Clean & Simple Monochrome Window Scene Christmas Card

This card is most definitely a departure from the norm for me!  It's the launch of the new theme over on an Oldie but A Goodie Challenge and this fortnight it's Clean and Simple Christmas.  I've also got details of an exciting competition from Tonic Studios with a chance to win a prize worth £300.

Card Recipe:
Stamp: Kanban
Colouring Mediums: Versamark Black Ink
Paper and Card: Neenah White, Crafter's Companion Matt Black
Tools: Tonic Studios Window Die, Tonic Studios Christmas Sentiments, Embossalicious Embossing Folder
Embellishments: rhinestone crystal!

The main image is a Kanban set of stamps, the deer are separate to the main tree image, and I used a masking technique to stamp the baby deer so she appears to be peeking out from behind the tree.  I think that little baby deer is just sooo sweet!

Isn't this just such a gorgeous image?  It's really suited to a CAS card, as it just doesn't need adornment.

The window is one of my favourite dies from Tonic Studios, I'm currently going through a phase of window scene cards, I think they are so effective.  I didn't use acetate on this occasion, as I've kept the feel of the card quite matt.  I think that this would definitely be a suitable card for a man.

I made my main mat using Crafter’s Companion Regency Damask 8" Embossalicious Embossing Folder.  It's very hard to pick up embossing on matt card in photography, I hope you can see it here.  I very much like this range of 8" embossing folders, they are the perfect size for me, and this particular pattern is one I reach for time and again.

I finished the card off with a simple sentiment cut with one of my Tonic Christmas Cracker Sentiment dies and just a few tiny crystals to accent the holly berries.

So I have two exciting competitions to let you know about and what's great is you could combine entries into both with just one card.  

So first of all, do pop over to an Oldie but A Goodie and join in with our Clean & Simple Christmas Card Challenge for the chance to win a $21 prize from Bugaboo Digi Stamps.

Secondly, Tonic Studios have just announced a fabulous prize competition on their Facebook page, with the chance to win £300 of Tonic products.  Take a look at the Tonic Studios Card Competition here.

There are different rules for each competition so do check them out.  For example, for an Oldie but a Goodie Challenge, I've used the following items that are over 6 months old on my card: Embossing Folder, Stamp, Window Die, Ink Pad, cardstock, crystals.  For the Tonic Studios Card Competition, you need to use a Tonic product and I used my Tonic Window Box Die, Tonic Christmas Sentiment Dies and my Tonic Super Trimmer.  Obviously, I'm not entering (not allowed) but I do hope you will join in the fun on both challenges.  Here's one last look at my CAS Christmas Card.....

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Altered Halloween Trick or Treat Brown Paper Bags

Trick or Treat!  This is a fun project to transform brown sandwich bags into Spooktacular treat bags.  Lots of techniques used, including: Dry Embossing ● Heat Embossing ● Stamping  ● Decoupage ●  Die Cutting ● Punches ● Accenting ● Charms

Project Recipe:Stamps: Inkadinkadoo All Hallows Eve
Colouring Mediums: Versamark Ink, Versafine Ink, Martha Stewart Embossing Powder, WOW embossing powder, pigment ink pad, Black Soot Distress Ink
Paper and Card: DCWV, WRMK, vellum
Tools: Tonic Studios Gothic Die, Tonic Studios Gothic Border Punch, Tonic Label Dies, Grand Calibur, Embossalicious Embossing Folder, Silhouette Cameo
Embellishments: silver-tone charms, Bakers Twine, glossy accents

My "Oldies" (ie using up bits and bobs from my stash that's over 6 month's old) are everything apart from the Bakers Twine and Charms. 

Step 1 - Creating the Topper

The topper has lots of great detail to it.  First of all, I die cut a label shape the stamped my Happy Halloween in Versamark Ink which I then heat embossed with WOW extra fine black embossing powder.  Once melted, the embossing powder acts as a resist, meaning that I was then able to over stamp with the cobweb corner stamp, but it has the illusion of sitting behind the Halloween greeting.  I also stamped on the filigree spider and accented the spider body with glossy accents to create dimension.  For the pumpkins and Versamrk ink, I first stamped "off-the-edge" of the main label and heat embossed with Martha Stewart Peridot Glitter Embossing Powder.  I then stamped the image twice more onto a slightly lighter piece of orange card and heat embossed with WOW black.  I layered up the pumpkins to create some lovely dimension.  

Don't think you always need to buy finishing accents for your projects, they are quite easy to make yourself.  I printed off the word SPELLS onto another offcut of the lighter orange card, cut it out with a tiny banner die and edged it with black ink.  I then tore a small strip of calligraphy-printed vellum and rolled it into a scroll, and glued the SPELLS card around it.  A lovely little accent and made from a few scraps.





Step 2 - Creating the Tag

That said, I did use some sweet silver-tone charms to accent my Tag, attached with sppoky halloween Bakers Twine and a tiny brad.

The tag was cut using the very aptly named Gothic Die Set from Tonic Studios, and I used Black Soot distress ink around the edge.  The mat was cut on my Cameo Silhouette using the trace method.  I have imported all of my Tonic Dies into my Cameo to do this, very useful.

The Trick & Treat sentiment was stamped and heat embossed.


Step 3 - Finishing the Bag

My brown paper sandwich bags fitted perfectly into an 8" Embossalicous embossing folder, so I used the Polka Dot folder and then swiped over the raised embossing with an orange pigment Ink Pad.  

I had a sheet of 12" WRMK cardstock that was Halloween borders, so I cut this into strips and mounted it onto black card that had been edged with the Gothic Border Punch.  This created a decorative edge to the top of my Altered Halloween Trick or Treat Brown Paper Bags.

Here's one final look:

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Tonic Studios Verso Christmas Die Sets Wreath Rings Sneak Peek 1!

Jingle Bells! - Santa's Elves at Tonic Studios Towers have been very busy, would you like a sneak peek? It's their new Verso Christmas Die Sets which are unbelievably gorgeous!    Doesn't it combine so well with my Christmas Wreath stamp?

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Crafter's Companion
Colouring Mediums: Promarker Pens, Anna Griffin Pigment Ink Pad
Paper & Card: Anna Griffin, textured card, Satin Elegance
Tools: Tonic Studios Decorative Wreath Die Set, Regency Swirls Embossalicious Embossing Folder,  Grand Calibur
Embellishments: Microbeads, satin ribbon, jingle bell,  acrylic flowers, rhinestone crystals, glitter, metal corners

To start this card, I stamped my Christmas wreath image twice onto stamping card and coloured both images with Promarker pens.  Then I cut out one image using scissors for the outer image and a craft knife to remove the centre. I accented this layer with red glitter, tiny red rhinestone crystals and gold ribbon bow from Anna Griffin double satin ribbon.

I cannot even begin to describe how wonderfully versatile this new Christmas Verso Die Sets are.  To start with they create beautiful wreaths (and I love a wreath on a card) which you can choose to either inset into your card, or have as a topper, as the outer ring cuts separately.  This is my first card, and I used the Wreath Rings Set. 

 I cut the outer wreath with the centre removed but I could have chosen to keep the centre in place, as this is an entirely separate die.  I had also covered my paper with a double sided sticky sheet, which can be tricky with an intricate die but wasn't with Tonic quality (I did do a double pass and twisted the die cut around for the second pass, just to be sure).  I then covered the wreath in tiny microbeads - the effect is so textural and quite stunning.

The little lacey corners are another die in this set, which I've chopped into 2 to make a decorative feature.

You can just about see here where I embossed the gold mat with my Embossalicious Regency Swirls Embossing Folder - I love the larger 8" size of this folder and it perfectly complements the Anna Griffin patterned papers that I used. You can see the embossing a little bit more on the picture below.

Here's one last look:

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
Crafter's Companion - Embossing (Embossalicious Regency Swirls)
Craft-room challenge - Trees or Leaves
CountryView Crafts - Layers
Deep Ocean - Goodbye Summer
I ♥ ProMarkers - 3 Different Shapes
Joanna Sheen - Ribbons
Paper Playtime - Use Three Different Papers
Pile it On - Tic Tac Toe (metal, image, bling)

 I love to know who's visited my blog, so why not leave a comment and tell me what you think of this card, it would be much appreciated!

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Up, Up & Away

Today's card uses a lovely colour combination of coffees, mauves and creams.

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Balloon (unkown make), Globe by Do-Crafts
Colouring Mediums: Memento Ink Pad Rich Cocoa, Promarker Pens
Paper & Card: Stardream, K & Company, Kanban Lavender Rose Collection
Tools: Spellbinders, Grand Calibur, Embossalicious Regency Damask Folder, Martha Stewart Border Punch
Embellishments: Double Satin Ribbon, Lace, Bakers Twine, Hand-made Pearl & Crystal Hat Pins, metal charm, mulberry flowers

My Hot Air Balloon stamp was an Ebay find and I stamped it onto an offcut of Kanban script cardstock.  Then to get the embossed cushion effect that you find on a hot air balloon, I first debossed the outline of each section on the right side of the image with a fine ball tool.  Then I turned the image over, and went back over those lines with the ball tool to push the fibres back out again, then I used a larger ball tool to create the cushioned effect.  I was very pleased with the result.
The card blank was cut from a cappuccino stardream cardstock and I embossed the whole card with my new Regency Damask Embossalicious 8" embossing folder.  These folders are my new toys and I love them.

I created the ruffle ribbon trim by sticking a line of 6mm Super Sticky tape down the edge of my mat. I then stuck down a layer of 10mm double satin ribbon, taking care to create a ruffle effect.  This was finished with some tiny rose mulberry flowers.

The Globe Stamp is from their Chronology Range and is one of the best magazine freebies that I've ever had as it came with my copy of Do-Crafts Creativity magazine.

You can see a couple of my own hand made pearl and crystal decorative hat pins peeking out from behind the tags. 
Other finishing touches include using a Martha Stewart punch on the edge of the main tag, lace, ribbon, bakers twine and a sweet little brass clock face charm (another Ebay find).

This card was shortlisted in the following challenges:
Crafty Catz - Swirls & Pearls
Die Cutting Divas - Embossing with Ribbon

I love to read your comments, they are a highlight of my day, so do let me know what you think of this or if you have any questions. Thank You!

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