Holiday Themed Dies For An Easy Christmas Card

I have a traditional red and green Christmas card with lots of fun dies for you today.

IO dies links:
Typewriter Sentiments 
Primitive Candy & Holly DIE894-U 
Winter Doilies DIE906-ZZ 

I found some red checked card stock, which I used for my background.  I die cut the candy canes, holly, doily, and merry from the dies, and added them to the background.  
A red bow finish off the composition.


I hope you enjoyed my card today.  I am sure you are busy preparing for the holidays, and I just wanted to get some more inspiration out there for you.  Dies always make for easy, fun card making during the busy holiday season!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog. Enjoy your holiday preparations!

Blessings,

Impression Obsession Holiday Wishes Challenge - Winter Scene

Welcome to our Holiday Wishes Challenge at Impression Obsession!  Today I created a winter scene with some of the Fall/Winter release stamps and dies....

IO stamps/dies links:
Holiday Icons CL980 
Holiday Tree CL973 
Christmas Jar Set WP963 
Snowflake Sparkle CL972 
Primitive Snowflakes DIE893-YY 
Small Snowflakes DIE100-F 

I really had fun creating my little snowy scene with these stamps and dies!
 

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I created snowbanks on white card stock with torn paper and distress inks.  Then I stamped the three trees from the Holiday Icons and Holiday Tree stamps sets, masking so that they would be behind each other.  I colored the stamped images with Polychromos colored pencils.

I used the die sets to get the snowflakes die cuts.  I used distress inks and brush applicators to color the die flakes.  I really love this Primitive Snowflakes set!  
The flakes are each so different, and a great larger size for cards and/or scrapbooks, and other stamping projects.   

To finish the front, I stamped the Merry Wishes from the Christmas Jar Set stamp set, then attached it to a blue A2 card.  I added some glue dots then sprinkled them with glitter for added sparkle!

For the INSIDE, I used the Snowflake Sparkle set with blue inks......

I hope you have enjoyed the inspiration cards from the design team.  Hopefully we have inspired you to enter the Holiday Wishes Challenge! You just might win a $25 Impression Obsession gift certificate!  Merry Christmas to you!  You can't win if you don't enter, so come on over HERE and join the wintertime fun! 

For more inspiration, check out the other designer's blogs HERE.  

I am adding my card to these challenges:
Addicted To Stamps - Holiday
The Paper Players - North Pole
Time Out Challenges - Celebration
The Daily Marker 30 Day Color Challenge

Thank you for stopping by, and for your wonderful comments.

Blessings,

Distress Ink and Colored Pencil With Stencil

Happy Saturday!  I hope your weekend is off to a good start!  I have a card to share with you today using a Penny Black stencil and stamp.  This card is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge mid-way inspiration post. The theme this month is Anything Goes, with optional 'tags.'

Penny Black products links:
Stencil - Luster 25-013
Stamp - Faith 30-409 (stamp set)

I used the Luster stencil on a die cut tag from natural card stock.  I placed the stencil on the tag, and used my ink blending brush to add some antique linen distress ink.  This gave me a light image.

I used Polychromos colored pencils in three shades of browns and ivory to go over the images, adding color, depth, and highlights.  I distressed the edges of the tag.  See my note below regarding a video demonstration on this technique.

On the second tag die cut, I put the tag through my die cut machine with the stencil and a rubber mat, thereby embossing the image onto the tag.  I was really pleased with how easily this embossed onto the card stock tag!

On a 4 1/2 x 6" card of natural card stock (I distressed one edge), I added a strip of brown card stock, and the tags with foam tape.

And for the inside, I simply brushed some light color through the stencil, added a strip of card stock, and stamped the verse from the Faith set:

This is what the front looked like, only a bit lighter, before I added the colored pencil details.

I hope you like my card.  I decided to keep it neutral, which is different for me.  I really like color.  But I decided to try something a little different.

If there is some interest, I will be happy to create a YouTube how-to video on my technique.  Please let me know in the comment section if you would be interested in seeing that.

If you haven't seen the DT inspiration at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge post today, be sure to hop on over there to see the amazing talent of the team.  And, I hope you will join us and play along.  You just might win a prize!  And if you would like to be featured as a guest designer on a future post, just add GDT after your name on your entry.

I am adding my card to these challenges:
Addicted To Stamps  - Make your mark
Double D Challenges - Neutral fall
The Daily Marker 30 Day Color Challenge 

Thanks for stopping by.  I do appreciate your visits and comments.

Blessings,

Thanksgiving Pumpkins Card

Hello, and welcome to my blog.  Although we were blasted with nine plus inches of snow yesterday, and another three or so today, it is still fall here.  Granted, it looks like mid-winter outdoors, but I really wanted to make a Thanksgiving card, so, here it is!

I used Technique Junkies stamps:
Pumpkin SD986
Thanksgiving Blessings SS066
A Colorful Life Layered Mandala Stencil 
10% off TJ purchases with my code TJ10Lynda


I stamped the pumpkins onto white card stock, and colored them with Polychromos colored pencils.  

I brushed some Shabby Shutters distress ink through the stencil, and added some distressing along the bottom and edges of the card. Some orange spatters bring the color outward a bit.

The Happy Thanksgiving is from the Thanksgiving Blessings set.  I also used this set inside the card, where I stamped the cornucopia and one of the four verses that comes with that set.
Inside:
 
I had fun stamping my Thanksgiving card today, and as I look outside, the snow has finally stopped.  

I am adding my card to these challenges:
The Card Concept - Thanksgiving table
Paper Funday Challenge - Anything goes - Thanksgiving twist
The Daily Marker 30 Day Color Challenge 

 


Don't forget, you can get 10% off your purchases at Technique Junkies by using my code, TJ10Lynda!

Thanks so much for visiting.  I appreciate your comments.

Blessings,
 

Impression Obsession Old Is New - Mistletoe Branch

Welcome to Impression Obsession's Old Is New Day.  Today, we designers are dusting off some of our older stamps to create our inspiration projects.  There are so many favorites that go back, and it is time to show them some love.
NOTE:  I filmed a video of my process for this card.  You can watch it on YouTube HERE.     
I would love it if you 'like' my video, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and hit the 'bell' to be notified of my future videos.  Thanks!!
Now, on to my card...

My card today features one of my older favorite holiday stamps and die:
Mistletoe Branch E13717
Peace DIE226-A
Happy Everything D12108

I started with a green card stock panel, and stamped the Mistletoe Branch image along the top of the panel, using Evergreen Bough distress ink.  I wanted an ink that would blend in for no-line coloring.

I used Arteza Real Brush markers to color the leaves and berries, and added Polychromos colored pencil shading and highlights.  You can see this in detail in real time on my video.  I will post a link to the video here on this blog post this afternoon. 
Some spatters from white acrylic paint flicked on with a small paintbrush add instant snow to the scene.

I cut the Peace die from white glitter card stock, and colored it with a violet Copic marker, then added it to the card.  After I added the die, I thought it needed a little something to make it show up, so I outlined it with my white gel pen.  A couple of layers and that is it.  Easy peasy holiday card.

Inside:  

I hope you are inspired by my card, and are enjoying this Old Is New feature at the Impression Obsession blog.  
You can find the other designer's projects on the IO blog post HERE.     

You can shop some of the IO older stamps AND the latest on the Impression Obsession website HERE. 

I am adding my card to these challenges:
Simon Says Wednesday - Thinking of you
The Craft Stamper - Anything goes
The Daily Marker 30 Day Color Challenge 
The Paper Players - Colors 


Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I enjoy your visits and comments. The video tutorial for this card is up; I would love for you to check it out HERE. 
   
Hope you have a lovely day!

Blessings,
 

Friendship Blooms Art Impressions Watercolor Challenge Card

Today I made this card for the Art Impressions 'Couple Cards' challenge.

I haven't played with my AI Watercolor series stamps in a while, so I thought I would use some of the little critters for my 'couple' card for the Art Impressions challenge this time.  These little bunnies are darling, and my story is that they are a couple.  They remind me of the bunnies that came to visit my garden this past season.  Now that it's getting colder, and snowing, we don't see them.

I used Art Impressions stamps from several of the watercolor series, including:
Bunnies Set
WC Containers
WC Foliage Set 2
WC Flower Set 4052
WC Flower Set 22 4868
WC Branches Set
WC Sentiments Set

I used the process that Bonnie Krebs teaches in her videos.  You can find a very basic video HERE to show the process.  I really enjoy this unique watercolor process.  It is easy to learn, takes only a few supplies, and doesn't look like a stamped card.  It looks as though it is watercolored without stamping.

I added a couple of steps to my card; some distress inking around the edges, and instead of water coloring the sky, I used chalk pastels, applied with a cotton makeup cleaning pad.

And, here's the inside to my card....

I am adding my card to these challenges:
Art Impressions Challenge - #270 Couple Cards
Craft Stamper Magazine - Anything goes
Addicted To Stamps - anything goes
The Daily Marker 30 Day Color Challenge
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Thinking of you

As our beautiful fall season gives way to snow and cold, my garden is stark and colorless.  I love stamping, especially with watercolor, to bring some color into my days.  I tend to draw inward more during the winter season, and enjoy cozy evenings and spending time with family and friends.  

I love to share my art, and hope you are inspired by it.  Thanks so much for visiting my blog.  I appreciate your comments.

Blessings,

Impression Obsession Challenge - Give Thanks Card

Welcome to Impression Obsession's challenge, So Thankful!  I have a card to share with you for inspiration for today's challenge.  

IO stamp links:
Leaf 1 D13818 
Leaf 2 E13817 
Leaf 3 D13816 
Grateful Heart D19620 
Special Blessing G20739 

I started with a natural card stock panel, and stamped the three different leaves randomly, using distress inks in Dusty Concord and Vintage Photo.  I added some dots with distress markers.  


I added some gold cording with a bow around the panel, and attached it to an eggplant A2 card.  I stamped the verse with the Vintage Photo distress ink, layered it, and added it to the card with foam tape. 
   
Some Studio Katia gold metallic pearls finish off the card front.

For the inside, I stamped the Special Blessing verse, and added some of the leaves around the panel.

Inside

This was a very quick and easy card to make, and those fabulous leaves make it look so elegant.  And the touch of gold just brings a bright touch to it, don't you think?
   
So, I hope I have inspired you to give the challenge a go.  It's an easy theme, and you can use any IO stamp or stamps.  You just might win a $25 Impression Obsession gift certificate!  You can't win if you don't enter, so come on over and join the fun.  You can join the challenge HERE.

Find more design team inspiration HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Blessings,