Muse Christmas Visions meets pastel colors

Hello and welcome to the  81st installment of Muse: Christmas Visions!

I am really working diligently on Christmas cards this summer and this is one of 16 that I made.  It was very easy with my MISTI and the adorable Plus 9 "Holiday Houses" stamp set.  All stamping!

I first stamped all of my trees and houses onto fun foam and cut out to use for the "coloring" step in making my cards so that I could flip them over and press them into my various colors of ink pads.

The way that I arranged my stamps on my MISTI was as seen on my card from the lavender house to the trio of trees (covering half of the card front).  After stamping all of this part of my card fronts, I simply rotated my card fronts 180 degrees to stamp out the other half of the card front using black ink.  I then adhered my cut out foam stamps to an acrylic block and individually stamped the color over the stamped image.  Easy Peasy!  The sentiment is an older one from Papertrey Ink.

Thanks for peeking in and I hope to see you in the MCV gallery with your creations!

MCV birdies branches and snowflakes

Hi and Welcome!  

I have a card for the Muse: Christmas Visions card challenge hosted by Kimberly this month!  Here is Kimberly's card.  Don't you love this color combo and arrangement!

Here is my card that I created with a Penny Black stamp that I heat embossed onto some Bristol card and colored with my Zig markers.  I was really inspired by Kimberly's card elements.  The pair of birds, wreath (my circular opening and leafy branches) and the pops of colours all played out in my card from Kimberly's challenge card.  I changed the intensity of colours for my image and I used a PTI Tropical Teal card panel for my card front.  I am making 6 of these for my stash.  That's a lower amount than I would normally make of a design.  I usually make a dozen at a time, but I have a few more NBUS stamps that I want to play with.  

Inspired?

How about joining this challenge and adding to your Christmas card stash!   You can add your card over at the MCV page here.

Thanks for taking a peek and I hope to see you over in the gallery!

Rainbow Joy

Time for another Muse: Christmas Visions challenge card cue...

As some of you may know, I knit little somethings (dish cloths, scarves etc) just about every night while in front of the television.  I came across this fun rainbow yarn that I love and decided to incorporate it into a Christmas card.  I made a template of a tree outline with some leftover plastic packaging by taping some graph paper to the back of the plastic and marked where I wanted to have my "branches".  Here is a photo of that...a very primitively engineered template!

To start my cards, I used an Avery Elle die cut for my dotted frame that I cut from black card stock and white heat embossed my sentiment, Wishing you.  I then placed my template over the black panel and proceeded to pierce the little holes with a piercing tool, creating my tree outline.  Now comes the fun part.  I used a large embroidery needle and threaded it with my yarn and went across from back to front repeatedly until I had my rainbow tree.  

I could have also done this with repeated line stamps in different colors through a triangular open mask had I wanted to stamp the tree image.

My Joy and star shapes were cut from watercolor card twice and glued together, then, I die cut a third one from a sparkling silver paper and layered on top.  I ended up making a dozen of these in three different color combos.  

I hope that your Christmas cards are coming along, or, if you are just getting to it, know that you still have lots of time to create :)

Will you make a rainbow holiday card?  I can't wait to see how you might be inspired and I would love to see you in the gallery!

Thanks for peeking in today!

Chriss

A Happy Christmas wreath

Time for another Muse: Christmas Visions installment!

Just 4 more months until these cards need to be in the mail!  I can honestly say, that on today's date, I am behind!  Way behind, so, let's get to crafting!

I ordered this new Memory Box stamp set from Ellen a few weeks ago and I am so VERY happy that I did!  I love the style of this set to stamp. emboss or paint!  It also has sentiments, a bird and single flowers and branches...really lovely!

I stamped in Shabby Shutters distress ink and then took out the Kuretake Gansai Tambi paints.  I added WOS to my mistletoe berries and used a Lil' Inkers stitched die to cut out.  The background uses the KGT paints also and the sentiments (from the same set) are stamped in PTI smokey shadow ink, 3 times with the help of MISTI.What inspires you?  the water colour element, wreath, colours, sketch?  Looking forward to seeing you in the gallery!

Have a great day!

Chriss

Muse Christmas Visions

Welcome all Christmas card makers!
It's time to get creative with Muse Christmas Visions again this week and my card is a simple one! Copic colouring, masking, some liquid pearls for the center, a background stamp, embossed sentiment and some black paint flecks...because in my haste to add a sentiment, I did not use my embossing buddy to prepare the card front, so I had a few stray speck of black embossing powder that I was not happy with :(  

My solution was to mix up the black from my Kuretake Gansai Tambi paints and flick some more black onto the card front!  

I am not a seasoned Copic colouring user at all!  But, I wanted to give it a try.
If you want to give this a go on any Christmas image and link up to the MCV linkup, I would love to see what you come up with!  

As this is a one layer card, I will be sending over to the 


One-Layer Simplicity challenge for July

  





30 Day Coloring challenge

I am looking forward to seeing your creations in the gallery!

Sending you...MCV

It's my turn for Muse: Christmas Visions !

I am going with some non traditional colours this time!  Greys and blues and a pop of Embossed red.  

This week's card was inspired by a Christmas card that we received last year from a financial advisor and I wanted to recreate the penguins and the general organic and peaceful feel.  It was an all grey/black/white card that looked like a copy of a waddle of hand painted penguins.  Yes, a waddle, not a raft.  I have decided that they are standing on land and are not in water!

  I wish that I could say that I free hand painted them, but not so!  haha!  I did some reverse engineering and cut the card up into two parts and using the parts as a template, painted fine lines around with the lightest grey Zig w/c brush onto Arches card and went from there.  The background was created with sponged distress inks and some colour was picked up with the water droplet method and a cloth,allowing some white of the card to show through.

This is not the first iteration, but the third...you see, I am not that talented when art presents in the form of drawing...or painting for that matter!

Anyway...I am pleased with the outcome and like the addition of my blues and the red sentiment.  

I would love to make a bunch of these cards, but with a layering stamp!  Any stamp companies out there thinking of layered penguins?

I would love to see you in the gallery with a penguin or other critter or neutrals or whatever might inspire you this week!

Thanks for peeking in!

Chriss

Can you believe it?  Just a little more than 6 months to Christmas!

Muse Christmas Visions!

Oh, it feels so good to get back to the weekly Muse: Christmas Visions challenge!  

This is my first Christmas card for 2016 and I am starting with a very simple design and execution using a classic colour palette.  My border holly stamp is quite old from a company called Heather's Stamping Haven in Ottawa, Canada.  I must have bought this on a visit to Montreal, year's ago...I embossed in WOW pale gold EP onto Arches CP and used a cheapo w/c set from Michael's.  The set has all shimmer colours and I used two of the greens on my leaves and a red on the berries.  I also used the WOW gold EP for the Simon Says Stamp greeting from the Big Scripty Greetings Holiday set.  I love the way that the greeting tucks into the holly leaf border.
After looking at the finished card front, I decided to add some ruby Perfect Pearls liquid to give the berries a little dimension.
Are you starting your 2016 holiday cards yet?  I know I was so happy at the end of 2015 when my stash was considerable and I was not on the verge of a panic attack :)!
I hope that you can find some time in your week to play along if any of the elements used to create this card inspires you...(border stamp, classic colour combo, gold embossing, water colour, tucked in sentiment)
Have a great week!
Chriss

Merry Penguins

Have you seen that Ardyth is this week's Muse and the playful card that she created?
I love her frolicking pandas and I am week-knee'd when it comes to a black and white card with a pop of colour!
I had to play along and I used the Hero Arts Winter Penguin Stamp and Cut set.  I lined up the Pandas with my Misti and then stamped a tall tree to use as my tall element, like Ardyth did with her balloon.  I created a bit of subtle grounding for the tree with a Copic marker and then added a strip of red glitter card stock for a more pronounced foundation and to add some dazzle.  The tree star and bow ties were winked but the shimmer does not show in the photo. I was able to make 8 of these in a few hours!

 Thanks for the inspiration, Ardyth!

I will also be adding this to the current 
Hero Arts Holiday Card Making Challenge.

Muse: Christmas Visions 9

I am playing along with Kimberly's fabulous MCV 9 card seen below and the current (CAS)e This Sketch from Leigh Penner!

I am loving Kimberly's card with the woodgrain and detailed ornaments and the CTS from Leigh I see as a really trustworthy sketch (imho).  I will be keeping this one for reference...

My Ticking background stamp from SU (retired, sorry) was inked in Riding Hood Red and is standing in place of Kimberly's woodgrain.  My ornaments were made with some old Spellbinders dies that I recently acquired from my dear and generous friend, Lydia!  I die cut the 3 sizes from some blue note cards and used circle dies to create the opening.  I then layered behind the circle openings with patterned paper that had a festive and intricate medallion pattern.  I added turquoise rhinestones to the centers for some sparkle and to finish off after drawing the silver strings.

  

I was also inspired from this photo for the Sparkle and Shine challenge!

Hope that you are having a wonderful weekend!

Chriss

Funky and unconventional Christmas

 My uber talented friend and fellow WINO, Lydia, is our guest Muse this week at 
Muse: Christmas Visions
I got to see the card in person last night as the WINOS gathered for our monthly Happy Hour :)))
She made a video too!  If you have never heard Lydia's calm voice before, head on over!  You are in for a treat :)

Lydia really surprised me with her colour combo!  She LOVES blues, but made her card with new distress inks colours.  I used non traditional colours too, Abandoned Coral and Cracked Pistachio, a funky (Flinstones-like) circles stencil and an Impression Obsession Christmas tree sporting coral ornaments.  I also used a frame of sparkly silver paper around my funky tree image and my sentiment is a wonky looking traditional style from the SU Bells and Boughs set that I heat embossed with regular silver EP.

Thanks for taking a peek and I hope to see you over in the Muse: Christmas Visions gallery this week!
Chriss

Oh Joy!

Welcome to my very first post as a designer for the Muse Christmas Visions card challenge!
Today's challenge is MCV 2!

For my card today, I really wanted to use the word Joy and try to make a very simply styled card that can be easily made in multiples. 
A CAS card...dare I say!  Of course, it could be dressed further with sequins, snowflakes...

I've used some of my current favourite elements on today's card.
  
Liquid Platinum embossing, vellum, a rich in colour card stock, a gorgeous die cut word and a new floral stamp.  
The new stamp is from Magenta and called Zen Star Flower.  Even though it is not truly a Christmas flower, it reminded me a lot of a poinsettia.  I stamped in Versa Mark and heat embossed with Ranger Liquid Platinum and then coloured the center with an Atyou Spica turquoise pen and cut out.  
I embossed the sentiment from the PTI set, Wonderful Words: Joy, in the same manner onto a strip of vellum.  Once that was done, I die cut the PTI Joy into the vellum, wrapped it around the card front and secured.  I placed the Zen Star flower partly over the vellum and slightly off of the card edge and secured.  I trimmed the edges off and then die cut the Joy into PTI Tropical Teal 3 times and stacked and then adhered to the inlay.  This was then adhered to a white card base.
I hope that this simple card will somehow inspire you to start on those cards!
Maybe one of these elements is a favourite to you too?  I would love to see how you might be inspired in the gallery!
Thanks for stopping by!
Chriss

Joyous blue!

Hi there!  Happy Friday :)
Just popping in with a card that was inspired by Kimberly's beauty here for the very first Muse: Christmas Visions challenge MCV1!
Here is Kimberly's card

and here is mine

I loved seeing Kimberly's blue and gold together and just had to have a go!

I used a Hero Arts stamp with really pretty and intricate snowflakes around the JOY sentiment that just begged to be water coloured.  I used a bright blue from my Derwent Inktense pencils, adding more water to lighten up the colour for the snowflakes area.  I trimmed down the WC front all around and with one of the narrow strips, I coated with Versa Mark and gold EP twice.  I did the same for the 3 wood stars, but coated them 3 times.

EZPZ...as Darnell would say!

Hope to see in the gallery how Kimberly's card will inspire you!

a Merry vellum Christmas card

Vellum...what can I say.  I love this medium and I am so happy that it is "popular" again!
I chose to create 8 of these cards for a craft fair that I will be at in a couple of weeks.  I have been crafting a lot, just not taken time to post on the blog.  
so...I used a SU Poinsettia EF on some cut vellum panels that were die cut with the Lil Inkers stitched mats.  I also cut some red panels with the dies.  The little tree is SU and I stamped in Lucky Limeade on white and then stamped the red ornament balls in Versamark and added Ranger rich red EP and heat set, then cut out.  I die cut a PTI merry die in the Lucky Limeade and with the other elements, arranged on the smaller mat.  I adhered to the small panel and added a few little specs of tape runner on the mat edges and layered onto the medium red panel.  This was then layered onto another card front sized Poinsettia embossed vellum front and finally added to a white card.  The little poinsettia gem was added as the tree topper star and finishes my card :)
I am offering this up for the Addicted to CAS Vellum challenge and the ever popular SSS Anything Goes. 
 Thanks for taking the time to visit and I hope that you have a great day!
Hugs, Chriss

Some NBUS and a FFC wreath

Happy Monday all!
The fabulous Darnell has issued another NBUS challenge and I am so happy to be able to throw my card, Oh I should say cards, into the ring!  I made these this morning in under an hour!  
I have been missing the Festive Friday challenges lately, and I am offering up this first card for the current challenge 
FFC #39 too.
I used the same stamp and die to create both versions of the card and I chose to make Christmas themed cards.  Darnell's challenge has a few options..ie. you don't have to make Christmas themed and you can check all of the details Here.

Festive Friday #39

I used the Papertrey Ink  stamp & coordinating die called Rustic Wreath.  This was my first time getting any ink onto the stamp and I used Simply Chartreuse ink and card stock from PTI. The patterned paper card front is from the current "stack" in the SU holiday catalogue.  The letters are gold and white foil covered chipboard from the Crate Paper release last year called Sleigh Ride.  That completes this super easy card!
So easy that I made four of them.
The next card has a MME patterned paper with the red glitter sparkles.  I placed the same wreath and used a different center sentiment, a PTI die cut with some red with gold flecks in the card stock.  Super easy and another four made.  Eight cards in an hour!

4 of each design

Darnell's challenge NBUS #2 is going on until September 25th, so there is still plenty of time for you to join in...and maybe get some Christmas cards done :)

Thanks for stopping in and I hope you have a great start to your week!  Hugs- Chriss

Merry Monday on Wednesday & CCCB Christmas!

Good morning!
I made a card yesterday for the Merry Monday challenge #118 blog (another Christmas card in the stash-yay!) and will also be submitting to the City Crafter Challenge Blog where Christmas in July is the theme.
I have a little stash of buttons, so selecting the button for my flower center was the most difficult decision  in creating this card!  
I have been organizing and tidying in the craft room, just 15 minutes a day, and came across a little pile of these Just Rite quilted circles that I had paper pieced.  With my Memory Box stem, Straight Stalks, I decided to layer the small version onto the larger version for my flower stem and have the quilted circle as my flower.  I added this ruby looking glass button with a teeny strand of silk ribbon threaded thru the center.  Easy Peasy.  This simple Christmas card style is not my usual fashion.  I usually have layers and layers, but I do like how this came out.  A sentiment from PTI is a good pairing for this homespun crafty card and I adhered with a little black stitching and left the front bits a little long for another little detail.
Thanks for taking a peek!

Have a great day!
Chriss

Starting from Scratch!

Happy Saturday!

I created this card for the Simon Says Monday challenge blog where this week's theme is to Start from Scratch.  When I saw May's Christmasy card, I wanted to add to my Christmas card stash and here is what I came up with.  I had this patterned paper from waaay long ago and this became the theme for my cards.  I sponged the edges with Ocean Tides ink and adhered to a vintage cream card base.  The Kraft CS panel was run 'thru a CuttleBug with a pines branch EF.  I stamped this little cutie deer onto the cream CS and stamped and coloured with Copic markers, adding some sparkle to his eyes, cheeks and nose with various Spica pens and also added white spots with a white gel pen.

I used a circle die and cut out, then foam mounted to a Memory Box filagree circle die that was cut from a scrap of Ocean Tides CS.  I stamped the little Merry in the same colour ink onto Kraft and free hand cut a little flag that I inserted in between the circular image and the MB die cut.  To finish off, I added some stamped and die cut snowflakes.  I made a half dozen of these cuties and happy that the Christmas stack is now a little thicker!

Thanks for stopping by for a peek,

Chriss

Merry Monday (on Tuesday) W is for white Simon Says

Happy Tuesday!  Happy Canada Day!
I made a card for the Merry Monday #115 challenge...had to think on this overnight.  White on white with the allowed silver sentiment.  The Simon Says Monday challenge (1st time for me to play) is W is for white!
This is what I came up with. 

I used this adorable old SU Christmas tree and stamped repeatedly with Versamark onto velum then embossed with white EP.  Same for the PTI "flourish" of snowflakes from Snowfall.  I added the Silver Peace die cut and added glue in between the back of the velum and the white card stock front.  I folded either end of the velum around the card stock front like I have seen Anita mention and the card front is popped up with some coaster board.  I like the outcome and have a few more of these embossed tree fronts to put together for a few more cards for the stash-yay!
Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!
                                                                                        hugs-Chriss