Throwback Christmas 2011: Snowflake Card Kit Modified!

This was the first year that I tried to make homemade Christmas cards for half of  those to whom I usually send cards.  I successfully made about 21 card, but I only posted about four of them to my blog.  I will attempt to post a few more now. . .some four years later!  It's interesting to look back on card I made four years ago and see changes that I have made in my cardmaking skills and designs.  So, here goes!

I will call these cards my 2011 snowflake cards.  There are six cards made from a card kit that I purchased from a cardmaking instructor, Angela Kelley, who used to teach at my sister's scrapbook store in Redding, California.  (Just a note:  my sister closed her store in May 2010. . .the economy was not kind to "Mom & Pop" stores from 2008 forward).  

I took Angie's card kit, and first, I decided I wanted to enlarge them a bit and add more pattern to each by adding more layers.  I added two more patterned layers to each card by adhering the bottom pattern to a larger white card base than the one provided for the cards.  (In the early days of my cardmaking, I usually always used a white card base but applied a pattern to cover it fully on the front for the mat layer that was actually visible.)  With the present cards, I used at least a 1/4-inch mat edge for each pattern, basically framing the original card front's design onto these two new layers.  This process not only enlarged the cards, but also added more coordinating patterns and interest to each card as well.

On this card,  I rotated it 90 degrees and made it a horizontal card instead of a vertical card.  I mounted the sentiment oval on the lower left and added rhinestones to the upper left panel for balance.

To enlarge this card, I used the polka dot layer provided only under the top two-thirds of the card front instead of the entire card and then added a muted stripe at the bottom under the ribbon.  I also added two mat layers under the sentiment and two new 1/4-inch  mat layers under the new card front.

Again, to this one I only added two 1/4-inch mat layers under the card front instead of just using the white cardbase provided.

On this card, I actually cut the first layer down a bit, so that I could add a third layer of plaid and be able to have my plaid cut where I wanted it to be.  (Sort of like using the same thought process cutting plaid fabric for a skirt front and a skirt back so the plaid side seams will match perfectly horizontally when sewn together.)   I then added the two 1/4-inch edged mat layers under my plaid as on the other cards mentioned above. 

This card only had minimal changes. . .I added the two 1/4-inch mat layers under the card front instead of just using a white cardbase.

On this final card, I trimmed down the card just a bit so that I could add my two 1/4-inch mat layers under the card front.  I actually like the shortened rectangle that almost looks like a square now.  To me, before it was just a little bit too wide for its height before.