That's Life

Monday, 17 December 2018

He's Making A List and Checking It Twice...

Hello friends!

Hope all your Christmas preparations are going well and you're nearly ready for the big day and if you have some free time to spare, then why not join us for the brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge which this week is called ~ STITCH IT UP!

With just a few more days to go, I thought I would share the special Christmas card that I've created for my parents. I always love creating Christmas cards that sometimes aren't the traditional colours that you associate with Christmas and I must admit I do love the whole black and white theme at Christmas, the look of chalkboard with just a hint of metallic and shimmer popping through. I'm sure if you scroll back in time on this blog, you might be able to find the other's that I've made in the past and hope that they will all inspire you with some last minute card ideas!

So, let's begin the brand new challenge and here's how I created my project...

I started this card by creating my outer background layer, as you can see it's got quite a few matts but I love how these frame the central panel. I cut a piece of black card, 18 x 17cm and inked up the Sparkles stamp from the with white ink and stamped a border around the outside edge of the card panel. To set the ink, I gave it a blast of a heat gun and then matted the stamped panel onto a piece of silver metallic kraft card, before mounting it onto a black card blank.

Now to create that central panel and I started with a second piece of black card, 13 x 14cm. I then took the "Greetings" stamp from the stamp set (I am a font junkie, so this stamp set is definitely one of my favourites of this year) and inked up the message with a clear Versamark Ink Pad, stamping it directly onto the card, placing it on the left hand side. I then took the little pot of Pearl Perfect Pearls and using a Ranger Perfect Pearls brush, I dabbed the pigment over the top of the tacky ink. It is so important at this stage to just dab the powder over the top of the ink and NOT brush the pigment into the ink, as you won't get such a good effect. Once the ink is covered in powder, then you can brush it away and it should reveal your message! To set the pigment, which is very important ~ you can either mist it with a very light spray of water and heat dry or you can use a cheap hairspray which will act as a fixative.

I then took a piece of chalk, ran it around the edge of the card to create that smudgy chalkboard effect. To complete the background of this layer, I then used the same stamp as I used on the previous outer layer and stamped a border in white ink around the edge of the card.

Now for the first layer of stitching and I just machine stitched around the edge of the stamped card, leaving loose ends of cotton just hanging free on the corner. After adding a few flicks of Picket Fence Distress Paint across the surface, I then matted the card panel onto some more silver metallic card and another layer of black card, which also had a machine stitched border and loose threads.

I attached this onto the centre of my card blank using foam pads for some dimension.

Using the beautiful image of Santa, I stamped this in Jet Black Archival Ink onto the smooth side of the watercolour card and watercolored it using Distress Marker Pens. I then did a little fussy cutting around the outline and layered him onto foam pads before attaching him to the right hand side of the panel.

I completed the background with some die cut silver stars that I had left over from another project and placed a Clippings Sticker above the Greetings message.

Now to complete the card and add the final embellishments and all that gorgeous metallic shimmer ~ I began by die cutting some silver metallic kraft card and some of the rose gold metallic kraft card using the 3D Holly Die. I then applied some Mushroom Alcohol Ink over the top of the rose gold and some Gunmetal Alcohol Ink over the top of the silver die cut. To create the poinsettia, I used some more of the silver metallic kraft card stock which I had lightly sanded and die cut two layers of petals using the Tattered Poinsettia die. After shaping my die cuts, I then layered them over the top of one another, slightly offsetting them and placed some glitter in the centre.

Attach the poinsettia to the card, layering it over the top of the 3D holly branches.

The final embellishment was my little snow capped yule log ~ this is created using one of the wood slices which I topped with some Grit Paste, sprinkled with Rock Candy Dry Distress Glitter.

For the number 25, I used the Numeric Adornments and painted them with Festive Berries Distress Paint before attaching them to my log with Matte Collage Medium.

Thank you so much for spending some time on my blog today and I hope you've loved this project as much as I loved creating it, it's always fun to share my ideas with you all!

Don't forget, you can find more inspiration from my talented teamies over on the challenge blog and every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....

See you very soon, love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Stamps: Yuletide, ChristmasTime, Sparkles
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Dies: Impresslits Cut and Emboss 3D Holly Branch, Tattered Poinsettia

Distress Paint: Picket Fence, Festive Berries

Idea-ology: Christmas Clippings Sticker, Numeric, Wood Slice
Distress Marker Pens

Mediums: Matte Collage Medium, Rock Candy Dry Glitter, Gold Rush Glass Glitter, Grit Paste, Crackle Paste, Hero Arts Unicorn White Ink Pad, Versamark Emboss Ink Pad
Alcohol Ink: Mushroom, Gunmetal
Perfect Pearl Powder, Ranger Flat Brushes

Surfaces: Metallic Kraft Stash, Metallic Kraft Stash 2, Watercolour Card

Tim Holtz Media Glass Mat

Tim Holtz Guillotine

Heat Gun
Chalk and black card blank from my own stash

Monday, 10 December 2018

Peace & Joy At Christmas...

Hello again friends...

How is it already the 10th December? There is still so much to do to get ready for Christmas but I'm going to keep calm and carry on ~ my tree is up and the house is all decorated, cards are written and ready to go and I just need to now think about food for the big day and get the final presents, then wrap them all up!

But back to my post and today, is the start of a brand new Monday challenge at Simon Says Stamp and this week our theme is called ~ WARM WINTER WISHES and we would love for you to join us and share your wintery projects!

I created an icy Etcetera tag that is all about Peace and Joy at Christmas. As always, I've packed it full of dimension and lots of layers to build up the main focal point of the heart and wings which sit upon an Icy Flake.

So, let's begin the brand new challenge and here's how I created my project...

I started by prepping my background and cut a panel of watercolour card approx the same size as my Mini Etcetera Tag. I then applied Cracked Pistachio, Antique Linen, Evergreen Bough and Iced Spruce to my glass media mat, spritzed the inks with a little water and picked up the colour with my card. Keep dipping the card into the inks to get a really good coverage but remember, always heat dry the card between layers so that you don't end up with muddy puddles.

Once I was happy and my card was dry, I attached some torn tissue tape to the central area of the background and then scraped some gesso over the top ~ you don't really see this on the finished tag but it does just give some more layers on the background, which is effective. I then applied a panel of Grit Paste thought the Layering Stencil placing them down the centre. To create some sparkle, which is so hard to pick up on camera but I promise you it is there, I then sprinkled some Rock Candy Dry Glitter over the top of the wet paste.

When the paste is set and dry, I cut the card to the shape of the tag, machine stitched a border around the edge and then attached it onto the tag, using Matte Collage Medium.

To complete the background I applied Pumice Stone Distress Crayon around the edges and then added some shimmer using Vintage Metallic Foil Sheets in silver. For this I just dabbed a Collage Stick onto the edges, allowed it to become tacky and then placing the shiny side uppermost, press the foil sheet onto the glue, ripping it away to reveal the shimmer.

Using the music score background from the Christmas Ephemera, inked to make a little more worn around the edges, I matted this onto silver metallic kraft card, followed by a layer of hessian. I then mounted the panel using foam pads onto the centre of the tag and added four small Hex Fasteners to each corner.

Now to move onto the focal point...

I started with the Ice Flake, (can I just say how amazing this die is, it's so beautiful and creates such a wonderful die cut to work with ~ a must for any winter die collection!) I cut the flake from thick chipboard and then primed the board with a coat of gesso before adding a layer of Crackle Paste over the top.

Once the paste was dry, I then applied Rock Candy Crackle Paste over the top of this and again waited for it to dry. I ran the Pumice Stone Crayon around the edge to just highlight the tips and take away the whiteness before adding some more shimmer using some of that Vintage Foil Tape Sheet, again applied in exactly the same way as I did to the edges of the tag.

The wings are from the Angelic Adornments pack and I altered these with a little Picket Fence Distress Paint before adding some Gilding Wax over the top to accentuate the detail.

I then placed these beneath a glittered die cut heart. The heart is cut from chipboard, painted gold and then I applied a layer of collage medium over the top and sprinkled with gold glass glitter. You need to allow this to thoroughly dry out, probably over night before attaching it to your project.

When the glittered heart was dry, I placed it over my wings and added a mini plaquette to the centre.

You can see the dimension in this piece in the photo below....

To complete the tag, I added the "Peace" Quote chip which I glittered around the edge with a little Vintage Platinum Glitter and placed a star adornment either side which once again was altered in the same way as the wings...

...and then threaded some crinkle ribbon through the hole at the top of the tag. The ribbon is hand-dyed using Iced Spruce and Antique linen Distress Spray Stain.

As the finishing touch, I placed two of the tiny bells on a loop pin and attached it to the ribbon.

I hope you've enjoyed the creative process behind this tag and love the finished piece just as much as I loved creating it and sharing it with you all.

See you very soon, love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz/Sizzix Dies: Ice Flake, Heartfelt

Distress Spray Stain: Antique Linen, Iced Spruce

Distress Paint: Picket Fence
Layering Stencil: Starry

Idea-ology: Christmas Quote Chips, Hex Fasteners, Christmas Ephemera Pack, Angelic Adornments, Star Adornments, Mini Plaquette, Tiny Bells

Mediums: Matte Collage Medium, Rock Candy Dry Glitter, Vintage Platinum Glitter Dust, Gold Rush Glass Glitter, Grit Paste, Collage Stick, Crackle Paste, Rock Candy Crackle Paste

Surfaces: Metallic Kraft Stash, Watercolour Card, Mini Etcetera Tag, Vintage Foil Transfer Sheets

Tim Holtz Media Glass Mat

Tim Holtz Guillotine

Heat Gun
Gilding Wax, hessian and ribbon from my own stash

Sunday, 9 December 2018

Treats For Santa...

Hello friends...

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend! Today, I'm popping by to share a fun project that I created using Tim Holtz's idea-ology products. I actually created this project with only one person in mind ~ Santa, and made him a treat box ready to put out on Christmas Eve because in our house, we always leave a little something for him, Rudolph and all the reindeers when he comes to visit! Of course, there are many other options for this and it would make a wonderful gift idea for anyone who loves hot chocolate! Or maybe you can fill it with other treats that would suit the recipient ~ whether it be beauty products, coffee, cookies or you even lights and have it as a display, the choice is yours and that's where the fun begins!

So let's get started on how I made this box and mason jar gift set...

To begin with I took the largest Vignette Box which fits two of Tim's Mason Jars perfectly. I covered the box, inside and out with some of the Christmas Worn Wallpaper and used the poinsettia and holly design. I adhered all the panels of paper into place using Matte Collage Medium and I also applied a coat of medium to seal the papers. To create a vintage, worn look to the papers, I used the Picket Fence Distress Crayon along the edges and blended with a semi dry baby wipe before adding the Gathered Twigs Crayon, again blending it out with a baby wipe.

I then lightly sanded the edges of a Quote Chip, 'Christmas' and attached this to the front of the box, adding two hex fasteners either side.

To complete the box, I cut a section of the Christmas Fringe which would fit around the rim. To attach the fringing, I added some red line tape along the edge on the inside and then carefully adhered the ruffled fringe to the tape. I then attached the largest of the two Vignette Bases to the bottom.

The trees are both coloured with Evergreen Bough Distress Spray Stain and then once dry, I rolled them in a small amount of Matte Collage Medium before glittering them with the Rock Candy Dry Distress Glitter.

Now for the jars, and for these I started by colouring my Salvaged Santa and Snowman using a combination of Distress Paints which I've listed at the end of this post. To give them more of a vintage feel, I used Mushroom Alcohol Ink over the top, concentrating on areas that needed to be accentuated, such as Santa's face. You don't need a lot of the Alcohol Ink, so be sparing and remember you can always add!

To colour the lids, I primed the metal with a coat of gesso and then painted each lid with Candied Apple Distress Paint. To take away some of the brightness of the red and give more of a worn look, I dry brushed a small amount of Black Soot Distress Paint over the surface. You'll also notice that I've scratched away some of the paint to reveal the metal.

To decorate the lids, I applied some Grit Paste and sprinkled Rock Candy Dry Distress Glitter over the top. Whilst the paste is still wet, I placed my trees and figures into the paste. I also added some baubles ~ on the Santa jar, I used some coloured with Red Pepper and Turquoise Alcohol Inks and on the Snowman jar, I used one that I had glittered. Once these are in place, just set aside and allow the paste to dry and harden.

For the finishing touches, I wrapped some twine around the jars and placed a spoon on Santa's jar, and a Christmas Quote Token, altered with a little Picket Fence Distress paint to bring out that quote, and tied onto the Snowman's jar.

...and all that's left to do is fill the jars with cocoa and some marshmallows and put some hot milk by the side ready for Santa!

Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope this has given you some last minute gift ideas that you can make for people and I want to say a very special thank you to Tim, Mario and Paula for all their hard work and support!

See you all again soon...lots of love, Emma xx

Recipe for project:

Distress Spray Stain: Evergreen Bough

Distress Paint: Picket Fence, Festive Berries, Tumbled Glass, Walnut Stain, Black Soot, Candied Apple

Idea-ology: Christmas Quote Chips, Hex Fasteners, Salvaged Snowman, Salvaged Santa, Vignette Base, Baubles, Small Woodland Tree, Christmas Fringe, Mini Mason Jars, Silverware Adornments, Christmas Quote Tokens

Mediums: Gesso, Matte Collage Medium, Grit Paste, Rock Candy Dry Distress Glitter
Alcohol Ink: Mushroom, Turquoise, Red Pepper,

Surfaces: Christmas Worn Wallpaper, Vignette Boxes

Tim Holtz Media Glass Mat

Tim Holtz Guillotine

Heat Gun
Christmas Candy Cane Twine from my own stash

Friday, 7 December 2018

Simon Says Stamp DieCember Release Blog Hop ~ Day 2

Hello everyone and Happy Friday!

Today is the second day of the Simon Says Stamp DieCember Blog Hop and if you missed day one, it can be found HERE! I'm so excited to be one of the stops on this hop and if you've been hopping along, you'll have arrived here from Elena's blog but if you've just popped by and want to join us for this fun hop, then just head back to the beginning and Simon Says Stamp's Blog.

We also have a special promotion running with this hop and all you have to do is use code: DCMBR27 which will give you a free Nutty & Bright stamp set FREE with ANY purchase but be quick as the code will expire on Sunday, 9th December at 11:59pm EST.

For my card, I created a vintage style Christmas card using the gorgeous Simon Says Stamp Mod Poinsettia Oval as the main focal point of this piece and hope you'll read along to see how I created this project with lots of layers and dimension.

To begin with I started by creating the poinsettia oval and using the die, I cut six separate layers from Mixed Media Heavy Stock Card. At this stage, keep one of the waste pieces of card that is cut from inside the oval as you will need this for later. I then cut a final layer from the Rose Gold card in the Metallic 2 Kraft Card Stash by Tim Holtz.

Using the white die cuts only, I then layered each section over the top of one another, using Matte Collage Medium between layers to adhere them and this created a really substantial frame.

Take the Festive Berries Distress Paint and paint the poinsettia section of the frame and dry thoroughly. Once it is dry, I then took my Rose Gold die cut and cut away the poinsettia from the oval and layered this over the top of the frame to create that gorgeous metallic finish.

Apply Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap and Vintage Photo to your glass media mat and spritz lightly with water. Using the waste section from inside the die cut, swoosh the piece of card through the inks picking up the colour. Heat dry thoroughly and if you need to re-dip the card into the remaining inks, then just keep going until you get the colour you want ~ just remember to dry in between layers as you don't want the card to look muddy in appearance.

Ensuring the card is thoroughly dry, ink up the Music score stamp with Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide Ink and stamp the score onto the inked card. Give the card a blast of heat before inking up the 'A Joyous Christmas' stamp from the Yuletide set with black ink and stamp the message at the top of the inked oval.

Place the oval inside the frame and then cut a piece of gold glitter card the same size to attach onto the back of the oval, allowing the glitter to shine through the poinsettia.

Cut a piece of Christmas Worn Wallpaper by Tim Holtz to measure 15.5 x 12.5cm and machine stitch a border around the outside. Matt the paper onto a piece of green kraft card, followed by a further piece of the Rose Gold Metallic Card, which I had sanded around the edge for more of a vintage look.

Mount the layers onto the front of a white card blank and cut a second piece of the worn wallpaper, 12.5 x 3.5cm and matt onto another piece of the Rose Gold metallic card. Adhere this across the bottom section of the covered card blank.

Using foam tape, I attached the Poinsettia Oval onto the right side of the card.

For the foliage, I used the Funky Festive and Mini holiday Greens Die from Tim Holtz to die cut a selection of foliage from green card. I then smeared a small amount of Matte Collage Medium onto the tips of the foliage before dipping them into Rock Candy Dry Glitter. Once they were dry, I attached them with a bow made from crinkle ribbon that I had hand dyed with Forest Moss Distress Spray Stain.

I completed the foliage with Nuvo Crystal Drops to look like berries and added two Tiny Bells in the centre of the bow before placing a button on the opposite side of the border strip.

Finally, I placed two mirrored stars onto my Poinsettia Oval and attached an Index Clip complete with a Christmas Story Stick clipped to the top of my card.

...and that completes my card for this DieCember Blog Hop and I hope you've enjoyed reading the creative process of how this festive card came together!

Don't forget that we would love for you to share your work in our DieCember Gallery and look forward to seeing what you make using the
products.

HOP DETAILS:

Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $25 coupon to every stop on the blog hop! This means you can leave a comment here and on every stop along the way to increase your chances. Winners will be posted on the Simon Says Stamp blog on Wednesday, 12th December..

HOP ORDER:

Simon Says Stamp Blog