Frantic Stamper Happenings: Small Oregon Fir

Friday, November 15, 2019

Merry Christmas 2019 (Kathy Berger)

Merry Christmas 2019

by Kathy Berger

This has been a very busy crazy year and I just haven't been able to work on the blog for Frantic Stamper (or my own blog, for that matter). I have been busy making kinetic cards for the monthly card kits from Frantic Stamper along with videos of the cards being made and detailed instructions for making the cards. It has consumed far more time than I expected! So with that, caring for my terminally ill kitty (she passed in July), and then dealing with kittens with resistant ringworm (daily vaccuming, laundry, and more bleach water than one could imagine) and just life in general, I just haven't had the time to edit blog posts. I apologize for dropping the ball. I will be trying to post regularly in 2020, sharing each month's cards from design team members along with links to their blog posts for each card.

As a bit of a start on better habits, here is a Christmas card I made using some great Frantic Stamper products.

This card is an open-front card based on a technique shared by Jennifer McGuire. The clouds were cut from two layers of cardstock and one layer of velum using the Stitched Cloud Builders. The velum cloud layer was sandwiched between the two layers of cardstock cloud. The same was done for the snowy hills, cut using the Stitched Scene Builders. I made a hinge on the left edges of the cloud and the snowy hill layers, and wrapped the hinged portion around a smoky blue piece of cardstock that was 4"x5 1/4" in size.

Next, I cut two copies of one of the Lil' Snowmen and four of the Small Oregon Fir. I added faux snow to two of the trees and colored one of the two snowmen, using a tiny scrap of cardstock behind the face and buttons. I then sandwiched the clouds and hills between the two copies of the snowmen (both with right side facing the outside front of the card) and between the two pairs of trees (again, with right side facing the outside front of the card). Finishing off the front, I added a Script Merry Christmas that I cut out of red cardstock.

I added another little hill shape to the card front and covered it with faux snow. I then layered the card to a 4 1/4"x5 1/2" piece of the same gray-blue cardstock that I embossed with a Swiss Dot embossing folder. I then backed the whole thing with a plain piece of the same gray-blue cardstock to give the back a smooth finish. I stamped a saying from a clear stamp set made by Stampendous on the inside of the card where it is hidden by the snowy hills when the card is closed.

I hope you have enjoyed today's card. I hope to post a few more times before the end of the year, and then more often in the new year!

*** Materials for this project available at www.franticstamper.com.

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FRA-Die-09403

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Winter Cottage in the Evergreen Forest (Kathy Berger)

Winter Cottage in the Evergreen Forest

by Kathy Berger

I promise this will be the last card from me for a while. I really want to let you see more stuff from other members of the design team, and I have a lot of drawing to do, but I did want to share one last card that I made and then I will go lock myself in my drawing room.

Most people who know me know that I absolutely hate snow. It is just cold and wet and gets dirty and melts and refreezes. It is just horrible stuff! And with my bum leg, there is just NO way I would want to experience it ever again! (I grew up in New England, so I had my share!)

But as much as I hate snow, I love snowy scenes and snowmen...and I especially love to create snowy Christmas cards! And this is definitely a snowy one!

I started by cutting and assembling my log cabin. I have to tell you this was REALLY fun! I had so many options, but I opted to go all out and use all the structure pieces and one window die and a door. Once I had it assembled I added my snow (a product made by Aleene's) to the roofs of each of the parts of the house. I then set the cabin aside while I prepared the background.

I cut the distant background out of white card-stock using the Evergreen Forest Edger die. I colored the trees with a blue-green Copic marker (things in the distance are bluer than things in the mid ground). I tapped my snow onto my trees using my favorite applicator.....my index finger!

Next I cut my trees for the mid-ground and foreground out of pine green card using the Small Oregon Fir tree and the Small Pine. I added some variation to the color of the card stock with some Copic markers, and then tapped on some snow.

Next I cut my Rail Fence Ribbon out of white card-stock, and colored the rails and posts with brown Copics. I added snow to it, too.

I then cut a snow drift for the foreground out of white card-stock using the Stitched Scene Builder Edgers. I covered that piece with snow.

I wanted a cardinal in the scene, but my cardinal die (part of the Small Birds die set) is too big, so I used a trick. I cut the bird out of red craft foam and used my heat tool to shrink it until it was just the right size.

Finally, it was time to assemble. I cut a card panel of white card-stock and sponged a cloudy sky on it. I then added the background evergreens. All the layers above that one were added with foam tape, from the background to the foreground.

Here is another view of the finished card. I hope you like it!