Create a Scene Christmas Cards

The past two afternoons I have been playing with creating winter scenes using sponged distress inks and also watercolours, following tutorials on Penny Black YouTube videos (Heather Telford; Micheline "Mimi" Jourdain; and Jill Foster).  Last winter, I played around a bit with distress inks for snow hills and moons, but creating skies with watercolours is a new one to me.  I did several before having one I was pleased with...LOL!  All three of the ladies say in their tutorials they don't use many embellishments on the completed card as the scene is the main focal point....I tend to agree.

Also new to me is using Windsor & Newton Art Masking Fluid. Love this stuff! You flick it on the paper with a toothbrush, before doing any inking or watercolour, and it dries rubbery resisting the medium. After you  have finished your scene, rub it off with your fingers revealing white areas of "snow".  It goes on beige so you can see how little or how many flecks you have.

(1)  This card uses the sponged distress inks, Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire, for the snow and sky. The moon is masked off with a 1-1/4" inch circle while sponging. I applied the art fluid for the "snow". The tree is an old favourite one by Stampin' Up! stamped several times with Forest Moss, Pine Needles, and Crushed Olive inks.  The Santa sleigh and reindeer is a die by Impression Obsession; the word "believe" is cut from mat silver cardstock using TH Holiday Word die. I also stuck on two little silver stars - one by the moon, and other for the dot on the "i" in believe.     I recently read a hint on someone's blog to use stars, pearls, or a drop of stickles for the "i" , as the dot is such a tiny piece.  It's very easy to lose it when you punch the word from the die.  Good hint!

Click to enlarge

(2)  For this card, I followed the tutorial by Jill Foster for Penny Black. She has quite a few cards using this watercolour sunset sky for all seasons of the year. I used Cotman Watercolours -yellow, orange, pink and mauve for the sky; also Payne's Grey, Burnt Umber and Phalo Blue for under the trees and snow hill. The trees were stamped with Archival inks- Library Green and Black, branches in Coffee.  Snow is TH Picket Fence distress spray.  I don't have any Penny Black stamps for making scenes so I used my SU tree stamp once again, and the "branches" in the middle of the card are the tips of an older cling stamp by Tim Holtz. Deer dies are by Impression Obsession to which I added a few white details on their tails, spots, and antlers. I also added the TH words "peace on earth" cut from gold cardstock and a gold star.

I did a few of these sunsets skies while I had everything out, so I have some on hand for future cards.

We had a sprinkling of snow this morning on the lawn - puts me in the seasonal mood!

Sharon
Nov.  19/2015

Challenge:

Try it on Tuesdays:  Create a Scene

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - it's Christmas