Polar Bear and Northern Lights- a Christmas card

 Aura Borealis aka Northern Lights light up the night sky as a Polar Bear meanders across the landscape. On the usually barren tundra two Christmas Trees require assessment. 

Blender brushes and 4 different blue inks were applied to Granny Apple Green cardstock in the following order : Balmy Blue, Boho Blue, Misty Moonlight, and Night of Navy.

White glimmer paper irregularly cut was added at the bottom for the Bear to walk on and for placement of the trees. The Polar Bear and trees were fussy cut from the Beary Christmas DSP with the edges sponged using Smokey Slate ink. They were added to the card front using dimensionals. Some Wink of Stella was added to the trees.

The sentiment, stamped with Mossy Meadow ink. Was die cut with a Countryside Corner die and added using dimensionals.

Some Basic Gray ink applied lightly below the bear and trees added grounding shadows.

The stars in the sky were made using a white paint pen.

The sentiment stamped with Mossy Meadow ink was die cut using and added to the card front using dimensionals.

Adhesive backed Glitter Sequins were added randomly to complete the card.

Supplies Used:

Stamp: Elegant Christmas

Inks: Basic Gray, Balmy Blue. Boho Blue, Misty Moonlight, Night of Navy, Mossy Meadow

Papers:  Granny Apple Green, Basic White,  Beary Christmas DSP, White glimmer paper

Accessories:  Dimensionals,      Embellishments, white paint pen, Countryside Corner dies

Slimline Pumpkin Thanksgiving Card - Hand Stamped Sentiments #423

 The challenge at Hand Stamped sentiments #423 is a theme challenge. I decided to make a slimline card featuring pumpkins.

I used the Pretty Pumpkins stamp set as well as Nature Prints.  Dies used include:  Detailed pumpkin dies, Vine slimline die, Stylish Shape Dies.  For papers I used Very Vanilla, Mossy Meadow, All About Autumn (wood grain for under pumpkins). Underneath the pumpkins I added leaves die cut using Autumn Leaves dies.  I used the copper oxidized paper.

So Very Merry Angel - Peace, and Joy - Try Stampin on Tuesday #625

 It's been a while since I've done a challenge.  The summer has been very busy with gardening and house renovations- the latter in my craft area.  My whole room was in total disarray.  Now that I have my craft area partially put together I have managed to participate in some challenges.

For the challenge at Try Stampin' on Tuesday #525, I decided to use one of my new stamp sets, not an old one, using the sketch to create a Christmas card.

The image of the angel was embossed with black embossing powder on vellum cardstock and coloured it with Stampin' blends on the wrong side.

It was die cut with a layering circle die and adhered to a larger white glimmer circle die cut.  This was adhered  using dimensionals to a 3 3/4 by 2 1/4" piece of Boho Blue cardstock notched at one end.

The card base is a  top fold A2 Basic white card. The first layer is a 5 3/8 by 4 1/8" piece of O Holy Night DSP (stars). Layered on that, bit more to the left side, is a 2 3/4 by 5 3/8" of the reverse side of that DSP.  Across the bottom , on the horizontal plane, I added a 1 1/2 by 4 1/8" piece of white glimmer paper.

The image piece was added to the right side of the card front using dimensionals.  

A sentiment, embossed with black embossing powder on vellum, was fussy cut, adhered to white glimmer paper, and added above the image using dimensionals.

Adhesive backed sparkle gems were added randomly to the card front, 

Supplies Used: 

Stamp:  So Very Merry

Inks:  Versa Mark, Stampin' Blends (Lemon  Lolly, Night of Navy, Fresh Freesia, Flirty Flamingo, Blackberry Bliss, Shaded Spruce

Papers:  Basic White, White glimmer, Vellum cardstock, O Holy Night DSP, Boho Blue

Accessories:  Black embossing powder, Layering Circle dies, Adhesive backed sparkle gems, dimensionals

Fruitful Blessings: a Thanksgiving Card

 I love colouring, so the floral image associated with the Fruitful Blessings bundle set spoke to me. So, I stamped and coloured the image and made a Thanksgiving card.

The card base is Moody Mauve layered with Very Vanilla cardstock embossed with the 3D Fall Leaves Embossing Folder.

Across the middle I added a 1" Natural ribbon which I frayed at one end.

After colouring the image using Stampin' Blends, It was die cut using the matching die and added to the card front using dimensionals.

The sentiment, stamped in Moody Mauve ink, was die cut with a Stylish Shaped Die, and added at and angle with dimensionals.

The card was finished with the addition of 3 speckled dots.

Supplies Used:

Stamp:  Fruitful Blessings

Inks:  Black Memento, Moody Mauve, Stampin Blends

          Big Flower:  Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie

          Medium Flower:  Rich Razzelberry, P|umpkin Pie, Copper Clay

          Small flowers:  Daffodil Delight, Copper clay

          Leaves:  Old Olive, Mossy Meadow

Papers:

          Moody Mauve:  5 1/2 by 8 1/2 scored at 4 1/4 to form an A2 card base (top fold)

          Very Vanilla 4 1/8 by 5  3/8"  2 pieces- one for the front and one for the inside. Emboss the one for the front using the 3D Fall Leaf Embossing Folder then add it to the Moody Mauve card base. Add the second piece to the inside.0

          Very Vanilla 3 1/2 by 2 1/2"  to stamp and colour image.  Die cut image after colouring it.

          Very Vanilla 3/4 by 3" for sentiment.  Die cut with Stylish Shape die.

Accessories:

    .Fruitful Blessings Die

    .Stylish Shape dies

    .1" Natural ribbon frayed at one end

    .Dimensionals

    .Adhesive backed speckled dots

    .Wink of Stella (centers of flowers)

Fractured Card Technique, aka Faux Shutter Technique a Tutorial

 This technique is a simple and fun technique that I used to show case one of the patterns of the All About Autumn DSP.

Supplies:

Stamp:  Autumn Leaves

Inks:  Pebble Path, Versa Mark

Papers:

• Thick Very Vanilla 5 1/2 by 8 1/2" Scored at 4 14 to form an A2 card base
• 1 piece of All About Autumn DSP 4 by 5 1/4"
• 4 strips of Pebbled Path Cardstock 1/4 by 6"
• Very Vanilla square 2 by 2"
• Scrap of Very Vanilla cardstock for sentiment
• Scrap of Copper Clay cardstock for mat for sentiment
• 1 die cut leaf, and 1 paired leaf die.  Die cut veins using  Oxidized Copper DSP.  Sponge edges with Pebbled Path ink

Accessories:

• Autumn Leaf dies
• Copper embossing powder
• Copper & Natural Ribbon Combo pack
• Adhesive backed speckled dots
• Adhesive sheets

Method:

1.  Adhere 4 by 5 1/4" DSP to card front
2.  Adhere 2 by 2" piece of Very Vanilla to the left side with the point up (see picture)
3.  Starting at the top right of the square line up the Pebbled Path  strip to the top edge of the square. Go clockwise lining up the strips until you are done. Turn card over and cut off exce.ss.

Decorate:

1. Cut 3 1/4" piece of Natural ribbon in half and fray the end
2.  Tie  a copper ribbon around the bottom and form into a bow.
3.  Adhere this to the 2 by 2" piece at an angle.
4.  Add a veined leaf and a paired leaf using dimensionals.
5.  Emboss the sentiment using copper embossing powder.
6.  Die cut with one of the Nested Essential Dies.  Cut an extra die, trim off ends and place under Very Vanilla sentiment to mat it.  Add sentiment to bottom of card using dimensionals.

Finish card by adding 3 Speckled dots.

Embossed Scrap Card- a tutorial

 This card was cased  and adapted from a card demonstrated on Maker Mania 8 (Sept . 15-17. 2023). This card is made using scraps of DSP left over from earlier projects.

Stamp:  Autumn Leaves

Inks:  Copper Clay, Versa Mark

Papers:  Pecan Pie (card base), Copper foil, Very Vanilla, All About Autumn DSP, Scraps of DSP

Accessories:  Autumn Leaves Dies, Copper Embossing Powder, Adhesive backed Speckled Dots, Dimensionals, 3D Distressed Tile Embossing Fold. 1" Natural ribbon, Oxidized  Copper Specialized DSP

1. Score 4 1/4 by 11 Very Vanilla card stock at 5 1/2".  Burnish fold
2.  Adhere 4 by 5 1/4" piece of Copper Foil to card front.  This is 1st mat.:
3. Adhere 4 1/2 by 3 piece of blue patterned DSP to a 4 3/4 by 3 1/4" piece of Very Vanilla card stock.  Adhere pieces of DSP to patterned DSP.    Sizes of scraps are as follows:  you will need 5 scraps:  1 3/8 x 1 1/4 (2 pieces)  1 1/4 x 1 (2 pieces)  1 1/8 x 2 1/2  (1 piece).  Emboss all pieces with the 3D Distressed Tile Embossing Folder.
4. Sponge edges of all scraps and Very Vanilla pieces with Copper Clay ink
5.  Die cut  a Very Vanilla piece using the Nested Essentials Die.  Sponge edges
6.  Adhere to Blue DSP.  See photo above for placement.
7. Cut a 4" piece of Natural ribbon in half and fray edges.  Fold in half and adhere to left side of card.
8.  Arrange 3 die cut leaves and adhere to this die cut piece,
9. Adhere over folded ribbon using dimensionals
10. Emboss sentiment with Copper embossing powder and fussy cut around it.
11. Adhere below leaves using dimensionals.
12. Add 3 speckled dots.
13. Add a 4 by 5 1/4" piece of Very Vanilla to the inside.  Add a 1" strip of left over DSP to the left side and a left over maple leaf.

Thankful for You- a fall fun fold card

 Today is the last day of summer. Tomorrow is the start of fall, a time when trees change color and everyone frantically put their gardens to bed.

That’s what I was doing but my back got sore so I went. Inside to make a fall card, using the autumn Leaf bundle. Below is the card I made:

I don’t know the name of the fold so I called it a front accordion fold

Supplies

Stamp:  Autumn Leaves

Inks: Copper Clay, Versa Mark, Stampin Blends: Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Mossy Meadow

Papers:  Pebbled Path, Basic White, Copper Clay, All About Autumn DSP, Vellum, Scrap Daffodil Delight, Oxidized Copper

Accessories: Autumn Leaves Dies, Cheerful Daisies die, Copper embossing powder,  Adhesive backed Speckled Dots, Copper Metallic Enamel Effects, Dimensionals

1.  Score 4 1/4 by 11" piece of Pebbled Path cardstock at 1 3/4, 3 1/2, 5 1/4, 7.  Fold mountain, valley, mountain, valley.  Burnish folds well

2.  Score 3 by 6" piece of Pebbled Path cardstock at 3".  Fold in half.

3.  Copper Clay 2 1/2 by 2 1/2"  mat for art piece

4.  Very Vanilla 2 1/4 by 2 1/4"   art piece

5.  Very Vanilla 3 3/4 by 5 1/4 for inside

6.  DSP: 1 1/2 by 5 1/4 (4 pieces)

Die Cuts:

3 Maple Leaves from DSP and/or Oxidized Copper paper

Fussy cut pumpkin from DSP

Die cut 3 Vellum Daisies and 1 leaf pair.  Color vellum daisies with Daffodil Delight/pumpkin pie Stampin Blends; leaves with Old Olive/Mossy Meadow. Spritz with water, shape petals, and adhere together alternating petals to form a sunflower.  Apply copper metallic effects i

n center of flower.

Putting card together:

1. Adhere DSP between card folds

2.  Sponge edges of Very Vanilla for inside of card with Copper Clay ink and add to inside.  Add strip of DSP to left edge."

3.  Create art piece.  Sponge edges of Very Vanilla with Copper Clay ink, Curl edges of die cut leaves up and add to 2 1/4" square Very Vanilla piece using dimensionals.  Add Crushed Curry stems.

4.  Add fussy cut pumpkin with dimensionals.

5.  Add Vellum flowers

6.  Adhere Very Vanilla to Copper clay layer, and this to the left side of the 3 by 6" Pebbled Path piece.

7.  Adhere this art piece to the card as shown, with the left side to the first fold, and the right side to the the fourth fold.  See below

8.  Add a couple of die cut leaves to the inside of the card.

9.  Add 3 of the speckled dot embellishments.

Congratulations - a Slimline Card for Try Stampin on Tuesday #618

 Not all students studying have graduated yet as summer school is still in progress. Thus I made a sort of graduation card  featuring one of the birds from "Bird's Eye View".  Put glasses on the bird and he looks like a wise old owl. 

I made this card for the challenge at Try Stampin on Tuesday #618

Not only did I do the sketch challenge, but I used the following techniques:  die cutting, embossing using an embossing folder, colouring with Stampin' Blends.

Stamps:  Bird's Eye View

Inks:  Black Memento, Stampin' Blends (Smoky Slate, Berry Burst, Daffodil Delight, Azure Afternoon, Pretty Peacock, Fresh Freesia)

Papers: Berry Burst, Basic White, Fresh Freesia, Masterfully Made DSP

Accessories: Stylish Dies, Timeworn Type 3D Embossing Folder, Dimensionals, Tinsel Gems

Very Merry - Hand Stamped Sentient #419

 This card was made for the sketch challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiment. I used one of the new On Line Exclusives "So Very Merry" for this challenge.

The image of the Gingerbread House was embossed with black embossing powder on Vellum card stock.  The sentiment, from the same stamp set, was also embossed with the same powder.

The image was then coloured with Stamp'n Blends on the wrong side using the following colours:  Pecan Pie, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Shaded Spruce, Balmy Blue.

The completed image was die cut using the circle die from the Stylish Shaped dies set.  I die cut a second identical circle in Basic White and adhered the two together.

The card base is Basic White.  

The art piece is a 3 3/4 by 5" piece of Basic white embossed with an embossing folder. In the upper right corner, I added a triangle cut from the" One Horse Open Sleigh DSP.  Two 3/4" diagonal strips of left over from the same DSP was added below the triangle. To add interest, I added some 1/8" gold trim on top of these two strips. 

This piece was matted with a slightly larger piece of Night of Navy card stock.

After adding some twine behind the image piece, it was adhered to the card front using dimensionals.  

To finish the card, I added 3 Adhesive backed sparkle gems.

Supplies Used:

Stamp:  So Very Merry

Inks:  Versa Mark, Stampin' Blends, Balmy Blue

Papers: Basic White, Night of Navy, One Horse Open Sleigh DSP, Vellum

Accessories:  Black Embossing Powder, Adhesive Backed Sparkle Gems, Stylish Shaped Dies, twine, 1/8" gold trim, Embossing Folder.

Coffee with Friends

 There is nothing like having coffee wih friends, a time to share bad times, good times , to share accomplishments etc. This stamp set struck a chord with me and the card I made today will be mailed to a friend I used to have coffee with before she moved away.

For the background I used the scraps from Regency Park DSP.

To do this I added an adhesive sheet over a 4 by 3" piece of Basic White card stock. I had already cut left over pieces of the Regency Park DSP into various sizes of strips. I laid these strips at an angle side by side until the entire cardstock piece was covered. Because the strips had spaces between them I applied Gilded Flakes over these spaces, creating a lovely guilded effect.  After the excess pieces were cut off, I matted it with a slightly larger piece of Crushed Curry card stock, followed by Balmy Blue card stock, which was then mounted onto an A2 Night of Navy card base. Some 1/8" gold trim was added to the Background piece before it was added to the card base.

The image was stamped onto Basic White cardstock, coloured with Stampin' Blends and then die cut with a Deckled Die. This piece was matted with gold glitter cardstock and then Night of Navy. Dimensionals were used between the two layers. A bow of gold trim was added to the bottom of  the image piece.

The sentiment, from the stamp set, was die cut using the Stylish die (circle)

Supplies Used:

Stamp:  Coffee with Friends

Inks: Black Memento, Stampin Blends, Balmy Blue (see below for colours of blends used)

Papers: Night of Navy, Balmy Blue, Gold Glimmer, Basic White, Regency Park DSP (strips)

Accessories: Deckled Die, 1/8" Gold Trim, Brushed Gold Butterfly Embellishments, Stylish Shape die (circle), Dimensionals, Clear Wink of Stella, Adhesive sheet, Gilded Leafing.

Stampin' Blends:

Friend 1:  Lucky Limeade, Bermuda Bay, Smokey Slate

Friend 2:  Poppy Parade, Bubble Bath, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake

Skin Colours: Light and Medium

Coffee Cup:  Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade, Poppy Parade

Bench: Pebbled Path

Grass:  Old Olive

Sky: Balmy Blue

You're Stellar - Try Stampin on Tuesday #612

 Challenge #612 at Try Stampin on Tuesday is both a theme and a sketch challenge.

My goal was to incorporate both.  The focal images became planets , the colours of which were  incorporated  from the challenge images of the Inspiration piece.

And then something happened when I took a picture of my card.........

Because I used Halographic specialty paper on the card front I had a hard time taking a picture of the card. The light reflecting on the paper brought out all these wonderful psychodelic colours of the background. 

                                           

On a Blackberry Bliss cardstock base, I added a 4 by 5 1/4" piece of Halographic Specialty paper.  From the Stargazing DSP, I used the Reach for the Stars dies to die cut 2 different planets - I fussy cut the planet with the rings around it.

The planets were arranged as in the picture.  The die cut planets were adhered directly to the Halographic paper; the ringed planet with dimensionals.

The sentiment was stamped with Blackberry Bliss ink on Basic white. It was fussy cut and added to an oval piece of Blackberry Bliss Halographic paper left over from another project. This was added using dimensionals above the planets.

6 stars were die cut from a scrap of Blackberry Bliss Halographic paper .  They were added randomly on the card front.

Supplies Used:

Stamp: Reach for the Stars

Inks:  Blackberry Bliss

Papers:  Blackberry Bliss, Basic white, Halographic Specialty Paper, Stargazing DSP

Accessories:  Reach for the Stars dies, Dimensionals.

Happy Trails - Try Stampin on Tuesday #611

 I loved going camping when I was a few years younger.  I have fond memories of sleeping in tents (although the mattresses weren't too soft) and making meals over the camp fire - something that might be too dangerous to do today.

So for the themed sketch challenge with Try Stampin on Tuesday #611  I chose to go with a camping theme to reflect "Summer time".  I used the Campology stamp set,

For the focal image, I stamped the larger forest image from the Campology stamp set, on a piece of Basic White card stock and die cut a select square part using the Stylish square die.  Using a blending  brush, I added some blue sky and filled in some Old Olive for grass below the trees.  The bird stamp from "On the Horizon" was used to stamp the birds over the tent.

The tent was stamped separately, coloured, fussy cut and added to the scene using dimensionals. Using a fine black pen I sketched back in the ropes holding the tent secure.

This was added to a Mossy Meadow rectangle embossed with the Rope 3D embossing folder.  Both were added to a piece of Basic White embossed with the Woodlands embossing folder. which in turn was added to a Mossy Meadow card base.

The sentiment was die cut with a small circle Stylish die and added below the image using dimensionals.

The three embellishments beside the image are from the In Color Opal Rounds.

All edges were sponged with Mossy Meadow ink before being added to the card.

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Campology, On the Horizon

Inks:  Black Memento, Mossy Meadow, Old Olive, Basic Gray, Stampin blends (Daffodil Delight, Wild Wheat, Balmy Blue)

Papers:  Mossy Meadow, Basic White, Pear Pizzazz

Accessories:  Stylish Dies, Rope 3D Embossing folder, Woodlands Embossing folder, Corner Rounder punch, In Color Opal Rounds, Dimensionals

Eclectic Garden - Sending Best Wishes - TGIF Challenges #424

 This is my card for the challenge with TGIF Challenges #424

Supplies Used:

Stamp:  Eclectic Garden

Inks:  Black Memento, Stampin Blends various colours, Pool Party, Sweet Sorbet

Papers:  Basic White, Sweet Sorbet, Petal Park DSP

Accessories:  Fern 3D embossing folder, Stylish Shapes die, Triple punch, Dimensionals, Embellishments.