More Snow Swirled Elegance...for Halloween!?

Before I get to today's project I have to tell you about the Digital Scrapbooking promotion that is happening right now!  Did you know you can access three FREE digital downloads through my online store?  Just click SHOP NOW and then select Free Digital Downloads to get yours today.  Not only that, every digital kit is on sale for 50% OFF!!  Yes, you read that right!  Click the Digital Scrapbooking button to the right of this post and check out the fabulous kits available at a great price!

Now for a non-digital project!  I know today is Halloween, but I couldn't resist showing you another Christmas card to get you in the festive spirit.  Tomorrow is November and it is time to get cracking on those Christmas projects!!  This card is another one I created for my Snow Swirled Kit-to-Go.  Have a look:

Holiday card featuring the Snow Swirled stamp set.

I really love the way the new Lacy Brocade embossing folder works with the tree image.  It really gives a tried and true stamp new life.  As I mentioned above, this card is part of my new Snow Swirled Kit-to-go.  The kit features the Snow Swirled stamp set, Soft Suede and Crumb Cake ink pads and all the materials to make 12 cards.  there are also options to purchase the materials without the stamps and ink for those who already own them.  Check out the details on my Kits-to-Go tab at the top of this page.

Today's the Day!!

In case you missed the news, today is the BIG day! All stamps are ON SALE today only!!  Every stamp set, personalized stamp, individual stamp and cookie press stamp is 15% off.  Plus, orders placed through me via phone or email before 9:00 pm tonight will receive FREE SHIPPING!  That's a combined savings of 25%...it doesn't get better than this folks!  If you haven't already done so, get your list together and send me your order before 9:00 pm ET tonight.

Now for some inspiration...if you don't already own the Snow Swirled set you may want to add it to your order today.  Have a look at this card I designed for next month's classes:

Snowy Holiday card featuring the Snow Swirled stamp set.

Pretty, eh?  I love this neutral colour palette for Christmas.  I used Soft Suede, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla and added a little silver and champagne glimmer paper for some sparkle.

So....got your order together yet??  Remember, orders phoned or emailed to me before 9:00 tonight will receive FREE SHIPPING in addition to the 15% discount.  If you miss my deadline, you can till order through my online store and get the  15% discount until midnight MT (that's 2:00 am for us!)

An Oldie...

Today's project uses one of the oldest Christmas stamp sets in the catalogue:  Snow Swirled.  It has stood the test of time because it features beautiful images as well as heartfelt sentiments.  Check it out:

Elegant Holiday card featuring the Snow Swirled stamp set with sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

I really love the look of that tree heat embossed in pewter!  It is just so elegant!  I also love the way the embossed background (done with the Lacy Brocade TIEF) echoes the patterns in the tree.  I decided to use only part of the image, cutting it out with the Window Frames Framelits.  I anchored the focal image with a bit of seam binding ribbon in Crumb Cake.  The sentiment banner features a string of pearls and one of my beloved Antique Brads.  This is another project I'll be featuring at my Card Buffet this Friday and Saturday...have you registered yet???

Finally Friday!

TGIF!!!  What a long, busy week this has been!  I am so thankful that Friday is finally here so that I can catch my breath for a minute or two.  It is a rainy, gloomy day today and it just makes me want to curl up in my jammies and watch a video tonight...that is if I can stay awake long enough to make it to the end!
Tonight's card is the second one I designed for my club that is meeting on Sunday.  It also happens to work for this week's technique challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  Like yesterday's, it also uses the Snow Swirled stamp set, but is a completely different look.

Elegant Holiday card for HSS85 using the Snow Swirled stamp set and featuring Mocha Morning DSP.

For this card I again used a rather non-traditional colour scheme.  I pulled my palette from the Mocha Morning DSP (LOVE IT!) and used soft suede, brushed gold and very vanilla cardstock.  The tree is stamped in Versamark and then heat embossed in gold.  Instead of ribbon I used some brushed gold cardstock cut using my Tasteful Trim die and my Big Shot (how did I ever get by without that die?!?)  The sentiment, from Teeny Tiny Wishes, is stamped in soft suede, punched out with the word window and then layered on a decorative label in brushed gold.  The pearls add just the right touch of elegance.  So, have you noticed this is two cards in a row with NO RIBBON!!!  I don't think that's ever happened in the history of this little blog!  Could this be a trend?  Stay tuned and find out!
Tomorrow I am off to Stampin' Sparks for the day.  This is a demostrator event my upline is hosting.  I am looking forward to some stamping fun with members of my team and some fellow demonstrators from the area.  I'm sure I'll have lots to share when I get home!  Happy Weekend, everyone!

FINALLY Stamping Again!

Well, tonight I finally got down to my stamping corner and inked up some rubber.  It sure felt good to be creative again!  My life has just been WAY too hectic lately...it can't be healthy to not have time to stamp, can it?  In any case, tonight I sat down to design the projects for one of my monthly clubs which is meeting this Sunday afternoon.  They requested that I do Christmas cards using stamp sets and punches that they already own.  Since they are relatively new stampers, that really limited my options, so this was a challenge!  Knowing that the Snow Swirled set is in the stash of several of the ladies, I decided to focus my energy on that set.  I designed two cards using it, but am only showing you one tonight...I have to save the other for tomorrow...who knows when I'll get to stamp again!  So, here, without further excuses, is today's card:

CAS Holiday card using the Snow Swirled set.

Inside of card with sentiment from the Christmas Greetings set.

Could this get any simpler??  I tried to keep my embellishments to a minimum on this one, but couldn't resist adding those glimmer brads...they just add such a nice touch of sparkle!  The colour combo is one of my new favourites and is inspired by the holiday decorations (yes, its true) that are popping up in stores about now.  These bold, bright colours are just fabulous together and really pop against the white background.  In case you're wondering, the colours are: rich razzleberry, marina mist and lucky limeade.  On the inside of the card I punched the sentiment out with the 1 3/4" scalloped circle punch (one I know my club members own) and then notched every other scallop with my paper snips.  I then punched a 1/16" hole in the un-notched scallops in an attempt to make the circle look a bit snowflake-ish.  I think it works, especially with the snowflake images stamped behind it. 
I hope my ladies like this card...they're pretty traditional green and red Christmas gals, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to show them something a little bit off the wall.  Tomorrow I'll have my second Snow Swirled card for you...and best of all...its FRIDAY!

Another over-the-top Christmas card

Today was not a good day at work.  First of all it was Monday which is always a downer.  Secondly it was the day after Halloween.  Now you wouldn't think that teenagers would be affected by the tons of candy consumed on that particular holiday, but let me assure you THEY ARE!!  My students were out of control today...sugar highs all around.  This made for a long, frustrating and exhausting day.  I also had some professional news that was a shock and not in a good way.  So by the time I got home at 5:30 I was done.  I related my tales of woe to my husband over dinner who listened with the appropriate amount of empathy and indignation and then, instead of heading for the TV I headed to my stamping table to try to "stamp out" my crappy day.  I'm happy to say that a little paper and ink therapy really helped and that I am very pleased with the card I created.  See what you think...

I love this card...it is so pretty...much better in person than in the photo!

Is it wrong that I counted the pearls?  There are 45 of them, in case you're wondering.

The sentiment from the Bells and Boughs set in the Holiday Mini.

Inside of card...sentiment from Snow Swirled set

See what I mean by over-the-top?  I don't think I could have used more pearls if I tried!  This card weighs about half a pound...definitely will require a padded envelope and extra postage!  But I have to say...I don't care!  I really am happy with the card and I can honestly say it has been a long time since I've been able to say that.  That's one of the things I love most about this hobby...you can have the crappiest of days at your day job, come home and create something really beautiful.

So...how did I do it?  I started with a 5 3/8" x 4 1/8" piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.  I randomly stamped the images from Serene Snowflakes in Bravo Burgundy ink all over it.  I then took a same-sized piece of vellum and randomly stamped the images again using Champagne shimmer paint.  The key here is that I didn't clean the stamps between the burgundy and the shimmer paint.  What I wound up with was a shimmery, lighter shade of Bravo Burgundy for my snowflakes on the vellum.  I layered the vellum over the vanilla piece, adhering with glue dots along the top and bottom edges.  I then took two 1 1/2" x 5 3/8" pieces of Very Vanilla cardstock and ran them through my Big Shot with the Elegant Details impressions plate.  Then I sponged the same shimmer paint all over the embossed pieces, again with a hint of the burgundy ink still left from inking the stamps previously.  I layered the two embossed pieces over the vellum along the top and bottom edges.  The vellum layer will show in the middle.  Then I took 2 pieces of Bravo Burgundy grosgrain ribbon (retired...I bought this during the Clearance Rack blitz!) and adhered  them along the rough edges of the embossed pieces.  Over that I layered 2 pieces of Chantilly Lace  trim.  The whole thing was then adhered to a piece of 5 7/16" x 4 3/16" bravo burgundy cardstock.  That was then adhered to a very vanilla card base using Tombow glue (it is pretty heavy by this point...but I'm not done!).

This is when the fun begins!  I grabbed my sheet of pearls and went to town.  I used the smallest size on the embossed pieces.  Then I took one of the big designer buttons in very vanilla and adhered 1 large pearl in the centre and then added six more around that.  I adhered the button, along with a scrap of  Chantilly lace, to the card using Tombow.  For the greeting I stamped it on very vanilla in Bravo Burgundy ink and then sponged the whole thing with shimmer  paint. I punched it out using my decorative label punch and then sponged the edges using bravo burgundy ink.  I layered that on another bravo burgundy punch out and then adhered it to the card with dimensionals.  I added a few more pearls (so it wouldn't feel  left out!).
For the inside I stamped more snowflakes in shimmer paint, stamped the sentiment in bravo burgundy and sponged it in the same way I did the greeting on the front.  It is also layered on burgundy cardstock and adhered with dimensionals.
Since I was on a roll, I made another project that I will save until later.  Tomorrow night is my team meeting, so I don't know if I'll have time to post...if I do, I'll show you my other creation.  Here's hoping tomorrow's a better day!

Pop can card

Today's card was a bit of an experiment for me.  I have often wondered what would happen if I took the aluminum from a flattened pop can and ran it through my Big Shot with an embossing folder.  I finally gave it a try and was relatively pleased with the result...see what you think...

Focal image created by running a pop can through the Big Shot with the Petals a Plenty embossing folder.

Close up of the focal image.  The sentiment is from the Perfect Punches set.

Inside of pop can card.  The poinsettia image from Jolly Bingo Bits matches the embossing folder perfectly!

Using a pop can to create a card poses a few challenges.  First of all, how the heck do you cut the can apart?  Well, believe it or not, I just used my craft knife.  The metal in pop cans is VERY thin and doesn't take much to cut.  I just sawed it apart using my knife and my knife actually ended up being sharper as a result!
The second issue is one that you can't fix...the edges of the metal are SHARP!!  Use caution when handling it...blood doesn't mix well with ink. 
The third issue is that it is nearly impossible to get a straight edge on the metal.  You can't cut it with a regular paper trimmer.  I used scissors but even then, the edges were less than perfect.  My solution was to mat the metal with a frame to hide the rough edges.  I used the Scalloped oval frame and trimmed the sheet of metal to hide behind it. 
The final issue surprised me a little:  the metal really got stuck in the embossing folder.  I had to pry it off with a fair bit of difficulty after running it through the Big Shot.  The next time I try this I think I won't use any tabs on my platform...hopefully that will make it a bit easier to get the metal out of the folder.
So now on to the rest of the card...its really simple, actually.  After I embossed the metal and die cut my frame I glued the two together using Tombow (you need something strong here!).  While that was drying I embossed a Night of Navy card base using the Perfect Polka Dots folder.  The sentiment was stamped in Versamark and then heat embossed using silver embossing powder.  I punched it out using my 1 3/4"scalloped circle punch and then layered it on a 2" Real Red circle.  I set eyelets in either end of my oval frame using my crop-a-dile and threaded a length of Whisper White satin ribbon through them.  I tied a pretty bow on the left side.  I ran a layer of sticky strip underneath the ribbon to keep it laying flat.  I then adhered my sentiment using dimensionals.  The entire focal image was adhered the card base using sticky strip...again, stronger is better.
The inside of the card is pretty self-explanatory, but I did want to mention a discovery I made.  The poinsettia image from the Jolly Bingo Bits stamp set in the Holiday Mini matches the Petals A Plenty embossing folder perfectly!  I was mighty pleased to discover this...but I am easily amused...you may not be quite as excited about it as I was.  By the way, if you're thinking of purchasing this set, it will carry over into the new catalogue next summer...just thought I'd throw that out there...

A Shimmery Suede Christmas

I am SO tired tonight...I almost didn't post; but, I am trying to be better about posting everyday, so I dragged myself down to my stamping corner and got to work.  I was inspired by a scrap of embossed Soft Suede cardstock that was lying on my table.  So....here is what I came up with...

A shimmery suede Christmas greeting!  (the shimmer doesn`t show all that well in the photo)

I embossed the sentiment in gold.

The focal image was stamped in Soft Suede and then sponged all over with Champagne Mist shimmer paint.  The centres of the flowers are Gold Lamme Smooch accent ink.

Inside of card.  I stamped the image using Champagne Mist shimmer paint...a gorgeous effect!  It looks embossed but it isn't raised.

I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly and easily this card came together...especially since I can hardly keep my eyes from crossing, I'm so tired.  I started by running a piece of Soft Suede cardstock through my Big shot with the Perfect Details texture plate.  I then sponged Champagne Mist shimmer paint all over it to give a beautiful sheen...almost looks like gold cardstock! I layered that piece on a slightly larger piece of brushed gold cardstock and then wrapped some Chantilly Lace trim around and tied a bow.  I added an antique brad which matches the colour scheme perfectly.  Then I stamped the poinsettia image (from the Bells and Boughs) set in soft suede and then sponged it with the same shimmer paint.  I added a narrow border of brushed gold cardstock that I punched with my scallop border punch.  I adhered all of it to the cardfront using dimensionals.  The sentiment (also from Bells and Boughs) was stamped in Versamark and then embossed in gold.  It was also sponged with shimmer paint so that it matched the rest of the card.  I punched it out using my Decorative Label punch and then layered it on another Soft Suede label.  I adhered it to the cardfront as well.  I added some Gold Lamme smooch accent ink to the centres of the poinsettias and some tiny pearls to the scallops and sentiment to finish it off.  the whole thing is mounted on a Very Vanilla cardfront.
For the inside of the card, I stamped the poinsettia image using the same shimmer paint.  I love the way it turned out...looking like embossing but a bit more subtle.  The sentiment is from the Snow Swirled set and is stamped in Soft Suede ink on Very Vanilla.  I again used my Decorative Label punch to cut it out, layered it on more soft suede cardstock and then adhered it using dimensionals.  The whole card took less than 15 minutes to put together.  Gotta love it when things come together quickly! 
And now...off to bed!

Swap Inspired Christmas Card

Last month I attended my first ever Stampin' Up! event.  It was the Hamilton Regional seminar and I had a great time.  One of the best things about getting together with other demonstrators is the swapping!!  I am always thrilled to see the amazing things my fellow demonstrators come up with and draw inspriration from their creativity.  Today's post is an example of a card that was inspired by a swap card I received at regionals.  You can see the original card here.  I loved the colour combination in this card.  the Night of Navy, Old Olive and Whisper White are just a great, unconventional combo for Christmas.  So, with this in mind here is what I came up with (along with the help of my 3-year old son who was "helping" Mommy "do stamps" yesterday!)

Another CAS holiday card!

The snowflakes where created using the Northern Frost decorative strip die from the Holiday Mini.

The sentiment is from the Word Play stamp set in the main catalogue.  LOVE this set!

Inside sentiment from Occasional Quotes Hostess Level 3 set.

Isn't this a great colour combo?!?  I love how the Old Olive just pops against the Night of Navy.  The snowflakes are just gorgeous.  I don't know if it shows in the photo, but I covered them in Dazzling Diamond glitter and they just sparkle like crazy.  I coloured the two-tone sentiment using my markers in Real Red and Old Olive.  Besides the glitter, the only other embellishment on this card is the Old Olive satin ribbon...so rich looking.  The snowflakes inside the card are from the Snow Swirled stamp set and are stamped in Night of Navy.  I layered the sentiment on top and in the bottom corner to allow lots of space to write a greeting. 
I'm not sure why I love this card so much...but it is certainly another Stamp-A-Stack candidate!

Still looking for the perfect Christmas card...

Last night I posted one of the projects I was working on after our day at the Rockton Fair.  Here is the second.  It's just  a clean and simple (CAS) card, but let me tell you, it took me FOREVER to get it right!  I really struggled with getting the sentiment on straight!  Normally this isn't a problem for me, but last night, after a day of rides, sun and junk food, I was having trouble seeing straight!  After MANY tries, here is what I finally came up with...

CAS card using the Peaceful Season Level 2 Hostess Set from the Mini.

Close-up of sentiment...I love this script!

Inside of card.  Sentiment and snowflakes are from the Snow Swirled set.

I am still trying to come up with a line-up of cards to use in my first Christmas Stamp-A-Stack class in November.  I have a hard time keeping cards simple...I just can't seem to stop adding embellishments and using various techniques.  The problem with that is they tend to take a while to create.  If we were only doing one card it wouldn't be a problem, but the fact that we are making 12 cards in one night means I have to keep things relatively simple.  This card shouldn't have taken me as long as it did to get right.  I just embossed the background with my Petals A Plenty folder, spritzed it with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch and then layered it on brushed gold cardstock.  I stamped the earth ornament image in Crumb Cake ink on Whisper White cardstock and then stamped the sentiment right over top in Cherry Cobbler.  I punched the corners with my ticket corner punch and then layered it on brushed gold and cherry cobbler cardstock.  I wrapped a piece of Cherry cobbler seam binding ribbon around the background layer and then adhered the focal image using dimensionals.  The whole thing is mounted to a cherry cobbler card base.  For the inside I stamped the sentiment on whisper white in cherry cobbler ink and then punched it out using my decorative label punch.  I layered it over another label in cherry cobbler.  I stamped the snowflakes in crumb cake, stamping off first for the images on the sentiment piece.  I adhered the sentiment to a whisper white layer and then a brushed gold layer which I then mounted inside the card.
I really like this card.  The combination of cherry cobbler, gold and white is very appealing to me.  It is definitely a candidate for my class.  I have a few others that I came up with this afternoon that I will share with you later in the week.  In the meantime, HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all you fellow Canucks out there and Happy Columbus Day to our friends south of the border.  I think I'll go nibble on some turkey leftovers...

Jammin' Stampers Colour Challenge

Last week, my upline, Jamilla Ivits, issued a challenge to our team.  She just got the Colour Coach (after hearing the rest of us rave about it!) and challenged each of us to create a Christmas card using one of the Bashful Blue combinations from the Coach.  I am always up for a challenge and so I got busy last night on my card.  We are to bring them to our team meeting on Tuesday but I just have to share it now...I can't wait till then!  Here is what I came up with...

Greeting Card Kids Christmas Card

Close up of the adorable focal image.

Close up of the sentiment

Inside of Greeting Card Kids card

I just love these Greeting Card Kids!  I've had this set for a while (since the new catty came out) but haven't used this image yet.  When I looked at the colour options for our challenge, I knew I had to use this stamp.  The colours are Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi and Rose Red...these colours are soft and sweet, just like this little girl!  I stamped the image in Staz-On on watercolour paper and then coloured it in using my ink pads and blender pens.  I added little touches of Gold Lamme Smooch accent ink to the tree and the buttons on her coat (it doesn't really show up in the photo).  I then punched her out using my 2 3/8" scalloped circle punch and then notched every other scallop to give a snowflake effect. I also added little dots of Smooch to the notched I layered another scalloped circle punch in Bashful Blue behind it and mounted it to the cardfront using dimensionals.  For the background, I used one of the Wild Wasabi patterns from the subtles DSP stack and then stamped snowflakes from the Snow Swirled set in Wild Wasabi all over.  I again added little dots of Smooch to the snowflakes to add some shimmer.  I punched the corners using the Ticket Corner punch and then layered it on Bashful Blue and then Rose Red cardstock.  The ribbon is adhered using Sticky Strip and ruffled at the top of the cardfront.  The whole thing is mounted on a Wild Wasabi card base.  The sentiment is from the Christmas Greeting set and is stamped in Wild Wasabi on Very Vanilla cardstock.  I punched it out using my large oval punch and then layered it on a scalloped oval in Rose Red.  I layered that on Wild Wasabi wide oval and a Bashful Blue decorative label.  I was a little Smooch happy last night and so I added more dots to the scallops on the Rose Red layer!  The inside of the card uses the verse from the Christmas Greeting set and the snowflakes from Snow Swirled.  The layers are pretty much the same as on the front of the card.  I restrained myself from adding more Smooch to the inside...though I was tempted!

I'm Baaaaack...

Well, I'm home from my adventures in northern Ontario.  Actually it wasn't much of an adventure...my parents have a lovely place right on a lake just outside of Parry Sound.  It was a great little getaway for me and lots of fun for my son...he always gets spoiled rotten by his grandparents!

 While I was away I did some stamping, but not as much as I had hoped.  I will share what I did at a later date, but for now here is yet another Christmas card using items from the new Holiday Mini.   

 

This card is super simple but elegant.  It uses the new Northern Flurries embossing folder.  I have been waiting for Stampin' Up! to come out with their own snowflake embossing folder and this one is beautiful!  To make this card I embossed a piece of Marina Mist cardstock and then sponged Whisper White craft ink all over.  I then spritzed it with Vanilla Shimmer smooch spray to give it some sparkle.  For additional bling, I added some rhinestones in the centre of a few flakes.  I then heat embossed the greeting (which is from the Snow Swirled set in the catalogue) in silver.  I mounted the whole thing on brushed silver cardstock and then adhered that to a Night of Navy card base.  Voila...a quick, easy and pretty Christmas card!

If you like this card, consider signing up for my Christmas Stamp-A-Stack on November 18th.  We will be making 4 of each of three different card designs for a total of 12 cards!  This is a great way to get started on your holiday preparations.  Call or email today to reserve your spot!