2011 Christmas Cards--Scenic Season

There is nothing I love more than Night of Navy paired with Whisper White.  It has such a crisp, clean feel to it.  I knew it was the perfect combination for my last Christmas card. 

I had long admired the "Scenic Season" stamp set in the SU! catty and finally caved and got it.  It's such an elegant stamp set and so quick and easy to use.  These cards came together in no time. 

Or, what would have been "no time" had I not used VersaMark and shimmery/sparkly heat embossing powder and then hit them again with 2-way glue and Dazzling Diamonds... Of the four cards I made, these took the longest.  I inked my stamp with VersaMark and then Night of Navy ink and stamped the image.  I then sprinkled on the embossing powder and hit it with the heat gun.  I could only make them three and four at a time in this way.  Oh my. 

But, the effort was worth it.  These are sparklerific and lovely.  What more could I ask for? 

This card uses:
*Stamp Set: "Scenic Season"
*Ink: Night of Navy
*Paper: Whisper White, Night of Navy
*Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds, some sparkly non-SU! embossing powder

2011 Christmas Cards are Finished: Dasher

By George, I think I did it!  The cards, they're finished!  Now to address, write, etc...

I've already posted two of my Christmas cards below, those fun and funky Pool Party/Cherry Cobbler cards. 

Next, we have this little guy.  Oh how I do love "Dasher".  I fell in love with him the first time I saw him and simply had to have him.  At once.  ;o)

He came to live with me and we have made many beautiful Christmas cards together.  Because he's such a simple, yet elegant kind of guy, I wanted something simple yet elegant to compliment him. 

Add to that my love of red, kraft and white together, and we had a winner.  :o)

This card uses:
*Stamp Set: "Dasher"
*Ink: Crumb Cake
*Paper: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, silver glimmer paper (LOVE this stuff!)
*Accessories: Cuttle Bug Snowflake embossing folder, snowflake punch

Bitty's Birthday Cards

Lissie was busy on a cross-country trip for the past couple of weeks and knew she wouldn't be able to make Lil a birthday card and get it in the mail in time for it to arrive on her birthday.   So, she did what would any good grandmother do--ask their daughter to make the card. ;o)

I punched triangles using the Pennant punch and adhered Melon Mambo pom poms to them.  The stamp comes from the "Teeny Tiny Wishes" stamp set. 

This card is our card to Miss Lily.  It is over-the-top blingarific and she should love it.  We'll see. ;o)

I stamped the horse from "Pony Party" in black Staz-On and colored her using Melon Mambo ink and a blender pen.  I added two-way glue and Dazzling Diamonds to strands of the mane and tail.  Blender pens are great because you can layer on color for more intense or less intense looks.

I stamped the wing and horn on the silver glimmer paper using black Staz-On, and cut and glued them on.  To give the wing a bit of lift, I added a dimensional at the top and simply adhered it to the bottom.

This card gives me a tooth ache just looking at it, but I know my Bitty girl will looooove it. :o)  After all, a girl only turns six once. :o)

Christmas Card Time Again

I know it's making excuses, and that if I really wanted to, I suppose I could make it into the offudio more often to make cards, but the thing is, it's really REALLY hard to get in there with Ellie in the house.  She's just busy.  Really busy.  I mean a LOT.  I can't do it while she's awake because that is a disaster waiting to happen, and by the time nap time rolls around (hallelujah!) I have to clean up all the messes she has made while she was awake. 

Combine that with rolling into Christmas season and there are myriad things that must be done, such as, oh, I don't know, making all the Christmas candy and cookies for the family. Oh, and let's not forget, Christmas cards!  Ack!

How in the world did I get it all done when I was working? 

The thing is, I LOVE making cards.  I adore it, even.  It is a huge stress release for me to get in there and fiddle around with papers and stamps.  Methinks I just need to get in there and do it, and not stress about everything else so much.  I mean, the messes will still be there when I'm done, right? ;o)

Anyhow, enough rambling.  I typically make 20 cards each of four or five designs, thereby saving myself from the insanity of making 80-100 cards that are all the same.  I pulled out a couple of sets I've never used and decided to ink them up. 

See those lovely pieces of fleece up there?  I saw them next to each other in JoAnn and knew Miss Bean had to have a blanket made from them (Lil will be making it for her).   Inspired by the colors, I decided to make a retro-looking Christmas card.  Even better?  The Paper Players challenge this week is to create a Christmas card using non-traditional stamps and/or colors.  I do believe this fits the bill.

Isn't it fabulous?  I've been in love with Cherry Cobbler since it was released, and knew I wanted to use it on my cards this year.  It is such a deep, rich and luscious red I couldn't resist.  Then, there was Pool Party, my most favorite of the In Colors this year.  Paired with a funky stamp, my Stamp-a-Ma-Jig and a straight line, I was golden.  :o)  This is design one for the year.  I haven't done anything with the inside yet, but will.

My card making endeavors always include a number of mock-ups.  I play around until a design looks good to me.  Sometimes I wind up with more than one and others I have to scrap the entire idea. 

Well, yesterday I had another card come together using the same stamp sets and colors.  Score!  Card number two is a go.  :o)  I was worried I might become numb using the same colors over and over, but given my love of these two colors, I don't think that will be a problem at all. 

I still have at least two more designs to come up with, but hey, I'm half way there! 

These cards use:
Stamp Sets: "Snow Burst", "Four the Holidays"
Paper: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party, Silver Glimmer
Inks: Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party
Accessories: snowflake punch (non-SU!), Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

I suppose I had better be off to the offuido once more...
--Rach