Hello crafting pals!
On the 25th of each month it's Rudolph Day, a chance to make a Christmas card for your 2020 stash. I'm a big fan of this as it's very cheering towards the end of the year to be able to start sending even while you're making. Some organised folk even make their whole stash early (no, you're right, never me!) Anyway, I'm only two days late for this month... but come and see:
I'm still all about the bright colours, so I started with a wash of blue ink on dampened watercolour paper. Once that had dried, I stencilled fir trees over it with yellow and green inks using the negative space of a tree from the Tim Holtz Woodlands die set.
To create a strong horizontal, I ran two strips of double-sided tape along the card, peeled off the backing strips and heat embossed with gold embossing powder. I also gold embossed a label from an ancient retired Stampin' Up set called Winter Post, fussy cut it and glued it over the strips. The tag in the centre was stamped with a sentiment from another retired Stampin' Up set, Endless Wishes.
To bring all the elements together, I used some diluted pearlised white acrylic paint to create a snowy foreground and dots of snow in the sky, and added a sprinkling of gold jewels. Finally, I die cut the panel with a Heffy Doodles stitched rectangle die and attached it to a card base.
CHALLENGES
I used the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch for this card; I'm also joining in with Jingle Belles' Bling on the Holidays challenge and 52 Christmas Card Throwdown's Embossing/Dig in your Stash challenge. And not forgetting the Rudolph Day Challenge of course!
AND IN OTHER NEWS
We have a blackbird fledgling in our garden! This is a really tricky time for them as they spend a lot of time rustling about in the backs of the borders and hopping about on the lawn, but are still being fed by the parents, can't fly properly and are pretty helpless. I have to watch Eva like a hawk as fluttery rustlings are a red rag for her but, on the plus side, she keeps cats out of the garden.
Not the best photo ever, but can you spot the fledgling? He doesn't look like a blackbird yet - has no tail and is a bit speckled.
On the 25th of each month it's Rudolph Day, a chance to make a Christmas card for your 2020 stash. I'm a big fan of this as it's very cheering towards the end of the year to be able to start sending even while you're making. Some organised folk even make their whole stash early (no, you're right, never me!) Anyway, I'm only two days late for this month... but come and see:
I'm still all about the bright colours, so I started with a wash of blue ink on dampened watercolour paper. Once that had dried, I stencilled fir trees over it with yellow and green inks using the negative space of a tree from the Tim Holtz Woodlands die set.
To create a strong horizontal, I ran two strips of double-sided tape along the card, peeled off the backing strips and heat embossed with gold embossing powder. I also gold embossed a label from an ancient retired Stampin' Up set called Winter Post, fussy cut it and glued it over the strips. The tag in the centre was stamped with a sentiment from another retired Stampin' Up set, Endless Wishes.
To bring all the elements together, I used some diluted pearlised white acrylic paint to create a snowy foreground and dots of snow in the sky, and added a sprinkling of gold jewels. Finally, I die cut the panel with a Heffy Doodles stitched rectangle die and attached it to a card base.
CHALLENGES
I used the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch for this card; I'm also joining in with Jingle Belles' Bling on the Holidays challenge and 52 Christmas Card Throwdown's Embossing/Dig in your Stash challenge. And not forgetting the Rudolph Day Challenge of course!
AND IN OTHER NEWS
We have a blackbird fledgling in our garden! This is a really tricky time for them as they spend a lot of time rustling about in the backs of the borders and hopping about on the lawn, but are still being fed by the parents, can't fly properly and are pretty helpless. I have to watch Eva like a hawk as fluttery rustlings are a red rag for her but, on the plus side, she keeps cats out of the garden.
Not the best photo ever, but can you spot the fledgling? He doesn't look like a blackbird yet - has no tail and is a bit speckled.
Hugs,
Beautiful card design and love the gold. What a fun picture of your little fledgling.
ReplyDeleteHugs Diane
Thanks Diane, love a little (or a lot in this case!) gold at Christmas :)
DeleteI am so proud of the blackbird family and it's great to feel we're helping out a bit.
A really lovely card Vicky, great design and images, super CAS effect design as you are so good at those.
ReplyDeleteThe last of our Bluetits left the box the other day, flew out and dropped straight onto the floor but Mother was watching and chirped something so it picked itself and flew off again. We have camera in our box so we see them from the minute the eggs arrive till they fly the nest.
Kath x
Oh wow, Kath, what a great idea to have a camera in the box! We don't have boxes but we do treat our tiny garden like a conservation area: thick hedges, no pesticides or chemical fertilisers, so plenty of food. Also a cat guard!! x
DeleteGorgeous Rudolph Day card! Great use of the die cut aperture!
ReplyDeleteHug xxx
Thank you so much for sending me those die cuts Sarn. I'm really getting the use out of them aren't I?! They are on my shopping list as I lobe them to bits :)
Deletexxx
Hi Vicky,
ReplyDeleteHappy Rudolf Days.
Oh your card is very lovely and I love how you have inked the backround.
Great stencilling of the trees also.
Love the snowfall too.
Thank you for joining the Rudolf Challenge.
Lots of crafty love. Jenny L. DT
Happy Rudolph Day to you too Jenny! Will be over to visit you shortly :)
DeleteYou did it! That background with the trees is fabulous Vicky - a Christmas card to be proud of! Cute bird pic too - the last of the 6 surviving bluetits in our nest box left this week - so fun to watch. And I suspect the cats are more of a risk to your fledgling than Eva, so at least she is keeping those at bay!
ReplyDeleteLOL, it took a while but I got there in the end! It is amazing to watch these birds isn't it and feel you have a hand in their successful passage into the world :) Bless Eva, she's doing a great job!
DeleteGreat Christmas card, Vicky, and a cute bird too xoxo
ReplyDeleteThanks Em. Isn't it amazing to see that little bird. He's so noisy too, cheeping away! xx
Deletetrès jolie création Vicky, quel charmant paysage si paisible et agréable, merci de jouer avec nous chez 52CCT, biz
ReplyDeleteMerci Fabiola! x
DeleteWhat a great idea to use this TH die to stencil the trees, Vicky! I need to remember that because they stencil beautifully! Such a lovely, snowy scene! Having the fledglings around is such fun. We've had a lot of fledgling bluebirds at our feeders. The parent birds have to work so hard to keep them fed and happy!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving these TH dies which were given me by a lovely friend (thanks again Sarn!) Stencilling, sponging, the die cuts themselves - they are on my shopping list for sure!
DeleteIt's been such a privilege to watch the parent birds flying in and out feeding their babies - and now to see a fledgling before it goes out into the world is wonderful. They nest with us every year (I swear it's the same family!)
This is a sunning card! I love the inkiness of this beauty...
ReplyDeleteThe sky and trees look so very real, and your gilded accents are lovely.
Thanks for taking part in the May Rudolph Days Challenge.
Thank YOU Maureen for running the challenge, especially in these times. And thank you for your lovely comments :)
DeleteA Stunning card Vicky, love the beautiful shade of blue with those fab trees. The blackbird maybe a female, they have a spotty front and are browner? The foxgloves of mine? we bought 2 or 3, years ago and as they are biennials, they self seed so never come up in the same place, love them though.
ReplyDeleteTake care
Faith x
Thanks Faith - that's a pretty celestial blue!
DeleteI think all the blackbird fledglings look the same, male or female, no tail and brown and spotty, presumably for camouflage.
The foxgloves I planted would have been more than welcome to come up wherever they wanted but they never did :(
Oh, wow, i was sure you stamped the trees until i read your description. I love the look of the trees against the bright background and the gold embossed strips are so pretty! Thank you so much for sharing your lovely christmas card with the Rudolph Days Challenge.
ReplyDeleteLinda, DT
Thank you Linda! Using the dies for stencilling seems to work quite well :)
DeleteGorgeous card, Vicky. I love the gold embossing and those trees are fab!
ReplyDeleteThank you Karen!
Deleteoh wow what an incredibly lovely card and that's such a cool technique with the tape! thanks for bringing the bling with us at JINGLE BELLES!
ReplyDeleteIt's an oldie but a goodie that tape trick! Thanks for the fun challenge :)
DeleteI keep reading about using 2 sided tape to hold glitter or embossing powder. It came out well. I might have to try it. pretty card. thank you for playing with us at 52CCT
ReplyDeleteIt's a useful technique Netta and has always worked well when I've tried it!
Deletethose snowy trees are so lovely ... so glad you got BLING-y With Us at Jingle Belles.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your BLING-y inspiration Stef!
Delete