Pinecones and Branches

Today I'm staying home and playing in the art studio as much as possible! :)  It's been a busy few days of running around and I decided that I needed to just stay in today.  Besides, the rain has come and it's cold outside.  I am heading out for dinner tonight, though.  My SIL has invited hubby and I over for dinner and to watch the Canucks play hockey.  She is planning on making Paella ... I'm so excited to try it!

Today's sketch challenge from SCS is really a fun one.  I had so many ideas floating through my head when I saw the sketch ... so I decided I would make more than just one!  Both cards are for Christmas (I LOVE making Christmas cards!!).

SCS Sketch Challenge 359:

The first card is a CAS (clean & simple) design with a bit of bling.  I love the Old Olive and Early Espresso color combination - so elegant.  This is made with all SU! products, plus a little green glitter paper and bronze stickles.  I used this glitter paper on an earlier card and got a response back from Katie-J at SCS.  She was looking at making a card similar to my earlier one, but didn't have green glitter paper.  So she improvised by using silver glitter paper that she sponged with green ink.  What a fabulous idea!! Way to think outside the box Katie!!

"Pinecones and Branches"

Stamps:  Autumn Days, Season of Joy (SU!)

Paper:  Early Espresso, Whisper White (SU!); Green glitter

Ink:  Old Olive, Early Espresso (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Bronze stickles, Stamp-a-ma-jig, sticky strips, and dimensionals

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To create my bough of pinecones:  Using Stampin' Write markers Early Espresso and Old Olive, I inked just one pinecone and one pine sprig and stamped it about 1/2" up from the bottom of my Whisper White cardstock.  I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to find the best position for my next stamping ... only one pinecone and two pine sprigs, above and to the right of the first stamping.  I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig again and did my final stamping, this time inking the whole stamp (two pinecones and three pine sprigs).  I added bronze stickles over top of the pinecones to give them some sparkle.  Once the stickles were dry, I framed the stamped image with green glitter paper.

I stamped "JOY" from the Season of Joy set, inking only one letter at a time in Old Olive ink and stamping onto Whisper White cardstock.  I cut the letters out and framed them with green glitter paper.

On the strip of Early Espresso cardstock, I stamped the pine branch and cones in Early Espresso ink (very subtle but adds a lot to the overall look of the card ... unfortunately, it's doesn't show up in the photo).  I framed the Early Espresso strip with green glitter paper.

I mounted all the pieces as shown in the above picture, popping up the pinecone panel and the JOY letters with dimensionals to add depth.

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The second card uses lots of layers and has a whimsical theme.  I love the Merry Moments DP from a few years back and still have a few pieces to work with.  Hope you like.

"Jingle Bells"

Stamps:  Holiday Cheer (Hero Arts); Merry & Bright (SU!)

Paper:  Real Red, Very Vanilla, Merry Moments DP (SU!)

Ink:  Real Red, Early Espresso (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Sizzix "Holiday Cheer" die-cut (matches Hero Arts stamp), Big Shot, three mini jingle bells, red baker's twine, adhesives, glue dots and dimensionals

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I cut out all the pieces of designer paper and mounted them on thin frames of Real Red cardstock.

I inked the reindeer with Stampin' Write markers Early Espresso and Real Red and stamped on to Very Vanilla cardstock.  I ran the stamped image through my Big Shot with the matching reindeer die-cut from Sizzix.

I stamped the sentiment in Real Red ink onto Very Vanilla cardstock and framed it with Real Red cardstock.

I threaded red baker's twine through the top of the jingle bells and tied a bow on each one.

I mounted all the pieces as shown in the picture above, popping up the sentiment and reindeer with dimensionals.  A rolled up glue dot was used at the back of the bows to secure them to the squares and make sure that they wouldn't come undone.