Blooming Christmas

Well, it's about time I started Christmas cards, don't you think??  Last week I was playing with the Bloom With Hope hostess set, colouring it with both Blendabilities and watercolouring, just to see what different looks I could get with it.  I didn't set out to create a Christmas Card but it sort of morphed into one. 

Christmas card featuring the Bloom With Hope stamp set with sentiment from Many Merry Messages (retired).

Now it just so happens that this week's challenge over at Just Add Ink is all about Christmas in July...

...so I decided to enter this card.  We'll see what happens!

To create this look I stamped the images in black Staz On and then started with a watercolour wash in Crumb Cake all over the background of the watercolour paper.  I coloured the flower using an aquapainter and Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil Delight ink pads.  The leaves were done with Mossy Meadow ink and an aquapainter.  Once the images had dried I stamped over the whole thing using one of the spatter images from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and gold Metallic ink.  I matted the whole thing on a piece of Mossy Meadow card stock.

For the card base I used some of the new Kraft card stock and then stamped the leaf image repeatedly all over it using Crumb Cake ink.  I also stamped the same spatter image in metallic gold to give it some shimmer.  The sentiment is heat embossed in gold, die cut using the Chalk Talk framelits and adhered with dinmensionals.  I added a wee bit of Cherry Cobbler seam binding ribbon and an Antique Brad by way of embellishment.

On the inside I stamped the leaf image again, as well as the gold spatters and then added the sentiment, from the long-retired Many Merry Messages set, in Mossy Meadow ink.

Be sure to check back tomorrow to see this same flower image coloured with Blendabilities! 

Playing with the Pop 'N' Cuts

Sometimes it takes me a while to get to using new products.  Althought the Pop'n'cuts dies have been around for a while I only recently cracked one open to try it out.  Here is the result of my first attempt...

Holiday card featuring the Festive Flurry stamp set with card base made using the Pop'n'cuts die.

The inside view...I used the Deco Label insert.  Sentiment is from Greetings of the Season (128033), which is on the carryover list from last year's Holiday catty and still available to order.

Pop up detail...I like the depth this die allows!

Inside sentiment from Many Merry Messages (retired)

So...whaddya think?  Not bad for a first attempt, if I don't say so myself!  Honestly, this die is so easy to use the learning curve is almost nil.  Here are some tips for recreating this card:

• For the front of the card I embossed a panel of Pool Party card stock using the Northern Flurry TIEF, sponged with Whisper White craft ink and then with Illuminate ink to give it some shimmer.  
• On the inside I used a bit of the Quatrefancy Specialty window sheets to cut the label.  I wanted it to be subtle so as not to distract from the snow storm happening around it...haha.  
• The snowflakes are stamped on Whisper White using Pool Party ink and then die cut using the Festive Flurry Framelits (try saying that one ten times fast!).  I adhered them all at different depths using glue dots and dimensionals.  
• The Greetings of the Season is heat embossed in pewter and die cut using the Chalk Talk Framelits.  I couldn't resist using one of the those gorgeous Designer Brads leftover from last spring's Occasions Catalogue. 
• The inside sentiment is from the long retired Many Merry Messages set and is stamped in Basic Gray. 

This card is plenty thick...not one you'd want to send through the mail, but certainly one that would be much appreciated by the recipient!

A Quickie!

Happy Black Friday!!  I'm so glad you've taken time out from shopping to stop by.  I've been busy all week prepping for my Christmas Card Buffet coming up this weekend. I needed one more quick card design and came up with this CAS card inspired by a tag created by Judith Naylor that I received in a swap recently.  Check it out:

CAS  Holiday card using a sentiment from the (retired) Many Merry Messages set

The first thing my son said was "Where are his eyes?" Of course, he wasn't especially satisfied with my answer which was something about artistic license. Sheesh...five-year olds!!  Anyhow, I tried this guy with and without eyes and decided he definitely looks better without them, so there! 
This card comes together really quickly with just a bit of punching and some embossing.  The circle sizes I used were 1-3/4", 1-3/8" and 1".  I used the retired Snowburst TIEF to give the snowman texture...why, oh why did they retire that folder?!?
In case you still haven't checked it out, the Online Extravaganza is in full swing.  There are some SUPER deals, so be sure to click the graphic in the upper right corner of this page to view the sale flyer.  Remember, you don't have to place your order online to qualify for the sale prices...you can call or email me directly as well.  Don't wait...this sale ends on the 29th!

Faux Mother-of-Pearl Snowflakes

Today I have another one of the projects I designed for my techniques class that meets tonight.  It uses the Faux Mother-of-Pearl technique.

Non-traditional Holiday card featuring the Faux-Mother-of-Pearl technique and the Snowflake Serenade stamp set.  Sentiment is from the (retired) Many Merry Messages set.

There are several things about this card that are out of my comfort zone.  Firstly, the non-traditional colour scheme for the holidays.  I am a red and green kinda gal when it comes to Christmas, but sometimes it is fun to experiment with different colours.  Now, I will NEVER decorate my house in these colours for the holidays, but I have to say, I don't mind them on this card.  The second thing that is a wee bit out of the norm for me is the fact that this is a square card.  I don't often do them and to be honest, I find them hard to design!  You wouldn't think a square would be that much harder to work with but honestly, I find it much trickier!  The background behind the snowflakes is the Faux-Mother-of-Pearl, but it doesn't shimmer much in the photo.  The snowflakes are heat embossed in silver.  I added some bling with the brushed silver card stock and the rhinestones.  The sentiment from the retired Many Merry Message set is just the perfect size and font to complete the look.

CASE-ing myself!

I have another monthly club meeting tomorrow and as I sat down to prep for it I was fresh out of MOJO!  So, I began looking through my collection of samples from past classes.  I found this card and got busy changing it up to use for my class.  Since I had some leftovers from the Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin' kits I used for my Mini Album class this afternoon, I used some of the DSP to makover my original design.  Here is what I came up with:

Holiday card using DSP from Christmas Lane Simply Scrapping Kit and Pennant Parade stamp set

Detail of 3D tree.

Inside detail.  Sentiments are from the Many Merry Messages set (which is on for 50% off till the 30th!!)

I have to say that I like my CASE'd version better than the original one!  I kept many of the same elements but added the 3D tree and the little jingle bell to the front.  I also popped up and framed the sentiment on the inside.  The colour scheme is based on the DSP:  cherry cobbler, early espresso and lucky limeade.  I like the freshness of these colours together.  I hope my club members like it too!

Finally...a family day!

Today has been the BEST day!  It is the first day in weeks that I have been able to spend entirely with my family.  I got to sleep in until 10:00 (!!) am this morning and then we took our little guy to see The Backyardigans Live this afternoon.  It was so good to just spend time together without feeling like I am on a deadline.  This is what every Sunday should be like!  I actually (almost) feel ready to go back to work on Monday.  
Today's post is a card I designed for the Stamp-A-Stack I did on Wednesday.  It was the only card that wasn't chosen ahead of time by the ladies.  They requested a snowman card using traditional Christmas red and green.  See what I came up with:

Holiday card using the Snow Much Fun set and Frostwood Lodge DSP

Inside of card with sentiment from Many Merry Messages

You know, when I first saw this snowman set in the new catty it really didn't do much for me.  Perhaps it was because I was in the midst of planning swaps for convention during the heat of July, but whatever the reason I just wasn't all that excited about it.  I am happy to say that I was DEAD WRONG about this set!  It is just the cutest and all the many amazing designs I have seen featuring these images are just so inspiring!  In designing this card I tried to keep it simple, knowing that my ladies would be doing three other designs in the same evening.  In the interest of time, I avoided watercolouring the snowmen, though they would look even cuter with a little colour added.  The early espresso baker's twine wrapped around the cardfront and tied in a bow with the tiny little jingle bell as the perfect finishing touch reminds me a little of a package wrapped up ready to go under the tree.  I actually used this design as the inspiration for a card I designed for another SAS I did yesterday afternoon.  I'll show you that one later this week.  In the meantime I'm going to go spend some more quality time with my family!

MOJO200...take two!

I mentioned yesterday that I had a second card that I did based on this week's Mojo Monday sketch.  In case you missed it, here is the sketch I am referring to:

The second card I did  is COMPLETELY different from the first.  See what I mean...

Christmas card for MOJO 200 using Easy Events and Many Merry Messages stamp sets

Inside of card

One of the things I like most about working from a sketch is that most of the design work is done for you.   I just have to plug in my elements and voila...quick and easy card-making!  This is the first of several cards I am working on using all of the stamps in the new Easy Events set.  It is the perfect set for beginning stampers because it has images and sentiments for just about every occasion.  The best part is that the images are line art, so they are perfect for colouring...one of my favourite things to do!  Over the next few weeks I'll be posting more cards using images from this great set.  For now, enjoy your Sunday!

Quick and Easy Deck the Halls card

Simple holiday card using Deck the Halls DSP and Perfect Punches stamp set

 Today's post is a quickie I made last weekend from scraps that were left on my stamping table after I finished prepping for some classes.  I was determined to use up some of my huge scrap pile and I'm happy to say I was successful!

Inside of card.  Sentiment is from the Many Merry Messages set.

Close up of the embossed focal image

This card was really quick and uses a minimum of layers.  I started with a 5 3/8" x 4 1/8" piece of crumb cake cardstock to which I adhered the poinsettia printed DSP piece.  I layered two more smaller pieces of the holly print DSP at right angles to eachother.  I tied some very vanilla seam binding ribbon over the holly DSP and tied it to look like a gift. 
For the focal image, I stamped the Joy at Christmas sentiment in versamark on very vanilla cardstock and then heat embossed it in gold.  I punched it out using my 1 3/4" scalloped circle punch.  I layered it on a 2" circle in brushed gold and a 2 3/8" scalloped circle in early espresso.  I adhered it to the card using dimensionals.  I then adhered the whole card front to an early espresso card base.
The inside of the card uses another piece of the poinsettia print DSP.  I stamped the sentiment in early espresso ink on very vanilla cardstock.  I punched it out using a 2" circle punch and then layered it on a 2 3/8" scalloped circle in brushed gold and a 2 1/2" circle in early espresso.  I added a little elegance with three little pearls...I love using embellishments INSIDE a card!

That's it...quick and easy.  The gorgeous paper does all the work on this card.