Happy Holidays!

Hello!  Time for another Great Impressions card for you.  And, alas, this is my last post as a design team member.  These past 6 months have been so fun!  I will miss you all!

I've made not one, not two, but THREE cards this round. First up, I had to have the H203 Magical Tree stamp the moment I saw it.  It's so gorgeous!  I had a bunch of ideas but settled on this one.Here I used designer paper that had the look of layered stamping without all the fuss and muss.  I then stamped the tree using a matching blue.  I decided to emboss the panel for textural interest before adding the Tim Holtz star.

For my second card, I used a stencil in the background, sort of like bokeh lights and another stencil with glitter paste for the tree.  I wish you could see the sparkle in real life.  I like the swirls in the F621 Holidays sentiment with the other rounded elements too.

For my final card, I went ultra simple and modern with a one layer card using F621 Holidays and G496 Evergreen Wreath.  You may recall I have used this stamp before.  Totally different effect, right?

Well, there you have it.  I've enjoyed my time with Great Impressions and with you!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you and yours!  

Don't forget about the GI monthly challenge!

You don't have to use GI stamps but it'd be totally awesome if you did!

Also, if you do use GI stamps, be sure to link up to the customer gallery to show us your fabulous work and for a chance to get a little year-end prize.

Bewitched

Do you remember the show Bewitched?  I remember there were 2 Darwins or was that Darwood?  Derwent?  Her mom cracked me up.  Anyway, I colored this card in with Derwent watercolor pencils without water.  I love especially the blues on the kraft.  Yummy.

The Details:  Derwent watercolor pencils, Hero Arts Everything Flower Background, Altenew Birthday Greetings, Stampendous detail fine white embossing powder, Versamark, VersaMagic Turquoise Gem, PTI kraft cardstock, Recollections 110lb white cardstock base, Waltzingmouse stitched scalloped rectangle die, Simon Says stitched rectangle die

I'm entering this in Seize the Birthday (without red and white topping), Mod Squad Anything Goes, A2Z Scrapbooking Dimension with Hero Arts

Another Poinsettia or Two

I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of the poinsettia stamp.  When I'm in the mood, I am sooooo in the mood.  The first card was watercolored with Kuretake.  I love the vibrancy of the color.   The second card was done with metallic Gelatos and gouache.  A totally different look, no?  You can barely see the shimmer in the poinsettia but in real life it's really quite striking.

Card 1 Details:  Kuretake watercolors, Tim Holtz watercolor paper, Hero Arts Merry Christmas Messages, VersaFine Onyx Black, Ranger Archival Jet Black, Simon Says stitched rectangle die, Recollections 110lb cardstock base

Card 2 Details:  Metallic Gelatos, Strathmore 140lb mixed media paper, Recollections gold foil cardstock and 110lb white cardstock base, mystery shimmer silver cardstock, Simon Says stitched rectangle die, Waltzing Mouse Stitched Scalloped rectangle dies, Paper Studio embossing folder

I'm entering Card 1 in Holly Jolly Anything Goes and Card 2 in  Simon Says Wednesday Die Crazy

CASEing Loll

I have been receiving the most amazing cards this season, including this one from Loll.  Super fantastic, right?  I CASEd it, going all mixed media shaker on it.  The trees are fabric dyes, glass bead gel and Dreamweaver embossing paste.  The vellum is spattered with pigment ink.  The background is sponged with distress ink.  Inside the shaker is a multi-crystal glitter mix.  The sentiment is chalk ink.  Thanks to Lenae for the diecut border--enabling me yet again. :)

The Details:  VersaMagic Turquoise Green, Jacquard Acid Dyes 624, 627, 602, Impression Obsession Small Bird Set and Evergreen Trees dies, Stampendous Multi-Crystal glitter mix, Distress Ink Tumbled Glass, Stampin' Up Wonderland sentiment, MFT border die, Dreamweaver embossing paste

I'm entering this in Mixed Media Card Challenge #18 Celebration, Shopping Our Stash #231 Let It Snow,  Color Throwdown #373 Anything Goes Christmas, Christmas Cards All Year 'Round CAS, Simon Says Wednesday Die Crazy,

Fair Isle

I wanted to try an experiment with a new crackle paste.  It turned out it was just a little bit runny for using with a stencil but I love the result.  It looks very organic on top of the Gelli plate print.  I mounted it on a pale pale gray (my favorite gray!!) and the lot of a white card base.  The diecut snowflake was cut from a crackled cardstock panel.  Love!

The Details:  Tim Holtz stencil and star, Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes die, Finnabair white crackle texture paste, Liquitex Basics acrylic paint, Waltzing Mouse stitched scalloped rectangle dies, Recollections 110lb white cardstock base, Hero Arts Merry Christmas Messages (interior)

I'm entering this in Happy Little Stampers Star, Shopping Our Stash #231 Snow, Simon Says Die Crazy

Silent Night, Holy Night

Photographing this card made me want to throw away my camera!  The blue you see here bleaches out the teal tones which is my favorite part of the background.  So put on your teal-colored glasses before reading on.

The background was created with a lot (oopsie) of powdered dye which left a nice texture.  It also meant the dye hadn't all soaked into the paper and would blue up everything it touched  so I coated the background with matte Mod Podge.  I next spattered white pigment ink as well as used a pigment pen for the larger dots.  Definitely a Milky Way effect.

I created the winter scene using Stampin' Up's Sleigh Ride dies with foam adhesive for the sleigh layer to pop it up more.  Next I embossed the layer behind with Stampin' Up/Sizzix Falling Snow folder then ran it through again to diecut the rectangle.  This made the snow dots more subtle.  On the inside the card has a lovely Simon Says Inside Holiday Greetings sentiment.

Can't you just imagine the chill in the air and being all wrapped up and cozy warm with your sweetie?  The closest I've ever come to a sleigh ride was a snowmobile.  Doesn't quite have the same romantic vibe, hey?

I'm entering this in AAA #54 Silent Night, Holy Night CAS, Paperminutes #413 Winter Greetings, Simon Says Wednesday Die Crazy, Daring Card Makers All Wrapped Up

Crazy Jolly Bird

I am late in jumping on the Bird Crazy bandwagon but here I am!  I thought they were ugly when I first saw them but next thing you know, I love them--like Smurfs when I was a kid.  I don't have the accessory stamps (hint, hint) so I paired it up with a hat from my stash.  Too cute!  I also used the Snow Pen.  Used Copics to color, of course.  I thought it looked a bit odd for the bird to be looking up at nothing so added the stars.  I feel better now.  :)

The Details:  Tim Holtz Bird Crazy and stars, Avery Elle North Pole, Memento Love Letter, Marvy Uchida Snow Pen, Simon Says stitched rectangle and Waltzing Mouse scalloped stitched rectangle dies, Recollections 110lb white cardstock base, Copic 0, Y00, Y11, Y13, Y15, Y26, Y28, BG11, BG13, BG15, BG18, C1, C3, C5

I'm entering this in Little Miss Muffet #127 Holiday Cheer, The Male Room #25 Christmas or Seasonal Greetings, City Crafter #292 The Heat is On (heat embossing), Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #49 X is for Xmas, Make My Monday Wings at Christmas

Magic Wand

Hello!   Time for another Great Impressions card for you.

This time I'm using C492 Stenciled Pine Cone and E738 More Beautiful.  I created the background behind the fab sentiment by stamping the pine cone in Ranger Perfect Medium then brushing over it with gold Perfect Pearls.  It has an amazing soft glow in real life.  I added the die cut pine branches in white to add further depth to the card.  I love how elegant this turned out in no small part to the stamps, right?!

See you next week with another GI design!  Toni 

Don't forget about the GI monthly challenge!

You don't have to use GI stamps but it'd be totally awesome if you did!

Also, if you do use GI stamps, be sure to link up to the customer gallery to show us your fabulous work and for a chance to get a little year-end prize.

Warmest Wishes

Well, I have some exciting news for you today--I'm joining the inaugural Stamplorations CAS team!!  Yay!!!  We start in January so be sure to check back to see what mischief we get up to!

More great news!  I've made a second card for the 2015 Winter/Holiday Coffee Lover's Blog Hop!  The sentiment is Simon Says Inside Holiday Greetings but I don't know what the coffee cups are.  I think they're Amy's stamps???  Colored with Copics, of course.  I did play around with ombre given the hubabaloo about the Starbucks cups this season.  Good practice.

I was inspired by the December Curtain Call Milk and Cookies inspiration pic, Paperminutes #413 Winter Greetings,  Simon Says Wednesday Die Crazy  

Holiday Leftovers

I made a ton of prints from my Gelli plate when I was practicing and am now starting to use them.  This one is just brayered acrylic, probably 2, maybe 3, colors, every which way.  The card is based on one of the make n takes Kimberly brought along to our crafty gathering.  The card below uses the leftover stencil created when we made a stag card also designed by Kimberly.  Thanks, Kimberly! 

Card 1 Details:  Liquitex Basics Acrylics, VersaFine Onyx Black, Glossy Accents, Simon Says Stitched rectangle, Hero Arts ornament die, silver elastic cord (found in the beading section at Michael's), foam tape, Doodlebug sequins, Recollections 110lb cardstock base


Card 2 The Details:  Stampin' Up/Sizzix Woodland embossing folder and Xmas Greetings die, Bo Bunny Blueberry Glitter Paste, Fantast/x frost white all-purpose ink

I'm entering Card 1 in Shopping Our Stash #230 UFOs.  Darn!  I was too late!  Also entering A2Z Scrapbooking Hero Arts Dimension

I'm entering Card 2 in Virginia's View #21 All About Glitter, The Male Room #25 Christmas or Seasonal Greetings