Blended Poinsettia

I am loving creating projects with my Blendabilities for my monthly Blendabilities Club!  Recently, I pulled out a gorgeous stamp set from last year's Holiday catalogue called Joyful Christmas.  I wanted to design a project for my October kits using that beautiful poinsettia image...here is what I came up with:

Christmas card featuring the Joyful Christmas (retired) stamp set with sentiment from Ornamental Pine.

Now, I actually used several retired products on this one:  the stamped image is heat embossed using Pewter embossing powder, the embossing folder I used on the background is called Lacy Brocade and is still available on the Clearance Rack at a steal.  I also used a Basic Glimmer Brad and some Old Olive Organdy Ribbon, which are also still available at a discount on the Clearance Rack.

To colour the poinsettia I used my Calypso Coral and Old Olive Blendabilities sets.  The  sentiment is from the Ornamental Pine set in this year's Holiday Catty and is heat embossed in pewter and die cut using the Project Life Cards and Labels framelits.  I added a little bling with some rhinestones in the centre of the poinsettia.  I can't wait to share this one with my club members...I think they'll love it! 

Now for the new Weekly Deals...there are a few items from my Wishlist this week!  Prices are good until Monday at midnight :)

Alphabet Rotary Stamp Price: $19.50   Sale: $14.63	Banner Punch Price: $15.95   Sale: $11.96	For The Birds Wood Stamp Set Price: $40.95   Sale: $30.71	Hearts Border Punch Price: $20.95   Sale: $15.71
Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit Price: $24.95   Sale: $18.71	Sweet Details Photobook Template - Digital Download Price: $19.95  Sale: $11.97	Ticket Duo Builder Punch Price: $21.95   Sale: $16.46	Very Vintage Designer Buttons Price: $7.95   Sale: $5.96

Twisted Traced Doodling

Happy Friday!  Today is the 15th which means two things:  it is my wonderful husband's birthday (Happy Birthday, hon) and it's time for a new challenge over at The Technique Twist!  Now I wish I could say that I used this week's challenge to create my hubby's birthday card, but, sadly I did not.  So, I'll show you his card next week.  Today I want to show you my card for this week's Traced Doodling challenge!

Holiday card featuring the Traced Doodling and Burnished Vellum techniques using the Joyful Christmas stamp set (131805)

This technique is new to me, so I first had to do a little research.  There is a great tutorial HERE from Splitcoaststampers.  Now when I sat down to do my card I had a problem...I don't own any coloured pencils!  So, I got creative and combined Traced Doodling with Burnished Vellum. 

Here's is a quick how-to:

• The poinsettia image is heat embossed in gold on vellum.
• I flipped the image over and, placing it on my Stampin' Pierce mat, traced the image using my stylus.  
•  The image is coloured on the wrong-side using Melon Mambo and Rose Red markers.
• I fussy cut the poinsettia.
• The leaves are stamped using black Staz On on Whisper White card stock and coloured lightly with a Watercolour Crayon in Wild Wasabi
• I  used an Aquapainter to blend the coloured leaves.
• I coloured some Rhinestone Basic Jewels with a yellow Sharpie marker and adhered the in the centre of the poinsettia.
• The background layer is Pistachio Pudding and is embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots TIEF.
• The sentiment is from the Pennant Parade stamp set and is punched with the Jewelry Tag punch (retired)
• The card base is Baked Brown Sugar.

 I also need to tell you that we're looking to add to the Design Team over at The Twist!  If you are a techniques junkie like me and you love to play and explore ways to take your projects to the next level, apply to join us!  You can find all of the details HERE.  Check it out and consider joining our team of fabulously twisted stampers!

Joyful Card and Tag

Yippee!!! Its Friday!  I am SO glad!  Not that I'm going to be doing much relaxing this weekend!  It is the end of the term at school and report card time so I am up to my eyeballs in marking!  I am going to have some fun, though, with one of my clients and her friends at their private stamp-a-stack.  Here is one of the projects we'll be making:

Christmas card and coordinating tag featuring the Joyful Christmas stamp set

They wanted somthing elegant, so this is what I came up with...I hope it fits the bill!  I love the poinsettia image in the Joyful Christmas stamp set, but find it a challenge to come up with designs that don't require watercolouring or fussy cutting (both techniques I LOVE, but not practical in a stamp-a-stack!).  I think this one works, even though it isn't coloured in or popped up.

I did heat emboss the sentiment in gold...I just couldn't resist adding that extra level of richness...and added one of my beloved Antique Brads to finish it off.

I used the sentiment from Joyful Wishes on the inside as well...love it!  Now here is a shot of just the tag...

Again, I kept the tag pretty simple, foregoing the heat embossed sentiment.  It is simple stamped in Soft Suede...hard to tell the difference unless you touch it!  I added a single pearl to dot the "i" to tie it in with the pearls on the card.  There is some shimmer from the Brushed Gold layer behind the focal image.  We'll see if my gals like this one as much as I do! I'll let you know on Monday :)
Have a great weekend!

Joyful Evergreen

In case you hadn't noticed, I am in full-Christmas mode these days, as I gear up for the many holiday classes I have coming up next month.  Today I have another design to show you that will be featured at my Holiday Head-Start Card Buffet coming up this Friday evening:

Rustic Holiday card featuring the Evergreen stamp set (127973) with sentiment from Joyful Christmas (131805).

I went for a more rustic look for this design.  I love the way the burlap and the woodgrain embossing work together.

 

I also like the pop of the Real Red mat against the earthy tones of green and brown.

I kept the inside simple, stampin off the  tree before sttamping on  my card stock and using another sentiment from Joyful Christmas.

Now for some more exciting news...

It’s time to start thinking about how you are going to package those treats and gifts this year, and Stampin' Up! has the perfect solution for you. These two Tag It bundles include the tags, the ribbon, and the boxes to make your own pretty packages...how easy is that?  Even better, they are discounted 20%!

Item	Description	Price	Includes
135811	Holiday Tag It Decorative  Box Bundle	$23.95	Stamp a Tag Kit Cherry Cobbler 1" Stitched Edge Grosgrain Ribbon (10 yards) Decorative Window Gift Boxes (6 boxes)
135812	Holiday Tag It Extra-Large Box Bundle	$24.95	Stamp a Tag Kit Cherry Cobbler 1" Stitched Edge Grosgrain Ribbon (10 yards) Extra-Large Gift Boxes (3 boxes)

These bundles are available till November 19th, so order your bundles today and take the stress out of your holiday gift giving!

Holiday Head Start!

Last night I held my first Holiday Head Start event...a Stamp-a-Stack!  Here is one of the three designs we made:

Christmas card featuring the Joyful Christmas stamp set (131805) with sentiment from More Merry Messages (126402).

Each of my guests made four of this design, so I kept it fairly straight forward. 

It was the first time I inked up my Joyful Christmas set.  That poinsettia image is just gorgeous!

Inside view.  Sentiment is from More Merry Messages

Here are a couple of tips for putting this one together:

• The poinsettia is stamped in Cherry Cobbler ink on Very Vanilla card stock.
• The Baked Brown Sugar layer behind the stamped panel was cut with Small Scallop Rotary Blade (129410) using the new Rotary attachment (129407) on my Stampin' Trimmer (126889).  LOVE that!!  So smooth and easy to cut!
• The background panel is Very Vanilla card stock embossed with the Petals A-Plenty TIEF (116824).
• I layered Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon (126848) on top of Cherry Cobbler Chevron ribbon (130002).  I was having a hard time deciding which colour to use so I decided to use both!
• I filled in the centre of the poinsettia with different sizes of Pearl Basic Jewels (119247).
• The sentiment is stamped in Gumball Green ink.

I can't wait to do more with this stamp set...it is so pretty!  Good thing we're just starting the Holiday card making season...lots more time to play.  Have a great weekend!!