Christmas Cards- 2014

Back in the summer, on vacation I began making the pieces to my Christmas cards.  On this eve of Thanksgiving as the Christmas season officially begins, I thought to share a sneak peak at some of the preparations made months ago.  I ultimately made 50 of these cards as well as a few straggling others to send out in the coming weeks.

One of the first elements was this window created for a sentiment.  The patterned paper came from Hobby Lobby and has words in another language written on them.  This is good because I might have actually placed these pieces upside down.  No one will notice ;)

I cut the window with an exacto knife in an "X" shape.  Then, I curled each of the edges back to reveal the window...

Next was some holly swirls for accent.  I stamped with green ink and die cut using my Heartfelt Creations Holly Berry stamps and matching dies.  After cutting all pieces out, I shaped the leaves by pressing in with a stylus at the center of each leaf.

Ladies and gentleman, I shaped two different swirls and three different leaf clusters for each card.  That is a total of 250 shaped die cuts for this card set.  Fun times.  Well worth it!

I'll wait to reveal this final creation for Christmas day, however I do have some other Christmas cards to share with you soon.

I wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving feast tomorrow.

Wedding Shower Card

I had mentioned earlier this week about Andrew and Jordin's wedding shower present.  Here's the card I made for them.  Again, taking a cue from their invitation, I suspected they enjoyed the kraft paper and mint green theme.  Here's the details:

• The background frame was cut using my Labels 17 die and then embossed with one of my floral embossing folders.  This frame is raised off the card base with foam squares.
• The sentiment was stamped using my Market Street Stamps (sadly out of business) sentiment stamp and black Archival Ink.
• The decorative lattice was cut from white cardstock using my Heartfelt Creations Ornamental Add On die.  I did lightly curl the ends to create a little interest to these pieces. 
• The flower was cut from kraft colored glassine paper using my Vintage Floret dies.  This stuff never disappoints with it's crinkly goodness.  I simply shaped these flowers and the texture was created by the paper's properties.  A pearl accent in the center added a sense of class.
• The green organza ribbon comes from the stash and is likely a reuse item.  It looks delicate and colorful here.

I sent this off with the handmade cards a little late for the shower itself.  Hopefully, it brought joy to them and clearly let Andrew and Jordin know that I'm thinking and praying for them as the big day approached.  Check back on Saturday.  I made their wedding celebration card as well.  I'll get those photos edited and posted in time to wish them a prompt wedding congratulations!

I've entered this card in Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Simon Says Wedding or Anniversary.  Come on over and join the fun!

ETA:  I've linked this card up over at Scrapbookpal.com.  They have a running challenge each month to use certain suppliers/products and then get featured over at their blog.  Here's my entry for the last part of February.   Click on this link to check out their latest challenge.  Their online store supplies many of my common tools and supplies and some of the lowest prices around.  Check them out.

Holiday Hostess Gift

I made this tag for a hostess gift this holiday season.  It was simple and easy to put together.  Here's the details:

• The tag was cut out using Plantin Schoolbook and my Cricut using kraft paper. 
• I stamped the swirl from my Heartfelt Creations Holly Berry stamp set using brown Archival Ink onto the kraft tag.
• The sentiment is also stamped from my Holly Berry stamp set using brown Archival Ink only this time it was onto some green cardstock from the scrap bin.  A bin that needs to be emptied.  I die cut the sentiment using my Spellbinders Labels 18 dies. 
• The swirl was die cut and embossed using my Heartfelt Creations Ornamental Add On dies.  I embellished this little gem with some red gems from the stash. 
• The poinsetta was made using my Layered Poinsettia Shapeabilities.  The center was made using some Good Earth Elements Earth Textures.  I just love that stuff to make something look rustic.  It really works here in person.  Finally, the red cardstock is spritzed with some white acrylic paint using an old toothbrush.  It looks like a light dusting of snow. 

I don't think I'm nearly wise enough to choose a good wine for a gift.  I just don't drink enough of the stuff.  Still, my husband and his entire family find this to be their favorite.  I hope my hostess enjoyed because she really knows how to put on a good party!

Thinking of You Card

I had a strong desire to play around with the masking techniques from my recent Creative Chemistry 102 class.  I also desired to play around with the sticky embossing powder techniques.  This card was born of that playing around.

I first created the background paper using an Ink Blending Tool and several colors of Distress Ink (Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint, Seedless Preserves, and Vintage Photo)  I tried to keep the colors bright and light.  I laid the honecomb stencil over the top corner and applied some Vintage Photo with the blending tool.  This created the lighter "masked" portion of the background paper.  The edged were distress with my distressing tool and then inked with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  I stamped the background image using my Delicate Twining stamp.  I used a water brush and Shaded Lilac Distress Ink to color the flowers and Peeled Paint Distress Ink to color the leaves.

Each of the layers of asters were stamped using my Heartfelt Creations Delicate Asters stamps and embossed with the sticky embossing powder.  I used Ranger's Rock Candy glitter directly after heating up the powder.  The glitter sticks to the embossing powder and then I cut each flower out with my dies.  The center of each flower is a little Shabby Shutters Distress Glitter applied with a dot of Crystal Accents.  The ODBD Fancy Foliage green cardstock swirls and the Heartfelt Creations Ornamental Add On brown cardstock florish were added for interest.

The sentiment frame was cut out of kraft paper (like the card base).  Before removing the cut, I applied Vintage Photo Distress Ink with the blending tool leaving the beautiful outline on the frame.  The sentiment was stamped using brown Archival Ink and then the frame was attached using foam squares.  A few pearl accents and I thought the card was done.

This card was satisfying- beautiful result, fun elements to put together and some playing around without exactly knowing it would all work out.  I can see a fair bit of stress relief poured into this little card.

I'm linking this up over at the Moxie Fab World in their Cards for Cath.  I've mentioned my enjoyment of Cath and her lovely posts over at the Moxie Fab World on more than one occasion.  This is because she has been such an inspiration to me.  Sadly, she's decided to move on to greener pastures and do other things.  This announcement came as such a shock to me- she's been a mainstay for my online blog reading for years!  I'm hoping my sadness at her leaving is a small measure of the great and wonderful things ahead for her.  She really is Moxie Fab!  So long, Cath!  I'll hope to see you in your next endeavors.

I'm also linking this up with the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog: Anything Goes Challenge, The Paper Girls Challenge #43: Cut It Out and Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #104: Anything Goes. Come join the fun!

A Boss' Day Card

I volunteered to make a card for boss' day last week.  How could I not, the stash was calling out to be used.  I combed the internet and found the poem here. It seemed to fit- a little bit honest acknowledging all the roles that a boss has that you don't, a little bit funny (corny one might say, but I really like the word Hence), and a little bit sweet. 

I used gold embossing powered after stamping the asters with my Heartfelt Creations Delicate Asters stamps.  I then cut the flowers and shaped them, layering different colors of paper- brown cardstock, patterned paper with gold embossing, and patterned paper without the embossing. 

The background paper is from the stash- old.  By old I mean at least a couple of years old.  It is a Paper Loft Gentler Times.  It was time to use that paper!  It works here to create a fall look and definitely looks different from the fru-fru that I usually do for the ladies at work.  The brown cardstock die cuts were made using my Heartfelt Creations Ornamental Add On.  Additionally, I used my Our Daily Bread's Fancy Foliage to make the green cardstock leaf swirls. 

On the inside, I printed the finish for the poem.  A distressed piece of the matching patterned paper, one more leaf swirl and a little distressing.  Just right for 8-12 of my co-workers to sign and pass on to the boss.  I hope she felt special- it was fun to make the card.

Day 1- Hawaii Scrapbook Page

Bear with me as I figure out the best method for photographing these pages.  I'm finding scrapbook page photographing to be very different than card photographing.

This page shows a picture right after our very long flight to the islands.  We're all washed out, tired and a little weary.  That's one of the reasons I chose to use my Here Comes the Sun stamp from the now defunct Market Street Stamps. 

I used my Scattered Straw Distress Ink to stamp the sunburst and my Worn Lipstick Distress Ink using a second gen image of the hibiscus flower from Hero Arts Luscious Frames stamp set.  The Hawaii 2008 was printed on the computer, the flower stamped and then circle cut with my Creative Memories circle cutters.  The Day 1 Tired sentiment is a set of rub-on letters from the stash applied to a corner piece of patterned paper from the Maggie Holmes Signature Series.  The flags at the top are scraps from the stash.  The two little die cuts are pieces of my new Heartfelt Creations Ornamental Add On dies.  

Ooohh!  The kids are so young....  I'm linking this project up with the Use It Tuesday Challenge #64- Use Two Hoarded Items.  You'll see how I used a hoarded stamp, some scraps for the flags, some really old rub-ons, and pictures printed in 2009.  Do the pictures count? :)