Some Christmas Cards for this year

Each year I make Christmas cards for family, close friends and a few other people whom I know appreciate them.

The first card is a simple one using a Hearts in Touch image. I did direct-to-paper with pigment inks and a Colorbox stylus. I stamped the image and coloured it with Lyra coloured pencils.

On the next two, the background is done with a technique where you "build your own Rollergraph" using clear acrylic stamps, a rollergraph and Fluid Chalk inks. The quote on the first one is stamped on vellum and embossed with glitter embossing powder. On the second card the frame is a piece of acrylic die cut then embossed with the Cutllebug and coloured with metallic paint.

On the next card the main images are stickers, which were attached then covered with clear embossing to protect them. After that the background was stamped with white pigment ink and embossed with white embossing powder, coloured with Fluid Chalk inks, sprayed with Alcohol sprays then ironed off to obtain the resist background.

The saying was stamped and embossed with pearl embossing powder. The main image of the deer was protected with a post-it note mask, and then the entire card was embossed with glitter embossing powder.

These last two cards are variations done in different colours. The background 0n the red one is the shaving cream technique. The Believe stamp was stamped directly on the stamped image with Stazon black.

The background on the green one is a technique called "stamp-smooshie" where you use your stamp as an applicator, and it was done with Fluid Chalk inks. I stamped the Believe stamp on acetate then covered it with clear micro beads on

I lightly coloured the little girl image on both with distress inks.

More Post-it Note pads

Dh and I are hosting a pre-Christmas supper this weekend, so I decided to make some Post-it note gifts for the ladies.

For the first two I used acrylic and stamped images on them with Stazon ink and then coloured the edges with permanent markers. My Freind Lea loves Hummingbirds and fortunately I had a stamp for hers, my other friend Sonny loves Roses, hence the rose on the second one.

I coloured the back of the vinyl with alcohol inks. The back pages were done with a technique called stamp-smooshie which I learned at a rubber stamping class.

The other two for my DH's siste and roomate were done on the Cuttlebug. The first one is vinyl, which I double embossed. The firs time was the top and bottom edges only, then I embossed the whole piece again with a different embossing folder. I ran some paint around the edges, then rubbed the Goldfinger antique gold over it.

The second one is simply embossed with the Cuttlebug, using Fibremark paper and adhered to chipboard.

Cuttlebug play

I have a Cuttlebug swap in CC swaps and made a notebook/post-it note holder.
I started by putting some of the plumbers silver tape over a piece of cardstock, then ran it through the Cuttlebug. I then attached it to 130Lb paper (doubled), and cut it down to size.


Then I coloured it with metallic paint and ran some Goldfinger antique gold (similar to rub-n-buff) over it, which resulted in kind of a verdigris look.



I wanted to make a little pocket to store items, so I cut down a page protector to fit. I found that if I put some scrap paper over each side I was able to make the holes with the cuttlebug, otherwise it was a problem and they did not cut properly.


I printed off an image I found in an advert onto a transparency and punched the holes and placed this at the end to cover the post-it notes and remain transparent. The final touch was to stamp the back with a saying.

SSSHHHHH! It's a Secret!!

On one of my groups we are doing a secret swap ( similar to the Secret Santa). We are to make a gift and also send a gift which costs a maximum of $10; handmade or store bought.


I decided that handmade gift would be a canvas. I started by painting the canvas with acrylic paints, lavendar, yellow and green. I added a couple of pieces ripped from an old dictionary. I then went over it with an iridescent violet using my PearlEXpress mica watercolours.

I stamped and embossed some flourishes (Hero Arts) around the edges. I then added some opals embossing powders around the the canvas to give it some texture.

I stamped the image (Stamps Happen "Harmony Angel) on tissue paper and colored with coloured pencils, then very carefully attached it to the canvas. I wanted to try something a wee bit different for the angel, so I painted her with my glass paints. after the paint dried I added the stars on and around the angel with gold stickles.

I also decided to make a necklace using the Faux Carnival Glass technique by Zeb Loray in addition to a store bought gift. (http://www.amstamps.com/fauxcarnival/index.html).

December It-Girl

Jessie is December's It-girl for the ArtVenture Tag-it. Her theme is Time. I started off by making and completing a canvas, but I was not happy with the end result and started browsing some sites that I have in my favourites for some inspiration. One I recently came across has some great challenges and beautiful artwork http://bigartadventure.blogspot.com/

I have some little woodblocks in my stash, so decided to try one of the wood ATC's, although mine may not be the exact dimensions, I am fairly certain that Jessie won't be measuring it.

I sanded the woodblock then applied some yellow and green acrylic paints. I added a piece from an old dictionary definition of Time and did direct-to-paper with Mustard Seed Distress ink . I then stamped a Tim Holtz stamp in black Versafine. I added butterfly wings and the wonderful little girl's image http://thriftycollageartist.blogspot.com and the ruler. I had a sticker type clock embellishment and adhered a page pebble over it and attached it to the corner.

I thought it still needed "something" so spelled out "TIME" with the metal letters.

For the back I added a quote and a piece of a calendar stamp, an old ad ephemera and a little watch charm. The quotes and the calendar were rubbed with distress ink.

Each side has a quote on it as well.

I stamped a word stamp on top and the vintage ad piece is partially covering the bottom. I hope Jessie will be as happy with this as I am because I really enjoyed creating it for her.

Beadazzled Swap

I signed up for a swap on CCSwaps using beads. Since it did not specify what kind of beads I opted for the tiny seed beads for my creation.

I used a microscope slide and the faux sea glass technique http://www.juliaandrus.com/how-to

The microscope slide was dabbed with yellow, turquoise and lavendar pigment inks, then embossed with clear UTEE. I applied Perfect Medium and yellow, gold and pearl Perfect Pearls, covered with clear UTEE and embosssed it. I did not do the last step in Julia's instructions where you spray the slide with water and dab it.

While the UTEE was still hot I sprinkled red and turquoise seed beeds over the slide and heated it. I then added some Glossy Accents and added some gold seed beads. To finish it off I added a little starfish charm, then added the keyring.

November It-Girl

Fiona is the It-Girl for November on the ArtVenture group and the theme is inspiration. I guess my inspiration would be colour at the moment.

I decided to make her a notebook. The front cover is coloured with various acrylic paints then embossed with clear embossing powder. I know she loves Paper Artsy stamps and I just bought a couple of plates, so I used one of the images on the book.

The inside front cover is a transfer on transparency, and the image is from an ephemera book that I purchased about a year ago.

The inside back cover is just painted with acrylics and then stamped with a flourish stamp from Magenta then the images added.

The words are from one stamp which I cut into pieces and used on each page.

I hope Fiona will be pleased with her little gift.