It’s Thursday and time to play at Pals Paper Arts! We hope you will join us in our “Clean and Simple Soften the Edges” challenge. Yep…some days you just need to take the edge off. Whether you are rounding, accessorizing or even smudging them, we are challenging you to “soften those edges”! For my first card created with the Christmas Lodge stamp set, I wanted to design a “rustic” style card. Although I may have “over-distressed” a wee bit, I hope that you still enjoy it.
The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips: Rustic Meets Distressing
- Prepare the Paper! Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper is absolutely stunning. The only fault I find is that it incorporates Whisper White into its patterns. For something rustic, I prefer paper which coordinates with Very Vanilla. So I lightly brayered it with Crumb Cake ink to take the edge off the white.
- Emboss! The Christmas Lodge stamp was inked with VersaMark, stamped onto Very Vanilla card stock and then heat embossed with Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Emboss Powder. What could be yummier!
- Stitch! Small holes were punched around the perimeter of the image oval. Hemp Twine was then whipstitched around the edge. Don’t worry if your holes are not spaced evenly…you are trying to achieve a “rustic” look…not a “perfect” look!
- Hemp Twine was also used to cross-stitch on the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch.
- Improvise! I created the elongated Decorative Label mat behind the sentiment simply by punching out the label and tracing the design at the ends of an appropriate length of Very Vanilla card stock. I then cut it out with scissors and sanded the edges to remove any bumps.
- Distress! The Waterspot stamp from French Foliage was inked in Soft Suede and stamped off once. It was used to randomly stamped the image and the sentiment, re-inking and stamping off as needed. Soft Suede and a Sponge Dauber was used to soften all of the edges. The Color Spritzer Tool and a Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker provides instant speckles.
I spent a long time debating what to do at the interface between the two patterns of paper. Originally I had a snippet of the new Early Espresso Quilted Ribbon. But you know what…it was just too formal for the look I was trying to achieve. So I covered it up the ribbon with the cross-stitched border, and I am much happier with the look. What do you think?
Your comments are important to me, and I enjoy our little chats! Of course, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away! Until next time…
Coming Soon: Good-by to the Summer Mini; My Picks from the Holiday Mini
Stamp Sets: Christmas Lodge (W 123767, C 123769), French Foliage (W 120845, C 121166); Inks: VersaMark (102283), Crumb Cake (121030), Soft Suede (115657), Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker (120973); Designer Series Paper: Frostwood Lodge (124002); Card Stock: Soft Suede (115318), Naturals Ivory (101849), Very Vanilla (101650), Cherry Cobbler (119685); Tools: Heat Tool (100005), Sponge Dauber (102892), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Decorative Label Punch (120907), Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch (119275), Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Emboss Powder (122949), Big Shot (113439), Ovals Orginals Die (114525), Brayer (102395), Corner Rounder (119871), 1/16″ Circle Handheld Punch (101227); Glitz and Glam: Chantilly Crochet Trim (118480), Hemp Twine (100982), Vintage Trinkets (118764)
Oh, what a lovely card Ann. The color combo is perfect. Love the stitching! :o)
wow this is a knockout ann-love everything about this christmas card
Lovely Ann! Love the red and browns…very classic looking card. {SMILES}
I like the way you tricked the eye by changing the DSP from white to vanilla, clever girl!
This is gorgeous! Love the stitching and I think you did a fantastic job making it look rustic.
Beautiful Ann! Just beautiful!! Makes me very excited about x-mas! 🙂
Another great card, Ann! Love the colors your used, too! And the whipstitching is wonderful!
What a fantastic card!! Like the idea to extend the label punch….going to have to try that.
What were they thinking with white – we are talking flannel and all! Love how you changed it with the crumb cake! Now that Merry Christmas is just so cool how you did it. No pearls but you still managed to put a touch of bling with the crocheted ribbon! The quilted ribbon would have been too formal I think. The water spots and distress just make it feel like the snow melted a bit under the flannel blanket or shirt! I bet you could sell this card idea to the Bounty or Brawny paper towel guy for his Christmas cards! I just love that cherry cobbler color on this card. Great job as usual Ann!
Chris R. from Iowa
Your very own decorative label? I’m impressed, Ann. I love how you made the whisper white look more distressed. I have done that before with an ink pad and a dauber!
I so love all the details you include (and explain!) on all your cards. This one makes feel like I’m wrapped in a warm flannel blanket! You have such great ideas – like how you “improvised” your Curly label punch, or changing the white dsp with crumb cake – you rock!
Great card! Makes you want to drink hot cocoa & curl up by the fire. I agree that the quilted ribbon would have been too fire for the lodge; I like the cross stitch ribbon much better.
Beautiful card Ann…reminds me of leather how you have stitched it. I love the rugged look of it. Takes one back in time to the Father Christmas!
Very nice vintage look card, Ann.
Such a beautiful card! I appreciate that you provide tips on how you make all your cards :). Thanks!
Ok, I love, love, love this! The twine stitched is the perfect touch. Definitely not over distressed! I am bookmarking this, it has so many things that I love.
Beautiful card Ann. I really love all the details, especially the whip stitching around the oval. What a great idea to brayer WW to tone it down a bit.
I can’t wait to order this DS paper.
Oh I love all that red!!! Fabulous!!! Hugs to Brody and Muffy. Glad is tests came back okay. Hugs,
Love this card. I am in love with the new DSP and you’ve used the red woodgrain beautifully. Thanks for blessing my day and inspiring my art.
Woof, woof from me and we are not doing so well at our house. Bye – slow waggy tail. :))))
Ann this looks great and I LOVE your stitching! Wow.. how cool is that! I LOVE cherry cobbler but didn’t have a clue what to do with the DSP… but now you’ve come through again with inspiration and how about the cobbler lodge. Too cool……… I’d like to be taking the edge off with my feet up in that lodge right now! hugs.
Wow Ann! This is so incredibly beautiful. All the details are amazing and I love the cross stitched detail. Perfection!
A very rustic Christmas!
Mike
Oh so pretty in red! This is really beautiful.
Hugs, M
Funny: when I looked at your card, before reading the post, I thought, “Oooh, it’s so lodge-y!” THen read the description, and realized that is the name of the stamp set! LOL You really made great use of that set.
Love this rustic card! Awesome tip about how you used the decorative label punch. I will have to try that!
Ann, you always surprise me with great ideas. I like the brayering over the DSP to soften the white and the whip stitching is terrific. Thanks for sharing your talent with all of us. Prayers for Brody…hope he is much better and being still while he heals.
Love the stitching around the lodge – looks like it is on birch bark! And your improv is perfect! Hope Brody Baby is mending 🙂
Beautiful card, reminds me of a classic holiday movie like “The Bishop’s Wife.” Just beautiful. TFS!
Love all the details you have put into this card….love them hemp on the bottom and the background is superb..
Love it!! A change from pearls and rhinestones but still love it!!
I just got this stamp set yesterday! I can hardly wait to ink it up and see what I can create. Thanks for the inspiration! I need to quit my job so I can spend my time studying and learning from a master like you!
As soon as I saw this image in the holiday mini, I thought to myself, “Wonder how Ann will use this one on a card.” It’s just so “you.” And so gorgeous. Never ever would have thought of stamping it in red…but it works, baby, it works!
You outdid yourself on this card!! The card is awesome!! I love everything you did on the card. You really made the stamped image come alive. It would me awesome to be the winner of one of your card!! You give us great ideas and you do great work to provide such wonderful cards that anyone would love to receive. It makes it special when someone takes the time to send a beautiful card that they have made.
Jennifer
Really like the card! The whipstitch is a great addition for the rustic look. Thanks for the chance to win
Another amazing card! The image is perfect for embossing and your stitching really adds to the rustic lodge feel. Great idea to brayer the white in the DSP. And, another fab tip re elongating the punch!
Beautiful, Ann! Love this image…I feel much cooler right now!
Rustic at its finest! To be honest, I wasn’t feeling this stamp set but now you’ve made me give it a second look. It looks amazing embossed in Cherry Cobbler! Well, that and with all the gorgeous details that only you can add.
Hugs to Brody. I hope he’s feeling better.
Beautiful card.Ann. Your improvised decorative label background….brillant!
Once again, some wonderful ideas. I love the whip stitching around the oval and your use of the hemp. It certainly gives it that rustic look. It’s also neat how you creatively altered the sentiment with the punch. Good news about Brody. I’m hoping he’s feeling better today.
This is just awesome Ann!! I so love the rustic look and you have achieved this so beautifully with all the wonderful details in this card! This set is on the top of my list, along with that gorgeous paper and now I need the Cherry Cobbler embossing powder too! I love the stitching around the main image and how you used the punched strip to replace the ribbon! I will definitely be “caseing” this one!
I hope Brody is doing better!
WOW! A beautiful rustic card LOADED with great detail. The elongated Decorative Label, Ribbon cover-up and how about that Whipstitching! Your creativity ceases to amaze me! Good luck to Brody at the Doc’s this morning – just like kids aren’t they!
Ann, I love,love,love this card. I think this is my favorite dsp and stamp set.. I love how you made it look so rustic. I love the hemp twine around the oval frame and how you elongated the decorative label. You are one smart lady…. so many clever ideas.
hugs
Darlene-Joy
Super look….I did not expect this at all.Once again you out done yourself on making a card. Love that Cherry Cobbler embosssing powder. We must thank SU for the embossing powder and the beautiful stamp set Christmas Lodge that you used.
I also love how you replaced the ribbon.
I hope Brody is better today!
Ann,
You have done it again! What a great card! Just loads of detail. Loved the idea of brayering over the white. I haven’t gotten this set yet but I just may have too!