"Bling It Up" Tag

Good evening and welcome, today I've been cracking on with some things ready for Christmas and thought I would share this tag with you. I would like to enter this for The Craft Barn 2 Weekly Challenge titled 'Bling it Up'.

Apart from adding the 'sparkley' bits the challenge also includes the colours purple, turquoise and green! I know turquoise and purple are often put together for Christmas decorations but the addition of green had me hooked.

So to begin with I started with a large manilla tag and dabbed on some Fresco Chalk Acrylic in Pansy using a small piece of cut and dry. Then once this was completely dry added some Tumbled Glass DI using a blending tool.

Next I coloured some Dreamweaver Translucent Embossing Paste with a little Dreamweaver Metallic F/X in Kiwi. This was then spread through a reindeer stencil by Tando Creative. The stencil was removed, cleaned and replaced, then green glitter was added to the still wet reindeer.

I did not pile the glitter on too thick as I wanted the lighter green of the paste to show through in parts so as to vary the shades of green. Once dry a turquoise gem was added for an eye and a small bronze bell attached with invisible thread.

Then using just part of the main stamp from Jofy 06 the star and baubles were stamped in VersaMark ink and brushed with antique green Cosmic Shimmers Mica Powder and the sides of the tag were also stamped using the VersaMark ink and then clear heat embossed with 'Jingle bells'.

Finally a light turquoise/green ribbon was tied to the top. The shimmer on the hanging stars etc doesn't show that well in the photo but I am very pleased with the effect the reindeer has against the painted background.

If you are making some cards or other creations over the next few days give this colour combination a go and enter the Craft Barn Challenge and be in for a chance of winning a £10 voucher to spend on line in the shop.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a good week, take care and keep warm as it looks like it's going to be a "Chilly" one.  Jane X

'Star of Wonder' Christmas Card

Hello and welcome again, today I would like to share a Christmas card that I have just made using a set of Crafty Individuals stamps, some PaperArtsy chalk acrylic paints, mica powders and a few other odds and ends.

Items Used

Crafty Individuals stamp set CI 270 and CI 171

White card scraps for stamping

Kraft Card

Green glitter card

PaperArtsy Fresco Chalk acrylic paint in Mermaid, Inky Pool, Pewter, Autumn Fire, Pumpkin Soup, Pansy, Blush and Metallic Glaze.

Black archival ink

Distress ink in Vintage Photo

Clear embossing powder

Stampendous Aged Ivory embossing enamel

Copper and perfect pearls mica powder

Versa-mark ink

Brilliance Pearlescent Olive ink

To begin with I cut a square of kraft card and randomly stamped the harlequin design in 2nd generation vintage photo. Next I distressed the edges with a pair of scissors and made a couple of small nicks to give an aged appearance. I then added some vintage photo ink to darken the raw edges and rolled the corners.

The palm trees and building were then stamped in the vintage photo and then brushed with the copper mica powder. Then the bottom part of the card was lightly brushed with the vintage photo to give an impression of sand.

The 3 kings were then stamped in black and embossed with clear powder.

Next I coloured some oddments of white card with the paints ready to stamp the 3 kings onto and cut their cloaks out.

Starting at the top the colours used were;

Pansy, blush and pewter.

Autumn fire, pumpkin soup and the metallic glaze.

Mermaid, inky pool and pewter.

The cloaks only were cut out and then stuck onto the stamped figures on the card.

The star was stamped onto white card with versa-mark ink and embossed with the aged ivory enamel and then cut out and stuck above the stable.

Star of wonder was then stamped in black onto the kraft card.

The card blank was decorated with the words being stamped in black and the star in pearlescent olive, then the edges lightly inked in vintage photo and then lightly brushed with the perfect pearls mica  to add a subtle sheen.

The kraft card was mounted onto a piece of green glitter card that had been dulled by adding some vintage photo ink, then attached to the card base.

I really like the sheen and sparkle on the 3 kings robes and cutting them out and layering them onto the stamped figures adds real dimension.

This set of stamps is a new acquisition and I have enjoyed my first 'play' with them, if you have a few spare minutes pop over to Crafty Individuals blog and see what their DT have been up to

http://craftyindividualsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/carrying-on-with-halloween-and.html

I would like to enter this card for Crafty Individuals monthly challenge titled 'Halloween Madness and Christmas Frenzy'.

and

Hels Sheridan's Sunday Stampers challenge titled 'Stars'

Thank-you as always for stopping by and I hope you have a good week, looks like autumn has arrived so it's a good time to get crafting!

Take care, Jane x