Christmas Love

This image of a more "relaxed" poinsettia is so pretty - it is a stamp and die set from Hero Arts called Christmas Love. I stamped the image twice and coloured each one in a different colour scheme. The red floral was mounted on a gold and white striped background and the pink floral was adhered to a mint dotted background. Both were adhered to a black outline and then the white card base. I like how the black piece draws the eye toward the centre of the card. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: Oh Deer Paper Pack, Gold Striped Paper, Black Cardstock, White Cards and Envelopes (all CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock 

Stamps: Christmas Love and dies (Hero Arts)

Inks: Amalgum Black (Gina K. Designs), Mint (CTMH)

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies (GMD), Pink Enamel Dots (Doodlebug), Red Enamel Dots, Clear Shimmer Brush, Gold Shimmer Brush (all CTMH), Tri-Blend Markers, Sentiment Strips (Gina K. Designs) 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Poinsettia Square Card

Red and green are usually not my first choice for Christmas cards but the images I wanted to use here worked best in traditional colours. 

I saw a gorgeous card made in this style in a Facebook group but I wasn't able to find the post a second time... I would love to give credit to the original artist. 

The center square was die cut and I also added a glitter square inside the frame. That entire section (with the embossed background) was raised on craft foam. The center section was created from a variety of die cuts that were arranged in a floral spray. The only embellishment on the card is the gold glitter gem in the center of the poinsettia. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: Cardstock - White Daisy, Evergreen, Green Apple, Candy Apple, Scarlet (all CTMH)

Stamps: Mini Christmas Greetings (Spellbinders)

Inks: Evergreen (CTMH)

Accessories: Stitched Square Thin Cuts (CTMH), Stitched Square Dies (GMD), Festive Banners (Sizzix), Cascading Dots Embossing Folder, Gold Glitter Gems (CTMH), Craft Foam

Enjoy,

Alyson

Poinsettia Cards - Version 2

Here are a couple of other poinsettia cards created with a different set of products from the ones I posted yesterday. The flowers look very different - it's amazing how designers can create products with the same flower and make them look so individual. 

The flowers were stamped (multiple layer) along with the leaves and branches. They were all die cut as were the circles, the scalloped circles and the stitched card front. I used a stencil to lightly ink a background for each card. The sentiment was stamped on the right side of the circle and then the branches and flowers were attached. I added liquid pearls to the berry branches and also to the centres of the flowers. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Black Cardstock, White Cards and Envelopes (all CTMH)

Stamps: Merry Christmas (CTMH), Perfect Poinsettia stamp set and dies (Gina K. Designs) 

Inks: Carolina, Bluebird, Sapphire, Smoothie, Candy Apple, Ruby, Scarlet, New England Ivy, Fern, Sweet Leaf, Toffee, Pewter, Versamark (all CTMH), Black (Gina K. Designs), DO Inks: Peeled Paint, Salty Ocean 

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Thin Cuts (CTMH), Circle Dies and Scalloped Circle Dies (Spellbinders), Petals Stencil (Pink and Main), Silver Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Liquid Pearls - Ancient Gold, Red, Bisque, Waterfall Stickles 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Poinsettia Cards

I am continuing my quest to make over 100 Christmas cards. I don't normally make more than one of any style unless I teach it to others, and in that case I may end up with two. This poinsettia stamp, however, is one that I love and I wanted to use it for different colours of the same design. 

The floral, berry and leaf images were stamped (multiple layers) in four different colour combinations. They were all die cut and I also die cut the stitched frame, the lattice background and the sentiments. Each was layered the same way but they look so different with the various colour schemes. The teal poinsettia was left over from a previous project so I only had one flower and added some additional berries to that card. The last step was to add some metallic thread and gems to each card. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, White Cards and Envelopes (CTMH)

Stamps: Poinsettia Wishes plus die, Berry Branches plus die, Holiday Wishes Sentiments plus die (The Ton Stamps) 

Inks: Mint, Lagoon, Peacock, Ballerina, Pixie, Raspberry, Candy Apple, Ruby, Scarlet, Carolina, Bluebird, Sapphire, Willow, Clover, Toffee, Black, Versamark (all CTMH)

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies, Lattice Die (both GMD), Silver and Gold Metallic Thread, Gold and Silver Shimmer Brushes (CTMH), Silver Embossing Powder, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Gems - Sapphire, Bubblegum, Ballet Slippers, Emerald City, Glacier (Pink Fresh Studio) 

Enjoy,

Alyson

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

These adorable hippos are from a stamp set that was part of the Simon Says Stamp Stamptember event. I stamped and die cut several of them and have more ideas for them in the days to come. 

The first card is a basic scene with two hippos - they were coloured and adhered to a card front. I added a strip across the top that was wide enough for the sentiment and then placed flags underneath. The leaves and berries on the mistletoe have some added shimmer to them. 

The second card is a star shaker - the background paper looks all green but there are red berries scattered throughout the design. I added some "snow" inside the shaker on a background of snowflake patterned paper. The sentiment was added at the bottom and the hippo was placed beside the star. 

Products used are as follows:

Paper: Jingle All the Way (Echo Park), Holiday Stack, Evergreen Cardstock, White Daisy Cardstock, Scarlet Cardstock (all CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Hippo Holidays and dies (La La Land Crafts)

Inks: Intense Black (SSS)

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies (GMD), Star Shaker Thin Cuts, Red Shimmer Brush, Clear Shimmer Brush, Holly Jolly Dots, Star Foam and Acetate, Christmas Red Stickles, Tri-Blend Markers (all CTMH), Craft Foam 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Distress Oxide Snowflake Cards

I love experimenting with mixed media... I'm not good at it, but it still is a lot of fun! 

These two cards were created by blending a background using Distress Oxide inks. While the ink was still wet, I spritzed some water on each. I also used some Distress Sprays to add some extra splatters. The last step for the background was to splatter some white acrylic paint mixed with water. Those pieces were left to dry overnight.

The next day, I embossed some snowflake images in white on each card. I also added very small dots of Stickles and Liquid Pearls in coordinating colours on each. The card fronts were adhered to craft foam, then to white cardstock and finally to coordinating coloured cardstock. They were placed on a top folding card base. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: Neenah Solar White Cardstock, Teal and Purple Cardstock (scrapbook.com) 

Stamps: Snow Flurries (CTMH), Christmas Joy (Hero Arts), Peace-Love-Joy (Gina K. Designs) 

Inks: Versamark, DO Inks - Shaded Lilac, Wilted Violet, Prize Ribbon, Salvaged Patina, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon, DO Sprays - Peacock Feathers, Prize Ribbon, Mermaid Lagoon

Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Craft Foam, Stickles - Steel, Mermaid, Liquid Pearls - Lavender Lace, Juniper, White Craft Paint

Enjoy,

Alyson

Crop and Create Event 11 - Scrapbook and Cards Today

This is post 11 - the LAST one - for the Crop and Create Event - featuring a stamp and die set from Scrapbook and Cards Today. They are the company that hosted this awesome event! 

They provided a great stamp and die set called Change the World. If it isn't available on their website site yet, it will be shortly. The sentiments are useable for any purpose and I love the globe image with the flowers at the top. 

We created the ink blended card together and I added some small dots around the image with markers. The sentiment was embossed in white. 

The other card is one I did on my own, just because I love the set. I stamped and coloured the main image and again embossed the sentiment in white. Small dots were added around the image and it was placed on a stitched rectangle background. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Cardstock, Black Cardstock (Hammermill), Aqua Cardstock (Concord and 9th)

Stamps: Change the World stamp and die

Inks: Amalgum Black (Gina K. Designs), Raspberry, Nectarine, Lemonade, Willow, Lagoon (CTMH)

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies (GMD), White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Tri-Blend Markers, Sharpie Markers, Clear Sequins, Foam Tape

Enjoy,

Alyson

Crop and Create Event 10 - Photoplay

This is post 10 for the Crop and Create Card Making Event - featuring Photoplay products. 

There was a sweet birthday stamp and die in the event box and as part of a short lesson, we created this adorable birthday card. The die cut was used to create a mask for shading the image. It was done with inks and blending brushes, not marker coloured. I added Liquid Glass to the balloons to give them some shine and I also doodled around the edge of the card. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Cardstock (Hammermill), Kraft Cardstock 

Stamps: SCT Exclusive Birthday stamp and die (Photoplay) 

Inks: Amalgum Black (Gina K. Designs), Bluebird, Lagoon, Willow (CTMH)

Accessories: Black Journaling Pen, Foam Tape, Liquid Glass (CTMH), Clear Sequins 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

AH 444 - Peace Slimline

Welcome to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge 444!

This week, the sketch is a slimline format and I chose to do a horizontal slimline card. 

I love non-traditional colours for Christmas so I began with a set of slimline layering stencils to create the outline. I chose an unusual combination of purple, green and gold. That piece was die cut and the letters were based on the colours from the border. I wanted to use large letters as shown in the sketch and pulled out an old alphabet stamp set. The letters were stamped with Versamark and embossed in gold. They were coloured using the same colours that were used for the floral border. I embossed a piece of gold foil and die cut a stitched border to go under the frame. A small sentiment was stamped and embossed and some embellishing thread was added underneath. 

Come and join us at Atlantic Hearts and show us how you interpret the sketch shown above. 

You have until Sunday evening to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create! 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Pansy Cardstock, Gold Foil, Slimline Cards and Envelopes (all CTMH)

Stamps: Framework Alphabet (CTMH), Incredibly Grateful stamp, die and layering stencils (Pink Fresh Studio), Mini Christmas Greetings stamp and die (Spellbinders)

Inks: Veramark, Willow, Clover, Pansy (all CTMH)

Accessories: Slim Stitched Rectangle Essentials (Pink Fresh Studio), Stitched Slimline Dies (Pink and Main), Stitched Circles Embossing Folder, Tri-Blend Markers, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool (all CTMH), Green Metallic Thread 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Crop and Create Event 9 - Honey Bee Stamps

This is post 9 for the Crop and Create Card Making event - featuring Honey Bee Stamps. 

There was a cute little stamp and die set in the event box with a bee theme. We created two cards using the hive and the tiny little images. 

The backgrounds were created by inking the edges of one of them and using a yellow ink and spritzing it with water to smoosh the background for the other one. On the yellow background card, the drawers of the hive were cut to allow images to be placed just inside - so cute!

Products used are as follows:

Paper: White Cardstock (Hammermill) 

Stamps: You're a Keeper stamp and dies (Honey Bee Stamps) 

Inks: Amalgum Black (Gina K Designs), Lemonade, Lagoon (CTMH)

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies (GMD), Copic Markers, Foam Tape, Clear Shimmer Brush (CTMH)

Enjoy,

Alyson

Construction Trucks card

A good friend of mine has an adorable son who is 4 years old. He loves construction - anything to do with the large vehicles and the operation of them. He is the sweetest little guy... and I wanted to make something just for him! 

I don't have stamps with construction vehicles or other trucks so I went to my Cricut for those images. I cut two of them and pieced them together. I also created two sliders for the front card panel that allow the trucks to slide back and forth. I printed a little section that has his name and "construction company". 

Inside the card, I created a construction man and added his picture (blurred out) plus a little note. I wrote my message at the top of the card but that is not shown here. 

This card will be addressed to him so it is his very own package! I can't wait to hear about his reaction! 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: Cardstock - White Daisy, Black, Sundance, Pewter, Pansy

Stamps: Framework Alphabet

Inks: Intense Black (SSS)

Accessories: Cricut Images, Metal Washers, Foam Tape, Tri-Blend Markers, Sharpie Markers

Enjoy,

Alyson

Crop and Create Event 8 - Elle's Studio

This is post 9 for the Crop and Create Card Making event - featuring products from Elle's Studio! 

A neat two step star stamping set was provided and this was a quick session class. Two cards were made using the stars and rainbow ink colours. They are not hard to create but do take some time to sort out the ink order and the organization on the page. The end result - two very cute cards! 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Cardstock (Hammermill), Lagoon Cardstock (CTMH)

Stamps: Sincere Sentiments - Wonderful You (Elle's Studio) 

Inks: Black, Smoothie, Peach, Tangerine, Canary, Avocado, Lagoon, Carolina, Thistle, Pewter, Glacier, Blue Belle, Bluebird, Saffron, Sweet Leaf (all CTMH)

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Thin Cuts (CTMH), Foam Tape, Twinkle Stickles (Ranger) 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Colour Dare 467 - Christmas Penguins

Welcome to Colour Dare Challenge 467!

The challenge this week is to use ALL 3 colours shown - black, white and silver are free to use. 

I need Christmas cards - many of them - so even though this colour scheme is far from typical Christmas colours, I challenged myself to use them for a holiday card. 

I stamped some penguins and coloured their hats and scarves in the three colours required. This card was turned into a shaker with a snowfall embossed front. I die cut a stitched border to represent a snowbank behind each of the penguins and filled each area with a filler that looks like snow. The sentiment was stamped and added between the bottom images. A few silver gems were added around the card. There is a sentiment inside that reads "It's penguinning to look a lot like Christmas". 

Come and join us at Colour Dare and show us how you use the colours shown above. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can’t wait to see what you create!

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Black Cardstock, Sage Cardstock, Papaya Cardstock, Slimline Cards and Envelopes (all CTMH)

Stamps: Sentimental Holiday, Playful Penguins and dies (both Gina K. Designs) 

Inks: Intense Black (SSS)

Accessories: Basic Circle Thin Cuts, Stitched Circle Thin Cuts, Fancy Borders Thin Cuts, Tri-Blend Markers, Silver Glitter Gems, Snowfall Embossing Folder (all CTMH), Acetate, Foam Tape, Snow Filler

Enjoy,

Alyson

Hugs Floral Spray

Who doesn't want a supportive card these days with so many restrictions still happening around the world?  This one was created using a set of layering stencils. 

The floral spray was inked using a series of layers stencils and I die cut the image. That was adhered to a black stitched rectangle and then a bright green base. The sentiment was die cut in white and adhered to a black glitter background. It was placed on top of the floral spray and I added some pink enamel dots around the image. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Black Cardstock, Black Glitter Paper (all CTMH), Green Cardstock (scrapbook.com), Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: none

Inks: Soft Lilac, Candy Violet, Summer Shower, Storm, Grassy Knoll, Key Lime (all PFS) 

Accessories: Garden Florals Layering Stencil and die, Phrase Builder - Sending die (PFS), Stitched Rectangle Thin Cuts (CTMH), Wild Berry Gems, Clear Shimmer Brush (CTMH), Foam tape 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Crop and Create Event 7 - Brutus Monroe

This is post 7 for the Crop and Create Card Making Event - featuring Brutus Monroe products. 

This was not a formal class but a quick learn session. The products included a large stamp set with a coordinating die and stencil. There were also two sheets of mixed coloured patterned paper included. 

The leaves on the Kraft tree were die cut from the mixed coloured cardstock. There are a bunch of tiny leaf images in this stamp set and for the card on the left, it was suggested to simply place the stamps on our fingertips and ink and stamp them that way. It was SO much faster and easier than using blocks! 

The stencilled tree was stamped first and then stencilled in various fall colours. The edge around that card was created using the roots part of the stencil around the edge of the card - such a neat idea! 

Products used are as follows:

Paper: White Cardstock (Hammermill), Kraft Cardstock, Patterned Paper ( Brutus Monroe)

Stamps: Tree of Life plus dies and stencil

Inks: Premium Black Ink (Gina K. Designs), Marigold, Clementine, Persimmon, Candy Apple, Grassy Knoll (all Pink Fresh Studio) 

Accessories: Foam Tape 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Iris Fold Pop Up Card

I recently watched a video about how to create this kind of card. I have done many iris folds shakers in the past but I liked the pop up feature inside this one! 

The inside component was completed first after cutting a small slit in the cardstock panel. I used some poinsettia papers to decorate the inside section and also embossed some Evergreen cardstock. The center section pops up when the card is opened, revealing another piece. I used this area to create a gift card holder. I also stamped a sentiment on a circle and cut the edge to keep it flat against the side. 

The front of the card was adhered together and then a circle was die cut to allow for the shaker. I used old origami papers to create the iris and then added some mixed sequins. A small poinsettia with branches and berries was added at the side and a skinny sentiment was tucked under one of the branches. Some gold ribbon was used to finish off the card. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: Jingle All the Way Paper Collection (Simple Stories), Cardstock - French Vanilla, Sage, Evergreen, Scarlet, Ruby, Saffron, Vellum (all CTMH), Origami Papers (misc.)

Stamps: Comfort and Joy plus dies, Season of Magic (CTMH), Mini Christmas Greetings plus die (Spellbinders) 

Inks: Ruby, Evergreen, Sage, Toffee (all CTMH)

Accessories: Circle Shaker Thin Cut, Basic Circle Thin Cuts, Stitched Circle Thin Cuts, Circle Foam and Acetate, Gold Ribbon, Skinny Gold Ribbon, Gold Glitter Gems, Goldenrod Stickles, Gold Shimmer Brush, Gold Sequins (all CTMH), Red and Green Sequins (misc.), Leaf Embossing Folder (misc.) 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Crop and Create Event 6 - Concord and 9th

This is post 6 for the Crop and Create Card Making event - featuring Concord and 9th products.

There was a stamp set with dies plus three ink pads and coordinating cardstock included from Concord and 9th. This was a class about clean and simple cards - very effective with a minimalistic colour scheme. 

The sentiments were embossed in white and the center pieces were either stamped, die cut or both. One card required very careful paper piecing to place all the tiny pieces back into a die cut. Love the end results for this class! 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Cardstock (Hammermill), Sprout, Honeysuckle and Aqua Cardstock (Concord and 9th)

Stamps: Grateful Blooms Stamp and dies (Concord and 9th) 

Inks: Aqua, Sprout, Honeysuckle (Concord and 9th), Versamark

Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Foam Tape

Enjoy,

Alyson

TSOT 529 - Perfect Little Snowmen

Welcome to Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge 529! 

The sketch this week is shown in horizontal orientation but I flipped it ninety degrees to make a vertical card instead. 

The papers are from a Christmas paper collection from Echo Park. I used a border punch on the green paper near the bottom. The sentiment was stamped, splattered with a shimmer brush and die cut along with a glitter background of the same shape. The snowmen were stamped, coloured and die cut and added below the sentiment to create the line on the side of the sketch. I added a few red sequins and brushed parts of the snowmen with a clear shimmer brush. 

Come and join us at TSOT and show us how you interpret the sketch shown above. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can’t wait to see what you create! 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: Jingle All the Way Paper Collection (Echo Park), White Daisy Cardstock, Evergreen Glitter Paper (both CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock 

Stamps: The Jubilee Crew plus dies (CTMH)

Inks: Intense Black (SSS)

Accessoires: Tri-Blend Markers, Red Shimmer Brush, Clear Shimmer Brush, Red Sequins (all CTMH), Thin Foam Tape, Nestabilities Square Tag dies (Spellbinders), Border Punch (Martha Stewart)

Enjoy,

Alyson

Triple Hippos

I just adore these hippos from a La La Land stamp that was part of Stamptember at Simon Says Stamp. They are so cute. 

This card was inspired by one of the cards posted on the SSS blog when this set was released and the artist was Suzy Plantanura (I'm not sure if that spelling is correct as it was taken from her blog signature). 

The three hippos were stamped, coloured and die cut. I created a background simply with markers and distress oxide inks - just enough to add some colour. The hippos and the sentiment were added to the front panel and that was adhered to red cardstock and then a black base. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: Cardstock - White Daisy, Candy Apple, Black, Slimline Cards and Envelopes (all CTMH)

Stamps: Hippo Holiday (La La Land) 

Inks: Intense Black (SSS), DO Inks - Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean 

Accessories: Stitched Slimline Dies, Slimline Dies (Pink and Main), Tri-Blend Markers, Copic Markers, Touch Markers

Enjoy,

Alyson

Double Trouble 95 - Happy Fall

Welcome to Double Trouble Challenge 95! 

It's all about fall and Halloween this week! The small graphic is shown below - be sure to visit the Double Trouble Challenge Blog for detailed information on this challenge. 

I don't make cards for Halloween so I chose a fall theme instead. The letters were stamped in black and the flowers were coloured in autumn colours. Along the bottom, I stamped several images and coloured them. The grass was created by flicking a green marker up from the bottom. I placed some washi tape on white cardstock before cutting out the pieces and adhered them to the right side of my card. Some bitty sparkles were coloured and added to the centres of the flowers and also around the washi tape. The card front was adhered to thin craft foam and then to a card base. 

Come and join us at Double Trouble and show us how you interpret this challenge.

You have until October 31 (Halloween) to link up your project. 

We can’t wait to see what you create! 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, White Cards and Envelopes 

Stamps: Giving Thanks, A World with Octobers, Birthday Joy, Floral Alphabet

Inks: Intense Black (SSS)

Accessories: Washi Tape (misc.), Tri-Blend Markers, Copic Markers, Bitty Sparkles, Thin Craft Foam (Heartfelt Creations) 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Craft Roulette - What's Up Dog?

It has been quite a white since I submitted a card for Craft Roulette (You Tube Fridays at 730pm ET). The parameters this week were favourable ones for me so it was time! 

The requirements for this week's challenge were as follows: 

- fun fold card of choice, four colours, it's a dog's life and xoxo 

I decided to create a simple Z-fold card using a dog stamp set as the focus. 

The xoxo requirement was met by using papers with xoxo on it for my background. The dogs were stamped, coloured and fussy cut and placed on a piece of Raspberry patterned paper that runs across the card. There are two sentiments (one on the front and one inside) and a panel inside for message. 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: Heart Happy Paper Pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Raspberry Cardstock, Sapphire Cardstock 

Stamps: Lucky Dog (MFT) 

Inks: Intense Black (SSS), Sapphire

Accessories: White Shimmer Trim, Mint Shimmer Brush, Raspberry Shimmer Brush, Copic and Touch Markers 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Crop and Create Event 5 - Pink Fresh Studios

This is post 5 for the Crop and Create Card Making event - and features Pink Fresh Studios products!

Pink Fresh has become one of my favourite brands lately - they have the best layering stencils! This set of cards was created using a not-yet-released set of lawyering stencils and a coordinating die. We also received three text dies with shadows. Many of the products received in the box for this event are created specifically for the event but this set of products will be released later this year, along with a coordinating stamp set. 

The stencils were inked in three colour schemes, one of them being a rainbow colour scheme. Only one card is a standard slimline that used the full image as it was designed. The other cards also used the image but in a cut up format to show how a slimline product can be used on other size cards. I added some gems around the inside section of each card as well. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Cardstock (Hammermill)

Stamps: none

Inks: MANY Pink Fresh Studios Inks (too many to list), Versamark

Accessories: Daisy Slimline Layering Stencils and Die (PFS), Scripted Greetings Dies (PFS), Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Foam Tape, Gems - Glacier, Ballet Slippers, Bubblegum, Lavender, Ocean Breeze, Emerald City (all PFS) 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Crop and Create Event 4 - Doodlebug Designs

This is the 4th post for the Crop and Create Card Making event - featuring Doodlebug Designs. 

The papers from Doodlebug Designs are very bold and bight and that was a big focus for these three cards. They are fun and playful cards - not what we usually think of for Christmas. Although the paper was designed for Christmas, many of the patterns and colours can be used for other things, as shown on the flower card. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: Doodlebug Designs Patterned Paper, White Cardstock, Black Cardstock (Hammermill)

Stamps: Exclusive Doodlebug Designs Stamp and dies (Doodlebug Designs) 

Inks: Black (CTMH), Broken China DO Ink (Ranger) 

Accessories: Doodlebug Sprinkles, Foam Tape 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Crop and Create Event 3 - The Stamp Market

This is post 3 for the Crop and Create Card Making event... and this time it's products from The Stamp Market. 

The stamp set is one that is so versatile - very usable sentiments and images - and it also came with a complete set of dies plus a layering leaf stencil. 

Three of the cards are standard A2 size and one is a 4x6 card. The outline heart dies are gorgeous and I can see myself using these often in the future. This class was about rainbow colour schemes - love the results! 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Cardstock (Hammermill) Bubblegum, Melon, Cheeky, Citrine, Tropic, Emerald and Cobalt Cardstock (The Stamp Market)

Stamps: A Bit of Everything plus dies (The Stamp Market)

Inks: Raspberry, Pixie, Nectarine, Lemonade, Sea Glass, Emerald, Bluebird, Black, Versamark (all CTMH)

Accessories: Leaf Layering Stencil (The Stamp Market), Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Texture Paste (Ranger), Enamel Dots (unknown), Foam Tape 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Season of Wonder Christmas Wreath

There is nothing like blue and silver for Christmas, right? 

This wreath was created using a series of layering stencils and various shades of blue ink. The berries were embossed in silver and the background was splattered with a few shimmer brush colours. I die cut some leaves from vellum and added them around the wreath for a softer look. Some white pearls were placed randomly around the image. The sentiment was stamped with two colours of blue ink and some silver metallic thread was added underneath. Finally the front was adhered to a piece of silver foil and then to a blue background. 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Bluebird Cardstock, Silver Foil, Vellum (all CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock 

Stamps: Thrill of Hope plus dies and layering stencils (Pink Fresh Studio)

Inks: Summer Shower, Slumber, Rocky Slope, Storm, Sapphire (all Pink Fresh Studio), Versamark 

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies (GMD), Arrange a Wreath Dies (SU), Silver Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, White Pearls, Shimmer Brushes - Bluebird, Sapphire, Charcoal (all CTMH), Silver Metallic Thread

Enjoy,

Alyson

Crop and Create Event 2 - Lawn Fawn

This is the second post from the Crop and Create Card Making event... this time featuring Lawn Fawn products. 

There was a snowflake stamp and die set along with two stencils and two mini inks in the box. We were taught how to use dye inks to create a watercolour background. Some stencilling was also done using the same two inks. These cards are so cute - and the colour scheme is perfect! 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Cardstock (Hammermill), Distress Watercolour Cardstock (Ranger) 

Stamps: Frosties with dies (Lawn Fawn) 

Inks: Peacock, Sugarplum (Lawn Fawn), Archival Black (CTMH)

Accessories: Stars and Snowflake Stencils (Lawn Fawn), Twinkle Stickles (Ranger), Heat Tool 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Crop and Create Event 1 - Gina K. Designs

I recently participated in the Scrapbook and Cards Today Crop and Create Card Making Event (wow... that's a mouthful!). The event was held over a three day weekend and although I was sick throughout the weekend, I did watch the classes and complete the cards later. 

There will be several posts from this event - each for a specific designer. This one is the for the Gina K. Designs class. 

There were 4 cards to complete and all used masking techniques. The ink blending was done using dye inks and blending brushes and the images were stamped in black. The effect is amazing - white space adds so much to these cards, allowing the blended section to be the focal point. 

Products used are as follows:

Paper: White Cardstock, Black Cardstock (Hammermill) 

Stamps: Friendly Silhouettes (GKD)

Inks: Pixie, Raspberry, Nectarine, Sundance, Lagoon, Willow, Candy Apple, Versamark (all CTMH), Black Premium Dye Ink (GKD)

Accessories: Friend and Shadow Die, Mixed Shapes Dies (GKD), White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

Enjoy,

Alyson

Nativity Card

This gorgeous card is one of several Christmas cards available at The Dreaming Tree. It is an SVG file that I cut on my Cricut. 

There are quite a few layers and I chose a piece of patterned paper that looks like an alcohol ink pattern for the background. Everything else was either cardstock, foil paper or shimmery white paper. 

The design itself isn't difficult to assemble - the cutting does take some time. There is a coordinating envelope that is shown in the first photo. I added gold liquid pearls and I also covered the white stars with some shiny Stickles. 

Products used are CTMH unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Black Cardstock, Pewter Cardstock, Pebble Cardstock, Bluebird Cardstock, Pearl Paper, Gold Foil, Alcohol Ink Paper (Craft Consortium) 

Stamps: none

Inks: none

Accessories: SVG File (The Dreaming Tree), Gold Liquid Pearls, Twinkle Stickles 

Enjoy, 

Alyson