Not, I am sure, what some people might be thinking…although as a kid, I was a blabbermouth. My older sister would furtively tell me a ‘rude’ joke when we were alone, swear me to secrecy, probably with warnings of dire consequences if I transgressed. I’d just nod, agree to anything, happy to have a bit of a secret, or maybe ammo.
The priest used to occasionally do his rounds on a Sunday afternoon, presumably as a single man in search of cake, although I do remember seeing the odd bottle of beer in his pockets too. Apparently, with an audience of good folk gathered, I considered this to be prime joke telling time. I was still pre-school, but was ’blessed’ with a really good memory and repeated the rude jokes pretty much word for word. I say blessed, but I am not sure that is the adjective that sprang to mind for my poor parents. I probably mistook the silence for awe.
I digress. Here we have a Christmas card which is most definitely repeatable and suitable for a batch making. Hurrah! I used three sets of Altenew stamps and three colours of Altenew Warm Grays (sorry for the spelling, UK, but it is how it is!). Almost every year I have an inclination to make Christmas cards with a white, grey and red colour theme. But it is so ridiculously difficult to find the grey I want – a warm charcoal – that I give up. This year? Still can’t find it. But I did bag a bargain pack of Lynda Chapman silver mirror board a few months ago, specifically with Christmas and the fruitless search for the perfect grey in mind. I thought it would be a good replacement. It is much paler of course, and shinier too, obviously, but has a lovely satin finish and is sturdy enough to be the base card. It also die cuts and embosses really well too so I am very happy with my purchase.
The Winter Cottage is stamped in Altenew Moon Rock, the sentiment in Lava Rock (a shade darker). For the Snowing image I had a bit of a dilemma, as stamping white snow onto white card is clearly a flawed plan. I thought I would try a pale grey, obviously running the risk that it would look more like a snow scene from the M6 motorway than an idyllic pastoral vista. I used Morning Frost, which, it turns out, is practically invisible. The stamp itself is rectangular, and whilst I am no geography expert (I thought Carlisle was in Scotland and the Trossachs were some kind of athletic support) I am pretty confident that snow doesn’t fall in rectangles. So, I cut a rough arc or oval shape wider than the card and laid it over the snowy cottage to give me a gently curved mask and then stamped my snow around. Actually I was very pleased with the result! This is the third batch of photos I have taken, trying to get the snow to show up. It is marginally more visible in real life, but I did a close-up, just to prove its existence!
There IS glitter on the cottage roof and here and there on the snow, but as usual, it is camera shy. A knot of red grosgrain ribbon from last year’s wrapping stash and we are good to go.
Supplies: Altenew Winter Cottage, Snowing and Pine Tree (for the sentiment) stamps; Altenew Warm Gray 4 ink cube set.
Pretty! And I can see the glitter!
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Really? Hurrah!
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I love your back stories and your cards – this card is particularly elegant. 🙂
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Thanks! Sometimes I do wonder about the ramblings, but otherwise it just becomes ‘oh look, I made a card’ ‘again’!
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I love your story, too! This card is lovely, very good idea to create a mask for your falling snow!
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Thanks Kathy! I think I should have taken the snow further down the card, but there is always next time!
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Beautiful! I love it! So pretty!
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Cheers!
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Lovely card! I love snow on cards, just not in real life…older siblings are truly a blessing, first into the world they learn how to make life “interesting” for their younger brother or sister..!
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I think mine had a hard time. I’m pretty sure that the source of my material was identified…
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Lol! I’m only finding out now as my younger son is catching up in height and strength with his older brother what he used to say to him.. like my older son used to say Father Christmas would take him away if he wasn’t good…
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You have to admire the imagination and tactical skills involved there though!
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What a great card! A simple but elegant card, and yes one that you could mass produce. I love the snow! It adds just the right touch to the background…..light and not distracting from the image. Perfect! And yes, the glitter is just enough, not overdone. Great card! 🙂
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Thanks Nancee, you are so kind. I think maybe I am the only one who can’t see the glitter!!
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Beautiful card PP. I can see the snow and I can see the glitter on the roof of the Cabin.
It’s an elegant card. One which would look just as perfect in a traditional cottage, to on a desk in the House of Lords. It just ‘fits’ every situation. I’d say that this card is a perfect make. One ‘size’ fits all. Love the addition of the ribbon too. Right colour, right weight.. WIN!
~ Cobs. x
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OK, so now I feel like Rachel in Friends, when she is the only one who can’t see her baby in the ultrasound photo. I can’t see the glitter!!! I am a bad crafter…luckily no Social Services involvement for crafting!
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Shoulda gone to SpecSave. 🙂
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Aw, Cobs, a proper laugh at that!!! Cheers!
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Just doin’ ma job, Maam. (while watching The Girl with the Pearl Earring.)
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Went to the Vermeer exhibition in London years ago. Fab!
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I love the painting. It’s almost hypnotic.
Have you seen this film?
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Read the book, seen the film, I just don’t have the T shirt….
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Solution: White T.Shirt + Sharpies Marker Pens = THE T.Shirt.
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The card is beautiful! And I love the background story. We used to tell my dad that he was not allowed to tell our boys certain jokes. We also warned….okay threatened him that if he did and we received a call from the school principal he would be the one attending the conference.
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Lol! We sometimes forget that it is not only the kids that can misbehave, right?
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That is beautiful, I can see the glitter on the roof too, very effective. Lovely card.
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Thank you. I appear to be the only one who can’t see the glitter!
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This is so pretty! I envy your stamping skills. My attempts often look like I handed my materials to a 5 year old.
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Thanks! I am pretty sure it is the products that make it look good though. I am really impressed with some of the new companies I have tried recently.
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I love this and I see that glitter on the roof! And you can repeat it in different color combinations… Even with white embossing on black for example… or white on red and so on…
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Yes, I am definitely going to try it in white on black, so I can use my wonderful snow die!
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Love it! I think this is pretty, elegant and a perfect Christmas card! I really like how you used a mask to stamp the snow into the arc shape – very clever! I can also see the glitter! Great story about your sister! I too have an older sister so I know exactly where you’re coming from!
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Thanks! As for my sister, I think she suffered more than me!
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see… told ya. Shoulda gone to SpecSave.
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Can’t read the map to get there…
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CHS SIGHT TEST
. . .. . . . . I . . . . . . . . .
. . .K .. N .. O .. W . . .
. Y O U H A V E . .
A . S . A . T . N . A . V
. . . .W H I C H . . . .
. . . . T A L K S . . . .
. . . . . . T W O. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . U . . . . . . . .
That will be £10.00 call out fee
and a neat £1,000.00 for my evaluation. 🙂
signed: Cobswellas Wonderful Optical Emporium
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Don’t have a car!!! Although if Daniel Craig did a satnav I might consider a purchase…..
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oooooo… hubba hubba!
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Indeedy! he could make a three point turn sound like a good idea.
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He could do any turn he liked and I’d go for it. [s.i.g.h.] aw be still my beating heart.
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SPEC SAVE
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Love the card, simple & elegant. It’s so difficult to find a good mirra card but I get mine from The Range 20 sheets for £3.99 and the quality is excellent. They only do shiny silver and gold but well worth it. I wish they would do satin as I like to use that but haven’t found any for ages! x
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Thanks. I wish there was a Range shop near me. There are very few places I can actually visit to shop – almost everything is online now.
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The Range is online too. There is a minimum spend for free delivery though.
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“…a single man in search of cake.” Guffaw! I’m not sure if the cards are a segue to the back story, or the other way around; either way they are both a delight.
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Well, because I never know what I am going to make, or how it will turn out, I do the card first and then think about what to write. Often it hinges on one word – this time it was ‘repeatable’, leading to ‘unrepeatable’ and a quick trawl of the memory banks to see if I have anything vaguely relevant to chat about! I don’t think it is the best way to do it but it is all I’ve got!
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Well, it works! I do the same thing; card first, then I try to think of a title for the post that somehow goes along with it, and on from there.
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Thanks! I guess for card makers it is the logical way to do it. I just need a bit of a regime.
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absolutely love this!
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Thanks!
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