Going gnome for Christmas

I’m gradually getting back into the swing of cardmaking as I increase the amount of usable worktop in my craft room! And I’ve found my two favourite black inks so things are looking up. I’m concentrating on getting a few Christmas cards made so at least a few folk will get a hand made card this year  

Lost Coast Designs has an “anything goes” challenge this month so I'm playing along there as Pointy Hat Gnome is doing his very best Santa impression — I even gave his hat a pompom topper! Jo is sticking to her December tradition at Christmas Kickstart of “if it’s Christmassy, link it up!” so PH Gnome is putting in an appearance there too. Links to both challenges at the bottom of this post.

I did start off colouring directly on the card base with pencils but I couldn’t get the colours quite as vivid as I wanted so I stamped and coloured on white cardstock then fussy cut and stuck him on. 

Stamps:
Pointy Hat Gnome (Lost Coast Designs)
Sparkle All the Way (Crafters Companion)

Paper:

Raven black
Bristol board 

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Blac)

Other:
Detail embossing powder (silver)
Copic markers
Posca paint pen (white)
Corner Chomper

If you’re still in Christmas card mode, why not come and play?

One night only...

I'm sneaking in under the wire for November's Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is Just Add Antlers. Jo and her seasonal elf always come up with something fun!

Rudy was quietly minding his own business, walking through town when he spotted this poster for his namesake and favourite band - Rudolph and the Reindeers! He stopped to gaze up, dreaming of being in the audience, perhaps even being picked out and invited up on stage... a guy can dream, right? If Courtney Cox got to join Bruce Springsteen, anything might happen.

That's one thing I love about these silhouette die cuts, you can imagine them facing either way!

There's a tiny bit of glitz on this, I use a red glitter pen over Rudolph's name, the snowflakes and the date. 

Stamps:
One Night Only (Woodware Stamps, no longer with us)

Paper:
Cryogen White 

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo)
Momento Love Letter

Other:
Reindeer Family dies (Paper Rose)
Spica glitter pen (red)

Only a few hours left but if you're quick, here's the challenge link!

 

Something silly!

Tap, tap, tap -  testing, testing, is this thing on? 

Hello! I'm dusting things off in here and seeing if I still remember how to do a post having just about established that I sort of remember how to make a card! I've been parted from my craft stuff for longer than I care to think about by a house move that got complicated, I won't bore you with the details.

To ease back in I thought I'd do a challenge - I've been keeping an eye on a few even while I couldn't make anything. Lost Coast Designs is always fun and the current challenge has a festive theme so I'm playing there as I've just managed to locate the box of Christmas supplies!

Albert is quite excited about the festive season, although he's still insisting that his breakthrough equation should take centre stage. He's chosen an oversized hat so he doesn't have to flatten his hair too much. Stamping, masking, colouring, a bit of fussy cutting and a die cut panel - see, I've remembered at least some of the fundamentals!

What I haven't done is found the camera or set up photo editing software (new computer as well as a house move!) so excuse the slightly rudimentary camera phone photo.

Stamps:
Einstein (Carmen's Veranda)
Ho Ho Ho (Visible Image)
Vintage Christmas Expressions (Cornish Heritage Farms, no longer with us)
It's My Type (Ma Vinci's Reliquary, no longer with us)

Paper:
Cryogen White 

Ink:
Hero Arts Soft Granite
Versafine Onyx Black
Momento Love Letter

Other:
Stitched Rectangles A6 size dies (Paper Rose)
Copic markers
Fineliner
Corner Chomper

If you're feeling festive with your stamps, why not pop over to Lost Coast and join in - you can use any manufacturer's rubber or clear stamps to play along if you don't have Lost Coast or Carmen's Veranda stamps to play with (see the rules page for full details).

Wheely good fun

I'm setting today's challenge at Daring Cardmakers— we’re having wheely good fun this week, featuring anything with wheels on our projects.

I’m still separated from my craft supplies so this is something I made earlier in the year. I hadn’t used my Copics in ages so I pulled out some shades of red and grey and went bright on this old CHF stamp (had to be car-themed to tie in with the gift of a driving experience!). Personalised registration plate is lettered with a fineliner and I did a little bit of masking so the car is coming out of the frame. 

Stamps:
Chevy Camaro Front View (CHF, no longer with us)
A&P Numbers (Ma Vinci’s Reliquary, no longer with us)
Essential Messages (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
Bristol board 

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (various blues)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Time Tunnel Stencil (Visible Image)
Copic markers
Fineliner

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

It's my turn to set our challenge at Daring Cardmakers and we’re raising our glasses to our shared hobby this week. Cocktail, mocktail, beer or orange juice — show us what you’re drinking!

My hubby is somewhat of a wine buff so this is the card I made for his birthday.   It’s one layer, no frills which is pretty much how all the men I make cards for like their cards!

Stamps:
Wine Corks (Spellbinder)
Ink Splats (Visible Image)
Celebrate (Letter It range by Ranger)
Essential Messages (Hero Arts)

Paper:
Bristol

Ink:
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Espresso, Cranberry)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Charcoal pencil
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

Card Chain Callenge - May

It's reveal day at Card Chain Challenge where this month 30 participants sent and received hand made cards. Mine went to Karolina this time.

From the options on offer I chose the theme of men in hats and the product and technique options of stencil and scoring, sticking to my usual CCC aesthetic of one layer.

I masked the gent on the stamped image but not the background so the stencilling goes over that bit of the image and the rays come directly out of his head. There's a charcoal pencil drop shadow going on and some silver gel pen on the corner swirls in the image.

Stamps:
Dashing Gents (Darkroom Door)
Essential Messages (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch)

Other:
Strobes stencil (Visible Image)
Silver gel pen
Corner Chomper
Scor It

Thanks for stopping by!

Showers and flowers

It's my turn to set the challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week. As it seems to have been raining for weeks here in the UK and the garden is really getting going for summer I thought we’d focus on showers and/or flowers — bonus brownie points if your card features both!

I made a loose watercolour swoosh in blue and then splattered paint for my shower. The die cut flowers (liberated from their bottle by snipping with scissors) are watercoloured too, I did the little pieces separately and then inlaid them once they were dry. It’s a bit fiddly but quite a nice effect, I think. 

A simple stamped sentiment and my usual rounded corner and call it good to go.

Supplies:
Bouquet die (Concord and 9th)
Watercolours (Winsor & Newton)
Sentiment from Say It All (Hero Arts, retired)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!

M is for...

Rizwana is setting today's challenge at Daring Cardmakers and we’re focusing on the letter M.

I have Meerkats coloured with Markers on a Masculine card. I picked up these Katzelkraft stamps on eBay a while back (most of them unused), who can resist a cheeky meerkat?!

The recipient plays for a football team who have a red and black strip so I made appropriate “scarf stripes” with markers along the base of the card. The dancing meerkat has a chalk halo because it was a quick and easy way to add some colour there.

Stamps:
Surikats (Katzelkraft)
Celebrate (Letter It line by Ranger)

Paper:
Bristol board 

Ink:
Adirondack by Ranger (Espresso)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)

Other:
Copic markers

Thanks for stopping by!

Let's hear it for the boys!

Shabneez is setting our challenge over at Daring Cardmakers this week and she'd like to see some ideas for masculine cards.

I’ve gone for a teen boy card. He’s a guitar player (got his Grade 7 a few months back) and likes a bit of classic rock. It’s a one layer card, achieved with masking and reverse masking so the guitar could be stamped as a design on the shirt with ink blending and stencilling for the background. 

Stamps:
Nothing to Wear and Rock Out (Visible Image)
Say It All (Hero Arts, retired)

Paper:
Bristol board

Ink:
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (various blues)
Hero Arts Shadow ink (Charcoal)
Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black)

Other:
Copic markers
Corner Chomper
Play Guitar Stencil (Visible Image)

Thanks for stopping by!

Elements for May

It's my turn to set the challenge at Daring Cardmakers and as it’s the first Friday of the month it is, as always, an “elemental” challenge — just chose at least three elements from the inspiration picture to kick start your project.

I chose teal tones (although it looks more blue toned on the photo), the daisy from the packaging, knitted stitch pattern and circles (inspired by the buttons and the circle on the box).

I started by smooshing ink onto the card with a piece of acetate then when it was dry I added circles using a couple of lids as stamps. I have an embossing folder with a nice knit pattern but I didn’t want to emboss the card so I embossed a piece of fun foam and used it as a texture stamp. The die cut daisy has a bit of watercolour added and the head is raised with some scraps of card.

Supplies:
Wildflower Stems 1 dies (Tim Holtz/Sizzix)
Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Stream)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black)
Sentiment from Putting in the Ritz (Waltzingmouse Stamps, no longer with us)
Watercolours by Winsor & Newton
Knitted 3D embossing folder (Sizzix)
Corner Chomper

Thanks for stopping by!