Merry Monday - Reindeer Card

Wednesday is going to be a very busy day - physio in the morning, lunch out with friends (we are known as the "lunch-bunch") and then probably a walk with hubby in the afternoon. So, I'm posting tomorrow's post now - its close to midnight so close enough will do.

Over at Always Playing with Paper blog, (http://alwaysplayingwithpaper.blogspot.ca/) they post a sketch every Monday and the only requirement is to make a Christmas card based on the sketch. Because I have tennis elbow in the right elbow and have been instructed to rest it and use it as little as possible, I decided to add another challenge this week - make art/cards using the left hand at least 80% of the time. If I cannot perform a task without using the right hand, I don't do it. Now, I am pretty ambidextrous but still, I haven't actually practiced using my left hand lately so it was a stretch. I stayed away from my studio all weekend and I just couldn't take it any more. I had to go back...just had to.

I have the Cuttlebug turned around and cranking it with my left hand is no problem but then I turned my Fiskars trimmer around too. That took a little getting used to. Lets just say its good I practiced on some scrap paper first!!!
I could only use stamps that did not require colouring too. Heat tool, no problem left handed. Glue runner - I was a little wild with it but things got stuck down in the end. Besides all that, I tried to keep the right arm still and picked up everything with just the left arm. It was quite the day but at least I was down in my lower studio (aka the basement) making art. I almost finished my art journal piece and did make the card for this week's Christmas card challenge. Here it is.

I wanted non-traditional Christmas colours. The ink behind the reindeer looks totally different here then in real life. In reality, it is just a shade lighter then the blue card but the camera changed it. I stamped the flying reindeer with black Stazon, sprinkled on black embossing powder and heat set it. Then I cut it out with the long rectangle die and while it was in the die I sponged Broken China distress ink around it - yes, with my left hand. I cut the shiny blue paper (won it so I have no idea who made it) to fit a large card and ran the left side only thru the Cuttlebug using one of their small embossing folders. I then set the reindeer and the sentiment pieces on black cardstock and adhered them. I die cut the snowflakes using Spellbinders snowflake dies and adhered them. Then I added the blue crystals. I wasn't sure about the black snowflake but now I kinda like it. Very dramatic.