Peace on Earth - clean and simple Christmas card

Hi everyone, it's Esther here with a clean and simple Christmas card to show you. 

When I saw the Mama Elephant Home Collection Creative Cuts set, I couldn't resist it. There's just something about those little houses and trees, and I know I'll be able to use them for Christmas cards, and also birthday and new home cards throughout the year.

I used My Favorite Things Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Dienamics to cut a circle in a panel of card stock. I use these circle dies on so many cards. They're one of my all time top buys!

Next to the circle I stamped a sentiment from My Favorite Things Hand Lettered Christmas. 

Taking a new, smaller piece of card stock I inked a night sky in dark to light shades of blue, then splattered it with water and white paint. You can use any ink of your choice, and I particularly like the frosty, cool look of Altenew's Glacier Caves Ink Cubes. This smaller panel was stuck behind the main one to show through the die cut circle.

Using Lawn Fawn's Stitched Hillside Borders, I cut a hill and then re-cut it into a circle at the base using My Favorite Things Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Dienamics before sticking it into the circle.

I cut the houses and trees using Mama Elephant Home Collection Creative Cuts, and coloured the trees and windows with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens in 040 Green, 041 Light Green and 050 Yellow, then splattered the trees with white paint. I hand cut the base of the houses to fit the curve of the hill, then stuck them down and positioned the trees around them.

Finally I layered up the finished panel onto coordinating coloured card and then added it to a card base.

That's it for this week - thanks for stopping by!

Getting more from your stamp sets - autumn flowers

Hi everyone, Esther here with my first ever post as part of the Seven Hills DT! I'm really looking forward to the next 6 months and hope my cards help to inspire some of your own creations.

This week, I want to show the versatility of stamp sets and get you thinking of ways you can use them creatively throughout the year and for different occasions. My Favorite Things Polynesian Paradise stamp set is a great example. With its gorgeous floral blooms, pineapples and exotic animals, you would probably associate this set with summer card making, and find yourself putting it away for the colder months. But how about keeping it going and using it for autumn? 

A change of colour palette creates a rich autumnal look. 

How to make this card

1. Cut a panel of card stock using the largest Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Rectangle Stackables die. Ink a small area towards the right hand side of the panel in yellow and green ink. Stamp the large and small leaves from the Polynesian Paradise stamp set repeatedly over the panel in any pale ink.
2. Use My Favorite Things Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Dienamics to cut two circles of card stock in warm autumn colours. Stick these to the stitched panel.
3. If you want to die cut your flower array, I suggest you die cut the shapes using the Polynesian Paradise Dienamics, and then stamp onto the die cuts afterwards, as they're solid dies. If you're going to fussy cut the flowers, skip this step.
4. Stamp the flowers from Polynesian Paradise in a pale water-based ink repeatedly on watercolour card stock.
5. Use Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens to watercolour the flowers. The pale water-based ink with which you stamped the flowers will take on the colour of the flowers, and appear invisible. For Zig colours, I used Beige underneath Violet to get a toned-down purple, Violet, Orange, Bright Yellow, Yellow, Wine Red and Carmine Red, along with green water-based ink pads for the leaves. I've only recently started using these Zig pens, and they're a must-have! I love how you can get a really precise edge with their fine points, but still achieve a loose, splotchy watercolour look.
6. At this stage, I fussy cut all the flowers out because I didn't want to have a border showing round them which you would get using dies.
7. Lay out the flowers on the panel until you're happy with how they look, then snap a quick photo for reference.
8. Use a mix of wet glue, single layer foam pads and double layer foam pads to re-create your photo layout of the flowers.
9. Stamp a sentiment from My Favorite Things Snuggle Bunnies stamp set onto matching card stock, and then cut it out using one of the Avery Elle Pierced Banner Layer Elle-ments. Use wet glue to stick it over the circles and let one end tuck under the flowers.
10. Add a few sequins here and there from Neat & Tangled Festive Fall Sequin Mix which is the most gorgeous set of warm, rich autumn tones... totally lush!
11. Mount the panel onto a card base, and you're done!

There you have it, an autumn card using a "summer" stamp set. You can probably imagine it using deep reds and white embossing with silver accents for Christmas, too! What sets have you got, or that you'd like to get, where you could find a versatile new use?

If you'd like to pin this card, here's a Pinterest-ready graphic you can grab:

Thanks for stopping by!