CMSS - Inspired by Juliana Michaels... not one but three cards!

 Yeap, I loved the presentation by Juliana Michaels and made not one card, but three!   Her technique was using stamping foam and an embossing folder.   This is a favourite technique, but one I don't use all that much.  

As I am doing mostly Christmas Holdiay cards this summit - I chose an Altenew folder.  Classic Pinecones Slim 3D folder.  I heated my foam and pressed it into the folder.   Chose the "sticky up" side (although hard to determine with a 3D folder)  

First card I inked the foam with some Vintage Photo Oxide ink.   I used some 240gms Fabriano Start Mixed Media paper.  It says it is white... but it is really an off white colour.  It's A4 size so my card bases become 4 1/8" x 5 3/8" - just a smidgeon less than a US A2 size card.  

Love the colour I got with the Vintage Photo ink.  I trimmed the stamped panel leaving a tiny white border.  Matted the panel with some brown card - the same colour as my pinecones.   I used an Elizabeth Craft Designs die set - Christmas Accents.  It's an older die set, with two sizes of pinecones and two sizes of the poinsettia flowers and leaves.   I used two tones of brown for the cones, and some red paper.  I made my own green paper by using Distress ink in Pinecone direct to the paper.  A little fellow centre finished my poinsettias.   I made these cards yesterday and fortuitously my order from Krafters Cart arrived - with the Concord & 9th - Big on Christmas stamps and die set.  I stamped the big FA LA LA and used the die to cut it... and added the sub-sentiment directly on the card. 

Card two- I used Weathered Wood Distress Oxide to stamp the foam, trimmed and added to a dark green mat.  

This time I chose an older stamp and die set from Hero Arts- Holly Jolly.  We have been tidying up the storage space under the stairs - where I store some of my stamps... ones I haven't used in forever!  Saw this set and thought it would be perfect against the background.  I used more of my own green paper to stamp on and die cut the holly leave.  Added some Altenew enamel dots for the berries.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.  

For my third card, I reheated the foam and used the other side of the folder.  Used the Weathered Wood Distress Oxide ink and definitely got a totally different look. 

I trimmed a larger border around the panel and used a Gold Sharpie to add a faux mat.  I stamped another of the stamps from Concord & 9th set - gold embossed directly onto the panel.  Added some die cut stars (from the same die set) with a little gold gem in the centre. 

The stash of Christmas cards is growing quickly with the inspiration from the Card Makers Success Summit.. and I still have nearly 40 more presentations to watch.  

It's Snowing at Christmas Kickstart

I had fun making a card for the Christmas Kickstart challenge - theme SNOW.

I used a design I have used before.

While I was at the Craft Fair a couple of weekends ago, I got a tree stamp by Montarga Stamps - a New Zealand based stamp company.  I love the way it has very light trees in the background and darker in the front.  I used some Catherine Pooler Eucalyptus ink to stamp my trees.  I used a Yellow alcohol marker from Altenew to colour the sky - somewhat different.  I added splatter of dilute white acrylic paint to make my snow and added to the ground and the trees.  I die cut a circle out of the front panel and stamped it around the hole with holly leaves and added some snowflakes in Iceberg Altenew inks.    The holly, snowflakes and the sentiment are from a freebie set.   I stamped and fussy cut the holly and berries from Sunny Studio's called Christmas Trimmings.

Also entering this into the Anything Goes challenge at Addicted to Stamps

Christmas Holly Wreath.

My Mojo has been on holiday for a couple of weeks now... really struggling to create.  Just the odd card here and there.  In fact over our long weekend, I only managed to make just one card.... mind you, warm sunny weather made me wanted to sit outside which I did, with my book.    Even new stamps haven't really enthused.... but yesterday I did pull out the new Holly Stamp set from Sunny Studio that had arrived on Friday.. and CASE'd a card on their website.

 

I used several green inks from Altenew to stamp a number of the holly leaves and berries and cut them out with my Scan'N'Cut.  I embossed a background panel with a diamond pattern.    The sentiment is from a freebie set from last year,  I added some Nuvo drops on top of the berries and finished with a grosgrain ribbon bow.  

I stamped enough holly leaves to make another wreath  - will change up the background a bit I think.