Something different for Easter

I had gotten a die for birch tree before Christmas having some great ideas for Christmas cards and then ended up not using it. Instead I decided to use it to create a background for a couple of Easter cards.

For the first card I used a Basic Grey patterned paper for the birch trees which I mounted on a simple blue background. I colored in some of the details on the trees with a brown pencil to add depth. I added a K&Company dove sticker to which I added a small branch. Perfect representation of Easter. 

For the second card I used a different patterned paper and again colored in some of the details but this time using a grey pencil. For the background I used a beautiful sky design from Cosmo Cricket called Chicken Little. The look was very spiritual, so I added a glittered Peace sticker text from K&Company.

I will be using this die again ... but I'm thinking that can make it more adaptable by cutting out some of the center trees next time I do.

Multi Layered Die Cut Christmas Card

I have been wanting to really go crazy with some of my dies but had not found the right reason ... and then came Christmas. I love using deer in my Christmas cards (remember last year silver and gold glittered dies or the sticker deer card), so this year I decided to just use layer upon layer of die cut images to create a Christmas nature scene and here it is.

This is how the card came together. Starting with a square white piece of paper out of which I die cut a circular opening in the center. Next I used a Swiss dot embossing folder on the paper to create the illusion of falling snow. I then layered a deer die-cut from Memory Box and a birch tree die-cut from Impression Obsessions.  I used 1/8" thick raised adhesive squares for the deer, trees and snow bank (cut free handed from another piece of white paper). I added the embossed paper using 1/4" raised adhesive squares to create the snowy background. Next I made a circular frame using two circle dies from Spellbinders. Merry Christmas!

Mrs. Grossman's Altered Christmas Sticker Cards

As every one knows by now, my favorite stickers are usually from Mrs. Grossman's and I especially love the laser cut ones. Unfortunately the colors they come in doesn't always match my idea ... so I color the stickers and voila ... a new look!

Holy Family:

The sticker comes bright red and quite frankly that didn't suit my idea of an appropriate color for the holy family. So I colored the entire sticker with a black marker and then layered the sticker on white paper, then black and finally mounted the whole panel on a white card. To add just enough sparkle I added a gold star sticker.

The Skaters:

This sticker comes in bright green (the remnants of the original color can be seen in the skaters and the trees) but again, it wasn't right for me. So I colored the edges of the ornament in gold and the sky and ice in silver. I added holy stickers and text to accentuate the green and then framed the whole image with gold lines.

Woodland Christmas;

I went to town altering this sticker! I started by coloring the entire bright red sticker with a gold marker. Then I added the gold sticker to a white piece of paper, down cut it to size and edged the smaller panel with gold lines. Next I took white snow flake stickers and colored them gold as well. I mounted the square panel to a glittering white card using raised adhesive dots. Then I added the gold colored snowflakes to the background. Next I added the red hearts and the gold mirrored dove to the center panel. To finish the card I added the gold text.

All the added stickers are, of course, from Mrs. Grossman's.

Thanksgiving 2015

Before I could start my Thanksgiving cards someone posted some beautiful photographs from their drive along a fall forest filled with fiery colors and bright sunshine. I decided that I would try to recreate the effect for one of my cards ... and here it is.

To create the idea of the great outdoors I started with a light tan card covered with a panel of wooden patterned paper (My Mind's Eye) which I edged the panel with both brown and black ink before before attaching it to the card. by stamping a waterfall image (Inkadinkado) in black ink on white paper which I colored using a combination of regular water colors and metallic water colors. I die cut the stamped image using a deckled oval theme (Spellbinders) and then edged the panel with more black ink to emphasize the colors and b rightness within. I attache the stamped panel to the card. To completed the fiery fall look I added some gold rub-on vines (Little Bit) and some glittered 3D leaf stickers (Paper House). Thank you Mother Nature for your daily beauty and inspiration.

Halloween 2015

This year for Halloween I wanted to use a haunted tree image (the scariest part of the original Disney Snow White movie) so here we go again, same theme 3 media! 

Card #1 - Stamped

Bees Wax sun with cloud and Inkadinkado/EK Success tree stamps in black ink on good old Basic Grey paper, edged with black ink and Tim Holtz background on the bottom. I colored the moon using white water color and the eyes using yellow with silver faux gems. 

Card #2 - Rub-ons

American Tradition glittered Halloween tree with moon rub-on blue painted weathered paper (my favorite patterned paper of late) die cut with the Sizzix (now retired) parchment die and then edged with black ink. The text is computer generated.

Card #3 - Embossed

Using a Tim Holtz embossing folder I dry embossed a piece of back paper; which I then highlighted using a white ink pad. Cut out the embossed panel, mounted that on a piece of white paper, more cutting and then mounted on a black card. As a final touch I added a 3D glittered white pumpkin from Jolee's Boutique/EK Success.

These are all easy and quick because who wants to waste time making cards when there's candy to eat!