Simply Inky Christmas Card

Good Morning All,

Just posting the Week 33 Christmas card for Hazel's challenge - which I try my hardest to enter every week and so often fail miserably ... this week I'm going to make it ... just!

This is the card that appeared on my messy desk revealed on WOYWW post this week. It's very much an experiment in inking based on something I spotted Dawn Bibby doing on TV recently. DB took a decorative/ornate edged white base card, with shapes already cut out around the edges, and inked all over the closed card. The effect was that not only did the face of the card get inked but, where there was a cut out area, the ink went through to leave a decorative effect.  Whilst watching the demo I thought that it should be possible to get the effect using any suitable punch, so here's my version of the DB card using my X-cut falling stars punch (can't remember the real name of this design). I began by punching the corners, then stamping with VersaMark shooting stars and snowflakes randomly over the front and then inking all over with a blue ink pad to reveal the stamping and cover the card.

As you can see it was a success - the ink left an impression of the punch inside on the right-hand side corners of the card. I then punched out a mask on a bit of spare card, placed it in the corners of the left inside and inked through that to give a balanced look. So far so good ... but ...

I didn't intend to do much with the back of the card but ... when I was inking the front, pushing it around and inking away as you do, the back was picking up any ink left on the surface I was working on ... result: an inky mess! So there was nothing for it, I had to ink the back too and having done that it cried out to get the mask treatment as well.

To finish I stamped the greeting in VersaMark on the front of the card and embossed it in white, added the ribbon and sprinkled a few blue & clear gems around the stars and snowflakes.


Materials:

• 5" square white card base
• VersaMark ink pad
• Adirondack Earthtones Stonewashed ink pad
• X-Cut shooting star paper punch
• Anita's Magical Christmas stamp set
• Docrafts Penelope & Percy stamp set
• Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder
• Blue/white saddle stitched ribbon
• blue and clear gems

I'm submitting this card for Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Week 33 - Simply Christmas

The card didn't take long to make, and would have taken even less time had I not messed up the back with ink ... note to self: be more careful next time! Cards could be made for almost any occasion using this technique and different punches - for example, a tiny heart shaped corner punch for a Valentine's Card; a leaf shape for an autumn themed card; or even use a daisy edge punch for a pretty effect ... the possibilities seem endless.

It's POETS day today so time to wish you all a very happy and enjoyable weekend - rather like the one I've promised myself.   My DH has left me to my own devices whilst he is visiting his sister for the weekend.  Of course, The Boss is still here, just to keep an eye on me! That gives me two/three days in which to amuse myself ... mmm ... I wonder what I can do with all that time? Yep, not much guessing needed, I've promised myself a weekend of scrapping ... that is the scrapping weekend I planned for last week which didn't quite come off.

Happy Crafting,