Snowy Woods

Hello, it's lovely of you to stop by today.

I thought it was time to make a start on Christmas cards (never too early!) so what better way to begin than to use some of my Artistic Outpost stamp sets - 'Midwinter' and 'Snowy Woods'.

Firstly, thank-you to Linda Coughlin for spotting how well the cabin fits into the TH / Sizzix window die!

The green background paper is by Maja Design. I've used the TH 'Holiday Knit' stencil to create a border around the page and sprinkled the embossing paste with 'Clear Rock Candy' glitter whilst paste still wet. I think the pattern suits the rustic scene. The foliage is cut using TH Sizzix 'Holiday Greens' die - again liberally applied glitter. There are also stencilled little snowflakes in the background but true to form I went and covered most of them up!

Painted ranger manila cardstock with white paint to lighten it but still left enough 'yellow' to suggest a soft glow. Stamped the cottage, rabbit and sentiments with versamark and then embossed with Sparkle and Sprinkle EP 'Japanese Lacquer'. Added snowy effects to the scene with paint, paste and glitter.

The window is made using chipboard that I diecut with the TH / Sizzix window die. It was first coated with Kromacrackle and left a day to dry. Then I inked with lots of DIs until I thought it looked sufficiently faux wood. Coated with Ranger crackle paint in 'Clear Rock' for even more distress effects.

Dabbed much of the scene with Snow-tex and assembled it all. As a finishing touch included some pine cones that I collected last winter (from the ground) at Dublin's Botanic Gardens. Hope that's not an offence!

(Edited to add, since posting it is bugging me how 'twisted' the card appears - it honestly is one of my straightest cards so am blaming lens aberration or odd angle I held camera!)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and thank-you so much for your visit.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Artistic Outpost - Show us your art - June
Craft for the Craic - The Big Occasion
Anything But Cute - Make It Masculine
Use Your Stuff - Wood
52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Mixed Media
Sparkles Forum - Christmas Animals
Stamping sensations - dies and punches
Christmas card challenges - #30 Anything Goes
Fab n Funky - Christmas
A Vintage Journey - Celebrations - (I'm going with Christmas and a hot whiskey!)

Thoughts to Berkeley tragedy

Warmest wishes from Dublin.

A few weeks ago I sent this card to a lovely blog pal whose Mum had very sadly passed away suddenly. Many in Ireland have been grieving this week too by the heart-breaking tragedy for 13 young Irish students when a balcony collapsed in Berkeley California. Thinking of all the bereaved families as they fly home this evening and sending very best wishes and strength to those in hospital for fullest, speediest recovery.

Thank-you so much for taking the time.
Nicola x

Tea Time

Greetings to you - it's been a while and I was so glad to get back to my craft table this week! Thank-you for your visit!

Sending my card today to a lovely lady who is poorly at the moment.

When I received a recent prize order from Linda she included some lovely freebies as she customarily does. Amongst these were some diecut cups and saucers from the Sizzix 'Tea-Time' die. I stamped and clear embossed the diecuts with a music script stamp and then gilded them using my Krylon 18 kt gold leafing pen - aren't they fit for a regal afternoon tea! Then watered down some 'Tea Dye' DI and rubbed onto the two little teabags. Stamped these with a script stamp using DI 'Victorian Velvet'. Affixed to the cups with May Arts jute string and decorated with roses and a butterfly on each handle.

I stamped the background base paper (Pion Design) with a Hero Arts 'butterfly script' stamp - again using DI 'Victorian Velvet'. Speckled the base layer with pink and white frantage. Diecut a tag and stamped and gold embossed the sentiment. Randomly tore the edges of the base paper and tucked little roses and pink lace behind each tear.

Affixed everything to card including a pristine doily layer. Added Melissa Frances pink frou-frou tulle beneath the cups,Nunn Design embellishments in two corners and two heart stick pins in the cups. Completed by adding lots of 'pearls' using a Waco pearl pen.

Warmest wishes to you for a happy weekend.
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Vintage Udfordring - Script
Simon Says Stamp Monday - Royal
Country View Challenges - Shabby Chic
Inky Chicks - Pearls
Aud Sentiments - Bingo (Flowers, Rubber Stamp, Embossing)
That Craft Place - Shabby Chic
Card and Scrap - Use Dies
Creative Inspirations - For A Friend
Card Mania - Use a metal embellishment