Crafty Cardmakers and More - DT Member!

Hello Everyone:

I hope you enjoyed your long weekend! I'm back today with some super great news. I was just thrilled when I received a lovely invitation from Lin over at the Crafty Cardmakers Challenge blog asking me to be a full time member of their design team, and it was an honour for me to accept. They were the blog to give me my very first Winner's badge, so they hold a special place in my heart. Today is my first post as an official member of the Crafty Cardmakers family!

Crafty Cardmakers runs a new challenge every second Monday and they have such a creative challenge line up, I've been playing along with them since I started my blog. The design team is full to the rim with some super talented artists that range from clean & simple to fancy & elegant - and everything in between! I really do hope you will pop by and say hello to me, and the other wonderful ladies. Now I would like to tell you about this week's challenge. Drum roll please...

CHALLENGE #122 - MAKE AN IMPRESSION (use dry embossing)

This challenge is sponsored by Crafty Sentiments Designs. One lucky winner will receive 3 free images!

  

I decided for my first appearance, that I would like to do something a little different, so instead of just straight up embossing, I threw a little sandpaper technique into the mix.

- first I painted a white piece of card stock with some Gesso to give it texture. The next layer was DecoArt Crafter;s Acrylic Tropical Blue and then White Wash paint, then I took Amish Grey paint and just added a bit here and there.

- I ran my paper through my Cuttlebug using the Large Damask embossing folder from Darice. Then I took my sanding block and starting lightly sanding the paint off of the raised areas until the white paper showed through. It's a wonderful technique that always yields amazing results. I had intended on doing a birthday card, but after finishing this layer, I just knew it needed to be a Christmas Card!

- the poinsettia die is Tattered Poinsettia from Tim Holtz and the leaves are from a Poppystamps set, the wreath and flourish dies are Memory Box (Frostyville Wreath and Elegant Scrollwork) and the sentiment is from the Tina Wenke set Peace on Earth. The green layer, wreath and leaves were coloured with Tim Holtz Mowed lawn and then spritzed with a white wash to get that worn look.

- the bead and dew drops were coloured with a Copic marker and I used some Glossy accents and iridescent micro-beads to add interest around the dew drops, in the center of the poinsettias.

I am entering my Christmas card into the following wonderful challenges:

- Polkadoodles - Week #35 - Get Organised for Christmas
- Allsorts Challenge Blog - Week #274 - Early Christmas Makes

- Sweet Stampin' - Embossing

- As You Like It Challenge - #35 - Favourite Season (and why)
(I just love Christmas! Here in Canada we have a beautiful blanket of white snow that glistens under the twinkling lights. AND, it's the only day of the year when my entire family is in the same place at the same time. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside!)

- Crafts 4 Eternity - Recipe #191 - Tic Tac Toe

(I chose Use the colour Blue - Use a Holiday Theme - Add some Paint or Ink)

- Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Challenge #72 - Bingo
(I chose the Colour BLUE, a bow and Die Cut)

That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. I read and appreciate every single one! If you have any questions, please let me know.