The Ultimate Christmas Tree

I'm posting for Biblical Impressions today, hope everyone's Christmas planning is going smoothly!

This is a card I made years and years ago, when my cardmaking was extremely simple (not that it's amazing now, of coures, but my skills were about zero when I started cardmaking), and I was so delighted with it, I felt like I'd artistically arrived! But ... it probably took me a full day, seriously, to do this. I'm that slow to make decisions, to color, and to assemble. So, I may never make it again, even though I have improved speed a little bit. Anyway, the Jesus Savior tree was embossed in gold on white vellum, then glued. A gently applied glue stick that is not too dry works for me, but the vellum must be attached by brads or something else to keep from peeling. I also weight it down under a pile of books for a day or two. It works very well, and just possibly might make the brads unnecessary, but I still use them. The Stained Glass Nativity was embossed on white cardstock, then trimmed and mounted to panels. If you don't have some type of stamp-a-ma-jig, as I didn't when I made this, just use a bigger piece of vellum than you need, then place on the stained glass image, and mark where you need to trim.

I wanted to use the design again, but I did not want to do all the coloring. So, this is what I came up with this time:
If I remake this, I would use mini brads (I do not have any), and perhaps do all four corners.

A Savior has been born to you...

Hello!  I'm posting today for Eureka.

I love, love, love Christmas Season!  I love the celebration of Jesus' birth, and I have the most wonderful memories of Christmas from childhood.  Our house looked, smelled, tasted, and sounded like Christmas!

Anyway, this is a single image, Bethlehem With Verse.  I embossed the image with silver.  Then I traced over the star with a versamark pen, and re-embossed it with gold.

Note: I was using a rather dry versamark pad, so I did not get great coverage on the bottoms of these cards (I think I was a bit hurried, and didn't press firmly enough).  For this top one, I just added more ink and more embossing powder.  Funny, my heat gun kept putting air bubbles, dozens and dozens.  I finally figured out how to position the cardstock best, but you can see I still had a couple! I also filled in the spots with a Galaxy marker where the script is not right, but unfortunately, spilled something on the card and ruined it. :-( So, no corrected picture, sorry about that!

I hesitated over posting this card, because it didn't turn out as well as I would have liked it to.  However, I really liked the concept: I embossed the image with sticky embossing powder, then brushed different colors of mica powder over the scene.  As you see, the blue did on the bottom looks a bit odd.  It's very important not to heat sticky emboss powder too long, or it will not look smooth and shiny, but very dull.  As I said above, I also did not check that I had thoroughly coated the stamped image.  Still, I  hope you are inspired!

Thanksgiving challenge for Eureka!

It's challenge time again at the Eureka Challenge Blog! The theme this week is "Thanksgiving;" please show us your creativity, and get a chance to win free images from Eureka!

 

I colored the Harvest Bounty with Harp image with pencils, and embossed Thanksgiving Blessings with an embossing powder that is no longer made, but is very similar to the Tim Holtz line of distress embossing powders. 

Eureka Blog Hop!

Welcome to Eureka Stamps' November Blog Hop!

The Eureka Stamp design team is showcasing one of the many wonderful stamps that you will find in the Eureka Stamp Store.

*The Grand Prize winner of the Eureka blog hop, chosen from comments left on the very last stop, will receive 5 new digital stamps of their choice from the EurekaStamp Store!

*Two Mystery DT Members will each be choosing a winner from the comments left on their hop post who will win our featured Eureka Stampdigi image.

Our hop will run through Saturday, November 10th. Winners will be announced on Sunday, November 11th.

So grab your favorite cup of choice and sit back as you hop along with us as we share some beautiful creations.

If you have arrived here from Kristie's blog, then you are in the right place. If not, why not start at the beginning of the hop which is Eureka Stamp Blog?

Now, admit it ... this is not an award winning color job! Honestly, coloring is not only something I do not do well, but frankly, dislike altogether. I never got over the trauma of being the last kid in my kindergarten class - no exaggeration - to learn how to color inside the lines! Perhaps therapy would help? ;-) Actually, this was also my first experience with digital stamps! I have never been interested in them, mostly because since coloring is a weak point, I enjoy create techniques like embossing, alcohol inks, etc, both of which don't work when using digitals. Frankly, had I paid attention when the call went out for this hop, and noticed it was a specific and digital image, I would not have agreed to do it! So, I am very glad I was in ignorance: digitals are fun! As I said, coloring is a weak point, so I knew that my efforts would not focus in that direction (though I admit, I did not mean for my focus to wander quite so far, lol!) Actually, I did take the time to google turkeys for realistic colors! Anyway, I literally prayed for inspiration, and immediately the idea of a place holder came to mind. I do not have a photo editor that allows me to custom size an image, but I can pick from standard picture sizes. Wallet size was the closest I could get, a little on the big side: the length of the green place holder is 6 inches, so a little large, but not badly so. If I were making a set of these to use, I would attach the name and its background with temporary bond glue, so that I could "recycle" them another year.

Thank you for stopping by! And don't forget to leave a comment at each stop for a chance to win!!

Your next stop on the hop is at Katie's blog!

Mosaic pumpkin!

 

I'm posting today for Eureka. I few weeks ago I posted with Eureka's mosaic background and leaves; today I'm showing you the mosaic pumpkin!  I embossed the pumpkin in gold, then sponged orange and green inks.