Chickadee Gift Cards

The last card I made darn near drove me crazy ! I actually felt I owed the dog an apology for the over abundance of bad language she was exposed to. I find that pearls prefer carpet to card, and my eBosser and I are still not good friends. So, of course, when I was asked if I would do another one for my local scrapbooking store, what would I answer but, "No Problem, I'll do one for you". D'OH ! How quickly I forgot what a HUGE pain that card was.
IO's challenge is Holiday Tags, Cards or Gifts. I really had fun with these little gift cards I made. No pearls, and everything fit in my Cuttlebug. I like to think that these are simple easy cards, but I may be delusional, judging from the amount of layers on them, and the amount of die cutting involved. But I didn't use any foam tape, so that makes them qualify as clean and simple in my book! So I made a few.

The bases are SB Captivating Squares, layered with patterned papers. I used two layers of IO Pine Branches (DIE021-N) die cuts, and I coloured and hand cut IO Chickadees ( C8589). That stamp is so cute and they have a die to match, I just don't have it, yet ! I used the Small Bow die ( DIE057-AA) to cut some metallic paper. ( EVERYTHING needs a bit of shine, also found in my rule book !)
I don't have any IO Christmas stamps ( GASP !! ) yet, just great IO dies, but I do have my favourite sentiment stamp set, IO All Occasion II ( CL 307). This is THE stamp set I would recommend to someone just getting started. It's the one set I keep ON my desk. I can pretty much make it work for everything, so I used one of the stamps for my Xmas greeting. I love products that I can get a lot of use out of, essentially I'm a rather practical person.
Note : A seven inch square of paper scored at 2 5/8" makes a 4 1/2 " square envelope, perfect for cards made with these 4 1/4" dies !
You can find the Impression Obsession challenge here :
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2013/11/new-io-challenge-holiday-cards-tags-gifts.html

JustRite WoW Challenge

The JustRite Challenge is to use just white on your card. Using only white wasn't a problem, but '"Holy Scrap!", photographing it sure was !! I used a gorgeous wedding cardstock that has a sheen and a subtle white on white stripe, and another with a swirly design on the poinsettias.

I cut both the front and back of the card with Spellbinders Exquisite Labels Eleven. I cut the centre of the front out with SB Majestic labels Twenty Five and used that die set to make a frame for the vellum. I embossed the vellum and ( now my crazy is going to show !! ) by cutting my candle die out many times and stacking the negatives, I was able to make the embossing folder NOT emboss in the candles. Yep ! That was just nuts!!

I stamped the gorgeous JustRite Festive Poinsettias stamps on the poinsettias using Ranger Embossing Tinsel in Bridal. If you think glitter makes a mess, this stuff is worse !! The greeting is from an old ( and much valued ) JR Christmas Nested Sentiments set.
I used Shimmer spray on the vellum panel and accented the holly leaves with a fine glitter.
The centre panel is raised up with foam tape and I put another layer of vellum behind the whole card front so that you can't really see the inside sentiment which is stamped in grey ink so it's not too bold.
I used lots of pearls and three clear gems and stamped a wedding envelope with the JR Poinsettias to match. Here's a close-up, but I still can't get all the shimmer to show. :(

Thanks to Stacy for the "push" !!
This is entered here :
http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/2013/11/justrite-friday-challenge-109-its-wow.html
Yay ! The Allsorts Challenge is White Christmas and you can see it here :
http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/11/week-232-white-christmas.html

Hard Core Crop Project #4

Oh how I wish I had found out about the Hard Core Online Crop a lot sooner ! I am having a blast, but there are only two hours left to play :(  This challenge was to Make a Gift Bag and Matching Tag using Core'dinations. I don't own a Cricut or Silhoutte and I was too lazy to haul my printer over to the computer ( I don't use it much! ), and figured I could wing it. I wanted a purse style gift bag, I thought it might please a certain five year old. I have NEVER EVER tried anything like this before, but it worked ! Luckly, I started on computer paper as I required numerous mock-ups!

I cut all the flowers out with a TH Tattered Flower Garland die and ran them through a Swiss Dots folder. They are so cute ! Why did I never try that before ?!! The purse fit in the Ebosser ( thank heaven), so I was able to use an embossing folder on it. I sanded it to bring out the core and I think it's sweet. I used a new SSS stamp set on the tag. I love this set and it is perfect for who this is for.
This was fun, I wonder if I could get one more done in time. Can you believe that I didn't do all card challenges ? Sometimes I surprise myself !!

Hard Core Crop Project #3

This challenge for the Hard Core Online Crop is to make a Gratitude Card in Fall Colours, using Core'dinations cardstock. For this project I used an embossing folder I never used before (although I've had it a while) and my new favourite SB die, Diamond Effects.

This whole card is made using Coredinations. The branch and leaves are cut from a TH movers and shakers die. I crumpled up the leaves, sanded and swiped them with Brilliance gold ink. I edged the sentiment panel with gold as well.

Creating with Coredinations # 2

My second project for the Hard Core Online Challenge is Patchwork Inspired.

Naturally it was on this project that needs acurate cutting that my cutter BROKE !! But I still had fun , once again trying something new! The patchwork star was made from Coredinations 1" squares that I used embossing folders on. I also used a Dynamo Label Maker to create the sentiment on the coredinations. I hadn't done that in ages and it is so cool! I saw some one use loose thread on a card recently. I think it was Laura in the SSS video hop, but I'll have to check on that. Anyway, I tried it here because I thought it was the perfect touch for this card.

Core Challenge #1

I got an newsletter email on Friday and it was about  the Hard Core Online Crop ending tonight. Well, I have some Core'dinations that I've carefully hoarded for more years than I'll admit to ! I bought a package of 8 1/2x 11 in colours I love. I also had some 12x12's I got a couple of years later. It's not that easy to find around here, so I have rarely used any except my prized sheets of Black Magic for Halloween cards. I decided that I don't need to be buried with this cardstock, so starting yesterday, I went NUTS !! I did things I've never done before and used supplies I forgot I had !

The first of the challenges I decided to do is called Wine Box Challenge. You were to decorate a gift bag using Coredinations. I have NEVER decorated a gift bag, but I was inspired to give it a go.

I bought a brown paper gift bag and cut some leaves with a TH Alterations die. I embossed them with different embossing folders and ( Of Course) sanded them. I actually used a Cuttlebug Spider Web folder to do the green leaf. The turkey I cut out of paper and glued it to burlap. I cut it out following the paper pattern and then added more white glue to the edges ( stuff will fray to bits ). I used Dylusions sprays and sprayed myself and surroundings the turkey and also painted on Distress Ink.
I added feathers, a bow and I cut Bon Appetit  out of Core'dinatins with my Slice.

Brickwork

I was playing with the Molding Paste again ! That stuff is my latest love!

A little while ago I was really lucky to win some dies from Impression Obsession. This wonderful window with flower box ( DIE103-ZZ )was one of the sets I chose and I'm so glad I did. I just love all the potential in this set. This time I used it with all its components and also used some dies from another favourite set ( DIE023-X )to make the wreath and to fill the window box. I used brown cardstock and the tiniest IO Spiral Flower die ( DIE042-I ) to make pine cones. I think I use that teenie tiny die more than any other die I own ! I mixed up three Distress re-inkers to get the colour I wanted for my stamped brick background ( IO CAC Distressed Brick CC083 ). I used the same formula to colour the molding paste. I used a Crafter's Workshop stencil to apply the molding paste, but only to part of the card front.
I put a yellow designer paper (Glitz) and acetate in the window. The sentiment is from the IO All Occasion set ( CL307 ). The holly berries by the sentiment are tiny beads, and Glossy accents gave some shine to the holly leaves.

Brick colour formula : 3 drops Ripe Persimmon
                                    1 drop Fired Brick
                                    1 drop Brushed Corduroy
Please note that this is a record for my own use and results are not guaranteed, but should give a good brick colour if you try it.
I'm entering this in the following :
Impression Obsession "Favourite Technique" Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge " Anything Goes"
Allsorts "Christmas Cheer" Challenge

Deer in Winter

Do you know what your favourite technique is? When faced with this question I realized that I don't really have a favourite. I know I love die cutting seeing as my Cuttlebug has never been out of reach when I'm crafting. Stamping and embossing seem to be a part of most projects too. I'm always surprised by how much I enjoy colouring, with Copics or watercolour pencils or Twinkling H2O's. But I really don't have a favourite technique. My favourite thing about papercrafting is that there are endless new techniques to try.

But for now, my newest favourite is playing with Molding Paste and I love my Impression Obsession dies, so I combined the two by making a stencil with the IO Birch Trees die ( DIE079-U). I masked off the bottom of a tag, then painted it with Distress Stains (Broken China & Chipped Sapphire). I painted over that using a clear paint. That worked really well because when I flicked Picket Fence Distress Stain on it, I was able to easily wipe off any big blobs and scrape off any molding paste that escaped under my stencil. YAY !!
I added a tiny bit of Gathered Twigs Distress Ink to the Molding Paste but didn't mix it together very well so it would create light and dark areas on the birch trees. I spread Molding paste on the bottom  and added Perfect Puff paint and heated it to get it to expand ( Super Cool!). The Cardinal is part of the same Birch Tree die set, and although I have IO deer dies, they were a little too small for this, so I used a chipboard deer from Michaels. The deer is covered with Creamy Brown Chalk ink with Gathered Twigs ink sponged around the edges.
I used a Martha Stewart snowflake border punch to get all the tiny little snowflakes that I tediously glued to my card and added glitter with a Quickie Glue Pen. :)
The sentiment is from the Impression Obsession All Occasion II set ( CL307).
This was so much fun to make a stencil for the Molding Paste with my dies, I can't wait to do it again !!
I'm entering this in the following challenges :
Impression Obsession Favourite Technique
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge  Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes
The Male Room Nature Challenge
Allsorts Christmas Cheer
Totally Gorjuss Anything Goes with Snow