Make It Monday #6 -->>Impression Plate Tricks #1

A quick post for today...I'm trying to participate in Waltzingmouse Stamps' Christmas Card Challenge...by posting a Christmas card in their gallery for each month of 2011, wherein each month there is a different creative challenge. There is no deadline (except for the end of the year!), so though I'm very behind, I'm still able to post my cards for January & February...this is why I'm working on Christmas cards, in case anyone is wondering! ;)

I decided to try to combine the card I was working on for February's challenge with the Make It Monday challenge from this week...interesting impression plate use. One of the things I don't like as much about impression plates (compared to embossing folders) is that the design is more subtle, sometimes even hard to see. So with this card I tried some chalking to make the design stand out a little more.



February's challenge is a "quick pick"...using up some pieces left over from last card making season. This is good for me because I always buy product that I don't end up using! I still had a number of really pretty shiny rub-ons that I bought in Christmas 2009! I decided to use one of them for the focus of this card. Part of the WMS challenge is that I have to use WM stamps at least somewhere on the card, so I still have to add that to this card...but I'll have to do that later! For now, this is my Make It Monday card.

Here is my January card also:



January's challenge was to "recycle" something from Christmas this past year...a card, a tag, or whatever. I had this totally cute handmade Christmas card from my friend Jessa (a great card maker) so I just took the whole face off and added it as a focal point to a bigger card! I also added a cute tag I had from Christmas and embossed the card base in addition to adding a border stamp. (I hope you don't mind that I used your card for this, Jessa! ;) if you're reading this...It's a compliment!)

And because I had to use WM stamps on the card, I stamped a sentiment block for the inside.



That's it for me today and my weird Christmas card in March post!

Supplies used:
Impression plate card:
Cardstock: Green Galore, Yoyo Yellow (SU)
Patterned Paper: none
Stamp Set(s): none
Ink/Colorants: Shimmer Chalk (Pebbles)
Embellishments: Glitter bell rub-ons (Michaels); border stickers (from stash)
Tools: Flourish texture plate from Backgrounds #1 set (SU), Labels Nine dies (Spellbinders)

Recycle card:
Cardstock: Old Olive (SU); Topiary (CTMH)
Patterned Paper: from Jolly Christmas collection (American Crafts)
Stamp Set(s): Very Vintage Labels No. 2 (Waltzingmouse); Holiday Button Bits, Big & Bold Holiday Wishes (PTI)
Ink/Colorants: Cranberry, Topiary, Chocolate (CTMH)
Embellishments: recycled card front & tag
Tools: Candy Cane embossing folder (Cuttlebug)