Dressed for Christmas

Hi there. I have been having a bit of fun making some Christmas Tags for PaperArtsy. I have used non Christmas stamps and tried to 'dress them for Christmas'. All the details over on the PaperArtsy blog.

Nikki

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Vintage Easel Card with Tim Holtz products

Three posts in a week for me! Haven't done that in a long time. Over at A Vintage Journey I am sharing a tutorial on this Vintage style Easel card today.... lots more details and photos here!

Nikki

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New stamps - Christmas with PaperArtsy / Sara Naumann

I am sharing some ideas over at PaperArtsy this evening using the new stamps from Sara Naumann. I have also used some of the new colours of Fresco Finish Acrylics creating my background.

There are also a couple of quick videos demonstrating the background creation  (using a gelli plate) and also two tone image stamping. 

Nikki xxxx

Christmas Greetings!

Hi! Today we welcome a new challenge at A Vintage Journey and a wonderful Christmas (or not!) theme of Star Light - Star Bright. Our host is the lovely Julia - here is her description:

This month we are asking you to to create with stars. Fill up the dark winter sky with them or use one really big one as your central focus. Stencil them, stamp them, emboss them or die cut them. Make a card, make a star box, make a canvas, create a journal page - remembering to create in the vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial or steam punk styles.

A couple of weeks ago Brenda (Bumblebees and Butterflies), Alison (Words and Pictures) and I had another of our Skype crafting sessions and we decided to to each create a project for this theme. For those that haven't seen our previous Skype Craft - we
all connect up via Skype and take it in turns to chose a step which we all need to follow. Sometimes we work on the same substrate but this time we each chose our own.

Brenda kindly recorded the steps - so I have added a quick summary of what I did to each of the steps.

1. A - Use paper to start the layers. - I covered my substrate with black and white patterned paper

2. B - Use the monoprint method to add any colour medium of your choice - I used watercolour card to transfer white paint randomly across the surface (it was too black!)

3. N - Add a wash or washes of a colour medium - I added blues!

4. A - Use a stencil any way you wish. - I used a star stencil, added versamark and added Baked Texture to the surface before heat embossing.

5. B - Use asemic or dynamic writing to add a layer of visual texture. - I took a silver metallic pen and scribbled! It is there if you look for it!! As it is silver it shows up when the light catches it.

6. N - Add a bit of texture. I added more Baked Texture around the edges of the plaque.

7.  A - Determine and prep the focal point of the design. I die cut my 'Christmas' several times and adhered together before using the same embossing powder again. Texture was added to the 'Happy' (a precut greyboard piece) before paints sponged.

8. B - Find elements to bring the composition together. - Stars - more stars!

9. N - On one or more of the elements use two different mediums of the same colour. I went for my blues and silvers on my die cut stars and 'Happy' - using embossing powder, foiling and glitter!

10. A - Add some words - Well I was ahead of the game now - already did that!

11. B - Add some sparkle - Ditto - so I cleared up the glitter I seemed to have got everywhere!

12. N - Assemble and add whatever you need to finish off your design. - I added Snowtex around the edges and on the words to enhance the winter feel.

It was a fun day!

If you havent already head over to AVJ for lots more Star Light, Star Bright Inspiration.

Nikki

Festive Overlays and Shifter Stencils - Christmas cards

 I am over at A Vintage Journey today for our Creative Card feature this month. I have been busy making cards using Tim Holtz shifter stencils and the Festive Overlays stamp set. For all the processes and a lot more photos do head on over to AVJ - here.

Nikki

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Rusty Christmas Greetings

Tonight I am over at PaperArtsy sharing this project - the theme is rust and I have used Scrapcosy Christmas stamps to create a reverse canvas.

It's all rusty and patina tones for this Christmas hanging!

Nikki

Hochanda Christmas Shadow Box

Hello. Today is my regular slot over at That's Crafty where I am sharing how I created this Christmas shadow box for the recent Hochanda shows. 

Today is also a farewell as I am sad to leave the That's Crafty team. A new job means I need to cut down my other commitments for a while. 

So I may be a little quieter for while - but hopefully I will strike a good balance and keep my crafting and blogging alive!

Nikki

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Christmas Gift Bags for Simon Says Stamp

Hello! Another project today as guest designer at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge . This week the challenge theme is 'Treat Boxes or Bags'.

I am busy thinking about Christmas ready for the opening of our pop up craft shop and so thought I would make a couple of Christmas Gift Bags - using Tim Holtz dies and stamps and the We R Memory Keepers Gift Bag punch board.

My smaller bag is decorated with Tim Holtz Doily die - coloured and chopped up to create a Christmas tree. I also used the Snowflake layering stencil.

My larger bag features the Christmas Tree from Tim's blueprint stamp and die set. Lots of distress inks and another layering stencil -  Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Nikki

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