Spotlight Holly

I was really thrilled to find this stamp, and this is my first time using it. I'm very happy with the vintage look, yet it's still cheerful and festive for Christmas!

Card measures 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

I started by stamping the collage image (Tin Can Mail for Inkadinkado) twice on off-white cs, using Staz-On ink in Timber Brown. To figure out what section to use as my "spotlight" I sketched a pencil box around an interesting section on one of the stamped images, then trimmed this area to size with my paper trimmer to get straight, even sides.

I used a blender pen and Distress inks (Peeled Paint, Aged Mahogany, Frayed Burlap and Scattered Straw) to color in this panel, and then layered it to a red panel and set it aside.

For the base image, I grabbed the other image I had stamped and I roughed the edges up with the Tim Holtz distressing tool (a scissor would work fine also, just be careful - nothing worse than an ill-placed bloodspot on a great card LOL ;o), then I sponged some of the Distress Scattered Straw around the edges.

I adhered the spotlight piece to the base image, being careful to line it up well. Then I stamped Joy to All (Hero Arts) on a scrap of off-white cs, sponged the edges with the Timber Brown, and then to darken further, I ran the pad around the edges. I pop-dotted this on the card as shown.

For the cardfront, I used the same technique as in the CD case shadow box post (see sidebar).

Thanks for looking!

Embossed Tree

Good morning! Here's a fun little tree that reminds me of a Dr.Seuss kind of Christmas :o)

These stamps are from Wood-n-Paper, Ink, and there's a 20% off total order sale going on right now! When checking out just enter this code to receive the discount: IB1207 Don't worry - she knows you're coming and is all set up for you to shop LOL Just click on the link on my side bar and it'll take you right there!

Card measures 8 1/2" x 4" and fits in a business envelope for regular mailing fees.

I started by stamping Christmas Tree #L187 on white cs, using clear embossing ink.

*tip*

I went thru a lot of embossing inks before I found one I fell in love with. Believe me, it can make all the difference in how much you enjoy embossing something! I use the pink pad by Rubber Stampede for Delta. It just says Embossing Ink Pad on the clear cover, and I believe I picked it up at a Micheal's.

I sprinkled a white embossing powder over my image, shook off all extra, and heated it with my heat gun. I picked up a large stippling/stencil brush with a rounded edge and pounced Stampin' Up!'s Old Olive over it as shown, leaving white at the edges. I would have followed the tree silhouette closer if I had had a smaller brush around.

Next I drew an even border in pencil on the reverse, about 1/4" in, and used a Fiskars embossing plate to place dots around the edges.

*tip*

If you run a scrap of wax paper over your cs before embossing, your stylus will work more smoothly, and resist tearing the paper.

I applied some self-adhesive gems to the tree (these are actually a pinkish cranberry irl) and then punched the corners as shown with a 1/2" circle punch. I adhered this panel to a cranberry one that I had also punched corners on, and then layered this to a green piece.

I stamped the sentiment in Stampin' Up!'s Cranberry Crisp and Old Olive on white cs, trimmed the corners, and layered in the same way.

For the pinkish bkgd I used a Distress wash (see CD case entry for this month for technique) in Aged Mahogany.

I adhered all layers, tying the ribbons on as shown.

Thanks for looking!

Evergreen Noel

Sorry about the crooked scan - I made this card last year and I don't have the card anymore or I'd rescan it straighter and larger so you could see more detail.

This is a very simple Christmas card, but the gold edging and embossing, which shows up much better in real life, makes it elegant.

Card measures 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

I started by cutting a neutral piece of cs 4" x 5 1/4". I randomly stamped the pine cone (All Night Media) in brown ink, and then the pine needles (All Night Media) in Adirondack Pesto and Lettuce dye inks as shown.

I used the brown ink and a stipple brush to color in the pinecones. I wanted a soft look so I wasn't too worried about staying in the lines. I used some of the green around the edges near the needles.

I used embossing ink to stamp Noel (DeNami) in the center and embossed it with antique gold. I used a Krylon gold pen on the border, and adhered the panel to a matching green cardfront.

*tip*

When drawing a line, especially with any kind of marker, I use a metal cork-backed ruler. The cork keeps it from slipping, and also raises it enough that the marker doesn't bleed under the ruler's surface and onto your paper.

Thanks for looking!

Snow Penguin

Are any of you wanting a cool Stampin' Up! spiral notebook punch as badly as I am?! LOL As cool as the square holes are, it finally occurred to me that I could make a mighty neat approximation using a common circle hand punch combined with the rectangle hand punch! Who said necessity is the mother of invention?...I know, I know - I'm just testing you ;o)

This card is for all of you who really love blue for Christmas, or even just a winter card to say hey to someone you like. It's not quite this bright in real life.

Card measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

I started with a piece of glossy cardstock. I always use Kromekote, which I bought a ream of at the last stamp show I was lucky enough to attend.

*tip*
Anytime I buy anything in bulk, paper especially, I keep the original label and attach it to the front of the folder, container, etc. You always think you'll remember the brand, but then...you know!

The first step was to use a Versamark pad to ink up two snowflake stamps (large single - Sarasota Stamps, small cluster - Stampin' Up!) and stamp them randomly over the glossy cs.

Then I used a rubber brayer, and a Kaleidocolor pad in Blue Breeze. I loaded the brayer up thoroughly by leaving the pads in the open position and running the brayer over them at a slight angle. Then, with my 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" piece of glossy cs on scrap paper, I ran the inked brayer over the cs diagonally as shown on one side, then flipped the cs around and did the other side, keeping the lighter shade in the center.

For the main image panel I stamped the penguin (Art Impressions) with VersaFine black ink, and then used a blender pen and the Kaleidocolor pad inks to color his turquoise highlight. I colored his cap and beak in with Stampin' Up! markers and the blender.
To stamp the ice, I stamped the penguin on a Post-it, cut it out and layered it over the image on the panel. Then I used the Amuse Skinny Oval and one of the colors in the K pad to stamp the ice, and then highlighted it with irred. glitter glue. After I stamped the snowflakes in the same ink around the penguin I peeled the mask off.

For the snow circle I inked up the Penny Black circle tag stamp with Stampin' Up! markers direct to the rubber, punched it out, and edged it with one of the markers.

I punched the top of the main image panel as stated above, adhered it to a black panel, then to the background panel, then white, then a black cardfront. I adhered the circle as shown and then used a silver snowflake brad.

Simple but cute, I think :o)
Thanks for looking!

Stand Up Santa & Friend

Here's another stand up card by way of the Deerfoams box inspiration (see Saturday's post):

Card standing measures 7" across x 6" high to top of image panel x 2" deep.

You'll be so proud of yourself after you make this card you'll want to just put it on your own mantle instead of sending it off to a lucky recipient for Christmas ;o) But if you do send it out, it will fold flat.

I really really REALLY suggest (strongly! >;o) that you make yourself a practice template like the one below (click photo for larger view) first and hang on to it for a refresher when you want to make a new one. It's SO much easier if you don't have to remeasure everything.

*tip*
I keep a 3-ring binder for all the mechanical/3D cards I have made or would like to make. For each seperate type, I slip the pages of directions in a sheet protecter and the template and/or a sample card featuring it behind these so I can just flip thru it for instant inspiration.

You can start with a piece of patterned paper and adhere it to cs for strength or make your own base piece like I did here. I started with an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of off-white cs, planning to trim it down as needed.

I wiped a Distress ink pad in Peeled Paint on a nonstick pad, then spritzed it with water. I laid the cs down on this and lifted off to dry. It needed more interest so I use a Distress ink pad in Frayed Burlap and ran it randomly over the paper, starting at the tall end and coming downwards with it. Still not right so I took the Frayed Burlap pad, swiped it on the nonstick pad lightly, and then poured a puddle (about quarter size) of Irredescent Watercolor Medium, mixed with some water, onto the pad and used a rubber brayer to mix it all together and roll over the background paper. This added a faint sparkle that shows up close and browned the green more evenly.

*tip*
The reverse of the bkgd cs will show a bit so I like to give the back side a wash of the color I'm using.

I stamped 2 different PSX Poinsetta stamps over the bkgd using Frayed Burlap and then the Background Text-Thin stamp (A Stamp in the Hand) in Brilliance Galaxy Gold.
After the bkgd was completely dry and flat, I trimmed it to 7" x 11". I flipped it decorated side down and drew pencil lines the short way at 1" (A), 4" (B), 6" (C) and 9" (D), and then scored these, still on the reverse. Then I drew the same type of lines at 5" (E), 7" (F) and 8" (G) without scoring or cutting. I turned the piece sideways with line A at the far end and focusing on the area between line B and D I drew pencil lines at 1 1/2" (H), 3" (I), 4" (J) and 5 1/2" (K). I know this seems tedious and confusing at the same time but you're almost there!! ;o)

I measured 1" up from line D and scored this line (G) between lines H and K. Then starting at this scored line I cut the two pencil lines (H and K) up to Line B with an Exacto knife. Then I scored lines E and F between I and J, and then cut lines I and J (with the Exacto) between lines E and F.

And the cutting and measuring is done - yayyyyy! Breath a sigh of relief now ;o)

The rest is pretty simple - I just stamped my main image (Inkadinkado) on off-white cs using black ink, the second stamping. I colored it in using Distress inks and Q-tips, and trimmed the edges with deckle scissors. I layered this to a green panel, then dark brown and then red. It's important to make sure the red panel will fit between lines H and K with a little room to spare. At this point I sponged some Frayed Burlap onto all the cut edges of the base card for definition.

To put it all together, glue the 1" panel near line A underneath the wide panel at the opposite end. Now holding the base, push on the panels between the edge and line H and the edge and line K. Now center the red panel on the 2" x 1" pop out panel adhering it from line F to the scoreline at line C only.

I punched some flowers from the green and red scraps and layered them with a gold brad, and then adhered them to the card as shown with Glue-Dots. I wrapped the bottom of the panel with a red ribbon and tied a brown and black gingham ribbon around it.

*tip*
Always adhere a part of your ribbon to the cardfront, even if it seems stretched tight enought to stay in place. I like to do this right near the most awkward spot - here where the tied ribbons bunch up the red ribbon. I like the skinny ATG tape gun for this.

For the tag accent, I stamped the Merry Christmas collage word stamp (Hero Arts) on the off-white cs using the Distress Peeled Paint, then the large Merry Christmas again in black lining it up with a stamp positioner. I used the Multitags Scallop punch by McGill on this and on the brown cs, then layered them as shown.

Because my image panel ended up so much heavier than the base it had a tendency to be too top heavy and fall backwards. I fixed this by attaching a matching easel on the back of the image panel (see photo) that will fold back on itself when folding the card up.

Thanks for looking!

Congratulations!

Well congratulations Mom!! Your name was drawn in the weekly card drawing! And lucky for Linda too, because my policy is if family wins, someone else gets to win too ;o) So let me know when you get a minute what your first and second choices are and hopefully you'll both like different cards LOL