Happy Birthday!

The current Lawn Fawnatics challenge is "Fun with Dies." I did have a lot of fun putting this card together for a friend of mine!

I had only made one magic picture changer card with this die set from Lawn Fawn before this. I did watch a video by Carissa Wiley, demonstrating how to use the die, since it's been so long since then & I wanted a refresher course. But really, it's pretty easy to put together.

I stamped the cake, from "Birthday Before 'n Afters," on a piece of Strathmore Smooth Bristol paper with Ranger Jet Black Archival ink. I also stamped the other cake from the same set on the same paper. I colored both images with my Tombow markers, using a damp paintbrush to move the color & add shading. Finally, I die cut the images with the "Magic Picture Changer" dies.

The Magic Picture Changer with the second picture revealed

I used the "Magic Picture Changer Add-on" die set to cut the frame from a piece of Lawn Fawn's 12x12" Perfectly Plaid: Chill paper. After I assembled my magic picture changer, I adhered the frame to the front. I also stamped the "happy birthday" from "Birthday Before 'n Afters" using Guava ink onto a strip of white cardstock. Then I cut that into a banner shape, and adhered it to the front of my frame. I also used the "pull" tab from the add-on die set. After adhering it to the strip on the magic picture changer, I inserted the "P" into its spot, and used that as a guide to glue the center in place. (I did remove the letter before the glue dried.)

I didn't want just a plain background, so I used the "lit" cake stamp to stamp a pattern on a piece of hot pink cardstock with Guava ink. This tone-on-tone look gives enough interest without overwhelming the focal point. After I finished stamping, I adhered that panel to the front of a white A2-size card base, then mounted my magic picture changer with foam tape.

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

Through the Craft Room Door: "Anything Goes"
My Favorite Things The Birthday Project Challenge: "Shake, Move, & Groove!"
613 Avenue Create Challenge #227: "Anything Goes" (not playing the twist)

Merry Christmas Stocking

Send a Smile 4 Kids is currently collecting holiday & winter themed cards for the hospitalized children they serve. I created this one for that purpose.

I began by sizing the "Candy Cane Stocking" digital image (discontinued) from Bugaboo in Photoshop. I then printed it onto a piece of Strathmore Vellum Bristol paper, & colored it with my Prismacolor colored pencils.

I used a greeting from an old Doodle Pantry set, "Holiday Greetings" (discontinued). I printed it onto a piece of red patterned paper from my scrap stash. I cut 3 banners from different patterned papers, also from my scrap stash. I adhered the greeting panel to the bottom of my A2-size card front, and the banners in the upper left corner. The banners, image panel, & greeting create a diagonal line from top left to bottom right. I matted my image panel with a narrow green mat, to help it stand out more, and adhered it to my card front. Finally, I mounted the card front to a white card base.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Through the Craft Room Door: "Anything Goes"
Send a Smile 4 Kids: "Happy Holidays 4 Kids OR Anything Goes 4 Kids"

Bringing Home the Tree

The current theme for the Dies R Us challenge is "Trees and/or Leaves." I decided to create a Christmas card, with the theme of bringing home the tree.

I began by stamping my truck, from Stampendous' "Truck Tidings" set (discontinued), in Versafine Clair Morning Mist ink on Strathmore Smooth Bristol paper. I die cut that, & also die cut the tree from bristol with the coordinating die from the same "Truck Tidings" set. I colored the truck with my Tombow markers, using a damp paintbrush to spread the color for highlights & shading.

For the tree, I colored the die cut with a base layer of a mid-green Tombow marker. Then I just added flicks for the pine needles with 2 darker green markers, concentrating the shading on the right side, since that would face down when I put it "in" the truck bed.

I cut an A2-size panel from Bazzill Icy Mint cardstock for my card front. I inked around the top & side edges with Broken China Distress ink, just for a bit of color variation. I stamped the "Small Forest" image by Art Impressions in Memento Olive Grove ink. I did second generation stamping for a few of the impressions to give a lighter shade, for a greater feeling of depth.

Because I grew up in Texas, we never had snow when going to get our Christmas tree. So I die cut a strip of 140 lb. watercolor paper with a My Favorite Things "Grassy Fields" die, & inked it with Shabby Shutters Distress ink. I cut a strip for the road from black cardstock. I adhered that to my background, and glue the grass strip right above it. Then I glued down my truck & tree.

I decided to use the Merry Christmas stamp from Hero Arts' "Vintage Christmas Post" set for my greeting. I thought it would be neat to make it look like the stripes on a road, so I stamped it 3 times. I made sure to center the first impression, then stamped it again on either side of that. Using my MISTI stamp positioner made this so much easier! I heat embossed the text with Ranger White Super Fine Detail embossing powder. I realize that the truck is driving on the wrong side of the road in my card, but I figure it's just passing a slower vehicle! :) Finally I adhered my panel to a white card base. Another Christmas card for my stash!

I'm also entering this card in 613 Avenue Create's "Anything Goes" challenge (not playing the twist.

'Tis the Season

The current challenge at A Blog Named Hero is "Nature." I am in full-on holiday card making mode now, so I made a Christmas card with the "Color Layering Wreath" set (discontinued) from Hero Arts.

I began by creating the background, following a tutorial at Scrapbook.com. I used the "Bokeh Dots" stamp set from Ellen Hutson, and stamped several dots with Versamark ink onto a panel of Canson XL Mixed Media paper, then clear heat embossed them. I inked over that with Squeezed Lemonade & Cracked Pistachio Distress inks. I let the panel dry, and stamped & heat embossed more dots, trapping the inked colors underneath. I inked over that with Mustard Seed & Lucky Clover Distress inks. I repeated the process once more, finishing with Fossilized Amber & Pine Needles Distress inks. After that, I ironed off the embossing, to give a smooth matte finish.

I stamped the wreath with Hero Arts Green Hills ink for the first layer, Hero Arts Pine for the second, & finished up with Lawn Fawn's Noble Fir. I die cut with the coordinating die, and used a craft knife to cut out the middle section. I stamped the bow with Delicata Rose Gold shimmer ink. I used Delicata Ruby Red for the berries, and stamped the pine cones with Gina K Charcoal Brown ink onto tan cardstock. I used Lawn Fawn's Doe ink for the acorns on the same tan. I die cut all the elements, and glued them to the wreath.

For the greeting, I used one of the "Mini Tags" dies from Pretty Pink Posh. I thought the round one resembled an ornament, and figured it would look nice "hanging" from the wreath. I stamped my greeting (also from "Color Layering Wreath") first with Versamark & heat embossed with Ranger White Super Fine Detail embossing powder. I die cut that with the tag die, and used Aged Mahogany Distress ink to add shading around the perimeter. I used a silver paint pen to add the "topper" coloring. I poked a hole in the top with my paper piercer. I threaded a length of silver thread through the hole & wrapped it over the bottom of the wreath. I secured that in place on both pieces with double-sided tape.

To mute the background a bit so my wreath wouldn't get (visually) lost, I cut a piece of Essentials by Ellen 40 lb. vellum, & sewed that to my background. I adhered my wreath & ornament in place, and that finished this card.

A Wonderful Holiday Season

The November sketch challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown inspired the design for this card. The background is actually a technique piece that I did last summer, I believe for Dare to Get Dirty at Splitcoaststampers. I also used the "Mistletoe & Holly" stamp set & coordinating dies from the Essentials by Ellen line (discontinued), and one of the "Stitched Tags" by Pretty Pink Posh.

I first stamped the poinsettia in Simon Says Stamp Fog ink onto a scrap of Strathmore Vellum Bristol paper. I used my Prismacolor pencils to color it. Then I put the paper back in my MISTI stamp positioning tool, which I'd used to stamp initially, and stamped over the image with Versamark ink. I heat embossed with Ranger's Liquid Platinum embossing powder. That way, I got the heat embossed lines without them messing with my coloring.

To stamp the pine branches, I placed the stamp in my MISTI, and this time used smooth bristol paper. I began by coloring the stem portion of the stamp with a brown Tombow marker. I gave it a light mist of water, then stamped it onto my paper. I dried the stamp, and colored over the needles with a dark green marker. Then I misted that and stamped. I repeated this process a few times to get the depth of color I wanted. Then I did it all again for the second branch. Finally, I die cut the images with their coordinating dies.

I stamped my greeting onto a scrap of burgundy cardstock, and heat embossed with Ranger White Super Fine Detail embossing powder. I die cut that with a "Stitched Tags" die. I cut a 1" wide strip of patterned paper (from my scrap stash), and adhered it to my background. I arranged my images & tag over that on the left side, and glued them down. I added 3 red sequins for a bit of festive shine. I matted the panel with navy cardstock, & adhered that to a white A2-size card base.