Christmas Backgrounds

Today is the beginning of the challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog and I am the hostess for this one.  I am calling it Staying in the Background and here is how I describe it:

My challenge to you is to create your own background and use it in a shabby chic or vintage project - no pre-printed patterned paper this time. You can create the background in any number of ways and it can be simple or intricate. Using embossing folders. stencils, dies, stamps, washi tape, paints, inks or a gel press are just a few ideas. Make sure you give a brief description of how you created your background in your post.

I decided to make some more simply decorated Christmas cards for the challenge. All my cards are quite flat intentionally so I can mail them with standard letter mail postage, which is already obscene at $1.07 + 13% tax for a single stamp (they give us a break if we buy a book of 10 - 97 cents each plus 13% tax).

For this first card I used Versamark to randonly stamp snowflakes from an old stamp set over some white card stock. Then I heat embossed the snowflakes with Clear embossing powder. Once the embossing was cool, I inked over the whole panel with Stormy Sky, Tumbled Glass and Faded Jeans Distress Ink. The embossing acted as a resist but to ensure that the snowflakes popped, I took a paper towel and rubbed it over the panel.

I forgot to take a photo of the embellishment process but it was very simple. I cut some branches from some white shimmer card stock using the Holiday Greens die set. I also die cut an oval from Metallic Kraft StockJewels . The sentiment was cut for me by my husband.

To assemble the card I added a panel of the Metallic Kraft Stock to the card blank, then added the background panel followed by the embellishments.

For the next card, I made a painted background. Using one of my ratty brushes I painted crisscrosses on white card stock with Ruby, Evergreen and Ancient Acrylic Paint.

I used scraps of card stock to cut a poinsettia and branches from a die set called Festive Greens. The branches and the poinsettia centre were painted with the Ancient Acrylic Paint.

To assemble the card I added a panel of red card stock to the card blank and then adhered the painted background. Next came a little strip of green card stock that I ran through a dots embossing folder. The sentiment was painted with Ancient Acrylic Paint and added along with the poinsettia and branches.

For the final card I put some Faded Jeans, Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky Distress Ink on my kraft sheet, added some water and dragged a piece of white card stock through it. Once it was dry I used Faded Jeans Distress Ink and a stars stencil to add some stenciling.

I cut a large snowflake from the shimmer card stock using the Flurry #3 die and split it in half.

To assemble this card I added a panel of dark blue card stock to my card blank and then added the stenciled panel on top. The split snowflake was added to the back of a strip of card stock that I ran through a swirls embossing folder and then the sentiment was painted with white paint mized with Pearlizing Medium and added.

I would love to see your backgrounds so do join us in the challenge, which can be found HERE and runs until 11:55 pm on Tuesday, September 29th. One randomly chosen entrant will win a gift certificate to shop at The Funkie Junkie Boutique and with all the new products arriving, that should be super fun. The Design Team will choose their top picks and the overall winner will receive an opportunity to Guest Design at a future date.

Supplies list:

Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Faded Jeans, Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky
Tim Holtz Thinlets Dies - Flurry #3, Holiday Greens, Festive Greens
Dina Wakley Acrylic Paints - Ruby, Evergreen, Ancient
Tim Holtz Idea-ology 8 x 8 Metallic Jewels Kraft Stock
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Falling Stars THS115
VersaMark Watermark Ink Stamp Pad
Ranger Inkssentials Mini Ink Blending Tool - With 4 Blending Foams IBT40965
Scor Tape
Recollections Clear Embossing Powder
Cuttlebug Embossing Folders - D'Vine Swirls, Swiss Dots
Spellbinders Petite Ovals Large Die Set