Happy Christmas

Well, I'm back with another card to share!  Today my card is for the current challenge at The Paper Players, where Joanne has given us a wonderful sketch to create with, plus I am also adding this to the 30 day Coloring Challenge!

PP469

I'm enamored with the super cute Gnome card kit (for December) from Simon Says Stamp that I received last Friday, so I decided to use one of the 20 or so gnomes I put together yesterday for this card.  I used the Lil' Gnome die included in the set to die cut all the parts, then employed Copic markers to color the nose and beard, with the remainder paper pieced from card stock plus patterned paper included in the set.

Once the gnomie was put together I worked on the card base and background.  I used white embossing powder to heat emboss snowflakes and the word Christmas on the red card base, then added the rest of the sentiment that was stamped and die cut with a label die.  The snow hill was die cut from white card stock previously sprayed with a shimmer spray, added to the base, then the patterned paper strips and the cute gnomie layered on top.

Then I decided the card needed something more, so I lightly sponged white pigment ink around the corners of the red card.  I also smooshed a corner of the white stamp pad on an acrylic block, added a small bit of water and used a small watercolor brush to add white in the open letters of the embossed sentiment, in order to make it a bit more pronounced.  I wasn't sure if that method would work with pigment ink versus acrylic or watercolor paint or gouache, but I was happy with how it turned out.

Thanks so much for visiting, I appreciate it so much!  I hope all of my US visitors have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Stef


Stamps:  Gnome For the Holidays (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Slate, Schoolhouse Red (SSS), PhotoPlay Kringle & Co. patterned paper
Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne, Versamark
Other:  Alabaster embossing powder (Brutus Monroe), Sentiment Labels die (SSS), Stitched Hillsides die (Lawn Fawn), Lil' Gnome die (SSS), Mini Red Pom Poms (Darice)
Copics:  E13, 11, 00, C3, 1, 00

Thanksgiving Scene

I'm back with a sweet Thanksgiving card I made for the new Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers!  Chris is hosting this week and has chosen the lovely combination of Pretty Peacock, Lipstick Red and Crushed Curry, with the dessert option to add a fourth color of Pumpkin Pie.  Pumpkin Pie for dessert?  Yes please!

I used the darling mini stamp set from Pretty Pink Posh that included this cute scene and the sentiment.  Everything was stamped in Gina K Chocolate Truffle Amalgam ink, then the scene was colored with Copic markers in colors similar to those for the challenge plus lots of neutrals for all the critters.  I created a simple background then die cut the panel, adding to a piece of Pumpkin Pie card stock.  The sentiment was also layered on Pumpkin Pie and both added to the peacock card base.

For the base, I employed the Autumn Leaves stencil and Versamark ink to create the subtle background. When dry, the scene and sentiment were added with thin foam tape.

Thanks so much for visiting, it's always appreciated!!

Stef


Stamps:  Thanksgiving Scene (PPP)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Pumpkin Pie (SU), Peacock (Simon Says Stamp)
Ink:  Gina K Chocolate Truffle Amalgam, Versamark
Other:  Autumn Leaves Stencil (PPP), a million Copic markers LOL!

Gnome Better Holiday!

Hi there and welcome back!  I'm now heavy into making Christmas card (10 down, 40 to go...yikes!) and I have a fun one to share that I made for the current challenge at Freshly Made Sketches.  Jen B has created a great sketch with lots of design options.

FMS 412

I received my December 2019 Simon Says Stamp card kit on Friday and was excited to use it to create some Christmas cards and this is the first of many.

I was going to resist buying this kit but became so charmed by this utterly cute die cut gnome and the fun sentiments in the stamp set that I succumbed LOL!  It also has some great patterned papers, but for this card I decided to use papers from last month's SSS card kit, with lots of great patterns mainly multiple shades of green.

The gnome base, nose and beard were die cut from white card stock, with patterned paper used for the gnome hat and coat.  I used Copic markers to color the nose and beard, then adhered all of the pieces to the die cut base.  The presents, also part of the stamp set, were stamped, colored and fussy cut.  I die cut the green card stock scallop rectangle, added a layer of patterned paper and adhered to the white card base.  Next I layered on the presents, then popped up the gnome and sentiment on thin foam squares to keep it good for mailing.

Thanks for visiting, it's always appreciated!  I'll be back tomorrow evening with my card for the SCS Color Challenge, so I hope you'll come back and check it out!

Stef

Stamps:  Gnome for the Holidays (Simon Says Stamp)

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Frayed Leaf (SSS), Forever Green pp (Moda Scraps)

Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Gina K Chocolate Truffle Amalgam

Other:  Lil' Gnome die, A2 Scallop Rectangle die (Honey Bee), Infinity Nesting Rectangle die (Hero Arts)

Copics:  E13, 11, 00, G46, 43, R39, 37, W3, 1, 0

The Moon, the Stars...and Santa!

Hello friends, I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!  I'm sharing a card today that was made for the current Teapot Tuesday Challenge at Splitcoaststampers.  This week the challenge is the 12 days of Christmas, with 12 items to try to fit on your card; I didn't do too well, I only got 6 on mine.  The recipient is the mother of one our SCS Dirty Dozen alums who has had to move to an assisted living right before the holidays, so we are sending our Christmas cards to cheer her up!

I'm also joining the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where this week's theme is "Starry, Starry Night".  Well, my card has stars and more!

I used a retired Hero Arts monthly kit that has fabulous silhouette dies (along with tons of cute North Pole images) and thought it would made a great nighttime scene.  I started by ink blending Distress Inks to create the night sky on a panel of Bristol paper, masking the spot for the moon.  While that panel dried, I die cut the mountain silhouette from navy card stock, the trees from green card stock and the town from black.  I used Distress inks on the mountain and tree silhouettes to darken them up and when that ink was dry, used a white gel pen to simulate the reflection of the moon on the silhouette die cuts.

When the sky panel was dry, the sentiment was heat embossed and Santa was stamped flying across the sky with black pigment ink.  After the dies were layered across the bottom of the panel, I used the white gel pen to add all the "stars" in the sky

Thanks so much for visiting, I always appreciate it!  I'll be back on Monday with a card for the new Color Challenge on SCS, so I hope you'll swing back by and check it out!

Stef


Stamps:  Hero Arts October 2017 Monthly Card Kit, Merry Christmas sentiment (unknown)
Paper:  Black, Soft Navy (SSS), Shaded Spruce (SU), Strathmore Bristol, Neenah Solar White (card base)
Ink:  Versamark, Versafine Clair Nocturne, Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire, Black Soot, Pine Needles
Other: White Alabaster embossing powder (Brutus Monroe), Sakura White Gelly Roll pens 05, 08, 10

Naughty or Nice?

Hello again!  I have a card to share that I made for the current challenge at The Paper Players, where Jaydee has asked us to make a CAS card with a North Pole theme.

PP 468

I had a very cute print from Suzy's Watercolor Prints with Santa and Rudolph that I've previously colored but never made into a card or shared, so I thought it would work for this challenge.  I just love Rudolph peeking over Santa's shoulder and the fun sentiment.

While printed on watercolor paper, one can color these prints with various mediums including colored pencils, watercolor paints or markers, or Copic markers, the later of which I chose to use (no surprise to those familiar with my work LOL!).  I did a bit of ombre on the letters of the sentiment and used a silver gel pen for the package bows.  After die cutting and adhering the panel to an A2 card base I decided to add a bit of sparkle on all of Santa's "fur" and Rudolph's nose.

Thanks so much for visiting, I always appreciate it!

Stef


Paper:  Suzy's Watercolor Prints (Simon Says Stamp), Neenah Solar White
Other:  Wonky Rectangle die (SSS), Copic Markers, Tonic Nuvo White Blizzard Glimmer Drops

Pinecone Christmas

Hello friends!  It's time for a new Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers!  Holley is hosting this week and has chosen a great combo of Real Red, Mossy Meadow and Early Espresso, with a dessert option to add sponging.

As I was writing this post I realized 1) I mistakenly used Cherry Cobbler rather than Real Red and 2) forgot to add the sponging for dessert I was going to put around the edge of my main image.  Totally bummed!  However, I still love how my card turned out and I think I'll be making a few more of these to send out for Christmas!

The pinecone image is from a large background stamp and was stamped using Copic friendly Gina K Chocolate Truffle Amalgam ink onto white card stock.  The artist gives lots of clear indication where the shadows lie on the pinecones, so I used 3 shades of brown similar to Early Espresso, making a few highlights but not worrying too much about blending as I knew it wouldn't be too visible after creating a snowy effect with White Gouache.  I used a Pale Moss marker for the background and the darker Moss for the pine needles.

I used a fairly thick application of the White Gouache on the outer pinecone tips, then heavily splattered a more watered down version to create the look of snow.  While that panel dried, I die cut the Merry sentiment from both white and cherry card stock, then layered them together.  The word Christmas was also stamped in Chocolate Truffle and die cut.  Once the main panel was dry, the card was assembled and, while a bit hard to see,  I added some iridescent jewels around the sentiment.

Thanks so much for visiting, as always it's so appreciated!  I hope you'll use the link above and check out the Color Challenge at SCS!

Stef


Stamps:  Pinecone Background, Holiday Sentiment Mix 1 (both Simon Says Stamp)
Paper: Neenah Solar White, Cherry Cobbler
Ink:  Gina K Chocolate Truffle Amalgam 
Other:  Lucy's Iridescent Jewels, Merry Frame die (SSS), White Gouache
Copics:  YG61, 67, E47, 44, 43, 42

Dress the Turkey

Hello again friends!  I have a fun card to share with you that admittedly makes me chuckle.  I grew up with a dad who told silly jokes and loved puns, and I have to admit, as much as I didn't want to when I was young, that I became a lover of the same.  I can't tell a joke to save my life but I do find humor in silly jokes and puns!

The colors used for my card were inspired by the color challenge at Sunday Stamps, with rich colors of Autumn that are some of my personal favorites.  I primarily used the oranges, teal and brown from the inspiration piece.

SSC 217

I'm also joining the current SSS Wednesday Challenge where the them is Thank You/Thanksgiving plus including this as part to the 30 Day Coloring Challenge at the Daily Marker blog.

The image and sentiment are part of a really cute Thanksgiving stamp set from Art Impressions.  I stamped the turkey with Gina K Chocolate Truffle Amalgam ink, a Copic friendly variety, and set about coloring it with the challenge colors.

I love the silly sentiment and the fun image of the turkey.  Once the coloring was done I realized I needed to better differentiate the pants from his tail and wing so, inspired by the stamp set packaging, I added pin stripes to his fancy trousers.  After the gel pen ink dried I did go over it with a Copic marker to tone down the white but it still came out a little bright in the photos.  Still, the concept worked and the pinstripes just add to the whole comedic aspect of our "dressed" turkey!

The panel was trimmed down and added to layers of colored card stock.  The card base to which it and the stamped sentiment were adhered had been stenciled with Antique Linen Distress Ink using the Pretty Pink Posh Autumn Leaves stencil, then wrapped with a hemp twine bow.

Thanks so much for the visit, I always appreciate it!  I hope you have a great weekend!

Stef


Stamps:  Full of Thanks (Art Impressions)
Stamps:  Neenah Solar White and Desert Storm, Peacock (Simon Says Stamp), Pumpkin Pie (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Gina K Chocolate Truffle Amalagam, VersaFine Clair Acorn (sentiment), Antique Linen Distress Ink
Other:  Autumn Leaves stencil (Pretty Pink Posh), Hemp twine
Copics:  BG49, 15, 32, YR18, 07. 04, 68,12,21, E19,29, 37, 35, 33, 47, 44, 43, 41, W3, 1, 0

Leaves and Berries

Hi friends!  It's time for a new Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers!  I'm hosting this week and have chosen the colors Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizzaz and Garden Green with a dessert option to add a metallic.  Time to get those Christmas cards rolling, if you haven't already, and these traditional colors should work well for that.  I know I still have a ton to make!!

CC765

I used two newer stamps from Simon Says Stamp's Cheer and Joy release.  The background stamp is meant to coordinate with the sentiment that comes in a separate stamp set.  I made two versions with different background card colors and layers under the large sentiment.

For both cards, the background panels were heat embossed with gold embossing powder, one on Cherry Cobbler and the other Garden Green.  I used a Misti to stamp the sentiment panels in Copic friendly ink, leaving the stamp in the positioner until I completed coloring it, then put it back in the Misti to stamp with Versamark, then set with the gold embossing.  I blended light and dark greens on the leaves to work in colors similar to both Pear Pizzazz and Garden Green.

Other than card stock differences, I did add a strip of gold mirror card stock on the red base and chose to layer the sentiment with a gold panel on the green version.  I think the red background is my favorite version.

Thanks so much for visiting, it's always appreciated!  I hope you'll use the link above and join in the Color Challenge this week!

Stef


Stamps:  Leaves and Berries background, Holiday Sentiment Mix 1 (SSS)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Tonic Studios Polished Gold Mirror Card
Ink:  Gina K Chocolate Truffle Amalgam, Versamark
Other:  Antique Gold embossing powder (Altenew), Hero Arts Infinity Rectangle dies
Copics:  YG67, 17, 03; R39

Pop's Birthday

Hi there and thanks for visiting!  My father-in-law celebrated his 95th birthday (!) last Monday and I made him a card using the current Mojo Monday sketch.

Mojo 526

I haven't been able to participate for a while as I moved from Oregon to Idaho in the last two months, so I was happy to finally be able to join in.

  

Masculine cards are somewhat tricky to me depending on the recipient but I thought a sunrise vignette with the Evergreen Circle die would work great with patterned papers from Moda Scraps contained in the most recent Simon Says Stamp card kit.  I made a variety of backgrounds for this circle die with various ink blending colors but in the end settled for a very simple sunrise look with lots of yellows at the horizon and just a touch of blue at the top, using Distress Inks to do the job.  I sandwiched the ink blended circle between the die cut trees and a similar size base and mounted on the card base with foam tape.  The sentiment, from an old Stampin' Up stamp set, was heat embossed on the base in gold embossing powder.

Thanks for visiting, it's always appreciated!  I hope you'll use the link and check out this fun challenge!

Stef  

Stamps:  Sky Is the Limit (SU ret.)

Paper:  Garden Green, Strathmore Bristol, Forever Green (Moda Scraps)

Ink:  Versamark; Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Squeezed Lemonade, Tumbled Glass Distress Inks

Other:  Hero Arts Gold embossing powder, Hero Arts Infinity Circle dies, Evergreen Circle die (SSS)

Woodland Whimsy

Hello again, friends!  I'm back to share a card I made for the current challenge at The Paper Players where Anne Marie has given us a wonderful theme for either fall or holiday cards.

PP 466

I began with the intent of making a birthday card but when the scene was done, I thought it worked better for a Christmas winter card.

After stamping and masking the deer and birch trees, I also masked off the snowy hills in the background for some ink blending.  For the sky I used lighter blue distress inks and then lost my mind a little and added a purple which just did not blend in sufficiently.  It was then I knew it had to be a night sky and added both dark blue and some black around the edges.  When dry, Copic markers were used to color the trees and deer, plus create some shading on the snowy hills and then I used a white gel pen to create snow over the entire scene.

The sentiment was heat embossed in platinum embossing powder on a vellum strip and wrapped around the trimmed down panel then adhered to the scallop border panel.  I had some sparkly snow flakes left over from die cutting a glitter paper panel, so they were added for a final touch.

Thanks so much for visiting!  Have a great weekend!

Stef


Stamps: Woodland Whimsy, Holiday Greeting Mix 1 (both Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Grafix Platinum Vellum
Ink:  Gina K Chocolate Truffle Amalgam; Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Seedless Preserves and Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks
Other: Ranger Platinum ep, Sakura White Gelly Roll pen, A2 Scallop Rectangle die (Honey Bee), Copic markers

Merry Little Christmas

Hi again!  It's time for a new Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers!  Karen is hosting this week and has chosen the lovely combination of Poppy Parade, Pool Party and Old Olive, with a "dessert" option to add a touch of silver.  Although we use Stampin' Up colors for reference, participants may use any products you have on hand.

I'm also joining Kathy Rac's 30 Day Coloring Challenge that is going on all during the month of November and the current Anything Goes Challenge at the SSS Wednesday Challenge.

Since this week's colors lend themselves so well to a Christmas card, that is what I made!  I used a cute set from Avery Elle to make a fun little card.

I started with the background panel, blending Tumbled Glass and Broken China Distress Inks on Bristol paper, then spraying it with shimmer spray.  When dry, the sentiment, stars and snowflakes were heat embossed with silver embossing powder.  Next, I used Copic markers to color the cute little deer and packages, adding dots to the package and stripes to the ribbon with a silver pen, then die cut the images with companion dies.

The hills were die cut from some Hero Arts specialty paper resembling snow and the scene was assembled on the Bristol panel and adhered to the white card base.  This was a card that will be easy to replicate for the holidays.

Thanks so much for visiting!  Have a great week! And be sure to check out the challenges linked above!

Stef


Stamps:  A Merry Little Christmas (AE)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Strathmore Bristol, HA specialty
Ink:  Versamark, Gina K Black Amalgam, Tumbled Glass and Broken China Distress
Other:  A Merry Little Christmas companion dies, Stitched Hillside Border dies (Lawn Fawn), Silver embossing powder (HA), Sakura Silver Metallic Gelly Roll pen
Copic markers:  YG97, 95, 93, R46, 24, 20, 05, BG01, 000, 0000, E37, 35, 33, 31, 30, C2, 0