Wondrous Wreath

This card is another favorite, probably because of the woodgrain in the background.  Hardwood is by far my favorite background stamp!  For this card, I inked it with Crumb Cake and then stamped off before stamping the card.  It gives a very subtle woodgrain that doesn't detract from the main focal point, the wreath.  And speaking of the wreath, can I just say how much I love the wreath bundle of stamps and framelits?  There is a little tab on all the layers of stamp AND on the framelits.  It makes perfectly lining up everything a piece of cake!

For this card, I used Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, and Cherry Cobbler.  I love these three colors together.  The wreath is topped of with a simple bow made of Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding ribbon.  If you wanted to jazz up the wreath a bit, you could add a dot of Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details on each berry. 

This card could be made in more color combinations than I can count.  I like the traditional Christmas colors, but this same card would be gorgeous in just about any color combination.  Give it a try! 

Supplies
Stamps:  Wondrous Wreath, Good Greetings, Hardwood
Ink:  Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Naturals White, Whisper White card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Wonderful Wreath Framelits, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon

Letterpress Winter Snowflake Flip Card

I think that this card is my favorite of this batch of Christmas cards.  I just love the snowflakes in Letterpress Winter.  It takes a little bit of practice, but the snowflakes will line up perfectly with the snowflake shape on the card.  It helps a lot that this stamp set is photopolymer, and you can see right where you need to stamp.

I used all three snowflakes in the stamp set, stamping them randomly on the card background in Whisper White ink.  I then stamped the largest snowflake in the center using Lost Lagoon ink.  Lost Lagoon is gorgeous with Soft Sky, in case you can't tell from the picture!  I used the snowflake dies that come with the the card die to punch out one snowflake from silver Glimmer Paper, and the other from Lost Lagoon card stock.  I cut banners for the greeting from the same papers. 

I plan to play with this stamp set and color combination a lot more.  My little great-nieces are obsessed with Frozen, and I know they would go crazy if I could make a Frozen-like card and send it to them in the mail.  I can just hear the squeals now. :)

Supplies
Stamps:  Letterpress Winter, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink:  Whisper White, Lost Lagoon
Paper:  Soft Sky and Lost Lagoon card stock, Silver Glimmer Paper
Accessories:  Big Shot, Snowflake Card Thinlits, Bitty Banners Framelits, Paper Snips, Clear Blocks

Chocolate Treat Holders

I thought I'd take a little break from Christmas cards to show you this cute little treat holder my daughter made for me.  It fits two Ghirardelli chocolate squares inside, and has room for a little note on the back (that was my favorite part, although I'm not showing a picture of that.)

This little cutie is so easy to make.  Just cut a strip of card stock 2" x 8 1/2" long, and score at 4" and 4 1/2".  Then punch the ends using the Scallop Tag Topper Punch.  Tie a bow through the holes, and decorate the front as you choose.  She used some retired card stock and Designer Series Paper and scallop circle punches.

Stitched Stocking Flip Card

I pulled out some retired items to make Christmas cards this year.  So many of my old stamps don't get a lot of use anymore, which is a shame, because I have so many, and I really like them all!  Stitched Stockings was a set that retired way to early, in my opinion.  It was great because the Stocking Builder Punch coordinated with it, making it so easy to punch out those little pieces for the heel, toe, and cuff of the stocking.  

For this card, I used it along with the Circle Card Thinlits, because really, who doesn't love a good flip card?  The white circle behind the stocking was embossed using the Argyle embossing folder.  I loved that it tied in perfectly with the argyle pattern on the stocking.  Argyle always makes me think of middle school, where there was a (very strict) dress code, and my friends and I wore knee socks every day.  It was always fun when we wore our argyle socks on the same day.  Oh, to be twelve again.  No, wait.  That would mean I'd have to be 13 and 14 again.  No thanks.  

Getting back to the card...I chose a pattern from the Trim the Tree Designer Series Paper Stack that looked like knitting.  I figured that it kind of went with the stocking theme.  The little strip across the bottom is embossed using the now retired Needlepoint Border embossing folders (another one that retired too quickly!)  The little "Merry Christmas" comes from Teeny Tiny Wishes, which is probably my most used stamp set.  If you're looking for a basic sentiment set that covers just about every occasion, this is it.  Let me know if you'd like to order it!

Supplies

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes, Stitched Stockings

Ink:  Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler

Paper:  Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, and Trim the Tree Designer Series Paper Stack

Accessories:  Big Shot, Circle Card Thinlits, Needlepoint Border embossing folder, Argyle embossing folder, Stocking Builder Punch, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine,  2 1/2" Circle Punch

Christmas Bauble

Can I just say that it's killing me to post Christmas cards when it's still fall?  I can't stand how the minute Halloween is over, Christmas stuff is EVERYWHERE.  What ever happened to fall and Thanksgiving?  OK, so clearly this is a pet peeve of mine, but it does drive me nuts.  However, I have a pile of Christmas cards to show, and not a lot else, so that's what I'm posting! :)

This card uses the new single stamp Christmas Bauble.  I think it pairs so well with the Filigree Frame embossing folder.  I highlighted the embossed parts of this cute folder by using a sponge dauber and Pool Party ink.  It came out a little heavier on the ink than I had intended, and I loved seeing the variations different people did when making this at my Christmas card event.  Some went even heavier, and some very light.  I love that five people can make the same card and they will all have a unique element to it.  That's what creating is supposed to yield--a unique product that shows a little of the person creating it. 

The banners on the card are just pieces of three of the All Is Calm Designer Washi tapes, and I just snipped the ends to give them a more finished look.  The bauble is embossed in silver, then water colored.  See below for the exact colors I used.  It's kind of an unconventional color scheme for Christmas, but it's such a pretty combination.

Supplies
Stamps:  Christmas Bauble
Ink:  Island Indigo, Pool Party, Smokey Slate, Pear Pizzazz
Paper:  Pool Party, Whisper White, and Naturals White card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Filigree Frame embossing folder, All Is Calm Designer Washi Tape, Sponge Dauber, Aquapainter, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Paper Snips (yes, that bauble is cut out by hand...no Framelits for this one!)

Endless Wishes

Finally!  It's time for a new card!  This is one of the cards we made at my Christmas card event.  I'm pretty sure that I CASEd at least part of this card, if not the whole thing.  So if this is your design, please let me know so I can give you credit.  I love the simplicity of this card, and the white on Crumb Cake looks gorgeous!

I randomly stamped the snowflakes in white, and to give them a little bit of sparkle, I added some silver Dazzling Details.  Rhinestones look even more amazing, but since I was trying to keep the cost of the card down, I went with the more economical DD.  I stamped the sentiment in Crumb Cake on Naturals White card stock, and then added a beautiful bow made of Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon.  Don't forget to round the corners of the card to add a fun detail.  So simple, and so pretty!

Supplies

Stamps:  Endless Wishes
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Naturals White
Accessories:  Big Shot, Apothecary Accents Framelits,  Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon, Silver Dazzling Details

Daydream Medallions

I didn't intend to go so long between posts.  It's already been a busy fall that's prevented me from getting cards posted, and then last week, my brother-in-law passed away suddenly.  Family has been our focus, not card making.  And even now, my husband is still my first priority, so I'm not promising lots of projects in the next week or so.  I'm not going to lie...this is difficult, and has shaken us deeply.  We're trying to adjust and get back to a normal routine, which isn't easy when we're not getting a lot of sleep.

Fortunately, I did find one card sitting in my draft folder, and today is a good day to share this one. I love interactive cards, and this is a really fun and unique one.  It's definitely an unconventional way to use the Daydream Medallions stamp set and the coordinating Floral Frames Framelits. 

Tips & Tricks

• To make this fun closure on your card, it's important to score your card so that it has two flaps in the front.  I scored a strip of 4 1/4" x 11" at the 3" and 8 1/2" marks, then folded the flaps in.

• For the flower part, stamp three different sizes from Daydream Medallions, then cut the outside shape of each layer.  

• It helps to distress the edges of the flower layers, so be sure to do this step next, whether using the distressing tool, scissors, or just your fingernail.  Don't decide to wait until later to do this part...it is much easier to do it now!

• After distressing, go ahead and cut out the center of the largest flower, using the same Framelit used to cut the outside of the middle flower.  This allows the two layers to fit together perfectly.

• To finish, adhere the two smallest layers together, then attach to the right side of the card.  Center over the seam, and only adhere the right half of the flowers to the right flap of the card.  Adhere the left half of the largest flower to the left flap.  Be very careful not to let your adhesive go outside of these areas, or the card will end up being glued shut.

• Embellish with a button and ribbon.  I also added leaves using Flower Patch and the Flower Fair Framelits.  I did have to snip off the ends, so don't be afraid to do that if necessary.  I also recommend playing with the placement of the leaves to be sure it looks good behind two layers and three layers.  Depending on whether the card is open or closed, you'll be looking at it with both combinations.  

Supplies

Stamps:  Daydream Medallions, Flower Patch
Ink:  Elegant Eggplant, Crumb Cake, Versamark
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, and Elegant Eggplant
Accessories:  Big Shot, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, Floral Frames and Flower Fair Framelits, Stamp-a-ma-jig