Something Different

This weekend was all about trying new things. This morning, I started by running a 5K - which I've never done before. I can't explain my motivation but I think that it is rooted somewhere in my denial of getting older. I had two objectives: to run the whole thing (i.e. no giving up and walking), and not to finish dead last  - I am happy to day that both objectives were met so I consider it a success (despite my not very impressive time!)

I also decided to try some different techniques in making cards as well. The first technique involved colouring using Copics - now I confess that I equipped myself a month ago with some new Copics and I recently took advantage of a sale at My Favorite Things to buy some good colouring-in type stamps but I had yet to put pen to paper (so to speak!). The other technique that I tried for the first time was partial die cutting. Here is the card I created:

I started out by stamping the image on the front of a card. I then carefully lined up the circle die in my Big Shot and partially cut the circle - I cut the rest of the image using an Exacto knife (much easier than I was envisioning!). Then came the colouring! I am not an experienced Copic colourer so I kept the shading pretty basic - this was all about learning for me. I added so Icicle Stickles to the ornament and then stamped the greeting. I added a larger patterned paper die cut circle on the inside of the card to create the background. Finally, I noticed that the image was curling a little bit from the Stickles so I added an acetate circle on the inside of the card and glued the image to it. 

All in all, I consider this card as much as success as I do my 5K! When I showed it to my husband, he said that "it is very different from your usual style"! I will link this card to CASE this Sketch where the sketch this week is this one:

Thanks for stopping by!!

Jill

Metallic

I love using metallic elements on cards - especially on Christmas cards since it just seems to fit the occasion. When I saw the "Metallic" challenge at Virginia's View this month, I saw it as an opportunity to spread my metallic wings a little bit, and I decided that I wanted to make card using leafing.

I used a die to cut the tree shape from a "Be Creative" sheet. I then removed the backing ( I have to admit that this was a little bit more fiddly than I thought it would be) and adhered it to a piece of white cardstock. I had considered stick the sheet to the cardstock, then die cutting and adhering the shape to the card but I didn't want the extra thickness. I removed the top layer of die cut, exposing the adhesive, and then layered on the leafing - pushing it down and burnishing it with my fingers. I absolutely LOVE the result!!! To make it into a card, I used a tag die to cut the cardstock and stamped a greeting across the bottom. I popped it onto a card base that I has splatted with gold shimmer spray and added a big gold bow to top it off.

I will link this card to Virginia's View Challenge and also to CAS on Sunday where the challenge is to use ribbon, and finally to Inkspirational where the code word is Shine.

Supplies:

Dies: Savvy Dies - Flourish Tree; Sizzix/Tim Holtz - tag

Stamp: Clearly Besotted - Ornamental Style

Leafing: Mona Lisa Variegated Metal Flakes

Mist: Heidi Swapp Gold Lame Colour Shine

Thanks for stopping by!

Jill

Holiday Card Workshop - Day 1

I really enjoy the Online Card Classes, and I really enjoyed the latest one - Holiday Card Workshop 2014. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to do my homework yet but I did make one card that was inspired by Jennifer McGuire's Day 1 card. I stamped the greetings inside an ornament shaped opening made with a die in a piece of printer paper. After the greetings were stamped, I felt that it was a little bit bare so I added some Distress Ink with my blending tool. I stamped the ornament caps, string, and card greeting in Versamark and heat embossed with Liquid Platinum powder. I then masked the ornaments and overlaid the SSS Falling Snow stencil to apply some more Versamark. The 'snow' was then heat embossed with a glitter powder. The final touch was the bows made from some metallic embroidery floss.

Thanks for stopping by!

Joyeux Noel

Another busy week... the good news is that my husband and I re-started going to the gym but the downside is that leaves very little time for crafts and blogs. I did manage to get some time in this weekend and I started at TIME OUT for their current challenge - here is the photo:



There is a lot going on in this photo - lots of places to take inspiration - but my eye was immediately drawn to the wooden NOEL on the shelf. Until a little bit less than a year ago, I was living in Montreal, and I spent the better part of my day in French. There is very little French in the area where we live now, and I really miss it - and I'm probably getting quite rusty! So the NOEL in the picture inspired me to make a card for one of my French speaking friends in Montreal.

The panel is a shimmery, textured cream cardstock, and I added the chipboard letters (they are some K & Company letters that I have had forever). I die cut the pine needles from some green cardstock, and the pine cones from brown cardstock. The pine cones are also embossed in the die cutting process but I decided that I wanted to add something more so I sponged some Versamark through the die onto the raised areas of the cones and heat embossed with some Enchanted Gold powder. I glued everything down with some multi-medium. I heat embossed the Joyeux onto some vellum with gold powder and wrapped the vellum around the corner of the panel. The panel was then mounted onto a cream card. 

I will link this to the TIME OUT challenge.

Supplies:
Dies: Impression Obsession
Stamps: Jillian Vance

Thanks for stopping by!
Jill

Simon Says Stamp November Kit

Yesterday morning, we woke up to a blanket of white and snowflakes in the air - of course it didn't even last until noon but it did justify my current obsession with Christmas cards!

Confession time - I subscribe to card kits, I receive them and think about all the great things that I want to do - and then I put them away untouched! I've decided that I need to change this and I will be prioritizing these kits when they arrive from now on. My Simon Says Stamp kit arrived on Friday - with no shortage of fun stuff inside so I stayed true to my self-resolution and made some cards.

The first card:

I took the inspiration for the first card from CASe this Sketch and this week's sketch:

I loved the "dashed lines and stars" background so I stamped and silver embossed it 3 times on the top panel. I then stamped and silver embossed the greeting on the bottom panel. I blended in some Tumbled Glass Distress Ink on both panels as lightly as I could. I stamped the larger tree in Hot Lips (new gorgeous Simon colour!) and the smaller tree in Green Apple. Both were coated with a generous coat of Wink of Stella. I added the snowflake sequin and the heart from the kit as accents, and then added a few Pretty Pink Posh clear sequins from my own stash. I will link this card to Case This Sketch.

The second card:

I took my inspiration for this card from the Festive Friday photo:

I stamped the candy cane stripe in Hot Lips to make an angled frame on a white panel. I coloured between the thin stripes with a silver Wink of Stella pen. I then used the Simon "Pile of Gifts" die to cut out the presents which I inlaid with some of the patterned paper from the kit. I silver embossed the greeting and added a few of the snowflake sequins from the kit. I coated everything with a coat of Wink of Stella and popped the panel up on a white card base. I will link this card up to the Festive Friday Challenge.

For the third card, I decided to start with the sentiment - I love the sentiment and the font and I felt as though they were calling out for a CAS card. I stamped and masked the trees repeatedly across the card front (Audrey Blue, Blue Violet, Lavender, Doll Pink, Hydrangea). I then masked the trees and stamped the snow repeatedly across the top of the panel - I embossed with Sticky Stuff and coated with Rock Candy Distress Glitter. I added a strip of Be Creative tape across the bottom and coated that with the same glitter. I will link this card to the current Less is More challenge to use non-traditional colours on a Christmas card and to CAS on Sunday where the challenge is to make a one-layer card.

So that is it for my first kit self-challenge and I think that I did quite well. I used every stamp except one greeting.

Thanks so much for stopping by!