Merry Christmas Cat

Hi there,

today, I would like to show you this card that I created for this week's 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown:

• stamp Inkadinkado Do not open Kitty with Versafine (Onyx Black) on watercolor paper for a little texture and color the cute image with Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor Pencils and Zest-it
• create the layers with patterned paper from the BoBunny Candy Cane Lane 6x6 paper pack
• stamp the sentiment from Clearly Besotted Stamps Many Mini Messages with Versamark and heat-emboss with Ranger Wild Plum embossing powder
• stamp Impression Obsession Dotted Argyle with Versafine (Smokey Gray) on a white cardbase and round all four corners with a 1'' corner rounder
• add Glossy Accents to the little bell around the cat's neck

I would like to take part in the following challenges:

Virginia's View Challenge #14 - Layers and Dimensions

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Simon says make your own Background

Shopping our Stash Challenge #197: Lost & Found (I re-discovered this cute little cat stamp)

V's Sweet Challenge #33 - Anything goes

Have a christmassy day.

Yours,
Tanja

Happy Birthday Flowers

Hi there,

today, I would like to share this watercolor birthday card with you:

• stamp Altenew Floral Motifs and Inkadinkado Curly Q Alphabet with Versamark on watercolor paper and heat-emboss with silver embossing powder
• watercolor the panel with Distress Re-inkers (Bundled Sage, Mowed Lawn, Tumbled Glass, Weathered Wood, Salty Ocean, Milled Lavender, Shaded Lilac, Dusty Concord)
• cut the panel apart and remove a strip matching the height of the sentiment
• ink up the edges with Distress Ink (Salty Ocean)
• puzzle it back together on a piece of grey cardstock
• stamp the sentiment from Lili of the Valley Handwrittet Phrases with Versafine (Onyx Black)

I would like to join the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create Challenge #119 - Anything Goes w/ Optional Twist: Create Your Own Challenge

A2 - Birthday - Watercolor

Little Red Wagon Challenge #284 - Spring is in the Air

Seize the Birthday Challenge - Anything goes

V's Sweet Challenge #33 - Anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - In the Middle

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Simon Says April Showers and/or Spring Flowers

Thanks for stopping by.

Yours,
Tanja

Enjoy the Journey - Step-by-Step

Hi,

today, I would like to share a step-by-step tutorial with you and since one of the card's essential embellishments is twine, I am going to put a link to this post on the Simon Says Anything Goes With Twine Or String-Challenge:

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The card started out relatively unspectacular. It was my goal to create a rusty vintage background. I used Montval watercolor paper and Distress Paints (Gathered Twigs, Walnut Stain, Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo). Afterwards, the stamping could begin. I used three different ink colors: Memento Luxe (Gray Flannel and Rich Cocoa) and Versafine (Vintage Sepia). First, I used the Kaiserkraft Texture Stamps Wood Grain and Sketchy stamps. My second choice was the Katzelkraft - Single Steampunk Engrenage and finally, I used the IndigoBlu - Ledger Background.

Here is my result:

In my opinion a vintage background isn't completely vintage without some distressing. I used the Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distresser around the edges and added same Distress Ink in the color of Walnut Stain with the Ranger Inkssentials Ink Application & Blending Tool. I am really looking forward to the release of the new Ranger Mini Round Ink Blending Tool because I think it will work just great with stencils. 

Now I had to think about what should be on the card. I stamped three different elements: a tag from the Papermania All Aboard Tags, a compass from Inkadinkado's Woodland Trail set and a sentiment from Stampers Anonymous (Tim Holtz - Simple Sayings).

I colored them with my Derwent Graphitint watersoluble pencils using a Faber-Castell waterbrush. After coloring I used some Distress Ink Vintage Photo around the edges.

I tried to give the compass the look of metal and glass using my Versamarker and Sternenstaub embossing powders (clear and platinum).

I wasn't really satisfied with the result. So I tried it a second time, using the clear embossing powder on the whole element. So much for the glass-look. Then I added Distress Paint (Pewter) to the outer rim. Much better. In the picture below you can see the two versions of the compass (left: embossing powder and paint; right: two different embossing powders).

I put all the elements on my cardbase and came to the conclusion that I need something more. For this reason, I stamped the suitcases from the Papersmooches Get outta Town-set. As a finishing touch I put some twine (Lawn Fawn - Lawn Trimmings single natural cord) through the hole in the tag.

Finally, it was time to assemble my card. I used brown cardstock as a base and put the background on it. Before that I added some more twine. The tag was glued directly to the background and I used foam pads for the sentiment and the suitcases in order to give the card more dimension. The compass was attached using a star brad from Prima Marketing.

This is my tutorial for today. I hope you like it.

Have a nice day.
Tanja

P.S. Since the the suitcases are from a Papersmooches set, I decided to also add a link to this card to the Paper Smooches SPARKS - Anything Goes Challenge.

P.P.S. And here is the custom-made envelope for this card.

I used some Washi-Tape at the top and the bottom and stamped images from the stamp sets Mail around the World (Marianne Design) and Air Mail (Avery Elle) with Versafine vintage sepia.