Two More Holiday Cards

The theme for Day 4 of "Christmas Chaos" at Catch the Bug Challenge Blog was a recipe challenge. Use an image from Bugaboo Stamps, a one-word greeting, two embellishments, and three layers of paper. (I assume the focal panel & base don't count as layers.) I used Sketch #177 from Operation Write Home for my design.

I chose Bugaboo's newest image, the "Christmas Moose Ornaments." After flipping & sizing the image in Photoshop, I printed him on a piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper, and colored him with my Inktense pencils & a damp paintbrush.

I used patterned papers from 2 different collections from The Paper Studio: "Christmas Candyland" (red plaid) & "Woodland Wonderland" (banner & woodgrain pieces). I cut them all to size, and inked around the edges with Walnut Stain Distress ink. I also inked the edges of the focal panel. Then I adhered all my layers together.

I die cut my greeting using the "Scripty Joy" die by Lawn Fawn, from some dark green cardstock. I glued it in place with Ranger Multi Medium Matte, and added a coat of clear Wink of Stella shimmer, followed by a coat of Glossy Accents. I also coated the ornaments with Wink of Stella & Glossy Accents. I used Multi Medium to glue down 2 buttons, and when that had dried, I poked holes through the buttons & the paper underneath and threaded some black embroidery floss through. I knotted the floss in each button, and finally matted the panel with some pale teal green cardstock, before mounting it to a white A2 card base.

My second card, inspired by the Day 5 challenge, is also from a recipe of sorts. They posted several "treat" recipes, and said to pick one and make it funny. I chose the "Sugar Cookie with Sprinkles": make your card a shape other than a rectangle or square, and use 3 pieces of bling & ribbon.

I added a greeting from Doodle Pantry to the "Marshmallow Snowman - Candycane" image, and printed that onto a piece of Strathmore Mixed Media paper. Then I die cut that with a Spellbinders "Grand Ovals" die (discontinued). Since this is a holiday card from us here in Texas, I decided to "toast" the marshmallows. It doesn't show up in the photo that well, but I used a brown Inktense pencil and a wet paintbrush to paint around the edges of each marshmallow. This is probably the closest thing we'd get to a snowman for the most part here! I also colored the candy cane, scarf, earmuffs, and arms with Inktense pencils, blending with a damp brush. For the sky, I added a wash of Stormy Sky Distress ink.

I die cut another, larger piece of blue cardstock with another "Grand Ovals" die, and stamped it with the Hero Arts "Irregular Arrow Bold Prints" background stamp and Hero Arts Pool ink. I created my card base by die cutting 2 pieces of 110 lb. white cardstock with a "Grand Scalloped Ovals" die (discontinued), also from Spellbinders. I scored the end of one piece about 1/2" from the edge, and adhered the other to that above the fold. This created a top fold, scalloped oval card. To help the card stand up, I trimmed off about 1/2" from the bottom of the back panel, leaving a straight edge. I also die cut a scalloped oval from cream cardstock, and adhered that to the front of my card base.

To assemble my card, I adhered the stamped oval to the card base, and adhered the focal panel to that, centering both. I tied a bow from some red & white gingham ribbon, and used Perfect Paper Adhesive to glue that & three clear gems to the front of my card. And another card is DONE! I figure by now I'm probably about 5/8 of the way through with our holiday cards. Stressed? Me? Nooooo...! LOL

I'm also entering both cards in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Monday "Holly Jolly Stamping"

Pile It On #98: "Anything Christmas/Winter"

I'm also entering my second card only in the following challenges:

Merry Monday Challenge #183: "Candy Canes"

Doodle Pantry Ants in My Pants Digital Challenge #12: "Anything Goes"