Sunday 11 December 2011

Silhouettes for Christmas at Dream Valley :)

Hello everyone!! :)


I’m excited today to be sharing my first DT card for Dream Valley Challenges... I’m excited in advance, though, writing this post early and scheduling it (which will hopefully work this time!!lol) as it’s actually my birthday and I’m not sure I’ll get chance to get on the computer as I think I’ll need all the little energy I have left after struggling with a cold all week to cope with my lovely birthday visitors!! :) But, to get back to the point... lol...



We have a wonderfully easy challenge for you at Dream Valley this time (which is just what we need in this the ‘headless-chicken season’ as I tend to think of it!!lol) and we'd simply like to see your 'Christmas' creations... told you it was easy!! :) As this is such a hectic time of year for us all, this challenge is going to run for four weeks which will see us well into the New Year, ‘til January the 8th to be exact, so plenty of time to share those last Christmas cards after the event if you don't get chance before!! :) We have several sponsors for this challenge, too, including One Stop Card Crafts... pop over to the Dream Valley blog for all the details!! :)




Now, I haven't really been well enough due to the cold bug in my system to spend any time at my desk- or even try my usual trick for those bad times of crafting in bed!lol- but luckily I had a card just waiting to be shared with you and hope I'll be forgiven for not making a new one specially... so here it is...



I fancied getting inky and doing something a bit different the night I made this and so a play with some of my fab new stamps from Inkylicious was called for!! :) I started off trying to create the sky with my (barely been out of the drawer since I got it! :S) brayer a la Barbara Gray... not sure if it was the ink (I had to use DI as that was the only dye ink I had in the right shade and I've never seen Barbara use those) or just that I need a lot more practise, but it was very hard going for my arms after the first couple of tries and I really wanted to get a card made so I reverted to the old faithful Cut'n'Dry!! I kept the rest of it really simple to let the scene take centre stage :)



The beautiful images are ones I've had my eye on for a while and they're stamped in VersaFine (they stamped perfectly first time, too despite the town one being so big! :) ) and the panel then matted and edged with Stickles as it all looked a bit dark. I also used a waterbrush to paint a subtle shimmer of Clear Stardust over the moon (which I'd masked with a random Nestie circle I found in my desk... might have been a shade too big?!lol) but it's not showing well in the pics... v pretty in the flesh, though!! :)



I tied a double bow with two colours of seam binding and then stitched- yes, me, stitched... and stabbed myself, of course, trying to tie the knots, as my illness-addled co-ordination really seems to hate me trying to use a needle and thread for some reason!! :S lol - the little jingle bell to the back of the knot... I was trying to make a fairly flat card to start with but I seem to be unable to resist bows, and multi ones at that, at the mo' and there really had to be a bell on this card of all cards, didn't there!?! :)



And to finish it off, I added one of the gorgeous sentiments from the fab Waltzingmouse Compliments of the Season set again... they are all so lovely but this one really seemed perfect for this scene... and everytime I catch sight of it I start singing 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland' to myself- one of my fav Xmas songs!! :)


The List:

  • 6"x6 Sq. Scalloped In The Edge card blank
  • White card
  • Scrap circle shape for masking
  • Distress Inks: Stormy Sky and Dusty Concorde
  • Stamps: Silhouette Town and Sleigh from Inkylicious; 'Sleigh Bells Ring' from Waltzingmouse Stamps' Compliments of the Season set
  • VersaFine Onyx Black ink pad
  • White paper coloured with Black PM for mat layer
  • Sakura Clear Stardust pen
  • Stickles: Frosted Lace
  • Seam Binding: Lady Lavender and White (coloured with Midnight Blue PM) from The Ribbon Girl
  • Jingle Bells
  • Clear Gems

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges (which I'll link up as soon as I have chance to get online!): CES – A Traditional Christmas :) ; Joanna Sheen - Christmas Wishes :) ; My Mum's Craft Shop - Traditional Christmas :) ; SecretCrafter - All Creatures Great and Small :) ; Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes with the option of something dangly :) ; Pollycraft - Christmas Fun :) ; Stampin' For The Weekend - Christmas :) ; Sarah Hurley - Christmas (whoops- missed this one!! :( ) ; Little Claire's - Family Christmas :)



Well, that's my first card for Dream Valley- I'm still v excited and really looking forward to being on this lovely team... thanks, Melly!! :) Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like it!! :) Please pop over to the Dream Valley blog to see the fabulous work from the rest of my new teamies... there's lots of lovely inspiration for you!! :)


Not sure when I'll be back as I've got a fair few cards still need making after losing last week to this cold... think it's going to be quick and simple ideas all the way from this stage... thankfully, I have all but two of the special family ones sorted already, thanks to DT projects inspiring me earlier than usual!!lol Hope you are all keeping well, warm, dry and as little blown about as possible!! :)




25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rachel, this is wonderful!! I love the night sky scene you've created - so effective. The seam binding colours are just perfect too and I love the little bell!

Hope you've had a lovely birthday!
xxx

Sandra H said...

Hi Rachel, this is beautiful love the image its one of my best:) Sandra H

Anonymous said...

Such a fabulous card, welcome aboard. xx

Lynne in NI said...

Happy Birthday Rachel, hope you're feeling better and that you've had a lovely day! Gorgeous card .. what a fabulous scene and your ribbon is sooo pretty too. Welcome to the team!

Vicky said...

Happy birthday Rachel...! hope you are having a lovely time hun...and being spoilt too :o)

Beautiful card as always sweetie....and big congrats on your first DT card...

big hugs Vicky xx

Christina said...

This is a stunning card Rachel!!
Hugs Kristel

mags said...

Happy Birthday Rachel. Super card. Love the silhouette and all the fab colours you have used. Looking forward to working with you at Dream Valley.
Mags
x

downrightcrafty said...

what a gorgeous choice of a little creature, and beautiful creation, thank you for sharing your lovely work with us at the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge
Hugs Kate xx

karen said...

Hi Rachel, wow this is beatiful, stunning design! Happy Birthday for yesterday and thanks for joining us at CES this week, Karenx

Anonymous said...

Lovely card, so pretty and the sentiment is perfect! Thanks for joining us at Papertake Weekly this week. Andrea x

coops said...

wow this is fantastic rachel.really love the scene you have created.just stunning :D
belated happy birthday for yesterday too hun.

xx coops xx

Shelby said...

Beautiful card! Love the colors and the image...looks amazing. Happy Birthday, hope you enjoyed your day. Thanks for joining us at MMCS for our traditional Christmas challenge.

Shelby

cebelica said...

Happy, happy birthday! :)
Your card is gorgeous. So magical. I love it! Thanks for playing with us at our challenge at MMCS this week! Hugs!

Diane's Card Designs said...

Wow this is stunning I love all the detail and colour combo. Thanks for joining us at MMCS challenge this week.
Diane xx

Linny said...

WOW amazing. Thank you for joining in at Secret Crafter. Linda x

Mummylade said...

What a fantastic creation and such an amazing stamp! Thank you so much for joining in our Christmas challenge at SFTW and good luck!

Wendy - Anntaurus said...

Just love this beautiful creation. Colours of the seam binding are gorgeous. Thanks for joining the Joanna Sheen Monthly Challenge.

Wendy -x-

Helen said...

Wonderful card!
Thanks for joining us at the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge!
Helen x

MagsB said...

Oh Rachel, what a romantic card this is! I love the effect of the sihouettes against the gorgeous background paper! And the ribbons are just gorgeous!

love Mags B x

Vicky said...

This is gorgeous.

Thank you for joining us over at CES Challenges, hope to see you again.

Lotsa hugs Vicky xxx

Lindsay Craftymonster81 said...

This is stunningly beautiful, love the image and the bow with the bell is absolutely gorgeous, such a beautiful design
Lindsay xx

Lin said...

Rachel, Just wanted to apologise for not having been by earlier but Christmas sort of got in the way! I would like to welcome you to the Dream Valley team and say how very much I am looking forward to working with you.

Lin

Helen Laurence said...

Happy New Year!!

I hope 2012 brings you all the crafty-ness you dream of ;0)

I'm starting the new year with a Half Price Sale on all my craft products HERE

Hugs Helen x

xxxtglxxx said...

Hi Rachel :) This is a gorgeous card hun! Love the silhoutte image and the colours. The vintage sentiment stamp is awesome.

hugs

xxalisonxx

Unknown said...

This is incredible, I can't get over it, hope you don't mind but I posted it on our FB!! Gorgeous card!!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...