CCEE2115 - Look Up at the Sky

Frances has a "holiday" of which I was totally unaware -- Look Up at the Sky Day, which was yesterday.  So her challenge this week for the CCEE Stampers was to include the sky on our cards.  My favorite technique for creating a sky is the Galaxy Technique.  And I just love those cute little Lawn Fawn gnomes.

Check out the CCEE Stampers blog for some more sky cards.

CCEE2027 UFO Day

I am hostess for the CCEE Stampers during the month of July.  My first challenge is in honor of World UFO Day, which is today.   I asked the team to make a card with something from space -- the sun, the moon, a planet, a UFO, a rocket ship.  Or, create a galaxy background for their card.  Here is a link to a tutorial for a galaxy background.

Here is my card, which uses a couple of stamped images from Honey Bee Stamps Far Out Friends set and that cute alien & flying saucer from Karen Burniston's Space Charms.

Check out the CCEE Stampers blog for more space fun!

Star Wars Accordion Card

Star Wars is one of my favorite movie franchises -- even the ones with Jar Jar Binks!  I was really excited when the new trilogy began -- with some old favorite characters as well as a number of new ones.  I've made an accordion card using the Karen Burniston Fancy Label Accordion die, some Galactic Adventures stamps from Kindred Stamps and a favorite background technique -- the Galaxy Background.  In case you've never done this particular technique, I have described the technique on this post from 2017.  It's not really difficult, just messy.

For this particular card I created the background prior to gluing the three panels together.  For the ground I cut three more panels from tan cardstock, trimmed them down, and sponged along the top with some Vintage Photo distress ink.

When closed, this is the front -- created by cutting an additional white panel with the die and just cutting out the inside panel and adhering it over the first panel on the card, covering up the tabs that connect to the second panel.  Then I made an additional galaxy background panel and cut it out with the smaller die and stamped on the sentiment with Versamark, embossed with detail white embossing powder.

The frames on this card were cut using the Karen Burniston Fancy Flourish Frames, which coordinate with the accordion die.  And I hope you'll give that galaxy background a try.  It's really fun!

Nativity Bridge Card

It's always fun to learn a new technique.  My card today actually has two techniques that I just learned -- a fun-fold and a background.  CottageCutz has a whole bunch of new Christmas dies, which will be available on their website on September 20th.  I used two of them on my card -- Away in a Manger and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

The background technique I recently learned is called Galaxy Background, which looks like it would be much more difficult than it actually is.  To create the background you sponge various colors of Distress ink onto white cardstock.  The colors I used, in order, are: 1) Mermaid Lagoon; 2) Peacock Feathers; 3) Chipped Sapphire; 4) Seedless Preserves; and 5) Black Soot.  During the process you'll wonder how this process can possibly look good; but, be patient, it comes together at the end.  As you can see, each of the colors is sponged sparingly so as not to overtake the previous layer.  When you get to the Black Soot, however, you lightly cover the entire card.  After sponging is completed, put a little bit of white acrylic paint on an acrylic block and dilute it slightly with water, mixing it together with a small paint brush.  Then flick the paint brush against the side of your finger to splash the paint onto the entire area.  Here is a photo of the six steps involved.  You can see how the colors build upon each other.

Now you can start your card.  Cut a piece of heavy weight white cardstock 4 1/4" x 8"  and score at 1 1/4", 2 1/2", 5 1/2", and 6 3/4".

My background piece was originally a white piece of cardstock 4" x 6 3/4".  Cut the sky pieces as follows:  a 1" strip, a second 1" strip, a 2 3/4" strip, and another 1" strip, leaving one final 1" strip.

Fold the card base as shown in the photo -- very similar to a double gate-fold card.

Adhere the sky pieces to each section of the card base.

Cut the sentiment and Nativity border.  I used glitter paper for each element -- pale blue for the sentiment and silver for the border.

Glue the sentiment onto the center section of the card, with the star extending just slightly off the top.  When adhering the Nativity border, just apply glue to the ends of the die cut.  Lay the card flat, with just the left side folded on the score lines.  Adhere the left side first, and then span the center and adhere the right side.

As you can see, the card will lie flat for mailing; but, when you fold both sides up, it will stand with the Nativity border "bridging" between the two end panels.  You can see in the following photos the 3-D look of this card.

Here again is the card from the front.

I hope you give these fun techniques a try.  I'm really hooked on that Galaxy Background!  

CottageCutz dies used on my card are:

CCEE1729 Moon and Space Exploration Day

Maryann continues as our hostess of the CCEE Stampers for the month of July.  She mentioned a good celebration for today, July 20.  It's Moon Day and Space Exploration Day, so she asked us to use this theme to inspire our cards this week.  I confess:  I'm a Star Wars junkie!  (I saw Episode VII five times in the theater and bought the DVD to add to the rest of them in my collection!)   So I jumped into this challenge feet first.  I saw a really cool technique for the galaxy background on You-Tube several weeks ago, and I've already made three cards using it.  I used it again today with a cute set of stamps from a new-to-me company, Kindred Stamps.  The set is called Galactic Adventure -- very appropriate for today's celebrations.  Here's my card:

Check out the CCEE Stampers blog to see how the rest of the team is celebrating outer space.