SHC - Christmas in July - 1 ....

... Morning! Hope you're all keeping well. I'm here with my weekly Seven Hills Craft blog post. I've made three Christmas cards all using one stamp set - Colorado Craft Company's Nordic Ornament. It's a huge image, so you can use it all or just part of it. I'll start with the card I made using all the image:

Stamps: Colorado Craft Company - Big & Bold Nordic Ornament

Inks: Versamark; Versafine Clair - Nocture; Kaleidacolor - Pastel

Dies: Spellbinders - Grand Circles (LF-114) #3

Accessories: White & Black Card; Clear Embossing Powder; Gansai Tambi Watercolour Paint Set; Tim Holtz Watercolour Card

I'm submitting this card to The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge - H&ICC#97 where it's always Anything Christmas Goes.

I stamped the image onto watercolour with Versamark ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I used watercolour paints to reveal the image - I love this technique. Once the image had dried, I used a large circle die to cut it out. To make the mat layer of black card, I simply drew round the outside of the circle die I used to cut out the image, and then fussy cut it out. I layered the two pieces together and adhered them to the front of a 5¾" square card. Inside, I cut a mat layer of black card and a white panel slightly smaller. On the white panel, I stamped the main image using a multicolour ink pad. I finished by adding a simple greeting.

My next card features part of the Nordic Ornament:

Stamps: Colorado Craft Company - Big & Bold Nordic Ornament

Inks: Versamark; Versafine Clair - Nocture; Gina K - Innocent Pink, Dusty Rose, Red Hot

Dies: Gina K - Master Layout Set 2

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gina K Card - Red Hot; Gold Embossing Powder

I stamped the image in Versamark ink, embossed with gold powder and used a stitch edged die to cut out a section of the ornament. I used three shades of pink and red ink to colour the ornament and finished by stamping a greeting in black ink. I layered the finished panel onto black card and added the whole piece to the front of a side-opening A2 (US size) card. Inside, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I simply stamped a Christmas greeting in black ink, and added some gold elements that I cut out from the left over ornament.

My last card also features part of the large Nordic Ornament:

Stamps: Colorado Craft Company - Big & Bold Nordic Ornament

Inks: Versamark; Versafine Clair - Nocture; Delicata - Silvery Shimmer

Dies: Gina K - Master Layout Set 1; C&9 - Merry Mantle

Accessories: White & Black Card; Silver Embossing Powder; Shimmery Vellum; Silver Holographic Card

How lucky am I? The new challenge over at The Male Room - TMR#152 is Christmas in July, so I'm submitting this card to the challenge.

This time I used silver embossing powder on black card - I love the contrast here. I selected the central part of the image and used a die to cut it out. I layered this onto silver holographic card from my stash. I also found some shimmery vellum in my stash. I cut a piece 1½" wide and wrapped it around the bottom of the image. I adhered the panel to the front of a side-opening black A2 (US size) note card. To finish the front I die cut the word 'noel' from black card and adhered to the vellum. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of holographic card. On the white panel I stamped the main ornament in silver ink and added a Christmas greeting in black ink.

I'm very pleased to have added three more cards to my Christmas stash. I like getting organised early as it saves on stress in November and December!! I'll be back next week with part 2 of Christmas in July! See you soon.