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Friday, 19 June 2020

Let the bells ring out!

Hello crafting friends!

It's been a good day today for card making. I had an idea, attempted to translate it to card stock and ink, it worked! Come and see:


Having been given some birthday money recently, I've lost no time in spending it on er... essential items, like the stamp set I used on today's card! It's called Silver Bells by WPlus9 and I was bowled over by its versatile images and beautiful sentiments.


I started by painting a background onto watercolour paper with Stampin' Up Basic Grey ink. My tip for doing this is to paint the area you want to colour with clear water first. This acts as a boundary so you ink stays where you want it to, and it dilutes the ink so you don't get any harsh lines.


Once the background was dry, I masked off a strip for the sentiment and overlaid my inky background with diluted pearlised white acrylic paint. This gives it a lovely silvery sheen. I've split up the sentiments in the set with a pair of sharp paper snips so I can mix and match them, and that enabled me to stamp this one in grey and red.


The solid bell image was stamped in grey ink and fussy cut. I also stamped the outline bell image, colouring just the bow and leaves with alcohol markers, fussy cutting them and adding them to the grey bells. I cut my panel out with a Heffy Doodles stitched rectangle die and attached the bells to my inky background, finishing off with a white enamel dot.

EDITED TO ADD AN AWARD
So thrilled to find that this card was chosen as one of CAS(E) This Sketch's Favourites!


CHALLENGES
I'm joining in with the CAS Christmas Card Challenge with its Bells theme; The Paper Players provided the colours (they just said Christmas to me so I didn't fight it!) and I used the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch. Since I used a new stamp set, I'll also link this card up with the NBUS Challenge, which is all about using your Never Before Used Schtuff!


AND IN OTHER NEWS
We've had a few magnificent thunderstorms here, with torrential downpours. Eva, who gets quite upset by fireworks, doesn't seem phased at all by thunder and lightening, which surprises me a little. She is NOT impressed by the noise of the hoover though, although she has learned to go and lie down in another room while it's on.


Here she is giving me a reproachful look while I put the hoover away.

Hope you are keeping safe and well!

Hugs,

32 comments:

  1. Super Christmas card.

    I think Eva is thinking: "Thank goodness for THAT's over for another day!"

    Happy Friday.

    Hug xxx

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    1. I think she is quite sure she knows best and feels that I'm a sad disappointment to her! xxx

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  2. Wowza, you hit the nail on the head with these four challenges! Those bells are beautiful and your creative background is too! And of course, you snuck in those pretty PP colors are well...all good stuff! Poor Eva, I hate the sound of the vacuum too...LOL! Thanks for playing along with the Paper Players challenge this week!

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    1. Loved the colours at PP this week but couldn't get past Christmas for them! I'm not a huge fan of hoovering - would rather be crafting lol!

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  3. Wonderful holiday design Vicky. Love the fun picture of Eva.

    Hugs diane

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    1. Thanks Diane. She's a character isn't she?!

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  4. Awesome Christmas card! I love how you used the challenge colors. Thanks for joining us at The Paper Players this week!

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    1. Thanks Laurie and for the fun challenge :)

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  5. Vicky, wonderful use of the colors. My mind hadn't gone to Christmas - but I see the colors are perfect for that. The acrylic background is perfect for your fabulous bells. So glad you joined us at the Players this week
    Jaydee

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  6. Gorgeous - I am love that silvery panel Vicky and those bells are just perfect for the sketch and our challenge - go you! Eva reminds me of Ben when he was little - he hated the vacuum cleaner too!! Thanks for playing along with our colour challenge over at The Paper Players this week!

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    1. I actually meant to get opaque white paint for another project but this pearlised white has come in so handy!

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  7. Beautiful card Vicky. Really like how you masked an area for the sentiment and love your bells. Thanks for joining us at CAS Christmas.

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    1. Thanks Linda! So glad I got those essential (ahem!) bells!

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  8. This is a lovely result Vicky, such a pretty card in every way.
    Take care
    Faith x

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  9. LOVE your card Vicky! Great idea to paint a panel on your card front and then add pearl paint over top. Very creative and I'm going to have to try it! Your bells are fabulous and I love the sentiment as well. Great design! Eva looks like she is happy the hoover is put away. She is so sweet! Thanks for sharing with us at CAS Christmas!

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    1. I got the idea from a mistake, er I mean opportunity, I made Loll! Don't forget to wash your brushes out immediately afterwards (ask me how I know!) Eva is a sweetheart isn't she <3

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  10. A really lovely creation with a great stamp and I think you will get a lot of use from it.

    Kath x

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    1. I think so too Kath - really versatile sentiments, some pretty leaves and bows and the bells are just beautiful! x

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  11. Love your pretty bells and that amazing background, Vicky! We've just had a doozy of a thunder storm!

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    1. Thanks Bonnie! I do love watching a thunderstorm - but only from inside a house or car!

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  12. So beautiful Vicky! Your inky background with the pearl sheen is perfect for little step up glamour for the holidays, and those bells are absolutely lovely. Thanks for joining us at The Paper Players this week to share your new "essential" LOL! And happy birthday too, Vicky!

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    1. Oh dear - we all have those essentials that we 'need' don't we?! Thanks Stef :)

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  13. the perfect Cnristmas card with bells on:) Great Cad Vicky :)Thanks for joining us at CAS Chritsmas:)

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  14. Beautiful card. That bell image is adorable. Great job combining the challenges. Thank you for joining us at CAS Christmas.

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  15. That is a pretty sweet set, Vicky. I have to stop putting all these NBUS goodies on my own wish list, lol! I love your pretty Christmas design! When I first saw it, I thought you had used white mulberry paper. Remember mulberry paper?! But you put a lot more creativity and work into your design with your painting and masking and it's gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing at NBUS! Keep well! Hugs, Darnell

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    1. It's actually an older set - I hadn't realised. I fell in love with it! I DO remember mulberry paper! That's one of the things I didn't mind losing when my craft stuff was cleared out!

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  16. Yay on the CTS win! Not surprised as this is a beauty. I especially love the way you used the pearlised paint - such a cool effect!
    Lol to you and Darnell chatting about mulberry paper - sadly I still have a ton of it!
    Isn't it funny what bothers our dogs and what doesn't? Fireworks but not thunder... interesting. She really does look concerned about the hoover though. I love that she's in another room but keeping an eye out to make sure the hoover doesn't get you!

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I'd love to know what you think. Do leave me a comment - it always makes my day! Vicky x


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