Here is another quick, less than 10 minutes, card using the same Lovely as a Tree stamp set but with Bella "blue" and a masculine look.

Stampin’ Up! Product Used:

• Chocolate Chip cardstock, Craft Ink, and Classic Ink
• Chocolate Chip Wide Satin Ribbon (from Clearance Rack)
• Bella Bleu Designer Series Paper
• Large Oval Punch
• Scallop Oval Punch
• Lovely as a Tree stamp set
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Heat Gun
• SNAIL Adhesive
• Stampin’ Dimensionals

Instructions:

1. Start with a standard card using Chocolate Chip cardstock. 
2. Then cut a 4 x 5-1/4 piece of blue patterned paper from the Bella Bleu collection of Designer Series Paper.
3. Stamp the large tree in Chocolate Chip Craft Ink and stamp the 1st tree. Then re-ink and stamp the 2nd tree to the left, and slightly higher. 
4. Then cover both trees with Clear Embossing Powder. Shake off excess. Heat.
5. Then I used the small trees from the Noble Deer stamp set (retired) but you can also instead use the horizontal bunch of trees in the Lovely as a Tree stamp set. Stamp in Chocolate Chip Classic Ink (not Craft Ink and not embossed).
6. Wrap ribbon around and knot in the front, center.
7. Adhere to card front using SNAIL Adhesive.
8. Stamp and emboss greeting on scrap Bella Bleu paper. Punch out with large oval.  Then adhere to Chocolate Chip scalloped oval (punch). Adhere to card using Stampin’ Dimensionals.
9. You’re done!

Other Suggestions

1. Use Icicles snowflake rub-ons from the Holiday Mini in the background.
2. Try Chocolate Chip striped grosgrain ribbon.

Don’t forget the Sale-a-bration and the Occasions Mini catalog is coming – JANUARY 5, 2010.

First, I stamped the two trees in Chocolate Chip Craft Ink and embossed using Clear Embossing Powder and then the heat gun.  I did the same technique for the greeting "Merry Christmas" (Four the Holidays stamp set from the Holiday Mini). 

Then using a White Gel Pen I added highlights/snow to the tree branches.

Next, I adhered the window sheet (4 x 5-1/4) to the trees (card front panel) using SNAIL Adhesive (to hold the window sheet in place).

Lastly, I threaded a piece of Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon through a silver buckle from the Styled Silver Hodpodge Hardware kit and adhered to the back of the card front panel.  Then adhered the panel to the Chocolate Chip card using SNAIL Adhesive.

Other Suggestion

• Once I was finished with the card, I think if we used either White Craft Ink or the white snowflakes from the Icicles Rub-ons in the background as well, that would have added an extra holiday, snowy touch.

Happy Holidays!

I’ve had this set, A Cardinal Christmas, for a while and had trouble coming up with a design that I liked for this beautiful bird. I had tried embossing and watercoloring but it never looked the way I had imagined.  So this week, I tried using the Stampin’ Write Markers and coloring the stamp the different colors – Real Red, Garden Green with a touch of Old Olive, Close to Cocoa and More Mustard – then stamped on Whisper White paper.  I really liked the way it came out.  Then to dull the brightness a little, I sponged this panel with Chocolate Chip Classic Ink.

Next, I really do like the Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Folder featured in the Holiday Mini.  I used it iwth Real Red, matted it on Chocolate Chip paper,  and wrapped a piece of Chocolate Chip Striped Grosgrain Ribbon. Then rotated it to make a diamond shap.

Lastly, the card and card front.  The card front was created using Chocolate Chip cardstock and then stamped the leaves from the A Cardinal Christmas stamp set in Chocolate Chip Craft Ink, added Clear Embossing Powder and then heated.  The image was stamped 4 times to get the desired look shown. Then matted onto the card (Close to Cocoa).

To assemble the card, add the diamond panel using SNAIL Adhesive, then the Cardinal, top panel using Stampin’ Dimensionals.  I really do like the way it came out and you can use this layout for many holiday sets, such as Home for Christmas or Good Cheer and many others.

Other suggestions:

1. Using the Big Shot or Circle Cutter to frame the Cardinal.
2. Create a Shadow Box card, again focusing on the Cardinal image.
3. Try watercoloring instead of the marker technique.

Happy Holidays!

Christmas is just around the corner. Today’s post is using the Good Cheer stamp set from the Idea Book & Catalog.  I saw this marker and embossing technique with this holiday set on another demonstrator’s website and had to C.A.S.E it – it looked so nice and absolutely perfect for the holidays!

The following Stampin’ Up! product was used:

• Crimper
• Chocolate Chip, Real Red, and Whisper White cardstock
• Chocolate Chip Wide Satin ribbon (from the Clearance Rack)
• Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon
• Rub-ons (Merry & Bright in the Holiday Mini Catalog)
• Stampin’ Write Markers
• Versa Mark Pen
• Clear Embossing Powder
• SNAIL Adhesive
• Stampin’ Dimensionals or Pop-up Glue Dots

First, cut the standard, vertical card size in Chocolate Chip.  Then run a 4-1/2 by 5-1/2 piece of Real Red cardstock through the Crimper. Afterwards trim to 4 x 5-1/4.  Wrap a piece of satin ribbon around the front and adhere to the back. Then wrap the Real Red ribbon on top of the Chocolate Chip satin ribbon and adhere to the back as well. Adhere this panel to the card front.

Next, cut up one of the phrases from the Merry & Bright rub-ons and used on the ribbon!  I like how it came out.  Choose your favorite holiday greeting and give it a try.

Lastly, color the stamp the Santa image with Garden Green, Real Red, Creamy Caramel and Chocolate Chip markers. Then stamp  on Whisper White cardstock.  Cut the paper to the image. Using the Versa Mark pen, color parts of the image you would like embossed. Then sprinkle with Clear Embossing Powder, shake off excess powder, then heat.  Mat the image on Chocolate Chip cardstock and trim.  Then adhere to the front panel using Stampin’ Dimensionals or Pop-up Glue Dots.

Other Suggestions

1. Stamp the image in Chocolate Chip Craft Ink and emboss. Then watercolor the picture instead of coloring the stamp with markers.
2. Add glitter (Dazzling Diamonds) to the image.
3. Add brads as an accent. For example in each corner of the front panel or on the bottom or top right.
4. Instead of using the Crimper use a background stamp or Textured Impressions Folder.

Don’t forget to check out the 12 Days of Holiday Sales!

Happy Holidays!

This simply but elegant holiday card was created using the Serene Snowflake stampset from the Holiday Mini, the Not Quite Navy paper and the patterned paper from the Bella Bleu designer series paper pack. 

The snowflake was stamped in Craft White Ink and then covered with White Embossing Powder. Then heated. Then the piercing tool was used to put a whole in the center of the snowflake so the Filigree brad could be placed.

Then the patterned paper and the Not Quite Navy cardstock were adhered together to make a 4 x 5-1/4 piece of paper. 

The Scallop Edge punch was used on the Not Quite Navy cardstock and then the small strip from the punched edge was also used in the sample instead of being thrown away! Vintage Brads were placed in the bottom to the right (and through the patterned paper. 

Then the panel was adhered to the card front (Very Vanilla cardstock) using SNAIL Adhesive.

Really a quick card but I still love the way it looks!

Other Suggestions

• To create this card even faster, skip the scalloped edge and instead just wrap Taffeta ribbon around the front and adhere in the back.
• Then simply adhere brads in the lower right corner of the patterned paper or just skip them altogether.

Happy Holidays!

I really enjoyed making this non-traditional holiday card…using Very Vanilla!!!  Something different. Hope you enjoy it and it inspires you to think of new holiday color combinations!

The Stampin’ Up! product used:

• Chocolate Chip Craft Ink
• Serene Snowflakes stamp set
• Sweet Swirls wheel
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Heat Gun
• Dazzling Diamonds
• Two-way Glue Pen
• Icicles rub-ons
• Kraft Taffeta Ribbon
• Silver Buckle from the Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware

To make this card:

1. Create a 5-1/4 x 5-1/4 Square Card using Very Vanilla cardstock.
2. Cut either two pieces of different patterned Very Vanilla paper from the Bella Bleu designer series paper pack (as I did) or just use one pattern.
3. At the bottom, ink up the wheel with Craft ink and then roll across. Cover with embossing powder, shake off the excess powder and heat.
4. Then, for the top section, rub-on many snowflakes of different sizes.
5. Then ink up the snowflakes from the Serene Snowflakes stamp set and stamp around (using Craft Ink). Emboss them.

   
    

6. Next, using the Two-Way Glue Pen, add Dazzling Diamonds to the snowflakes or where desired. I added it to the snowflakes and in between the swirls at the bottom.
7. Adhere the two pieces down to the card front.
8. Lastly, wrap a piece of ribbon around, threading it through the buckle, and adhere on the inside of the card.

   
    

Other ideas:

• Try other color combinations
• Try the crayon-resist technique withe the snowflakes

So first, I cut a 5-1/4 x 10-1/2 piece of Soft Suede (but Close to Cocoa could have been used as well as Chocolate Chip) and scored in half. Then cut a patterned pieceof paper from the Christmas Cocoa Specialty paper collection.

Next I placed a few snowflakes (rub-ons) towards the top of the thin-striped patterened paper, and then border rub-ons at the bottom.  I used the Two-Way Glue Pen to then adhere Dazzling Diamonds to the snowflakes.

Lastly, I punched three ornaments from different papers in the Christmas Cocoa pack, punch a whole a the top of the ornament to tie a bow, laid the string (silver cord) which will appear linked to each ornament, and then adhered each ornament using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Other Suggestions:

• Try White Embossing Powder.
• Add a greeting.
• Stamp snowflakes using the Serene Snowflake stamp set or use the new wheels in the Holiday Mini Catalog.
• Use the Merry & Bright rub-ons collection with the ornaments.

Paper Preparation

In creating this card, I first cut the standard card size from Bashful Blue cardstock, then cust a 2-1/2 x 5-1/2 piece that will be scalloped. Then as mat, cut a 4-1/2 x 3-1/4 piece of Soft Suede, and then cut a piece of Whisper White 1/8 inch shorter on all sides.

Using the Scallop Punch, create the elegant border of the 2-1/2 x 5-1/2 piece of Soft Suede paper.

Creating the Trees

Next, I colored the tree image from the Snow Swirled stamp set in Bashful Blue (using the Bashful blue Stampin’ Write Marker which will be slightly darker than if I inked the image with Bashful Blue Classic Ink).  Then used the Close to Cocoa Stampin’ Write Marker to color the floral like pattern and dots in the image.  Then "huffed" on the image before stamping it on the Whisper White cardstock.  Repeat for 2nd tree image.

Next, use a piercing tool or a handheld punch to make a hole at the top of each tree. Then use Clear Rhinestone Brads with the Filigree Brads and place in each hole.  Adhere Whisper White cardstock to the Soft Suede mat using SNAIL Adhesive.

Next, adhere the scalloped edge to the card front. Then adhere this panel to the card front using SNAIL Adhesive.

The Greeting

For the greeting, stamp Season’s Greeting in Soft Suede on a scrap piece of Whisper White cardstock.  Then stamp a few small snowflakes in Bashful Blue on the greeting. Then punch out with the Scallop Oval Punch.  Then punch 2 more scalloped ovals in Soft Suede.  Combine the two brown ovals to make a mat for the oval greeting.

Completed greeting.

Lastly, adhere the greeting to the card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Alternatives

• Add glitter.  Many holiday cards sparkle with glitter and I will have more to come with that.
• Use a different type of tree topper – a flower or snowflake punch.
• Emboss the trees or greeting.
• Add more snowflakes to the background or to the Bashful Blue cardstock.

I again used Chocolate Chip Craft Ink and Clear Embossing Powder with the stamped image for the background of the card (another floral stamp from the Thoughts & Prayers stamp set). 

Then I adhered the focal point to the card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Other Ideas:

• Instead of using embossing on the card front, use another darker piece of patterned paper from Bella Bleu or other designer series paper of your choice.
• Add Vintage Brads to each of the corners on the card’s focal panel.
• Use Vintage Brads or Build-a-Brads in the bottom, right corner area (like 3 in a row).
• Add an entire row of brads along the bottom focal panel (under greeting) and use the mat pack to help align all the brads.
• Add ribbon.

Then, the only other Stampin’ Up! products used were:

• Vintage Brads
• 1/16" Circle Handheld Punch
• Vellum Paper
• Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon
• Tearing Tool
• Close to Cocoa Cardstock
• SNAIL Adhesive
• Stampin’ Dimensionals

Other Thoughts:

• Crystal Effects again would have added a nice touch.
• Chocolate Chip Craft Ink and Clear Embossing Powder would have been nice to use with the greeting as well.