Making Discoveries....Evergreen Tree Brads

I am feeling pretty fortunate tonight. As I was leafing through a pile of Christmas patterned paper, I came across this paper with evergreen trees. Earlier today I had created a card for the "Evergreen Trees" challenge over at Christmas Card Challenges. I knew that this patterned paper would make an excellent background for another card. As I was poking around looking for embellishments to use with the patterned paper, I discovered some evergreen tree brads. How lucky can I be! Don't you just love it when you find the perfect supplies right at your fingertips! The card came together very quickly once I'd located all the goodies. I began by adhering the patterned paper to a white mat, then layered it on top of a green cardbase. I threaded a piece of green cardstock through the tree brads and attached them to an inked background. I layered this onto a piece of white cardstock with faux stitching. I love how quickly it came together and I am thrilled that I discovered the paper and embellishments. Now I'm heading back into my studio to see what other forgotten goodies await me.

I'm also linking this card up for the "Anything Goes" as long as it's Christmas challenge over at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge.
 
Supplies: Cardbase: Bazzill, Cardstock: Recollections, Patterned Paper: Oriental Trading, Brads: Oriental Trading, Ink: Memento, Adhesive: Scotch ATG

Evergreens: Peace on Earth

I recently purchased a lovely evergreen tree stamp. So it is very fortunate that the current challenge at Christmas Card Challenges is EVERGREENS!  I couldn't wait to try out the stamp. I started by inking the sky background using a cardstock circle to mask where I wanted the moon to appear. Next I inked up that lovely tree stamp and repeatedly stamped across the base of the inked skyline. I tore white cardstock and layered it below the trees to represent the snow.  On the last strip of  snow, I printed Peace on Earth. To finish the card, I used a gel pen and very carefully added "snow" to the pine trees. I really like the peaceful feeling of this snow scene. It reminds me of the winters of my childhood.

I will also link this card up at Crafy Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge. It's anything goes as long as it's Christmas for the whole month of August.

Supplies: Cardbase: Recollections, Cardstock: Recollections, Ink: Studio G, Memento, Stamp: Inkadinkado, Adhesive: Scotch ATG, Sakura Gel Pen

I Heard the Bells

I've been in communities around Christmas time that celebrate the Christmas season by ringing a bell or bells in various towers throughout the city. I love to hear the bells ring in song, especially when they play familiar Christmas carols. My card design was inspired by these bell towers and various Christmas/Bell challenges.

To create my bell and tower, I started by dry embossing a brick pattern onto  a piece of red cardstock. I added highlight and detail with colored pencils and markers. Next I cut a window out of the embossed cardstock and added a hand cut bell, again using a colored pencil to add detail. Around the window frame I added punched boughs and pearls.I created a roof from strips of black cardstock. I made a vertical cuts every few centimeters along the strip to create shingles. I layered the strips onto a triangle "roof" shape and created a lower roof with more strips of black cardstock. Using ink and a sponge, I created a sky background then adhered the building to it.  The final touch was to create a weather vane for the top of the tower. The hardest part was cutting those teeny, tiny N,S,E, W letters.

I'm submitting this card for several Chirstmas/Bell themed challenges:

Winter Wonderland's BELL Challenge

Jingle Belles' BELL challenge

 Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge "Anything Goes" challenge 

& 

Merry Monday "Anything Goes: Christmas in July" 

challenge at Always Playing with Paper

Supplies: Cardbase: Recollections, Cardstock: Recollections, Darice Brick Embossing Folder, Crayola Colored Pencils, Martha Stewart Bough Punch, Queen & Co Pearls, Studio G Ink, MS Word, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive, Scotch ATG

Sleigh Bells ring...

My mind has been buzzing with ideas since I saw the current challenge at Jingle Belles. Are you ready?
It's "Sleigh BELLES Ring.  Isn't that a fabulously fun prompt? It took me all day to narrow my ideas down, before I finally settled on a sleigh bell harness as the focal point on my card. I began by punching six circles from metallic paper. Next I punched two small holes in the center of each circle. I cut away the metallic paper starting at the bottom of each circle, cutting towards the two small circles at a slight angle. To create the strap for the harness, I took a strip of chocolate cardstock, cut it into the shape of a harness then crumpled it up and carefully flattened it.  I highlighted the texture that this created by sliding a brown ink pad over the top of it.  I punched three holes in the narrow end of the harness, added a buckle that I cut from metallic paper and a small gold brad just below it. I adhered the bells with dimensional adhesive and layered the harness over a piece of patterned. Fortunately, among the Christmas words on the patterned paper,  I found "Sleigh Bells ring..." .  I cut this portion off and created a banner and adhered it with dimensional adhesive. I finished by adding red gems. Since the large photo doesn't really show the texture of the gold metallic paper that I used for the bells, I am sharing a close-up of the  belles.

I decided to link this card up with:
Winter Wonderland, since the current challenge there is also BELLS. 

Hazel's Christmas "Anything Goes" challenge 

at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge 

and the 

Merry Monday "Anything Goes: Christmas in July" 

challenge at Always Playing with Paper

Supplies: Cardbase: Recollections, Cardstock: Bazzill (red mat), Core'dinations: chocolate, Metallic Paper: Highgloss, Dimensional Adhesive: Elmer's Glue Spots, Patterned Paper ? (open stock, not sure about manufacturer),Gems: Studio G, Ink: Memento, Adhesive: Scotch ATG, Circle Punch: EK Success