Christmas Birthday Layered Sugar Nellie on Penny Black

front of card

close-up of image

side-view showing layers

close-up of buttons sewn with gold thread

Alhough it is exactly the same card the  antique gold cardstock in the following 3 photos appears  much duller, in my first attempts it actually looked silver

inside of card

close-ups showing paper piercing on corner element & message panel

This card was made around the theme of a boy who celebrates his birthday at Christmas. It was as I was looking through my Sugar Nellie stamps deciding which one would be suitable for this week's Splitcoaststampers challenge (number 6 being "DECOUPAGE Your Image") that the idea came to me. The Penny Black Challenge had rather appealed to me & with my Penny Black stamps all being Christmas themed it seemed logical to combine them with Mr Stocking in the Sugar Nellie Manga range. 

The two backing papers were made by sponging & repeat stamping onto pearlescent paper & I have replaced the sentiment in the sketch with a row of pearls. I almost came unstuck - in fact I lost a whole layer after I'd coloured it - as I'd not realised that the Black Copic  I used to colour my cut edges would seep between the Letraset Paper & the card I had glued it to. The image looked like it had stubble on the face, arms & legs. I salvaged what I could by adjusting my layers, colouring the remaining cut edges with a Tombow Marker (the ProMaker Fine Liner wouldn't "tilt" into the crevices), but even that was a little precarious, & using 1mm foam pads rather than Silicone. I did not want to risk the water soluble Tombow Marker bleeding everywhere when I'd got away without it doing so that far. The other disadvantage with the Letraset Paper is that if you blend too much the ink seems to pool & leave ring marks.

Recipe
Stamps Sugar Nellie Manga Mr Stocking (image),  Penny Black Crystalline (background papers), Stampendous Cupcake Numbers SSC178 (sentiment).
Inks etc... Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaFine Deep Lagoon , Brilliance Galaxy Gold. Excepting the mian card base the Deep Lagoon & Galaxy Gold (either singly or combined)  were used  for inking cardstock & paper edges.
Colouring Copic Ciaos, ProMarker Black Fine Liner Pen, Black Tombow Marker & Inkssentials White Opaque Pen.
Cardstock Vintage gold Moondust, bright gold cream Moondust & black from "stash".
Papers Letraset Bleedproof Marker Pad, pearlescent double sided cream (from "stash").
Punches Woodware (snowflakes, circles & scalloped circles), EK Success (corners).
Gold stars, buttons & gold thread, pearls & gems from "stash".

Challenges Entered
Sugar Nellie Splitcoaststampers 6 - DECOUPAGE Your Image
Penny Black Saturday Wk 100 - Sketch
Crazy 4 Challenges C4C36 - What Are Little Boys Made Of
Cupcake Craft #90 - Buttons
Cute Card Thursday #110 - Boyz to Men!  (12/5 ETA - should be #111)
Papertake Weekly - Shiny, Sparkly & Special (it is both shiny & sparkly, & the Christmas birthday makes it extra special)
Pile It On #18 - Cute & Cuddly (the little boy)
Stampin' for the Weekend - A Card for a Male
Stamp Something - Birthday somethings
Totally Papercrafts #15 - Stitching (on buttons)

Wings in Pink

easel card standing

card open

close-up of butterfly & distressing

close-up of focal image

I did not intend to make an easel card this time but then Pile It On set that as the challenge. I used Claudia's sketch from Cute Stamps & Cards. Photographing the card was difficult because of the shimmery nature of the focal image.

Recipe

Focal Image Stamped (Inkadinkado 99120 Patterned Birds & Bugs), heat embossed  (Stampendous Star Dust) & watercoloured using Sakura Stardust pens. Oval (cut using Xcut Shape Cutter) edged with Stickles Glitter Glue.

Background Panels Cardstock inked & stamped (Stampers Anonymous Fancy Flourish) using Distress Inks.  A combination of crumpling & dampening aged the appearance & the panels were ironed flat. Edges inked (Distress Inks).

Propping Panel Butterflies - punched (Woodware), shaped, edges inked (Distress Inks), dampened to disperse the inks, re-shaped & covered in Glossy Accents. Flower - assorted sequins & beads from "stash". Scalloped circles punched (Woodware) & outer scallops inked (Brilliance Starlite Black).

Message Panel Punched (Woodware) & scallops inked (Brilliance Starlite Black).
Cardstock, ribbon & pearls from "stash".

Challenges Entered
Allsorts Wk 46 - No Design Papers
Charisma Cardz #13 - Animal Magic (one of the DT samples featured a bird)
Crafts & Me #1 - Fairies or Wings
Cute Stamps & Cards - Sketch
Pile It on #13 - Easel Card
Simon Says Stamp - It's So Distressing (Distress Inks & background panels)
Stamp Something - Pink Something