Winter Mini - Did you get one yet?

I'm so excited that the Stampin' Up! Winter mini catalogue has launched and in particular because there are lots of new goodies to share with you, but some favourite returners meaning you'll get a second chance to see lots of beautiful projects using these sets and some of the papers that you loved last winter. I loved and love the Brightly Gleaming Specialty Papers and the coordinating Christmas Gleaming stamp sets and Gleaming Ornaments punch pack.  With the cards above, (a throwback to designs last winter) I used blends to colour the holly or an aqua painter which is now replaced this year with the water painters giving more flexibility with three different brush tips.  The Hammered Metal embossing folder is in the annual catalogue (AC) along with the stitched layered label dies.  

The only thing missing is the ribbon below, but there are just as gorgeous replacements and accessories to choose from. 

Please do contact me (zoetant@live.co.uk) for a copy of the catalogue if you don't have a demonstrator already.  

                  

Christmas Gleaming             Christmas Gleaming              Gleaming Ornaments

                                                   Variety Bundle                       Punch Pack 

Thanks for stopping by today.  

Keep safe and happy crafting 

Zoe x

Christmas Gleaming Already......

handmade Christmas card using Stampin' Up! Christmas Gleaming stamps and ornament punches

Yes Christmas Gleaming already as it's Christmas Card Club Sunday once again and I've used this fab Stampin' Up! set that is not available at the moment, but will be again later in the year so I'm teasing you with this simple elegant card.

Lovely Kate set our club challenge today and if you haven't guessed already it was to use baubles in some shape or form.  I did another bauble card two challenges ago  as I didn't read ahead on the challenge list but have gone on a different tack today compared to my previous card. 

I love the different baubles in this stamp set and having seen some fabulous cards made last Christmas I've taken on a colour combo that really appealed to me using Merry Merlot and Early Espresso with a  splash of gold and sparkle.

I stamped the central image first then punched a paper mask using the coordinating punch.  I used the mask and my Stamparatus to hold everything in place and position my next bauble exactly where I wanted it.  I repeated this for the second slightly hidden one also.

I stamped the holly several times and used a blender pen to drag colour from the veins of the leaves across the rest of each leaf and also added a little more ink from the ink pad lid using the blender also.   I repeated this for the berries but just used the Merry Merlot ink.  These were all fussy cut and I used different parts to create a garland across the baubles.   I then added some clear Wink of Stella for the sparkle.

The sentiment is heat embossed with gold embossing powder and I added a partial hexagon using the Stitched Nested Labels behind the design in Merry Merlot to frame it.  Also before die cutting the merlot hexagon I stamped in the the holly tone on tone and then embossed using the Swirls and Curls embossing folder.  

It may seem the wrong time with the sun shining and other things going on to think of Christmas cards, but i've seen other posting for supplies and making them to be ready for whatever festive season we may have this year.  If you are ready just think of the other fun you could be having and what a great way to fill time now.  Don't forget also that making and sending cards is a great way to connect right now as well as at Christmas, so be sure to #makeacardsendacard .  

Hope you continue to keep well and safe and see you next time.  I'll be back soon with my next DT card for the Moving Along with the Times May challenge.  

Hugs Zoe x

SHOP ONLINE FOR STAMPIN' UP! 

Remember the Last Chance List of products with some great discounts if you find something that suits is now available under Sales and Specials 

Candles from the least expected place!

Hello friends I hope you are all keeping safe and well in this crazy world.  It's been somewhat different with lockdown here in the UK, but we are adapting and watching our crazy puppy I'm beginning to think that life would right now be fun to be a dog, blissfully unaware of the dangers your humans face and you get to look this cute.

Rita chose our Christmas Card Club challenge today and it is for us to use Candles.  I currently don't have any candle stamps so decided to create candles using the most unlikely set from Stampin' Up! called A Big Thank You.  

It is a set with borders and petals that lend themselves to being a candle and a flame so there's the history in a nutshell of my candles.  I decided then to add them to a bauble and so it went on.  

I created a stencil using circle punches then sponged and masked each bauble into place.  I made sure the ink was dry before masking again to first add the gold heat embossed candles and then the top bauble i 'clapped' some water drops onto it and left them just long enough to lift some colour before patting dry with a paper towel.  This gave some detail to the rear bauble.  

I added some black sequins and rhinestones along with a gold foil card border or two and some fussy cut bows that I stamped with a sweet little stamp from the set Nine Lives which you guessed it is all about cats their bows and balls of wool toys.  The strings I drew in with a black marker and ruler and a simple sentiment. 

I went for a fairly traditional colour scheme and used Pear Pizzazz and Shaded Spruce for the greens and a blend of the two for the smallest bauble.  I just might do this technique for another CC Club challenge coming up as it makes for some simple but effective baubles.  

Keep well everyone and have a good week. 

Crafty hugs Zoe x

Christmas Gleaming for a WOW bauble or two....

Stampin' Up! hit the bauble nail on the head with this beautiful stamp set called Christmas Gleaming. I've had lots of fun playing with it.

First of all I created a Brusho colour wash with Prussian Blue on shimmery white card.  I painted water onto the card and then added the Brusho powder and watched it explode.  I then used and aqua painter to move it around the card.  Once happy with the wash I allowed it to dry a little before using my heat gun to finish the drying process.  I then used Grey Granite ink to sponge on a design that faded out as it came off the colour wash.  I used one of the Basic Pattern Decorative masks from the Stampin' Up! winter catalogue to do this.  You can use a sponge or dauber either will work for this.  I also used added some Night of Navy splatter using my marker pen nib flicking it out of the lid.   The other splattering was done with watered down Tombow on the end of an aqua painter brush and then before it dried I added some Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  I left this to dry while I stamped the two ornaments/baubles from the stamp set in Versamark ink and  heat embossed with copper powder onto watercolour paper.  I used Merry Merlot ink from inside the ink pad lid and an aqua painter to first wet the paper and then add colour and drag it across each image to create some light/shade.  In between layers of ink I mopped off excess water with a paper towel and occasionally used my heat gun to dry.  Care is needed that you don't over heat the embossing.  I also dyed some white silver metallic trim ribbon in water and Merry Merlot ink in a small pot.  I left it overnight to sit and absorb the colour.  It dried really quickly pegged on the washing line in the breeze.  This was used for the bows.

Finally I stamped a sentiment from the set in Versamark and again heat embossed with copper powder.  I've added a layer of whisper white card and mounted the whole design and a thick whisper white card base.

I like the different colour scheme and ornaments really pop from the wash.  Although the ribbon isn't perhaps as dark as I might have wanted I was too impatient to finish the card.

Happy Wednesday all, half way to the weekend .

Hugs and thanks for popping by

Zoe x

Challenge Entry
Craft Stamper Take it Make it Challenge - Anything goes

SHOP NOW