Pages

Monday 7 July 2008

...cards with Boards and Beams

... and an award
My PTI box arrived on the 4th of July and I've been in it all weekend, here's what I've come up with, all christmas of course. The moment I saw this set on the PTI website I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I love wee houses - I used to carve them out of clay years ago and what a treat it was to see this set - It is my idea of perfection. - I can't wait to see what the next release will be.

The first card uses 'selective' embossing with white embossing powder to make it look as if the house is covered in snow/frost, the idea is that it's night time and the winter moon is highlighting the frosty house. I have made up a mini tutorial to show how I did this incase anyone wants to know. I used a large spot from polka dot basics to make the moon.

I coloured the shadows with watercolour paints and pencil and I added fine glitter to give a snowy sparkle.

Both cards have snow (glitter) on the roof and one 'lighted' window each.

In the second card Santa flies high above the house in the moonlight. I curved the Believe stamp on my acrylic block before stamping it in white on the card - I like the way it echoes the tiny shape of Santa on his Sleigh, I had to paint this on, but I would just love it if Nichole of PapertreyInk decided to include a teeny Santa and sleigh in her intended Christmas add-ons for this set.


Selective Embossing Tutorial
I made up this wee tutorial in case anyone wanted to know how I did the card. I'm sure this is probably a well known technique to all you pro's out there but I thought I was pretty nifty when I thought of doing this.

Step 1. Stamp the house in Indigo ink - pour over white embossing powder. Stamp and powder the fence on either side.

Steps 2 and 3. Take a very fine brush and start to brush the powder off in the areas that would be in the shadows - for example under the front porch, and a little off the fence under where the trees will be. Don't forget the eaves and to the right of the windows. Use the heat gun to emboss the remaining powder. Indigo ink will show where you brushed powder off - this is good.

Step 4. Make a mask of the fence using scratch paper.

Step 5. Stamp and powder the tree. Repeat on the other side.

Step 6. Use your brush to dislodge a little powder on the underside of the trees to make shadows. Stamp and powder a moon - I used a large dot from the polka dot basics stamp set (bear in mind the final size of the card you are making when deciding where to set the moon.). Use the heat gun to emboss the remaining powder.

Step 7. Use the colouring method of your choice to add depth to the shadows.

Step 8. Cut out the windows - I cut the bottom windows out completely and just the panes out of the top three windows so that the snowy window sashes remain.

Step 9. Stamp the windows from the bottom of the house onto your window material - I used sparkly vellum in a grey/blue. Cut out the window material so that there is enough vellum to cover the 4 bottom windows.

Step 10. Adhere the windows to the reverse of the house ensuring that the bottom two windows are in the correct place. Stick a piece of yellow card behind the top window. Add glitter to your image as you please.

Your image is now ready to be trimmed and added to your card.

If you click on the image it should get bigger.


awardI want to take the opportunity to Thank Emily Davis of Ems closet for giving me an award. http://inemscloset.blogspot.com
Emily has been extremely positive about all my work and I am very grateful. It gives me great encouragement to continue posting my stuff. I haven't seen this before so please forgive me if it takes a few days to pass it on.

19 comments:

  1. Your cards are beautiful! I love what you did with the boards and beams and the white ink!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Claire, these cards are absolutely stunning. I love the embossing, and what wonderful holiday cards they make. Thank you for explaining your steps. I'm going to have to try this for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Claire these are amazing!! I have never seen anyone do selective embossing - it's brilliant!! Just beautiful cards!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Claire, You HAVE to show Nichole this. HOW COOL is that? I love that you stamped Santa and I must have that stamp. lol
    Spectacular.
    Emily

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow these are gorgeous...they look like winter nights to me!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a fantastic idea! I'm soooooo glad you joined the PTI forum! You really have beautiful cards! Thank you for sharing them!

    ~ Pam
    (prhansen on PTI forum)

    ReplyDelete
  7. VERY cool Claire! I'm definitely going to try this. Now I just need to get Boards & Beams and I'll be set.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Just brilliant. Now I want that set :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Claire,

    Love what you did with the houses. All gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  10. WOWEE! The cards are amazing--what a cool effect with beautiful results!!!
    thanks for the tutorial too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh my Claire! These cards are wonderful!! You are so talented!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is stunning! Love what you have created.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ok I have been out of the loop for a bit and just now found your blog. WOW!! I have just read your all of your posts (your stuff blew my socks off by the way) and added you to my google reader so that I won't miss anymore. -Molly B

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is just wonderful so much so that I may give mine another spin when I said I wouldn't.

    ReplyDelete
  15. These are just so gorgeous! If anything has pursuaded me to get back out making cards again it has to be this. Winter's nights here I come...

    After two weeks holidays up in the North West of Ireland, with wonderful weather this is just what I need to kick start my crafting on returning home.

    Thanks for the tutorial and the inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  16. OhmyGosh! I can't believe how beautiful your work is! I'm not a pro but I've been stamping a while and you're miles ahead in skill, technique and artistry. Thank you so much for your tutorial... something new for me to try!

    ReplyDelete
  17. These cards are stunning!! And thanks for the tutorial--I'm going to follow it!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh goodness!!! You are just sooo uber talented!!!! I am amazed at every creation you make, so often coming up with brand new (at least to me....and I started stamping almost fifteen years ago!) techniques too. I've never seen creating shadow by only embossing selective areas of your image. Phenomenal!!! Thank you so much for sharing with us!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful talent with us. I love your Blog. Deb

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to comment, :) I read them all and I appreciate you taking time to visit!