Christmas Robin – Card

As you are probably aware I love robins, especially at Christmas, so today I created a Robin Christmas card using a Tim Holtz stamp and a pretty wintry background that was leftover from a previous project.

The leftover background was previously created using mixed media paper which I stamped with snowflakes using Simon Says Stamp Frozen Fractals stamp set and VersaMark Watermark ink and then covered with white Stampendous embossing powder. I shook and tapped off any excess powder and used a heat gun to melt the embossing powder until it became smooth and dimensional with a glossy finish. Next I used Milled Lavender, Chipped Sapphire and Salty Ocean Distress Ink to colour the background by spritzing the panel with water then applying the inks. Then I created my robin by stamping the bird on a branch stamp from Tim Holtz Urban Tapestry stamp set using Brushed Corduroy and Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I coloured the bird using Poppy Red and Charcoal Grey Derwent Inktense pencils and also added more details to the feathers, eye and beak using a black Derwent Graphik marker, white Uniball gel pen and a Dark Sepia Faber-Castell Big Brush marker. The foliage is stamped using the Urban Tapestry stamp set and the same brown inks too. I die cut the berry branches using Tim Holtz Sizzix Garden Greens Thinlets and my Big Shot machine from white card stock and also a brown design paper. They are layered together slightly off centre making the white card stock look like a coating of snow, then I added Christmas Red Stickles to the berries to give them a glittery finish. I also die cut the “Merry Christmas” wording from the white card stock and brown design paper again as well as some blue vellum. I layered the three pieces together slightly off centre so the white card stock was on the bottom, the blue vellum was in the middle then the brown paper was on the top using a Zig Memory glue pen. To finish, I edged the panel with the Dark Sepia Faber-Castell Big Brush marker, then I stuck the berry branches and wording in place using mini glue dots and the Zig glue pen.

I have a number of robin Christmas decorations around the house too, some of which you may be able to see in this photo of me and my hubby – we wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Challenges

I’m glad I found out about Challenge Blogs as I enjoy taking part, they provide me with inspiration for my pages and are a wonderful way to meet like-minded arty people. So here are the challenges I’m joining today:

I’m so happy to be able to join Fashionable Stamping Challenges and their Winter challenge with my wintry Christmas Robin stamped card.

As the challenge over at Country View Challenges is Christmas, I’m pleased to join them too as my Christmas robin fits this theme.

With all the stamping, the red glittery Stickles and shiny white embossing, I’m also joining the Winter Sparkle challenge over at Stamping Sensations.

I’m pleased to be able to join the Christmas Challenge over at The Artistic Stamper with my stamped Christmas Robin.

Over at That’s Crafty! Challenge Blog their theme is Anything Goes so I’m also joining this challenge.

I’m pleased to join in the Anything Goes challenge over at Paperbabe Stamps too.

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

• Simon Says Stamp Clear Stamp Set (Frozen Fractals SSS101694)
• Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Cling Rubber Stamps (Urban Tapestry CMS061)
• Tsukineko VersaMark Watermark Ink Pad
• Stampendous Embossing Powder (Detail White Opaque)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Milled Lavender, Chipped Sapphire, Salty Ocean, Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo)
• Derwent Inktense Pencils (Poppy Red, Charcoal Grey)
• Derwent Graphik Line Marker (Black 0.05mm)
• Uniball Signo Gel Pen (White)
• Faber-Castell Craft Stamper Big Brush Pen (Dark Sepia 175 B)
• Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlets (Garden Greens 661206)
• Dovecraft Cutting Dies (Merry Christmas DCDIE052X16)
• White Card Stock
• Simon Says Stamp (Blue Vellum)
• Poundland Design Pad (Changing Seasons CR0701/16PL1)
• Ranger Stickles (Christmas Red)
• Zig Memory System 2-Way Glue (Dual Action Glue Pen)
• Stix2 mini glue dots