Merry Christmas Tag Card Travels to the East Coast!

I went to a Christmas tag-making event last year hosted by the Stampin' Up duo, Dar Peterson and Luci Kirschbaum, where we made ten different Christmas tags.  As I do not need Christmas tags for many package, I have developed a method to turn the tags into cards, and this was my plan for these tags.

Sometimes, because of size or dimension, the tags will need some sort of modification in order to make them into cards.  The merry Christmas tag designed by Luci was modified just a pinch before I designed a card for it.  First, I shortened its length to 4-1/2" long.  Next, the top corners of the tag were punched with the Curvy Corners punch, and I decided to add the same feature to the bottom two corners.  The remainder of the tag remains the same as the original design, and it is ready for my card.

I incorporated red foil, also used for the tag star, as straight border edges along my printed paper middle panel.  This middle panel is paper from the This Christmas Specialty dsp from the 2016 Holiday catalog.  I used an additional center strip of red foil bordered by scalloped edges, using one of the patterns in the three trees, which came from the Cherry on Top paper stack.

My tag card is finished and ready to send to my cousin who lives all the way across the United States on the East Coast.  I am sure she and her family will be pleased with their homemade card sent from Washington State.  Take a peek below at the finished front and inside designs.

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstock--Whisper White, Cucumber Crush, Real Red, Red Foil.  Patterned--Cherry on Top stack; 2016-2018 Brights Backgrounds stack/ Real Red diagonal stripe; This Christmas Specialty dsp.  Dies--Perfect Pines framelits; Christmas Greetings thinlits.  Punches--Itty Bitty Accents-Star; Curvy Corner Trio (retired); Scalloped Edge Border (retired); Top Note BigZ (retired).  Gold Metallic Cording.  (Thank you Luci Kirschbaum for the tag inspiration).

A Delicate Ornament for My Cousin!

I am barely getting started with my 2016 Christmas card needs.  I am starting with the cards that I have to mail long distance and out of state.  This one is for my cousin who lives midway across the United States in Colorado.

I was late placing my order for this year's Stampin' Up Christmas products; therefore, none have yet arrived.  So, I am using products from last year's stash, starting with the Delicate Ornaments die set and the Oh, What Fun! stamp set.  After choosing the Merry Moments plaid paper, it was easy to choose the rest of the papers I wanted to use: Old Olive and Real Red cardstock, Red Foil and Gold Glimmer papers, and a mini red print from Merry Moments as well.

I placed my red foil ornament onto a Lots of Labels die-cut of the Merry Moments plaid matted with a Gold Glimmer layer.  To achieve the gold layer, I die-cut the glimmer paper with the next larger framelit than that used for the plaid.  Then, I re-cut the gold piece smaller, using the same die, to fit more closely around the plaid die-cut, leaving only a 1/16" bordered edge all the way around (see card picture below).

I used the same mat idea under my sentiment by first stamping the sentiment with Always Artichoke ink onto Old Olive cardstock, and then cutting it with the label die from the Project Life Cards & Labels framelit set.  Next, I measured and cut a matching piece of Gold Glimmer using my paper cutter so that it was slightly larger than my sentiment die-cut (see card picture below).  I finished off the card using the red mini print as a center panel dressed up with Gold Glimmer scalloped edges.

I am pretty happy with my results, and now I'm ready to send it off on its long trip across the U.S.A.  Take a peek below at the finished card inside and out.

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks--Old Olive, Real Red, Gold Glimmer.  Pattern Paper--Merry Moments dsp.  Stamps--Oh, What Fun!  Ink--Always Artichoke.  Dies--Delicate Ornaments; Lots of Labels framelits; Project Life Cards & Labels framelits; Top Note BigZ die (retired).  1/8" Red Stripe Ribbon.  Scallop Edge punch (retired).  Other products:  EK punch--Victorian Photo Corner.  Size: 4-3/4" x 6."

Detailed Santa Die-Cut for Mom!

I went to Stampin' Up demonstrator, Liz Thayer's, annual Totally Loving Christmas cardmaking event earlier this fall where we had the opportunity to make ten Christmas cards designed her this lovely lady.   One of her designed cards used Stampin' Up's new Detailed Santa thinlit, which was featured in their 2016 Holiday mini catalog.  This die is quite intricate, and with these types of dies unless you have a helping-hand with a specialized die-cutting metal plate or even wax paper, loosening your die-cut paper from the die is almost impossible without tearing it.  Thus was the case with my die-cut...I tore the paper while trying to remove it.  Without this paper die-cut, the card could not be completed.  As I had already purchased this die myself, I decided to take all the paper pieces and embellishments home and finished the card later.

Because I like larger cards than the standard A2 size (4-1/4" x 5-1/2"), and I also like using more than one or two color layers, I sometimes feel the urge to do a bit of my own re-designing before completing the card.  I used Liz's design as a jumping off point and englared my card to 4-3/4" x 6" and added a Dazzling Diamond Glimmer layer (a silver glitter paper, but more to the white side than the gray).  I added black Santa glasses, black eyes with a twinkle in his eye made with a white ink pen and a little red mouth.  I fishtail flagged my ribbon instead of burying its ends behind layers and added red rhinestones to the flags.  I decided to mat my sentiment with the same silvery glimmer paper and pop it up on the fishtail flag ribbon instead of stamping it onto the white background below the ribbon.

I am earmarking this card for my mother for Christmas because I think she will love the look of this die-cut card, which is so easy to do.  Take a peek below at my redesigned card front and my finished interior designed to fit the look of its front.

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks--Whisper White, Pool Party, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer.  Stamps--Glamper Greetings (2016 Holiday).  Ink--Pool Party.  Dies--Detailed Santa Thinlits; Top Note BigZ die (retired/ inside).  5/8" Mint Macaron Striped Ribbon.  White Mica Flakes (2016 Holiday).  Other products: Offray Red Rhinestones.  White Uni-ball pen.  Punch--Recollections 5/8"  Snowflake (inside).  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".  (Thank you Liz Thayer for design inspiration).

Christmas Shoebox Fun - Braided-Edge Technique!!

I have recently met a couple of ladies who live in my area, who are active Splitcoaststamper fans. . .one is actually a hostess for the "Ways to Use It" weekly challenge.  After getting together for a meet and greet coffee and cardmaking fun, we decided to try and meet at least once a month.  For our November get-together, we decided to do a "Teach-a-Technique Christmas Shoebox Exchange," but unfortunately, life got in the way, and we had to cancel November and re-schedule for early December. 

We will each make a sample Christmas card that features a technique the others have not tried.  We will take a plastic "shoebox" full enough materials and the tools needed for the others to make our particular sample technique card.  It's so nice to meet and get to know others who enjoy the same hobby that I do.   It should be a fun day!

The technique I decided to teach with my Christmas card is the Braided Edge, aka Basket Weave, aka Lattice Edge.  Thankfully, neither of the other two ladies have used this technique before...it will be something new and exciting!  My card will also feature the peek-a-book technique, though they have probably used this idea previously.  I chose Whisper White, Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, and Night of Navy for my card's color combination.  I'm looking for a soft, peaceful look when my card is done.  Take a peek at my finished braided-edge technique card and the inside verse designs below.  I think I achieved my goal of a soft and peaceful-looking card.  I've made two identical cards and they will be perfect for my two cardmaking buddies when we have our annual Christmas luncheon!

Ingredients: Stampin' Up Products:  Cardstocks--Whisper White, Soft Sky.  Darice Core'denations Opulent Opal.  Stamps--Lovely As a Tree, More Merry Messages (sentiment), Joyful Christmas (inside verse)  It's A Celebration (mini snowflakes).  Ink--Pool Party (sponging), Wild Wasabi & Garden Green (trees), Night of Navy (sentiment/ verse), White Craft (snowflakes).  Dies--Festive Flurry (largest).  White Mica Flakes.  Other products:  Dies--Lifestyles Scalloped Ovals.  Embossing Folder--Darice Snowflakes.  Punches:  Martha Stewart--Corner Rounder.  Recollections--Mini Snowflake (colored with Copic marker).  Sequins--Pink Posh.  Ribbon--stash.  Technique: Braided-Edge, aka Basket Weave/ Lattice Edge. Size: 4-3/4" x 6-1/4".

Making the Card

To make my card, I measured and cut all my cardstock pieces to fit my 4-3/4" x 6-1/4" finished card size.  Cut the cardstock pieces as follows:  Whisper White Cardbase: 6-1/4" x 9-1/2" with the long side 4-3/4" scored for the fold; Soft Sky Layer = 3-7/8" x 6-1/4"; Opulent Opal Glitter Top Layer = 3-1/2" x 6"; Opulent Opal Glitter Sentiment Underlayer = 1-1.2" x 3-1/2"; Whisper White Tree Stamp Layer = 3-1/4" x 5"; Whisper White Sentiment Stamped Layer = 1-1/2" x 3-1/2."  

Next steps are to Prepare Paper Pieces and Assemble, as follows:  1) Complete the Braided Edge (aka Basket Weave) technique to the fold side of the card.  Here is a YouTube link with a tutorial:  https://youtu.be/3LEU7Hzgb2I that will show you how.

2) Adhere the Soft Sky layer to the cardbase with the top, right, and bottom sites fitting exactly to the cardbase edges and the left side butted against the braid cuts (see picture); set aside.  

3) Die-cut Opal Glitter paper with the largest Festive Flurry snowflake die.  The die is offset to the right over the edge of the card.  Make sure the largest snowflake cutout is exactly vertical from top to bottom about 3/8" below the top edge of the card and position to allow for the dark green stamped tree to be vertically centered in the snowflake's cutout area (see picture).  

4) After die-cutting, emboss the Opal Glitter paper with a snowflake embossing folder, using your Big Shot.  Since my embossing folder was about one-inch shorter than my Opal Glitter paper, after running it through once, I re-positioned the unembossed edge only back into the folder and ran it through the Big Shop only until that part hit under the rollers and then backed it back out so that the paper would not be marked with a line where the folder ended.  To achieve a good looking embossing pattern, I was very particular about how the pattern lay on my first past in order to be able to re-position my paper to fill in the blank area with snowflakes.  I have a Big Shop Plus, so I was able to turn my embossing folder sideways to find a pattern I like for the second pass.  

5) With Pool Party ink, sponge the surface of the 3-1/4" x 5" white cardstock before stamping on the trees in the area that will peek through the Festive Flurry die-cut  (see picture).  

6) Position and stamp trees onto sponged piece, as follows: Stamp-off once, the side trees first, using Wild Wasabi ink (see picture).  Position the trees so that they will fit in the die-cut snowflake opening and be slightly shorter than the darker green center tree.  Lay the die-cut Opal Glitter piece over to get an idea where each tree should be positioned.  There are two trees on each side of the dark green middle tree.  

7) Position and stamp the middle tree, using Garden Green ink (do not stamp-off this tree.  

8)  Stamp mini snowflakes on the sky around and above the tree tops, using White Craft ink.  

9) Apply Mica Flakes, as follows:  Dot the snowflakes with quick-dry glue in the areas that will peek through the snowflake open window.  (Stampin' Up Two-Way Glue Pen works well.)  Also glue dot any other areas of the trees that you want it to look like snow has fallen.  Liberally sprinkle white mica flakes over all glue dotted area.  Tap off card; repeat steps and re-apply more flakes where needed (see picture) until you get the look you'd like.  

10) Adhere die-cut Opal Glitter layer over trees, positioning to allow the Soft Sky layer to show all around evenly.  

11) Sentiment:  Sponge surface of small piece of Whisper White cardstock with Pool Party ink; stamp sentiment over sponging when dry, using Night of Navy ink; die-cut with scalloped oval die. 

12) Sentiment Under-layer: die-cut, with same scalloped oval die, from small piece of Opulent Opal Glitter paper; cut in half and trim edge in curve so that sharp cut edges will not show; adhere sentiment oval onto Opulent Opal scalloped oval halves so that the under-layer peeks out at each end and around top and sides (see picture); pop it up centered horizontally at base of middle tree trunk (see picture).  

13) Ribbon bow:  using a 3/8" wide ribbon, tie a small bow and using Glue Dots, adhere it to the upper left where braid and Soft Sky meet (see picture).

Happy Birthday to a Lover of Cars & Racing

My daughter's new father-in-law has a fast-moving hobby. . .racing cars, thus the reason, I am sure, that my new son-in-law loves to race as well!  I usually like to do a hobby birthday card at least once, but I was not able to come up with a 1993 Chevy Camaro black and white image to color.  I even had my patterned paper all picked out; so, I did the next best thing.  He is getting a gatefold vintage car card, colored in purples, as I understand his race car is purple.  This color will go nicely with the vintage license plate patterned paper and gears that I had all picked out to use.  Take a peek below at my finished design both inside and out.

Ingredients: SU cardstock: Basic Black, Recollections Cardstock Pack: Cool What (dark purple), Tim Holtz Idea-ology Stash: Lost and Found (pattern + distressed purple solids).  Dies:  Spellbinders-Sprightly Sprockets, QuicKutz Nesting Pinking Rectangles (modified).  Stamp: Stampendous: Birthday Wish.  Vintage Auto: online freebie.  SU Ink: Sahara Sand, Wisteria Wonder (sponging); Memento Ink: Grape Jelly (sentiment).  Copic Markers: coloring.  Wink of Stella: Clear.  Computer-made sentiment/ verse.  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".

Belated Birthday Wishes for a Girl Friend!

My oldest son's girl friend has a birthday in early November, which I just found out the actual date.  Hmm....could this possibly mean I'm late?  So, into my card stash I went hoping to find one completed that might be turned into a belated birthday card, and I found a little gem that I thought would work (see my story and assembly instructions at the bottom).  Take a peek below at my finished card.  I think Katrina will like her birthday card even though it will be much belated!

 Ingredients:   Stampin' Up products: Stamp--Bloomin' Marvelous (2013 SAB).  Cardstocks--Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Primrose Petals-inside (ret.).  Ink--Primrose Petals, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede-distressing.  Embossing Folder--Lacy Brocade (ret.).  Punches--Modern Label, Word Window (ret.).   Ribbon--3/8" Primrose Petals Stitched Satin (ret.).  Pearls.  Martha Stewart punch: 3-in-1 Butterflies.  Computer sentiment/ verse.  Size: 5-1/4" square.

My Card Story and Assembly Instructions

I started this card at a Stampin' Up card event hosted by Liz Thayer in early 2013.  When I looked at the kit picture, I knew it would be perfect!  This card was the last of two cards that were to made with the same design, and though this second card was not complete, it was doable in my short timeline.  (I thank Liz Thayer for the original card design used as a jumping off point for my card.)

As I favor cards that are larger than the standard A2 size (4-1/2" x 5-1/2"), I decided to enlarge my card parts before I assembled the card.  I also decided to change its orientation from a top-fold landscape card to a side-fold portrait card and to make my cardbase a 5-1/4" square with five layers.  I proceeded to make each card layer larger than the original design to fit my new and larger square cardbase.  Another decision was to add a Chocolate Chip brown mat layer between the vanilla cardbase and the vanilla embossed layer, sizing them as follows:  vanilla cardbase = 5-1/4" square; Chocolate Chip mat = 5" square, and vanilla embossed layer = 4-3/4" square.  I planned to "picture framed" the top two layers, and their sizes are as follows:  Chocolate Chip bottom mat = 4-1/4" square and top vanilla layer = 4" square.

After cutting my papers to size, I embossed the 4-3/4" vanilla layer with the Lacy Brocade folder and my Big Shot.  I heavily sponged and distressed its top embossed surface of with Soft Suede ink, followed by distressing and sponging the edges of all card layers, including the edges of the cardbase front.  The 4" top vanilla layer is also sponged on its surface around the edges, leaving the center unsponged (see picture).  Now, I was ready to adhere the bottom three layers in this order:  5" square Chocolate Chip mat adhered to vanilla cardbase; 4-3/4" embossed layer adhered to Chocolate Chip mat.  Set aside.

My top 4" vanilla layer will host three popped, fussy-cut flowers instead of two, as I think combinations of odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye than even numbers.  I also decided the flower placement would be more top-centered because of the change in the card orientation and its square dimension.  My next step was to stamp my leaves onto my top vanilla layer (see picture for placement), After stamping, I adhered my top two card front layers together: the 4" vanilla and the 4-1/4" Chocolate Chip.

Onto a scrap of vanilla cardstock, I stamped seven Bloomin' Marvelous flowers with Primrose Petals ink, fussy-cut each, and topped each with a pearl.  I will use three flowers on the card front and four inside as verse embellishments.  Before finishing the layout and assembly of the flowers onto the card face, I needed to decide on the placement of the ribbon knot.  With my finished design in mind, I decided the knot should be toward the left side, allowing space for my sentiment, which would be popped up toward the right side just below the flowers and above the ribbon.  I adhered the ribbon to the top two card front layers, which allows the ribbon's raw ends to be "buried" behind the brown mat so they are hidden underneath.  Now, it was time to pop this layer onto my three adhered bottom layers that I had set aside in paragraph three of my "story" above.  Now that all layers are completely adhered together, I can finish the card face, adding all the remaining elements to its top surface.  I arranged the fussy-cut flowers in a threesome and popped them up around the already stamped leaves.

For additional interest, I decided to add tiny layered butterflies.  On a piece of scrap vanilla, I stamped various designs, using various patterned flowers and butterfly stamps in my stash with Primrose Petals (ret.) and Always Artichoke ink.  I allowed the ink to dry, and then punched out six tiny butterflies from these stamped patterns.  I made three sets of two-layered butterflies, using alternate colors and patterns.  I adhered them together down their narrow centers only, leaving their wings free, and added two tiny seed pearls down this center for their bodies (see picture above).  These butterflies were popped up around the flowers, allowing room for my popped sentiment, which I would add after I printed it from my computer and Chocolate Chip matted layer punched with Stampin' Up's Modern Labels punch (retired).

My final step was to create an interior design that complimented the card front, and to create a sentiment and verse using my computer that were suitable for the occasion at hand.

Belated Birthday Sentiments for a Long-Time Friend

So, I'm under the eight-ball AGAIN!  What seems to be news about that, I say.  Yes, I am late for birthday wishes for a long-time friend of more than 50 years. . .shame on me!  I decided to send her a card that I made last spring while visiting in California at a card event hosted by Stampin' Up demonstrator, Darla Watson.   This card will be perfect, because it is for sending belated birthday wishes! 

I really liked Darla's card design, but as I always seem to like lots of color layers, I decided to add a new black cardbase under the original Cajun Craze one.  To do this, I cut off the back of the base, making it ready to become a mat layer between the patterned card front and the new black cardbase.  I liked this additional color mat for all the usual reasons. . .it complimented the black sentiment tag and the black flower stamens in the patterned paper.  Now, all I needed to add was a suitable inside design and verse befitting the outside design and the card occasion, and voilá, my card is done.  Take a peek below to see the finished product, which will be on its way in tomorrow's mail! 

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks--Basic Black, Cajun Craze, Mint Macaron. Corrugated Kraft (retired).  White Emobssing powder.  Botanical Gardens Jewels (2016 Occasions).  White Baker's Twine.  Daffodil Yellow button (retired).  Rhinestones.  Papertrey stamps: Inside & Out: Birthdays.  EK punch: Victorian Corner.  Memento: Black Tuxedo ink.  Size: 4-1/2" x 5-3/4".  (Thank you Darla Watson for the original design idea).

Celebrate a Friend With Her Bowling Ball!!

Happy Days!  This card was chosen as a

SPLITCOASTSTAMPERS FAVORITE OF

 WEEK ENDING - NOVEMBER 20, 2016

I have a friend whose birthday I will soon be celebrating by taking her to lunch and sharing a little gifting benevolence.  One of her favorite hobbies is bowling, so I thought I would make her a bowling birthday celebration card, using a little vintage framed image that I came upon a few months ago.  I saved it to my computer's vintage image stash of pictures for future use.

About a month ago, I pulled out the bowling lady image to get a head-start on my card and worked on it a bit to enhance the colors and remove some vintage writing that I did not care to include on my card.  I then re-sized it to fit my die-cut frame I planned to use.  Not having time to begin my card, I put it away for my return from my travels south to Oregon with my daughter.

Today was the day to get started on this bowling card for my friend.  While I was away for over two weeks, I couldn't do any crafting, but that didn't stop my mind from visualizing my vintage bowling picture and how it might look best in a card layout.  With those ideas in mind, I found some papers that would go well with the Fall season and the image colors, and then I worked on finalizing my design layout and got to work.

My bowling card is now done, and in retrospect, I wish I had introduced a bit more red into my card, because of my bowling lady's little red skirt and bow, but all in all, I think I'm pretty satisfied.  I hope my friend likes her card when she finally gets her birthday luncheon!

Take a peak below at my finished inside card design and little verse I concocted for my friend's late birthday card!

Ingredients:  Darice Kraft cardstock.  BasicGrey patterned paper--Pyrus: Cordata (both sides), Pyrus: Regul.  Authenique word paper--Strong: Clever.  DCWV Glitzy Glitter Stack: Antique Gold.  Stamps--My Favorite Things:  Essential Sentiments.  Dies--Spellbinders: Deckled Rectangles LG, Rectangles LG (frame);  My Favorite Things: Chevron Stripes.  Punches--WRMK Deco Corner Chomper; EK Arrow Border.  Recollection Pearls: Dark Red.  Fishtail Flags: hand-cut.  Colorbox: Chestnut Roan (edge distressing).  Size:  5" x 6".  (SplitcoastStampers Thread: November 20, 2016 #43).