Starry Gold Christmas Card

I'm really putting this deer die from a Maggie Holmes set through its paces this holiday season. I just love how interesting it looks on a card especially against an interesting background. I'm entering both the Simon Says Stamp challenges again (links below).

I achieved the background by sponging gold acrylic paint through a Tim Holtz stencil on a black cardstock. I think I have to do more of this because I love the effect of gold against a dark background. I also splattered a tiny bit of gold Heidi Swapp Color Shine.

The gold foam stars were cut out from the Simon Says Stamp Stacked Stars die. I layered a torn up bit from a doily and some twine on the back of the deer.

Challenges:

• Simon Says: Star Light Star Bright
• Simon Says: Anything Goes

Got Cake Birthday Card

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge has the theme "Food and/or Drink" and I thought of creating a birthday card with a cute bear eating a slice of cake. I guess this can also be entered into the new Monday Challenge that has the theme "Star Light Star Bright" since I included a starry background.

 

The bear is from a Brutus Monroe stamp set and it has the cutest little birthday themed bear images. Both the sentiments are from the same set. I got the star background die cut from Aliexpress. I matted the pink stripe paper with a shimmery peach. I also splattered some Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Peach. I coloured the bear with Copic markers and shaded some areas with Prismacolor pencils.

Overall, it's a cute and simple looking card but quite a bit of effort did go into colouring and putting the elements together.

Tear It Up Snowflake Card

I really like participating in card or journaling challenges because it forces me to use my supplies differently. And usually, no two projects are exactly alike. So there's always variety and I don't have to think of prompts because I'm pretty bad at coming up with them.

The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge has a "Tear It Up" theme. Now I love using torn up bits in my journaling but I don't really use them on my cards. So I whipped out my scrap papers and pretty much stuck them down on top of each other. The snowflake is from a MFT Die-namics die that may be discontinued. I didn't include a sentiment on the cover but I may stamp a Christmas greeting on the inside.

This is a really great way to use up those scraps.

Little Deer and Friend Christmas Card

I am still not done with Christmas cards and made another one with the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge in mind. We have "Furry Friends" as a theme and I thought why not add a fawn and his rabbit friend.

Both critters were from a free stamp set that I got with a papercraft magazine last year. The tree was cut from a Kaisercraft die with kraft cardstock. I can't really remember where the blue patterned paper came from. I've used it in a few projects and only had a small rectangle remaining.

I'm starting to enjoy adding twine or thread on my cards. I think they add a bit of interest in quite an organic way.

Faux Stitching Reindeer Card

I was actually working on this card and just so happen to see the latest Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge titled "It's a Stitch Up". Although I do not have any hand or machine stitching on my card, there are faux stitches achieved through stamps and dies.

I used my usual stitched rectangle die to cut out the main base. Then I stamped a stitched circle from Carabelle Studios with Encore Champagne ink, which is a rather subtle gold champagne. I laid a couple of scrap papers and a piece of lace trim. The reindeer was stamped on kraft paper and fussy cut out. I added a little bit of gold DMC thread behind it. The sentiment is from a Kelly Purkey stamp set. Of course I had to add some gold splatters with Heidi Swapp Color Shine. Oh and that tiny gold foam star was a negative shape from the Simon Says Stamp Stacked Stars die. All pieces were shaded with Distress Ink in Vintage Photo around the edges.

I think this is my new favourite card to date. I love how all the little elements came together and would definitely try machine stitching some pieces on my next card. I just find the sewing machine a little intimidating sometimes.

Thank You Fall Butterfly Card

This card is for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge with the theme "Thanks/Thanksgiving" and I'm oh so late with my submission (there's only 4 hours left as I type this).

Quite honestly, I was a little disappointed with how this card turned out. I'm happy enough with the background, the fall leaves embossed on the gold cardstock with very subtle shimmer is actually quite lovely. But something about that butterfly die bugs me. I think it's the feelers or antennae sticking out of its head. It's a funny shape. I love the delicate wing design though, and that's one of the reasons I got it but the feelers are really strange. I've tried snipping it off before but it looked even weirder. The die is by Concord and 9th and it comes with a gorgeous flower die as part of the Floral and Flutter set. I'm just not the biggest fan of the "flutter" bit.

Another thing I don't like is the sentiment. I wish I had stuck one of the Tim Holtz tiny word stickers instead. The font doesn't quite go together with the card. I will probably replace it after this.

So there you have it. Sometimes a project can be a tad bit underwhelming.

Noel Reindeer Postcards

This is probably my favourite holiday season project so far. I wanted to create a set of postcards and had some leftover music script patterned paper. Each postcard is backed with kraft paper to make it more solid. I'll be sending each without an envelope, so it needs to survive the distance.

I used a stitched postage stamp die to cut out the main base. There are 4 in the patterned paper and 4 in kraft. The reindeer head is from a Maggie Holmes Open Book set and the word "noel" was heat embossed with a glittery gold Nuvo embossing powder. The stamp is by Kelly Purkey. I also stamped some gold and copper words and patterns behind the reindeer and they are all from various Kelly Purkey Christmas stamp sets. Then I darkened the edges of everything with Distress Ink in Rusty Hinge.

I couldn't do anything too dimensional because it's supposed to be a postcard form so it needs to be as flat as possible. I also used very strong glue (Tombow Multi Liquid Glue) to adhere everything. I don't want to risk anything falling apart in the mail.

I can't wait to send these off!