Last minute gifts

Two last minute gifts you can make for those people on your list that have everything!!
Monogram cards for their notes of congratulations or thanks! Everyone can use these! I colour printed an initial on a panel card that fit into a set of envelopes I had handy. Consider stamping and embossing instead or hand lettering them and then adding colour - lots of possibilities!!
I also did up some address labels!! Used some of the photos I took last year, added names & addresses and printed on labels! Quick and easy and everyone can use them! Always nice to have some special ones for those special cards!!

Have a wonderful Christmas season! I expect I am pretty close to having my prep done so I can enjoy the season. My cards and newsletters will go out tomorrow, bought my baking at the bake sale last weekend, gifts are bought and only need a bit of wrapping! Have been listening to the Christmas music too!! Do enjoy your holiday activities and take a bit of quiet time in the new year to set a few goals, think of areas that need work and make a plan, do what is important and plan so that things don't get too urgent. We all struggle with something and a "one step in front of another" approach is best if you are going in the right direction!!
Therese

Winter Solstice Fat book page

Another Fat book page for our T&T mingle!! Doing research on this day I started to realize that we need to build traditions that help us reconnect us to our lives. The Winter Solstice - the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere is overlaps so many holidays celebrated at this time of the year. Many entwined their event with the festivals already celebrated for the Winter Solstice. Very early on, people lived close to nature and on the land. They observed that the days changed in length and with diligent records ascertained on which day the earth started back towards the sun!! It was a reason to celebrate, a time to pray for spring's arrival, good crops and fair weather.
The celebrations of this time of the year regardless of their origins encourage us to join with family and friends, to eat and make merry, to give gifts, to support those in need, to make peace, spread our love and be grateful for the blessings of the year. This year I encourage you to SEE with new eyes the celebrations that are familiar to you. Change up what no longer works but do take the time to celebrate as our ancestors did long before these traditions overcame those of the Winter Solstice!!

Therese

Another card that features gift wrap!! Do not recall exactly where I acquired this paper but it was too beautiful to be left!! This paper is quite thin so it was best to apply the glue to the cardstock and then lay the paper over the cardstock! I cut the paper just a little oversized and then trimmed to the edge of the card with scissors. I tied the two ends of the ribbon in a double knot and then cut it!! Estimated where I wanted the knot on the card before I cut the ribbon. I stamped the greeting in navy on the right hand bottom of the card!!

I expect this paper would be great used in collages and serendipity pieces as well. Love the watercolour look!!


Therese in Trenton
Mixed Media Market
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mixedmediamarket/

I CASEd this idea from somewhere on Splitcoast. The original had been trimmed to the edge of the Cuttlebug design. Instead I layered a white embossed layer over a white card! Happy with how that turned out. Created a colour printed tag to go with the ribbon. I cut a piece of ribbon that would overlap both sides of the card (6"-6.5") and glued the ends to the inside of the card on both the top and bottom. Tied a shorter piece (3"-4") to the first with an overhand knot. This technique saves ribbon and looks just as elegant if you provide an insert in the card. I trapped the tag's gold cord in the knot. You can glue the tag in place if you want or leave it dangling.

I always include inserts in my cards to allow them to be reused by simply removing the old inset that has been written on and replace it with a new one. I think it would be cool to see how many times a card could be reused!! Handmade cards are so beautiful that I think they should have more than one life. Besides it is a very green and environmentally friendly thing to do. I refurbish all the handmade (sometimes some of the commercial ones as well) cards I receive and donate them to a local non profit organization!! They really appreciate the cards!! You could donate the refurbished cards to seniors homes or retirement residences, any non profit, or package them up and donate as prizes for a fundraiser. Be creative!! It goes without saying that it is inappropriate to refurbish a card and then to present it as your idea and creative work!! Whenever possible I retain the creator's credits on the cards I refurbish. It works out perfectly when they have added an insert to their card!!
Therese

This card features duplex cardstock. This one is navy on one side and white on the other!! I stamped the frame, added the greeting and then embossed the whole thing in glittery embossing powder.
I made my own mixture with clear embossing powder, some fine prisma glitter and a little Iridescent Ice (SU) embossing powder as well. I find that the glittery embossing powders have a lot of glitter in them and I prefer a higher percentage of embossing powder to glitter. I usually mix right on my catch sheet - 1/2 teaspoon or so depending on how much embossing I have to do. It does require that you find another container to put your mixture in if you have leftovers so you don't contaminate your original embossing powder. I sometimes mix my leftovers together and end up with some very interesting combinations. For some of the cards I mixed copper and gold with some gold tinsel embossing powder with great results!! So have some fun and mix yourself a few to see what you get!!
Back to the card. I layered the image onto a coordinating layer and then to accentuate the duplex paper I cut off half of the front to allow the inside colour to show. Glued my accent piece to the left hand piece on the front of the card. Another fast and easy card you can make with duplex cardstock!!
Therese

This card features some holiday gift wrap I bought on sale last year after the holidays!! It is a very subtle pewter with shiny gold leaves. Very nice! I layered this onto a dark pewter cardstock and added a greeting I laser printed on oatmeal cardstock. Added some stitching with a black marker and two gold eyelets. The heart is a fun foam stamp! I made it myself by cutting out the shape out of fun foam and mounting it to a small clear acrylic mount with double sided tape. As you can see it stamps very nicely and the cost was almost nothing!! I also cut a fun foam stamp for one of my snowflake stamps for my OSW class. Stamped the snowflake on fun foam and then cut out the part I wanted to stamp in a solid colour! Worked wonderfully!! So save yourself a few dollars by making your own solid stamps! You will have the advantage of being able to make coordinating solid stamps for some of your other stamps - lady bug, flower, star, etc. More money for rubber!!

I have been checking out the gift wrap in the stores I visit! There are some very nice pearly ones at Michaels as well as some very elegant and funky ones that would be great for cardmaking all year round!! A gorgeous red and silver swirl that would be great for Valentine's! Consider getting together with a group and buying a few rolls to share!! There are, of course, a lot of wonderful Christmas papers that would be great for your Christmas cards next year and will be deeply discounted on Boxing day!! I am always on the look out for getting supplies for cardmaking at a discount. I am hoping to find a nice snowflake paper for next years cards!!

Therese

Always like to have my Thank you cards ready before the rush of Christmas so my December cardmaking session featured Thank you cards. Here a quick and easy featuring my Baroque Motif swirl (SU)!! I added two flower punchies with a gold brad over the swirl which was stamped with Chalk Memories in chocolate brown on a tan speckled cardstock. The greeting (SU) was stamped with coordinating ink. I love this swirl!!!

I would highly encourage everyone to acknowledge the gifts they receive this holiday season. Acknowledgement is a very strong relationship building tool and in comparison to the time invested it reaps large rewards. So start your New Year off well, by investing some time in your relationships with friends and family by acknowledging the blessings they are in your life!!

Therese

Marble coasters make a wonderful gift! I made a set of four of these for a gift exchange. I stamped the central image (SU) first with black StazOn. Created a paper mask and then stamped the French Script around it in the same ink. I then "watercoloured" the image with watered down acrylic paint so that it would be permanent when dry. Did give the tiles a bit of a spray of matte acrylic once everything was dry. Added little cork feet, tied with a nice ribbon and I was done!! If you are needing some inspiration there are LOTS of coasters in the gallery on Splitcoast Stampers!
Great as last minute gifts. The marble tiles are available at Home Depot here and maybe other home improvement stores in your area. Definitely recommend Staz ON ink for crisp and clean lines if you are going to stamp and colour your images. I have used Memories Inks for images I wanted to be a certain colour like green leaves, etc. I would definitely recommend a permanent ink so the colours don't run into each other when you spray on your clear finish (Krylon Matte Acrylic spray). I bought the cork feet at Stockade Craft Supplies but you could use rubber, felt or clear plastic ones instead. Or consider covering the whole bottom with self adhesive cork or felt. Quick and easy.
Therese