Christmas Card Club - Icicles

Hello again, and time for the group of ladies calling ourselves The Christmas Card Club. We are a group of cardmakers, who choose to make Christmas cards all year long, in order to have a little stash on hand, come December. We submit a card every 2 weeks, based on a theme that one member has selected for that date. If you'd like to join in the fun, do leave us a message, so that we can get you the info as to how to join us. (very easy to do!). All the members are listed on my right sidebar, so you can check out their styles.

This week the choice was Icicles, picked by Sweet Kate (known to us as Culliesocks). So here's my take on Icicles, and I hope Kate will approve of my design.

- PSX image, colored with copics, WoS and such fun. It looks intimidating, with all the intricate details, but actually was quite fun to color. First airbrushed the background, after using a masking product called Molotow Masking Pen. I didn't want to have to cut a paper mask for all the elements, so just got the pen flowing (it took a bit to get the fluid down to the nib). Colored very quickly those things I didn't want the copic blues to get on; airbrushed various blues & blue violet copics to look like a stormy snowy sky. Once the airbrush no longer felt 'sticky'  as it can with layers of ink -  just used my fingers to 'rub up' the blue mask and it came _right off_ . No lifting of a finicky paper mask in areas where I didn't want extraneous ink either.

- for the icicles, I used a Sparkle n Sprinkle Brushable glue on the roof, the snow covered ground, just any place I thought needed snow & ice. Then generously sprinkled on some SnS Sparkling Snow Semi-Transparent glitter.  This stuff really sparkles just as ice really does. Also added in some Ranger Star Dust Stickles in a few places as well.

- using 2 sizes of stitched squares, created a frame from silver glitter paper.

- Royal Blue Mirror paper was embossed with a 6x6 Crafters Companion snowflake EF.

- HLS Mixed Christmas Sentiments inked with Delicata Silver, then sprinkled some Judikens Aegean Silver over the ink & heat embossed. So pretty. The strip was too white when added to the card. Removed (carefully!) and used some DI Stormy Sky over it, added some Star Dust Stickles around, and readhered it.

I hope you enjoyed the Icicles card, and please do take time to visit my team mates, (list in the sidebar) and see some fabulous interpretations on Kate's choice this time.

Coming to you from beautifully sunny & lovely South Florida with lots of Cyber Hugs.

A St. Pat's Day Bunny

Good evening. If you're in the States on the Eastern Seaboard, I hope the storm is not affecting your area too badly. We were told to expect some nasty weather beginning last night at midnight, but so far, nothing too terrible. Thankfully.

We had a rather exciting Valentine's Day. (I hope yours was exciting too, but not in the same manner as ours). First, Mr. said "let's go out for breakfast". I would probably just as soon stayed asleep, but got up, dressed and off we go. The first restaurant we tried was way too crowded, too long to wait to be seated. So we tried the local Panera's - which we both like. Got our lattes and scones, headed to the car to return home. Driving very slowly in the exit lane to leave the lot, WHAM - BAM...the passenger side of our explorer was slammed. A young fella didn't see us, proceeded to back out his car from the parking space, and caught the entire right side of our explorer. Front door won't open, as part of his rear bumper is wedged between the front & back door. Lots of damage for just a fender bender. Thankfully (and the main thing!) no one was hurt. After impact, we both realized there was a small baby in a rear car seat, and that shook up both of us as it had been a pretty hard jolt. But her parents assured us, she was fine.

This morning, we took the accident report to our insurance people, and since it was the other driver's responsibility, we have to wait for his insurance to contact us. Only problem (I say that with tongue in cheek because dealing with an insurance company over a claim is always gonna be a Big Hassle! )-- we were planning to head to Florida tomorrow. Our Bostonian friend arrived today, and we were going on south to Sunny Florida to see our daughter. Now we hope the insurance company will get in touch with us by tomorrow so that we can leave on Wednesday. There is something scheduled for this Friday, that our friend wants to see.

OK..enough excitement. (See why I like things to stay quiet?!) Here's another St. Pat's card. I'm trying to finish up some commitment cards, get photo'd and scheduled before we leave. Hope I can get 'er all done.

Think this is a Whipper Snapper image, bought at Stampaway last August. It's been colored for a bit, and I can't find the stamp just presently. Die cut with a S/B rectangle.

Used bits & pieces (aka snippets) for the design papers. Just cut pieces that would fit to cover the white card base.

- S/B Celtic motif border - also a snippet.  Sentiment is a Cardz TV St Patricks clear set that I've had for a while.

This card is really a Snippets card all the way round, folks! All the pieces were just handy to stick 'em on a card front. There you go! And I'm going over to the Snippets Playground, where I just saw some YUMMY Sue Wilson dies  & clear stamps as prizes for week 216. Now you know you'd like a chance to win these goodies. For just using snippets!  C'mon!

Thanks for joining me. I may be away for a bit...will try to check in from Sunny Florida (where it might be chilly too!) Hugs.

Chanelling Jennifer McGuire for Valentine's Day

Good afternoon...and {sorry} - back with another Valentine, and also added some cards to the Cards by Friends tab...so I hope you'll enjoy some pretty cards along with me. Aren't I so lucky to have such talented and generous blog buddies? Oh yes I AM!

Recently saw a video by Jennifer McGuire called Negative Space Coloring. I liked the techniques she demonstrated, plus also liked the dies and stamps she used, so you know what came next! Now, I needed something for DH for Valentine's Day, and I had a cutesy little Elly colored & die cut, but ---honestly --- it really wasn't "Him". So decided after my Simon Says Stamps order arrived pretty fast, tried out Jennifer's technique one evening. Remember that I didn't go back and review the video, just sort of winged it with what I could remember of what she did. Got a couple things I didn't do exactly right, but you know what? I still liked the final results! YAY for ME!

- MB Postage Square die die cut, Altenew Botanical Garden stamp inked with Versamark, heat embossed with Ranger Queen's Gold. Stamped again onto Eclipse masking tape, cut out, applied to the embossed image on the die.

- DI Candied Apple, Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door & Scattered straw applied with the sponging tool. Jennifer says start in the middle (I forgot that!started at the bottom with Candied Apple, lots of coverage). Started blending the Spiced Marmalade as the next layer...and decided that the Barn Door would be too much red, so just continued with the Marmalade to the edge of the c/s. Oh yes, left the c/s inside the die so I could get the white edge. Then used some of the Scattered Straw at the very top edge and corners, to lighten up the Marmalade just a bit. Looking good, so burnished this with a paper towel. My only problem in doing this was that the tiny leaves at the bottom of the bloom mask wanted to lift, and I did manage to get some ink on one of the leaves.

After lots of burnishing, added some of the white pearl Perfect Pearls (remember the Faux Metal technique?)...burnished the pearls in very well, and did it ever add a nice shine.

- PTI Quick Stitch Sentiments for the Love script.

- a scant black mat, then adhered to a scant gold mirror mat. glued this to the embossed card front.

- XO embossing folder with a red pattern that was in the stack pulled to do V Day cards, thought the shade looked well with the Distress colors. The embossing looks sanded, but I didn't sand it...the paper effect did that.

- MB Heart Chain border die cut from a snippet of gold mirror paper. Trimmed off some of this border, stuck a heart in 2 corners, and Ta Da....it's done.

Great Impressions Puppy Valentine

Hi, and I know you must be getting awfully tired of seeing Valentines, but hey, tis the season and all that! Also I've had some inquiries about the products used in making the paste backgrounds I've shared recently, so gathered the last session's supplies together to share a photo. Especially with the glass beads paste. Here is what I used for the last play session - so I hope this helps anyone who had a question. Sorry I didn't share these initially, but sometimes I get in a hurry (sometimes????HA!)

Have tried to place items so that you can see the product names and most of this stuff can be found in the arts section of many craft stores. The Lindy's products came from Joggles . The Starburst spray comes as a dry powder, you heat demineralized water, mix the product to a liquid. There's some videos at Joggles showing how to use these sprays, also directions for the mixing. The Magicals I'd had for a while, didn't remember how to use them...happened to see a video over Christmas where a blogger had used them on a technique!

Now, 3 cards done with the same image, an old one that DH bought when we first started this stamping hobby. Of course he bought it with DD in mind, and he made her a card that year. Sadly, he's lost interest in making his own cards (but he has plenty of suggestions for ME to make a card at times! LOL)

Great Impressions wooden stamp, colored with copics, die cut with a Sue Wilson die using a center die that fit the image (don't remember which SW die it was). Heart brads from long ago, Glossy Accents applied for some shine.

A S/B Labels 40 die from a red snippet for the mat. Decided to use a dauber, add Versamark around the edges, sprinkled Ranger Queens' Gold around this. Added a little touch of glitz.

- Snippets from different 6x6 Valentine theme paper packs, and a Recollections pack bought on a 50% sale. Bits & bobs. The cupid on #3 is part of the paper design, added glossy accents to it.

- PBlack Sweet Heart (51-184) dies cut the heart arrows. Some thin gold washi added, and when these were going into the envelopes, that washi started to lift. Burnished it back down again, and hope it holds until the card is opened. I just don't have great success with this stuff. Again it was something on sale, and I wonder how old it was...maybe the 'sticky' dries out???Ah well, another cardmaking adventure. One more V. card to make for DH. I have an image colored but it's an Elly and  not sure he will go for cute! We'll see. I can _give_ him the card, so no rush to get in the mail. My BAD! 

Hugs & thanks for popping in. If you're wondering how I've managed to post so much this week, it's called: taking stuff to color when you go away, getting the cards made up, and doing scheduled posts!! I'm not usually so organized, folks!!! LOL & Hugs.

Note: the links I try to add, are not always where I bought the product. I try to find a picture so you can see what the product looks like!