Reminder STAMPlorations December CAS Challenge

 

Halfway through December! I can't believe where the time goes? And halfway through the month means it's time for the STAMPlorations December CAS Challenge reminder! You still have over two weeks to play along with our challenge and our optional colour twist is red and brow.

I was inspired to combine the colour twist with a green Christmas tree. I started by masking off a rectangle on my card front using Rectangles Flexi-Template. I then inked Vintage Photo Distress ink around the edges of the rectangle, fading towards the middle. Next, I added the Christmas Tree 1 Stencil and inked the trees. I stamped Sketchy Yule Trees on white card, coloured with Copics and fussy cut. The sentiment is from Simple Christmas Clear Stickers, I just attached the sticker to some red card and there we go! I have used these stickers so much for my Christmas makes this year, they are super quick and easy. I really can't recommend them enough.

Stamps: Sketchy Yule Trees, 
Stencil: Christmas Tree 1 Stencil, Rectangles Flexi-Template
Other: Simple Christmas Clear Stickers

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Copics

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes. And if you use my code you also get to pick a freebie to the value of $7 (for details see the badge below).

Note that as a STAMPlorations affiliate, I get a small commission on any orders you place in the STAMPlorations store using the links in my blog post or my coupon code STAMPGIRLKAROLA. This is at no added cost to you. Thank you for your support to keep my craft addiction going :) 

 

STAMPlorations Inspiration

As we are coming to the end of July, we are also coming to an end of my Christmas in July Inspiration posts as part of our weekly STAMPlorations Inspiration Posts. Have you started working on your Christmas card stash yet? I haven't really, just the few cards I showcased the last few weeks. I should probably mass produce one of them to ensure I have some cars available when December sneaks up on me, I always think it's a good idea in theory to mass-produce a specific card design, but when I have done a few I always get bored!

This week for the STAMPlorations Inspiration Post I created a Christmas tag - well, in fact, two tags but I'm not 100% sure if I like the second one. I used one of my Distress Oxide backgrounds for my tags, die cut them with Stitched Tags Nesting Dies and inked the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I heat embossed the Christmas tree from Sketchy Yule Trees, deer from Yuletide Deer and Christmas bells from Jingle Bells in copper and watercoloured with Gansai Tambi watercolours before fussy cutting and adding to the tags. Last, I added die cut sentiments using Christmas Sentiments.

Stamps: STAMPlorations Sketchy Yule Trees, Yuletide Deer and Jingle Bells

Dies: CUTplorations Christmas Sentiments, Stitched Tags Nesting Dies

Ink and colouring: Distress Oxides, Gansai Tambi watercolours, Tsukineko Versafine

Don't forget to use my discount code STAMPGIRLKAROLA for 20% off normal price products in the STAMPlorations store.

STAMPlorations Christmas in July

I'm very excited to be here today for the kick-off of our Christmas in July sale and giveaway over at STAMPlorations. And, to be honest, it's the kick-off for Christmas crafting for me this year. I really love to see all the Christmas inspiration all over blogland this time of year as it finally got me inspired to start with my Christmas crafting. The inspiration and talent in the crafting community never cease to amaze me. If I ever feel like I'm in a creative slump, all I need to do is go on Pinterest or Instagram and I'm showered with the most amazing art, so thank you all for that!

For my first card, I used the Sketchy Yule Trees, stamping directly onto white card and colouring the trees with Distress Markers. Next, I stamped the Merry Little Christmas typografia stamp in Versamark onto vellum, and heat embossed in gold (currently this stamp is out of stock, but there are plenty of other Christmas typografia stamps in stock in the STAMPlorations store). I added a few drops of glue on the vellum under the sentiment to attach it to the card panel. If you want more inspiration for these stamp sets, check out here, here, and here.

I used the same layout for my next card, this time using the super cute snowman from Winter Chill for the background and the  Build A Snowman Typografia Christmas. I stamped the sentiment in black onto vellum and heat embossed in holographic embossing powder which gives it a great shimmer. For other ideas using these stamps, see here and here.

I created one more card using a Christmas typografia stamp, this time I combined the Jingle All the Way typografia stamp with the cute bells from Jingle Bells. I started by stamping the bells in Versamark, then I sprinkled gold and copper embossing powder to create a two-tone effect which you can see in the close-up image. I inked up the sentiment using Distress Markers, spritzed very lightly with water and stamped onto vellum. As I often manage to smudge ink when stamping on vellum, I quickly heat embossed the sentiment in clear powder, before cutting the vellum with the smallest die from Crazy Double Running Stitch Nested dies. 

For my last two cards, I was inspired by the beautifully geometric Yuletide Deer stamp set. I restricted my colour palette to bright red, black and grey against crisp white card. I started by stamping the deers in Tim Holtz Festive Berries. Then I used a black watercolour marker to colour only the word Christmas from Merry Little Christmas (although you may want to make your life a bit easier and just use a stamp which you can ink up the normal way). I then used the "merry" stamp from Joyful to complete the sentiment, inking it up once with black ink and stamping three times without inking it up in between. I then used a stamp from Mixed Media Elements to create some interest around the edge. I completed the grungy look by splattering some diluted black ink on the card front before matting it onto red or grey card and attaching to a white card base.

A few links to some other cards made using the same stamp set here and here.

I hope you have been inspired to create some Christmas cards of your own. If you want to add to your Christmas crafty stash, you can find Christmas stamps reduced over in the STAMPlorations store and there is even a giveaway!

I'm linking up my first deer card over at Crafty Card Challenge, Tales from the Craft Room, Shopping Our Stash (Happy 400th challenge!!) and Crafty Gals Corner. All of the challenges have a Christmas in July theme.  

Stamps: STAMPlorations Sketchy Yule Trees, Merry Little Christmas Typografia Christmas, Build A Snowman Typografia Christmas, Winter Chill, Jingle All the Way Typografia Christmas, Jingle Bells, Yuletide Deer, Mixed Media Elements 
Dies: Crazy Double Running Stitch Nested dies
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress Inks and markers

November STAMPlorations CAS Challenge - Rainbow

Hi you, I'm very happy to see you here today. Thanks for visiting and thanks for supporting the STAMPlorations CAS challenge. I know I don't say it enough, but you are amazing! Now that I got that off my chest, how about focusing on the STAMPlorations November CAS challenge. This month the optional colour twist is my all time favourite colour - rainbow. There is nothing that makes me happier than getting all those beautiful inks out and creating a card in the full spectrum of colours.

Today's card is a quick and easy Christmas card idea. Start by picking out your favourite Christmas trees (mine are from STAMPlorations Sketchy Yule Trees). Ink up half of your stamp with one colour and the other half with another colour. For the benefit of your ink pads, ink up the lighter colour first. Then stamp the tree, and make sure to cover it with a mask before stamping the tree next to it. Once all trees are stamped and the ink has dried, die cut the sentiment. Make sure you keep track of all the small pieces like the parts inside the letters. Then it's just a bit of a puzzle. I attached the sentiment using 3D foam pads which I cut into tiny pieces, and then I made sure to add all of the tiny pieces inside the letters. I attached a piece of black card to the back of the front panel to give the sentiment a bit of definition.  

I hope you are inspired to link up your CAS cards (with an optional twist of rainbow) over at the November CAS challenge. You can use any products you want, although if you have STAMPlorations products we would love to see what you create with them. Don't forget to link up to the challenge in your post and add the badge to be eligible for the prizes!

Card: White 200 gsm card, scrap of black card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Sketchy Yule Trees

Dies: STAMPlorations Merry Christmas Phrase Die

Ink: Distress Oxides

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes.