Skating Together - Hello Bluebird Stamps

Hi!  I do hope you've enjoyed a Happy Holiday?   This card today might seem a little late but I made it in very early December and couldn't reveal it until I'd given it to my intended recipient (victim).  Still, there are ideas and inspiration to take away from this.



This was another of my slimline cards.   Finished card dimensions are 3 1/2" wide x 8 1/2" so from an A4 sheet of cardstock cut the length at 7 inches then score and fold in half (4 bar).  My panel is cut from the remainder of the A4 sheet and the dimensions are 3.2" x 8.2".  A simple online search for coordinating envelopes for this size of card will yield you many results.   Contact me if you have any issues and I'll share a link or two with you but these are #9 envelopes or Size 9, also called slimline or invitation envelopes - there's plenty of choice out there including colours and at very reasonable prices.



For this card I formed a card base using red cardstock and made a panel from the remainder of the A4 sheet.  I ink blended the panel using a combination of red ink and Distress Oxide in Black Soot, slowly building the colour to the intensity I was wanting and creating a focal point that appears to be lit from within.



I adhered this panel to the card base and then on Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped my characters from Skating Together using Ranger Archival Ink in Black and watercolour painted them with Kuretake Zigs, finally they were die cut and adhered into position using foam tape.  I highlight some points on them with a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen.



With Versamark Ink the 'swoosh' marks were stamped and heat embossed in white.  I ink blended the little strip of red cardstock (which is a natural remnant from your original A4 sheet of cardstock) and stamped and heat embossed it in silver with a sentiment from Typed Christmas.  I applied the sentiment strip with foam tape.



The final touch was to add a whole lot of delicate glitter in the form of Stickles in 'Crystal'.  I applied points of it on the characters and then through the 'air' around them I dotted in plenty of it and this is absolutely dazzling as the card is moved in the light - a little bit of Christmas Magic!

When a card such as this is made from coloured cardstock I always use 80lb white paper and make a writing insert for the inside - makes the card feel even more substantial and special too!

So, there it is, my final holiday card of the season.  I LOVE making Christmas cards and can't wait until it is time to start back up again .... that'll be about August/September'ish? :D :D :D

Enjoy your New Year's Celebrations!

Nicky x

Frosty Littles - Hello Bluebird Stamps

Hello!  I have a new card for you today.  If you follow my card making journey then you know that I am totally into 'Slimline' cards right now.  I build scenes and love the characters I get to work with and therefore I like to cram as much into one card as I can!  An A2 card doesn't give you much real estate to work with and so with increasing regularity I'm turning to Slimline cards.  My card today scales new heights since I've adorned it vertically  - tall and slim - the supermodel of cards!



Finished card dimensions are 3 1/2" wide x 8 1/2".  From an A4 sheet of cardstock cut the length at 7 inches then score and fold in half (4 bar).  My panel is cut from the remainder of the A4 sheet and the dimensions are 3.2" x 8.2".  Worth writing those down for future reference!  For your coordinating envelopes just Google 'slimline envelopes' (this search yields the best results).  Sometimes they are referred to as 'invitation envelopes' and also '#9 envelopes'.



So, with the card form made I sourced everything I needed from my Hello Bluebird stash!  Front and centre are those adorable Frosty Littles.   They are perched amongst the banks of snow created using Hill and Dale Die and above them, high in the mountains that soar overhead are the Glacier Peaks Die cuts.  The word Noel is from the Christmas Words #2 Die.  Finally, the clouds are from Puddle Play Coordinating Dies.



My card was made by die cutting several snowdrifts using Hill and Dale and ink blending them very sparingly using Distress Oxide Ink in Cracked Pistachio - I just wanted a hint of mint!  I then die cut all 3 of the mountain ranges from Glacier Peaks.  For the back two ranges I also cut the snowy/glacial peaks.  I ink blended them with a hint of pale blue in the form of Distress Oxide in Tumbled Glass and adhered them.   I also ink blended the front of the card base with more Tumbled Glass again very sparingly to make the sky.



I layered all the die cuts together and stuck them down sometimes just with my tape runner and other times with a little foam tape behind a peak to give dimension.  On Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped all the images you see from Frosty Littles including lots of the trees.  I watercolour painted the images using a combination of Kuretake Zigs and Arteza watercolour brush pens.  I die cut all the images and began to layer them into the scene as imagined in my mind before I started.  Again some were directly glued down and some for dimension had a little foam tape added on the reverse.

The word Noel was die cut 3 times and each was adhered to the next and then I used a little more Tumbled Glass Ink and added a little blue to it then stuck it down.



Finishing touches time!  I made everything twinkle using Stickles in 'Crystal', I dotted in some pale gold dots with a gel pen through the 'minty' areas and the final touch was the mini wooden stars in the sky.

This card feels sturdy but since the weight is at the bottom it is stable when it stands and doesn't blow over when someone walks past!!!  I recommend 110lb Neenah cardstock for such a project.

Are you up for making a card that will stand taller than anything else on the mantlepiece?  Worth the effort I'd say.

Until the next time, happy crafting .....

Nicky x

Elegant Holly - Pretty Pink Posh

Hi, thanks for swinging by my blog today to read about this slimline card featuring Elegant Holly by Pretty Pink Posh together with the Happy Holidays Script Die.



This is a 'Slimline' card which is to say that it has finished card dimensions that are 3 1/2" wide x 8 1/2" so from an A4 sheet of cardstock cut the length at 7 inches then score and fold in half (4 bar).  My panel is cut from the remainder of the A4 sheet and the dimensions are 3.2" x 8.2".  A simple online search for 'slimline envelopes' will yield several results to make life easier for mailing off your creations!  If you encounter any problems please just let me know and I'll link you up but they are also known as #9 envelopes or Size 9 or even invitation envelopes!



To make this card I cut my pieces of cardstock as per the instructions above.   I then used the Stitched Borders 4 Die and die cut the top and bottom long edges of the decorative panel.  Since this is a long card I die cut once then moved the die along and overlapped by one scallop and die cut again.  Next, I ink blended the panel with Distress Oxide in Spun Sugar and to complete the background I used my Uniball Signo white gel pen to dot in some 'snow'.



On Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped my holly images using Ranger Archival Ink in Black.  I watercolour painted them using both my Arteza and Kuretake Zig watercolour brush pens.  I highlighted some points again using the Uniball Signo white gel pen and then die cut each image.  I layered them into the scene partially sticking them down and partially lifting them up with dimensional foam tape.



I then took the Happy Holiday Script Die and die cut silver glitter cardstock once and then three further times with regular white cardstock.  I glued each layer to the next, finishing of course with the glitter layer on top and then stuck the sentiment down in the middle of the scene.

White craft foam was applied behind the panel and then adhered to the card base and the finishing touch was the application of Stickles in 'Crystal' to many points on the leaves and berries for that essential Christmas twinkle.

Hope you like the card!  See you next time!

Nicky x

Cool Penguins - Mama Elephant

Hello!  I couldn't WAIT to use my new stamps and dies from the new  Mama Elephant release and I imagine many of you are in the same boat as me.  My first card using my purchases (which were numerous ..... I'll admit it) is with Cool Penguins.



To start out I ink blended a panel of Bristol Smooth cardstock using a combination of Distress Inks in Spun Sugar and Tattered Rose and using a Uniball Signo White gel pen, I hand drew in the snow.   I then die cut another panel of white cardstock using the Tri Window Cover - Creative Cuts and set that aside.   Using the word HUGS from the Creative Cuts die I die cut the word first out of my ink blended panel and then 3 or 4 more times from scrap white cardstock and I glued them in stacks to build depth then glued the stacks into position in the background.



I applied the ink blended panel to my prepared card base and using dimensional foam tape I adhered the white Tri Window Cover Creative Cut to the card also.  Separately on Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped out all the images from the Cool Penguins stamp set using Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black.



I watercolour painted everything using Kuretake Zigs (colours used are:  Pale Pink, Light Violet, English Lavender, Light Pink, Dark Gray, Oatmeal and for their feet and beaks Bright Yellow) and I  highlighted cheeks and other points with the Uniball Signo White gel pen.  I decided on a layout and then used more foam tape to adhere them into place.

Not done yet though!!!!  I took some 80lb white paper which is a lovely quality weight and created a writing insert inside the card and on that I created a little scene using stamped and painted images not used on the front of the card, I also stamped the sentiment.



The final touch was to take a bottle of Stickles in 'Crystal' and add subtle (and not so subtle) twinkle to various points on the card.   In the image just above the penguin is surrounded by tiny dots of glitter ...... you know how glitter gets everywhere during the Christmas holidays!!!?  I also created a gloopy icicle affect on the word HUGS which is thick and dimensional.

Hmmm now .... which Mama Elephant set should I play with next?  Decisions ... decisions ...........

Happy crafting everybody!

Nicky x

Fishin' Hole by Hello Bluebird

Hello everybody, I'm back today with a brand new card using Fishin' Hole by Hello Bluebird Stamps.  This and some other stamp sets are set for release July 15th and I will have several more cards to share with you this month.



An A2 card panel was ink blended with Distress Inks in Tumbled Glass for the sky and Salty Ocean for the pond.  The panel was distressed with water splashes and then blotted dry with a kitchen towel.  I used one of the bullrush stamps from the stamp set and did some casual first and and second generation stamping using Shabby Shutters  to form an edge for the pond at the back of the scene.  I watercolour painted the pokers using a Kuretake Zig in Beige.  Using Distress Ink pens I dotted in a more defined water's edge top and bottom of the panel and then attached a white frame I already had in my stash with dimensional foam tape.



On Bristol Smooth cardstock I stamped my images using Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black.  I watercolour painted everything using Kuretake Zigs and highlighted some points with a Uniball Signo White Gel Pen.  The images were fussy cut and applied with more foam tape.  The sentiment was stamped on a strip of cardstock and also applied with foam tape.



I had some fun finishing this peaceful scene.  I applied several 'bubbles' above the fish in the form of the blue jewels from Pretty Pink Posh that you see in my photography.  I then used the Stickles glitter in Crystal that you also see in the photo to glitter up the dragonfly's wings and then I dotted tiny spots of the product through the bullrushes and water and tiny touches of it on the frame which gives the whole scene the prettiest twinkle when the card is handled.  Once dried the panel was attached to a 110lb Neenah cardstock base.

Thank you for stopping by to read about this card, hope to see you back here again soon!

Nicky x