Glittery Christmas Card

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. We have a new challenge at Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge in FB. It is very easy to join. Just create a new project following this month's sketch. It can either be a single scrapbook layout, a double page scrapbook layout or a card. Choose one or choose all.

I did a bit of modification on the card sketch. I kept the diagonal outline of the elements on the sketch but instead of three different elements, I used three different shaped snowflakes. I also made the center snowflake as the focal point of my card instead of the bottom left snowflake. And since it is the focal point, I positioned it forward and tucked the other snowflakes on the back. 

The die I used to cut the center snowflake is from Spellbinders. It is a stitching die. I die cut this on a Simon Says Stamp rainbow hollographic paper. I had a bit of struggle choosing which thread to use to stitch on this piece. I really want it all shiny and glimmery but I think the hollographic paper is pretty by itself that it just needs a plain embroidery floss. I used a DMC Coloris embroidery floss for stitching which changes colors without changing threads. Before I settled with this, I used the silver DMC Diamant thread. I just kept it since all of the long stitches were done using this thread.

The other two snowflakes were die cut on silver hollographic paper. The die I used on the bottom snowflake is die included in a Simon Says Stamp 3D embossing folder. The snowflake on the upper right was die cut using a Hero Arts Nesting die. I added embossing to this piece with the use of the same embossing folder.

The sentiment is from Clearly Besotted. I embossed this using white embossing powder and cut it into a sentiment strip using an Avery Elle die. I layered this on a banner which was cut on gray embossed paper. The banner die is from Lawn Fawn.

I created a sort of a patchwork for the background using scrap paper from a DCWV paper pad. I adhered the pieces on a scrap 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" paper. I die cut this smaller using a Hero Arts Rectangle Nesting die so I can matte it with a dark gray cardstock cut at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". 

I added silver baubles to the center snowflake for more glittery accents. 

I hope you like today's card. The shimmer of this card is incredible. I hope you consider joining this month's Stick It Down Challenge. We can't wait to see your projects.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Simon Says: Anything Goes #166

Craftoween Rewind Card #5

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I am doing a cardmaking series using last year's Spellbinders' release, the 13 Days of Craftoween. This is the fifth card I have made for this series.

If you saw my fourth card which seems complex, this is another card in that caliber. My prompt for this card is Day #1 which includes the vampire die set. I could have created a card just with the vampire but I decided to step it up and invite some of the other kit's figures to the party. The sets I used on this card are:

• Day #1-vampire dies (I used all of the dies in this set.)
• Day #4-ghost die and ghost accent die, pumpkin detail and solid dies, boo penant detail and solid dies
• Day #5-hat die, spider's body detail die for the small circle 
• Day #6-skeleton dies (I am missing one of the arm dies which I figured out after seeing a post of this set in FB.), witch hat and accent dies
• Day #9-monster and accent dies (I used one of the horns as a cauldron accent on Card #3. I am not sure if there is a die that cuts the circles on the cheek of the monster.)
• Day #12-skull die

I used more sets on this card than my previous card. It just shows the versatility of this kit.

This project reminds me of paper dolls. Below are the details on how I put each figure together. 

1. Vampire-I layered his top. After die cutting this piece on black cardstock, I snipped a v on the neckline. I die cut another piece on white cardstock and adhered this to the back of the v cut piece. I added a red lining to the cape by die cutting this piece on red cardstock. I added pleat details to the cape with a red Copic marker and adding score lines. I added a glittered bow and a gold enamel dot. I added shading to his tongue with Copic markers. I partially die cut the feet on mirror black cardstock to mimic shoes although thie part was covered.
2. Ghost-I added a witch's hat from Day #6 set to the ghost. I die cut the trim on orange glitter cardstock. I free hand cut a square on gold mirror cardstock and a black cardstock to add a buckle to the trim.
3. Skeleton-I added the hat from Day #5. I die cut the trim on purple glitter cardstock. As I mentioned above, I am missing a die that cuts the skeleton's right arm. I die cut an extra left arm and ran this through the die cut machine to flatten this die cut piece. The missing piece also cuts the long arm bone. I used the long bones on the legs to fill in this missing piece. My base layer for the body was cut on black cardstock. I partially die cut the hand on white cardstock and layered it over the hands of the black arm die cut.
4. Monster-I die cut the horns on hollographic paper. I am not sure if there is a piece that cuts the cheek accent. It was indented on the monster die cut. I can color it but I just die cut a pink cardstock using the tiny circle die for the pelvis of the skeleton from Day #6 and a circle from the spider body on Day #5. I die cut the pennant on silver shimmer cardstock. I adhered the details on holographic paper. I adhered the ends of the pennant to the monster's hands.

After I am done with the die cutting and adhering the figure pieces together, I worked on the layout. I trimmed a double sided patterned paper at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I used a rectangle die to cut the center off and create a plaid frame. Since it is a double sided patterned paper, I flipped the inner rectangular drop out and used this as the background for the Halloween icons. I adhered the Halloween figures to this paper. I tucked the small pumpkins and skulls on the back of the figures to fill in the background. I pieced in the plaid frame, taping the seams of the frame and the inner rectangle together with tape. I die cut a thin frame of orange glitter paper. I adhered this to the inner frame. I adhered this to a top folding A2 note card.

With the front being busy, I did not add a sentiment anymore.

I hope you like today's card. I hope you enjoyed this series featuring products from last year's Spellpinders 13 Days of Craftoween. Happy Halloween to you all!

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Simon Says Stamp IG: Fall or Halloween

Simon Says: Anything Goes #25

Craftoween Rewind Card #4

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I am doing a cardmaking series using last year's Spellbinders' release, the 13 Days of Craftoween. This is my fourth card created in this series.

My prompt for this card is the Day #11 set which includes a haunted house detailed and solid dies. I usually do a web dive to get ideas for a card. A Leanin' Tree card, Spooktacular Wishes, inspired me to recreate it. I would like to give a shout out to the artist of the card, Lisa Perry. I love the purples and the hint of orange she used on her card.

I used four sets on this card. Below is the list of the sets and the dies I used on each set:

• Day #4-banner detailed and solid dies, pumpkin detailed and solid dies
• Day #8-ghost die, solid tombstone die, bat stirrer die
• Day #11-house detailed and solid dies
• Day #12-cauldron foam dies

I die cut the house on orange cardstock to make this into the base layer. I partially die cut the top portion of the house to include the top and main level roofs on black cardstock. After die cutting this portion, I made sure to keep the top window drop off. I fussy cut the roofs using the detailed lines cut by the die. I selectively cut the roof window on a light purple cardstock. I die cut the bottom part of the house on purple cardstock. I adhered the die cut pieces to the base layer being mindful of which one gets to be adhered first. It is a lot of work but I like it. I used a white gel pen to add the details to the windows.

I don't know how much time it took me to create this card since I was working on it in sequences adding elements to make the scene more playful.

The ghosts were cut on vellum. The moon was a left over die cut on white shimmer pearl cardstock. I cut a pumpkin orange patterned paper.

The small bat on the upper left from the Day #8 set is a drink stirrer when die cut. I cut off the straight part to come up with the bat.

I used the cauldron foam for clouds. I die cut this on pearl white cardstock.

The tombstone is paired with a detailed die with the word 'SIP'. I used a tombstone stamp to stamp RIP on the tombstone die cuts. I chose the same color of dye inks with the die cut for a tone on tone effect.

I added a crucifix detail to two of the tombstones. The die I used for this is from my stash which also includes the die I used for the tree. I partially die cut the cross and adhered the tip to the back of the tombstone die cut.

I added a strip of purple cardstock to ground the house.

I die cut a black cardstock using a stitched landscape die from Lawn Fawn. I added details to this piece with some embossing. I used a snowfall stencil from Simon Says Stamp. I pounced Versamark ink on the holes to transfer the clear sticky ink to the black cardstock. I poured clear embossing powder to the sticky ink then heat embossed this.

I blended Tim Holtz Black ink to the edges of the purple cardstock panel. My ink pad is running dry. I will need a reinker at some point. 

I arranged the scene and took a photo of it to give me an idea of piece placement when I adhere it permanently to the cardstock panel with liquid glue. 

I was not going to add a sentiment but somehow the black ground seemed empty. I bravely stamped the sentiment using white pigment ink then poured white embossing powder to this. I carefully heat set the powder since I don't want to flatten the dot embossing on the landscape and also as not to warp the die cuts.

This is one very engaging project. I rarely create something like this because of all the cutting and gluing involved but I enjoyed bringing this to life, adding more details as I work through it. 

I hope you like today's card. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Simon Says: Halloween/Spooky

Simon Says Stamp IG: Fall or Halloween

Adding Windows to an Art Journal

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I am on the Blank Page Muse Blog with an art journal page. You might think that the above photos are separate projects. Well, it is not. The photos show the progression of the design when turning a page of the window art journal. Cool, right?

The details on how I created this multi-page art journal is on the BPM blog. Below are full page photos of the the pages.

The focal point of the pages is the the stamped skull and the stamped background. It involves very simple stamping since I only used one color of ink pad. I did have to create a mask which was not hard at all since the skull image was very easy to fussy cut. I also did some ink blending on the skull to create some separation from the same colored background.

I was able to use some of my old Halloween decorative tapes to frame the windows and the inked background.

Below is a video showing the pages turned of this art journal. I hope you like it.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

BPM is generously offering a 15% discount to their online store to YOU, my blog readers. Just use the code BPMMaria when you check out. Enjoy!

I shared this project at

Simon Says: Halloween/Spooky

Simon Says Stamp IG: Fall or Halloween

Craftoween Rewind Card #3

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I am doing a cardmaking series using the Spellbinders 13 Days of Craftoween which was released last year. This is the third card I created in this series. 

For today's card, I used dies from Days #2, #9 and #12. The crow is from Day #2 set. The Halloween treat basket and the cauldron accent is from Day #9. The cauldron is from Day #12. 

I die cut the crow without using its accessories. I die cut the crow's beak and tallons on orange patterned paper. The crow's beak has a score line that I partially cut through which I slid the handle of the Halloween treat basket. This made it look like the crow's beak is holding the treat basket.

Day #2 set has the crow stepping on a skull. I substituted the skull with a cauldron from Day #12 set. I die cut this on an embossed dark brown vellum from my stash. The other cauldron pieces were cut on brown cardstock. Instead of the witch's legs which is part of the cauldron set, I die cut the piece that serves as the backing of the witch's legs and made this into the cauldron's feet. I adhered this to the back of the cauldron with just a little bit showing. I added highlights to the cauldron feet and the cauldron ring holder using a black Wink of Stella.

The cauldron die made a curved impression on the left side which to me looked like a highlight. I am not sure if there is a die that cuts this piece since I can't find it in this set. I looked at the other sets and found a similar shaped die in the Day #9 set. I die cut this on brown cardstock but I decided to color it with black Wink of Stella. 

I die cut the cauldron foam on several green cardstocks. I added extra pieces to create some depth. I die cut the stick and bone on white cardstock. I double this to make it sturdy. For the striped stick, I colored the impressions created by the die with a red-orange pen. I don't think there is a die for these accents.

I die cut the frame on Hollographic cardstock using a die from Altenew. I embossed this die cut using the matching die. This is my first time to use thes matching die and embossing folder and the result is very impressive. I hope you can appreciate its beauty on the photos. 

I die cut an oval window on a purple cardstock using a die. I adhered a webbed patterned paper on the back to cover the oval window. I adhered the frame to the window. I adhered the crow and the cauldron.

I splattered black mica ink on the purple panel. In the process, I made a blob that made me cringe. I covered this with a sentiment stamped and embossed on vellum. This sentiment is part of the stamp set included in the box. I fussy cut the sentiment leaving a small border around it. Now, I can't see the blob anymore which made me happy.

The width of the purple panel is 1/2" short of the width of an A2 sized card. I trimmed strips of gray cardstock and ran this through a crimper. (Yeah, I still am holding on to my crimper.) I adhered this to the back of the purple panel on the sides to make the panel 4 1/4" wide. I trimmed off the excess. 

I hope you like today's card. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Simon Says Stamp IG: Fall or Halloween

Simon Says: Halloween/Spooky

Simon Says: Halloween/Spooky

Craftoween Rewind Card #2

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I am doing a cardmaking series using the Spellbinders 13 Days of Craftoween which was released last year. This is the second card in this cardmaking series. Please click the 'older post' button at the end to go to the first card post if you are interested. 

I used dies from Day #10 of the kit. I created a floral bunch using the floral die included in this set. The skull face is supposed to be the center of the flower. I substituted this with an oval die cut.

I die cut the flowers and the oval centers on three different colored cardstocks. The ovals were cut on darker cardstock. I stamped the ovals using the same color dye inks for a tone on tone effect. The stamps I used are from an old My Mind's Eye Halloween stamp set.

I die cut a mason jar mug on white cardstock using a die from My Favorite Things. I die cut the skeleton face and the eyes on white cardstock. I inked the mug with gray ink to add some depth. I adhered the skeleton face die cut to the mug.

I die cut the stems on a green cardstock. I die cut the bat wing leaves on green and gray cardstock. 

This panel fits an A2 size card. I had to make it into this size to accomodate the flowers. 

I trimmed a plaid patterned paper at 4 1/4" x 6". I used a die to add the torn edge on the sides. I adhered this to a 4 1/2" x 6 1/4" gray gardstock. I adhered the mug then arranged the flowers and stams to create the floral bunch. I zhushed the ends of the flower and the leaves. 

I hope you like today's card. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Simon Says Stamp IG~Fall or Halloween!

Simon Says: Halloween/Spooky

 

Craftoween Rewind Card #1

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Do you remember last year's Spellbinders 13 Days of Craftoween? I won this as a giveaway last year post-Halloween. I was able to create a Christmas themed card last year using one of the dies (A Crow for Christmas Card). Now that Halloween is upon us, my prompt is to create Halloween cards using products from this box. Initially, I was aiming for 13 cards but the demands of life got in the way. I will try to create as my time permits.

For today's card, I used the skull mug die from Day #8 of the Halloween box. 

I die cut the mug on different colored cardstocks, cutting one on a lighter shade and the other one on a darker shade. This set came with a die that will cut the ripples of the drink that can be adhered to the mug. I used this die to cut the mug opening on the lighter shade mug die cut. I matched the die with the indention created by the mug die. There is a chance that it might not match but on my card, this was hardly noticeable since it was covered by the mug on top of it.

I adhered the dark colored mug to the back of the mug with the opening. 

I die cut the eyes and nose on black mirrored cardstock. I adhered this to the mugs. There are indentions created as a guide where to adhere these pieces. 

I stacked the mugs on top of each other.

I stamped a text background on a kraft cardstock cut at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I trimmed a brown patterned paper. I adhered the mugs to this wide strip of patterned paper. I adhered this to the kraft cardstock. I stamped the sentiment on top of the text background using dark brown dye ink. This stamp is a part of the Craftoween Box. 

I hope you like today's card. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day! Please come back to my blog for another Craftoween Rewind card.

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Simon Says Stamp IG Challenge: Fall or Halloween!

Simon Says: Halloween/Spooky

Flash Giveaway: Favorite Halloween Card

Glow in the Dark Halloween Card with a Surprise Element

 

Hello! I am on the Blank Page Muse Blog with this card. I am into Halloween themed cards this month. This is the second card I created for BPM with this theme.

If you follow me and read my earlier post re: struggling with a card, this is that card. Walking away and going back to an unfinished design somehow does the trick for me. Walking away allowed myself to reset and give the design another look. I was getting ready to ditch this card but I am glad I did not. What made me lean against throwing it is when I saw it glowing in the dark. The look is just magically wicked as you can see on the photo above. Do you agree?

The stamp I used on this card is the Blank Page Muse Grunge Cobwebs Halloween Background Rubber Stamp. The details on how I created this card is on the BPM blog. 

Below is another photo of the card with the light on...

...then off.

The spider on the upper left swings which can be best seen in the video below.

I hope you like today's card. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

BPM is generously offering a 15% discount to their online store to YOU, my blog readers. Just use the code BPMMaria when you check out. Enjoy!

I shared this card at

Simon Says Stamp IG Challenge~Fall or Halloween!

Stamping, Fussy Cutting and Piecing Papers

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Today's card is a part of the card set that I was commissioned to make. My prompt for this card is to use an item from my craft stash that I have been keeping for a long time. I chose a vellum speech bubble which I don't even remember how I cut it and when. All of the other items that I used on this card are also from my old craft stash.

I stamped the bear and the gifts on a white cardstock panel to create my scene. This will be my guide on where to adhere the patterned paper pieces which I will further explain on the next step.

I stamped the images on patterned papers from Lawn Fawn. This is where the tedious job begins since I have to selectively stamp the image on the patterned papers. I did not want to waste a lot of paper that is why I did the piecing technique this way. I could have stamped all the images on each patterned paper then cut it or I could have stamped it on a white cardstock and create the patterns using markers and/or pens. There are lots of options to create the look that I am going for.

I used black Memento Tuxedo Black ink in stamping the images. I fussy cut the images making sure I cut it on the stamped line. 

I stamped the bear portion of the image on white cardstock. I colored the bear with color pencils.

For the background, I used a Heidi Swapp stencil. I lightly blended inks following a rainbow order. I made some of the colors overlap each other.

I trimmed a light gray strip of cardstock. I embossed diagonal stripes to this strip. This will serve as the ground for the stamped images. I adhered this to the edge of the ink blended panel. I adhered the fussy cut pieces.

I stamped the sentiment on the yellow patterned paper. I cut it into strips and adhered it to the vellum speech bubble. I adhered this to the panel. 

I hope you like today's card. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.