Christmas Joy

Hi everyone, today I would like to share with you some Christmas Joy … that is both the name of the focal stamp on this card, but also an apt description of the warm fuzzy feeling I had when I was creating with some of the wonderful new Lavinia stamps. Although I really like Lavinia stamps I wouldn’t normally describe myself as a “super fan” - that is to say I don’t normally go into a frenzy of excitement over each new release. However I can’t tell you how much I love the latest stamps … the new Christmas trees and snowflakes are absolutely exquisite, and I am feeling full of ideas of how to use them, both alone, with existing stamps I have already, and even with existing stamps I don’t have yet!! Here is my first card using “Christmas Joy”, which I made as an entry for Lavinia’s monthly Creative Challenge but which I would also like to enter into some other challenges.

I cut a square of white stamping card and created a landscape by blending Elements inks using my new Mini Hills Masks and a circle mask for the moon. I made some paper masks by drawing round my acetate Mini Hills masks so I could then stamp some background fir trees in 1st/2nd generation grey Versafine Clair. I stamped the focal tree in the foreground in green and brown, then coloured it by painting with watered down Elements ink and a wash of Spectrum Noir sparkle pen, and coloured the tree baubles with Posca sparkle pens. I wanted fairies to be decorating the tree but none of mine were really suitable, so I improvised by masking and stamping different parts of the stamp “Dancing Till Dawn” to represent the fairies dancing round the tree whilst bringing lanterns. I added lanterns to the tree and to the fairies’ hands by masking my Small Lanterns stamp, then coloured them and the fairy wings with Sakura Stardust pens. I stamped some hanging creepers at the top to frame the scene, then liberally highlighted the scene with my clear Sakura Stardust pen. I stamped the word "Joy" in Twilight VFC over the moon - for the Lavinia Challenge I stopped there, but for other challentes i added some extra greetings words by Uniko.  Finally I added white Posca snowflakes before matting onto midnight blue card stock and a 6” square card blank. 

Here's an angled picture to show the sparkle.

Stamps: Lavinia Christmas Joy, Small Pine Trees, Christmas Tree Group, Dancing Till Dawn, Small Lanterns, Leaf Creeper, Seasonal Words; Uniko Festive Sentiments;

Media: Lavinia Elements Inks (Della Blue, Dark Denim, Olive); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist, Shady Lane, Pinecone, Rainforest, Twilight); Sakura Stardust pens (yellow, blue, turquoise, clear); Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen (clear); Posca Sparkle pens (Yellow, Blue, Light Blue); Posca pen (white);

Tools: Lavinia Mini Hills masks, acetate circle mask.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Allsorts #753 - The Great Outdoors - TOP 5

Beccy’s Month of Holiday Cards (November) - D is for Dancing Till Dawn

Daisy Chain #80 - Christmas/Winter

Dragonfly Dreams (November) - Inspiration Photo

(I was inspired by the blue baubles)

The Fairy and the Unicorn #11 2023 - Anything Goes Fantasy - WINNER

Festive Friday - Christmas

Lavinia Creative Challenge (November) - White Winter Blizzard (version with single word “Joy”) (2nd entry)

Most Magical Time of the Year #14 - Christmas

Sheepski #80 - Getting Ready for Christmas

Stamping Sensations (November) - Get Ready for Christmas

Try It On Tuesday - Sparkle All the Way  (2nd entry) - END OF YEAR SPOTLIGHT 2023

We Love Stamping (November) - Christmas Characters

That’s all from me for today, though I may be doing some more crafting later if the weather continues to be so awful! Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,