Christmas cards - label die cut

This was a very fun card to do. I created the background paper!! Earlier this year I was drawn to start collecting all the strips of paper I was creating as I was trimming paper for my paper crafting. I had accumulated a good sized pile in a wide variety of colours and saw this card on Splitcoast Stampers where she had created a background using layered strips so I decided to give it a try!! I sorted through the box and put all the green, red and yellow strips in one pile and the teal, blue, purple and pink in another. I used quarter sheets of scrap paper and just applied glue to the paper and started adding strips until the paper as completely covered. Once they were dry, I die cut them using a large label die (TH - SX), embossed them with a large polka dot embossing folder, ran a dye ink pad over some of the surface, quickly added some glitter embossing powder and heated it under my heat gun!! Voila!! A beautiful background!!! As not to cover up too much of the background, I decided to add a simple greeting. The little Merry Christmas greeting I downloaded from When the Scrap Hits the Fun a while back was just perfect for what I needed. I added a few bands of red and green and some holly to the first one and some blue bands and some snowflakes to the second one, printed them, punched them out (1 3/8" SU) and layered them onto a scalloped circle punchie (SU). Added a ribbon and tied a short piece to it for the look of a bow and glued my greeting embellishment just below it with 3D foam tape.

It is a very fun and rather different look for a Christmas card!! Last night, one of the girls' husband is Jamaican and she thought that this card would be perfect for sending their holiday greetings to his relatives in Jamaica!! Love it when things work out that way!!

So that was the last of my Christmas card classes for this year!! We will be making Thank you cards in early December to acknowledge the blessings of the seasons as they arrive!!

Winter has yet to arrive here - there is someone cutting their grass this morning!!

Therese

Christmas card - embossed candle

These elegant cards are quick and easy!! Just some decorative paper as a background and a gold embossed candle image (Hampton Arts) layered onto coordinating cardstock and adhered using 3D foam tape. What really makes these so great is the paper that I have used for the backgrounds which work so well with the gold embossing of the candle. I used bleach to lighten certain areas on the images embossed on the kraft cardstock - it bleaches to a beautiful yellow colour. Worked perfectly on this card I made earlier this year!! In this case I just painted watercolour into some of the bleached areas to add just a bit of colour as I did to the pale pink one!!

THRIFTY TIP: Keep an eye out for great paper as you are shopping this holiday season!!

Therese

Christmas cards - snowman

A cute little snowman!! This snowman image with its chunky style works really well with this embossed handmade paper I made during the summer using an embossing surface I created with fun foam snowflake shapes. The snowman image is actually one from an internet font - Winter Wonderland*. Fonts contain vector based images so they enlarge quite nicely!! I trimmed my handmade paper to size, added the black organza polka dot ribbon and tied on the left over piece using a single knot, coloured and layered my image which I adhered with 3D foam tape and finally added my snowflake (SU) punchie with a mini black brad.

I am happy with my card and how well all the chunky elements work together and are contrasted by the soft polka dot ribbon!! I don't usually buy printed ribbon but it was the perfect fit for this card.

*THRIFTY TIP: Keep an eye out for graphic fonts that have images you can use for your cardmaking. Many are free to download.

Therese

Christmas cards - three trees

Had a wonderful bunch of girls over last night to make Christmas cards!! It is always great to spend time with like minded people doing something you enjoy!!!

Three little trees (Sizzix -movers and shapers die) each cut from a different material - dark green wool felt (felted the sweater myself), handmade paper (my own) and white cardstock!! I have been appreciating cards with these large greetings on the front so I thought I would try designing one. Colour printed mine after doing the layout in Corel Draw and cut them apart. I glued it to the card front which has some snowflakes stamped on it in a very dark green. Added the ribbon and glued both ends to the inside of the card then added the snow banks with a white gel pen below it. The little felt tree has been embellished with red metallic embroidery floss and three little white brads. I moved them around until I was happy with the layout and glued them down. I used regular glue stick for the white cardstock and handmade paper trees. The little felt one required three glue dots applied to the back of the brads to keep him in place.

I really like the texture provided by the felt and the handmade paper and it contrasts nicely with the smooth surface of the greeting and the white tree!!

I hope you are on your way to creating your Christmas cards. Lots of inspiration on my blog from the classes I have taught in the last month, so check them out!! It is not too late to start!!

Therese