Boxing Day Review

I hope your Christmas was everything you hoped it would be!  Traditionally, Boxing Day has been my day to kick back after all the work of Christmas Day and before, and just relax and play with my new toys! I refuse to go shopping, as is the custom of some, to take advantage of all the big bargains out there! Why don't they have all the big bargains BEFORE Christmas?? Just sayin'!

Wondrous Wreath Stamp Set and Wonderful Wreath Framelits

In the spirit of kicking back and relaxing, I wanted to reshare some of the Christmas designs I posted this year and get you looking back at the Holiday Catalogue.  January 5 will be the last day to order from the Holiday Catalogue, so I want you to be sure that you haven't missed ordering something you really love! Click on each photo to take you back to the original post.

One of many designs using Ornamental Pine Stamp set.  

Ornamental Pine peek-a-boo with Blackberry Bliss!

Ornamental Pine with Bokeh Effect

Angled Easel Card with Mingle All the Way

Striped Grosgrain Ribbon Card with Mingle All the Way

Nutcracker from Santa Stache

         

Side Step card with Holiday Homes

                                   

Cardinal for Christmas with Beauty of the Season

                             

Product List

Wondrous Wreath Photopolymer Stamp Set [135047]	Wonderful Wreath Framelits Dies [135851]	Ornamental Pine Wood-Mount Stamp Set [135104]	Ornamental Pine Clear-Mount Stamp Set [135107]	Santa Stache Wood-Mount Stamp Set [135032]
Santa Stache Clear-Mount Stamp Set [135035]	Mustache Framelits Die [133741]	Holiday Home Photopolymer Stamp Set [135095]	Homemade Holiday Framelits Dies [135857]	Mingle All The Way Wood-Mount Stamp Set [135770]
Mingle All The Way Clear-Mount Stamp Set [135773]	Beauty Of The Season Wood-Mount Stamp Set [135776]	Beauty Of The Season Clear-Mount Stamp Set [135779]

Getting Messy for Pals Paper Arts

Well, I was in a real "mad scientist" mood yesterday and I ended up making a lot of mess - not on my card, but on everything else.  You see, I was working on something for Pals Paper Arts - a last minute entry featuring Basic Black, Very Vanilla and Tangelo Twist:

Basic Black and Very Vanilla made me think of Typeset Specialty Designer Series Paper, and that made me think of a Gothic Wallpaper type of background, and that made me visualize a black wreath on the wall, along with some Tim Burton-style lettering- an Edward Gorey kind of look.

Here's how it turned out: (more about the mess in a bit)

• I used Basic Black for the card base, then a layer of Tangelo Twist cardstock and a layer of the Typeset Specialty DSP to create the gothic wallpaper look. So far, so good - no mess.
• The Wondrous Wreath stamp set was used to stamp the black wreath in Versamark, then Black Stampin' Emboss Powder was added and heat set using the Heat Tool. The berries and the bow were stamped in Tangelo Twist.
• The wreath and bow were die cut using the Wonderful Wreath Framelits.  Still okay, but keep reading!

• I had a hankering to add some black tulle to the back of the sentiment, which, by the way is from a very cool sentiment set!  I wanted to use it just for the name - Mingle All the Way! I rummaged around in my scrap fabric and came up with...white tulle.  "Well, that's okay", I thought, "I can dye it black!"  So I got out my Rubbing Alcohol, my Basic Black reinker and set out to do just that.  In about 3/4" inch of alcohol, I added a lot of reinker - maybe 40 drops or more.  I pleated the tulle and tied it around the middle to keep it together in the dye and on the card.  I placed the tulle in the container with the dye and poked it around for about 5 minutes.  
• I pulled out the tulle and blotted it dry on paper towels, but got the black dye all over my fingers despite the paper towels.  The results were disappointing, so I thought I would try StazOn Jet Black reinker, thinking it would give a darker result. I dumped out the Basic Black reinker in my bathroom basin, thinking nothing of it, as I have done for dozens of reinker dye baths.  Oops!  Shouldn't have done that!  Some Windex, some baking soda and elbow grease finally got the basin clean again!  My fingers?  Not so much.  Wear rubber gloves during this step.  I finally got the tulle dark enough for my liking with the StazOn reinker full strength.
• I added it behind the sentiment panel. The sentiment panel is stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink and mounted on Tangelo Twist cardstock. The pumpkin and the moon and bats are from the Holiday Invitation stamp set. They are hand-snipped here.
• I double-layered my Stampin' Dimensionals on the sentiment to make it high enough off the card base to accommodate the tulle. The wreath was also mounted with a double layer of the largest diameter Shaker Frames!  It is necessary to have it a good distance off the "wallpaper" so that it shows up properly.

I think I achieved the Edward Gorey look I was going for. What do you think?

And here are your new

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today!

Product List

                  Tulle

Wondrous Wreath Photopolymer Stamp Set [135047]	Mingle All The Way Wood-Mount Stamp Set [135770]	Mingle All The Way Clear-Mount Stamp Set [135773]	Holiday Invitation Photopolymer Stamp Set [135074]	Typeset Specialty Designer Series Paper [133704]
Basic Black 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [121045]	Tangelo Twist 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133677]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [101650]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]
Tangelo Twist Classic Stampin' Pad [133646]	Jet Black Stazon Refill [102566]	Black Stampin' Emboss Powder [109133]	Heat Tool [129053]	Wonderful Wreath Framelits Dies [135851]
Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]	Shaker Frames [124155]	Paper Snips [103579]

Happy Birthday Wreath for As You See It Challenges

Well, it is Friday again, the weekend is almost here! And that means it is time for As You See It Challenges again.  Last week was our first anniversary, and as we go into Challenge #053, I would just like to take this opportunity to thank Amanda for her creative leadership.  I always find her sketches, themes, and novelty challenges to be motivating, fun and amazingly creative.  And I would also like to give a shout out to my fellow design team members, for sticking with it even when all sorts of obstacles and circumstances made it difficult.  It's nothing to sneeze at that we have made it to the end of the first year and I am so proud of them all.

I would also like to congratulate fellow design team member, Tamara, who just gave birth to twin girls!  Tamara will have her hands full for quite a while, with two other children besides the twins, but she still loves to papercraft, and though she might find it hard to get to her studio as often, I know she'll enjoy the creative break when she gets a chance.

Without further ado, here is Challenge #053:

And here is my take on it, using Moonlight DSP and the Wondrous Wreath stamp set and framelits.

• I wanted to use coordinated DSP for the four panels and when I decided to use the Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack,  I also decided to use the same colour palette.  And as I thought about the Hello Honey, Sahara Sand, Blackberry Bliss and Whisper White, I thought it would make a great wreath with the Wondrous Wreath Stamp Set and Framelits. They come in a bundle together so you save 15% over the separate prices.
• The background panel is from the 2014-16 In Colour Paper Stacks.  The four different DSP pieces are arranged slightly to the left of center to balance the wreath with the sentiment.
• I used the Envelope Punch Board to round the opposite corners of the pieces.  I have got to get the Project Life corner rounder so I have one that's a little more convenient to use.
• I rarely find a use for those long strings of tiny rhinestones, but under the sentiment, which is from the And Many More stamp set, seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Love the bling!!

So have a great weekend!  I hope the weather holds out for you.  It has been so weird lately!  Join me back here on Monday morning for another papercrafting project.

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today!

Product List

Wondrous Wreath Photopolymer Stamp Set [135047]	And Many More Clear-Mount Stamp Set [134276]	And Many More Wood-Mount Stamp Set [134273]	Moonlight Designer Series Paper [133701]	2014-2016 In Color Backgrounds Designer Series Paper Stack [133705]
Blackberry Bliss 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133675]	Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730]	Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad [133642]	Hello Honey Classic Stampin' Pad [133643]	Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad [126976]
Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents [119246]	Wonderful Wreath Framelits Dies [135851]	Envelope Punch Board [133774]	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine [113439]	Stampin' Trimmer [126889]