these silhouette die cuts, you can imagine them facing either way!

There's a tiny bit of glitz on this, I use a red glitter pen over Rudolph's name, the snowflakes and the date. 

Stamps:
One Night Only (Woodware Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Cryogen White 

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo)
Momento Love Letter

Other:
Reindeer Family dies (Paper Rose)
Spica glitter pen (red)

Only a few hours left but if you're quick, here's the challenge link!

 

Something silly!

Tap, tap, tap -  testing, testing, is this thing on? 

Hello! I'm dusting things off in here and seeing if I still remember how to do a post having just about established that I sort of remember how to make a card! I've been parted from my craft stuff for longer than I care to think about by a house move that got complicated, I won't bore you with the details.

To ease back in I thought I'd do a challenge - I've been keeping an eye on a few even while I couldn't make anything. Lost Coast Designs is always fun and the current challenge has a festive theme so I'm playing there as I've just managed to locate the box of Christmas supplies!

Albert is quite excited about the festive season, although he's still insisting that his breakthrough equation should take centre stage. He's chosen an oversized hat so he doesn't have to flatten his hair too much. Stamping, masking, colouring, a bit of fussy cutting and a die cut panel - see, I've remembered at least some of the fundamentals!

What I haven't done is found the camera or set up photo editing software (new computer as well as a house move!) so excuse the slightly rudimentary camera phone photo.

Stamps:
Einstein (Carmen's Veranda)
Ho Ho Ho (Visible Image)
Vintage Christmas Expressions (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)
It's My Type (Ma Vinci's Reliquary, no longer with us)

Paper:
Cryogen White 

Ink:
Hero Arts Soft Granite
Versafine Onyx Black
Momento Love Letter

Other:
Stitched Rectangles A6 size dies (Paper Rose)
Copic markers
Fineliner
Corner Chomper

If you're feeling festive with your stamps, why not pop over to Lost Coast and join in - you can use any manufacturer's rubber or clear stamps to play along if you don't have Lost Coast or Carmen's Veranda stamps to play with (see the rules page for full details).

Wheely good fun

I'm setting today's challenge at Daring Cardmakers— we’re having wheely good fun this week, featuring anything with wheels on our projects.

I’m still separated from my craft supplies so this is something I made earlier in the year. I hadn’t used my Copics in ages so I pulled out some shades of red and grey and went bright on this old CHF stamp (had to be car-themed to tie in with the gift of a driving experience!). Personalised registration plate is lettered with a fineliner and I did a little bit of masking so the car is coming out of the frame. 

Stamps:
Chevy Camaro Front View (CHF, no longer with us)
A&P Numbers (Ma Vinci’s Reliquary, no longer with us)
Essential Messages (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
Bristol board 

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (various blues)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Time Tunnel Stencil (Visible Image)
Copic markers
Fineliner

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

It's my turn to set our challenge at Daring Cardmakers and we’re raising our glasses to our shared hobby this week. Cocktail, mocktail, beer or orange juice — show us what you’re drinking!

My hubby is somewhat of a wine buff so this is the card I made for his birthday.   It’s one layer, no frills which is pretty much how all the men I make cards for like their cards!

Stamps:
Wine Corks (Spellbinder)
Ink Splats (Visible Image)
Celebrate (Letter It range by Ranger)
Essential Messages (Hero Arts)

Paper:
Bristol

Ink:
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Espresso, Cranberry)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Charcoal pencil
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

Card Chain Callenge - May

It's reveal day at Card Chain Challenge where this month 30 participants sent and received hand made cards. Mine went to Karolina this time.

From the options on offer I chose the theme of men in hats and the product and technique options of stencil and scoring, sticking to my usual CCC aesthetic of one layer.

I masked the gent on the stamped image but not the background so the stencilling goes over that bit of the image and the rays come directly out of his head. There's a charcoal pencil drop shadow going on and some silver gel pen on the corner swirls in the image.

Stamps:
Dashing Gents (Darkroom Door)
Essential Messages (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch)

Other:
Strobes stencil (Visible Image)
Silver gel pen
Corner Chomper
Scor It

Thanks for stopping by!

Showers and flowers

It's my turn to set the challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week. As it seems to have been raining for weeks here in the UK and the garden is really getting going for summer I thought we’d focus on showers and/or flowers — bonus brownie points if your card features both!

I made a loose watercolour swoosh in blue and then splattered paint for my shower. The die cut flowers (liberated from their bottle by snipping with scissors) are watercoloured too, I did the little pieces separately and then inlaid them once they were dry. It’s a bit fiddly but quite a nice effect, I think. 

A simple stamped sentiment and my usual rounded corner and call it good to go.

Supplies:
Bouquet die (Concord and 9th)
Watercolours (Winsor & Newton)
Sentiment from Say It All (Hero Arts, retired)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!