Scentsational Season of Style Christmas Card

Do you like that title?  It's like one of those Jeopardy categories where they mash two phrases together, although for the life of me, I can't remember what that category is called.  For this card, I combined the retired stamp set Scentsational Season with the Season of Style Designer Series Paper.  I've already admitted that I'm a tad obsessed with making these flip cards...I can't help myself, they're so fun!  I'll also admit that a lot of my cards this month will be using some retired products.  That's a bummer for those of you looking for fun new stamps and tools to add to your collection, but a bonus for those who are looking for ways to use the things that have collected a bit of dust in recent months (or years).  It just seems a shame to me to use only current products when I have so many fun things sitting on my shelf!

One of those items is Scentsational Season, which in my opinion, was the cutest Christmas stamp set that Stampin' Up! sold last year.  I can't believe they retired it.  One of my most viewed and pinned cards of all time uses this set, which obviously proves that lots of people love this set as much as I do! :)

Tips & Tricks

• I only make flip cards with the extra flap on the right side...it just makes sense to give yourself a bit more room to write and not to waste card stock.  Cut your card stock 5 3/8" x 8 1/2" and let the right side stick out on top of the Circle Card Thinlits Die.  This will give you a nice score line instead of cutting the card stock.

• For a fun look, stick that extra flap into an embossing folder and run it through your Big Shot.  It adds a bit of interest without using more paper!

• Remember all the scented embossing powder that was available last year?  I have tons of it, and it is fun to use, since it makes my stamp space smell so yummy!  Did you know that you can combine colored embossing powder with the clear scented powder?  Play around with amounts to see what you like...the gingerbread man shown here was embossed using equal parts of Early Espresso and Sugar & Spice Scented embossing powders.

Season of Style Washi Tape Card

I know, I know, it's barely even fall, but yes, this is a Christmas card.  I broke out some retired items for this one, including the glitter and the "Merry Christmas" stamp.  It's my favorite Christmas sentiment stamp, and I pretty much use it every year, even if it is retired.

Tips & Tricks

• Washi Tape is so easy to use!  Don't be afraid to just stick it to your card stock.  It's easy to reposition if you don't like how it looks.  In fact, I moved the Crumb Cake piece on this card several times until I had it perfectly spaced.

• Who doesn't love a good glittery card?  Heat and Stick Powder is the secret to adhering glitter to a stamped image.  Simply stamp in VersaMark, then "emboss" using Heat and Stick Powder.  As soon as you set the Heat Tool aside, sprinkle the glitter on the image.  The glitter will stick and look fabulous!

Supplies

Stamps:  Scentsational Season (retired), Christmas Greetings (retired)
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler and VersaMark
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, and Whisper White card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Perfect Polka-Dots Embossing Folder, Holiday Collection Framelits (retired), Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, Tool, and Mat, Season of Style Designer Washi Tape, Heat Tool, Heat and Stick Powder, glitter, 1-3/4" Circle Punch

Gingerbread Baby

Gingerbread Baby is one of my kids' favorite books to read at this time of year, and this card reminds me of the little guy in the story.  This was one of the cards we made at the last Christmas Stamp-a-Stack.  I love the scented embossing powders that are in the Holiday Catalog, but I also wanted the easy of using the Early Espresso powder to get the brown color.  Did you know that you can combine the two to get scented, colored embossing powder?  I mixed a little bit of the sugar and spice embossing powder with the Early Espresso powder and it worked great (and smelled great, too!)

I love the Be of Good Cheer DSP, and I think the pattern shown here is my favorite one in the pack.  The Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations card stock was a perfect pairing with it, and did you know that you can stop ON the 7/8" cotton ribbon from the Holiday Catalog?  You totally can, and snipping the notch in the banner is so much easier than doing it on paper!

I have to say, this card is one of my favorites, and a few lucky people on my Christmas card list will even get this one in the mail. :)

Stamps:  Scentsational Season, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  VersaMark, Cherry Cobbler Classic ink

Paper:  Naturals Ivory, Early Espresso, Gumball Green, Very Vanilla, and Core'dinations Cherry Cobbler card stock, Be of Good Cheer DSP

Accessories:  Snowburst embossing folder (retired), Big Shot, 7/8" Cotton Ribbon, Scallop Circle punch, Holiday Collection Framelits, heat tool, Sugar & Spice embossing powder, Early Espresso Embossing powder

Busy Christmas

I know, it's a little busy!  But it's fun.  It's hard to pick out a favorite pattern from the Be of Good Cheer DSP...it's all so great!  And the combination of Cherry Cobbler and Gumball Green is a fun combination for Christmas.  And the little Gumball Green bow is the perfect touch.

Stamps:  Merry Minis, Scentsational Season

Ink: Versamark

Paper:  Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler, and Very Vanilla card stock, Be of Good Cheer DSP

Accessories:  Merry Minis punch pack, Holiday Collection Framelits, 2 1/2" circle punch, Snowburst embossing folder (retired), Gumball Green stitched satin ribbon

Stamp-a-Stack Christmas Card

This is one of the cards we made at our Stamp-a-Stack on Sunday.  Stampin' Up!'s glimmer paper and colored embossing powder make such a bold statement on this card.  It's such a fun card, and goes together so quickly because of all the punches that are used for the circles.

Stamps:  Scentsational Season, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  VersaMark, Cherry Cobbler Classic ink pad

Paper: Naturals White, Whisper White, and Gumball Green card stock, Red and Silver Glimmer paper, Be of Good Cheer DSP

Accessories:  Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, 2 1/2" Circle punch, 3/4" Circle punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Rhinestones, Holiday Framelits Collection, Gumball Green embossing powder, heat tool

Hot Chocolate, Anyone?

OK, I know.  I used more retired DSP on this card.  I desperately wanted to use plaid on this card (remember how I love plaid?)  but I don't have the Festival of Prints DSP pack.  That somehow got left off my last order, but I will quickly remedy that with my next one!  So, even though I'm using a plaid from last year's Frostwood Lodge DSP, it is easily substituted with the plaid in Festival of Prints (which is only $6.95!!!!)

Aside from my beloved plaid, this card uses my newest favorite, the Woodgrain embossing folder.  You'll notice that the woodgrain really stands out on the Cherry Cobbler.  It's because I used the new Core'dinations card stock.  Simply run it through the Big Shot with an embossing folder and you normally would, but when it comes out, whip out your sanding blocks and sand off a bit of the top layer.  The inside is a lighter color and makes the textured design pop.  I can't wait to get this in the other colors!

The mug and steam both come from Scentsational Seasons, and are embossed with the Peppermint Sticks embossing powder.  I'm not a coffee drinker...that's peppermint hot chocolate in that mug, folks. :)  The sentiment is stamped right on the cotton ribbon...doesn't it look great on that?  I love how easy it is to stamp on this ribbon.  And then a bit of Early Espresso baker's twine completes the card.

Stamps:  Scentsational Season, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Timber Wheel

Ink:  Early Espresso and Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink, VersaMark

Paper:  Naturals White, Whisper White, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations card stock, Festival of Prints DSP (not shown, but makes a great replacement!)

Accessories:  Woodgrain Embossing Folder, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle, Early Espresso Baker's Twine, 7/8" Cotton Ribbon

Christmas in July

I've been holding out on the Christmas cards, because I just can't bring myself to start thinking about winter just yet.  I have no problem making fall cards any time of the year, but Christmas...it's a bit of a stretch.  But I finally caved and made a couple of Christmas cards.  This one is very candy caney.  Not a word, I know.  But the red and white (well, vanilla, actually) and all the stripes scream candy canes.  Once again, I used retired product (shame on me!)  The striped paper is from last year's Christmas DSP, but it's so similar to one of the papers in the Be of Good Cheer DSP pack that's on it's way to my house right now.  I actually think the newer striped paper is going to look better, because there's a bit of green in it, and this card needs a third color.  I embossed the red in the background with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  The ribbon is more of the 1/4" grosgrain from my vast stash. :)  The candy cane is from the Scentsational Season stamp set...it is ADORABLE!  And, much to my delight, it has a coordinating Framelits set!  I love my Framelits!  I embossed it with the new Peppermint Sticks scented embossing powder.  It's smells fantastic!  The piece of Naturals Ivory card stock behind it was cut out with the Window Frames Framelits and then embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder to give it some sparkle.  Fun!

Stamps:  Scentsational Season, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  VersaMark, Real Red Classic Ink, Whisper White Craft Ink

Paper:  Naturals Ivory, Very Vanilla, and Real Red card stock, Be of Good Cheer DSP (not shown, but it makes a great substitution!)

Accessories:  Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Window Frames Framelits, Holiday Collection Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, 1/4" grosgrain ribbon (Very Vanilla and Real Red, both retired)