Monday, October 15, 2012

Quietfire Christmas Blog Hop - Kindling Your Creativity





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Happy Monday!!!  Thank you for stopping by!!!  Scroll down to the bottom of this post for all the particulars about the swap and links to all the participants.... and don't forget to leave a comment on this post for your chance to win a grab bag of stamps from Quietfire Design.

I have chosen to make a card using the new "Christmas waves a magic wand" rubber stamp.  Now I realize that there is no way any of us could make a bunch of these cards to send out for Christmas; however, we usually have a person (or 2 or 3) that we like to make an extra special card for and this would be perfect...  OR how about framing it and giving it as a gift or using it in your own home while decorating for Christmas.  Just some ideas!!  

Supply List --

Quietfire Design Stamps - Christmas waves a magic wand, and a flourish
Watercolour Paper
Specialty Stamping Paper
Core'dinations - Distress & Adirondack
Grungepaper
Dreamweaver stencil - LG713 Amsterdam Flourish
Embossing Paste
Dies - Vintage Cabinet Card; Mini Repositionable Cabinet Card; Festive Greenery; Mini Reindeer
Dylusion Sprays - postbox red, lime green, cut grass
Distress Inks - barn door, vintage photo, mowed lawn, pine needles
Archival Ink - jet black, viridian
Lumiere Paint - bright gold
Tiny copper bells
4mm white satin ribbon 
Craft Sheet
Heat Tool
Ink Blending tool
Mister bottle with water in it
Palette Knife or Embossing Paste Spreader

** Note - It looks to me like the quote is blurry in the pictures and I've retaken twice and it still looks like that on my screen.  I want to let you know, if it's blurry on your screen, that it is not blurry in real life.

I began by creating the central frame piece.  I cut it from watercolor paper using the two cabinet card dies.  I love these dies from the movers and shapers line and how we can put them together and cut just once to make a frame.


Next I embossed onto the frame using a metal stencil and embossing paste.  Working on a craft sheet, I placed the stencil on the frame and pressed paste through the stencil using a palette knife.


Lift the stencil straight up leaving your design on the frame in paste.  The extra paste on the craft sheet can be scraped up and put back into your jar.  Scrape over the stencil to remove excess paste, move it to another area on your frame, and apply paste again. Continue until you have the design everywhere you want it.  If you find that you can't place the stencil without getting into wet paste already on the frame, do the areas you can, let it dry, and then go back and emboss the other areas.  If you are not going to immediately use the stencil again then wash it.  If you let the paste dry on the stencil it will be very hard to remove.



Let the paste dry completely.  (This is the end of any step-by-stap pics)

After the paste was completely dry I sprayed the frame with all 3 colors of Dylusion sprays and dried it with the heat tool.  I then used the gold paint on the flourishes.  I first tried to just lightly sponge over them or use my finger and I was getting more paint then I wanted on the areas around the flourishes and then (finally) remembered to place my stencil back over the paste and apply my paint that way thereby protecting the areas around the flourishes.  I also used a small paintbrush to add extra paint on some of the flourishes that just weren't gold enough.  Set the frame aside and let it dry.

The paper behind the frame is Specialty stamping paper.  I sprayed it lightly with water and then sprayed it well with lime green spray.  Then without blotting or pressing, just leaving it as is, I dried it with a heat tool.  I love how textured the color is on the Specialty stamping paper if you just dry it.  I layed the frame piece onto this piece to determind where I wanted to stamp the quote and then stamped the quote using jet black.  Stamp flourishes around the edge with viridian ink.  Adhere the frame.

Not knowing exactly how I wanted to do the pieces of greenery I cut a strip from both green and brown core'dinations paper.  I sanded both pieces before removing all the cut outs (a tip learned from Tim Holtz I think during last years 12 tags).  I used the pine cone from the brown piece sponging a little vintage photo around the edges.  I used green inks on the greenery pieces and also added details to the holly leaves by folding and sponging ink.  I took the flourishes from the green paper and inked them with red, then rubbed on some snow cap stain, then added more red and decided they just didn't quite look right so I painted them gold but because of the red ink it tinted the gold reddish which is why 2 of the flourish have a red tint.  The 2 flourishes from the brown paper were just painted, not ink, and so they are more gold.  Decided where I wanted the pieces to go and glued them on.  I punched different sizes of circles from red core'dinations and used them as berries tithe holly leaves.


The deer is cut from grungepaper and inked with brushed corduroy and vintage photo.



The ribbon is rubbed with barn door ink.  The bells are copper so I did sponge just a little gold paint on them so they matched better and it gave them a little shimmer.

The whole piece is edged with gold paint and then attached to a red core'dinations folded card.



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Now onto the details of the swap!!!  

The Quietfire Design 2012 Christmas Blog Hop!  

October 15th through 19th, 2012!


Quietfire Design would like to introduce you to their New Holiday Selection of rubber stamps!  Each day designers will be posting brand new artwork they have created using the new rubber stamps.  Visit their blogs on the day of their featured project, post a comment on their Blog Hop post and you will be eligible to win a grab bag of Quietfire Design rubber stamps!  Each Designer will randomly choose a winner from the comments on their own Blog Hop post, so make sure that you’ve commented by midnight Friday, October 19th.  Tell your friends!

All winners will be posted on the Quietfire Style blog on Sunday October 21st. If you are one of our lucky winners, please contact Suzanne privately with your snail mail address. 

Here is our schedule:

Monday, Oct 15th: Yogi ,Wanda
Tuesday,Oct 16th: RobynHolly
Wednesday, Oct 17th:  Sherry
Thursday, Oct 18th: MonicaTerre
Friday, Oct 19thSuzanne


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82 comments:

Charmaine Stack said...

Wanda, what a beautiful project - so much more than a card! I love the flourished frame - thanks for the tutorial on that. This would look great framed!

laurie said...

A WINNER in my book! Wow! Love the embellished frame idea. You've got me to thinking (and that's a rare thing for this gray haired redneck!)

tea said...

A truely inspiring project, and a true work of art! So christmassy and in tune with the lovely stamped quote! It is just 'more beautiful' and I love it!!!
Also, I learned a lot from reading your how to instructions, there are so many valuable tips along the route you've travelled. Like rubbing the ribbon with barn red, so simple, but so easy to forget.
What a start on a blog hop! Can't wait to see what the other gals come up with, you've really raised the bar pretty, pretty high! Cudos!

Robyn said...

Wada, the frame is georgous...sets off the stamp beautifully...I'd say suitable for framing!
And excellent tutorial on using the stencil and paste.
TFS!
Hop on.....

Nan G said...

Love your frame! Your use of the Dylusion sprays is fab! Great holiday stamp set from Quietfire Designs!

Janet L. said...

Beautiful card! I love the paper pieces of greenery, the frame and all. Thanks for the tutorial, too!

Carmen G. said...

This card does require lots of work but one can give it to someone special or use it as a Christmas decoration by framing it. Thanks for sharing your beautiful work. Carmen G.

Joy H said...

Lucky person that gets to receive this card! I think you should just keep it and frame it for the wall Wanda. Thanks for all the great details for how to make this too.

Yogi said...

beautiful. Love the way you did the frame. I don't have that die... sigh!!
Have a great day

Nancy said...

This is absolutely beautiful, Wanda!! I love the cab card die & your stenciling on it - fantastic idea!!
Your sharing of your creative process always makes me wish I were home, surrounded with my inks & papers!

Kathy/NorthCarolina said...

Soooooo gorgeous...looks like someone waved a magic wand over your card! Just beautiful with all that texture and delicate font on the sentiment. This is one of those cards that is a gift in and of itself!

Angelartistok said...

Beautiful card! I love the frame technique. Must play with it soon.

Bonnie said...

This card is absolutely beautiful. I'd frame it and hang it every Christmas if a friend sent it to me! I'm new to stamping and card making, so I learn something with every post. I LOVE how you have embossed the matt/frame. I would not have thought of that! So very beautiful, THANKS!

Quietfire said...

Just Beautiful Wanda! Wow!

SusanK said...

While there's a lot of work involved to make many of this card, I agree that for someone special or as decor it would be perfect. Thanks for the reminder about using embossing paste!

Alicia NDC said...

So much detail! Your frame is beautiful! Thanks for the inspiration!

Kathy Eddy said...

oh Wanda, this is just beautiful!

KVencel said...

Beautiful card design! Love how you show us "thinking outside the box" ideas! Your little touches are exquisite.

christi said...

this is an awesome card. i love all of the details that make it so wonderful. tfs.

Linda Ward said...

Beautiful Christmas card. Another one of your pieces of artwork that anyone would be lucky to receive.

Janice said...

Beautiful, just beautiful. I like the scroll work on the frame and the hint about re-using the mask to paint it.

Anonymous said...

Great Card & a great deal of work. The saying in this set are so beautiful. I've got to have this one.
Elaine

CraftyJo said...

I don't think I could bear to post this out to anyone if I'd made it :) It's gorgeous.

Caryn S said...

Love all of the treatments to the background paper and the frame. Now I am very curious to find and try embossing paste, this is the first I have heard of it!

Rena Sawatski said...

Beautiful card and sentiment. Thanks for sharing the process.

Linda said...

Nice touch to have the added texture on the frame.

Beach Girl 115 said...

This card is so beautiful. All the little touches put together are outstanding.

McStamper said...

Wanda, wonderful card with so many ideas. (gildamc@hotmail.com)

Terre Fry said...

Great project Wanda, thank you for sharing your creativity.

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Absolutely gorgeous!!! That frame is amazing!

Anne said...

Stunning! Incredibly beautiful and sooooo detailed! Yes, it is a sprecial card for a special peron methinks! TFS!

Pam said...

This is fabulous! What a great project!

Dee in N.H. said...

Oh my gosh!! That is absolutely stunning!!!! That definitely should be framed! I love it!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely gorgeous! I love all the detailed dies, the flourishes, and even the elegant calligraphy contrasted with the very simple but majestic reindeer silhouette.

SherylH said...

Such a beautiful card for someone special! Love the idea of using the brass stencil to add texture to the frame.

Candy Meyers said...


NEAT CARD. LOTS OF DIMENSION. THANKS FOR SHARING IT WITH US.
CANDY MEYERS

Froggietalks said...

What a gorgeous card Wanda! Love what you did with the sentiment in the frame.

Sandie R said...

Wanda this is just spectacular and thanks for the tutorial on the stencil & paste. I love the background colour as well.

Therese said...

Love that mover and shapers die!!! Makes wonderful frames. Love the embossing paste! Creates wonderful texture!!

Great job!

Therese
www.tmalakart.blogspot.ca

jmcraftygal said...

Wanda, I love the traditional colours and look of your card and the wonderful sentiment too! Thanks for sharing! Jutta Maraun

Marjie Kemper said...

Beautiful Wanda! Love how you framed that sentiment.

Lynne said...

Wanda your card is simply awesome! Love the frame you made and thank you so much for the tutorial.

Diane Standish(crazeedi) said...

Your card is simply amazing-I love it so much!

Linda Carson said...

WOW! I'd give this beauty a 10....picture perfect!

Sherry Cheever said...

Beautiful project and I LOVE the added details to the frame!

Daphne said...

Wanda, as usual, just fantastico! I marvel at your creativity.

BlackCats said...

Another great creation Wanda. Love the attention to details.

Anonymous said...

Great card. When I first saw this card I thought the frame was cut from a printed stock, would never have thought to add paste to create texture to a frame .... what a great idea.

Susie Bentz: My Time to Play said...

This is such a lovely sentiment! I love the texture and layers on this card. Just beautiful. Thanks for the inspiration!

Pamela Levingston said...

Thanks so much for sharing the tutorial on how this outstanding card was made! So much detail.

mow180 said...

Oh My! What a lovely card. I am going to 'lift' your idea and make one for each of my Daughters. I like to think it will become a heirloom LOL. This design is worthy, thanks for sharing.

Alison said...

A beautiful work of art Wanda! I love the embossed frame!
Alison x

Anonymous said...

Very pretty, especially for those few special recipients!

Jan Castle said...

Nicely done Wanda!!! The embossed frame really enhances the card!
Paper Hugs,
Jan

Lindart said...

Wow, what a beautiful card! You are right, it would make a great framed gift!

June said...

I can't believe how much work you did for this card. It is well worth the effort. Absolutely stunning.

Chris Arlington said...

Wanda, I love your card. The idea with the cabinet die cut is great! beatiful detail !

Patricia said...

Lovely card. I love the die cut frame you used.

debbie said...

love it
Debbie

Julie said...

Great project. Thanks for the inspiration.

Anonymous said...

Would look beautiful framed!
Wendy R
gargystamps at yahoo dot ca

Maxine said...

Absolutely beautiful. A great project for that special person. Thanks

Nelda said...

Outstanding piece of art! Thanks for sharing & the great photos.
Nelda

Anonymous said...

Well done. I will have to scroll back through your notes more slowly and take it all in again....I guess I am a slow learner!!
Can the Bigz die be used with a Big Shot or do you need a bigger machine?

Karen Wilson

Pat said...

Will have to use some of the great techniques. Great card.

Ramona said...

wow, so much work for a card! amazing.

Theresa said...

Wanda, great card. Love that I have most of what it takes to make it - except the new stamps which will be remedied. thanks as always for sharing.

lizzie said...

What an incredible card, so beautiful.

Jane said...

Wow! I really love what you did with Suzanne's stamps. The colour you chose make the card so festive.
Great tips as well. Thank you,
Jane

Anonymous said...

Wanda,
this is a beautiful card. i really like the dimension the art paste adds.
Gail R.

grannypoppy said...

Such a beautiful card, Wanda. So festive looking with the green and red!

Bonnie Garby said...

What a beautiful card. Thanks so much for showing us how you made it.

Lynda M said...

Gorgeous card. So many lovely details.

sparkling stamper said...

I love all the elements! Wow! A lot of effort, but worth the end product. Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Lovely card Wanda!

Evelyn Dawson said...

I have those die cuts but putting them together with that dimensionalized frame was genius. I will steal your example to send to my mothein law!!!

Mary Esther said...

This IS an extra special card. Thank you for sharing!

Anonymous said...

holy COW
78 Comments
hard to believe
wowza

pick me, pick me, anne a

Anonymous said...

gorgeous card - and the tutorial is a bonus!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

Gorgeous card, Wanda, and a great tutorial! Not too sure I'd have the patience for more than one of these!

Marlene Letendre said...

What a beautiful, detailed and elegant card.