Saturday, December 08, 2018

Foiled Again

Well I can't believe it's over THREE WEEKS since I posted on my blog... 'Tis the Season and all that - and it certainly IS the season if you live in Western Australia and work in the swimming pool industry; EVERYONE wants their pool in and looking shcmicko for The Big Day, and they don't mind if you run yourself into the ground to achieve it!!  Ah well, the joys of Self Employment :-) 
Anyways, I'm here today with a few Christmas cards from my stash.  They are very simple cards, always best for the overstressed crafter at this time of year ;-)
The first one is a kraft card base, the white card is embossed with a Darice embossing folder (Snowflake Swirl).  The image panel was linen card cut with MFT Stitched Circles and the kraft mat was cut with Spellbinders Lacey Circles, popped up on foam dots to add some dimension.  I used the rather elegant Snowflake Reindeer Silhouette (digi) from Bugaboo Stamps, printed with my laser printer and foiled (using a laminator) with Rose Gold Deco Foil... it goes really well with the Kraft card, I fussy cut the feet to go outside the circle, it gave a sense of movement.  When I printed the image I added a shadow (just done in Word... very simple to do and it really gives the image depth, it looks as if the whole reindeer has been fussy cut, without the work!)  The sentiment is a digi from Pink Petticoat, given the same laser/laminator foil treatment, raised on more foam dots to add more dimension.
The second card for the day is from the same "set" (as in I set up the laser printer and laminator and did a whole bunch of these cards, lol) as the first
I covered the whole front of this card in patterned paper (from Kaisercraft as far as I can recall... the bottom piece was from my scraps folder so I can't be certain).  
I printed the digital image (can't remember the source) on linen card as I like the effect of the foil on the textured paper... I rubbed a little Ranger Archival ink in Coffee colour around the edge to soften it.  I used green foil (obviously) and it matched the green foiled card I got from the $2 shop ages ago... I wish I could find it again, it's absolutely brilliant - shiny and smooth and cuts really well.  I used word to make the simple sentiment and foiled that to match, popping the image and the sentiment up on foam dots
This card goes so well with the sketch (#366) from Freshly Made Sketches you can use any shape but I have the tree anyway
The last one I'm going to share today is a little different only in that I used a different foil... I think it was Deco Foil Opal... that has an iridescent effect.  
The first pic shows how it looks basically silver grey in one light, but the second pic shows it's "true colours".  It is VERY striking IRL
The image is another I have had for years and unfortunately didn't label, I got it back in the days when I somewhat ignorantly - and it would seem wistfully, lol -  thought that I would only ever use one or two tree images, so I labelled it "Swirly Tree 2" and didn't note the source) 
I sprayed glue over a piece of black card and stuck the same Opal foil to it to make the matting behind the image. It didn't end up with a really smooth finish, but the texture actually adds something.
The purple background paper is Kaiser... I think, but don't hold me to it as it's ancient and the label is long gone
That's it for today (well it's tonight here, and well and truly bed time for me, lol)  I have another four of this style of card left in my drafts, they'll pop up soon I'm sure 
I would like to enter (at least one of) these cards in the following challenges: all three cards fit most of their themes but Double D Challenge has Run, Run Rudolph (Use a deer image) and As You Like It has Favourite Christmas Animal… and why, so obviously the first card is for those challenges, (oh, and the "why" deer are my favourite Christmas animal is that there are so many great deer images and dies available, ranging from cute to sophisticated, and deer seem slightly less incongruous to Aussie Christmas cards than penguins or polar bears... though "favourite" is probably pushing it - one of my favourites would be more accurate as I love the cuteness of penguins and bears too) Crazy 4 Challenges has Tree-mendous… use a tree... and  Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Use Patterned Paper - so the second card fits these challenges.  For the rest... pick a card, any card :-))
Hiding in- my Craft Room has Christmas Colours 
Sasayaki Glitter has Happy Holidays
Die Cut Divas has Winter Holidays
Thanks for visiting my little blog, I'll be back soon (I REALLY will!!) Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna