Sunday, February 26, 2017

Keeping Promises to Myself-Early Christmas Card

Hello friends and visitors! Back in the beginning of the year (yesterday, it seems!), I made a little crafty promise to myself, several in fact. One of my resolutions was to make at least one Christmas card per month, so I would not feel so stressed during the season. Another promise I made to myself was to use one of the crafty goodies my good friend, Autumn (SewPaperPaint) sent me in my gigantic Christmas package. I paired these two resolutions up and met them for February with this Christmas card.


The star of the show here, the lovely ornament die cuts were a few that Autumn sent me. They were cut from patterned card, but I wanted them a little simpler, so I gave them a coat of black gesso, and
heat embossed with Stampendous and Tim Holtz stamps in gold.



I did some stamping using my new Peeled Paint Distress Oxide and in Frayed Burlap Distress ink. The image is a Tim Holtz Blueprint stamp and I had to mask off the lines and words before inking the stamp. This perhaps was the most time consuming part of this card.


You might be able to see the little flecks of sparkle on the background paper. After I inked, I spritzed a little Perfect Pearls mist in Heirloom Gold on my mat, and pressed the inked card into it here and there. It's quite shimmery in real life, but as you know, so hard to photograph. The flecks of gold on the ornaments is another story. I did use my antic static thingy before stamping, but the powder still melts into the gesso. Perhaps next time I need to paint over or otherwise seal the gesso before heat embossing.


I had some of these glittered pine boughs in my stash, and I was happy to include them at no time cost to me. They had been previously glittered with Tim's Glitter Dust.


This is seam binding ribbon I had in my stash, and I attempted to dye it with the oxide and ink, but the colors wouldn't 'stick' well, nor did the ribbon want to hold a shape, so I gave that a good drenching of the Perfect Pearls mist which helped to tie this all together. A quick dash into the fibers drawer and I found this gold twine to make a little bow for the ornament. Finished in less than 30 minutes! I think I do better without a plan! If I had more time, I think I would change one thing: put an extra coat of gesso on. Oh, well, two things--I would also seal the gesso before heat embossing.


Challenges entered:
Country View Challenges-February 2017-Time Challenge 30 Minutes or Under
Paper Artsy 2017 Topic #2 -Masks
So inspired by Ingrid's use of gold glitter and in her title Let Your Imagination Fly. Masking can't be seen on my card, but I masked my stamp before inking.
Scrapy Land Challenge #60 Add Texture I used a Sizzix Bigz die and die cuts given to me:).
Creative Artist Challenge #23-Anything Mixed Media Goes
Penny Black and More-February-Use Your Favorite Stamp This old Christmas greeting is my favorite way to say Merry Christmas! It has gotten so much use and is so old, it's falling apart.
A Vintage Journey-February Challenge-Words That Are Special What could be more special than "Merry Christmas"?
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge-Anything Goes
DL Art Thankful Thursday Challenge #199-"Green"
Your Next Stamp Sketch and Color Challenge #58

I chose cream, green and brown and used a lot of black (neutral).
Crafty Cardmakers #182-Add Some Texture
Stamplorations February Challenge-Stamps and Retro



Thank you for your visit today! I love reading your comments, so if you have time to leave one, I am very grateful!
Hugs and Blessings!
Sara Emily

28 comments:

  1. Oh, this is absolutely stunning, Sara Emily!! The ornaments look amazing!! I love the gold embossing!! The background is so beautiful!! The glittered branches add the perfect amount of sparkle!! This is so gorgeous!! And congrats on keeping up with your resolution!! I need to do the same thing or else I'll be buying Christmas cards again this year ;) Thank you for playing along at Scrapy Land!! I hope you have a beautiful Sunday, my dear friend!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  2. Gorgeous work Sara Emily! I like the rustic theme and golden embossing. Thanks for linking it to Scrapy Land Challenge.
    Samra DT
    Paper Talk with Samra

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  3. Beautiful card, Sara Emily! Love all the sparkle!

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  4. Such an elegant Christmas card Sara, the black and gold embossing look wonderful together and those sparkly twigs in the background look fantastic. Great result with the Oxide stamping too! Hugs, Anne xx

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  5. What a clever resolution, Sara Emily! This card is beautiful, so elegant too. Bravo!

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  6. Beautiful card. I love the touches of green of the boughs. Thank you for joining the DL.ART Thankful Thursday Challenge

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  7. This is fabulous Sara Emily, I love how you've altered the baubles, and you tie a great bow - something I cannot do so I always notice in others. Thanks so much for joining in with my challenge at Country View Crafts. Sue xx

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  8. Lovely card. Thanks for submitting it to Scrapyland's challenge#60.

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  9. The gold and black look very stylish and make for a super creation, many thanks for joining us again at Penny Black and More challenge

    Bx

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  10. Fabulous card and good for you to make and keep that promise Sara Emily! xo

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  11. Very pretty, love all the details and sparkle!
    Thanks so much for joining us at Penny Black and More!

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  12. Beautiful cards Sara Emily - I am trying to learn how to art journal so that is my promise to myself for 2017.
    Your makes are always a treat to see!
    sandy xx

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  13. OMGee Sara this is stunning! Before seeing yours I never liked black for Christmas cards but you've used the colour so beautifully with all that lovely shimmer and texture. Just fantastic art!
    I've been thinking for a while that it's a shame that we no one seems to swap die cuts. I'm wondering about setting up a blog or Facebook group for a few crafty friends to swap die cuts - I have three Tim Holtz Christmas dies and several Bigz and Thinlets dies and we should do a group swap lol! I think it would help us all, something for me to think about lol! Have a good week sweet lady xx

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  14. Wonderful card, Sara! And I love your resolution, that´s really clever! Oh, I don´t mind about the little embossing sparkles - I think, only you do recognize it so much ;-)
    Thank you so much for joining in with our challenge at Country View Crafts and have a great week.
    Evelyn xx

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  15. Hi Sara this is a beautiful card, the black baubles with their gold embossing look stunning with the sparkly branches. Well don you on keeping up with your resolution.
    Hugs, Avril xx

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  16. a real razzle dazzler - this is beautiful sara - gorgeous work! I adore those branches! Hugs rachel x

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  17. Your card is gorgeous, Sara Emily! Your background is so lovely, and the beautiful ornaments just pop! I'm so impressed you made such a beauty in less than 30 minutes - wow! Hugs :-)

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  18. Thanks for the fantastic photos, Sara, and for sharing your incredibly elegant Christmas card! I love the drama of black against the gold! WOW! And such beauty with the greenery and tinsel in the background! Love it! hugs, de

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  19. Gorgeous
    Thanks for joining us at Scrapyland challenges blog and good luck !
    Maryvonne DT Member

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  20. What a gorgeous card Sara!! I am loving this colour combo, the black and gold with neutrals and a touch of green, wowzers, brilliant!!! Your background is lovely with the branches of pine, such a beautiful backdrop for those amazing black ornaments! The gold embossed sentiments really shine on the black, and the added gold sprigs tie the whole thing together! YAY you for getting out ahead of things and starting your Christmas card stash, one less stress when it comes holiday time!! sending hugs :)

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  21. Oh my gosh! Those black and gold baubles make me smile from ear to ear! What a gorgeous project, the bows, the stamping, the yummy festive layers. This is amazing! Hugs, Autumn

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  22. Ok - two for two!!! I wasn't going to comment on this project Sara because I haven't quite recovered from last Christmas yet!!!!!!!!!!!! I will admit though... I really do think this card is a keeper. I like that it's more simply - not layered so deeply because I love seeing the pine boughs on the lovely background and yes - I do see your sparkles on the background = so fun. The black for the ornaments with the gold is just stunning against your background... it's like... what did you call it - rustic glam... that's it - rustic background with glam ornamentation! You NAILED it!! Ho-Ho-Ho!!!! Xj.

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  23. Love your glamorous baubles, and they look great against those subtle fir branches. Beautiful card, and well done on getting going for Christmas already!
    Alison x

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  24. What a super elegant and a super gorgeous Christmas card, Sara! Your gold embossing looks simply perfect and I love your fabulous background! So vintage, so beautiful and so awesome! You are such an inspiration, my sweet friend! I am totally in awe by this marvelous card! Lots of love to you! Branka xx

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  25. A really smart move to get a stock of cards done before December and also use some of that precious Christmas stash from Autumn. I love the whole elegant look to this one with the baubles and tree branches. Plenty of sparkle and glisten - beautiful! Thank you for sharing with us at A Vintage Journey xx

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  26. A vintage Christmas card are never less to have! Your card is so gorgeous! Loved the embossing which looks pretty over the darker background! Thank you so much for playing with us at STAMPlorations this month! :)
    Hugs
    Suchi-DT

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  27. Ahhhh yes! That black ornament with the gold bits is deliciously awesome sauce. Round of applause to you for keeping your promise to yourself. Your card is spectacular and oh so festive. Looks like you are a busy lady and getting to use your stash. Autumn sure gave you plenty to work with. So sweet! Have an amazing day dearie! Hugz to you muffin! ~Punkin

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