Woodland critter cards

Over the past month, I've coloured up all of the 5953 - Woodland Critters and 5954 - Woodland Bears images with Copic markers.  I had the idea to pair them up with lyrics from Christmas songs, so set about die cutting a million (or so) letters from several colours of cardstock, and set about figuring out my layouts.

I kept my colour palette limited, and had used the 5963 - Winter Woodland papers for inspiration, so I used that paper pack when planning out my cards.  I made all of the cards 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" - so that restricted which words would fit in the space!

It was a lot of fun putting these together, and I have several more images and song lyrics kicking around - so I'll keep going if time permits over the next couple of weeks.

Watercolour Christmas

I have another watercolour Christmas card using the 5857 - Baby Mini Foundation Set from Art Impressions.  I was painting this a few weeks ago, and deemed it not adequate for my monthly post!  But persevered, and was happy enough with the results to finish it up and share.

My hesitation was over my attempt to paint the aurora borealis in my winter sky... not what I'd hoped, but again, kept working it until I was satisfied.  We're always our own worst critics.  I mounted it on the 5853 - Christmas Magic paper pack.

Uninked Betterpress card

I have really been loving how Betterpress cards look when they are uninked - just with an impression.  This is my third card using the Spellbinders October Betterpress Society set, Cozy Fireplace.  Instead of using the entire 4pc set of plates, I have only used the larger tree, pressing it onto a Porcelain Cotton Card panel.

I wanted to keep this as an all-white card (almost!), so I also pressed a sentiment from the August BP Society set, Winter Sprigs Tree, as the ones included with Cozy Fireplace all talk about hearth/warmth etc - and they didn't really work with just the tree.  I matted the panel with some brushed gold cardstock from the Spellbinders Treasured Gold Cardstock pack, and cut a tiny star from it as well, to crown the tree.  I adhered everything with 3D foam adhesive to my card base, that I ran through my die cut machine with an Altenew piercing plate.  

I'm really happy with the simply design, but the card was so hard to photograph!  I discovered that a lower light photo on an angle worked best.  You can get a subscription to the Betterpress Society through the Papercrafter's Workshop.

Ombre Cozy Fireplace

My second card with the October Betterpress Society plates was done with an ombre inked background.  The set is called Cozy Fireplace, and is a set of registration plates, which means all of the elements are separate plates, allowing you to do them in different colours.  In this case, I pressed all of the pieces with black ink, except for the small tree done in pink.

I started by blending Picked Raspberry, Kitsch Flamingo and Spun Sugar Distress Oxide inks onto a Porcelain Cotton Card panel.  

After pressing all of the images and sentiment, I mounted the panel onto some black cardstock, and added a few black jewels for some glimmer.

I took a photo before mounting and adding the jewels, so you could see what a simpler version would look like.

You can get a subscription to the Betterpress Society through the Papercrafter's Workshop.

 

Cozy Fireplace

The October Betterpress Society plates from Spellbinders are called Cozy Fireplace - a set of registration plates (meaning multiple colours/pieces) for the holidays.  This is the first of several projects that I've made with the set:

I wanted a retro vibe for my card, so chose some muted Distress Oxide inks, which have a muted cast to start with: Vintage Photo/Ground Espresso/Bundled Sage/Rustic Wilderness/Speckled Egg.  The trees were done with an ombre effect.

I love the idea of mixing die cuts with Betterpress images, so pulled several Spellbinders sets from my stash, and decorated the mantle.  I matted my scene with the same pink cardstock as my poinsettia, and added a gold star to the small tree.

You can get a subscription to the Betterpress Society through the Papercrafter's Workshop.

Ai Christmas Card

 I am on the Art Impressions blog today, for my last 2024 Watercolor Weekend!

Today I am using the 5857 - Baby Mini Foundation Set that was released last year.  This image was part of the Nativity Journal Bundle, but works great all on it's own as a card.

Before stamping, I determined that I was going to use the 5065 - Oval Double Stitched Dies to cut out my image, so I traced the outline on my Canson XL Watercolour paper to give myself a painting guideline.  I stamped my image using #N65, as I wanted a soft outline to paint with.  I used four of the branches from 4960 - WC Fir Trees Set coloured in #249/565 and stamped in all of the pine boughs.  There are two branches that bend in each direction, so it allowed me to make it look as though the branches were hanging down from each side.  I coloured each branch in #249, then added #565 along the bottom edge to provide a built in shadow.  I touched all the branches with a damp brush to bring out the colour, and soften the lines.  The birds were painted with #969/947/865, with several layers to add some depth.  #992/969 were painted in streaks on the manger, to indicate a wood-like texture, and I used the #992/993 markers directly on the paper to create the hay underneath.  #850/947 were painted on the Baby's face, with a little glow added to His cheeks.

A wash of #565 was painted on the sky, but it was a bit too purple for my liking, so I darkened it up a little using Blueprint Sketch Distress ink.  It was also added to the snowy hillsides, and as shadows around the manger.  I used my Twintone markers to add in the bird's eyes/beak/legs, and the Baby's features.  I used Bleedproof White paint to add snow to the branches, along with a few snowflakes in the sky, then painted in some shadows with #565 on the snow.

I used the oval die to cut out the image, then matted it and mounted it onto my background paper from 5963 - Winter Woodland PP with 3D foam adhesive.  A few jewels and a foiled sentiment finished it off.  *I am sharing one project this morning, and Gennette will be posting another one this afternoon, so be sure to check out the Ai blog later on!  

Christmas Pudding

I've pulled a few different products together to create today's card.  The Christmas Pudding die set, and the Cooking Up Christmas stamp/stencil set are both from The Greetery, combined with several different dies for the pine boughs and foliage.

This was a labour of love!  There are ten colours of cardstock and seven inks involved... and much fussy cutting.  And when you go to this much trouble, you make more than one, so I have eight of these added to my stash.  You should see my craft desk, it's like a bomb went off.

I wanted a little glimmer, so I used brushed metallic gold paper to cut out the Joy sentiment, and spattered some gold paint on the finished product.  Happy to have these completed, and plan to spend the next hour tidying up my craft room :-)

Winter Farmhouse

I've been hoarding the Winter Farmhouse papers from Simple Stories for a LONG time!  But I am slowly trying to use them up.  I had precut the tag, and had the bits and pieces from Spellbinders Holiday Blooms die set already on my craft desk... so this card was born.

The Joy is an old Memory Box die that has been in my stash forever... and the little gold strip was cut off of a panel that I'd run through my Minc machine this weekend.

This is one of the rare times that I haven't added foam tape to a card!  It'll be a good one to mail.

All supplies were bought from the Papercrafter's Workshop.

Shine Bright

 I have been struggling to get into Christmas cards this year... but seemed to break through my block by creating a bunch of bold rainbow themed Christmas projects today!  I was inspired by the Shine Bright stamp set from Pigment Craft Co., and knew that I had the Lawn Fawn Really Rainbow Christmas paper pack from a few years ago...

I used Festive Berries, Wild Honey, Mowed Lawn, Broken China and Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide inks, applied directly to my stamps with sponge dawbers and the help of my Misti.  I got an assembly line going and created panels for four cards.

I loved the look so much, that I die cut six tags with the Ai tag die, and stamped the same design.  My Glossy Accents was a little thick, but if I can get it flowing again, I may add it to the lights.

Before assembling my cards, I cut tag bases out of the coloured paper, and used the Snowflake and Quirky Owl Ephemera packs from Simply Stated Design (they're Canadian!) to put together four smaller tags.  I used my Lawn Fawn Tiny Christmas Tags for a small accent, and stamped them with holiday sayings.

Ten tags and four cards created today!  My stash is building...  *You can find Lawn Fawn, Distress Inks and Simply Stated Design products at the Papercrafter's Workshop

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SF Snowman and a Christmas Bouquet

  I am on the Art Impression blog today for the Watercolour Weekend post!

It's November, so I'm in full holiday card making mode... first, I have a Christmas bouquet to share:

I stamped the jug from the 5923 - Farmhouse Container Set in N55 on the smooth side of my Canson XL Watercolour Paper.  I like to create my bouquets from the bottom up, so I used the two pine boughs from 5830 - WC Mini Wreath Set in 249/565, and between them, stamped the round pinecone from 5472 - WC Christmas Wreath Set in 969.  Using my stamp positioner, I placed the smallest bloom from 5828 - WC Poinsettia Set coloured in 847/837.  The rounded leaf sprig from 5472 was added in 312, and the holly from 5829 - WC Holly Set and the berries from 5828 were both added in 177.  Finally, Bonnie's favourite twig from 4964 - WC Branches Set was tucked in on either side using 969.

After pulling out all the colour with a damp brush, I painted in each leaf, adding shadows with 565 where needed.  I painted layers of grey on the container, keeping the center area light or white, to be the highlight.  I added just the suggestion of a background with a wash of 565, and used it with N55 to provide a shadow behind the jug.  I added a few touches of gold to the berries and poinsettia centers with my gold gel pen.  I used the 5065 - Oval Double Stitched dies to cut out my image, and created my background using the 5962 - Classic Christmas paper pack.  The sentiment is from 5566 - Christmas Sentiments Set.

My second card is the wonderful 5818 - SF Snowman scene - these are so great, as with just one stamp, your entire image is just about stamped for you!   I stamped mine in N55 onto my Canson XL Watercolour paper, and pulled out the colour with a damp brush.  

After masking the house, I added my trees in using the evergreen from 5826 - WC Large Tree Set 2 in 249 - sometimes only colouring the top portion, to create a smaller tree.  I also added the spiky wreath from 5830 - WC Mini Wreath Set in 312/249 to the gate, and drew in a bow with my 856 marker.  I painted a wash of N55 on the house to be a pale grey shade, and drew in the siding with my pencil. N25 was used for the shutters, awning, dormers, lamps and his hat.  847 was painted on the door, his scarf and on the chimneys mixed with a little 969 to be more of a brick shade.  992 was painted on his coat, and 991 was added directly to the window panes with the marker.

565 was used to add in the sky, and to paint in the sidewalk.  I used it to add shading to the snowman, and under and around the tree branches and eaves.  After softening the trees with a damp brush, I used Bleedproof White paint to add snow to the branches, roof and around the sidewalk, as well as to add icicles to the roof and it was dotted to suggest falling snow.  A final touch was to add a little chunky glitter on some of the snowy surfaces.  Background paper is from 5962 - Classic Christmas, and the sentiment is from 5566 - Christmas Sentiments Set.