Christmas in July Blog Hop

Happy Sunday! I hope you are having a good weekend. I held my quarterly team training event yesterday and it was SO much fun! I absolutely LOVE spending time with my Stamping Symphony family. One of the things we enjoy doing is swapping card ideas. This month our theme was Christmas in July to get us all in the mood as we await the release of the new Holiday Catalogue. There were some AMAZING designs and we decided that this month's blog hop should feature some of them. So, here is our monthly hop...

I have been playing with the Follow Your Dreams bundle recently and decided it would make a beautiful Christmas card...

Now, I actually used several different products on this card. I began by die-cutting the Whisper White background layer using the Chase Your Dreams Framelits. I love that I can cut a peek-through window in my card front with it. After die-cutting I embossed the panel using the Subtle TIEF...that one is fast becoming a favourite! I added a bit of gold foil behind my window and then added a die-cut gold circle using the same die, but this time adding the circle die to cut it out fully from the foil sheet. The result is a kinda cool reverse image of the window. The "poinsettia" is from the Eastern Beauty stamp set. I heat embossed the image in gold on Real Red card stock and then sponged  bit of Real Red ink in the centre of the flower for shadow. I also added some Wink of Stella to make it sparkle.

The sentiment is from the Christmas Pines stamp set and is heat embossing in gold. I used the label die from the Petals & More thinlits to die-cut the sentiment and then layered it on a gold foil filigree label, also cut with the same thinlits. The only embellishments on this card are some gold pearls and gold metallic thread. I love how delicate and subtle that stuff is!

 On the inside of the card I added another sentiment from the Christmas Pines stamp set and some little flourishes from the Eastern Beauty set stamped in Real Red and Soft Suede inks respectively.

I love thinking outside the box and coming up with uses for stamps and products beyond the obvious. It makes my products so much more versatile and helps me see them in a whole new light. For more Christmas in July inspiration, check out the projects on these blogs below. There are some super-talented stampers in the Stamping Symphony!

1. Leena (You are here)

2. Sandy

3. Barb

4. Jennifer

5. Steph

Product List

Eastern Beauty Photopolymer Stamp Set [143675] $27.00	Christmas Pines Photopolymer Stamp Set [142049] $44.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $13.25	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $10.50
Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102482] $11.50	Gold Foil Sheets [132622] $5.50	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [147084] $10.25	Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad [147115] $10.25
Versamark Pad [102283] $11.25	Embossing Buddy [103083] $8.00	Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder [109129] $6.75	Heat Tool [129053] $40.00
Big Shot [143263] $150.00	Subtle Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [143706] $14.00	Chase Your Dreams Framelits Dies [146826] $33.00	Eastern Medallions Thinlits Dies [143725] $45.00
Petals & More Thinlits Dies [145655] $46.00	Gold Metallic Thread [138401] $4.75	Metallic Pearls [146282] $9.50

Christmas Blessings

Can you believe that Christmas is only a month away?? I am soooo not ready for the holidays, but one thing I do have a good handle on are my Christmas cards. They're all made...now I need to write and mail them!
In case you're still need inspiration for your Christmas cards, check out this one I designed for my Christmas card buffet this weekend...

I am SOOO loving the black and white buffalo plaid trend this season...and paired with red it is Christmas perfection! Here I used a piece of Merry Little Christmas DSP for my background and layered it on a Real Red card stock base. To create my focal point I layered an oval die-cut from more Merry Little Christmas DSP on a silver foil scalloped oval. The trees were die-cut from Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper using the Card Front Builder Thinlits. I used the same die set to cut the little silver foil deer peeking out from behind the tree.

I added some pine branches in Old Olive, cut with the Christmas Staircase thinlits as well as a silver foil snowflake behind the scene. The sentiment, from the Christmas Pines stamp set, is stamped in Basic Black ink. I added a silver Year of Cheer embellishment and a Real Red bow.

On the inside I added a Whisper White panel on which I stamped some pine branches in Old Olive ink, as well as the sentiment is Basic Black. Both are from the Christmas Pines stamp set.

There is lots of die-cutting for this card, but the end result is worth the effort!

Product List

Christmas Pines Photopolymer Stamp Set [142049] $43.00	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $9.25	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [126953] $8.50	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102482] $10.00
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $11.25	Old Olive 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100702] $10.00	Silver Foil Sheets [132178] $5.25	Merry Little Christmas Designer Series Paper [144621] $14.50
Big Shot [143263] $136.00	Card Front Builder Thinlits Dies [144674] $40.00	Layering Ovals Framelits Dies [141706] $46.00	Christmas Staircase Thinlits Dies [144679] $51.00
Foil Snowflakes [144642] $8.00	Year Of Cheer Embellishments [144643] $10.75	Real Red 1/8" (3.2 Mm) Solid Ribbon [144631] $9.25

Five Months From Today...

...is Christmas Day!! Sorry for that little reality check, but we crafters have to plan ahead! That's why I'm already playing with ideas for Christmas projects and cards. (That and the fact that once school starts in September I will be a VERY busy gal!) Tonight I'm hosting my sold-out Christmas in July Stamp-a-Stack, complete with Christmas cookies and festive music. I thought I would share one of the projects we'll be making with you...

I used several products from the Be Merry Suite in the catalogue for this project. Aren't you glad that Stampin' Up gives us lots of great holiday options all year long? That cute little deer is from the Merry Mistletoe stamp set. I stamped him in Early Espresso ink on a piece of Wood Textures DSP and then die-cut an oval using the Stitched Shapes Framelits. I then stamped some pine branches from the Christmas Pines stamp set in Garden Green ink around the edges and layered the stamped oval on a copper foil scalloped oval, did-cut with the Layering Ovals Framelits.

The Whisper White background panel is embossed using the Woodland TIEF. I then added a 1-1/2" strip of Be Merry DSP along the bottom edge and added some 1/4" Double Stitched Cherry Cobbler ribbon. I die-cut a couple of pine branches from Garden Green card stock using the Pretty Pines Thinlits and added them behind the focal image prior to adhering it to the front of my card using dimensionals. The sentiment is from the Oh, What Fun stamp set and is stamped in Cherry Cobbler ink. The only embellishment is a little star from the Hearts and Stars Elements.

On the inside I added a Whisper White panel on which I stamped a sentiment from the Christmas Pines stamp set in Cherry Cobbler ink and more pine branches using Garden Green.

Now, today is also the day that we demonstrators get our first peek at products from the upcoming Holiday Catalogue. I can't wait to see what crafty goodness Stampin' Up has to offer this season!

Have a merry, 5-months-till-Christmas day!


Product List

Merry Mistletoe Clear-Mount Stamp Set [143655] $25.00	Christmas Pines Photopolymer Stamp Set [142049] $43.00	Oh, What Fun Photopolymer Stamp Set [140386] $26.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $11.25
Cherry Cobbler 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [119685] $10.00	Garden Green 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102584] $10.00	Be Merry Designer Series Paper [144111] $14.50	Wood Textures Designer Series Paper Stack [144177] $12.50
Copper Foil Sheets [142020] $5.25	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974] $8.50	Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad [126966] $8.50	Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad [126973] $8.50
Big Shot [143263] $136.00	Woodland Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [139673] $10.50	Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372] $40.00	Layering Ovals Framelits Dies [141706] $46.00
Pretty Pines Thinlits Dies [141851] $34.00	Cherry Cobbler 1/4" Double-Stitched Ribbon [144117] $9.25	Hearts & Stars Elements [144215] $8.00