Sunday, August 27, 2017

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"

22 comments:

  1. Hi Andrea. I love your card. I live in North Texas. Hope you are not in the storm.

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  2. Lovely tree! The script background look s fab. We don't get a white Christmas here in the NW of the UK either, as any snow we do have tends to be a bit later. We had a white Boxing Day a couple of years ago, but it didn't stay white for long! Thanks so much for joining us at CCT, April x

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  3. I really like the stamp set you used, and your background elements are fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing with us in the a2z Scrapbooking Blog's August "Bright & Beautiful" challenge!
    Hugs,
    Leslie, a2z DT

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  4. That foiling is very pretty and must give a lovely shimmer. I also hope you are safe.
    Thanks for playing along at Christmas Card Throwdown.

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    1. Thank you, Alison! Yes, we are safe. The flooding is a few hundred miles south of us. :)

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  5. glad to hear you're safe...love your Texas pine tree and happy to see it at a2z!

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  6. I truly hope you are safe in the weather you are having. Lovely design, it seems so early for Christmas things, but it will be here before we know it.

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    1. Thank you, Delia! :) Yes, we are quite OK. Just a gentle rain over the weekend for us, then clouds clouds clouds.

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  7. Hope uou are safe! Your card is beautiful. Thanks for joining A Blog Named Hero.

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  8. Your tree is beautiful, and unmistakably Christmassy even without the snow! Thank you for joining us at the Christmas Card Throwdown.

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  9. Really pretty! Thanks for sharing at a2z!

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  10. I don't get snow here in California either, but love trees and I love how your tree turned out. Lovely card. So glad you joined us at A2Z Xcrapbooking.

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  11. wonderful holiday card! Thanks for joining in the fun at a2z.

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