Tag Archives: Countdown to Christmas 2013

Dec 22

Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black, week #1

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We have come to the end of Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black! I hope you enjoyed these series, take a peek at the last Penny Black Christmas card I’ve got for you this year… I’m so not ready to put down my Holiday stamps yet, though, who’s with me?? lol

Countdown to Christmas
My aim is to share a new Christmas card made with Penny Black stamps each week. For today I inked up the stamps from the Love At Xmas clear stamp set, full of adorable images which are so fun to colour.

I used a patterned paper from Simple Stories (December Documented) for my base, and coloured the image with Copics. Here are the colours I used:
bear: E09, E07, E04, E02
hair: E29, E27, E25, E21
skin: E00, E02, E93
dress, ribbon: R27, R24
box, socks: YG67, YG61


Dec 15

Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black, week #2

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I have been absent for a few days, only to flood you with two posts on one day… happens to the best, eh? If it’s your first visit to my blog today, how about you check out some more of my Holiday cards, here! Right now I’m serving you a slightly delayed Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black post, enjoy!

Countdown to Christmas
My aim is to share a new Christmas card made with Penny Black stamps each week. I combined the images from different sets, on this one layer card: Christmas Banners (banners, of course), Merry & Happy (a single ornament) and Yuletide Greetings from which I took the sentiment. I started by lightly drawing the curved lines with a pencil (I used an edge of a large plate), then I stamped the banners and ornament with Memento Luxe inks and used a Memento marker to draw a line in between the banners, right on top of the pencil line.

I created the sentiment by curving it on a large acrylic block. Make sure it always sticks to it firmly, before stamping - I had a whoopsie! :) For a finishing touch, I added a few dots, stamped with white ink, to create a subtle bokeh effect, and I tied a bow with glittery twine over the ornament. I was aiming for a stationery look, I hope I was able to achieve it.
Next week is where this feature comes to an end! Boy, did the time go by quickly…


Dec 08

Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black, week #3

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Welcome to Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black, we’re up to week #3 and getting so close to the Holidays!

Countdown to Christmas
My aim is to share a new Christmas card made with Penny Black stamps each week. I reached again for a non-Christmas stamp, the beautiful Delicate Branches woodblock. This type of stamp will work well with just about any theme and I love it because it means more bang for your buck! For the sentiment, I chose yet again the super lovely Winter Wonders - I can’t get enough of these elegant fonts.

I created this crisp, cool wintry scene by firstly sponging some Memento inks onto the card. Instead of the usual circular moves, I applied the ink with the blending tool, with sweeping horizontal moves. It creates an illusion of having those delicate, wispy clouds which are often present in the Winter sky. Then I stamped the branches - once for the main image and again a bit off-center with the remaining ink for a 3D effect. I used Liquid Pearls to create lovely pastel berries (who cares they don’t come in lavender?? lol) and I applied a thin strip of corresponding cardstock to the top of the panel. Man, I miss real Winter :(


Dec 01

Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black, week #4

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**Have you seen my TCM Farewell Blog Hop post yet? No? Clicky :) Also, stay tuned for the Beautiful World Tour post soon!**

We’re down to week #4 of Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black!

Countdown to Christmas
My aim is to share a new Christmas card made with Penny Black stamps each week. I used the Winter Village stamp again today, although as much as previously I concentrated on the sentiment, this time I used only the image stamp. I embossed it in white on the Soft Stone panel, masked the rectangular area around it and sponged with distress inks. When I was done, I scored around the masked area to bring out the edges. Winter Wonders was used for the sentiment, and I sprinkled some Polar White flower Soft on the foot of the houses to make snow. As I was done I thought that the balance is not quite right, and I decided to add a length of trim underneath as well. I think it really helps to ground the design.

See you again in a few hours :)


Nov 24

Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black, week #5

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Uh-oh, sorry for the late! Blame it on the Dr. Who 50th Anniversary Special that aired last night and spoiled my usually craft-filled time :) Welcome to another week of Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black series, only 5 weeks to go now! Woot!

Countdown to Christmas
My aim is to share a new Christmas card made with Penny Black stamps each week. Today I’m showing you how I incorporated a non-Christmas stamp in a Holiday card, and I used the beautiful Autumnal Wreath stamp for this purpose. It’s great for those whose Christmas is not necessarily snow-filled (like mine) but still want the homey feel of a Holiday project. I stamped the wreath in olive Memento ink and watercoloured using paints and brush.
I stamped the sentiment from Yuletide Greetings, in two tones by inking the bits of the stamp separately, and finished the scene by flicking some spray mist over it (dispensed the liquid straight from the bottle screw-on tube). <- anyone know how I should call the darn thing?? lol

I helped myself to the FTL268 sketch:

Until next time!


Nov 17

Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black, week #6

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Hello!! Thank you for bearing with me over the last couple of days; I didn’t have such long absence in plans but life happens, hey? It’s time to kick off another post in my Countdown to Christmas with Penny Black series, and we’re up to week #6, people! Oh. My Gosh. I literally have nothing done towards the Holidays yet and it makes me feel more than as little uneasy. BUT, I do have a card, and that’s what you’re here for anyway, so let’s get down to it.

Countdown to Christmas
My aim is to share a new Christmas card made with Penny Black stamps each week. Brace yourselves, the stamp that I’m featuring today is cuteness personified - Little Elf Kit. As if she (he) wasn’t adorable enough, I added some freckles to the face and made the star super glitzy with some glitter glue. Such a fun card!

The background is created by applying embossing paste over stencil. The sentiment is another Penny Black own, Yuletide Greetings. Here are the Copic markers that I used to colour the image:
clothes: R29, R27, R24, W5, W2, W0
hair: E44
skin: E00, E02, E04
star: Y11, Y15

I used the FTL267 sketch below:


See you later, peeps :)


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