2013 Christmas Card Challenge - June 2013!

Summer is almost upon us - Spring storms all around with rain, lightning, thunder, and tornadoes.  Yes, we're right smack-dab in the middle of Tornado Alley.  Shelter-in-Place plan, work plan, out and about plan....  trying to be prepared, but always with a tinge of worry.    Oh well.  Spring still is my favorite season.  With all the rain we've had, things are beautiful, green, flowers blooming...  so much better than the drought! :)

SO.   After all that, the Christmas Card Challenge for June!


Click HERE for the complete list of rules and regs. (They're easy, I promise!) in order to compete in the challenge.  The best part of competing in my challenges?  Your Christmas cards will be all completed, hand-made (not rushed) and ready to send out right after Thanksgiving.  What a great way to give hand-made cards and not feel that extra pressure at the holiday!


The theme for June's challenge is:    Try a New Technique


This has to be something you've never done before - paper tole, tri-fold cards, shaving cream technique, alcohol ink backgrounds,  Oh! there are hundreds!  "Your imagination is your limitation."   Here's your chance to try something you've never done before.

Mine?  I've never given the Black Magic Technique a try and really wanted to. You Tube is a wonderful resource as is Splitcoast Stampers.  I personally like the videos so I can actually see what they're doing.  Helps me remember better. :)

Here you can see 3 of the 7 cards I made this month... so you could get a good close-up of some of my favorites.

I used the Stampin' Up 2-step stamping set called Watercolor Winter for these cards.  It might be retired, but it's so awesome for so many different things.  This isn't the first time I've used it.

 1st step to the Black Magic Technique is to stamp the image on black cardstock in white craft ink.  Use the heat gun to dry the craft ink.

 2nd step to the Black Magic Technique:  (This one takes the longest.)  Use watercolor pencils and color in the images over the white craft ink.  I used different shading with the reds.  They show better in person, as always.

 Since this is a 2-step stamping set, I then took the top image on each card, stamped in white craft ink again, and left it white for some extra definition.  The Merry Christmas is stamped with Versamark ink, covered with white embossing powder, and heat embossed with the same 'gun'.

Here you can see all 7 of the black magic cards (I made the Holly and Berries as a bonus card to see what it would look like.)  with one showing the completed inside, and one of the envelopes.  "No naked envelopes!"

 Basic rules:  Create 6 cards in a new technique you've never tried before.  Finish the insides and stamp the envelopes.  Take a picture or a few - enter them here before midnight the 20th of June to be considered in the voting.