Snowy cabin

Greetings dear readers - welcome to yet another Christmas card post!

I was delighted recently to have won at The Artistic Outpost referral programme, and even happier still to select my choice of their gorgeous stamp sets as prize (not easy to choose from fab array!). After lots of deliberation I went for the 'Midwinter' set and now love it. I bet the occupants of this cabin are blissfully content in their isolation.

The top circle is Stardream card cut with a Cheery Lynn die. I stamped the cabin image and embossed with Stampendous 'Twilight' EP. Did lots of frantage for the snow 'blizzard'. Painted gesso for the snowy foreground and coated it whilst wet with Distress glitter in 'Clear Rock Candy'. Also glittered the roof, windows and tree branches. Next inked the circle edges with Versamark and embossed with Judikins 'Silver Twinkle' EP. The two sentiments are from the AO sets 'Midwinter' and 'Snowy Woods' and are embossed as per cabin, silver ringed again and dotted with sparkly gesso. Sentiments also have faint shadow inked snowflakes.

The lower circle is cut using a Noor die. Again I've embossed the edge with 'Silver Twinkle' EP and glittered it too with more 'Clear Rock Candy'. The two circle layers are each propped on cardboard circles and foam tape to heighten dimension.

For the blue 'galaxy' layer I inked white CS with a combination of Distress Inks 'Chipped Sapphire' and 'Stormy Sky', Perfect Pearls mist 'Perfect Pearl' and Distress Stain 'Picket Fence'. I then gave it 3 coats of UTEE for a good thick glaze. Whilst the UTEE was hot I sprinked on silver glass glitter and little stars. Then edged it with Idea-ology silver tinsel.

Added metal key and little star brads from stash as finishing touches.

Thanks so much for visiting - I genuinely appreciate all the lovely comments you leave me.

Have a Happy Day!

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Artistic Outpost December Referral - Anything Goes using AO
Vintage Stamping Challenges - Cold and Frosty Colours
Stamping Sensations - Free and Easy
Country View Challenges - Bah, Humbug!
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T. - Use Metal / Add a charm
Kaboodle Doodles - Start of Winter
QKR Stampede - Starting to Look a lot like Christmas
Everybody-Art-Challenge - Winter
Live & Love Crafts - Stardust

'Tis The Season

Welcome to yet another Christmas card post. Thank-you for visiting and a warm hello to new followers.

Stamps: Graphic 45 'Christmas Emporium', Kaisercraft 'Twig & Berry Postmarks' and Artistic Outpost (using snowflakes from 'Snowy Woods' set)

Card / Papers: Bazzill, Neenah, Inkssentials 'Manila' CS, SEI Velvet 'Tomato'

Dies: Spellbinders 'Floral Ovals' and 'Decorative Labels 27', Joy Crafts 'Vintage Flourishes Corner'

Inking: Archival Ink 'Crimson', Sparkle & Sprinkle EP 'Japanese Lacquer' and 'Gilded Ivory', Versamark, Delicata Golden Glitz, Ranger 'Queen's Gold' EP, Embossing Antiquities 'Weathered White', Stickles, Frantage 'Shabby White'

Ribbons: May Arts (tied with Boweasy) and velvet from stash

Embellishments from stash and completed by adding Distress Glitter in 'Clear Rock Candy' to parts of little girls' outfits and Santa's beard (not showing up very well in photo).

Thank-you for spending time at my blog - I'll be catching up with blog visits later today.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Vintage Stamping Challenges - Traditional Christmas Time
Vintage Udfordring - Vintage Jul
Crafty Hands Challenge - Vintage
Simon Says Monday Challenge - Got Ink?
Sugar Creek Hollow - Anything Vintage Goes
Crafty Little Fairies - Christmas in November
Stamping Sensations - Christmas
Deep Ocean Challenge - Winter

Joyeux Noël

Hello and welcome! I'm well and truly into Christmas production mode now - they certainly are my favourites to do.

Stamps: Artistic Outpost 'Snowy Woods' set

Papers: Maja Design, Pion Design and French book text

Dies: Mini trees and deer by Tim Holtz / Sizzix. Postage Stamp by MFT Dienamics. (The stamp 'frame' is triple layered for dimension).

Inking: Distress Inks ('Vintage Photo', 'Tea Dye', 'Walnut Stain', 'Brushed Corduroy'). Prima chalk edger 'Branch Bark'. Ranger Archival Ink 'Coffee' and 'Red Geranium'. Versamark. Stuart Gill Clear EP. Embossing Antiquities 'Weathered White' EP. Frantage 'Aged Ivory' embossing enamel. Glossy Accents. Crackle Accents. Gesso. Snow-Tex. Inkssentials white pen.

Punch: Woodware

Embellishments: from stash

I hope this post finds you all well and warm. I'm sending a special Get Well wish to dear Anne. May my pals in UK not have suffered too many ill effects of storm.

Thank-you so much for your visit - it's a pleasure to have you stop by.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:

Artistic Outpost - October Referral Programme
Simon Says Monday Challenge - Anything Goes
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Christmas Card Challenges - Bows
Christmas at Sweet Stamping Challenge - Cards for Men
It's All About The Vintage - Use at least 3 stamps
Flourishes Tuesday - Plaid/Houndstooth (on one of trees)
ABC Christmas Challenge - V for Vixen (Reindeer)
Rhedd and Rosie Challenge - Anything Goes

Miles to go ...

Hello All and thank-you for your visit.

I'm really on a Christmas card roll as here's another:

Stamps: Artistic Outpost (Snowy Woods), Crafty Individuals (Clock and numerals CI-354)
Papers: Pion Design 'Wintertime in Swedish Lapland' and cotton fabric for top edge
Dies: Memory Box 'Lantern', Memory Box 'Branch' and Bigz Snowflake On The Edge
Inks: Gesso, Distress glitter in 'Clear Rock Candy' (lots!) and 'Old Paper', UTEE, Adirondack Alcohol ink 'Rust', Brilliance 'Pearlescent Rust' and 'Pearlescent Chocolate', DI 'Tea Dye' and 'Vintage Photo', Prima Chalk 'Rust', Distress Stain 'Antique Bronze', Archival 'Coffee', Copper EP, 'Vintage Photo' EP, Frantage in 'Shabby White', Stickles 'Mercury Glass', 'White Fire' gilding wax, Glossy Accents, Dreamweaver paste. Paper Artsy Fresco paint 'Snowflake'
Stencil: Crafter's Workshop 'Art Is'
Punch: Woodware
Embellishments: Tim Holtz Ice Skates, bark heart, twine, pearls and clock charm from stash

Little details:

The adorable ideaology Ice Skates are 'aged' using the brilliant Tammy Tutterow's technique 'Distress stain on metal'. For the skates I used lots of rusty inks and metallic distress stain in 'antique bronze'. I opted to coat with UTEE instead of clear EP. Gesso is also on the blades.

The lantern has been aged to be 'Faux Rusted Copper' by adapting the always awesome Shelly Hickox technique for 'Faux Tarnished Silver' but instead using copper EP before the UTEE heat blast.

Before stamping the main image I painted the paper with Paper Artsy Fresco Finish paint in 'Snowflake' to have a matt 'snowy' base to stamp on once dry. The raised snow on the main image is done by sprinkling frantage onto wet gesso and drying with heat gun to puff nicely. All the 'snowy' edges are done with gesso and distress glitter.

To cut the cotton for the top edge I first needed to stiffen it ... so painted fabric with a coat of gesso and heat dried and then randomly dabbed chocolate ink. Once dry and stiff it was cut with the on the edge die.

I'm sorry I've not been blog visiting but I'm not too well this week. I hope to be properly back in action in a few days time.

Wishing everyone a warm and happy weekend,
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Simon Says Stamp Monday - Inspired by Tammy Tutterow
Crafts Too Challenge You - Christmas Festivities 'Scene'
Vintage Udfordring - Vintage card for a male with charm and twine
Vintage Card Cafe - Brown/Beige Colour Marathon
Artistic Outpost - October Referral Programme - Anything Goes
Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Use a mask or stencil
Deep Ocean Challenge - Christmas is round the corner
Try It On Tuesdays - Texture
Christmas at Sweet Stampin - Cards for Men
Simon Says Stamp - Use a rubber or clear stamp
Crafty Individuals - October - getting ready for Christmas