Tuesday 3 November 2009

Bowing to the inevitable

Well, I've been a bit out of touch lately, having been away for the best part of two weeks, so I decided that now I'm back I'd better show willing & get on with some Christmas cards. I really don't know why the prospect doesn't fill me with enthusiasm. Maybe it's because I'd rather not start thinking of Christmas before December and then don't have enough time to spend on them and end up with rushed designs that I'm not happy with.

However, whatever the reason, I've managed to make a start. I've continued with the colour removal technique using Distress Inks as in my recent posts, with brass stencils this time to produce the backgrounds.

The teddy & cat stamp was free with a magazine, so I thought I might as well try it. It's a bit too cute for my liking, but that's okay because I won't be sending it to myself. I cut it out with one of my new Nestabilities Labels 8 set and coloured it with Promarkers. I wanted a border around it, but the next size up Nestie was too big, so I went around the edge with a Promarker instead. The greeting is from Craftwork Cards. The snowflake stencil was also a magazine freebie.

The poinsettia on the second card is made from a couple of Craftwork Cards flowers, originally white but coloured with Promarkers. Likewise the greeting. I couldn't avoid the gold lettering with the Promarker, but I found that I could remove the ink from it afterwards with the Promarker blender pen.The all-over holly stencil is one I've had for several years, and I'm afraid I can't remember where it was from. The scalloped border around the Cuttlebug-embossed circle, and the outer red border, were coloured with Promarkers to match the flower. Can you guess I'm really into Promarkers at the moment?! I love being able to co-ordinate everything with them. I nearly got carried away and coloured some ribbon to match as well, but then I found some paper lace hiding at the back of a drawer and decided to use that instead. Of course, I could have coloured that too, but I thought I'd leave it as it was to go with the white circle.



Well, that's two done. I feel better now!

4 comments:

lisa said...

I see Christmas has got you Lynne. It comes to us all in the end!!
I love both you're cards. The snowflake background on the mauve one is lovely and works well with the stamp (note to self do not send Lynne a cutey Christmas card!!)
Your poinsetta is beautiful, a very classy card.
Looking forward to seeing more on the run up to the big day!
Hope you enjoyed your hols.

Lisax

brenda said...

Hi Lynn

Two geat makes, especially like the second - well, it's got a flower hasn't it.

Know just what you mean about crimbo cards, I was pushed into starting with DT work and was quite happy that my stash would grown. The other evening I was so pleased when I had a count up - 49 - the it dawned on me I have at least 70 ordered from here and there and that's without my own. So on we plod.

B x

Sally H said...

Both beautiful! I love the background on the first one, and how lovely is that pointsettia! I've done 20 so far.. only three aren't cute! Oh no! What's happening to me!!!!

craftimamma said...

These are both lovely cards and that background on the 1st card is particularly beautiful. I love the colours on the 2nd card.

I'm so far behind this year I think I'll end up buying cards which is disgraceful. I'm away for the next 2 weeks so won't have much time when I get back and so far I've only made 3! I've normally made enough for my Daughter and DIL to have some and had a stall at the hospital where I used to work. Not this year!

Lesley Xx