Christmas Card | Graciellie Design - "Festive Swag"

 

Hello there!

Well - it's my final posting as a guest designer for Graciellie Design this month and it's been so much fun! I've had the chance to work on my Christmas card stash and to practice my floral watercoloring skills with her great illustrations! I'm finishing up my gig today with a very feminine (and a little bit traditional) slimline design featuring a peach & bright gold coloration! This design is a little bit more froufrou than my normal style but I'm sending it to someone who lives in a restored Victorian farmhouse (filled with antiques) and it will fit in perfectly with their stye! : )

I used the new "Festive Swag" digital stamp set and created a striped background to match! This set - along with everything else on Gracie's store is ON SALE NOW for 55% off -> so head over to check out all of her amazing stamp sets and digital papers!

I began with the idea for a dots and stripes background, created a simple striped template and stenciled a panel using Distress Oxides (Tattered Rose/Worn Lipstick). I used a ruling pen to draw the thin gold stripes and dabbed random dots on top. I used the same gold paint and brushed it along the bottom front of a slimline card base and set everything aside to dry. I cut the decorative-edged panel using the Cricut and glued that on top of the card base. The striped panel was trimmed to fit and adhered into place with foam tape. 

I printed, watercolored and fussy the swag image and then highlighted the foliage with a bit of the same gold paint. The sentiment was printed on vellum and cut with a fishtail banner die. Once I determined the placement of the swag, I attached the sentiment strip onto the striped panel and glued the painted image on top. Using my fingers, I curled up some of the pine needles and leaves to give it a more 3-D look! 

I can't wait to send this card out to the recipient! Thanks so much for joining me today and for taking the time to comment!

Challenge Submissions:

The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge #82 - ATG

Allsorts Challenge #595 - Celebration Time

Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge #554 - Make Your Own Background

Splashy Mix Challenge - Mood Board 22

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - ATG

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #295 - All About Occasions

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #41 - Festive Florals

Rachelle ♥

Christmas Card | Graciellie Design - "Live For Today" Stamp Set

 Hello!

I am in love with this new stamp set from Graciellie Design, "Live for Today", featuring this adorable Tufted Titmouse! I have dozens of these beauties in my backyard every day and they love chit-chatting with me as I fill up the feeders! The great thing about Gracie's illustration is that it can also be colored as a Cardinal, Blue Jay or even a Cedar Waxwing! Here's a look at the entire set...aren't the sentiments great? 

This CAS design came together quickly and only took about 30 minutes to watercolor. I trimmed an A2 card base with a strip of pattern paper and spattered watercolors onto a smaller panel of white card stock. This panel was spritzed with shimmer mist and set aside to dry while I fussy cut the image.

I glued two of the matte silver snowflake die cuts together and printed/die cut the sentiment strip. The spattered panel was glued to the card base and the rest of the pieces were adhered on top. I was really happy with the way this design turned out and I think I will make about a dozen more of these for this year's Christmas card stash!

Thanks so much for joining me today and for taking the time to comment!

Challenge Submissions:

Colour Crazy Challenge #42

Jingle Belles - Not A Creature Was Stirring

Krafty Chicks #530 - All Occasions

Moving Along With The Times #123 - Animals/Birds

Word Art Wednesday - #462-463 - Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday #295 - All About Occasions

The Holly and Ivy Challenge #82

Rachelle ♥

Christmas Card | Graciellie Design - "Festive Swag Mini" & "Festive Poinsettia Bundle"

Hello!

I'd like to share a contemporary country Christmas card with you today featuring the new "Festive Swag" mini stamp set from Graciellie Design! I combined this beautiful swag with one of Gracie's older images, the "Christmas Wreath" from the "Festive Poinsettia" Bundle, and added a barn siding/shiplap background complete the look! I love the fact that I can choose images from multiple sets to create something entirely new and unique - here are the two sets I used!

I pulled the images into PowerPoint and created a wreath to fit a 6" square card base. The image was printed on 100# card stock, watercolored and fussy cut. I created the barn siding by dry brushing diluted white paint onto an entire piece of 8.5" x 11" kraft card stock. Once dry, I trimmed the paper into 3/4" strips, glued them onto a piece of card stock starting at the bottom and overlapped each strip by about 1/8". When all the strips were glued down, I trimmed the panel to 5 1/2 " square and attached it to the card base. I was really happy with the way this dimensional barn siding turned out!!! Yippee!

The wreath was attached to the barn siding panel with foam tape and the card was finished with a heat-embossed sentiment and sparkling sequins. Gracie has some wonderful new 2020 holiday sets -> @gracielliedesign and a great sale going on right now!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Challenge Submissions:

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #513

Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge #554 - Make Your Own Background

Cardz TV - #126 - Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks #530 - All Occasions

Rachelle ♥

Birthday Card | Alphabet Challenge - "O" is for "Old People"

Happy FRI-YAY!!!!

I'm back to introduce another great theme over on the Alphabet Challenge..."O" is for "Old People"! I had to go the sassy route with this sentiment-focused card since I don't have a single stamp of an old person! However, the design team has some great examples for you over on the blog!! 

I chose a primary palette and stamped the Concord & 9th birthday cake image. The MFT Stamps' sentiments were added on top and this panel was die cut. I glued a red scalloped die cut to a black card base, adhered the cake panel on top, added sparkling star designs to the candles and the card was finished! This will be a great card to mass produce since it came together pretty quickly and can be sent to either guys or gals! 

We can't wait to see your take on our theme over in our Alphabet Challenge Gallery!

Additional Challenges:

Little Red Wagon #572 - Things Starting with "B" - Birthday

Tuesday Throwdown #468 - Use a Funny Sentiment

The Paper Players PP513 - CAS - Cookies, Cupcakes and Cakes (My favorite trio!)

Allsorts Challenge #594 - Birthday Cake or Cupcakes

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Rachelle ♥

Christmas Cards | Graciellie Design - "Start Anew" Magnolias

 

Hello!

I've got a "Dynamic Duo" to share with you today featuring a cropped version of the new Graciellie Design's "Start Anew" Magnolias! When I designed wallpaper and fabric, I would have to create dozens of different color ways of the exact same pattern, which would then be weeded down to just few selections for any new release. We would call these color options "croquis" and this is what I'm showing you today - the contrast between a light, wintry blue-based palette and a warm, ink-blended woodgrain. I would love to know which one you like the best? 

I started with the blue version first and based it on the pretty blue pansies that overwinter here in North Carolina every year. It's so nice to look out my window and see pansies thriving in January! I cropped the "Magnolia Bouquet" image, printed and watercolored the panel. I lightly outlined the images with a pale blue gray wash to make it look like a snow shadow and spattered it with white paint. The panel was trimmed to size, adhered to a black card base and a few sequins were added to finish up the card.

For my second "croquis", I chose a one-layer coloration focusing on the rich, warm woodgrain and a more natural palette. In order to keep the floral colors clean, I had to create a mask (by fussing cutting another image to go on top) for each section and ink blending around them. I used Distress Inks and sprayed the panel with shimmer mist to activate! Here are some photos to show the coloring progression...adding a couple of woodgrain stencils to the base really made the background pop!

Once again, I trimmed the panel and attached it to a black card base. The sentiment from the "Christmas Wishes" Set was printed and cut with a fishtail banner die. I added an additional gold die cut underneath and glued this to the card front.

Here's a final shot of the two color ways side-by-side - let me know your top pick! : ) 

Head over to Graciellie Designs to check out all of her great new 2020 Holiday Sets! or -> @gracielliedesign - Instagram!

Thanks for stopping by today! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment! : )

Challenges:

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #81 - Anything Goes

All Fun Challenges #17 - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers Challenges Blog #195 - Anything Goes

Jingles Belles - Pink Christmas For A Cure

Creative Crafting Uncles - #10 - Males Go Feminine

D0-Al (l) creative Challenge #46 - Creative Background

Krafty Chicks #529 - CAS

Rachelle ♥