CTMH Technique Blog Hop: Season to Sparkle

This time of year is definitely a season to sparkle!  Join us on this technique blog hop to sparkle and shine. (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Michelle Loncar's blog.  From here, you'll visit Darlys Recker's blog next.)

For my card, I knew that I wanted to try to create a wreath from the pine bough stamp in the December stamp of the month, Reindeer Crossing.  It took a little trial and error, but a 3.75" square base provided the perfect size to stamp the bough 6 times to make a circle.

To me the wreath is pretty rustic, so I enhanced it first by coloring the pine cones, the stems, and a few of the little limbs with my watercolor pencils.  I went back and used my gold shimmer brush to paint the pine cones.  (It is REALLY hard to photograph that shimmer!  Hopefully you can see it in the photos above and below.)

I created a simple bow with white & gold ribbon and added gold glitter gems to highlight the wreath and sentiment (which I had gold heat embossed on the Evergreen base).

In case you missed it, here is another really sparkly card that I made using the December stamp of the month.  (You can learn more HERE.)  All of my paper for both cards is from the Cedar and Pine collection.

Thanks for letting me share some sparkle with you this season.  May your holidays be blessed with peace and love!  I'd love a comment before you hop on over to Darlys Recker's blog next!

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop: Reindeer Crossing

Welcome to the December Close To My Heart stamp of the month, Reindeer Crossing, blog hop!  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, although I can't believe that December is here already!!!  (If you're already hopping, then you've probably arrived from Katy Taylor's blog.  From here, you'll visit Lauren Moore's blog next.)

Both of my cards feature the pair of deer and the Cedar and Pine collection.  For this card, I tore White Daisy cardstock to create my snow drifts, making sure the middle piece was large enough on the right side to stamp the deer in black.  After gluing the three pieces together, I painted the background with my clear shimmer brush and then added Diamond Stickles to the torn edges.

The card base is Charcoal cardstock that I brushed Charcoal Shimmer Brush across (back and forth a few times) to mimic a starry night sky.  I stamped the sentiment in Candy Apple.  For the pine bough, I stamped it in Black on Evergreen and on Toffee, fussy cutting the bough and then the pine cones.  Hopefully the Diamond Stickles look like snow?  I added a pair of clear sparkles to highlight the sentiment.

Hopefully in this photo you can see the clear shimmer brush snow.  The Diamond Stickles photograph very well!

My second card features the same reindeer pair and a  a pretty sketch from Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 4.  After assembling, I added the sprays of pine in Evergreen behind the sentiment banner and a few gold glitter gems.

It's hard to see in the photograph, but I brushed clear shimmer under the deer to resemble snow.

Thanks for visiting!  I hope that my cards have inspired you, especially to add some sparkle with shimmer brushes and/or stickles.  Be sure to leave a comment and then continue on to Lauren's blog.  Visit all 17 consultants' blogs to get you into the holiday spirit!

{Click HERE for all the hop participants and their blogs.}