Winter Deer

The technique challenge theme at Christmas Card Throwdown this month is "Embossed Impressions." I used heat embossing on the background of my card this time.

For my focal panel, I chose the "Deck the Halls" mini stamp set by Lia Griffith for Hero Arts. I used Operation Write Home's Sketch #59 for my design, and cut my focal panel from Canson XL Mixed Media paper to the measurements in the sketch. For the background on my focal panel, I die cut full-sticky Post It notes with a My Favorite Things "Snowdrifts" die (discontinued). I applied the mask to my panel, and stamped the tree line with the solid layer of the "Color Layering Christmas Tree" set. I only inked up the top portion of the stamp with Hero Arts Soft Leaf ink, and stamped above my mask, making sure to vary the heights & spacing of my trees. When I finished stamping the trees, I inked over the area with Stormy Sky Distress ink, then removed my mask. I also used the mask to ink light bits of Stormy Sky on the snow, to indicate drifts.

I stamped the deer from "Deck the Halls" with Colorbox Chestnut Roan ink, using my MISTI so I could stamp them a couple of times. Then I added shading with my Prismacolor colored pencils, so the images didn't look quite so flat. I considered adding the antlers in the set to the larger deer, but decided to leave it a doe instead. I also added a bit of pinky-beige colored pencil to the insides of their ears & noses.

To create the background panel, I cut a piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper to 5.5x4.25". I stamped the Hero Arts "Designer Woodgrain" background on that with Versamark ink, & heat embossed with Ranger Super Fine Detail Gold embossing powder. I inked over that with Tea Dye & Vintage Photo Distress inks, and added a bit of shading around the edges with Ground Espresso Distress ink. I also inked around the edges of my brown mat with Ground Espresso. Finally, I matted my focal panel, adhered a strip of light blue cardstock to the background, adhered my matted panel on top, and mounted the whole card front to a white A2 card base.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create #200: "Anything Goes"
A Blog Named Hero's August challenge: "Embossing"

Peace & Joy - Texas Style

A Blog Named Hero's challenge theme this month has been "Embossing." I'm not sure if dry embossing is acceptable for this challenge, but I went with heat embossing on this card, just to be on the safe side. Here in Texas, we don't get much snow, and certainly not at Christmas time. In the 39 years we've lived here, I have experienced only ONE white Christmas. So I made this card, using the "Color Layering Christmas Tree" stamp set by Hero Arts, in the Texan Christmas style! :)

I began by stamping the tree onto a scrap of white cardstock. I used Memento Bamboo Leaves ink for the base layer, and stamped it 3 times to get a darker shade. I stamped the second layer with Memento Cottage Ivy, and the third with Hero Arts Pine ink. For the final layer, I decided to do something a little different. I stamped with Versamark, and sprinkled on Ranger Sticky embossing powder. I heated that just until it melted, then laid a piece of Opal DecoFoil over the tree. I rubbed the foil with my fingertip so that it adhered to the embossing. The look is really subtle--even more so than I was expecting--but I like it. Finally, I die cut the tree with the coordinating die, & stamped the trunk with Hero Arts Cup o' Joe ink.

Detail of the foiling

I die cut an oval from Canson XL Mixed Media paper with a Spellbinders "Classic Ovals LG" die. I also cut that in 2 with one of the "Snow Drifts" dies (discontinued) from My Favorite Things. I inked the top part with Tumbled Glass & Broken China Distress inks. For the grass (remember, this is a "Green Christmas" card), I used Old Paper & Crushed Olive inks, for that kind of "dead" yellow grass look. I placed the 2 oval sections back together, and glued my tree on top, so that the tree held the oval together.

For the background, I cut a 5.25x2" strip of green cardstock, & two 5.25x1" strips of patterned paper from my scrap stash. I adhered them to a light blue A2 size cardstock panel. I glued my oval in place, and stamped my greeting, from Hero Arts' "Merry Christmas Message" set (possibly discontinued), in Versamark ink. I heat embossed that with Recollections Snow embossing powder, and mounted my finished card front to a white A2 card base.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Christmas Card Throwdown's "Embossed Impressions"
a2z Scrapbooking's August challenge: "Bright & Beautiful"

Happy Birthday Bouquet

The last day of Camp Create at My Favorite Things focuses on "Delightful Die Cutting." I created this birthday card for a friend of ours whose birthday is next week.

I decided to make a flowerpot card, following a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers.com. For the flowers, I used MFT's "Watercolor Flowers" stamp set (apparently discontinued) & coordinating dies. I created the card base following the instructions in the tutorial. I used Fiskars' "Scallop Sentiment" border punch for the lower edge of the pot's rim. For the patterned paper piece on the base of the pot, I used one from Pebbles' "Garden Party" 6x6" pad. Then it was time to decorate!

Because the dies in this set are solid, I first die cut several flowers & leaves, and then stamped on the die cuts using my MISTI to help with placement. For the pink flowers, I used Memento Angel Pink & Rose Bud, and Lawn Fawn Guava inks. The orange flowers are Memento Cantaloupe & Tangelo, with Hero Arts Orange Soda for the last layer. I used Hero Arts Orchid with Memento Lilac Posies & Sweet Plum for the purple flower; and Memento Pear Tart & Bamboo Leaves for the leaves, adding Hero Arts Moss (double-stamped) for the third layer on the large leaves. Finally, I stamped the flower centers with Hero Arts Navy ink.

Card with insert

Before I adhered my flowers, I stamped a sentiment from MFT's "Birthday Greetings" set on the insert for the card, using Colorbox Chestnut Roan chalk ink. I laid out my flowers at the top of the insert, and picked up the full arrangement with a piece of Glad Press 'n Seal. I adhered the large orange & pink flowers to the insert with foam tape, and used liquid glue on the rest. I also die cut another large leaf from green cardstock, and stamped the "pull" & and arrow from "Interactive Labels." Then I glued that to the back of the floral arrangement, so the recipient knows what to do.

For the outside greeting, I used the "happy birthday" from "Birthday Greetings." I stamped it in Chestnut Roan on white cardstock, and die cut it with a Pretty Pink Posh "Mini Tags" die. I punched a 1/16" hole, and threaded through some twine. I tied the twine around the ribbon on the pot, and adhered the tag to the pot with a glue dot.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Die Cut Divas' "Anything Goes" challenge
613 Avenue Create Challenge #200: "Anything Goes"

Happy Birthday Butterfly

I created this card for My Favorite Things' Camp Create Bonus challenge, "Awesome Ombre." Stephanie Klauck, one of their "camp counselors," demonstrated not only ombre ink blending for a background; but also coloring images with an ombre look, which I had never thought of doing. So I did both with this card.

For the background, I used MFT's "Small Brick Wall" stencil & Dried Marigold Distress ink. I also wanted to mask a butterfly shape, so I die cut one of the "Flutter of Butterflies - Solid" from a full-sticky Post It note. After I cut a panel of Strathmore Smooth Bristol paper to 4x5.5", I adhered the butterfly mask in place, and taped the stencil down over that. I blended the ink up from the bottom, letting it fade out to white at the top. I have done this before with different shades of ink, but never with just one color. I'm really happy with how it turned out!

Before I removed my butterfly mask, I adhered the negative piece from when I die cut it around the positive mask. I removed the positive piece, and inked up the butterfly area with Tumbled Glass Distress ink, again getting an ombre look. I felt like I didn't get a deep enough color on the bottom, so I added in a bit of Broken China ink. When I had the color like I wanted, I removed the negative mask.

For the overlay part of the butterfly, I die cut the coordinating "Flutter of Butterflies - Lace" from more bristol paper. I used a green Tombow marker, and applied the color to the bottom. Then I blended it out towards the top with a water brush. I die cut a body from black cardstock, and glued that to the overlay, then glued that in place over the stenciled butterfly on my background. Finally, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the overlay & body.

I die cut the greeting using one of the "Happy Trio" dies from My Favorite Things (discontinued) & their "Little Lowercase Letters" to spell "birthday." I applied Stick It adhesive to the back of my black cardstock before die cutting. Then I used my tweezers to apply the word/letters to my background. When I had them positioned correctly, I used my teflon bone folder to burnish them in place.

To finish my card, I cut two 1/8" strips of black cardstock, and glued them along the sides of a white A2 card base. Then I adhered my main panel, added some Nuvo White Blizzard Glitter Drops, and this card was done!

Joy

My Favorite Things' Camp Create goes on! The craft activity for Day 4 is "Monochromatic Magic." I used MFT's "Sophisticated Snowflake" (apparently discontinued) & "Joyous Christmas Sentiments" (also apparently discontinued) for my simple, monochromatic holiday card.

I cut a piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper to 4.5x6". I wanted it a little larger than an A2 card size, so I could mask off the edges. I masked off 1/4" on each side with painter's tape, and stamped the snowflakes with Versamark ink. After I stamped each snowflake, I sprinkled on Ranger Silver Pearl embossing powder, so I could see where I had stamped. Finally, when I had finished stamping, I melted the powder with my heat gun, and removed the powder-coated pieces of tape.

I then taped my panel to a wooden cutting board with yellow Frog tape, both to mask the edges again and so it would stay flat. Then I blended Abandoned Coral, Candied Apple, Festive Berries, & Fired Brick Distress inks to create an ombre look on my panel. After I had the inks down, I spritzed the paper generously with my homemade Perfect Pearls mist, and tilted the board around to get the color to move somewhat. I dried it with my heat gun, and buffed off the extra ink from the embossed snowflakes. Then I added flicks of gold (which I used as a neutral) with Champagne Gold & Yellow Gold Gansai Tambi Starry Colors watercolors over my panel.

When I went to trim down my panel, I realized that my measurements had been slightly off when I cut and masked it. So, I decided instead of leaving the masked white border, I'd just die cut the piece down with a Lawn Fawn "Small Stitched Rectangle" die.

I cut am A2 size mat from pearlized cardstock by The Paper Studio. I die cut an oval from that panel with a "Large Stitched Oval" die from Lawn Fawn. I stamped my greeting on that with Versamark, and heat embossed with Ranger Super Fine Detail Gold embossing powder. I attached that to my inked panel with a bit of foam tape in the middle of the oval, and brads at the ends. Finally, I adhered my focal panel to the mat, covering up the oval hole, and mounted my card front to a white A2 card base.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Christmas Card Throwdown: "Embossed Impressions"
Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: "Add a Sentiment"

Celebrate Your Special Day

Day 3's theme for My Favorite Things' Camp Create is "Background Bonanza." Stephanie Klauck, one of the camp counselors, demonstrated using stencils & ink blending to create backgrounds. I went a slightly different route, using MFT's "Wood Plank" background stamp with ink blending/emboss resist.

I cut a panel of Canson XL Mixed Media paper to 4x5.25". I stamped the "Wood Plank Background" on that with Versamark ink, and heat embossed with Recollections Copper Detail embossing powder. Then I ink blended with Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Brushed Corduroy, & Gathered Twigs Distress inks. When I had the "wood" look I wanted, I buffed off the ink from the embossed lines.

I die cut one of the "Flutter of Butterflies - Solid" from another scrap of mixed media paper, & the coordinating "Flutter of Butterflies - Lace" from vellum. I also die cut a body from navy cardstock. I used 3 colors of Tombow markers to scribble areas on the solid butterfly, and then spritzed it generously with my homemade Perfect Pearls mist. I dried it with my heat tool, and repeated with the markers & mist to get a deeper color. I dried it again with my heat tool, then applied a bit of liquid glue to the center of that piece, and glued the vellum butterfly to that. Finally, I glued on the body, and set that aside to dry.

After die cutting one of the "Mini Delicate Doilies" from white cardstock, I marked the vertical center of my woodgrain panel. I lined up the doily, centered on that mark, as well as the butterfly. I heat embossed a greeting from MFT's "Birthday Greetings" stamp set with Recollections Snow embossing powder onto a strip of light teal cardstock, and adhered that over the doily.

For the mat, I cut a piece of navy pearlized cardstock from The Paper Studio. I inked around the edges with my Versamark pad, and then sprinkled on more copper embossing powder. I heat set that, and adhered my main panel to that. Finally, I mounted my card front to a white A2 card base.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Dies R Us Challenge #79: "Anything Goes Using Dies"
Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: "Add a Sentiment"

Back on Your Feet

Lawn Fawnatics' current challenge theme is "Custom Sentiments." My mom needed a get well card for a friend. I found this card through Pinterest, and used it as my inspiration.

I began by making the turtle. I die cut his shell using a Spellbinders "Standard Circles LG" die, then cut that in half. I embossed one half with the Cricut Cuttlebug "Honeycomb" embossing folder. After inking around the edges with Peeled Paint Distress ink, I inked the straight edge of the other half of the circle. I glued that behind the embossed piece, letting about 1/8" show through beyond the straight edge as a finishing touch for the shell. I hand cut the legs, using a 1/8" Corner Chomper to round the 2 corners. I also drew & cut the tail & head, and glued all my pieces to the shell. I added toenails & shading where the head meets the neck with a Tombow marker, and also inked around the edges with Peeled Paint. Finally, I drew on a smile with a black Pitt pen, and added googly eyes for the cute factor.

For the grass, I used 2 colors of green cardstock & Lawn Fawn's "Grassy Hillside Borders" dies. I decided how high each section should be, and cut them with 3 of the dies. After I adhered them together, I placed the grass on my A9 card base, & marked with a pencil where the sky would need to end. Then I cut a panel from light blue cardstock a little longer than that and the width of the card. I adhered the sky, & then adhered the grass in place.

I die cut 2 cloud sections with the "Puffy Cloud Borders" dies from Lawn Fawn. I adhered the top section to my card, and used my MISTI & Lawn Fawn's "Riley's ABCs" to stamp the greeting on the lower cloud section. Then I adhered that in place, butted up against the top cloud layer. All that was left was to glue down my turtle in the grass, and this get well card was done!

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: "Add a Sentiment"
Dies R Us Challenge #79: "Anything Goes Using Dies"
Die Cut Divas August Challenge: "Anything Goes"

Have a Lovely Birthday

The crafty theme for Day 2 of My Favorite Things' Camp Create is "Magnificent Masking." I did a masking technique that Jennifer McGuire demonstrated a couple of years ago.

I cut several masks from full sticky Post It notes using the coordinating dies for "Watercolor Flowers" by My Favorite Things. After placing them on a 4x5.25" white cardstock panel, I inked the background with Bundled Sage Distress ink. Then it was time to start stamping.

Leaving the masks in place to help me remember which flowers went where, I adhered the panel in my MISTI with repositionable adhesive so it wouldn't move. I had to place it in the middle, because several of my stamps hung off the edges. I placed the solid "Watercolor Flowers" stamps (this stamp set has been discontinued) over their respective masks, picked them up with the door of the MISTI, and removed just those masks. Then I inked them up using Memento Angel Pink, Cantaloupe, Lulu Lavender, & Dandelion; and Altenew Frosty Pink inks and stamped. I repeated this process with the solid images for all my flowers, before moving on to the next step.

I stamped the second step for the flowers, lining them up with the solid images. For these I used Hero Arts Bubble Gum, Orchid, & Butter Bar; Memento Tangelo; and Altenew Coral Berry inks. For the final layer of my flowers, I inked with Lawn Fawn Guava, Memento Morocco & Sweet Plum, Altenew Ruby Red, and Simon Says Stamp Sunshine. Finally, I stamped all the flower centers with Hero Arts Navy ink.

For the greeting, I used one from My Favorite Things' "Birthday Greetings" stamp set. I stamped with Versamark onto a strip of navy cardstock, & heat embossed with Recollections Snow Detail embossing powder. After adhering that in place with my ATG tape runner, I matted my panel with more navy, and mounted it to a white A2 card base.

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

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: "Add a Sentiment"
613 Avenue Create: "Anything Goes"

Enjoy Your Special Day

My Favorite Things is having another week of Camp Create as this summer winds down. Day 1's crafty challenge was "Inlaid Made Easy." I didn't do quite as elaborate a design as the camp instructor, but I still like how my simple birthday card came out!

I used MFT's "Blueprints 20" dies (apparently discontinued) for my card. I began by die cutting the quilt squares from scraps of cardstock. The die is all one piece, and I didn't feel like cutting all the squares each time, just for the 2 I needed. However, it was easy to line my scraps up over the squares I wanted & cut them without missing any parts.

After I cut the squares & inside design pieces from blue, pink, lavender, & yellow cardstocks, I ran the die through my machine once more to get the dark purple frame. I embossed a piece of golden yellow cardstock with the Provo Craft "Oxford" embossing folder, and glued my frame in the center of that panel. Then I used Perfect Paper Adhesive to glue the inner pieces into each opening in the frame. I used more glue to mount that panel to a piece of light purple cardstock that I'd cut with another "Blueprints 20" die, and then adhered that to a piece of black cardstock cut to A2 size.

For the greeting, I used one from MFT's "Birthday Greetings" stamp set. I die cut the banner from "Blueprints 20" from a scrap of vellum, and stamped the greeting on that with Ranger Archival Jet Black ink. I dried it with my heat tool, and ran the banner through my Xyron Create a Sticker machine to apply adhesive to the back. Finally, I adhered the banner across the middle of my quilt panel.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge: "Add a Sentiment"
Through the Craft Room Door: "Anything Goes"
Die Cut Divas: "Anything Goes"
Dies R Us Challenge #79: "Anything Goes Using Dies"

Floral Sympathy Card

I recently learned that the mother of an old friend of mine had passed away. So I created this card for my friend & her husband, just to let them know I'm thinking of them. I based my design on the sketch for the current Fusion challenge. I rotated the sketch to be a landscape format & flipped the 2 panels to put the greeting on the smaller one.

I cut a piece of Strathmore Smooth Bristol paper to 5.5x3" for my image panel. I stamped the main flower from Essentials by Ellen's "Mondo Hydrangea" set multiple times. I heat embossed as I went with Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder, and masked after each embossing to stamp the next cluster. I did make sure to turn the stamp with each new impression, so I didn't build up any pattern. I finally ended up with a panel full of hydrangea blossoms.

To color the flowers, I used 2 Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers--a violet and a blue--and a water brush to blend/lighten the colors. I added a light yellow-green for the stems and flower centers. I started by coloring the fullest blooms, that you can see all 4 petals on, because they were the easiest to see what petals went together. As I colored more and more blossoms, it got easier to see how the flowers were turned. I didn't worry about a light source or shading; I just wanted a panel full of subtly-colored blooms. After I had finished coloring, I set that panel aside to dry.

I cut another strip from light blue cardstock, and die cut the top edge with a Lawn Fawn "Stitched Hillside Borders" die. After positioning the "sympathy" from Avery Elle's "With Sympathy" stamp set, using my MISTI to help me get it straight & positioned right, I added the small "with" from the same set. I stamped them on my blue cardstock with Versamark ink, and heat embossed with Liquid Platinum. I adhered the image panel even with the top edge of a white A2 landscape card base, and then adhered my greeting panel below it.

I'm also entering this card in the August Ellen Hutson "Mix It Up Challenge."

Personalized Birthday Card

The theme for Lawn Fawnatics Challenge #10 is "Custom Sentiments." I have a friend whose birthday is coming up soon, and decided to make her a card. I got the idea for the greeting from Jennifer McGuire.

For the main part of the card, I chose Lawn Fawn's "Claire's ABCs" & Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' "Script Birthdays" stamp sets. I also used "Quinn's ABCs" & "Quinn's Capital ABCs" for her name. I decided a little rainbow stamping--OK, a lot!--was in order. What is more festive than bright rainbow colors??? :) I had 12 lines of text, not counting the name, so I decided to use 2 shades of each color.

Sizing the panel was the biggest challenge with this card. I initially planned on doing all the stamping on a 4x5.25" panel. Ha! I quickly realized all my stamping would take up way more real estate than that! I finally decided to do a "test copy," and cut a piece of copy paper. I set up my stamps on a few acrylic blocks, and stamped everything out like I wanted it on that paper. I determined from that test that my panel had to be 6-5/8" tall. So I cut a piece of Canson XL Mixed Media paper to 4-3/4x6-5/8". (My plan at this point was to make a 5x7" card, with my focal panel matted.) Then I marked the vertical center, so I could keep my stamping in the middle of the panel. (When I set up my stamps, I made sure to center them on my blocks--also not an easy task!)

I stamped out my greeting, going in rainbow order. I used Hero Arts Bubble Gum; Lawn Fawn Guava; Hero Arts Fresh Peach; Memento Tangelo; Hero Arts Butter Bar, Lemon Yellow, Lime Green, Green Hills, Pool; Memento Danube Blue, Grape Juice; & finished with Lawn Fawn Fresh Lavender. Whew! When it came to stamping the name, I used Versamark, and heat embossed with Recollections Snow detail embossing powder. I colored in those letters with my Tombow markers, choosing colors that went pretty well with the inks I'd chosen, and blending as I went across.

This is where my card design took a(nother) left turn. I wanted balloons, but didn't have enough room for them on my panel. No worries! I trimmed my panel to 3-1/2" wide (basically leaving 1/8" of space on either side of "Audra"), and cut 2 more narrow panels to go on either side. Now my card would be 5-1/2x6-5/8". I die cut several masks using the two smallest of Lawn Fawn's "Party Balloons" dies, and adhered them to one of my narrow side panels. I inked over them with Distress Oxide inks in Picked Raspberry, Fossilized Amber, Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean, & Wilted Violet, again going in rainbow order. After I finished inking, I spritzed on water from my Distress Sprayer, let that sit for a few seconds, then blotted it up with a dry cloth. I repeated the process on the other narrow panel. I was pleasantly surprised that, even though I'd used regular masking paper and the masks had stained when I sprayed the water, the balloon shapes on my inked panels remained white. Cool! :)

To finish my card, I created a portrait-oriented card base. I cut 2 pieces of white cardstock, one at 5-1/2x6-5/8" & the other 1/2" longer. I scored the longer one at 1/2", and adhered my other panel to the underside of the resulting flap. I adhered my side panels with my ATG tape runner, covering up the flap on the card base. For the center panel, I used Scor Tape to adhere a piece of craft foam to the back, and more Scor Tape to mount it to my card base.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge: "Happy Birthday"
613 Avenue Create Challenge #200: "Anything Goes" (not playing the "Shabby Chic" twist)

Decking the Halls--Penguin Style

Aud Sentiments challenge blog's theme for their current challenge is "No Sentiment on Front of Project." Yes, it does seem a bit odd for a sentiment challenge blog, but there it is! :) I created my card for Christina Hor's holiday/winter card drive for children in the Heart Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital. This card inspired my design.

I knew I didn't want to die cut my penguins (from Mama Elephant's "Arctic Penguins" set). No great earth-shattering reason--I just like to make things harder for myself every once in a while! :) I created masks for the penguins, and used those to help me decide where they would go on my panel. I stamped the hat first, and masked it. Then, using my MISTI, I placed my top penguin, picked it up with the door, and masked off the feet. The penguins in this set are wearing ice skates, which I figured would be kind of difficult to balance on, standing on top of each other. So I just stamped everything--but their feet--with Hero Arts Black dye ink. After I stamped my first penguin, I masked him, stamped the middle one, masked him, and stamped the bottom penguin.

I don't have a suitable Christmas tree stamp, so I went looking online. I found one on Free Stock Photos' website that looked like it would work. I scanned my panel with the penguins stamped on it into my computer, and opened that in Photoshop. I opened the tree file in Photoshop, and moved it to the file that had the card panel. I sized & positioned it, and (digitally) erased the star & ground lines, since they wouldn't work with my design. Then I printed just the tree onto my panel.

After drawing my penguins' feet & a tree stand for the tree with a pencil, I traced over those lines with a fine-tip black pen. To color everything, I used my Prismacolor colored pencils. Usually, I color like my light source is from the top right. But, when coloring the tree, I happened to notice that the highlights on the ornaments are on the top left. Thankfully, I hadn't colored very much, and was able to adjust with no problem. I colored the tree stand like an inverted whisky barrel, and added a horizon line & some snow/shadow lines on the ground with a light grey pencil. I punched a star from silver glitter paper, using a Recollections punch, and glued it so it looks like the top penguin is going to place it on the tree. As soon as he can reach it, of course! :)

To finish my card, I first die cut the panel with the largest of Lawn Fawn's "Small Stitched Rectangle" dies. I also die cut another A2-size panel with a Lawn Fawn "Large Stitched Rectangle." I adhered the focal panel to my mat, and mounted that on my white card base. To help the penguins' eyes pop, I added tiny drops of Ebony Black Nuvo Crystal Drops. I also added white gel pen to the highlights on the ornaments, and coated them & the star with Glossy Accents. And that finished this card!

I'm also entering this card in Die Cut Divas "Anything Goes" challenge.

Holiday Wishes

Christina Hor is collecting cards for children with congenital heart diseases at Nationwide Children's Hospital. The theme for this card drive is "Winter Wishes" or "Holiday Wishes." You can find out the details & card requirements at her blog. I created this card to send in for that.

I used Operation Write Home's Sketch #124 as the basis for my design. I cut the focal panel slightly larger than the one in the sketch, to 4x4", to accommodate my image & greeting better. I stamped the "Wonderous Kitty" from Stampendous in Hero Arts Charcoal ink onto my kraft panel. I positioned the greeting, from Hero Arts' "Color Layering Christmas Tree" set, so the opening stroke of the "w" lined up with the tip of the holly leaf. I stamped that with Charcoal ink as well. I colored the kitty with my Prismacolor colored pencils, to look like our youngest, Barney. I went over his whiskers with a white pencil, and colored in the pupils with a black glaze pen. I added the catch lights in his eyes & highlights on the berries with a white gel pen. I also added highlights to the left side of the letters in the greeting with a white gel pen, just to help it stand out a bit more.

To assemble my card, I cut 2 pieces of plaid patterned paper from Graphic 45's "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" 8x8" pad. I made one a narrow strip to go above the focal panel, and the other one long enough to fit below. I also increased the width from what the sketch said. I adhered those pieces to a panel of Hot off the Press "Red Holly" patterned paper, and then mounted my focal panel. For the ribbon, I cut a slit on either side of the plaid paper, and fed the ends of a short piece of ribbon through, taping them on the back. I followed the instructions in this video to make a faux bow from more of the same ribbon. I used my paper piercer to help separate the threads in the ribbon I had run across the plaid panel, so I could feed the bow ribbon through. Finally, I scrunched up the flat ribbon around the "knot" in the bow, just so it looked like one piece of ribbon tied in a bow, and secured it in place with glue dots. All I had left to do was adhere my card front to a white A2 card base.

I'm entering this card in Creative Knockouts' Challenge #205: "Furry Friends."

Polka-dotted Birthday

I find that I'm always in need of birthday cards, as I'm sure most people are. I don't have a specific recipient in mind for this one--yet--but I'm sure the need will arise before too long! I used the mood board from the current Pin-Sights challenge at the Ellen Hutson CLASSroom blog, and the sketch from the current Fusion challenge:

I had a white cardstock panel on my desk--left over from some project--that just happened to be A2 size. So no having to rummage in my scrap files or cut into a new piece of cardstock! I used one of the "Stitched Basic Edges 2" dies from My Favorite Things to cut the panel into 2 pieces. I wanted to use the polka-dot theme from the Pin-Sights challenge photo, so I broke out my Essentials by Ellen "Bokeh Dots" stamp set. I stamped 3 sizes of dots using Lawn Fawn Guava & Fresh Lavender, and Memento Bahama Blue & Dandelion inks. I did both first- & second-generation stamping of my dots, and on the blue even a bit of third-generation. After I had pretty well filled the upper panel with dots, I set it aside to work on the rest of my card.

For the greeting, I used My Favorite Things' "Cause for Celebration" die set for the "birthday," & Papertrey Ink's "Polka Dot Parade" alphabet stamps (apparently discontinued) for the "happy." (I thought the dots in the letter stamps echoed the bokeh pattern in the upper section of my card front.) I die cut the birthday from a scrap of plum cardstock, and glued it to the lower panel with Perfect Paper Adhesive. Then I stamped the happy with Memento Elderberry ink. Even though it's not quite as dark as the plum cardstock, I think it still complements it nicely.

After cutting off 1/4" from the bottom of the larger panel, I added craft foam to the back of each die cut panel with Scor-Tape. I adhered another scrap of plum cardstock to the card base, and mounted my panels so that a bit of the plum peeks through between them. As a finishing touch--and because I can never leave anything that CAS--I glued on some dots that I'd made earlier with White Blizzard & Honey Gold Nuvo Glitter Drops.

I'm also entering this card in Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday "Anything Goes" challenge.