Christmas Postcard with Character Construction

Hi Dreamers!
Hope you are having a great weekend.  I have some more Christmas inspiration for you today.    I stamped this Christmas scene with the Vintage Christmas collection by Character Construction.   I wanted this to look like a Holiday Postcard, hence the postage image in the upper right corner. Looks like they are having a fine old time...bringing home the tree and singing carols on a snowy night.

• Start with Cream CS and make a background with Metallic Stains and Shabby Shutters Distress Re-inker.  (tutorial on making background)
• Stamp the images with Black Soot Distress Ink:

Christmas Postage and Snowflakes from Set #3

Car and Vertical Border from Set #4

Sentiment from Set #2

• Distress with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink

• Layer with black CS onto a green card base.  
• Add small pearls

Isn't this a fun card!!  It is going out to someone on my Christmas Card list. (I really have to work on addressing those and get them out!! Today for sure!)

Challenges for my Christmas Postcard
Blogger's Challenge: create a scene
One Stop Craft Challenge: Christmas Friends
Paper Play: Christmas is coming
Stampin for the Weekend: let it snow
Totally paper crafts: one for the boys

The Blogger's Challenge Blog Hop

Joyful Blue Angel with Paper Artsy

Hi Dreamers!
I hope you are enjoying all the Christmas projects here in Dreamland.  I am having so much fun making all the projects and thinking about who will get each card.  Today, I have a pretty Joyful Angel card with a silvery background.

Materials List:

Stamps: Holiday Theatre Paper Artsy available from Blockheads Paper Arts

Inks: 

Toffee Crunch Memento

Brushed Pewter Ranger Metallic Stain

Weathered Wood and Tumbled Glass Distress Markers

Copic Markers

Cardstock: Solar White  Neenah, navy

Craft sheet

Pearls

Alphabet Stickers

Instructions:

• Make the background with the markers and stains.  

• Stamp the Angel on Solar White cs with Toffee Crunch ink.
• Color with Copics
• Cut out Angel

• Make a card base from the navy CS
• Add the trimmed background piece
• Add Angel with dimensionals
• Spell out Joy with Alphabet stickers

• Add pearls

Love this image!   This is one of those stamps that I kept stamping and stamping just to see what it looked like in different inks.  I went with this softer ink color for a more vintage muted look.


Challenges for my Joyful Blue Angel:
Mark's Finest: Christmas with no red or green
Challenges 4 everyone: anything goes
2 Sisters: Christmas sparkle
My Sheri Crafts: tis the season
Jingle Belles Rock: Christmas + anything goes
By the Cute and Girly: Red white and blue Christmas

How is your card making going??  Are you making cards for Christmas?  Well, I hope you are having a great day!  Oh, let's see what is on the schedule for tomorrow.  Looks like tomorrow is WOYWW.  I will be showing you photos of my cards that are going into a sale.  More about the sale tomorrow.  See you then.  Love ya.

PS: I will be back later today with a decorated box made with Paper Artsy stamps and tissue paper. 

Karen

Dreamy Madonna Christmas Card with Paper Artsy

Hi Dreamers!
I am back again today with a dreamy Christmas card!  I used non-traditional colors and the mind blowing stamps designed by Lynne Perrella-Paper Artsy.  The Paper  Artsy Stamps are available in the USA at Blockheads Paper Arts!  I used markers and stains to make the background for my card.

 size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Materials need to make the background and the card:

Stamps: Babushka Balloon Paper Artsy from Blockheads Paper Arts

Inks:

Black Soot Distress Ink Pad

Markers:

Weathered Wood and Tumbled Glass Distress Markers-Ranger

Summer Sky and Pear Tart Memento Markers

Stains: Brushed Pewter Distress Stain

Cardstock:

White, Cream, and Aqua

Green Ribbon

Craft Sheet

Rhinestones

Click here for instructions on making the Background Paper.

• Make background following Tutorial.  Instead of using the reinkers, scribble the Distress Markers onto the craft sheet. 
• Add a bit of water.
• Proceed per tutorial instructions.
• When background is dry stamp the buildings with Black Soot ink

• Stamp the Madonna on a separate piece of White CS and cut out.
• Color the halo with the Memento Markers.
• Run a Metallic pen around the edges of the halo.
• Glue Madonna to background
• Make slits in this piece at the halo edges.  Feed the ribbon through the slits
• Add this piece to a Aqua Card base
• Add rhinestones

How about a few fun Challenges for my Dreamy Madonna Christmas Card?!!

Bloggers Challenge: Christmas

Sparkles Forum Christmas: Contemporary color Combo

Allsorts: bling
One Stop Craft Challenge: vintage Christmas

Sugar Creek Hollow:vintage Christmas

Have a super weekend!  Love ya.
Karen

Christmas Magic with Paper Artsy

Hi Dreamers,
I am back today after  a nice day of R & R with my good bud, Reem.  We had pedicures, went to lunch, and did a little shopping.  I feel all relaxed and ready to get back to work.  I was in my studio all weekend creating several  Christmas beauties.

I was working with one of the new Christmas sets from Paper Artsy available in the USA from Blockheads Paper Arts.  This is one of those stamp sets that you just want to stamp, and stamp, and stamp.  The detail is amazing.

I made a total of four cards....so far.  I will be sharing them all with you through out the Holiday season.

And as an added bonus, I have a tutorial for you showing how I made the backgrounds.  Here is the first card.

 5 x 6 1/4"

Materials need to make the background and the card:

Stamps: Babushka Balloon Paper Artsy from Blockheads Paper Arts

Inks:

Onyx Black Versa Fine

Shabby Shutters and Forest Moss Distress Ink Re-inkers

Black Soot Distress Ink Pad

Stains: Tarnished Brass Distress Stain

Cardstock:

White, Cream, Red, and Green

Gold Ribbon

Craft Sheet

To Make the Background:

• Start with white CS and a Craft Sheet (a plastic bag would work too). 
• Drop some of the reinkers onto the Craft Sheet
• Rub some of the Metallic Stain onto the Craft Sheet

 I used Stormy Sky reinker in the photo and have finished cards made with that for later!

• Spray some water onto the inks
• Start pressing the cardstock into inks

• You can blot the CS with a paper towel if the ink is too wet.

• Distress Markers also work for this Technique.

Close up of one of the backgrounds made with Weather Wood and Tumbled Glass Distress Markers, Broken China reinker, and Brushed Pewter Metallic Stain on Glossy CS.

Look how versatile this technique is.  I made all these background by changing out the ink colors.  

Now, back to our card:

• I choose the background made with the green inks and Tarnished Brass Stain
• Stamp the Balloon and Buildings stamps with Onyx Black Versa Fine onto the background.
• Trim to size and add to a green card base

• Stamp The Madonna on Cream CS with Black Soot.
• Layer  onto Red CS
• Add to card front with dimensional adhesive

• Tie a bow in the gold ribbon and leave long tails
• Make several  (LOL)

Challenges for my Magic Christmas Card:

Robyns Fetish: Anything goes

Crafty bloggers network: Christmas

Christmas Stampin: anything goes with Christmas

Just Keep on Creating: Christmas

Pennys challenge: lots of layers

Through the craft room door: anything goes #44

Stayed tuned for more of the Paper Artsy Christmas Cards and lots of other good things.   Have a great day!  Love ya

Karen

CAS Snowman Cards with Metallic Stains

HI Dreamers!
I wanted to pop in and show you some of the things I have been doing with the Metallic Distress Stains from Ranger.  I made several Snowman cards using the Stains as a background for the Blockheads November CAS Technique Challenge.

Materials List:

Blockhead Stamps: An Illustrated Christmas

            Verses-Feel Better

Metallic Distress Stains from Ranger

Black Pigment Ink

Black Embossing Powder

Cardstock: White, Navy, and Red

Ribbon

Close up

Start with White CS and cover it with Brushed Pewter Stain.  It goes on pretty smooth and even.  You can go over the CS twice to fill in.  Let dry.

Looks like this:  All lovely and shimmery

Now you can stamp the snowman with pigment ink and heat emboss with black powder.

Note: On the samples above, I covered the CS with the stain and then stamped.  In the photo below, you can see the difference if you stamped first and then added the Stain ( sample on right). Quite a difference in the finished look.

 Here is the card I made from the sample on the right  The background was trimmed to a 4 inch square and added to a red card base.

 Close up

I thought that this stamp would also make great "Thank you" Cards for all those nice treats, gifts, and thoughtful persons at Christmas time.  I stamped the Thank you from Verses-Feel Better set and added the word "snow" instead of so.  How cute is that??!!

The cards are going in my Christmas basket.  The basket is getting fuller.  I have about 30 Christmas cards finished now.


A few fun challenges for my CAS Snowman:
Craft us Crazy: fav color and/or holiday
Crimbo Crackers: snowman
Southern Girls: Christmas
For Fun: cold/hot
Just Keep on Creating:Christmas


Hope you are having a great Friday.  Long live the weekend!   Love ya
Karen



There is still lots of time to make your CAS card for the Blockheads' November Technique Challenge!!

Glitzy Santa Tag

Hi Dreamers,
I have been working on a few Christmas items.  Mostly cards that I will sell. But, today I have a Santa Tag that will dress up any plain gift bag.  This fun tag was made with the Blockhead Stamps set An Illustrated Christmas.  I have attached it to a plain brown paper gift bag.  The tag would look equally nice on a fancier gift bag.  But, what a great way to make a plain bag snazzy in just a few minutes.

Materials List:

Stamps: An Illustrated Christmas from Blockheads Stamps

Ink: Black Pigment

Black Embossing Powder

Tarnished Bronze Metallic Stains - Ranger

Cream Cardstock

Holly 3-D sticker

Ribbon

 To make the tag:

• Cover a tag cut from Cream Cardstock with Tarnished Bronze Metallic Stain
• Let Dry
• Stamp Santa with black pigment ink
• Heat Emboss with black powder

• Add ribbon through the hole of the tag and tie another piece of ribbon in a bow around.
• Add the Holly 3-D sticker
• Attach to the gift bag.  (I used a red paper clip so that the tag can be easily removed.)

A few fun Challenges for my Santa Tag:
Holly Jolly Christmas: Santa
Craft door magazine: Anything goes
Christmas stamping: traditional colors
Jingle bells: a living creature
Winter Wonderland: anything but a card

Well, I still have a very long way to go with my Christmas cards.  I will get started in earnest soon.   Yes, I know, I have been saying that for a few weeks!   Well, anyways, I wish you a great day!!  Love ya.
Karen

Felling Regal Tags with Metallic Stains

Hi Dreamers!
Happy Friday!  Let the weekend begin.  I think I will take a few hours this weekend and finish up some Halloween cards.  But, today, I have two tags that I made while experimenting with my new Metallic Distress Stains.  Very fun!  The stains are very shimmery and lustrous.  I paired them with metallic ribbons, glitter glue, and stamping.

Tag # one - Royal Damask :

Materials List:

Stamps

Feeling Regal from Blockheads Stamps

Flowers-Daisy (For You sentiment)

Inks 

Black Pigment Colorbox

Tuxedo Black Dye Memento

Metallic Distress Stains

Tarnished Brass

Antiqued Bronze

Black Embossing Powder

Cream and Wine  CS

Glitter glue

Ribbons

Apply the Metallic stain to a tag cut from cream CS. Dry the stain.  Stamp the large Damask stamp with Black Pigment ink and heat emboss with black powder.

Add ribbons to the side and through the hole of the tag.  Add some gold pearls.  Stamp the sentiment on wine cs.  Cut out and tie to ribbon.

Tag # Two - Crown Border

Make tag in same manner as above.  Stamp with Tuxedo dye ink.  

 Add metallic ribbons and glitter glue.

Of course I went crazy stamping with my new "Feeling Regal" stamp set and have several more projects to share with you.  I will post more over the next few days.  I also have lots of Halloween fun that I will post on Sundays through out October.  So, stayed tuned for all that fun stuff!

A Few fun Challenges for my Regal Tags:
365 Cards: some kind of container---a crown contains a head.
Charisma Cards: bling
Crafty Ribbons: anything but square
Through the Craft room door: anything goes #38
Simon Says stamp: glimmer and sparkle

Hope you have a great weekend!   Love ya.
Karen