Poinsettia Christmas Wishes

 Welcome!

 Today's card was a bit of an experiment.  You see, I've seen everyone "swiping" their embossing folders with the ink pad or even sometimes with a dauber to add touches of color.  Well I tried it several times and failed miserably using ink pads, ink cubs, regular ink blending tools, you name it!  So I dug out a small blending brush and tried again using a really light ink color, this time with some success but it made it extremely hard to photograph!  Take a look/see ~

Wow, that's really light!  I hope you can see it, I just had a terrible time trying to capture the color in photos.  I used DOX Spun Sugar.  On the lowest poinsettia, I started to add a light copic for some shading, but it just didn't look how I wanted it to look.  So, I skillfully placed the sentiment panel over it, and left the others alone.  What you really can't see well either, is the gold embossing for the poinsettia centers, nor the WoS on the berries.  IRL this has a soft pink hue and shimmer -- very pretty, I just wish I could share that with you!

Here a closer look, maybe you can see the pink or the WoS shimmer?

This will be heading to Time Out #252 - Winter/Holiday

Supplies:

   Splb - Scenic Poinsettia 3D ef

   W+9 - Be Merry (sentiment)

Hey, have a great day!  OK?  OK!

Hugs,

TK

Stencil Over Heat Embossing

 Welcome, again!

Tonight I have another card and this one must zip off to it's intended participation, as well!  I've really wanted to participate with this month's new-to-me technique, and I finally got it done.

Here is my card for Group of Seven Cardmakers ~

I think my embossing is a little large, as in too wide instead of fine print, but it worked nonetheless!  I really enjoyed this technique.  Maybe I'll have better luck finding something with finer line details, which I know I have, but my limitations were definitely what would not conflict with the Christmas theme that I needed!

I stamped the background image, heat embossed in clear and then attached my stencil, off center.  Then I proceeded to do a lot of masking so I wouldn't mess up my stenciling.  After I finished, I added silver Nuvo drops (my old gold just didn't look good) under the clear pearls so I could get a shimmer from them as well.  My sentiment was heat embossed and attached over the main panel, before adding gold tape to the left side of the base.

 

Supplies:

   AJVD - Cracked Paint stamp

   SSS - Christmas Wreath (NBUS)

One more card down!  Hopefully I'm getting close, I'm just a bit intimidated to actually count at this moment - lol.

Hugs,

TK

Oh Holy Night - Red & Gold

Hello!

After totally failing to get my last card in one of the challenges, I'm going to get right to it tonight!  This card will be heading to Color Hues #76 ~

I heat embossed the main image and the sentiment, then cut my panel down.  I was not going to stagger the red panel and the secondary gold panel as much, but it just seemed a better transition from the lower full image, to the sentiment, and then onto the gold.  I can't tell you what this gold "paper" is, I've had it forever (hoarding, as we do) and it has no label on it.  It's almost as thick as 100# cardstock, but it comes wrinkled and texted, and almost a woven fabric inside -- I really love it!  Then while placing it on the base cs, it just didn't look right on white, nor did it look right on Neenah "cream".  So I found ONE piece of something that I don't even know what it is either, but it has a soft/slightly creamy color to it.  I love it, I really wish I knew what it was too...

Supplies:

   EP -  Wise Men Still Seek Him

Thank you for the visit, I hope you week is wonderful!

Hugs,

TK

Snow Pals

Good day, fine Friends!

Today's card was made with one challenge in particular, but as is oft, it will work for a few and so it'll be shared about!  I started with the photo in the upper right from Peace on Earth #52 and made this adorable pal, which will also be sent to NBUS #56 ~

I went Christmas shopping awhile back for a few Poppystamp items and ended up with this guy in my cart, and I'm sure glad I did!  Isn't he darling?  White or colored cardstock was used, except for his nose, eyes and arms, which were cut in white cs and then colored with Copics before assembling.  I placed him on an embossed background (which actually made me think of using the de-bossed side for the last card), which was cut down with a cute die.  The sentiment was foiled right on the card front -- surprised I got it on straight?  Miraculously, it only was done once!

Then JUGs dropped their new challenge #707 CAS week - In a Circle.  Well, that made me circle around and make another card ~

(sorry for the poor lighting)

My thought was that I wanted to use as much of that embossed background so I cut it using my largest circle.  Then it needed a bit more color and so entered the red circle.  The problem?  I had used my largest circle for the embossed portion, so I just staggered the circles to get more red at the top of the card.  I added some snowflake sequins, stamped the sentiment in red and called it done.

I hope these cuties made you smile!  Have a great week!

   

Supplies:

   Ps - Sweet Nordic Snowman (NBUS)

   CB - Sledding ef

   WF - Nesting Postage die

   Splb - Holiday Sentiments 2

Hugs,

TK

Polar Pals

 Hello and welcome!

I hope you had a relaxing, wonderfully blessed day whether you were celebrating Thanksgiving or not!  I had a wonderful day, but I've had more visiting than expected in the last few days and so I'm still hitting the craft room for more Christmas cards.  While I'm getting close in sheer numbers, I still want to have more choices.  However, I do have a card for you today that will be going to CTD #770 - dark green, yellow green and black, plus NBUS #56 for the use of a new die set ~

A QACAS card with an embossed panel (which I decided looked more interesting on this card with the embossing down), die cut bears and sweaters, upon which the bears were inked to set them off the white page, a small coordinating strip at the bottom and a foiled sentiment from my stash.  If you notice the little whirly "branch" on the die envelope, those were inked and placed on the inside of the card.

 

Supplies:

   Splb - Ski Lodge e/f, Poinsettia Spray (foiled sentiment from my stash)

   Ps - Nordic Bear dies (NBUS)

   

I want to thank you for the visit!  You bless me constantly, and in fact, for the last 8 years!  Yep, my blogiversary is today!  While I don't have massive followers, I sure have precious and supportive ones - Thank You!

Hugs,

TK

Be Merry

Hello, Friends!

We're nearing Thanksgiving and still packing in those Christmas cards!  Ok, at least that's what I'm doing!  I've got a couple more cuties today, made from vacation coloring and embossing, so let's get to it.

Sweet snowmen are Copic colored, embossed background swiped with silver Delicata, sentiment stamped and all popped onto a cardbase.

The next card comes from the same stamp set, and I can say I've never used him before as I usually get stuck at the sweet snowmen.  Another Copic colored image, fussy cut and placed on the embossed background, and a touch of twine added for interest.

Did you notice his glossied nose and eyes, plus the silver pen on the ornament and bells?

Supplies:

  

AI - Holly Jolly

  

   Card 1 - Spl Ski Lodge e/f, #F Be Merry

   Card 2 - CB Seasons Greetings e/f, PF Diag. Stitched Rectangle border die

Are you getting close to being done with your Christmas card?  Maybe you're one of the achievers who is already done; to that I say -- well done!

Have a great day and say ta-ta to any and all stress!

Hugs,

TK

 

PFS - November 2023 Craft Along

Good day, Friends!

Today I have a special card for you, not the content, not to the recipient, but that I actually participated in a "group" - Pinkfresh Studios November 2023 Create & Connect!  I don't have FB, IG or Twitter but this was done on Zoom, maybe you've done one before?  I think I'll be back!

Here's my make ~

There were two options, and I chose Heather Hoffman's for the roses.  I stuck pretty close to Heather's beautiful card, with a few deviances for the supplies I didn't have.  I had to use different inks, a different background die and due to use of shimmering cardstock on the window, I was only able to use the first part of the sentiment and forego the stamping portion.  You'll have to step over and see her beautiful make!

Here's a close-up of the shimmering cardstock ~

 

That's it for me today!  Have a great weekend and take time to make a few of your own beauties!

Supplies:

   PFS - Delicate Rosebuds, Scripted Greetings (both NBUS)

Hugs,

TK

A Birthday Wreath?

 Yup!  A Birthday wreath it is!

Hello and welcome to my humble abode...  Today I have a card, sent and received, now it's safe to post.  I had this foil plate still on my desk, wanting to use it again but with a different color scheme. so I chose to use "her" colors.  That being said, I'm kind of smitten by these colors too ~

I foiled the wreath in matte silver, colored with my Copics, then die cut everything out.  Oh, I used a pink foil for the sentiment -- it might be hard to see but the pink in the secondary label layer helps.  Here's a close-up ~

Everything was then placed on my embossed background -- ta da!

No challenge, no inspiration, just a need to use my pretty little wreath again -- happy I could do it too!

Supplies:

   SSS - Sketched Rose Wreath foil plate & dies

   WRMK - Quilted (button) e/f

Thanks for the visit, and Happy Hump Day!

Hugs,

TK

Double D Challenge - Deer to Me

 Good morning and welcome!

With a title like this, I'm sure you all know where this post will be heading!  And since I'm skidding in, all out of breath, I'll get on with it so I don't miss the challenge Double D - Oh Deer!

Back during vacation, I colored a few panels (you've seen a few lately), then upon return I got out all the winter embossing folders and embossed some panels.  Now I'm trying to piece "all the things" together for cards.  It was a way of not losing time while on vacation nor taking away from the visiting, but helpful in the long run.  Anyway, this is one of the panels that I ended up brushing with an ink pad, and while it didn't work well for me (not juicy enough? too much pressure? not a 3d folder?), I was able to hide the part I didn't like with the snowdrift.  What I wasn't able to do was capture the pretty iridescence of the vellum shine -- bummer, it's so pretty IRL!  Anyway, here's my entry and I'm sticking to it - lol.  And my deer?  Where did the texture from the die cuts go on their hineys?  After several failed attempts, it now occurs to me that my pressure plate must be starting to warp and I was getting uneven pressure -- a real bummer but I kind of like it.

Supplies:

   Splb - Forever Green e/f

   PTI - Deer to Me stamps & dies

Well that's it for me, thank you for the visit!

Hugs,

TK

Hedge Berries and a Wreath

Hello and welcome!

 

Today I have a couple of cards, for a couple challenges - or at least I hope this post will work that way - lol!  My first card will go to NBUS #56, as the embossing folder and matching die was a recent win and its first use ~

I embossed one watercolor panel and one Hammermill 100#, water colored the first, then cut out the branch with the matching die.  The second one was also cut and used to pop up the branch a bit.  I'm still working on using the negative from the second panel!  A hot foiled sentiment was added to bring out a bit more red.

Thank you, Bobby!

Card #2 will be entered over at Triple B: November Challenge (oh that bird!), not using the inspiration the photo; plus Christmas Kickstart #80 for my Christmas card with non-traditional colors -- gotta love those!

Stamped, colored and few extra images added for more interest, then cut with a dome die.  I tried this panel on several traditional cardstocks and none of them had the right tone, but I do like it on the blue!  I also added a bit of WoS to the stars but you can't tell in the photo.  And while it's fun to pop up panels and add more texture, sometimes it's just better to stay with the flatter cards if you're mailing so that was my direction today.

Card 1:

   SSS - Hedge Berries & die

   Splb - Poinsettia Spray (sentiment)

Card 2:

   AE - Festive Wreath

   WF - Nested Dome dies

Thank you for the visit!

And thank you for everyone who served or had/has a member of the family that served for our great country - your service does not go unappreciated!  Have a wonderful Veteran's Day (to Americans) or have a great Friday and weekend ahead to everyone else!

Hugs,

TK

A Christmas Wreath and a challenge (or two!)

 Good day, Fine Friends!

I've had a busy weekend, with a few cards made but I thought I'd pop this one in first because it works for MFT Sketch #670 and MFT Christmas, though I am sad so say that I didn't use any wonderful MFT products today ~

A stamped wreath with a few extra images, colored with my Copics, then cut and popped up a bit.  My "dome" is upside down (you do see it, right?) and the sentiment placed below, just like the sketch.  The sentiment was a foiled sentiment from last year so there's one bit used - yay!  I placed it on an embossed background and ta-da!

 

Supplies:

   MB - Christmas Botanicals

   Alt. - Nesting Slim Dies 

   Splb - Forever Green e/f, Poinsettia Spray (sentiment)

I'm off to get this posted, but I'll see you around soon!

Hugs,

TK

   

   

By Candlelight

 Good morning, Friends!

Today's card is actually a Christmas card - yay, Me!  As promised earlier with this card and this card, today's card is an additional image from a stamp set I've used a couple of times recently but they weren't Christmas cards.  Here is my foray down Christmas lane ~

Now isn't this a fun lamp post?  It makes me think that I can feel the soft snow falling on my face and hear the distant singing of carolers.  I'm really not sure how safe burning candles are on a wooden post though...

Stamping, a little ink blending, paint splattering (or at least an attempt), and then a foiled sentiment.  I knew I was going to turn this image into a Christmas card for the stash but I may just surprise you and make another!

I'm squeaking in but this card will be entered over at Peace On Earth #50, being totally inspired by the wintry scenes and the bright red truck.

Supplies:

   SSS - Cozy Wishes

   Splb - Elegant Holiday glimmer sentiment

   LI - Stitched Rectangle die

Well I'm off to see if I can get more Christmas cards made; I colored a few images on vacation plus embossed a bunch of backgrounds to play with -- let's see if I can put something together for my stash.  Wish me luck!

Hugs,

TK