Handicrafts by Kate Perry and other ramblings

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Away in a manger

ATCs done and dusted, (see previous post), I wondered whether I still had time to enter this week's Christmas card Challenges, but for most of them I decided to wait for the new themes. But ABC Christmas Challenge runs fortnightly so I can do that one and this time the challenge is Q is for quote. I noticed some of the design team members had made lovely cards quoting the words of Christmas carols and songs and it reminded me of a project I did a few years back. I had just bought my first pack of mold'n'pour and went looking for things to try it out with. One thing I used was a very old decoration that has hung on my tree for many years. It shows a folk-art style nativity scene so I mixed up the two mold'n'pour elements and pressed my decoration into the resulting compound. Within a few minutes I had a flexible 'silicone' mould which I went on to use with air-drying clay. I was surprised at how much detail the compound had picked up. Once my decoration was dry, I painted it with a mixture of acrylics and permanent markers, and glazed it with diluted PVA glue. I made several of these and mounted them onto cards. Last Christmas I dug out the mould and made another dozen or so for my new friends in Spain. I knew I had one left over that must be lurking in a drawer somewhere, so I had a root around and found it, and used it for today's card.
I chose a royal blue base card, layered with pearlescent blue paper and then some shaded blue starry paper that I cut with a scalloped edge. (The bright sunshine has accentuated the shading in my photo). To mount the decoration I made a sort of rounded triangle with a scalloped edge using craft robo design master software, and cut it out of the same blue pearlescent paper. I typed the words of 'Away in a manger', cut them out, and used a matching blue mat cut with a nestie die. A tiny off cut of fused film made a bright star and I used shiny star peel-of strips down each side. I also have a Lavinia stamp of more words from this carol so I stamped that on an otherwise plain white, edged in blue, insert.

I am entering this in:
ABC Christmas Challenge ; Q is for Quote.
Make it Monday 51: Any papercraft project.

Stampavie and more: Christmas in Summer.

Totally Papercrafts Challenge 80: Christmas in August.

The Crazy Challenge, Christmas: Anything Christmas Goes.
And I am also linking it to Shirley Anne's blog Stamping for Joy, to add to my collection of Christmas cards.

11 comments:

Chrissy said...

A lovely Christmas card, very clever idea, love the papers.

Thanks for sharing with us at ‘Make it Monday’

Luv CHRISSYxx

Don’t forget. .if you leave a comment on another entrant, mention that you saw their card on ‘Make it Monday’ for a chance at second prize.. the more you comment on and mention MIM, the more chances at winning second prize.

Helen said...

Lovely card!
Thanks for joining us at the ABC Christmas Challenge!
Helen x

Di said...

Sooo clever Kate! I love it, just gorgeous! I did snort with laughter at the Isiaah Syndrome comment - so true of me too!! Di xxx

Mel X said...

ooh superb image. Love the colours.

Thanks for joining us this week at TPC and good luck in the draw. I hope we see you again soon.

Mel X

Judie said...

Awesome Christmas card, saw your link at MIM TFS.

Judie #54

Shirley-Anne said...

Oh goodness kate how interesting is your journaling with this Christmas card . It is lovely .I will add it to your tally on my Christmas card challenge ..Thank you for joining it .
Shirley-Anne

Anonymous said...

Wow! What a great card! I’d love to get this!! I saw you on Make It Monday!
Karen C

Saskia said...

Great Christmas card and what a lovely decoration you made, very cerative!

Delphine said...

Such a beautiful card, Kate! I love how you have mounted your decoration on it and your starry paper is fab! Thanks for joining us at the ABC Christmas Challenge and good luck! Delphine xx

Lacey Stephens said...

Fantastic card! Great take on the Quote Challenge. Thanks for playing along with the ABC Christmas Challenge. We will have another fun one for you tomorrow! We hope you will play along again.
~Lacey
www.stampandcreate.com
ABC Christmas Challenge DT

Chris said...

Good luck. Is it Christmas Card time already?