White Embossed Christmas

I always like all white Christmas cards, so I decided to make one with touches of gold.

I started by embossing this Sizzix EF and trimming around it. Then I matted it with two more layers of white, each cut 1/8" larger, rather than the 1/4" I usually use.

I cut another sheet of white 1/4" larger, and matted that with a sheet 1/8" larger, then cut a card 1/4" larger and mounted the two new plain sheets on that. Then I mounted the first three layers I dimensionally onto the three bottom sheets.

The layers look flat in the photo, but the added dimension with the top three layers floating above the bottom three look nice in real life.

Also, all layers are the same shade of white, but it's so dark here that even by using white balance, some of the layers look like cream because of the lights.

The JustRite ornament was stamped with Versamark, then embossed with gold and mounted dimensionally onto the embossed layer. I finished by making a Marrianne Creatables poinsettia out of white CS and Gold Mirror card, and added that to the bottom, then added crystal snowflakes and a white and gold bow.

Pink Flowers and Butterfly Card

I took two photos of this card, one without the flash, and one with it. The one without the flash shows how well the butterfly matches, but is blurry and flat looking, and the one with the flash shows some of the shine on the card, but the butterfly is in the shadows.

For this card, I used a Marianne Creatables die. All the DP and paper embellishments are K&Co, the white paper is Core'dinations Pearl, the ribbon is Offray, the gold is three different pens, the shading is Brilliance Perfect Plumaria and the pearls are Liquid Pearls.

All the layers are outlined with a gold pen, and all the die cuts are mounted dimensionally.

I wish I had outlined the flower and butterfly with gold, but didn't decide that until after they were mounted onto the card. I'm also not happy with the white between the flower stems. It would be very difficult to fussy cut them because of the way the dimensional sticker was made, but I may add a bit of pink shading to match the background.

Noor! and Spellbinders Lacy Card

I decided to try making a card from this Noor! die without mounting it. Both the back and the front were cut together, leaving a bit at the top to use for the fold.

The center was made with Spellbinders Renaissance Hearts Pendant. All layers were mounted dimensionally, and the shading was done with Brilliance Sky Blue, and Brilliance Platinum.

The dies were outlined with a metallic gold pen, which is very pretty in person, but the metallic of the pen, and the pearl sheen on the inks don't show up in the photo.

The pearls are Liquid Pearls.

Wow, I am so excited!!! Cardinals are very rare where I live, but I've had a pair of them for about a year. This morning I looked out the window and I had two pairs I couldn't believe it. Just now, I looked out, and there were THREE males chasing each other around. Most people here on the island have never even seen one cardinal in their feeders! I expect some are babies of the pair I've had, and that is why there are so many in my feeders, I love seeing them. I'm so glad I bought Wild Delight bird seed, because they sure do love it!

Chickadee Ornament Card ODBDSLC133 Sketch

I made this card for Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge ODBDSLC133 Sketch.

A list of what I used to make the card is below the post.

For this card, I stamped the Chickadee Ornament onto pearl paper using VersaMark, and embossed it in gold. Then I used the sky blue ink to color the center of the ornament. Next, I colored the birds with Copics. It's kind of hard to see the detail in the photo because of the shine from the embossing powder and pearl paper.

The ornament and larger blue mat were cut with Spellbinders circles, and the gold mirror card between the two layers was cut with a Spellbinders scalloped circle die. These were outlined with a gold pen and mounted dimensionally onto the doily background.

The doily was cut from pearl paper with a Noor! Die, and shaded with Galaxy Gold. In person, it is metallic and matches the other golds, but the photo makes it look yellow. I love this gold in person, my old metallic golds looked like metallic brown, but this one is really pretty. I just wish it photographed better.

I embossed the blue layer behind the doily, and fussy cut it to mount behind the doily. This was mounted dimensionally onto the card when the card was finished.

The card is made by layering some pearl paper which was run through an embossing folder onto gold mirror card, more of the gemstones, and onto a base of pearl.

The wide ribbon was sheer white with metallic edges and gold sparkles. I cut a piece of the gemstones paper the width of the ribbon to make the ribbon match the card, mounted the ribbon on the paper, and trimmed the end to match the sketch. Then I mounted that onto the embossed background and folded the flat end onto the back. Next, I added a narrow gold ribbon vertically and assembled the card.

This card is 7 1/4" square, so the embossing folder had to be used more than once to cover the background, and I had to make the card using two pieces of the pearl paper attached to each other to get the 14 1/2" length it required.

It's fairly easy to do that, you just cut one 7 1/4" square. and one that is 7 1/4 x 7 3/4", and score a half inch fold on the larger piece. Then you put the two together, gluing the half inch fold on the backside of the square card. That way, the join is behind the card and no one ever sees it.

Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Chickadee Ornament

Ink: VersaMark, Brilliance Galaxy Gold, Brilliance Sky Blue

Paper: Core'dinations Pearl, Core'dinations Gemstones, Gold Mirror Card

Dies: Spellbinders, Noor!

Embossing Folder: Darice

Other Items: Ribbon, Copics, Gold Embossing Powder, Metallic Gold Pen

Painted Box with Another ODBD Stamp

First, I wanted to say I'm sorry I haven't been around to your blogs for a few days, but it's been quite busy here. Hopefully I can start catching up in a few more days.

This is the second box I've done using stamps from Our Daily Bread Designs. For this one, I used the bird from their Sing to the Lord set.

The box is actually prettier in person than it is on here. I had originally planned on painting the bird as a scarlet tanager, but now that I have two of these boxes, I've decided I want to get the Cardinal and Chickadee sets from ODBD for the other two matching boxes I have, and the cardinal will be red, so I painted him as a bluebird instead.

Another Painted Box using an ODBD Stamp

Lately I've been having fun using my stamps to stamp on wooden boxes, and then painting them. I love this box, which I've had for years, and was glad to see that the bird and thistle from the Our Daily Bread Designs He Watches Me Set fits perfectly on the top of it. I was so worried about getting the bird centered that I forgot that he should probably be angled a little more diagonally though.

The bird is actually supposed to be a sparrow, but with this dark wintery weather, I decided to make a cheerful little goldfinch instead.

PSX Stamps Lighthouse Boxes

I made this box using one of my old PSX stamps to match the one I made last summer. The one I made last summer is shown below. The two boxes are identical except for the stamps. Last summer I did Portland Head, and I used Pemaquid Point Light on the new one.

I hope I can find boxes this size when I get out to NY to visit the kids for Christmas, because we can no longer get them here. I have a few more Maine Lighthouse stamps that I want to use, and these were the perfect size for them.

I love using stamps as painting patterns, they have so much detail!

Our Friendship Card JRC_086

I made this card for the JustRite Papercraft Challenge #086 - Proud As A Peacock. For this challenge, we were to use peacock colors in our creations.

I decided to use my newest JustRite stamp set Vintage Oval Labels. I stamped them with VersaMark, and embossed them in gold. Then I colored them with Gelly Roll pens in shades of blue, green, violet and yellow. They were stamped onto Core'dinations Pearl paper. I love the metallic and sparkly look of the Gelly Roll pens on this paper.

I shaded the centers of the labels with violet Brilliance Ink, and cut them out with scissors. (There are matching Spellbinders dies for these labels, but I don't have them). Then, I outlined them with a gold pen, and mounted them onto pearlescent violet paper from my stash. I cut out around the label, and outlined that with gold as well.

The papers I used are DCWV Mariposa Stack, Core'dinations Pearl in white, and Gemstones in blue, more of the pearlescent violet paper, and Gold Mirror Card separating each layer from the next.

The white daisies are from Recollections, and the blue ones are some I made by layering various flower parts. The stamens were colored with a gold pen, and I added gold pearls to three of the corners. Both of the labels were mounted dimensionally.

Peacock Tiles

I haven't gotten a card done for a few days because I've been working on making some digital files to put on Etsy. My latest tiles are these peacock ones I made from some of my peacock photos I took last year.

I also did a show over the weekend, but unfortunately, the economy is still bad, and nobody did much. It was fun seeing everyone again though. I used to sell between $500 and $700, last year, I sold a little over $300, and this year it was $126, and the cost of the table had to come out of that. I probably should feel good about it, a lot of the venders didn't get the money for their tables back this year.

There were a lot more people with tables than we've ever had, and a lot of people came, but this year they weren't walking around with shopping bags full of things like they used to.

I had other things besides cards, but almost everything I sold this year were my cards. It was the same way in the gift shop all summer, and in most of the other gift shops in town. People were only buying things they knew they would need, not gifts and Christmas decorations or other things that people cut back on. I hope the economy improves next year.

Lighthouse Christmas ODBDSLC131

I made this card for Our Daily Bread Designs Winter Holiday Challenge.

Since I live on an island, and we have several lighthouses here, I wanted to make a Christmas card with a lighthouse, so I decided to use ODBD's Keep My Lamp Burning Set. This morning, I saw this card by Thea Wildeman and decided to try this fold for the card.

I cut the card with green CS, and made the panels with white. I embossed them with the Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss EF to simulate snow, then mounted them onto the card.

All the stamping was done with Memento Cottage Ivy. I cut around the lighthouse, and made a wreath around the compass with green EP accented with red for a bow and berries, then mounted it dimensionally on the large panel.

The rear sentiment is from the same set, and the front sentiment is from ODBD's Blessed Christmas Set. They were also mounted dimensionally, as was the tree, which was made with a Marianne Creatables die.

I made a poinsettia from another Marianne Creatables die, and used it in one corner, with greenery from the MS Branch Punch.

Last, I added some red pearls and more branches to the corners.

For all the people who have asked for a pattern for this one, It's been quite busy for me for a few weeks. When I made this card, I was experimenting. When I fold this card, it isn't quite right. I need to make the vertical sides a bit wider so the back of the inside box doesn't show. I need to figure out new measurements. When things slow down a bit, maybe even in a few days, I will try to figure it out and make a diagram for you. :-)

Update: I just went back to Thea's Page, and I see that she has added a diagram for the original card she made. I apparently made my card in the same way as she did hers, only I used inches. It looks like hers will do the same thing as mine, since her sides are also narrower like mine are. Mine is 6x12 inches, with the top and side measurements as 1" each, and the folds in the inserts are 1 1/2" each. It's the extra half inch that makes this card look a little strange when folded.

Anyway, since this is actually her card, it would be nice if you used her diagram even if you use my measurements, and leave her a little love on her blog.

I will still try to figure out measurements so this card won't look strange when folded as soon as I get a chance.

Hanging Ornament Card

I didn't get a chance to make a card today, so I'm uploading an old one I never uploaded before.

This one uses an older JustRite Original Christmas stamp cut with one of the Spellbinders Ornaments dies. I used Dresden paper trim colored with Copics, and a gold pen around the edges. The stamp is embossed with gold EP. The ornament is hanging from a piece of gold thread and swings freely on the card.

The paper is Core'dinations Pearls, K&CO, and gold mirror card. I added gold outline stickers, gold pearls, and a gold bow to finish it. It was another fast and simple card I made a while back.

Wooden Sled Ornament with PSX Santa Stamp

I actually made a card today, but it didn't turn out the way I expected it to. I made one of those star shaped ornament cards with the five squares that you use the origami squash fold on, then glue together, and when you hang it, it's supposed to look like a star. It was all lacy and die cut, stamped and embossed, and it took hours to do, but when you open mine, it looks like a wheel or something. It's round, but flat on the outside edges. Not at all like a star. Part of why it took hours wasn't only because of all the work I put into each piece, but also because I spent hours trying to find one on the internet so I could see what I did wrong. Since I don't know what they are really called, it was difficult to find them. Anyway, when I finally found some, they were made exactly like mine, but the ones on the internet look like stars, not wheels with flat sides. :-(

I guess I will have to do some more research and try to figure it out.

Anyway, every year my mother and I take some of our things to a Christmas benefit show, so when I'm not making cards for it, I'm doing other crafts. The show is this Saturday. One of the things I made is this wooden sled from AC Moore.

I base coated it with white and antique gold paint, then added a few coats of metallic gold and some sparkly white from Martha Stewart. After that, I stamped this santa from an old PSX stamp with versamark, then embossed it with gold EP. I drew a line around the top to frame it with a gold pen, and put a few coats of varnish on it.

It's quite pretty in person, much prettier than the paper wheel I made today!

Christmas Tree Card using Noor! Dies and Creatables

I made this card from the measurements of this card on the Noor! Designs blog.

For the panels on my card, I chose two kinds of ribbon which were the right size for the folds, and cut separate strips of paper the same width as the ribbon, and a little shorter than the card. Then I applied the ribbon to the strips and mounted them onto the card.

Next, I cut out the Noor! dies, and shaded them with metallic gold ink. I mounted them dimensionally onto the card, and cut a red Christmas tree with one of my Marianne Creatables dies. I still haven't found a shade of red paper I really like, and had none to match the red ribbon, so I colored the die cut tree using Copics, and used a gold metallic pen to add the ornaments with.

To decorate the die cuts, I punched some tiny flowers out of gold mirror card. They look more like scalloped circles, which is what I wanted, rather than flowers. Then I added deep red pearls to them, as well as adding some to the die cuts without the punched flowers behind them.

I like the card while it is open, but next time, I will make the folds next to the center narrower, and the outside folds wider. It looks a little strange when folded, as only the center shows, with the rest hidden behind it.

Got a few new things today

Today we went Christmas shopping. I mostly bought for my mother, and she had me pick out some things for her to get for me.

We went to Joann's and AC Moore. I was very disappointed in both stores. AC Moore is getting more and more like Walmart in terms of scrapbooking quality. I miss being able to buy Spellbinders, and they have now discontinued the Cuttlebug stuff as well.

JoAnn's has also discontinued the Spellbinders, and only had a few old ones left. I did manage to get the small oval and circle sets. I was really glad, since I only had the large ones, and those never seemed to be the right size for a lot of the stamps I had, but I am still really disappointed. Now there is no place around that sells Spellbinders. I also was desperately in need of more tape for my ATG, and neither place has that any more. I was almost completely out of Superfine Detail Gold, and neither place carries anything but large kits of embossing powder, and I have no idea what the quality of those is, but I don't want to spend big money on a big kit of colors I don't need, only to find out that the one vial of gold isn't as fine as I need.

I did manage to get a Memento Tuxedo Black stamp pad. I think that is the one that works the best with Copics.

They also had a Fiskers cutting thing on sale, so I got that too, hoping it will work so I can make the center step cards more easily. It doesn't have the scoring tool, and neither place had one of those, but I have the MS scoring board, so it doesn't matter that much. The Fiskers thing is plastic, and my other 12" one was metal, and much sturdier, but that one had a defective part where you slide the blade down, so maybe sturdiness and metal instead of plastic doesn't mean it was better.

With these chain stores discontinuing so many of the good products we use, it makes me wonder if they even want to carry scrapbooking supplies any more. They both have fewer aisles, and so many fewer products now. There are hardly any flowers like the Prima ones left either. None at Joann's, and only a few leftovers at AC Moore. Are Michael's and Hobby Lobby carrying fewer supplies as well? I only get to those places when we are In NY visiting the kids. If they have cut back too, I will be so disappointed.

I suppose it's good for the LSS, but we don't have any of those, so I guess it will be mail order for me from now on. It used to be so much fun to go to the craft stores, now it's difficult even to find enough to use the coupons for.

I did get another three drawer cube thing for storage at AC Moore with my coupon from there, but there was nothing to use the coupon for at Joann's.

I'm trying not to remember what my mother got for me for my birthday and Christmas, but it was mostly paper stacks, a new VersMark pad, (mine is pretty worn out), a set of Brilliance pads, and some ribbon. No new and beautiful Spellbinders dies or embossing folders.

Die Cut Filligree Card

I've always loved the cards made by Elly de Bruin. She is probably the queen of using die cuts. Today on the Noor! blog, they had instructions for making one of her cards. Although my card is nothing like the one on the Noor! site, it did inspire me to try making my own "Elly style" card.

I started by choosing this Spellbinders die for the main panel, and kept layering other dies on top until I found a design I was pleased with. Then I cut everything out using white CS and shaded them all with green. Some layers are dimensional, and some are mounted straight onto the layer below. Then I added some pearls.

The dies are from Spellbinders, Noor!, and Marianne Creatables. The white is actually all the same shade, but the white in the center motif looks brighter because of the camera's flash.

Center Step Card with Noor! Dies and Creatables

This is only the second center step card I've ever made. I know it's pretty easy if you have a Fiskers cutter that works, but unfortunately, the first one I bought was smaller and didn't cut very straight. Everything was a little wider at one end than the other. Then I bought a larger one, and the cutting thing doesn't move smoothly in the track. It has always stuck in places, and doesn't cut evenly because of this. The track has defects in it, and since I've had it for quite a few years, I can't return it. Anyway, way back when I bought those two cutters, I got fed up and purchased a more expensive one from a different company at Staples. This one works well, but it has a wheel, and you can't use it to start and stop precisely in the spot you want it to like you can with the Fiskers ones, so making these cards is kind of a pain.

I made this card as a 5x7 card, with 1 1/2" sides, and a 4" square center.

I took two photos of this because with the phone's flash, it doesn't show the shiny gold, and with just the lamp shining on it and no flash, the colors aren't great.

The die cuts on the sides and in the center are Noor!, and the one behind the tag is a Spellbinders Fancy Tags One. The trim on the bottom is Dresden paper, and the large flower motif is K&Co. The tag is from my stash, and the poinsettias on the sides are Marianne Creatables.

I also added green rhinestones and gold Liquid Pearls.

Another Red and White Christmas

I haven't had much time for making cards this week, so I'm uploading another one I did over two years ago, when I got my first Marianne Designs products, and before I had a blog.

This one was done with a Designables embossing folder, and a bunch of Creatables. I gave the card away long ago, so I don't have a clue what I used for paper.

It may be my own design, or it may be one I cased, I'm not sure. Anyway, if it is one I cased and someone recognizes it, please let me know and I will give credit. I barely remember making it, but I know it is mine, not only because of the folder on my computer it was in, but also because of the background which I cropped out.

Red and White Lea'bilities Holly Card

I didn't get a chance to make a card today, so I am posting one I made a while back and never put on my blog.

This is similar to one I made about a month ago which was in two shades of green.

This card was made with a holly die set by Leane Creatief BV. The flowers in the corners were made with small punches, and the poinsettia is made with dies from Marianne Creatables.

I accented the card with silver Stickles, but the silver glitter didn't photograph very well, which is why I didn't put this on my blog when I first made it.

I cut the Lea'bility die using wax paper since it is a very fine die. I would expect it would be difficult to remove it without tearing it otherwise.

Gold Poinsettia and Ribbon Card ODBDSLC130

I made this card for Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge ODBDSLC130 Gold or Silver.

For this card, I used Core'dinations Pearl CS and Gold Mirror Card. The Poinsettia is from ODBD's Blessed Christmas Set, and cut with their matching Poinsettia Custom Die. It is stamped using Versamark, and embossed with gold EP.

I had a roll of this Christmas Ribbon, which had a very sheer pale gold center with sparkly gold snowflakes, and gold borders. I decided to cut a piece of the gold mirror card a little wider than the ribbon and mount it onto that. In person, it looks like the gold under the ribbon is brushed gold, with gold mirror borders. If the sun comes out tomorrow, I'll try to get a photograph of it without a flash so you can see the effect. In this photograph, you can see the shine through the ribbon because of the way I photographed it. (I tried photographing it again, but it didn't come out great. Also, you can seewhere I ran my ATG to hold the ribbon down in the photo, but in person, you can't see it through the ribbon).

The poinsettia is mounted dimensionally onto the ribbon. The background paper was embossed using a Spellbinders M-Bossibility on just the edges, leaving a small strip between it and the gold paper, then I drew a gold line along the embossed edge with a pen, and mounted a saying, a bow, and some pearls.

Another Glittery Christmas Card

For this card, I used some of the ribbon and another color of the glittery gift wrap I bought yesterday. I took lots of photos of this card, trying to get one that really shows what the card looks like, but it was really difficult to photograph all that glitter. The aqua glitter paper is lighter and prettier than it looks here. It is a bit lighter than the ribbon.

Besides the glittery paper, I used silver mirror card and Core'dination white pearl CS. The ornament was stamped using VersaMark and silver tinsel EP. The stamp is from JustRite's Noel Christmas Ornaments set.

Instead of using the matching Spellbinders die for the ornament, I cut around it with scissors because I didn't want a border. The central motif is mounted dimensionally.

I added silver outline stickers from my stash in the corners, and white pearls and aqua rhinestones.