November CAS Christmas Challenge

Hi everyone.  This month's CAS Christmas challenge is hosted by Susan, and she has picked ... 

I went through my stash of backgrounds and settled on two pieces that I used for the same design.  Both cards are made completely of snippets, except for the card bases. :)

This is helping me build my stash of Christmas cards.

The above background was done as a dirty pour with acrylic paints on canvas paper.  I've had this in my stash since 2018.  Crazy, right??!!

I made these backgrounds with friends (and zoomed with more friends) during a retreat many years ago.  We did a lot of dirty pours (mixes of diluted acrylic paints with a little silicone oil), which creates beautiful designs.  They make the most beautiful skies. :)

Close-up ...

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While I had my die out, I used another leftover background piece (brushos) to make the card below.

Sending these cards to the following challenges:

Darnell's IDEAS Calendar - Week 1 - Inks (card 2 only)

Snippets Playground Challenge #544 - I used snippets for all the pieces of each card, except the bases :)

 

I hope you'll join in our fun CAS Christmas Challenge - Reindeer.  The Designers and our wonderful Guest Designer Marcia, have designed lovely cards.  Come check out the blog post.  I hope you are inspired to join us.

Thanks for stopping by!

Card #1:

Stamps:  Christmas sentiments (Penny Black)

Paper:  White 110 lb. card stock (Neenah); Mixed Media Paper (Strathmore)
Ink:  Black pigment ink (Altenew Obsidian)
Accessories:   Inspired die (Penny Black), silicone oil, canvas paper

Card #2:

Stamps:  Snowglobe Sayings (MFT - closed)

Paper:  White 110 lb. card stock (Neenah); Mixed Media Paper (Strathmore)
Ink:  Brushos powdered inks; Black pigment ink (Altenew Obsidian)
Accessories:   Inspired die (Penny Black)

Challenges:

Darnell's IDEAS Calendar - Week 1 - Inks (card 2 only)

Snippets Playground Challenge #544

Lovely As A Tree

Hi everyone.  This is one of the first stamp sets I bought when I started this amazing hobby (Lovely as a Tree - Stampin' Up!). :)  I still love this set.

A little inking directly to my tree stamp in different shades of green ink; then lightly misting with water and stamping onto my card panel.  Repeated these steps until I was happy with the results.  I finished with one last stamping, this time Versamark ink and then heat embossed to protect the tree image.

I used a few shades of blue to sponge the sky.  Added a torn snowhill at the bottom of my focal panel, stamped with a Christmas sentiment (retired).  For the finishing touch, sprinkled Chunky White Frantage and heat embossed to melt.  The whole panel is popped up onto the white card base.

Close-up ...

Sending this card to the following challenges:

Rudolph Days October Challenge

Darnell's IDEAS Calendar - Week 5 - Anything Goes - lots of inking, sponging, heat embossing  :)

SCS CCC26OCT - Christmas Card Challenge

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree (Stampin' Up!); Snowglobe sentiments (MFT retired)

Paper:   White cardstock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140.lb)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Tumbled Glass, Broken China (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   water mister, sponges, Frantage Chunky White embossing powder (Stampendous), Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool and griddle

Challenges:

Rudolph Days October Challenge

Darnell's IDEAS Calendar - Week 5 - Anything Goes - lots of inking, sponging, heat embossing  :)

SCS CCC26OCT - Christmas Card Challenge

Falliday Fest Fun

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing several cards I made for Falliday Fest at Splitcoaststampers.  This is an annual event over 10 days (it ran Oct. 7 - 17).  It's a fun Fall / Winter / Christmas themed card making event with over 40 challenges.  The participants have until Oct. 31st to post their cards on the SCS website.

Here's what I made so far ... 

I hand watercoloured this tree using distress reinkers on cold press w/c paper (arches 140 lb.).  I diluted white acrylic paint and splattered lots of falling snow.  I used some old patterened paper that I've been hoarding to create the wood frame. :)  Thanks to SCS for the fun challenges!!

The card above is for three challenges:

1) FF26annsforte3 - Snow Challenge (create a snowscene with lots of falling snow);

2) FF26janemomA - Holiday Tree (Do it Yourself) Challenge - make a Christmas tree card without using tree stamps, dies, stencils or patterned paper;

3) FF26sleepyinseattle - Woodwork Challenge - include wood in your card

I watercoloured my own Christmas tree using Gansai Tambi paints and Princeton brushes on cold press w/c paper.  I framed the image with a piece of wood dsp.  Sentiment is from Love Bug Christmas (Unity Stamp co.).  :)

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I was inspired by the poinsettias and vintage style of the postcard ... 

I used the stamp/stencil/die set from Simon Says (Holiday Sprigs) to create my pieces for the cards.  I stamped all the images in black pigment ink (Altenew Obsidian) and heat embossed in clear.  Using distress inks candied apple, aged mahogany, shabby shutters, and peeled paint, I sponged through the stencils and then die-cut the pieces using the matching die set.  I used some older patterned paper for the background strips and squares and added the elements on top (including the sentiments from the same set).  I made four cards (two of each design).

The card above is for the FF26CAKath Challenge - Christmas postcard inspiration.

Thanks for the fun challenge Kathy!

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Next card ... A Seasonal Animal ... 

I LOVE this artsy image from Studio Light (A Reindeer with Text).  A prize from a challenge I entered. :)  Out of my leftovers from previous cardmaking sessions, I found this smooshed background.  I don't remember the colour, but believe it is Peeled Paint Distress Ink.  It seemed perfect for this artsy image.  I stamped in black and added a torn snowhill at the bottom.  Sentiment is on the inside.

Thanks for the great challenge Ann!

The card above is for the FF26Dockside Challenge  - A Seasonal Animal.  I used a reindeer as I'm focussed on creating Christmas cards right now. :)

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For my card below, I used the print making technique to create the background.  

I die cut the holly sprig twice from mixed media paper and watercoloured both with distress reinkers to create saturated colours.  I used one of the sprigs to make the background paper, misting with water and pressing onto a piece of mixed media paper.  Pulled it up and repeated three times to get partial prints of the holly sprig.  Once dry, I mounted onto my card base and added the other holly sprig on top.

This card above is for my dear friend, Susan's Challenge (FF26susanbri Challenge - Holly and/or Mistletoe).

Thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:  Splitcoaststampers Falliday Fest

FF26annsforte3 Challenge - Snow

FF26janemomA  Challenge - Holiday Tree (Do it Yourself) Challenge 

FF26sleepyinseattle Challenge - Woodwork Challenge

FF26CAKath Challenge - Christmas Postcard Inspiration

FF26Dockside Challenge - A Seasonal Animal

FF26susanbri Challenge - Holly and/or Mistletoe

More Blackout Embossing ...

Hi everyone.  I created a CAS card using the challenge from CAS Mix Up.  Blackout embossing is debossing, watercolouring, and the swiping ink pad direct to paper.  Each of the three elements is easy to do, adding them together gives a unique design.

For today I took it one step further and added heat embossing over my final panel.  I used a dabber to add clear distress ink and then sprinkled with antique linen distress ink.  I heat embossed two layers to ensure each area was thoroughly covered.  I love the result of the thick and shiny embossing overtop of my panel.

I added a simple sentiment and popped the panel up on my card base.  I have more pieces from the large panel that I can make into more cards later.

Close-up ...

Sending this card to the following challenges:

CAS Mix Up October Challenge - Blackout Embossing

Inkspirational Challenge #378 - Clean and Simple

Darnell's IDEAS Calendar - Week 3 - Embossing

SCS CAS920 - Autumn Birthday

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Tiny Sentiments (Clearly Besotted)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Crackling Campfire, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Gathered Twigs, Ground Espresso (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Fall Leaves embossing folder (Honey Bee), watercolour paint brushes, gold acrylic paint (Lumiere), Distress Ink Dabber (Tim Holtz), Antique Linen Distress Glaze (Tim Holtz), heat tool

Challenges:

CAS Mix Up October Challenge - Blackout Embossing

Inkspirational Challenge #378 - Clean and Simple

Darnell's IDEAS Calendar - Week 3 - Embossing

SCS CAS920 - Autumn Birthday