Li’l Cottages

Hi everyone, I mentioned in a previous post that last weekend I took delivery of a few of the new Lavinia Christmas stamps, and today I’m really excited to share my first card where they are the primary focus. I didn’t like all of the stamps in this release but I have concluded that I am totally in love with the little cottages.... they really make me think of Alpine lodges and are are just adorable for making Christmas scenes. I also think the lamp post is wonderful for scene building, and Annie and Edward have definitely grown on me … so for once (fairly unusual for me) I’m  actually thrilled with how a card has turned out! Here it is.

I started by stamping my little cottages and lamp post, adding paper masks as I went along. I then added a torn paper mask to the bottom half of the card to form a snow line, and created my night sky and a halo of light around the lamp post by blending Elements inks. With the masks still in place I then stamped a variety of fir trees behind the cottages using 1st and 2nd generation VFC - I already own a number of Lavinia fir tree stamps so didn’t feel it necessary to buy any of the latest ones. 

I removed the paper masks and added more snowdrifts by blending Elements inks, then coloured the cottages and lantern with Zig pens. I stamped holly in 2 corners to frame the scene and coloured the berries with red Uniball and Stardust pens. I added white Posca highlights to the holly, lamp post and Annie and Edward, then added snow to the cottage roofs, windows, trees  and lamp post using Posca pen topped with Spectrum Noir sparkle pen. I also added Spectrum Noir sparkle pen to the snow drifts, and Wink of Stella to the lantern and its halo, Annie and Edward’s lanterns and the cottage windows. I find that the 2 sparkle pens are different shades which have different uses - the Spectrum noir pen is more silvery and “frosty”, whereas the Wink of Stella is a warmer, more golden shade which is ideal for twinkling lights. 

Finally I added a little shadow shading beneath my figures, stamped sentiments, dotted Posca snowflakes in the sky (no random spattering on this one!) then edged the piece with dark blue marker pen and matted onto silver mirri card and a card blank.

Here’s an angled picture but sadly it doesn’t capture the sparkle at all … probably down to the miserable grey weather we’ve been having!

Stamps: Lavinia Meadow Cottage, Woodland Cottages, Street Light, Annie & Edward, Fir Tree 1, Christmas Tree Group, Small Pine Trees, Christmas Greetings;

Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Dark Denim, Violet Chalk, Della Blue, Sundance); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Rainforest, Twilight); Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Signo Uniball pen (red); Sakura Stardust pen (red); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Wink of Stella (clear); Posca pen (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

12 Months of Christmas #116 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Allsorts #806 - Christmas (2nd entry)

Aud Sentiments #319 - Glitter and/or Christmas + a Sentiment

Beccy’s Month of Holiday Cards - Holiday Themed (3rd entry)

Craft Rocket #120 - Christmas/Winter (2nd entry)

Creative Moments #264 - Winter

Daisy Chain #91 - Christmas and/or Winter (2nd entry)

FarmQuest Country Christmas #14 - Anything Country Christmas Goes

Festive Friday (November) - Christmas

Lavinia Creative Challenge (November) - Time to Sparkle (3rd entry)

Little Red Wagon #781 - White Lightning (weather related) - FEATURED

Merry Little Christmas #59 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Moving Along With the Times #172 - Sparkle (3rd entry)

Peace On Earth #75 - Anything Christmas Goes

Try It On Tuesday - Sparkle All the Way

We Love Stamping (November) - Christmas (2nd entry)

Word Art Wednesday #673/674 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

I think I’ll have to make a scene along these lines for my December calendar page, and I’ve also got one or two ideas for simpler designs featuring the cottages so I can crack on with completing my Christmas cards. Until then, take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,