Bauble in a Blizzard Christmas Card

A few months ago I made an experimental background using several masks and stencils (most of them homemade with some of my dies) and sponging with a variety of inks.  I wasn't very happy with the result but, unwilling to consign it to the bin, was waiting for the right opportunity to use it.

Using up a colourful but rejected background for a bright Christmas card

So here we are!  I'll confess though, that in order to use the most subtle (!!) part of the pattern but in the location I wanted it, I cut a circle from the background (hidden behind the top panel) and placed it under the bauble.

I cut a circle in the top panel of Bermuda Bay with one of the Layering Circles Framelits and then embossed with the Blizzard Thinlits die, using the Embossing Mats.  The Detailed Bauble is cut from Champagne Foil Sheet and decorated with rhinestones.

The word "Christmas" from the Merry Christmas Thinlits is cut from Black Foil Sheet and I added some Black Mini Sequin Trim to the top of the Bauble.

Thank you for visiting.
'Til next time!
Stephanie

Product List - All available for purchase in my online store

Blizzard Thinlits Die

$49.00

Black Mini Sequin Trim

$10.50

Detailed Baubles Thinlits Dies

$54.00

Layering Circle Framelits Dies

$58.00

Merry Christmas Thinlits Dies

$49.00

Card Stock A4 Bermuda Bay

$14.75

Black Foil Sheets

$7.00

Champagne Foil Sheets

$7.00

Big Shot Embossing Mats

$26.00

Rhinestone Basic Jewels

$8.75

Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets

$17.00

Ink It! Stamp It! Design Team Blog Hop: Technique - Embossing Mats

Welcome to the Ink It! Stamp It! Design Team Blog Hop - we hop every month so be sure to pop back and visit us again!  Today our theme is Techniques.

I love learning new techniques - so this is one of my favourite blog hops!  If you also like techniques - you'll want to use the list at the end of this post to click on the name after mine to continue around the hop.  You are currently at my page - Stephanie Fischer, The Crafty Thinker.  

The gorgeous Blended Seasons stamp set & coordinating Stitched Seasons dies
will only be available 1-31 August 2018 or while stocks last

For this project I've used some limited-time products: Blended Season stamp set and the coordinating Stitched Season Framelit dies.  These are currently available to Demonstrators and will be available to our customers from 1 - 31 August while supplies last. 

Anyone who knows me also knows that I love versatility - I like to make sure I get full value from my purchases!  Stampin' up! recently introduced into their range a Big Shot accessory that can add versatility to the dies in our collection.  I'm talking about the Big Shot Embossing Mats.

This technique is much easier to do than to photograph!  I've increased the contrast in the top photograph in an attempt to show the embossing on the card.

Having cut a piece of Shimmery White cardstock to size, I used a little washi tape to position one of the dies on the back of the card and ran it through the Big Shot with the Embossing Mats using the embossing technique shown here.

With the help of the Embossing Mats, this card front is embossed with one of the Stitched Seasons dies

My colour test patch

I then used Soft Sea Foam ink to stamp the floral image which I coloured with Stampin' Blends alcohol markers.  The colours I used were: Granny Apple Green Light and Dark, Poppy Parade Light and Dark, Cherry Cobbler Dark, Calypso Coral Dark and Daffodil Delight Dark.  

TIP:  Before I start colouring with alcohol markers, I like to test them on an off-cut of the cardstock that I'm using.

The base card is Poppy Parade with a layer of Granny Apple Green.  Using the coordinating dies, I cut the flourishes from Poppy Parade cardstock and cut the bow twice: once in Granny Apple Green and once in Garden Green and did a little paper piecing.

TIP:  Adding some Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet to the back of the cardstock before cutting intricate pieces makes them much easier to adhere to the project!

If you like the very versatile Blended Seasons stamp set and Stitched Seasons dies (here is a watercoloured card made with the set and in future posts I'll be sharing some Christmas cards), remember they're a limited release so get your order in fast!  If you can't wait until 1st August to get your hands on them, join up as a Demonstrator and you can include them in your kit.

Thank you so much for joining us today and we hope you'll join us again next month when we'll be showcasing the new Holiday Catalogue! 

I'm Stephanie Fischer and to keep hopping around see the list below to see who is up next with another great project.

Thanks for visiting
'Til next time
Stephanie

Product List - All available in my online store (Limited release products available from 1 to 31 August 2018)

Poppy Parade A4 Cardstock

$14.75

Granny Apple Green A4 Cardstock

$14.75

Shimmery White A4 Card Stock

$15.75

Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets

$17.00

Big Shot Embossing Mats

$26.00

Big Shot

$159.00

Sneak Peeks: 2018-2020 In Colours and Painted Glass Vellum

This card is entered into the Crazy Crafters Team Highlights.  Click here to see all the wonderful projects and vote for your favourites.

Meet the new 2018-2020 In-Colours: Grapefruit Grove, Blueberry Bushel, Lovely Lipstick, Call Me Clover and Pineapple Punch

The 2018-2020 In-Colours are beautifully bright

These cards also provide a sneak peek of a beautiful pack of patterned vellum called Graceful Glass from the Graceful Glass Suite which also includes the Painted Glass stamp set and matching Stained Glass Thinlits dies.  These products are in the new 2018-2019 Annual Catalogue which will run from 1st June 2018 to 3rd June 2019.

Sneak Peek of the Graceful Glass Vellum and Blueberry Bushel In-Colour

I have coloured the vellum with Stampin' Blends alcohol markers.  Since the matching colours in the markers are not yet available, I've used: Night of Navy, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie and Smoky Slate

Sneak Peek of Graceful Glass Vellum and Call Me Clover In-Colour

The Painted Glass stamp set has four really useful sentiments in a beautiful font - I can see myself using them a lot!

Sneak Peek of Graceful Glass Vellum and Grapefruit Grove In-Colour with a Grapefruit Grove Faceted Dot

I coloured some of the vellum pieces on the back and some on the front and I really don't think it made much difference.  I mounted the coloured vellum onto pieces of Whisper White card and, unless I know that my card design will hide adhesive, I find the best way to adhere the vellum without the adhesive showing is to lightly sponge the back of the vellum with Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue.

Sneak Peek of Graceful Glass Vellum with Lovely Lipstick In-Colour

You might have noticed the embossing and been wondering about that?! I'm very excited that Big Shot Embossing Mats are included in the new Annual Catalogue.  This is such a great tool to enhance the abilities of the Big Shot and our collections of dies!  For these cards I've embossed with one of the Detailed Floral Thinlits.

Sneak Peek of Graceful Glass Vellum with Pineapple Punch In-Colour

The Pineapple Punch cardstock was a bit bright for me (much like Lemon Lime Twist, I think I'll enjoy using it in small doses) so I used a larger piece of the vellum which toned it down nicely.

If you don't have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, live in Australia and would like a copy of the catalogue, please contact me.

Thank you for visiting.
'Til next time!
Stephanie

Product List - The products pictured below that I used in this project are all currently available in my online store , just click one of the product images to visit.

White Vellum A4 Card Stock

$11.50

Whisper White A4 Card Stock

$15.75

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

$10.00

Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad

$11.50

Liquid Multipurpose Glue

$7.00

Stamping Sponges

$6.00

Petals & More Thinlits Dies

$59.00

Detailed Floral Thinlits Dies

$49.00