Christmas cards - poinsettia

I have created cards using these rounded squares in the past - here and really like the look of them. I have seen several different ways of using them on Splitcoast stampers as well. One of the version uses a beautiful Basic Gray paper in red, deep orange and dark browns - I loved it!! Unfortunately, I don't have any of it!! So I decided to create some wax crayon background paper that would hopefully come close to recreating the look. I created four different colours to create my "poinsettias" - red & gold, burgundy/maroon and gold, browns and copper and black and grays with silver. They were just what I was looking for to create this design. I cut four 1.5" squares for each card and then decided to add another layer so cut four 1" squares for the upper layer. I corner rounded all the layers and embossed the little ones to give them some texture. I printed my greeting onto my card front and added the flower above it. I mounted the waxy squares to my card front using 3D foam tape in the three outer corners of each petal. The waxy squares need to be handled carefully because the wax will transfer to other surfaces. I did have the thought at class that may be if they were sprayed with some clear finish or sealant that it might be beneficial in preventing the wax from transferring. Will give it a try and let you know. Once the large petals are glued in place, I glued the small embossed ones down using double sided tape. They are offset from the large ones and help create the feeling of a flower. A sequin attached with a brad for the center nicely finishes off the flower!!

I love how these turned out!! I am storing them in their envelopes until they are ready to be sent out to keep them from transferring colour to anything else!!

If you have never tried creating wax crayon backgrounds, I say give it a try. You can check out my instructions here. Or click "wax crayons" under LABELS on the right hand sidebar to find the posting with the information.

So with a few more Christmas cards in my stash I am ready to enjoy my summer. Cardmaking will resume in September when our routines will come back into play!! Enjoy your summer, your holiday time, your days off, your friends and your family!! I will continue to post my creative projects as I get them done!!

Therese

Christmas cards - snowflake butterfly

I have found this saying on several cards in my internet blog travels lately!!

I colour printed it onto the front of my white card. The frame is two layers. The first is colour printed paper which was needing a bit of a lift so after my success with altering the cardstock I decided to see what I could do to spruce it up a bit. I chose two different snowflake full page backgrounds which I created a while back using snowflake fonts and printed them in two different colours over the less than impressive paper!! Perfect!! It created paper that so perfectly complimented this saying!! I glued the paper to lightweight cardstock to add a bit of colour and some weight to enable it to be dry embossed as well. I used the largest of my ovals (Nestabilities) to cut out the center portion to create a frame that allows the saying to show through and then ran it through the Big Shot using a snowflake embossing folder!! Maybe a little over the top but I like the look!! Sponged a bit of ink onto the card front before gluing down the frame. Added a coordinating snowflake and embellished it with glitter glue. Stickles is a great glitter glue if you are looking to buy your first bottle. Check out your local discount store as well. Don't know which colour to buy?? Iridescent is good choice because it goes with pretty much everything!!

Therese

Christmas cards - Dasher

The inspiration for this card came from one in an old copy of Paper Creations (Winter 2008) created by Sue Boddis. She had used a Penny Black stamp for the saying and an Inkadinkado reindeer on a gate fold card. I changed up the sketch to suit a regular sized landscape card!!

I created the saying using a "handwriting" font and printed it out. I stamped on Dasher (SU) in blue or brown depending on the card colour (I know, these are both blue because I ran out of brown ones) and added a bit of distressing with the "Sanded" background stamp (SU). I added some sponging around the edges as well. Layered this piece onto coordinating dark colour and added some triangles on two corners in a complimentary colour which helps add "pop"!! Thrifty Tip: To make two identical triangles - take a rectangle and cut it diagonally!! This was then layered onto the embossed card front using 3D foam tape. I created this card using a 4.25" x 11" piece of cardstock so I could emboss the whole card front using a large snowflake embossing folder which will only go into my Big Shot in one direction - portrait!! I added a little snowflake punchie which I will be embellishing with glitter glue!! It adds just that touch of bling which is great for Christmas cards!!

Therese

Christmas cards - Snowflake tag

Christmas cards!! Yes, I schedule a Christmas card class just before the summer because it is a good feeling to have a head start on a project that often gets delayed and done at the last minute. We all had a wonderful morning being creative and chit chatting all while we were making our cards. Most went home with them completed!!

I used decorative cardstock (Mind's eye), a colour printed greeting (digital stamp of my own creation), and a small round tag embellished with a snowflake punchie on the front of this card. The greeting is attached with 3D foam tape which adds dimension to the card and it easily hides the ends of the tag's string without making any bumps!! A bit of glitter glue in the center of the snowflakes echos the glitter in the paper!!

The decorative cardstock used on the right hand card was originally just white glittered snowflakes on a baja breeze background. Compared to some of the other papers I had picked for this design/sketch, it was a bit plain so I decided to jazz it up a bit. I stamped some music notes in olive between the rows of snowflakes. The ink that stamped over the glittered snowflakes easily wiped off and in the process gave the paper a bit of a distressed look. Thinking it could use yet a bit more punch I stamped some small poinsettias in red - just what I was looking for!! The sheet of paper was now similar in feeling to the others I had picked out!! There were several other sheets that I picked out that were a bit plain so I added stamped images (used a fun foam stamp) and some glittered shapes to jazz them up!! They turned out great!!

Thrifty Tip: We all have some decorative paper that is collecting dust at the bottom of the box because they are plain or uninteresting and always get passed over. Dig them out and alter them. Add some stamping in a couple of coordinating colours, a bit of glitter or glittered embossing powder, a colour wash or two. It will jazz them up and allows you to even customize them to suit a specific project!!

So, with a few of these added to the stash, I am closer to my goal of having my Christmas cards finished by the beginning of November.

Therese