Handicrafts by Kate Perry and other ramblings

Saturday, January 25, 2014

It's Rudolph Time again.

If you had a panic when Christmas came around and you didn't have enough cards ready, why not join us over at Sarn's blog, Stamping for Pleasure, where every Rudolph day (25th of each month), we submit two, or more, Christmas cards for her challenge. That way you will have made a good start on your collection.
For my cards this month I used a new stamp that didn't manage to get inked up in time for Christmas. When I was in Birmingham with my son, back in September, I went into a newly opened haberdashery/ textile shop, looking for some buttons, and discovered a small selection of craft items. Among them was this lovely stamp by Heartfelt Creations. I loved the words on it, and the little 'Bethlehem' nestling inside the 'O' of 'Noel'. 

It turned out to be a bit bigger than I expected, so I custom cut the base cards, making sure they would just fit inside a standard Spanish envelope, which is just a little larger than the British one. And here are the cards I made.

I stamped the image onto white heavy paper, and added some colour with copic markers. I didn't care for the stark white background so I used ink dusters to add a little subtle colour to it. My instinct was to colour the flowers red which I did, and I added gold pearl to their centres. The small white berries are sparkly with gold-ice stickles, but that doesn't show well in the photos. I scanned the image into the computer and made a cutting file for the word NOEL. I cut it out using my Silhouette cameo machine and embossed each letter with a red/gold interference powder. I then had to decide whether to paste it over the green swirl that twines round the 'N', but in the end I used a craft knife to carefully cut along each side of it, and I was just able to slip the letter through the slots I made. I think it was worth it! I rough cut around the stamped image and found a piece of red paper in my snippets box to mount it on, and then layered it onto a white base card.

I thought it might be fun to try a different colour arrangement for the second one, so this time I used shades of yellow and peach on the flowers with yellow stickles for their centre, and I embossed the letters with a powder called Disco Black, which was one of my favourites back when I used to emboss everything! I found some green paper to back this one, and there we have it. A couple of cards that I am quite pleased with, and I think I shall be making a few more of these while the stamps etc are out.

I have never been very keen on the use of the word Noel, or Noelle as it is sometimes spelled, but this time I looked up its meaning online, and apparently it is an ancient word now taken to mean simply Christmas, or a Christmas carol. By a somewhat tortuous route, they traced it's origin through some French words to the Latin one meaning 'Day of birth', so I feel a bit happier about using it now I understand it.

11 comments:

Di said...

Beautiful cards Kate - wow that stamp is really fabulous. Love that it has Bethlehem in the letter O too. Two cards looking so different due to colour changes from the red to blue.

I've always been taught that Noel was fine to use, and suspect that came from French lessons. But what does make my teeth itch is the use of Xmas :(

Hugs, Di xx

Jean said...

Gorgeous cards Kate.That is a lovely stamp and it looks good in both colour ways. I also looked up the meaning of Noel this year (great minds and all that)and was surprised to find it basically meant Christmas.
Jean x

Sarn said...

Hi Kate . . . two lovely cards in two different colourways. Isn't amazing how different they look with a shift in the colours? Really nice cards made with a really nice stamp. GOOD CHOICE!

Thanks for joining in with Rudolph Day.

Hugs, Sarn xxx

Kathleen said...

I love both these cards, the colours are stunning either way.

Kath x

kiwimeskreations said...

Kate these are beautiful - love the stamp and the different treatments you have given it. Wonderful cards!
Blessings
Maxine

Mary said...

Very nice. I like both of them. Thank you for explaining the steps. I like using Noel. I agree with Di, Xmas just doesn't scream holiday.

Princess Judy Palmer said...

My cousin had twins near Christmas and named them Nick (for St. Nick) and Noel, which I think is a terrible name to saddle a kid with. It is interesting to find out its meaning though. Anyway, to your cards which are fabulous. That is a fun extra large stamp and I really love what you've done with it. Cutting out the NOEL letters to give them extra zing really gave these cards something special.

scrappymo! said...

Two beautiful cards...that scene inside the letter O is wonderful!

Sandy said...

Pretty, pretty! This is going to be an outstanding year of Christms cards!
Sandy

craftimamma said...

Hi Kate, Sorry I was such a bad blogger last year. This year I'm hoping to do much better but already family stuff is getting in the way looking after Mum & now Hubby is waiting for surgery. The medics have got their clutches into me too, hopefully more warning things than anything, fingers crossed but my diary is depressing to look at being filled with appointments for GPs, hospitals, dentists & opticians ....thank goodness for crafting is all I can say, lol!

I think Christmas card challenges are brilliant if you have time to join them and your start with these two beauties is well on track. I can't believe your patience and skill at cutting slots round that delicate vine for the N to fit through. I would have made a pigs ear of that for sure! My own personal challenge this year is to not buy any birthday cards. Now I've given up DT work I'm hoping to have more time to use my own stash and make them all. It's started well with 2 this month ;D!

Hugs
Lesley Xx

JoZart Designs said...

Beautiful cards Kate, but I still haven't made last year's!!
Jo x