A Glitzy Joy to the World!

"Christmas in July" is a common cardmaking theme during the month of July.  If we haven't already started our Christmas stash by July, many of us feel July is a "must do" month to start making Christmas cards in order to have enough finished without frenzy setting in later in the fall because time has run away from us and we'll never get it all done!  Since I saw numerous challenges involving Christmas cards throughout July, I became curious what inspired the theme "Christmas in July."  Lo and behold, there really are people who celebrate Christmas in July and there really is a tradition!

It turns out the very first Christmas in July was celebrated 88 years ago at an all-girls' summer camp at Keystone Camp in Brevard, North Carolina.  This first July Christmas happened in the summer of 1933 and was celebrated with carolers, a Christmas tree, fake cotton snow, a gift exchange, and even a surprise visit from Santa Claus!  As "Christmas in July" took place each year thereafter, a movie was  actually made in 1940 with that title.  Throughout the years, the tradition is becoming more and more popular each year in various places throughout the world, and a strong tradition is firmly in place. 

Australia has a British and European heritage, so there is a strong attachment to celebrating Christmas in cold weather.  "Christmas in July" is known as Yulefest or Yuletide in Australia, and it is celebrated on July 25th.  It is also celebrated in the UK, New Zealand, South Africa, and even parts of the U.S.   I even noticed some sales in my area this year in July entitled "Christmas in July!"  Heaven help us...another reason for a sale...another reason to shop!

I wanted to make a "Christmas in July" card, and I had an idea for it.  I decided to use a design from an October 2020 card by Luci Kirschbaum, which was included in a Covid Christmas Card kit that she and her Stampin' Up partner, Dar Peterson, made available to purchase by their Stampin' Up friends.  As many of you know, my "edit mode" switches on whenever I'm completing a card from someone else's design, and this card was no exception as lots of ideas percolated in my brain as I made her original kit card.

I wanted to kick in my "Challenge Catch-up" cardmaking as well, so I research old and new challenges at Splitcoaststampers that I had not participate in and came up with a number of changes I could make to fit the challenges, plus add my own percolated thoughts for changes/ additions to Luci's design.  Thus, I've adapted and jazzed up Luci's original design and posted my changes below. 

For more color, I added two card layers below Luci's red cardbase in Garden Green and Copper foil.  I made my red panel edges smaller than those on the original card.  I added a white designer punched border to the left of the patterned paper panel and a horizontal ribbon band.  I dropped my cascading snowflakes down about 1/2-inch, starting below the ribbon band.  I also added a copper and white layered fishtail panel with a snowflake embellishment for my sentiment.  I was really please with the details added, which made the card more interesting, colorful, and eye-appealing in my humble opinion.  Take a peek below:

Ingredients:  Stampin Up products: Cardstock--Garden Green, Real Red, Whisper White, Copper Foil.  Patterned paper--Brightly Gleaming Specialty dsp. Stamps--Itty Bitty Christmas. Dies--Christmas Layers. Ink--Mossy Meadow. Punch--Pinking Hearts Border (ret.). Ribbon--3/8" Red Double-Stitched Satin.  Other: Recollection Bitty Snowflake punch.

A Little Happy Birthday to Sister-in-Law #3

 This is my Sister-in-Law #3 birthday card needed in early July. This was a series of alternative card designs I made from the SU 2019 Made to Bloom card kit.  For this card, I used patterned paper, floral pieces, ink, and the sentiment stamp from the kit.  

I added a Poppy Parade cardbase and a gold foil layer.  I also die-cut a gold foil frame from two different die sets and combined them for a new look.  One is a stitched inverted scallop framing die and the other a stitched oval that I encased around the stitched-scalloped frame, making it double stitched.  I love stretching my materials to make something new!  I also fussy cut the two oval floral wreaths removing the two smaller bouquets to place around my gold framing.  I added some Acrylic Glitter Glaze to the floral centers for some added sparkle, plus some scattered gold gem dots.  I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Next, I worked on the inside, making up a computer verse and printing it in a purple shade to match the Blackberry Bliss ink on the front sentiment.  I added a matching patterned paper used on the front, the verse, and some gold foil punched corners with little floral rhinestones.  Take a peek below at the finished inside and out:

Ingredients: Stampin' Up products: Cardstocks--Whisper White, Poppy Parade. Made in Bloom kit (2019)--pattern paper, floral pieces sentiment stamp.  Ink--Blackberry Bliss. Gilded Gems--gold.  Other: Recollections Gold Foil. MFT dies--Stitched Oval Scalloped Frame, Stitched Ovals. Sargent Art Acrylic Glitter Glaze.  Inside: EK--Victorian Corner punch. Busy Kids Camp--Floral Rhinestones. Chatterbox computer verse.  Size: 4-3/4 x 6-inches.

Magical Birthday Wishes!

My oldest daughter's birthday is at the end of June, but we delayed her family birthday celebration until mid-July as my husband (her father) had knee replacement on her birthday, and a week later, he ended up returning to the hospital for another week with gastric complications.  By mid-July, we were ready to host a barbecue to celebrate Michele and her Dad's continued recovery.  Needless to say, I needed to finish her birthday card!

I have written several times about our little unicorn, Michele's 20-month old, little daughter, so dubbed during her stay in the NICU after her birth.  Because her veins were so small, her care team inserted her intravenous application into a vein in her head, which stuck up almost straight up, giving her the look of a unicorn with its cute little horn.  My inspiration for Michele's card came from this scenario.  I have acquired a multitude of stamps and dies with a unicorn theme because of this story that became part of our lives, and I thought it time the mother of our unicorn received her very own  unicorn card!  Take a look at Michele's finished card both inside and out!

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  apers--Bermuda Bay cs, White Glimmer, Vellum. Stamps (2019-21)--Leave a Little Sparkle, New Wonders. Dies--Stitched Shapes--sm. circle. Embossing Powder--White. Ink--Smokey Slate. Ribbon--1/4" Snowflake Splendor (2020 Holiday). Wink of Stella-Clear. Glitter--Iridescent (ret.)  Other: Paper--Recollections 12x12--Mom's Diner/ Salt. Copic Markers. EK punch--Victorian Corners. Chatterbox Computer Verse. Size: 4-3/4 x 6-inches.