Tiny Prancer

by PaperPuff

This one is for you, Elton! I’m sure he reads this. Along with the IOC President of course – I got them all!!! Anyway, another eminently batchable (is that a word? ‘tis now) Christmas card. Although the background is annoying me a bit and needs tweaking. I really, really want a nice falling snow embossing folder but have not managed to lay my hands on one. I tried a couple of symmetrical folders (swiss dot and a triple cluster of dots) but they were too busy, too ‘all over’. I also experimented with another which has a snowy village scene and a lot of sky with a few tasteful tiny frozen flakes, but the cottages showed at the sides of the reindeer bit. It made it look like I had some kind of Lapland version of Godzilla laying waste to Santa’s workshop. So that was a ‘no’ then.

sb-reindeer-card

I decided to leave the background blank, put everything else together and stuck it on, then decided NOT to leave the background blank. Go figure. I thought I would try embossing a small scattering of dots, meant to charmingly represent snow. But the card I had chosen was too thick to be able to see through to use a brass embossing plate in the usual way. I had what I then thought was a totally genius idea: deboss on the front so I can see where I am going, then flip it over and push it back out from the other side, to make an emboss! Einstein level, right? Worked a treat in practice, but of course I was practising on a bit of scrap card. The reality of doing it on the otherwise finished article, with everything else already stuck on, meant that I was a bit over-cautious about pushing too firmly with the embossing tool. So the ‘snow’ barely shows up on the inside. I wasn’t going to risk it. It could have ended up looking like my snow had sneezed. So it is how it is, but may change slightly for next time! As I type this it occurs to me that maybe I should have tried freehand embossing. I don’t freehand anything as a rule, but it might work for this.

I used Spellbinders Ovals and Scallop Ovals, and a Spellbinders Reindeer die, all of which I have had for a few years. The greeting is by Clearly Besotted, and the uber-sparkly (where is my umlaut? People? People? I need an umlaut here..) ribbon from Docrafts.

If Elton wants me to make his Christmas cards he knows where to find me.

 

47 thoughts on “Tiny Prancer”

  1. I love this, Gillian! Your persistence on the background is enviable! (I would have dropped the ball by then!) Instead of embossing, maybe just scattering a few (3 – 5) sequins or jewels to be the snow?

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  2. Sneezing snow! lol! Yes, of course Elton would love your cards. You do make me giggle. Beautiful card. You always make me think when I read your posts. Now bear in mind that I can’t read instructions and have no technical brain but can you, hypothetically (had to look up how to spell that), put a plate or a piece of card and emboss just segments with a folder. I have absolutely no idea. Just thinking out loud really.
    Flo x

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    1. You little beauty!! It might be difficult because the edge of whatever plate/card etc might then get embossed too. So my reindeer could also have a nuclear bomb fallout halo behind him to contend with…BUT, if I do it on a really light pressure, or hang the folder off the edge… Worth a try. I will report back. Cheers!

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      2. Thanks. I think the sparkly stones idea suggested by Kathy will make me happier with it. And also, can I send your same advice/comment right back at you?! We are all our own worst critics, right?

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  6. Love your ‘batchable’ card! I would also look for some jewels – this is a great idea! And you can use your embossed (debossed) dots as a guide in terms where to place jewels…

    ü – here it is! 🙂 You can use Alt + numbers on the right part of your keyboard for umlauts with Num Lock switched on. All basic codes are listed here: http://www.alt-codes.net/
    (but only if you have Windows, not Mac)

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    1. What a super human being you are – Thanks so much! I shall be searching for words I can umlaut now… Also genius to suggest I use the debossing for the sparklies. If I had prizes to give out you would definitely get one!

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    1. Thanks Karen. I can see the sparkly stones are popular and absolutely the right idea. I have a sheet of them sitting on my desk and never even thought about using them. Duh!

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      1. “Hi, is that the insurance department? Will my third party cover a giant cloven hoof mark on the roof of my car?”
        “Madam, really! It is no longer April Fools Day…”
        Lol!!

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      3. AAAAHHHHH!!! Just laughed so much I scared the cat!! Good job I wasn’t drinking tea…(you know I have to do this) could have been a matter for – ahem – Elf And Safety…!!!!!

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      4. You are right, it had to be done! As does: Latest News. A retired Lapland couple recently witnessed a freak incident. The husband, panicking, called the local Elf and Safety department for advice. When asked to describe the problem he turned to his wife and said ‘can you describe it, honey?’ She replied ‘tell them it looks may-be like..I think..erm…per-haps giant rein..deer?’. They were transferred to the weather team…

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    1. Thanks! I am a pile of confusion about Christmas cards, sometimes I like modern, sometimes clean and simple, and sometimes full-on nostalgia. Unless they are the ones with one burning candle, or a bunch of Victorian carol singers. They are NOT good!

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