October 29, 2021

My Challenge Results were Joy and Peace

Amy Jasper As You See It Challenge, Christmas, Events 2021, Christmas, holiday, markers, Ornate frames, Peaceful Place, stars are shining, vellum 4 Comments

It feels funny to be talking about Christmas this week when my kids are wearing their Halloween costumes to school today! However, in my stamping and crafting world, I have to work on Christmas projects all through the fall. That way, December can’t sneak up on me!

The As You See It Challenge blog has a challenge for us, and this one is all about Christmas!

I’ve been working on designing cards for an upcoming event. Conveniently, this challenge allows me the opportunity to create one card for two purposes! WhooHoo! I love how efficient that makes me feel! *grin*

My results for this challenge? Joy and peace, of course! This card represents the emotions that perfectly sum up Christmas for me.

Making the card

First, I used a Real Red cardstock base, layered with Gray Granite and Vellum. Next, I coloured the Peaceful Place patterned paper before adhering it to the Basic White. To colour the paper, you can either use some of the light Blends Markers or the Stampin’ Write Markers. Of course, the Stampin’ Blends Markers are super easy, as you can achieve a very even colour.

On this particular card, I used Petal Pink and Sahara Sand Stampin’ Write Markers directly on the cabins and the fox. Then, I scribbled Mint Macaron and Pool Party Stampin’ Write Marker on an acrylic block, so I could pick up the colour with a Blender Pen to create a softer colour for the trees and the snow drifts.

The sentiment from the Stars are Shining stamp set has been stamped on Basic White cardstock. This and the Real Red frame were die-cut using the Cut & Emboss Machine and the Ornate Frames Dies.

To make it festive, the Real Red Satin Ribbon and the Linen Thread topped off with a Black Glitter Paper star, are added to the card. I love that little star! The Starlit Punch, which can be purchased separately or bundled with the Stars are Shining stamp set, is what I used to punch out that sweet element.

If you tend to skip over the Halloween products in the catalogues, then you may have missed the Black Glitter paper. Even though I don’t make a lot of Halloween crafts, I made a point to snatch up that paper for other occasions. In this case, it is a great accent for a Christmas card!

Holiday Stamp Camp

This card will be one of the 10 cards that we’ll be making at the Holiday Stamp Camp event in November. Once again, Desirée Spenst and I have teamed up for another day-long virtual event! Anyone in Canada can join us for this event. Registration closes October 31st, so don’t wait! Go to my Events & Classes Page to find out more and to register.

October 15, 2021

I Love a Peaceful Autumn

Amy Jasper As You See It Challenge, simple and cute 2021, As You See It, colour challenge, Love of Leaves, Peaceful Place, stitched leaves, sweet and simple 0 Comments

Autumn is here and there’s no more denying that summer is over. It feels like I missed the transition somehow, though, as the new chill in the air seemed to come on so suddenly. In reflecting on the last couple months, I’m realizing that I’ve hardly been outside! Yikes!

Colours of Fall

The As You See It Challenge gives us some colours to design with that immediately made me think of fall. However, these colours would be lovely for any occasion all year round.

Fall is my favourite season; the crisp fresh air, the changing leaves, and the smell of the damp earth as it welcomes the tired plants to join it once more. Autumn brings with it the peace of knowing that the cycle is winding down. Life is slowing and preparing to rest before it’s big reveal in the spring.

There’s comfort in that.

Even though plants are dying and losing their leaves and colours, it’s not the end. Those same plants will flourish again or they’ll live on in the new plants that grow from the seeds they left behind.

I’m not one to keep up a routine or a schedule, but I know that I need to start making time each week to get outside. I have a few little goals that I’m trying to keep up with (and it often feels like I’m failing!), like cleaning and organizing my craft room, submitting my taxes (yep, still not done), keeping up with my blog, and now I need to add “get outside”.

Thankfully, I only work for myself and my family, otherwise, I’d be even more of a hot mess than I already am!

My Design

I have a card for you today that has this peaceful autumn feel. I’m not sure if the sentiment is an expression to a person, or, in this case, to the fall season itself. Maybe it can be both.

The Blackberry Bliss is so striking against the Basic White layers on this design.

I die-cut the Peaceful Place patterned paper with one of the Stitched Leaves dies. Then, I inked a portion of the leaf image from the Love of Leaves stamp set with Granny Apple Green. With a Sponge Dauber, I applied Blackberry Bliss ink to the rest of the stamp, blending it slightly with the green. While holding the die-cut patterned paper in position, I was able to stamp the leaf on the Basic White.

For a bit of extra interest, I used the die that cuts the stitched veins over the stamped image and put that through the Cut & Emboss machine. It ended up being quite subtle, but adds a nice detail.

The layers could then be adhered to my card with the patterned paper lifted using Stampin’ Dimensionals. My sentiment was stamped, heat embossed with White Embossing powder, cut into sections and also adhered to the card. Because the sentiment pieces are placed over two different levels, I used Dimensionals under the right side and my Multipurpose Liquid Glue on the left.

The final touch on this peaceful autumn design are the clear Elegant Faceted Gems. They seem to play well with the silver foil in the Peaceful Place patterned paper.

Enjoy the Season

I cycle through seasons just as the earth does. Sometimes, I am flourishing with new growth, while other times, I’m winding down and preparing for a rest. At this moment, I am in my own peaceful autumn.

Ah yes. That is a comfort.

Things are slowing, but only for a time. It won’t be long before I cycle back around again. Soon, the inspiration will sprout up, where it will leaf into new ideas and blossom with renewed vibrancy.

It can be challenging to be in this phase, but now that I recognize it, I will allow myself to settle into it. I can observe it, welcome it, and even enjoy it.

And tomorrow, I will get outside and enjoy the crisp autumn air!

October 1, 2021

Send Holiday Love with this Peaceful Christmas Card

Amy Jasper As You See It Challenge, Christmas 2021, As You See It, challenge, Cork, Knit Together, Peaceful Place, sketch 0 Comments

The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are changing colour. For me, that means it’s time to cozy up and prepare for winter. This is the season to wrap yourself in your most comfy knitted sweater, make a cup of tea, slip your feet into those slippers and do some holiday crafting.

The only thing that would make my holiday crafting even better is a gas fireplace in my craft room! That would be glorious! It’s not a realistic goal, by any means, but I do wonder if I could make room for a small electric fireplace. My crafting studio is in the basement, so it gets chilly. The ambience and warmth of a fireplace would be so delightful, don’t you think!

As You See It Challenge

As a part of the As You See It Design Team, I get to share another card inspired by today’s As You See It Challenge blog.

It begins with a sketch!

Events & Classes

For the past couple weeks, I’ve been having fun creating with the Peaceful Place Specialty paper. I showed my September technique class how to make a very special fancy fold card using this patterned paper along with the coordinating Cabin Dies. My technique cards and tutorials are exclusively available to those who purchased the class. That means they get VIP Access to the tutorials for two months. After that, I get to share the projects with you! So keep watch for that fancy fold card to show up here on my blog in November!

To find out more about my virtual classes (only available in Canada) or about purchasing VIP Early Access to the technique class tutorials, go to my Events & Classes page.

You can also find lots of tutorials on my YouTube Channel.

Peaceful Christmas Card

Since I’ve had the Peaceful Place patterned paper on my mind AND on my desk, it made its way into this design.

I LOVE this paper!

The Cork Specialty Paper and the Knit Together cling stamp have been waiting so patiently for me to bring them into a project. They both offer such a warm and cozy texture. Stamping tone-on-tone with Gray Granite ink on the Gray Granite cardstock works beautifully with that stamp.

I wasn’t sure what colour of cardstock to use for this design. Many of the neutral colours that I considered were too drab, while some colour options seemed too loud. Finally, I tried the Evening Evergreen.

It was perfect! Neutral enough to feel calm, but rich enough to feel cozy and inviting.

Also on this design, you can see the soft layer of Vellum, the white embossed sentiment from the Snowman Season stamp set, and the red stitched ribbon from the Playful Pets Trim Combo Pack.

Give this sketch a try and share your final take on the As You See It Challenge blog. We love to see what you design with that creative brain of yours!