Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I wanted share the card I sent out this year. I used Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio 2 to create it. This was the first time I've used MDS 2, and I'm loving the changes they've made to the program.  Now I just need to learn how to take advantage of all the fancy new features!  

Although I always intend to hand-stamp all my cards, somehow it doesn't seem to happen often enough!  This was a fabulous time saver for a hectic time of year. :-)

Happy Holidays everyone!

 

12 Days of Christmas--Day 12--Christmas Door

Made it all the way to Day number 12 of the '12 Days of Christmas'!  This is another one of the cards from a Stamp-A-Stack class.  This is an idea that I've seen lots of different places and just made my own version of it. 

The rectangles of Naturals White card stock are (top) 1 3/4" by 1 5/8" and (bottom) 3" by 1 5/8".  I sponged around the edges to add some definition, and added a Glimmer Brad for the door knob. 

For the wreath, the largest wreath is created by punching first with the 1 3/8" Circle Punch and then with the 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch.  For the smaller wreath, I stamped with Gumball Green, punched the middle out with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch, and then ran it through the Big Shot with one of the framelits from the Floral Frames collection. 

The wreath was spritzed with a mix of Frost White Shimmer paint and rubbing alcohol, and the bow was added with a glue dot. 

I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season with family and those you love! 

Stamps:  Day Dream Medallions
Ink:  Gumball Green, Soft Suede (for sponging)
Paper:  Naturals White, Gumball Green
Accessories:  Floral Frames Framelits, Big Shot, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Basics Glimmer Brads, Raspberry Ripple Stitched Satin Ribbon, Frost White Shimmer Paint (mixed with rubbing alcohol), sponge, dimensionals

12 Days of Christmas--Day 11--Lots of Ornaments

 

 
Day 11 of the '12 Days of Christmas'!  Today I have two cards to show you that both use the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set and coordinating Holiday Ornaments Framelits collection. 
 
The first card is one that we made at a Stampers Club meeting.  The Designer Paper is from the Festival of Prints DSP stack (where else?!) and the Lucky Limeade Circle was cut out using the Bigz Clear Circle Die (just now realized that is no longer available in the catalog!) and is about a 3 3/4" circle.  The circle is also sprayed with a combination of Frost White Shimmer Paint and Rubbing Alcohol to give it a subtle sparkle. 
 
Stamps:  Ornament Keepsakes, More Merry Messages
Ink:  Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler
Paper:  Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Festival of Prints DSP Stack
Accessories:  Holiday Ornaments Framelits, Clear Bigz Circle Die, Big Shot, Very Vanilla 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Frost White Shimmer Paint (mixed with rubbing alcohol), Rhinestone Jewels, dimensionals
 

 
This card is one that I had designed as an option for my Stamp-A-Stack classes, but it ended up not making the cut.  :-)  Pretty simple, just takes a little time to do the paper piercing around the edges. 

The 'strings' that the ornaments are hanging from were drawn using a ruler and one of the new Silver Stampin' Dazzle Markers. 
 
Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler, Silver Stampin' Dazzle Marker
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Silver Shimmer Paper
Accessories:  Holiday Ornaments Framelits, Big Shot, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Rhinestone Jewels, White Baker's Twine, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack, Paper-Piercing Tool, dimensionals 

12 Days of Christmas--Day 10--Clothespin Magnets

 

Only a few days left until Christmas!  My kids are so excited and repeatedly ask 'how many more days till Christmas?'  :-)  It's fun though to have their excitement and anticipation. 

 

One of the things I made up this year, to sell at the Bazaar that benefits the preschool my daughter goes to, are these clothespin magnets.  These are the two 'holiday' options that I had available.   

 

The gingerbread man comes from the Scentsational Season stamp set and is cut out with the coordinating Holiday Collection Framelits.  The Designer Paper comes from the Polka Dot Parade package (Real Red and Old Olive) and the Espresso comes from the Color Collection DSP Stack (Neutrals). 

 

The snowflakes were cut out using the Snow Flurry Bigz die.  I love the touch of sparkle that the Silver Glimmer Paper brings!  The Designer Paper is from the Festival of Prints DSP Stack. 

 

If you want to see what the magnets look like on the back, you can see THIS post. 

 

These clothespin magnets are cute packaged, or they can also make a cute addition to the tops of your presents--attached to a bow or holding a tag onto a bag. 



 

Stamps:  Scentsational Season
Ink:  Early Espresso
Paper:  Polka Dot Parade, Color Collection DSP Stack, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Silver Glimmer Paper, Festival of Prints DSP stack
Accessories:  Holiday Collection Framelits, Big Shot, Pearls, Mod Podge, Clothespins, Rare Earth Magnets, Clear Envelopes (for packaging), Snow Flurry Die, dimensionals

12 Days of Christmas--Day 9--Evergreen

Back again with another Christmas card!  This is another card from one of my Stamp-A-Stack classes this fall.  This card is really pretty simple to make--the only time consuming part was the paper piercing.  Although I love having all the new paper-piercing templates because they make it so easy to have perfectly lined up holes.  :-) 

This card uses the Evergreen stamp set found in the Holiday Mini Catalog and the More Merry Messages stamp set from the big Catalog.  I hand-cut the banner ends on the sentiment. 

See you tomorrow for Day 10 of the '12 Days of Christmas'. 

Stamps:  Evergreen, More Merry Messages
Ink:  River Rock, Always Artichoke
Paper:  Always Artichoke, River Rock, Whisper White
Accessories:  Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Big Shot, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, dimensionals

12 Days of Christmas--Day 8--Scentsational Cocoa

 
Day number 8 of my '12 Days of Christmas' series!  This cards is one that I saw demonstrated at the Stampin' Up! convention this past summer.  It's actually the card that finally convinced me to buy the Festival of Prints DSP stack.  :-)  It's nice because you cut one sheet from the stack exactly in half--getting 2 layers/two cards.   When we made these in a Stamp-A-Stack class, each person got 4 sheets of Designer Paper--all different--and they got to choose which side of the DSP they used on each card.

Really the only 'trick' to this card is stamping the mug.  First ink up with Gumball Green, then take your Blender Pen to remove the green ink just from the 'drink' part of the image.  Then use your Early Espresso marker to color in the drink.  Breathe on the stamp to re moisten the ink, and stamp on your card stock. 

Cute and simple!  I thought this would make an adorable invitation for a holiday get-together, but particularly a caroling/hot cocoa party.   

Stamps:  Scentsational Season, Tiny Tags
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso (and marker), Gumball Green
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Festival of Prints DSP stack
Accessories:  Blender Pen, Holiday Collection Framelits, Labels Collection Framelits, Big Shot, Jewelry Tag punch, Vintage Trinkets, Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon, dimensionals

12 Days of Christmas--Day 7--Brocade Sleigh

I think I'm finally done with Christmas shopping!  Nothing like waiting until the last minute.  :-)  How about you?  When did/will you finish your shopping? 

This is another card from one of my Stamp-A-Stack classes.  Several people commented on how much easier it was to make this cards than they thought it would be.  The Cherry Cobbler layer is the new Core'dinations card stock that was run through the Big Shot with the new Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder.  I didn't sand mine down very much after embossing, but you can gently sand it to bring out more of the middle (lighter color) of the paper to give more contrast. 

A tip--when you add the Dazzling Details to the card (the 'snow' under the sleigh) make sure it doesn't touch where you have stamped--otherwise it will run the ink! 

Stamps:  Open Sleigh, More Merry Messages
Ink:  Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla
Accessories:  Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Early Espresso Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Dazzling Details, sanding block, Core'dinations dust buddy, dimensionals

12 Days of Christmas--Day 6--Holiday Treats

I wanted to add something to my club orders for this months, and this is what I came up with!  These are simple, and basically used up leftovers from other projects.  I started with the Early Espresso base which is 3" by 3" and scored at 1 1/2".  I folded that over the top of the cello bag and kept it in place with snail adhesive. 

The next 3 parts that are all cut out using different framelits (the tree/Holiday Collection, sentiment banner/Bitty Banners, and Designer Series Paper layer/Window Frames Collection).  I lined up all 3 and ran them through the Big Shot at the same time--saves a lot of time.  :-) 

For the tree: I scrunched it up, flattened it out again, and then smashed the tree under the coordinating Gumball Green ink pad--with the ink side down.  Gives it that sponged/distressed look.  This is the same technique I used on the leaves in THIS project. 

The bag on the left uses Designer Paper from the set Be of Good Cheer, and the one on the right uses paper from the Festival of Prints DSP Stack. 

Stamps:  Petite Pairs
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green, and Early Espresso Marker for around the tag
Paper:  Early Espresso, Gumball Green, Very Vanilla, Be of Good Cheer DSP, and Festival of Prints DSP Stack
Accessories:  Holiday Collection Framelits, Window Frames Collection Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, Big Shot, Linen Thread, 4" by 6" cellophane Bag, dimensionals

And this is another little treat that I added to some customer orders last month.  I got this (very similar) idea from another demonstrator, but unfortunately I can't find her blog again. . . I'm pretty sure it was in German--which may be why I'm having a hard time searching for it.  :-)  Anyway, this little treat holder starts as a 6" by 3" piece of Early Espresso card stock.  I scored at 2 7/8" and 3 1/8" and then ran it through the Big Shot with the Large Scallop Edgelit to give it the fun border. 

The Cherry Cobbler layer was run through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, and the main images comes from two of the stamps in the Mixed Medley hostess stamp set.  Inside there is one of the small square Ghirardelli chocolates. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you are enjoying this '12 Days of Christmas' series.  See you tomorrow for Day 7! 

Stamps:  Mixed Medley
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso (also for distressing edges of Crumb Cake layer)
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Whisper White
Accessories:  1 1/4" Scallop Circle punch, 3/4" Circle punch, Cheery Cobbler Baker's Twine, Large Scallop Edgelit, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Ghirardelli Chocolate, dimensionals

12 Days of Christmas--Day 5--Argyle Flurry

Day number 5 of the '12 Days of Christmas'!  I think this ended up being one of the favorite cards from my Stamp-A-Stack class series.  It does take quite a few rolls through the Big Shot to get all the pieces ready, but other than that it is pretty much just assembling the pieces. 

One note:  I sponged some of the Illuminate Glimmer Watermark on to all of the Whisper White card stock.  It gives a little bit of a shimmer to the paper and nicely complements the sparkle from the Silver Shimmer Paper. 

Stamps: Petite Pairs
Ink:  Midnight Muse, Illuminate Glimmer Watermark
Paper:  Midnight Muse, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper
Accessories:  Snow Flurry die, Big Shot, Midnight Muse Stitched Satin Ribbon, Bitty Banners Framelits, Finishing Touches Edgelits, Argyle Embossing Folder, Large Pearl Basic Jewel, dimensionals

12 Days of Christmas--Day 4--Deck the Tree

Can you believe it's already December 15th?  Are you ready for your holiday celebrations yet?  I'm definitely still working on getting ready for mine! 

So I have to confess that this is a card I actually made a couple years ago. . . but I found it in my files and thought it went along with the Stampin' Celebration theme this month.  So this is your reminder to play along with us at Stampin' Celebration this month.  Link your creation to the Stampin' Celebration so we can see your project.

This card is was fun to make because you make the tree out of a literally a scrap of fabric.  All you need is a little square of fabric--2" by 2"--and a slightly smaller piece of Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet (MAS).  Here I used the Deck the Halls Designer Fabric.  Peel off one side of the MAS and stick it to the back of the fabric.  Run that through the Big Shot with the Scallop Squares Due Bigz die (the smaller square).  The you cut your scallop square into 4 triangle, peel off the second backing of the MAS and stick the fabric to your card creating your tree.  It's like a fabric sticker.  :-) 

And, if you don't already have some of the Deck the Halls Designer Fabric, you can actually find it on the Clearance Rack right now for 99 cents!  While you are there, check out all the new items--over 300--that have been added as part of a Clearance Rack Blitz.  For the first time ever, there are stamp sets on the Clearance Rack!  Don't already have a demonstrator to shop with?  You can go to http://allison.stampinup.net and click on "shop now" in the top right corner. 

See you tomorrow for Day 5 of my '12 Days of Christmas' series! 

Stamps: Four the Holidays 
Ink:  Always Artichoke
Paper:  River Rock, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake
Accessories:  Deck the Halls Designer Fabric, Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets, Scallop Squares Duo Bigz Die, Big Shot, Glimmer Brads, Silver Glass Stampin' Glitter, Always Artichoke Seam Binding Ribbon
 

12 Days of Christmas--Day 3--Tree Festival

Day number 3!  I really like the way this card turned out.  I love the traditional colors and tree mixed with a little more of a clean/modern feel.  This also happens to be another one of the cards that we made at one of my Stamp-A-Stack classes. 
 
This card uses one of my favorite products from the Holiday Catalog--the Festival of Prints DSP Stack (found on page 20).  I never would have purchased that little stack of paper except for the fact that I saw it being used at convention.  Now I've almost made it through 4 of the stacks--So you'll definitely being seeing more projects using it in the next while.  :-) 

Another item of note is the use of framelits on this card.  Framelits are one of those things that I can't believe I used to stamp without--they make cutting out images SO easy, and require much less storage space than punches.  I've used both this Scentasational Season stamp set and the coordinating Holiday Collection framelits a lot this year! 

Check back tomorrow for day number 4 of my '12 Days of Christmas'! 

Stamps:  Scentsational Season, More Merry Messages
Ink:  Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight
Paper:  Festival of Prints DSP Stack, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Accessories:  Holiday Collection Framelits Dies, Big Shot, Cherry Cobbler Scallop Dots Ribbon (turned upside down), Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, White Baker's Twine

12 Days of Christmas--Day 2--Holiday Blessings

The second day of my '12 Days of Christmas' series!  This simple card shows off the new Holiday Frame Embossing Folder from the Mini Catalog.  Layered on top of that is one of the frames from the Designer Frames Folders set.  I simply tore along the edges of the frame and used some dimensionals to layer. 

The sentiment comes from More Merry Messages, and I hand cut the banner edges and then ran the edge of my Always Artichoke marker along the edges of the banner to give a little more definition. 

I punched River Rock card stock with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch to get that cute little scallop edge on the top and bottom.  And some seam binding ribbon and that's it!  This was a card that we made at one of my Stamp-A-Stack classes.  I love the elegance of the Holiday Frames EF, and I am planning to try to make this same card (different colors) as a wedding card.  We'll see how it turns out! 

See you tomorrow! 

Stamps:  More Merry Messages
Ink:  Always Artichoke
Paper:  Always Artichoke, River Rock, Whisper White
Accessories:  Holiday Frame Embossing Folder, Designer Frames Folders, Always Artichoke Seam Binding, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, dimensionals

12 Days of Christmas--Day 1--Tree Frame

Well it's been fun but crazy past couple weeks!  I've had Stamp-A-Stack classes, a class at my church, a craft bazaar at my daughter's preschool, and my regular Stamper's Club--a whirlwind of stamping.  :-)  So that means I have been stamping a lot and have lots of projects to share with you!  Most of what I've been doing is Christmas-related, so I thought it would be fun to do a '12 Days of Christmas' series on my blog.  So for the next 12 days I'm going to schedule a post with a Christmas project.  Just in case any of you are last minute crafters and need ideas--or for those who like to plan ahead for next year! 

 
The idea for this tree frame actually came from the Holiday Catalog--the gift bag on page 7.  I thought that was such a cute idea, although I figured if I went to that much work I wanted it to be framed, instead of on a bag that would probably be tossed.  :-)   I simplified a little and changed things up just a bit. 

These frames actually ended up being quite simple to make, and I made them with a group of ladies who have never stamped before--they were pleasantly surprised at how easy these were to put together. 

A couple notes of notes. . . When punching the 'wreath' and the star out of the middle of the scallop circle, start with the inside (smallest punch) first and then punch the outside (largest) second.  It is much easier to line up that way!  And, all of the Cherry Cobbler was sprayed with a mix of Frost White Shimmer Paint and rubbing alcohol. 

See you tomorrow for the 2nd Day of Christmas! 

Stamps:  More Merry Messages
Ink:  Early Espresso
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Be of Good Cheer DSP
Accessories:  1 1/4" Scallop Circle Punch and Merry Minis Punch Pack (both new in the Holiday Mini Catalog), 3/4" Circle punch, Circles #2 Origionals die (for the larger Early Espresso Circle), Big Shot, Naturals Designer Buttons, Hemp Twine, Certainly Celery button (discontinued), Cherry Cobbler ribbon (discontinued), glue dots, dimensionals, 8X10 frame

Stampin' Celebration #61

 

 

December is here!  I love this time of year and all of the traditions, celebrations, and extra time with family and loved ones.   Although, it's hard to believe that another year is almost done!  
 
Here's the Stampin Celebration Challenge for this month: 

I love the colors since I'm a monochromatic sort of person, :-) and the large bows caught my eye as well.  I've had this new Scalloped Tulle Ribbon since the Holiday Catalog pre-order so I thought it was finally about time to open it and use it!  Despite being over 3" wide it isn't very bulky on a card and is really easy to use and tie. 

I also used this card for a Stamp-A-Stack class, and since I knew that not everyone sends Nativity cards, I provided this image as a second option.  To stamp the images, I used a mix of Early Espresso reinker and Champagne Shimmer Paint that I sponged onto the stamp and then stamped on the paper.  This gives the image a subtle shimmer.  And other than taking a little time to add the paper piercing around the image, this is a simple card to mass produce for the holidays. 

 

 

We'd love to have you play along with us this month at Stampin' Celebration! You have until December 25th to link your creation (a card, 3D item, digital item, scrapbook layout, etc.) to the Stampin' Celebration blog and be in the running for the "Pick of the Party" at the end of the month. We can't wait to see what Stampin' Celebration inspires you to create!

To see what the other DT members have created:

 

Allison Ohran -Sweet Impressions

Cori Kozak - Creative Chat

Erica Cerwin - Pink Buckaroo Designs

Erin Gonzales -Hand Stamped Style

Rochelle Gould - I stamp, I create, I have fun!

Jenny Peterson - Lakeshore Stamping

Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge

 

Stamps:  Ornament Keepsakes, First Christmas

Ink:  Early Espresso (for sponging) and reinker, Champagne shimmer paint

Paper:  Crumb Cake, Naturals White

Accessories:  Apothecary Accents Framelits Dies, Big Shot, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, Paper-piercing Tool, Early Espresso Scalloped Tulle, Large Pearl Basic Pearls