Red & Kraft

Hi everyone.  I'm starting out 2025 with some Christmas cards using new-to-me gifts from Christmas!  Today I'm playing with a new die (Glorious Poinettia - Memory Box).  I cut the flower from mixed media paper and then sponged colour over top (Real Red and Baked Brown Sugar inks - SU!).

The background uses the Splash Watercolouring technique to create an artsy backdrop for this pretty poinsettia.  The sentiment (Christmas Messages - Hero Arts) is stamped in more of the Baked Brown Sugar ink.

I made this card specifically for the Color Hues Challenge #101 - Red & Kraft.  Love this colour combo!!

Since this is a new die, I'm sending this card to a couple of more challenges, NBUS Challenge #70 and Die Cut Divas January Challenge - Something New.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Christmas Messages (Hero Arts)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Real Red, Baked Brown Sugar (both from Stampin' Up!)  
Accessories:   Glorious Poinsettia die (Memory Box), sponges, water mister

Challenges:

Color Hues Challenge #101 - Red & Kraft

NBUS Challenge #70

Die Cut Divas January Challenge - Something New.

Winter Storm

Hi everyone.  I had fun playing with Brushos yesterday.  It's been a while.  I forgot how messy they can be. :)  Next time I will definitely wear protective gloves. :)

But, you can't deny, that the colours are so amazing.  I used just Black Brushos over top of the Aspen Tree Stencil (The Crafter's Workshop) on mixed media paper.  I spritzed with lots of water, quickly removed the stencil and let the water sit for a few seconds before carefully blotting with a paper towel.  I LOVE the gorgeous mix of colours you get.  Very simple card to make too!!  I added two snowhills by tearing my white card stock for the bottom; splattered diluted white acrylic paint for falling snow, and added a simple sentiment.  Done! :)

Close-up ...

I made this specifically for the January Stencil Fun challenge - Hello and/or Winter.  Thanks for the great challenge Darlene & Diane!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Snowglobe Sayings (retired - MFT)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Black Brushos; Black (Memento)
Accessories:   water mister, Aspen Tree stencil (The Crafter's Workshop), white acrylic paint, splatter brush, Deer Trio die (IO)

Challenges:

January Stencil Fun challenge - Hello and/or Winter. 

Happy New Year!!

Hi everyone.  I hope you had a wonderful Holiday season and are starting off 2025 happy and healthy!!

Last year was a tough year for me.  I had more medical issues to deal with and ended up having surgery near the end of July.  It's taken most of the remainder of 2024 for me to recovery, but I am now feeling much better. 

On a positive note ... we found our forever home and get the keys a few days ago! YAY!  We sold in May last year and weren't able to find what we wanted so leased a rental house for a year.  Thankfully, we now can take our time moving into our new house since we still have the rental house until the end of March.  It all worked out in the end!! :)

On to today's card ...

I was inspired a three challenges to create this card using some new-to-me Christmas gifts. :)

I started by sponging the background of my card front panel with distress inks (Salvaged Patina, Wilted Violet), then ran it through my Gemini with the Comfy embossing folder (Penny Black).  I used my white pigment ink pad to lightly tap over top of the embossing, which left white ink on the highlights of the texture.  I tore two strips of white card stock to create the snow hills at the bottom and added a die-cut reindeer, (Antlers - Penny Black), cut twice and glued together to create a thick die-cut.  The sentiment (Festive Snippets - Penny Black) is stamped at the bottom in more Salvaged Patina ink.

This card is made with all Penny Black products. :)  Speaking of Penny Black, I have been a contributor for them since 2018, along with many other talented card makers.  This year they have switched things up and are not using most of the past contributors.  I'm a little sad that I won't be designing for them.

Close-up ...

Sending this card to the following challenges:

1)  NBUS Challenge #70- never-before-used schtuff

2)  Can you Handle the Pressure - Anything Goes Embossing with a Twist of Winter

  

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Festive Snippets (Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Salvage Patina, Wilted Violet (Tim Holtz); Unicorn pigment ink (white) - Hero Arts
Accessories:   Comfy embossing folder (Penny Black), Antlers die (Penny Black), sponges 

Challenges:

NBUS Challenge #70

Can you Handle the Pressure

Ombré - Group of Seven

Hi everyone.  This month we are working with the Ombré Technique (shades of colour) to create a light to dark background or main focal point.  There are a variety of ways to create theOmbré look in card making ... sponging, die-cutting, watercolouring, stamping, or stenciling.  I have done Ombré before on cards, but when experimenting this month, I realized that I need to do this technique more often!! :)

Please check out the details for the Design Element - Ombré and link to videos on the blog ...

Group of Seven Cardmakers

Here's what I learned when I experimented with this technique ...

• Ombré is achieved in many different ways, so it is very versatile.  You can stamp, sponge, stencil, watercolour, and die-cut to create the look.
• Shades of one colour is most common for Ombré.  However, shades of a few colours that are in the same colour family (Anagolous), also work well.  You can check you the Anagolous Colours HERE.

For the card above, I created an Ombré background by sponging four colours on distress inks onto vellum.  I flipped it over to so that the front of the card doesn't have the exposed ink, which can rub off.  I layered the vellum between two snowglobe frames and then added the deer/tree die-cut.  I also used the snowglobe die to out my card base, making sure to have the top of the snowglobe well above the fold, leaving the fold intact.

To finish, I splattered diluted white gouache paint and also added silver drops using a metallic pen.  The sentiment (long retired) is stamped in Delicata Silver to match.

Sending this card to Rudolph Days December Challenge. :)  Thanks Helen!

* * * * *

I then created three more Ombré backgrounds using smaller pieces of card stock (1/8 of a sheet) ...

The card below is sponged in shades of blue (Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire) distress inks.  The blue background is topped with a black die-cut, framed tree.  I cut two and glued them together to create a thicker die-cut.  The main panel is popped up over top of a black card base.

Sending the above card to the Simply Clean & Simple December challenge.

The card below is sponged with Saltwater Taffy, Abandoned Coral, Candied Apple distress inks.  The coral background is stamped in black with a silhouette stamp (Just Because from Uniko).  The sentiment (Happy Messages - Stampendous) is stamped at the bottom and a thin piece of black card stock is added to separate the image from the sentiment, as well as grounding the image so it doesn't look like it's floating on the panel.  The main panel is popped up over top of a black card base.

 

For the third and last card for this post, using a smaller ombre background, I used three colours instead of shades of one colour; yellow (Mustard Seed); orange (Carved Pumpkin); and red (Candied Apple).  I adhered the background to my black card front, popping up a black die-cut (Birch Tree Window - Simon Says Stamp) that cuts out the background, letting the Ombré sky show through.  I stamped the sentiment in Silver Delicata Ink.  I think this sunset is so pretty!! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Card #1:

Stamps:  Christmas Sampler (Paper Smooches - closed)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Vellum
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire (Tim Holtz); Delicata Silver (Tsukineko)
Accessories:   Snow Globe dies (Honey Bee); Deer & Tree die (AliExpress), sponges, splatter brush, White Gouache Paint, Silver Metallic Pen

Card #2:

Stamps:  Many Everyday Messages (Hero Arts) 

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire (Tim Holtz); Black (Memento)

Accessories:  Sponges, Framed Tree die (AliExpress)

Card #3:

Stamps:  Just Because (Uniko); Happy Messages (Stampendous) 

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); 
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Saltwater Taffy, Abandoned Coral, Candied Apple (Tim Holtz); Black (Memento)
Accessories: Sponges

Card #4:

Stamps:  Cosmos (Technique Tuesday)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin, Candied Apple (Tim Holtz); Silver Delicata (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  Sponges, Square Tree Frame die (AliExpress), White embossing powder, heat tool

Challenges:

Group of Seven - Ombre

Rudolph Days December Challenge

Simply Clean & Simple December challenge