CHRISTMAS CLASS CARDS

Try saying that title three times quickly!!  I thought I'd share with you a couple of the cards we made in my Christmas card classes this month.

This first one was a bit time-consuming, but well worth it; I'm pretty sure everyone who made it was happy with it.  I love it!  Stampin' Up!'s Ornament Keepsakes bundle makes it very easy to make great Christmas cards.  This is the front view, when the card is closed .....

 

 

....... but when opened, you can see it's an easel card:

 

 

 

 

Here's a full shot of the inside of the card:

 

 

 

Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes, Delightful Dozen

Card: Midnight Muse, Whisper White, Brushed Silver, Bashful Blue

Ink: Versamark inkpad, Midnight Muse stampin' pad

Other: Holiday Ornaments framelits dies, Finishing Touches edgelits die, Silver Sparkle Dazzling Details, Basics Glimmer brad, White baker's twine, Midnight Muse stitched satin ribbon, Silver Stampin' emboss powder, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, Stampin' Pierce Mat and Paper-piercing tool, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, stampin' dimensionals, glue dots

 

 

 

 

The second card I have to share with you was made using the gorgeous Evergreen two-step stamp set.  We stamped the solid tree design in Crumb Cake ink, then gold-embossed the script overlay.  Lots of new bits and pieces on this one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

..... and a close-up of the gold-embossing on the tree:

 

 

 

 

Stamps: Evergreen, Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Card: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler smooth, Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations

DSP: Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper stack, Champagne Glimmer Paper

Ink: Crumb Cake and Cherry Cobbler stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad

Other: Gold Stampin' Emboss powder, Labels Collection framelits dies, Holiday Collection framelits, Festive Paper-percing pack, Stampin' Pierce Mat and Paper-piercing tool, sponge daubers, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, Woodgrain embossing folder, Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, Scallop Edge border punch Designer Sanding Blocks, Bitty Banners framelits dies, stampin' dimensionals, sticky strip

 

 

 

 

 

JAI #141 : A COLOUR CHALLENGE

This week at Just Add Ink, we have a gorgeous colour challenge for you.   Kathy came up with the suggestion of using these colours together:

 

 

I LOVE this colour combo, and have used it before - but not for quite some time.  You will be "wowed" by the rest of the Design Team's creations - and we look forward to seeing yours!

 

 

Here is my card, using Stampin' Up!'s Serene Silhouettes stamp set .... love.  The embossed panel below the flowers was created by rubbing my Crumb Cake inkpad directly onto the inside of the Lacy Brocade embossing folder.  I ran it through my Big Shot, with a piece of Wisteria Wonder Designer Series Paper inside.  To soften the brown tones of the Crumb Cake, I spritzed the panel with Frost White shimmer spray (shimmer paint mixed with Isocol).  Isn't it pretty??

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the shimmer a little better in this pic:

 

 

 

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Petite Pairs

Card: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Wisteria Wonder

DSP: Wisteria Wonder Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Crumb Cake stampin' pad and marker, Wisteria Wonder stampin' pad and marker

Other: Boho Blossoms punch, Wisteria Wonder ruffled ribbon, Victoria Crochet Trim, Crumb Cake seam binding, Designer Printed brad, Basic Pearls, Large Oval punch, Scallop Oval punch, Scallop Trim border punch, sponge daubers, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, Frost White shimmer paint (mixed with Isocol to make shimmer spray), glue dots, Multipurpose Liquid Glue

 

 

Be sure to visit Just Add Ink to see what the rest of the Design Team have done with these gorgeous colours.  We'd love to have you play along with us!

ISLAND INDIGO CHRISTMAS OWL

I have a cute Christmas card to share with you today.

I challenged myself to use some of the paper from Stampin' Up!'s Festival of Prints DSP pad, that has Island Indigo and Cherry Cobbler patterns - a bit outside my comfort zone!

The owl stamp from Owl Occasions adorns an ornament cut with framelits; that, and the sentiment, is all the stamping on the card - I wanted the paper to 'do the talking'.

Here's a close-up of the paper, to show Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details dotted in the centres of the medallion shapes:

Stamps: Owl Occasions

Card: Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Island Indigo

DSP:  Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper stack

Ink: Cherry Cobbler stampin' pad and marker, Island Indigo stampin' pad, Sahara Sand stampin' pad

Other: Holiday Ornaments framelits, Island Indigo ruffled ribbon, Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details, sponge dauber, Linen Thread, glue dots, Adorning Accents embossing folder, Adorning Accents edgelits die, stampin' dimensionals

 

 

 

 

JAI #140 : JUST ADD CHEVRONS

This week's challenge at Just Add Ink, thanks to our lovely Trish, is to use chevrons on our papercraft project.   I'm not entirely sure what the difference is between zig-zags and chevrons, but think chevrons might be a repetition of zig-zags?  Whatever - they're very "on trend" in the papercraft world right now!

In an effort to gradually build up my stash of Christmas cards, to avoid the perennial last-minute-rush in December (happens every year, despite my best efforts!), I have created another Christmas card.  You'll be seeing quite a few from hereon in - just warning you.

LOVING Stampin' Up!'s Midnight Muse, and it goes so well with Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake.  These colours give a bit of a vintagey look to my card, I think.  I have included a length of stamped cotton ribbon (it's on p.20 of the Holiday Catalogue, if you're looking for it); the ink colour is muted, but I like that.

Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes, Mixed Medley

Card: Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse, Very Vanilla

DSP: Comfort Cafe Designer Series Paper

Ink: Midnight Muse and Crumb Cake stampin' pads
Other: Holiday Ornaments framelits dies, Basic Pearls, Delicate Designs embossing folder, Large Scallop edgelits, Basic Pearls, Chevron embossing folder, 7/8" Cotton Ribbon, Midnight Muse stitched satin ribbon, sponge daubers, glue dots, 3/4" Circle punch

SU! ORNAMENT KEEPSAKES ON NATURAL COMPOSITION DSP

I have, for a few months, been wanting to recreate this stunning card by Yvette Ashe - it is one of my all-time favourites, using Stampin' Up!'s Ornament Keepsakes stamps.  Until now, though, I haven't had the Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper.

Well .... I now have the paper, and I just had half an hour free, so I set to work.  I have added a couple of different touches (ribbon treatments, glimmer paper behind the buttons, and Early Espresso ink on the sentiment), but hope I've done Yvette's design justice.  I don't normally blog cards that I have CASEd, but this one has to be an exception because I just LOVE it!!!

Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes, More Merry Messages

Card: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Champagne Glimmer Paper

DSP: Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper

Ink: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso stampin' pads

Other: Holiday Ornaments framelits dies, Victoria crochet trim, Pool Party seam binding, Linen Thread, Very Vanilla 1/8" taffeta ribbon, Vintage faceted buttons, glue dots, Itty Bitty shapes 3/8" circle punch, sponge daubers

SC 062/12 : STAMPIN' UP!'S PATIO PARTY DSP

Friday has snuck up on me!  All week I've been meaning to make a card for this week's challenge at Sunny Challenges & Creations, but the days have disappeared.  I received a delivery today of some Patio Party Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up!, so have quickly whipped up a card following the Sunny Challenges & Creations sketch, and theme of "One for the Girls":

Here's my card, showcasing a couple of the gorgeous patterned papers:

 

 

Stamps: Bring On the Cake, Creative Elements, Papillon Potpourri

Card: Midnight Muse, Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit

DSP: Patio Party Designer Series Paper

Ink: Baja Breeze, Midnight Muse and Primrose Petals stampin' pads

Other: Floral Frames framelits, 2 1/2" Circle punch, Finishing Touches edgelits die, Elegant Butterfly punch, sponge daubers, Summer Starfruit stitched satin ribbon, Vintage faceted button, glue dots

JAI #139 : JUST ADD ..... SOMETHING BRAND NEW

This week's challenge at Just Add Ink, set by Tina, is to use something NEW on your papercraft project.  In Australia and New Zealand, we've had our new Stampin' Up! catalogues for only a month - and, if you're anything like me, you've bought way more than you could possibly use in such a short time!

One of the stamp sets that was a "must have" for me, from our beautiful Holiday Catalogue, is Evergreen.  I've been looking at it lovingly since I bought it weeks ago, but it has only just seen ink for this challenge.  I've used a bit of creative licence when it comes to the colours of the Christmas tree; I picked out Early Espresso and Baja Breeze from the paper I used, from the fabulous Festival of Prints paper stack (also from the Holiday Catalogue).

So, here's the first of many cards I'll make with Evergreen.  The solid tree shape was stamped in Baja Breeze (on the gorgeous new Naturals White card); I then used Early Espresso embossing powder, to emboss the scribbly tree outline.  Love it!

 

 

Stamps: Evergreen, Mixed Medley

Card: Naturals White, Early Espresso, Baja Breeze

DSP: Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack

Ink: Baja Breeze and Early Espresso stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad

Other: Early Espresso embossing powder, Stamp-a-ma-jig, 3/4" Circle punch, 1 1/4" Scallop Circle punch, Baja Breeze seam binding, Basic Pearls, Delicate Designs Embossing Folder, Large Scallop Edgelits die, sponge daubers, Festive Paper Piercing Pack, Labels Collection Framelits, glue dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

 

 

As always, there is a great variety of beautiful samples from the Design Team over at Just Add Ink - so please check out how everyone has used their new toys!  We'd love you to play along with us, too.

 

 

JAI #138: A COLOUR CHALLENGE

This week at Just Add Ink, Kim has set us a GREAT colour challenge:

Summer Starfruit is one of Stampin' Up!'s new In Colors, and it is my favourite, because it's significantly different to any other colours in the core range. 

Somewhat predictably, I've made a masculine card.  I was inspired by last week's sketch challenge that we had, with divided panels across the front of a card.  My vertical panels were stamped with stamps from The Open Sea and Clockworks, in ink that matches the card.  Even though it doesn't show up clearly, the Whisper White mat has been embossed with Stampin' Up!'s Argyle embossing folder.  I did cheat a little with the colour combo, by knotting a piece of Basic Black taffeta ribbon around the white baker's twine; I think the colour looks closer to Basic Gray, so gave myself permission to use it!


Here's the end result of my play with these colours:

Stamps: Clockworks, The Open Sea, Bring on the Cake

Card: Basic Gray, Whisper White, Summer Starfruit

Ink: Basic Gray stampin' pad, Summer Starfruit stampin' pad and marker

Other: Labels Collection Framelits die, XL Oval punch, Basics Glimmer brad, sponge daubers, Argyle embossing folder, white baker's twine, Basic Black taffeta ribbon, glue dots

 

 

 

 

 

While I had these colours out, I had a little play, and came up with another card that I really love.  This one is for my nephew, who is a beautiful young man; very proud to be his aunty!

 

 

 

 

Stamps: Clockworks, Memorable Moments

Card: Basic Gray, Whisper White, Summer Starfruit

Ink: Basic Gray and Summer Starfruit stampin' pads

Other: Chevron embossing folder, Finishing Touches edgelits die, Labels Collection Framelits die

 

 

 

The rest of the Design Team have come up with some gorgeous creations with this colour combo - please take a look, and play along with us!

 

 





DD #21 : STAMPIN' UP! ORNAMENT KEEPSAKES BUNDLE IN REDS

This week's "mix and match" challenge at Dynamic Duos is to use Cherry Cobbler and a colour of our choice on a card/scrapbook page.

 

 

I consulted my trusty Stampin' Up! Color Coach for inspiration on this one, because I wanted to move away from my usual choices!  Apparently Riding Hood Red is a complementary colour to Cherry Cobbler - granted, not terribly different, but all the same that's what I chose! 

 

The colour differences on my card (injections of neutrals notwithstanding) are subtle, so I thought I'd point out what's different about the two Christmas ornamments.  The left one (with the bow) is embossed in Cherry Cobbler on Whisper White card.  The right one (mounted on the circle) is white-embossed on Riding Hood Red card. 

 

 

Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes, More Merry Messages

Card: Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations

Ink: Versamark inkpad

Other: Holiday Ornaments framelits dies, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, sanding block, 2 1/2" Circle punch, Basics Paper-Piercing pack, Finishing Touches edgelits die, Vintage faceted buttons, Cherry Cobbler scallop dots ribbon, Cherry Cobbler baker's twine, stampin' dimensionals, glue dots