Bee Merry Take 3

I thought I would create another little scene with the Clearly Besotted Merry Bees, this time using some of the new smoky Zig Real Brush Markers.  LOVE.  I started with the hive so nice shading there then you can see I pooped out by the time I got to the upper bee and branch.  Smokies used on the hive, reds and branch.

The stencil was sponged with Distress Oxide Salvaged Patina.

I'm entering this in Winter Wonderland Candy Canes and/or For a Child, Make My Monday #162 Cute Christmas, Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes, and Addicted to Stamps and More #419 Any Occasion.

PRODUCTS USED

• Zig Real Brush Markers
• Clearly Besotted Bee Merry
• Clear Wink of Stella
• Whimsy Stamps Honeycomb Drips stencil
• Distress Oxide Salvaged Patina

DB - Dino Christmas

I did a bit of drawing on these dinosaur cards to Christmas them up.  You can read more on the Doodlebugs WA blog!

SOSS #199 - Y for Yuletide

Christmas is nigh and we’re here to help you celebrate at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers challenge #199 Y for Yuletide!

PRODUCTS USED AND/OR RECOMMENDED

• Distress Oxide Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Salvaged Patina, Prize Ribbon
• Nested circle die
• Birch Press Design Ornament Basics dies (hangers)
• Richard Garay Pine Needles embossing folder

BPD - Holiday Texture

I'm up on the Birch Press Design blog today. Hope to see you there!

Modern Christmas Rose

Another take on the Hero Arts Christmas Rose from the other day.  This time I used Zigs which was decidedly faster.

I prefer the pink version but both are pretty. Btw, I made this one into a MnT for some friends. I wonder what color palette they'll use and how they'll arrange their blossoms? Looking forward to seeing them.

I’m entering this in Happy Little Stampers November Watercolor Challenge, The Flower Challenge #62 Add Leaves.

It's really hard to tell but the silver bits are all coated in Clear Wink of Stella. 

I’m entering this in Daring Cardmakers Silver, Aqua and a Dash.

PRODUCTS USED AND/OR RECOMMENDED

• Hero Arts Christmas Rose
• MFT Handwritten Holiday
• Card 1 Zigs: 010, 027, 040, 047, 050, 052, 
• Card 2 Zigs: 032, 050, 092, 093
• Clear Wink of Stella
• Versafine Onyx Black

DB - Bold Poinsettia

I'm over on the Doodlebugs WA blog today.  Hope to see you there!

I'm entering this in CAS on Friday #218 Leaves, Inspired by IB196C Christmas Splendor.

ATCAS #211 - Colourful

It's time for another Addicted to CAS Challenge #211 Colourful, which also marks our 9th birthday!  Woo hoo! I hope you'll help us celebrate by joining in the fun!

• MFT Pile On the Hugs
• Copics

Bee Merry Take 2

I may be a little obsessed with bees right now, especially if they're related to the holidays. Bee merry indeed!

I’m entering this in Simon Says Wednesday Make Your Own Background, Just Add Ink #581 Just Add Legs, HLS November Anything Goes with Dies.

PRODUCTS USED

• Clearly Besotted Bee Merry
• Zig Real Brush Markers
• Copics: BG23, R35, Y38
• Waffle Flower Holiday Lights
• PTI Honeycomb Cover Plate
• Distress Oxide Wild Honey & Mustard Seed
• Dylusions Black Marble Shimmer Spray
• Clear Wink of Stella
• Glossy Accents

Bee Merry

Bee merry indeed!  These Clearly Besotted bees are so flippin' cute!

I'm entering this in CAS Christmas November 2021 Christmas Critters.

PRODUCTS USED

• Zigs
• Clearly Besotted Bee Merry
• Clear Wink of Stella
• Whimsy Stamps Honeycomb Drips stencil
• Distress Oxide Salvaged Patina

Painted Christmas Rose

I was going through my stash recently and rekindled my interest in acrylic gouache (essentially a thick acrylic which allows it to be more opaque). Because of the paint's opacity, it makes it perfect for coloring on dark colors.  Talk about drama!

Notes:

• I use white with the basic colors to create my shades. The non-whitened color is the shadow then I worked my way out from there with increasing white.
• The paint is thick and will thicken further over time.  You can add a tiny bit of water but beware of adding too much as it will affect the opacity.
• I like the texture so don't worry too much about viscosity. I can always go back and add another layer if necessary.

I'm entering this in Allsorts #650 Christmas.

PRODUCTS USED AND/OR RECOMMENDED

• Hero Arts Christmas Rose SBC | HA
• Holbein Acrylic Gouache
• Posca PCF-350 White Pen

Winter Washi

I was playing with the gorgeous Memory Box Watercolor Forest Greenery Washi which is wide enough to fit an A2 card. Remember how I had an idea from when I did the sled cards recently? This is the result and I love it.

I brushed a light coat of gesso onto the washi card front then stamped the various images and sentiments using Stazon and Ranger Archival inks. I am particularly pleased with how the Lavinia Magnus image turned out. It's stamped with a combo of the Stazon in Jet Black as the first stamp then stamped again using Stazon Blazing Red. Swoon!

I'm entering this one in We Love Stamping November Christmas and Try It on Tuesday Make It Magical.

• Memory Box Watercolor Forest Greenery Washi
• Lavinia Magnus
• Penny Black Snowflake Season
• Impression Obsession Joy to the World
• Mama Elephant Mini Merry Messages
• Stazon Timber Brown (main sentiment), Jet Black and Blazing Red (deer)
• Ranger Archival Watering Can and Potting Soil
• Liquitex Gesso
• Posca White PCF-350 (snow)

I did another gesso card using a washi card front that got wrinkled during application. Waste not!

This one is simpler in terms of collage stamping as I wanted the sentiment and fairies to pop.

I'm entering this one in Daring Cardmakers Jolly Holly-Days.

• Memory Box Watercolor Forest Greenery Washi
• Lavinia Raven
• Lavinia Three Dancing Fairies
• Lavinia Berry Wreath
• Hero Arts Merry Christmas Messages
• Ranger Archival Jet Black and Leaf Green
• Liquitex Gesso
• Posca White PCF-350 (snow)

For this one, I experimented with hot foil which worked a treat.  I was expecting a literal hot mess but it turned out beautifully, far better than expected for sure.  The gold strips on the sides are washi.

• Memory Box Watercolor Forest Greenery Washi
• Spellbinders Elegant Holiday Glimmer Sentiments
• Gold Washi

This one is another experiment, this time using leaf and berry dies to cut out the washi card front. I then adhered the pieces onto pale gray and added a bold sponged sentiment on top for a modern take.

• Memory Box Watercolor Forest Greenery Washi
• Concord & 9th Joy
• Tattered Lace Big Fern
• Sizzix Winter Woodland
• Sizzix Tim Holtz Mini Holiday Greens
• Distress Oxide Worn Lipstick and Festive Berries
• Bazzill Fig Swirl Cardstock
• Clear Wink of Stella

DB - Snowglobies

I have two cards over on the Doodlebugs WA blog today. Both are so cute if I must say so myself and I must. 

I'm entering this in HLS November Anything Goes with Dies and We Love Stamping November Christmas, 

I'm entering this one in Winter Wonderland Candy Canes and/or For a Child (I'm doing the latter) and 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Color Challenge.

SOSS #198 - N for Naughty

We have another fun challenge over at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #198:  N for Naughty.  Umm, yes, please!

At times, there are quite a few things I'd do for a Klondike Bar.  How about you?

PRODUCTS USED AND/OR RECOMMENDED

• Power Poppy Forest Fellas
• Stamperia Snowflakes Stencil
• Distress Oxides Prize Ribbon, Salty Ocean
• Distress Oxide Sprays: Kitsch Flamingo, Salvaged Patina, Cracked Pistachio
• Distress Embossing Glaze Weathered Wood
• Nuvo Moonstone Glimmer Paste
• Liquitex Gesso
• Versafine Onyx Black
• Zig Real Brush Markers

Red Sparkly Christmas

This card was really simple to make.  Simple = quick = perfect!

I embossed the trees and trimmed the panel down to fit in portrait mode (tech geek much?). Then I added a couple of cardinals cut from glitter cardstock and, my favorite part, used the  Pinkfresh Studio Solid Hot Foil Plate for the sentiment.  That plate has been well worth the investment. Now I can use the regular hot foil look as well as the reverse--really makes me want to invest in patterned foil!

I'm entering this in Christmas Crafts All Year Round November U, V or W (winter, woods).

PRODUCTS USED AND/OR RECOMMENDED

• Impression Obsession Birch Trees (cardinals)
• Simon Says Stamp Forest Border 3D Embossing Folder
• Spellbinders Holiday Sentiments Series 2 Glimmer Hot Foil Plate
• Pinkfresh Studio Solid Hot Foil Plate
• Spellbinders Glimmer Crimson Stars Foil
• Memory Box Glitzy 6x6 Glitter Cardstock Pad

Pierced Snowflakes

I was really charmed by the Honey Bee Pierced Snowflake dual die set--one die for the snowflakes and another to add the piercing. Both work as standalone dies as well. Just so well done.

On both cards I sponged the card base with Distress Oxides. I played around with the focal point sentiment using the HB Peace in a fantastic Memory Box glitter cardstock on teal foil (bling!!) and the WF Circle Snowflake Shaker diecut with vellum to make the PFS sentiment pop out more. 

This is another make and take for some friends using the design of the blue card.  Well, blue for me; I look forward to seeing how my gals work up their backgrounds. Maybe someone will make a shaker too.

PRODUCTS USED AND/OR RECOMMENDED

• Honey Bee Peace
• Honey Bee Pierced Fancy Flakes
• Honey Bee Fancy Flakes A2 Coverplate
• Waffle Flower Circle Snowflake Shaker
• Pinkfresh Studio Perfect Sentiment Holiday Hot Foil Plate & Dies
• Distress Oxide Salty Ocean, Stormy Sky, Prize Ribbon, Wilted Violet, Peacock Feathers

BPD - Framed Ornaments

I admit it.  I have a just a tiny little thing for glitter.  I used a lot of it for a set of cards over on the Birch Press Design blog today.

Coldest Days

Guess what?  Another make and take design for some friends. I am quite chuffed at how cute these turned out. I love Stacey Yacula designs and was so excited by the photo layout. This really got my gears whirring--think of all her other fab images and how you could combine them to create other photos!

The cards are variations on the same layout, one with a pop of aqua and the other fairly monochrome. Do you have a favorite?  It's so hard for me to decide.

I'm entering this one in Color Hues #29 Brown and Orange.

 

I used the same layout for this card but used a foiled background I made using Neat & Tangled Fa La La Cover as a hot foil plate.  You know how I love my experiments! I also used a leftover piece of one of my favorite holiday papers. Only one small piece left--ack!

I'm entering this one in Inkspirational #251 Cheer and Christmas Kickstart #56 Christmas Snippets. 

PRODUCTS USED AND/OR RECOMMENDED

• MFT SY Selfies with Santa
• MFT Frost-Loving Friends (sentiment)
• MFT Polaroid Shaker Frame
• MFT #Captions
• Lawn Fawn Every Sentiment Banner
• Neat & Tangled Fa La La Coverplate used as hot foil plate
• Spellbinders Sky Bright Hot Foil
• Bazzill Sandbox Swiss Dot Cardstock
• Paper Studio Gifts of Gold 6x6 Paper
• Hot Off the Press Snowflake Paper
• Hello Card:  Zig 024, 028, 042, 060, 065, 072,  090, 901
• Sweet Card: Zig 028, 060, 065, 072, 901
• Smile Card: Zig 028, 032, 052, 090, 901