Have a Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue Christmas!

Hi everyone.  Today I'm playing along with the current challenge at Peace on Earth - #21.  I was inspired to join in after seeing the beautiful DT card made by my friend Susan.  Thanks Susan!

LOVE all the gorgeous images in blue, silver and white that are part of the mood board for the challenge ...

I've made two blue Christmas cards today.  The first one (above), started with a stencil (Layering Poinsettia - Tim Holtz), sponged with two shades of blue distress ink (Broken China, Chipped Sapphire).  I used a small sponge dauber to added colour to the poinsettias, and then a very small round brush to add colour to the holly leaves.  This helped to keep the colours separated.  Once finished, I used a permanent silver pen (Pilot) to outline both the poinsettias and holly leaves.  I die-cut a top piece using a curved and stitched die (Stitched Borders die - Pretty Pink Posh).  The sentiment (Season's Gifts - Penny Black) is stamped and heat embossed in silver.

Close-up ...

On to the second card ... very CAS (clean and simple) design ...

For this card, I used a NBUS (never-before-used-schtuff) stamp set from AliExpress of poinsettias.  I heat embossed the flowers in white before watercolouring in two shades of blue distress inks (Tumbled Glass, Broken China) ... this is Emboss Resist technique.

I added a thin white frame (Fine Frames Square Dies - Altenew) to my card base and then added the fussy-cut poinsettia's on top, layering them to create dimension.  I finished my CAS design with a die-cut Joy (also AliExpress) from blue watercoloured paper.

Close-up ...

I'm also sending this over to NBUS Challenge #41 (second entry). :)

And, I'm also sending this to CAS Mix Up August Challenge - Emboss Resist.

Thanks for stopping by!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the subscription form in the upper right sidebar.

Make sure to add "subscribe" to the message.

It is also important to add SWL1subscribers@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe, please use the same form making sure to add

"unsubscribe" to the message.

Thank you.

Card #1:

Stamps:  Season's Gifts (Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Broken China, Chipped Sapphire (Tim Holtz); Delicata Silver ink (Tsukeneko)
Accessories:  Layering Poinsettia stencil (Tim Holtz); sponges, silver pen (Pilot), Stitched Borders die (Pretty Pink Posh), silver embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool

Card #2:

Stamps:  Poinsettias (AliExpress)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   White Pigment ink (Unicorn by Hero Arts); Distress Inks:  Tumbled Glass, Broken China (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   White embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool; w/c paint brushes, Joy die (AliExpress); Fine Frames Square (Altenew)

Challenges:
Peace on Earth #21 - Anything Christmas Goes

NBUS Challenge #41

CAS Mix Up August Challenge - Emboss Resist

Happy Birthday Dragonfly

Hi everyone.  My dear friend Christine (It's a Card Day's Night) is celebrating her birthday today.  Happy Birthday sweet friend!!

I wanted to make a mixed media card for Christine as that is her style.  And I made sure to include lots of blue, her favourite colour.  :)

I started by smooshing Distress Inks:  Salty Ocean and Wilted Violet.  I then stamped the Libellule Origami (or Origami Dragonfly in English) from Carabelle Studio (retired).  I stamped it in black and heat embossed with clear.  I masked the dragonfly before stamping the Different Dreams background (Unity Stamp Co.) in Versamark.  I heat embossed the background in clear as well.  After removing the dragonfly mask, I pressed more salty ocean and wilted violet inks into my mat with a spritz of water, and smooshed again to make the colours deeper.  Once dry, I watercoloured the dragonfly in the same two colours of ink.

I cut the panel down and added a white embossed sentiment (Simply Sentiments from Lawn Fawn) on a black card stock strip at the bottom.  The panel is popped up for added dimension.

Close-up ...

I'm so pleased with this card and I hope Christine likes it too!  If you have a time, please drop by Christine's blog to wish her a Happy Birthday!

I'm sending this over to the Seize the Birthday Challenge #244 ... no topping for me this time. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the subscription form in the upper right sidebar.

Make sure to add "subscribe" to the message.

It is also important to add SWL1subscribers@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe, please use the same form making sure to add

"unsubscribe" to the message.

Thank you.

Stamps:  Libellule Origami - retired (Carabelle Studio); Different Dreams (Unity Stamp Co.); Simply Sentiments (Lawn Fawn)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet; Black (Memento), White Pigment (Hero Arts Unicorn), Versamark
Accessories:   water mister, Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool

Challenges:

Seize the Birthday Challenge #244 - Anything Birthday Goes

Hello Sunshine

Hi everyone.  I'm back with a card using a new stencil (Random Triangle Stencil (That's Crafty!) that I received from a dear friend for my birthday.  I sponged through the stencil with Distress Inks: Ripe Persimmon and Picked Raspberry (my favourite colour combo).  I thought the background was fun and summery looking ... perfect to add a couple of summertime drinks.

I stamped two drinks (Stampendous Fruity Drinks) in black and heat embossed with clear before watercolouring.  I fussy-cut them out and popped them up over the stenciled background.  To finish, I added a cute sentiment (Stampendous Spring Sentiments) to the bottom of my main panel.

Close-up ...

Since this is a new stencil, I'm sending this over to the NBUS Challenge #41.  

Thanks for stopping by!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the subscription form in the upper right sidebar.

Make sure to add "subscribe" to the message.

It is also important to add SWL1subscribers@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe, please use the same form making sure to add

"unsubscribe" to the message.

Thank you.

Stamps:  Fruity Drinks (Stampendous); Spring Sentiments (Stampendous)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Black (Memento); Distress Inks:  Ripe Persimmon, Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Festive Berry) Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Random Triangles stencil (That's Crafty!); sponges, Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, watercolour paint brushes

Challenges:

NBUS Challenge #41

August CAS Christmas Challenge - Pine

Hi everyone.  Welcome to the start of August's CAS Christmas challenge!  This month is being hosted by Trina (Phamtastic Design) ... and she would like to see Pine on our CAS Christmas cards.

I started with a large pine branch and pinecome background from Simon Says Stamp (Pinecone Background).  I inked up the pinecones using my mini archival inks Potting Soil and Leaf Green and stamped onto mixed media paper.  I stamped my image and then watercoloured over top with more colours ... this time using distress inks (Ground Espresso, Walnut Stain, Gathered Twigs, Brushed Corduroy, Peeled Paint, Forrest Moss).

Once the watercolouring was done, I used a finger sponge dauber to add more ink around the pine branches (Peeled paint DI), and pinecones (Gathered Twigs DI).  This made it so the background was not stark white.  To finish, I splattered with white acrylic paint and then also heat embossed with Chunky White Frantage for the falling snow.  I mounted my panel on a slightly longer panel, stamping my sentiment (Christmas Sentiments - Gina Marie Designs) in Peeled Paint DI to match.  The last part of the design was to add a final backing panel of dark brown card stock, slightly larger on one wide and in length to add framing.  I popped up the panel with foam.

Close-up ...

I love the versatility of this challenge.  You can use pine branches, pine needles, pinecones ... or pine coloured inks or paint!  :)

So excited to have two Guest Designers this month.  Welcome to Elizabeth (Paper Sweetness), and Lucie (Lucie G. cards).  Please check out the challenge blog to see the amazing CAS Pine Christmas cards from our fabulous Guest Designers and DT.  Then come join us!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the subscription form in the upper right sidebar.

Make sure to add "subscribe" to the message.

It is also important to add sw1subscribers@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe, please use the same form making sure to add

"unsubscribe" to the message.

Thank you.

Stamps:  Pine Background (Simon Says Stamp); Christmas Sentiments (Gina Marie Designs)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.); Early Espresso card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Archival ink:  Potting Soil, Leaf Green (Ranger); Distress Inks:  Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Walnut Stain, Ground Espresso, Peeled Paint, Forrest Moss (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Paint brushes, sponge daubers, white acrylic paint, splatter brush, Chunky White Frantage (Stampendous)

Challenges:
CAS Christmas August Challenge - Pine