One layer stencilled Christmas card

Hello Crafters, 

I do hope you are still safe and healthy, wherever you are. And hopefully well on track with your Christmas preparations. 

I am not much in the mood this year, but at least I am less stressed about Christmas preparations than ever before in my adult life. I started early and am well on track at the moment. 

Today's card is one I actually made last year. We had two French exchange students staying at the time and had a little crafty session together. I made this simple one layer card with a stencil and some inks and sequins. Very simple, but I like that in a card. 

 

Have a lovely week!

Ela 

 

Hello Crafters,

as I told you a few days ago, I got this paper pack, that I promised myself to use this year. So I made this set of three cards from another sheet, using some vellum shapes to set off the die-cut sentiments. 

Each one is slightly different, but not a lot. 

I hope you're all having a good day

Ela 

Heavenly Christmas

Hello Everyone, 

today I'd like to show you two very simple Christmas cards I made with patterned paper and die cuts. 

I wanted to buy the papers, but since I hardly ever use patterned paper, I made a promise to myself, to actually use it this year instead of keeping it, because 'maybe sometime I might need it'...

The paper pack is 30x15 cm, so enough to cover 3 portrait card fronts, which is why I made 5 cards all the same way. Only five, because for the trees I obviously needed to mind the orientation. 

I covered the card bases with the paper and stacked 3 frames for more stability. The word die cut I didn't stack, I was too lazy. It's really very intricate. 

The sentiment reads 'heavenly Christmas' in German. 

Hope you are all staying safe

Ela

 

Snow Angels for Christmas

  Hey Crafters, 

since Halloween and Thanksgiving aren't greatly celebrated where I live, I am already in full swing for Christmas cards. As every year, I am determined to get my preparations done before things start to get stressful. 

Last year I had made such a good start, and then December came and everything went wrong. So this year, I started in early October. I already finished a bunch of Christmas cards. This set are among my favourites, because I simply adore the snow angels and I put them all on action wobbles. I never used action wobbles before and ordered them extra for this stamp set.

I still have more of those critters stamped out and ready to colour, so I think I might make some more. 

I think, I would have preferred to have the patterned paper behind the word flush with the card base instead of the panels, but I didn't feel like popping up all the fiddly bits... 

Have a wonderful day
Ela

Embossed snowflake

Hi Crafters,

I hope, you have had peaceful and wonderful Christmas celebrations, wherever you are. 

We did enjoy Christmas a lot, we celebrated at our place. 
In Germany we celebrate on Christmas eve. My family was due to arrive at about 3 pm, so we could attend church at 4 pm. But since my girls' Dad needed to leave rather early, so see his other family, we agreed that he should come over an hour early, to he could spend a little more time with the girls. 

Our tradition is to set up and decorate the tree on the morning of the 24th (yes, that late) together. So, running late with preparations, as usual, I decided that he could do that with the girls, while I was finishing the last tasks in the kitchen and around the house.

Well, nice in theory, in actuality, he ran half an hour late, by which time the tree had already fallen over once, because I was maybe a bit overenthusiastic when I bought it. Meaning I got it fresh from a local farmer and in the large barn without any other trees to compare it with, it just didn't look as huge as it is. It almost reaches the ceiling and is a bit big for our tree stand.

So, when my Ex arrived, we set up the tree - again - weighted it down with stones from the garden and got ourselves tangled up in the light chain, at which point my sister-in-law and here family entered the house (I had left the door open when I collected the stones).

In the end, my brother-in-law and I sent off the rest of the family to church, decorated the tree and the presents underneath, set the table (yes, I hadn't managed that in time either) and finished preparing dinner. With all that done, we were actually ready early and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee while re-installing the TV set, which had returned that day from repairs.

Now, to the card. This one is an idea I have seen on the Internet in many variations, with the single snowflake and a simple sentiment strip.  I created a watercolour gradient back ground and adhered the silver embossed snowflake on top, then I added the sentiment with foam tape.

Wishing you a fantastic new years celebration and all the best for 2020
Ela


Challenges:
Shopping our Stash: #410 Happy Holidays

Mass producing Christmas cards

Hello crafty friends, 

can you believe it, only four days to go - well in Germany at least. We celebrate on Christmas eve. 
I am in full fledged panic mode by now. With all the drama and action this December, I am far behind, even though I started out so well in November. 

Today, I sent the last packages out and bought the postage stamps for all my Christmas cards. Those however, I didn't have finished, so I decided to mass produce the final 18 cards I still needed tonight. 

The idea was inspired by a card I once saw in a shop and the design is very clean and simple. 

I started by cutting the white panels and stamping the beautiful long sentiment in the lower 3rd. Then I cut slits in the panels, just below and above the sentiment, where I could tuck in my little stars. 

The stars themselves are cut from different Christmas patterned papers I collected over the years. After I had tucked all of them in, I created and scored all the card bases from light grey card stock and adhered the panels down flat.

With this batch, I didn't take the time to embellish the envelopes, as I would usually do. But I did pick red envelopes, for all the cards that had red stars. All the other cards had to make do with white.

There is still so much work. We are celebrating at our place, so there is cleaning cooking and more gift wrapping to do. Not to mention that all the cards still have to be written and posted. That bit I must achieve tomorrow. 

And I still have to create a batch of Birthday cards, that I mean to give to my wonderful friend and landlady. I already have the design in mind for those. I am planning to re-use the design of this years Birthday invitations using Birthday sentiments and more colour combinations. All cards will be similar, so they make 4a nice set, but each one a little different.

And there is another friend, who I know could use a set of Birthday cards to give away. But she was invited to our Birthday party, so I can't use the same idea for her set. I have to come up with something different. 
But at least those gifts will be handed over in person, so I still have the week-end.

And right after Christmas, I will start making Christmas cards for next year, while I am still in the mood. Seriously, I did that a few years back, and it was brilliant. And I still want to use all my lovely Christmas supplies, that I didn't get to use enough this year.

So, I do hope you are are not as stressed as me, but if you are, tell me about it, so I don't feel so alone.

Hugs and kisses
Ela

P.S. Sorry for the bad pictures, I had to take them in poor lighting. 


Challenges:
CAS on Friday: #170 Christmas
Shopping our Stash: #410 Happy Holidays

Joy to the world

Hey Crafters, 

how is life treating you? 
I've had a bit of a close shave yesterday,  I fell down a steep flight of stairs and I am feeling rather sore and bruised today. My right leg and shoulder are hurting a lot. I was still quite far up when I slipped, and there was nobody around at the time -  all the things that could have happened... I am a lucky girl to have gotten away with nothing worse!

Also I am still worried sick about my kitty, who still won't eat much. I've been at the vet almost every day now and at times she looks more agile and less sick, but her refusal to eat is no good sign at all. Tomorrow we will do X-Rays. I wish she'd start eating tonight.

Today, I have a very simple Christmas card for you. 

I coloured  the kitty with my ZIG markers and cut her out. Then I added just a little light blue ink blending to the centre of the card base and stamped a few of the musical notes that are included in the set in the same light blue. You can barely see them in the photo.

Last I added the sentiment in deep black and popped up the kitty on foam tape. 

I should have centred her more between the two parts of the sentiment, but then I don't think anyone will complain. 

Have a wonderful day
Love
Ela


Challenges:

Creative Friday: #245 Soon it's Christmas
Simon says Stamp:Traditional Christmas
Shopping our Stash: #410 Happy Holidays

Beary Christmas

Hi Crafters, 

how is it? 
We are mostly fine, our exchange students arrived yesterday, and I am finding that my French is very, very rusty. Conversations are difficult, but they are nice girls, and I hope we'll get more fluent with practise. 

On the sad side, I am rather worried about my little feline girl. She is sick and won't eat and since she is so skinny anyway, that is very worrying. We'll see the vet again later today, which she hates. She is a darling at all times, but at the vet she gets really aggressive. They had to sedate her yesterday, just to take a bit of blood for testing. Poor thing.

Today, I'd like to share another mother-daughter collaboration. 

While I was searching for a specific card panel I made weeks ago, I found a background that my daughter made and discarded. She used water colours for the sky (I think) and ink blending for the snowy hills. 

So with the background already done, I just added a bit of dark blue ink blending around the edge of the sky, to create a more dramatic vignette and splattered on some gouache for snow. 

While this dried, I searched my stash of images and found this ice bear, which I thought was perfect. I just needed to cut it out. 

Then I added the sentiment on the dried panel with gold embossing. 

It roughly says (in German):
"Let's 
Dance with the snowflakes
Build a snowman
Stomp hearts in the snow  
Eat loads of cookies
Sing loudly and
Look into the winter sky."

I think it's perfect for the scene, though a bit optimistic in terms of the amount of snow we usually get where I live. 

A slight dusting of snow usually will cause my daughters to jump for joy, with "all the snow" and all the drivers to crawl and realise they still didn't change their tyres. Compared to when and where I grew up, I can only smile at that. 

Anyhow, I love how this card turned out. 

Wishing you a brilliant day
Ela



Challenges: 

Cards 4 Guys: #234 Christmas Critters
Shopping our Stash: #410 Happy Holidays
Simon says Stamp: Traditional Christmas
Stempelgarten: #87 Christmas

Christmas Poinsettia

Hello Crafters, 

are you gearing up for Christmas? 
Since Thanksgiving is being celebrated much earlier and very differently in Germany, I am concentration fully on Christmas preparations, even though there are a lot of family Birthdays coming up in the next few weeks as well.  I am determined not to let it get as bad as usual, especially since last Christmas was extremely stress full. 

We decided to move at the end of October, used all of November for packing boxes, received the new keys on the 1st of December and then had to paint the place and move. I think we first slept in the new place round about the 20th of December 2018, surrounded by packing boxes and chaos.

So, this year's motto is: get it ready early, I'll fall behind my schedule soon enough anyway.

For my girls I pretty much already have all the gifts I'll need. I may still add small things I find during December, but if nothing comes up I'll be fine with what I have. But I still need lots of things for the advent calendar, and those I will need by the week-end.



All the small children in the family shouldn't be too difficult either. There is now 5 of them between ages 2 months and 4 years. 

I also have an idea for my Ex and my sister and I arranged years ago, not to give anything among the grown-ups, only the children. So that's done. 

But my in-laws and parents will be tough. And I would really like to get most things during Black Friday week.

For my close friends here in our new town, I actually got the present back in May. We went to a sales exhibition and there was this booth of a local board game company, so while we were there we got them an expansion set for a board game they already have. 

My other close friend doesn't want me to spend much money, because she knows about my car which has just needed very expensive repairs. So she is wishing for handmade stuff, a set of cards for herself, handmade pet snacks for her daughter, who volunteers for a local animal shelter. They always have rabbits and guinea pigs in the garden for that organisation. And I thought we might take a walk in the woods and find some natural materials, like large pieces of bark to hide and chew. If the weather clears up anytime soon. And for the boys she'll have to come back to me.

So there is still lots to do, especially since I still need a cartload of cards to send out myself, in addition to the cards for my friend, I better get moving.


This one will certainly not go into mass production, though I like how it turned out a lot. During the process it gave me so much trouble, I almost gave up. 

I used my ZIG markers to colour the image and added some shading with grey alcohol markers, for more dimension. Then I added the gold embossing over the completed image and along the edges and adhered the image to a simple black card base.

I added a Christmas red envelope and embossed the outline on it. 

I love that stamp, I think I might have to challenge myself to try a white poinsettia as well. 

Lots of Love
Ela



Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps and More: #368 Holiday
Creative Friday: #244 red and gold
Always fun Stamping: #138 Anything goes
TCP: #363 Holidays

A sentiment tree

Hello Crafters, 

I do hope you are all well. 

I have another Christmas card for you today. I created it with the same sentiment tree I used for my last Christmas card. I actually made these cards in parallel.

This time I wanted to do a galaxy kind of background, but in the end I covered up all the colours I put underneath. So it's just an uneven watercolour background with gold embossing. Since the embossing was not very prominent, I lightened the centre area with white pigment ink and darkened the edges with black soot distress ink to create the vignette. 

To tie in the gold embossing I added the same embossing powder to the edges of the card base. 
Unfortunately the sentiment is still not very legible, but at least a bit better. 

Lots of love
Ela




Challenges:
CAS(E) this Sketch: #345 

 

A very small Christmas card

Hello Crafters, 

I hope you are doing fine. 

I currently seem to be back in mojo, I've been making a lot more cards lately than usual. And I think I also know why. I believe it is, because it's been a bit more relaxed at my job for the past few weeks. We've had tough years in my department, and lately we have finally got new staff. We are still in the process of training, but already it's big relief. 

So, I've finally started making Christmas cards, since the holidays are fast approaching.

I love this sentiment tree and wanted to emboss it in either white or silver, so I created a dark blue gradient with my water colours, on which it could shine. I love how that turned out.

But then Murphy's law hit and everything went wrong. This cards is a very usual size, since I had to crop it down several times. First I cut the partial circle too high up, so I needed to shorten the card base. Then I thought it would look better a bit slimmer, so I did that, but I must move the card while cutting, the cut ended up incredibly crooked. So I tried to fix that. In the end it's almost half the size of a normal card, only a bit taller.

But I think I'll use it like a gift tag, so it'll be fine.

Have a lovely day
Ela





Challenges:
Addicted to Stanps and More: #364 CAS

Poinsettia Christmas

Hello Crafters, 

how have you been? 

Last night, I totally channelled my inner Kelly Latevola and created this card. I used ZIG markers and only little water to colour in the image. When I didn't like the results, I added more shading with alcohol markers. Looking up poinsettias on the Internet, I found that they have a slight bend in the middle, which makes half of the leaf/petal look lighter than the other, because they catch the light differently. Since I hadn't achieved that effect, I used a mini flat blending brush and white pigment ink, to brighten up individual leaf halves.

Then I fuzzy cut the image out and started fiddling with the sentiment and card base, which was  created with watercolours. The bottom bit that looks grey is actually silver water colour. The sentiment gave me big trouble, I didn't feel I had anywhere to place it. And I had already put foam on the blue panel, stupid me. So I ended up heat embossing it right across the image.

So, why do I feel I channelled Kelly's spirit?
For one it's a floral.
Secondly I combined water colour and alcohol markers, which is something she often does.
I also used pigment powered water splatters for the background and just a touch of silver water colour to put some shine on the petals.
And I messed up this card in so many ways, it's a miracle I actually still like the final result. But I didn't start over!
And  finally: Having used white pigment ink, I outlined everything.

Kelly, if ever you read this, I love your cards and your story time. Thanks for inspiring me!

I actually do like how it turned out, even tough there is so many details I feel I screwed up.

Have a beautiful day
Ela


Challenges:
Simon says Stamp: Christmas

Challenge up your life: Challenge #80 Trees

Hello Crafters,

can you believe how time flies? Only one month to Christmas eve, I can feel the panic rising... But with today's Challenge for

I did at least make a start on my Christmas cards - finally. To assist you with your Christmas card list, we are challenging you this time, to use trees on your project.
 

Challenge #80 Trees

I watched Lindsay's watercolour tutorial the other day, and decided to try that out myself. So here are my results. 

I actually did 4 panels, but the colours one one didn't turn out right and another panel I ruined the heat embossing, so I cut it down to fix it, but I didn't like how that turned out either. 

At first I was very unhappy with my trees, they just didn't look right, but when I came back the next day with a fresh perspective, they looked okay after all. Sometimes you just need to take a step back. 

So, that's it from me today, I hope to see a lot of tree cards from all of you!
Hugs

Ela

 

Christmas magic

Hi all,

I've been playing with the thought of getting a set of Polychomos pencils lately, but on the other hand I tend to REALLY NEED all kinds of colouring mediums, and then end up not using them enough.

I also REALLY want a set of ZIG real brush pens, and the only reason I still don't have any is, that my orders went wrong twice. The first time I ordered them on ebay, someone hat put in the wrong picture and wrong description and actually wanted to sell entirely different pens. Well, they were too cheap to be real, so that was that.
And the second time my order was shipped from Japan but never arrived. Bright point, the money was returned to me without any trouble.

Anyhow, knowing myself and my budget, I decided not to invest in the Polychromos' yet, and try to make do with my Inktense pencils instead.

This is my first try at using them without a lot of water. I actually created that card before Christmas and already used it, which is why you can see part of the name on the envelope.  

For this card I once again used several stamp sets to create the scene. After stamping and some masking I coloured the image with the dry pencils, doing all the shading. When it was all done, I carefully used just a little water to activate the colour and blend it a bit more.

After all had dried I used the white pencil to add a few highlight and also colour in the white areas. Unlike all the other colours, the white covers best when used dry.

I really like how this card turned out. Especially the shadows look good, apart from the fact that I messed up their direction.

I also like the sentiment a lot, it's so playful.


So, that's it for today, have a great time and don't forget, only 315 days 'till Christamas.

Ho Ho Ho
Ela



Challenges:
Simon says stamp: One Layer
Less is more: #263 One Layer with a stem (hope the mushroom's stems count)
The daily marker: 30 days coloring challenge

Challenge #34 Without patterned paper

Hello Everyone,
 
guess what, it's Challenge time again. This week's theme is:  

Challenge #34 Without patterned paper 

 

over at

  

That's right up my sleeve, I ain't good with patterned paper anyway, so I did some colouring. And true to my intent not to let the next Christmas get as stressful as the last, this is another Christmas card.

I combined 3 different stamp sets from TAWS, Lawn Fawn and Newton's Nook, to create the frosty little mail-monster. Never hesitate to combine your stamps whichever way you like. So much more possibilities... The sentiment actually says "snail mail for you", but I cut off the "snail". "Mail for you" is so much more versatile, it can be used for almost any occasion, and I can piece it back together any time.

The colouring was done with Inktense Pencils. I really like how the shadow turned out, I think it looks like he's standing on ice.

So, grab your supplies and get started, we want to see all kinds of cards without patterned paper.

Hugs
Ela


The daily marker: 30 days coloring challenge

Happy new year and Christmas 2016

Hi Crafters,  

better late than never I’d like to wish you all the best for the new year. Hope you all had a good start.  

As you may have noticed, I have been posting very rarely in the past months. That is mostly due to quite some health problems within the family, that took a lot of my energy.

Also, I fear, that this will not be solved quickly, so I apologize in advance for not posting very regularly. Though I will try.

I didn’t even manage to create the Christmas cards I had planned for this year. I mostly used cards I had left over from last year. Which isn't all that bad, because after all I didn't created them, to collect dust. 

As I do every year, I promised myself not to let next Christmas be as stressful as the last, so I decided start creating NOW, while I am still in the mood. And as I had bought the supplies already, I used them.

So, here they are, officially the first cards for Christmas 2016. 

 

  

 

 

 

This Teddy was actually coloured by one of my daughters.
She graciously allowed my to use it for our Christmas cards. Thanks Love!

 The idea to stamp and colour on wood is from Jennifer McGuire. Thanks Jen, you’re always such an inspiration! 

I stamped the images with Archival ink and them with my Inktense Pencils. I did all the shading dry and wet the wood afterwards to activate the colour (except where I used white). In some places I applied a second layer after it had dried again.

Then I drilled a whole in the wood and added the twine, so the recipients can hang it as an ornament.  

The whole panel is adhered to the dry embossed, very simple card front with a glue dot and the string with a second glue dot in the back.

As you can see, I didn't use a sentiment, I just wanted to focus on the ornament. That is also the reason, why I kept the card base very plain. 

As I couldn't use a standard envelope for this, I created simple boxes with my envelope punch board from red cardstock. Then I heat embossed the trees and ornament to tie in trees on the embossed card base.

 I created three similar cards the same way for my close family (so they will obviously get different cards), but I failed to take pictures, so I can't show these. Sorry.
And as I ordered the wrong size wood chips on the internet, I also created tags the same way. I thought, I could show you most of these, because we celebrated at my place and all the gift wrapping was left here, but it seems my family liked the wooden tags and kept most of them. So I can show you only a few of them…  

Hope you all have a great year
Hugs
Ela

 

 

 

Challenge up your life: Challenge #28 White & Gold

Hello Crafters,
guess what, it's Challenge time again. This week's theme is: 

Challenge #28 White & Gold

 

over at

 

I have a different project for you today, no card, but a book.

I die cut the letters and stars from fun foam and adhered them to a cheap notebook from the Dollar store. Then I covered the front and back with one layer of a paper towel and lots and lots of Mod Podge. I made sure to create some nice wrinkles in the paper.

Then I painted the finished cover with acrylic paint and as a very last step I lightly brushed on some gold acrylic paint.

To hide the mess I made on the inside of the cover, I simply adhered a piece of scrapbook paper. 

 

I created three notebooks this way, to give away for Christmas. The others are in colour, so they don't match the challenge, but I'll show them anyway, just to make the set complete.

And the Insides

 

 Now I'm looking forward to your creations in Christmasy elegant white and gold!

Have fun
Ela