Ok, I *love* kraft - that's a fact! So I've been playing around with some single layer Christmas cards and kraft is just perfect for this, not least because our white Sugar Candy ink works so beautifully with it giving a lot of scope for creating interesting backgrounds.
If you've got a lot of cards to make this Christmas, you want to give as big an impact as possible - let's face it - with as little work (and cost) as possible.
I'll be sharing all my krafty single layer creations throughout the week.
First up - I'm SO pleased with how this card turned out because from start to finish I made it up as I went along, at each stage not sure if it was looking right, until it was finished. Don't you just love that!
For a single layer card, this looks pretty complicated doesn't it?
I started by drawing two circles on the kraft card with my Inkssentials white pen. I did this by taking two circle nestability dies and drawing around them for perfect circles.
I stamped the Christmas wreath and coloured with chalks. I also smudged red chalk around the edges of the card and and just inside the circles.
I then dotted along the inner circle with the white pen.
To create the background, I first cut a circle from scrap paper and placed it over the drawn circles. This masks off the main image while I stamped the swirls border all over the card.
I still wasn't quite sure if I was happy with the card but what really finished it off is stamping the 'Season's Greetings' text in rows between the swirls in red ink.
I love it!
...and considering the low cost of creating this card, there's no way the recipient would think a lot of time and effort hadn't been put into making it :)
Elizabeth x
Stamps used:
10-023 Wreath
20-045 Surf's up (swirly border)
20-055 Tags - Christmas (season's greetings text)
Thanks very much Elizabeth! I will have to give it a try!
Posted by: Betty | 31 October 2009 at 02:51 AM
Hi Betty,
If you're worried about the chalk rubbing off, after you have coloured your image spray it with a light mist of hairspray. It works as a great fixitive.
Elizabeth x
Posted by: elizabeth | 30 October 2009 at 02:29 PM
Fantastic card! Love everything about it! I was just curious - I haven't really worked with chalk - do they rub off when handled?
Posted by: Betty | 30 October 2009 at 05:13 AM
J'adore ce genre de carte, il faudrait que j'essaye !!!!!
Posted by: valoudesbois | 29 October 2009 at 07:39 AM
How clever - it looks so professional! It would be a huge challenge to me not to use anything any embellishments/layering - but I'm gonna try it now!
Posted by: Mary J | 27 October 2009 at 06:42 PM
Gorgeous card. I can not believe the incredible depth you got on a single layer card.
R
Posted by: Rieca | 27 October 2009 at 03:34 PM
WOW!!! What a great 1 layer card, I think I have to try this. THANKS for the great ideas!!
Posted by: Jodi (jodinjaz) | 27 October 2009 at 01:28 PM
Hi there,
This is really effective thanks for the tip.
Hugs Ali x
Posted by: Dragonlady | 27 October 2009 at 06:28 AM
Thanks, Elizabeth, now that I read carefully your description I realized that I misunderstood a sentence. Now it's clear.
(I was in a hurry before because at work. Besides, it is often a little difficult for me to understand the procedure in English).
I misundertood the part hwere you explain about the scrap paper circle to mask off the main image while stamping the background.
Thanks a lot and CIAO,
Lucia
Posted by: Lucia | 26 October 2009 at 12:50 PM
No Lucia, I coloured in between the two circles :)
Elizabeth x
Posted by: elizabeth | 26 October 2009 at 11:50 AM
Wonderful!
But the red circle between the two white lines, is a thin and empty card circle?
Lucia
Posted by: Lucia | 26 October 2009 at 11:42 AM