Tag Archives: White Christmas

Carding 101

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I couldn’t resist the title and a personal challenge to make a very simple card for my 101st post! I initially intended to design a card that I wouldn’t share until very close to Christmas so that it could be a surprise to those of my friends who read my blog. But, as we once saw on a notice in a hotel (and still laugh about) “sometimes things don’t always go as planned”. I ended up with 2 cards – one that seemed perfect for carding 101 and the other will be shown close to Christmas after I mail them out!

I decided on a winter night look using the Stampin’ Up! White Christmas set and of course started by embossing. Maybe that should be my next challenge, a Christmas card without embossing! I embossed the trees in white on night of navy and then added the snowman and put the star in his line of sight. At this point the card looked okay but not great so I put it to one side and started on another idea. Coming back later on, I played around with the idea of cutting the card down and matting it once or twice but that wouldn’t be my nice one layer card at which I was aiming. Both my mother and brother suggested doing something to the star to make it pop and that was key. I tested colouring in a star in gold and silver but it was a large rhinestone which added the wow factor and made the card work.

Stampin' Up! White Christmas

I think it’s proof that you don’t need to add layers or lots of colours to have an effective card. Although I have grown to love both layers and colours. I’m currently working on a challenge at FabFriday to produce a card with five which is a nice stretch.

Merry Monday White Christmas challenge

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I returned home from vacation on Barcelona yesterday and went looking for a new challenge to do. I found the following at the Merry Monday challenge site:

I wasn’t sure that I could do this one due to not having any birds until I recalled that there are a couple in the Stampin’ Up! White Christmas set. The last time that I used the trees in this set, I used some pale blue to make the sky a bit less stark, although still looking rather chilly. This time I decided to use soft sky and pink pirouette to give the effect of a rather cool sunset. After sponging these colours onto the upper background, I stamped my trees in memento black. I was intending to add a snowman – although for a moment, the jetlag encouraged me to add just the christmas tree on the ground as if it had fallen off the car – but then pulled out my unused polar bear. I can hear the sighs of relief! I decided to perch one of the birds on the polar bear’s nose, as if he’s showing off for his mate. I coloured him using the medium cherry cobbler blendability and his mate in soft suede.

Stampin' Up! White Christmas

I matted the piece of whisper white with cherry cobbler before adhering it to the whisper white card base. I used the new (to me) vine street TIEF which I found on the clearance rack to decorate the envelope.

Stampin' Up! Vine Street TIEF

Hersheys Nuggets boxes

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Along with the hersheys kisses trees and the superhero curvy keepsake boxes, I made some boxes to hold eight nuggets to take to the craft fair. I found the directions on Susan Itell’s site. It’s surprising how quickly they come together – I easily made 10 boxes and 12 trees on Saturday afternoon.

choc boxes red

I also made some in green

choc boxes green

and here’s the inside

choc box inside

I don’t have the top note die that Susan used so I used the second largest label framelit and that fit the box perfectly. Pictured above is my first box where I did cut out the one inch square as per Susan’s directions but later on I left that square intact. It made the box stronger although it did mean that it wasn’t as good at sitting open for display purposes.

Staples only had the Avery labels #8460 in large quantities but I noticed that the labels were 1″ by 2 5/8″ and that there were a bunch of others the same size. So I ended up with label #5460 instead (I think it’s just a matter of them being laserjet labels). I stamped the smallest snowflake from Endless Wishes in pool party and then the joy from the same stamp set in real red.

I made five different tops. Using the Mingle all the Way stamp set I stamped the Holiday Happy sentiment in both garden green and real red on whisper white card and then cut it out using the third largest framelit. If I’d have had the top note die, I’d have used that but the labels framelits turned out to be easier since there’s no snipping with scissors – just cut out using a smaller die. The Mingle all the Way was stamped in encore silver ink directly on the box top and surrounded with the smallest snowflake from Endless Wishes. I’m now thinking that the top would look even better if I’d embossed it in silver. Next time I’ll do that.

I also used the santa from Get Your Santa On and coloured him in the medium cherry cobbler which seemed to be the closest in shade to the real red. For my final box top I used the scene and snowman from White Christmas colouring in using the pumpkin pie Stampin’ Write marker and the real red.

I was really pleased with how these came out and they were very enjoyable, relaxing and satisfying to make.

 

ColourQ challenge

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So it’s time for another challenge – the colour Q challenge. Lots of colour!

I know that this screams Halloween, but as usual, I wanted to go somewhere else. I tried making an autumn sky but ended up with the foreground not being right. I switched to a White Christmas scene, but my Critique Board (thanks Jen!) pointed out that an autumn sky didn’t really fit with a December Arctic scene and suggested more of an aurora borealis. I sponged on more rich razzleberry and basic black as well as some glitter and spots of white craft ink in the sky and this is where I ended up:

Stampin' Up! White Christmas

 

I had previously had a polar bear on this card but, thinking about Voltaire, removed him. I really like how the sky is so dramatic but having googled pictures of the aurora borealis realise that my card is but a pale copy of the real thing. The photos that I’ve seen as so outrageous as to feel imaginary!

My first card class

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I ran my first card making class on Friday night and it was an incredible amount of fun. More than it ought to be. And possibly more than should be legal. I had two friends over (schedules and illness prevented another two) and we started on our three cards around 7pm. We didn’t finish until 11pm! They weren’t overly complicated cards, but maybe the snack break for cheese and wine and coconut macaroons took longer than I thought. Or maybe we were just having too much fun.

Ramona and Bilma had never met before but there really is something about making cards together which forms bonds. Maybe it’s the slight errors in stamping. Or the laughter as you turn the card over to try again on the other side. Or maybe it’s the grin as Ramona stamps another snowman on the inside of the card and reaches for the glitter. I’m not sure what it is exactly, but it’s a wonderful thing. And I can’t wait to do another class.

We started with this card which uses the Work of Art stamp set.

Stampin' Up! Work of Art

We then moved onto sponging and stamping and more importantly – glitter! I had conservatively just put glitter on the line of the hill and on where the branches meet the trees. We ended up glittering (is that a verb?) the trunks and the snowman as well. Oh and Ramona’s forehead. Although at least we didn’t glue the glitter there!

white christmas snowman

After our snack break, we did embossing folders and heat embossing. Bilma is bilingual so was very happy to see that I had the Good Greetings stamp set in Spanish. It’s available this month for free if you hold a workshop or place an order over $300.

northern flurry real red

I’d encourage you to go to a stamp class if you’ve never been. It’s a far more fabulous experience than you would expect!