God's Peace at Christmas!

This is another of my January New Year's resolution Christmas cards.  It was also another 2019 card kit from my Stampin' Up mentors, Dar Peterson and Luci Kirschbaum.  Its original design was presented by  Dar, and again I did some modifications that came to mind when I looked at the pieces. 

Those who read my blog regularly know that my favorite card size card is more like an A7 (4-3/4 x 6-1/4 inches) than the standard A2 card (4-1/4 x 5-1/2 inches).  I really like a 4-3/4 x 6-inch card the very best, which does not fit an "A" anything, and that is was I chose for this card.   So, of course, my first step was to cut a larger cardbase.  I decided on a white base, rather than starting with the Melon Mambo as in the original design.  Also, I exchanged Dar's silver layer for green, Call Me Clover.  I really wanted to bring out the green in the ribbon, and I achieved adding more color as well.  Next, I cut my vellum layer with a cross-stitch edged die to add a bit more texture and interest.  I'm not sure, but I think the original was colored on top of the vellum, but I chose to color with Copics on the backside of the vellum instead.   I retained the rhinestones in the four corners, but I Copic-colored them to a nice warm gold to coordinate with the gold embossing.  Take a peek below at my finished rendition...it will go into my Christmas stash for 2021 cards.

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks--Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Call Me Clover, Vellum.  Stamps--God's Peace (candles/ sentiment--2019 Holiday).  Embossing Powder--Gold.  Rhinestones.  Other:  MemoryBox die--Cross-Stitched Frame Border Die.  Copic Markers.  Chatterbox verse (inside).  Size--4-3/4 x 6 inches.

A Christmas Peek A Boo Window!

I purchased the Memory Box Woodland Oval die late last summer, and I really wanted to use it for several of my Christmas cards this year.  As I am in the midst of preparing for a wedding, I did not have time to make as many cards of totally my own design as I originally thought I would.  Instead, I gave all of the many cards I made from class events that I attended from summer through fall to friends and family who needed their cards "snail mailed."  The end results of my class cards represented either total rec-creation the event holder's original designs, or I tweaked their designs just a bit, or on several, I completely modified the original design using the card parts provided.  

My stash of accumulated of class cards helped a lot to fulfill my Christmas card needs, but though about half were completely finished, the other half were only partially finished.  I had to make quick work of moving all of my stash to the completely finished group.  I made a fast tally of those that needed to go by "snail mail," and I realized that I still did not have quite enough for the "snail mail" group; therefore, I really had to get busy and make some of my own design creation.  I was pleased I found time to use the Woodland Oval die that I so love for at least one Christmas card this year. 

To start, I prepared my cardbase with its creased fold.  Next, I embossed the front half of my card base with Stampin' Up's Softly Falling Embossing Folder.  As I made my card 6-1/2" tall in order to encompass the oval, the frame I wanted, and the sentiment to go under my framed oval window, I had to carefully re-position my embossing folder and emboss the lower half in a second pass through the Big Shot.  My third step was to cut my oval out with the Memory Box Woodland Oval die.  In using this die,  I did find that I wished the oval was not quite so long vertically and was more of a rounded oval so the card front would not have to be as tall.  After using it this one time, I do have some thoughts of how I might change that a bit, but that will be an idea to remember for next year!

I wanted to frame my oval, and to get the right size I ended up using my Spellbinders Grand Ovals, which was a surprise to me!  I used Oval #1 (the smallest) and Oval #2 (the next larger), which made a frame just the right width and to my liking.  I wanted some little red Cardinal birds on my branches, and I had purchased Poppystamps Cherry Cardinals for this purpose.  Next, I decided I did not want to leave my window open to the inside view of my card, so I die-cut another of the larger ovals from a white glitter paper by Core'dinations.  I adhered it on the inside directly behind the window cutout.   I backed my sentiment with the same red textured foil paper and framed the edges of the cardfront in this same red.  I decided I was pretty pleased with the outcome for a card I did not have a whole lot of time to dwell on!  Take a look below at the card front and its inside coordinating design and verse.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up products: Shimmery White cardstock.  Stamp: To You and Yours Too.  Ink: Real Red.  Dies: Memory Box Woodland Oval; Spellbinders Grand Ovals; Poppystamps: Cheery Cardinals.  Other papers:  Core'dinations: White Gloves Glitter paper; Recollections Signature Especial: Foil Texture Paper-Brilliant. Computer verse.