Monday, December 30, 2019

Shaking off the Holiday Hangover...

...with some sneak peeks from the upcoming Mini Catalogue!

Happy Monday everyone! Yes...it is actually Monday. If you're like me, the time between Christmas and New Year's is like the twilight zone...not really sure what day it is and no clue about the date. We had a blissfully quiet Christmas in the Girsa household...a welcome change from the frenetic pace of everyday life. It was the perfect blend of time with family and quiet time to relax and unwind. Hence my difficulty with keeping track of what day it is!

With the new decade fast-approaching we stampers also look forward to a new catalogue and the awesome-est promotion of the year, Sale-a-bration! There is SO much to love about this new not-so-mini catalogue! This week I am showcasing a few sneak-peek products, starting with the utterly gorgeous Parisian Blossoms Suite. Check out this pretty swap card I created...


I love absolutely everything about this bundle! The images in the stamp set are perfect for layering and creating collages...one of my favourite stamping techniques. The sentiments are beautiful in stunning fonts. And don't even get me started on the Designer Paper! It is specialty paper with champagne foil accents on all 12 sheets...simply stunning! The coordinating embossing folder is also beautiful...and then we have delicate Petal Pink ribbon and champagne rhinestones....ooh la la!!


The coordinating dies not only have dies that cut out stamped images, but also several that cut various shapes, such as the beautiful flourish I used on this card. Such a lovely way to create DIY embellishments! Speaking of embellishments, did you notice my faux-metal seal? I created it by simply heat embossing the seal image in silver on champagne foil and then punched it out using the 1" circle punch. An easy and pretty way to create a metallic embellishment.


On the inside I added a stamped panel with another sentiment and several stamped images from the stamp set. So pretty!

I'll be demonstrating this card and two others that showcase new product in this week's Live @ Five video over on my Facebook page. If you can't catch me live, you can view the replay on my YouTube channel or on the Video Tutorials tab at the top of this page.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I wish you a wonderful week and all the best in 2020!



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Sunday, December 15, 2019

Cup of Yum and a Blog Hop

Happy Sunday! You know that if I'm posting on a day other than a Monday it can only mean one thing...it's the 15th of the month and time for another Stamping Symphony Blog Hop!


This month we decided to focus on treat and gift card holders for those last-minute Christmas gifts. Can you believe Christmas is only ten days away?? Yikes...where has the fall gone? I designed this fun hot chocolate packet holder for an event earlier in the fall and I absolutely love it! Check it out...


I found those fun hot chocolate packets on Amazon and knew I just had to create something with the adorable Let it Snow Suite to hold it in. The card stock base measures 81/2" x 6-1/2" and I scored it at 4". Then I folded one corner of the card stock in to the score line and adhered it in place. A little Tear 'n' Tape around the edges and voila...easy pocket! The DSP layer is cut to 4" x 6-1/4" and is from the Let it Snow Specialty DSP pack.


To create the belly band, I cut a 1-1/4" x 11" piece of card stock and wrapped it around my pocket. Then I added a 1" wide strip of DSP. The heart is cut with the Stitched Be Mine dies from another pattern in the Let it Snow pack. The cup, candy cane and tag are all cut using the Cup of Cheer dies. the whipped cream is some of the Snowfall Accents Puff Paint...love that stuff! The final touch is some Real Red Curly Ribbon for a cozy accent.

These little pockets are really quick and easy to whip up and would make an awesome teacher gift...trust me...I know a few ;)

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to check out the other blogs in our hop:


Have a spectacular week!



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Monday, December 9, 2019

The Season of Giving

Happy Monday! The Christmas season is in full swing around here! The holiday parties have begun and yesterday I held my Stamping Symphony team Christmas party at a favourite local restaurant, The Old Marina. While many of our group weren't able to join us due to distance or other holiday commitments, those who were able to come enjoyed good food, and good company as we toasted the Christmas season. I seriously love spending time with these special women who have enriched my life in so many ways!


We had such a great afternoon and even exchanged handmade gifts. So. Much. Fun!

Speaking of gifts, I thought it might be appropriate to feature some gift ideas in this week's Live @ Five video. As the holidays draw nearer, we'll all be needing neighbour gifts, teacher gifts, treats for service providers and more, so I have some quick and cute ideas to share with you this week. The first is this adorable gift box made with products from the Wrapped in Plaid Suite...


I used the gold mini pizza boxes as my foundation. They are super-quick and easy to assemble AND look UH-MAZING! I die-cut the largest circle from the Stitched Circles dies from Cherry Cobbler card stock and embossed it using the Pinewood Planks embossing folder. I layered it on a scalloped circle in Shaded Spruce and then adhered it to my box.


The sentiment is from the Perfectly Plaid stamp set and is stamped in Shaded Spruce ink. To create my 3-D tree, I punched 5 trees using the Pine Tree punch from Wrapped in Plaid DSP. Now the trick here is to punch three trees from the front side of the paper and then flip it over and punch two more from the back. This is necessary because the punched tree isn't symmetrical, so in order to match up the punched trees when gluing them together, one must alternate them. If that sounds confusing, be sure to watch my Live @ Five video tomorrow when I'll be demonstrating exactly how to make one of these boxes. If you miss the live broadcast, the replay will be posted on my YouTube channel later tomorrow evening.


Those teen-tiny snowflakes are from the Snowflake Sequins...they are so adorable! These little boxes are super-quick and easy to make...I should know...I made 20 of them in an afternoon for gift for some special people.

Thanks for stopping by today...I hope you have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram for news about a 24-hour Flash Sale happening this week! I don't have all of the details yet, but once I do I will post on social media...don't miss it!


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