Happiest Day Card

Hello friends!  Just wanted to let you know that I'm trying to work on some of those 'works in progress' stacks sitting on my countertops instead of constantly starting something new.  So far, I've managed just fine, but this is only the first day.  Will I make it for a whole week?  We'll see.  But today was an especially productive day.  No, I didn't get started putting away Thanksgiving decorations and getting started on the Christmas decor, even though I should have.  Instead, I finished putting together the Christmas treats for my Sunday School ladies.  I always had so much fun sharing cards or little treats and goodies with my friends in Michigan.  Guess if I start doing it here on a regular basis, maybe some others will catch on to the idea.  I used all retired products for my goodies, so I don't think I'll share that.  But... when I finished them, I picked up a card that was semi-finished and got it out of the way.  I'm pleased with how it turned out, so that's what I'm sharing today.

So Not Christmas!  Or even winter related!  But I was in the mood for pastels and that makes me think of spring.  And these cute little dragonflies from the Happiest Day set are just the perfect fit for spring.  Wouldn't it brighten your day having this show up in your mailbox on a sloppy, grey winter day?  Hope so.

To make the card, I started with a layer of Basic White that measures 3 3/4" x 5".  All the stamping will be done on this layer.  I wanted a really skinny layer to accent the white, so a piece of Basic Gray cardstock was cut to measure 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" to fit.  Then the Basic White cardstock base was cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and then scored and folded in half.  These pieces were all set aside while I planned the color scheme for the card.

I stamped a bevy of dragonfly bodies to work with color choices.  These were stamped with Basic Gray ink to keep them just a little less harsh with all of those pastels.  And they were stamped on scrap pieces of Basic White cardstock.  I finally ended up with these colors:  Pretty in Pink, Summer Splash, Peach Pie, and Balmy Blue.  The wings on the dragonflies were stamped with some of these colors off-stamped to keep them a little lighter, especially the Summer Splash. Just try your colors out and see what you prefer. Unfortunately, this set does not come with matching dies.  Doggone it!  Luckily, these dragonflies aren't that difficult to cut out.  It only took a minute to cut each one out, so unless you have a whole swarm of them you need, you shouldn't have a problem.

After laying them out on the cardstock, I knew it needed something to really pop the color on the card more.  Using the smallest square die from Stylish Shapes Die set, I cut one small square of each color I used.  The idea was starting to come together but wasn't quite there yet.

The stamp set has several cute sentiments to choose from, and I didn't want the birthday one.  This one I chose is pretty generic and could fit the bill for many uses.  Doesn't it just make you want to smile?  It's stamped near the right edge about 1" up from the bottom edge.  I used Basic Gray ink again to keep it just a little softer.

At this point, the squares and dragonflies were laid out on the card to check spacing.  Still needed a little something more.  The stamp set also has a little bitty stamp with sparkles and dots that could add a little more color and interest.  With the squares held in place, one was removed, and the sparkles were stamped showing out of both sides.  Then the square was set back down to hold my place.  Don't fret when you have a muddled mess of stamping under the squares.  The stamping on either side overlaps in the middle but is covered up when put together.

After the stamping was complete, the squares were attached to the card front with "green glue" on each one.  One Mini Dimensional was placed under the center of each dragonfly and attached to the corresponding color square.

It still needed a little something else.  Ah hah!  Wink of Stella was added to each of the dragonfly wings.  Then I went ahead and spattered the entire front of the card with it too!  This is just so stinkin' gorgeous!  I wish I could have captured the shimmer with the pictures, but they just don't do the card justice.

After all the spattering dried, the white layer was attached flat to the Basic Gray with adhesive and then this was attached to the white card base with adhesive also.

One last little bit was added to my creation.  The little white sequins with a touch of iridescence to them.  I know, I said I was trying to leave all the new goodies alone until I freed up some space occupied with all my semi-finished projects.  But... this is a little sneak peek of a Sale-a-Bration freebie that is coming in January.  Woo Hoo!  Just a little something to look forward to playing with on those long winter days.  Love these!!!  They come in shades of purples and pinks and oh my, are they ever adorable.

Hope you enjoyed our little fast-forward trip to spring.  I really enjoyed playing with an assortment of colors trying to find just the look I wanted to create.  And that just means I've got more dragonflies and squares that are going to have to find their way to another project down the road.  Many times I have an idea that should be fabulous, but when all the pieces are there it's just not what I thought it would be.  Don't be afraid to scratch an idea and rethink the whole thing.  Keep an open mind.  You never know what you might come up with if you don't give up.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

More Peaceful Evergreens

Hello my 'stuffed' friends.  If you're like me, you still feel a little 'stuffed' from your Thanksgiving dinner yesterday.  But that's not stopping me from those leftovers today!  It was so nice having family share the day with us.  I think I told Kathy that the day was filled with family, food, and football.  I should have included fun in that mix too.  But today I'm back sharing Christmas ideas with you.  There's still time to make oodles of cards to share with family and friends.  Let's get busy. 

Here's a card that's a little different from my usual Christmas colors, but I totally love the look.  I was actually working on a different project and fiddling with color choices for that card trying to find the right mix.  When I saw these colors together, I was inspired to switch projects right away and make this card instead.  I love pastel colors, and this card really says it all.

For the card, I started with two pieces of Basic White cardstock.  One measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored in half for the card base.  The second piece measures 5 1/4" x 4".  This piece would carry the trees and blended background to elevate the card a little bit.

I was going to use the Deckled Rectangle Dies to finish the edge on this top piece.  Instead, I dug out an old die set.  Remember the Stitched with Whimsy Dies?  This is the largest one and I thought it added just a little fun to this layer.  

Using three different Blending Brushes, I added color to the background.  Bubble Bath is the first color used near the bottom.  Then a band of Fresh Freesia ink was added next.  Lastly, the Boho Blue ink was added to the sky area.  TIP:  when using this dark of a color for the pastel area, I had very little ink left on the brush and kept a very light touch on the brush.

Using the Peaceful Evergreens Dies, the trees were cut.  The largest and smallest detail tree dies cut the Basic White trees.  The smallest tree die was also used to cut one tree from the pack of Berry Burst, Old Olive, and White Glimmer Specialty Paper.  Thought that would make a pretty accent.

The sentiment from the Shepherd's Care stamp set was added along the bottom.  It's stamped with Boho Blue ink.

The largest tree was attached with "green glue" dotted on the back.  It's attached to the left side and down close to the sentiment.  The small Basic White tree was also attached with "green glue" to the right of the card center with a little space between them.  The glimmer tree was attached between those two trees.  I cut tiny bits of Mini Dimensionals apart to tuck behind thicker areas on the tree.  This lifted the tree up just enough to add interest.  Do you notice how the glimmer on the tree seems to pick up the colors on the background?

At this time, I used "green glue" again to attach the white layer to the card base.  The glue was kept well inside the stitched lines.  When the card was put together, the edges look like they are slightly elevated.

One of the ideas I had for embellishing this card, was die-cutting the stars that are part of the die set.  I cut several from the glimmer paper that was used for the tree.  The stars seemed way too big for these delicate trees.  One of the awesome embellishments I tried on this card really stood out and caught my eye.  These are the Iridescent Faceted Gems.  Wow!  They really sparkle and pick up all the colors on this card.  Just perfect.

Yay! Another card finished for my Christmas card stash.  One of these days, I'll have to sit down and count how many I have finished and how many more I'll need.  The countdown is on to get them all finished addressed, and in the mail.  Before Christmas would be nice.  😄  

There are new stamps, dies, paper, and all kinds of goodies that I've been pre-ordering as a demonstrator.  The stack of new items is calling my name and I'm antsy to start playing with them!

When I was thinking over all the blessings that I'm thankful for, you came to mind.  My stamping friends have blessed me beyond measure by the kindness, helpfulness, and loyalty you've shown me.  And I'm thankful for you stopping by today to see what's been going on in my stamp room.  There seems to be way too many stacks of partially finished project ideas that I need to sit down and get serious about finishing.  You'd probably have a heart attack if you saw my room.  Rick thought he made sure I had enough counterspace to work on, but oh my!  I really could use double the space.  Of course, then I'd probably fill that up and need even more space.  Never enough!!  Get stamping!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Fun Fold Wintery Tree Tops Card

Hello friends!  I'm back with another fun fold card for you today.  I've been hoarding my stash of Designer Papers because they are so beautiful I can't bear to cut into them.  Yes, silly.  I know.  But that's been changing lately.  I've been making a concerted effort to start using all those fun and gorgeous prints I have.  Today's card uses 1/2 sheet, so I didn't want to make a mistake on the card made with my current paper.  So, I got out some retired prints I've been playing with for practice lately.  The card worked great, so on to the real project.  If you stick around until the end of the post, you'll see two other cards using different dsp to keep you thinking.  Just a fun extra.

Here's the final card I made.  I love the Nests in Winter DSP prints here.  They just work so well with this design.  Start with a print you like.  Cut it down to 12" x 5 1/2".  Make sure your print is either all-over with no up and down design, or make sure your print goes in the correct direction.  This is really imperative to the final design.

For scoring the DSP, I turned mine to the back side and scored at 4 1/4", 8 1/2", and 10 1/4".

The front piece has a circle cut from it.  You can cut this in different sizes or shapes from what I used depending on your design.  I used the largest circle in the Stylish Shapes Die set.  This card has the circle cut a little higher than center.  Make sure you open your card before cutting so only the front flap on the card is cut.  

Using the same circle die, a Gray Granite circle was cut to fit inside the front circle.  Using the next size down, a circle of Shaded Spruce cardstock was cut.  Then with the next smallest circle a bird was cut from another print of the same Nests in Winter DSP pack.

Okay, have all your circles cut?  It's time to move on then.  When you open the front flap, you have the right side that's been scored to fold in, then fold out again.  This makes a half fold inside flap to work with.  

Shut the front flap again.  You can see the half-folded flap through the circle you cut.  I added "green glue" just to the inner half circle of the flap that showed.  Keep this to a light amount of glue so it won't ooze out.  Attach the Gray Granite circle to this right through the cut-out circle on the card front to get the correct placement. 

Attach the bird circle to the center of the Shaded Spruce circle with adhesive.  Then attach these to the center of the Gray Granite circle using Dimensionals.  This is how it looks at this point.

A piece of Basic White cardstock was cut to fit inside the card.  This measured 5 1/4" x 4".  A sentiment from Perched in a Tree was used on this card.  It was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  A small bird from the Winterly Tree Tops stamp was stamped right near the sentiment also using the same black ink.  A Real Red Stampin' Blends set added the color to the bird.  It was colored with the Light Real Red and then a little shading was added with the Dark.

The Basic White layer was attached inside the card with adhesive after the stamping and coloring.

The front sentiment on the card is from the Greetings of the Season stamp set.  This is an Online Exclusive set that also has a set of coordinating dies you can purchase.  So far, it seems like I'm using both the stamps and dies, just separately.  They are both great basic sets to have on hand.

For this card, the sentiment was stamped on a 1/2" strip of Basic White cardstock using Real Red ink.  A Shaded Spruce layer that measures 3/4" x 3 3/4" is added behind the sentiment to frame it.  This is added to the card front with Dimensionals.

At this point, there is no bling added to this design.  I tried several options, but nothing stood out to enhance the design.  Who knows, I might consider adding something later when inspiration hits.  (yes, it does once in a while)

Now on to the other cards I made to test out the fun fold...

Do you remember this DSP?  It's been at least 5 years since this retired gem was current.  I've only got little bits of this package left, but I was happy to find a full half sheet to work with here.

The same circle die was used for this card, only this time a Real Red circle of cardstock was cut with the largest die.  Then a Basic White circle and a piece of DSP as the last circle.

The sentiment is the same as the first card, just cut apart and attached at an angle with no layers this time.  The pieces are attached with Dimensionals.

This time a double white Baker's Twine bow was added to the design.  And it's a little hard to tell, but one Real Red & White Peppermint was added to the center of the door of the gingerbread house as an accent.

For this card, I didn't make my score lines on the inside, but on the front of the design.  When I made my folds, I noticed the inside design of 'frosting' was upside down from how I would have made it if I was paying attention.  You might also see an extra score line on the DSP because I measured wrong.  I know you never do that, but I just wanted to point out my mistakes.

You'd think I'd learn from my mistakes, but not so much.  Again, I scored on the outside of the DSP.  This green herringbone pattern was supposed to be the inside of the card.  Oh well.  Now it's the outside with all the prints on the inside.  Really, sometimes I don't know what happens to my brain when it just doesn't want to function properly.  

I think it still turned out cute.  I love the added pop of Shy Shamrock to the design.  I think this is really supposed to be the Emerald Envy color of several years ago.  But the Shy Shamrock seems to fill in just right.  The holly leaves were stamped and die-cut using the Hang an Ornament Bundle.  And another of those cute little peppermints was added as a berry.

The design is just a little 'busier' than I would prefer.  But all in all, I think my practice cards turned out cute.  

This is definitely a fun fold I need to bring out more often.  If you give this fun fold a try, let me know how yours turns out.  And try not to make the same silly mistakes I did!

Thank you for stopping by today so I could share another idea or two with you.  Leave a comment if you would.  It brightens my day to know you're spending some time with me.  And a big thanks for the lovely Thanksgiving cards that are gracing my dinner table!  I love seeing your wonderful creativity!!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Baby Wipes and Trees

Hello people!  It's taken me a while to get organized after making this forest of trees.  I have to tell you how much fun it was to create these trees!  Have you tried doing the Baby Wipe technique?  Have you done it in ages?  It's been several years at least since I played with this technique, but it was so fabulous making these lovely trees with each one turning out slightly different.  Let's start from the beginning.  Back about two weeks or so ago, I ran into a blog that was showing the Baby Wipe technique with the Peaceful Evergreen stamp set. I loved the look of the trees when she was finished and wanted to try this myself.  Big problem - I couldn't find the post again, but I knew how to do this because I've used this technique before on fall trees.  I wasn't sure which refills she used, but I figured it would work with whichever colors I tried.  The technique uses ink refills dropped to make spots onto a cushion of about five folded Baby Wipes.  The ink drops (spots) should bleed in to fill any open spaces.  If you need more drops, add them.  I ended up using four colors and about seven - eight drops (spots) of each color.  You use how many you need.  Make sure the "ink pad" you're making is large enough to fit the largest stamp you want to use.  

TIP:  I use an empty stamp box to make a pad.  This keeps the ink contained, it doesn't bleed through to your table, and you can shut the lid and come back later and it's still usable.

This is a picture of the cards I've made so far.  I still have a few extra trees left over that I'll get to later.  

My color palette of refills is:  Misty Moonlight, Pretty Peacock, Shaded Spruce, and Fresh Freesia.  The Fresh Freesia color is the only color I know she used because I thought it was a little weird, but it really adds a "frosty" look to the trees.  If you try this technique, you can use any mixture of colors you'd like on your trees.  Each time you'll have a different looking mix.

As you can see, I used all three sizes of the single evergreen trees.  Plus, on three of the cards I used the row of trees stamped twice to go across the card front.

TIP:  Have a stack of white cardstock ready to stamp so you can just keep going once you're on a roll with this technique.

TIP:  I did NOT clean my stamps during this whole stamping session.  It just added more of a color mix to my trees.

By stamping on different areas of my "ink pad" there is a different mix of colors on each of the set of five trees on this stamp.  Some are darker, and some have more of the Fresh Freesia color that tends to make the trees a little lighter.

The die-cut Christmas is from the Peaceful Season dies. And I've used both the Misty Moonlight and Basic White to cut the word Christmas.  The two Misty Moonlight die-cuts are backed with Basic White, but the Basic White one was backed with Fresh Freesia to give a soft yet bright look.  The word 'merry' used with it comes from the Greetings of the Season set which you can find in the Online Exclusive section of the store.  I love that all the sentiments come in two different sizes and fonts that you can mix and match.  That makes it so versatile.  You can find the right sentiment so easily.

These three cards have used the medium and small trees.  Each size was stamped twice - once on the card and once on an extra piece of Basic White cardstock and die-cut after stamping.   Two of these cards had a strip of Misty Moonlight ribbon weaving in between the trees as an accent.  While you're having fun stamping, you might as well stamp several extra trees in assorted sizes to make more cards!  

Once you've made the "ink pad" to stamp with, it's amazing just how many times you can use it.  I stamped all these trees, plus extra for the white inserts on the cards and still had a viable pad.  Now that it's been sitting in one of the empty stamp containers for a week and a half, it's still usable. Amazing!  The colors are more mottled, but still a beautiful mix of colors!

If you look closely, you can see different backgrounds on each of these three cards.  The one on the left has spatters of Wink of Stella covering the background.  The middle card has the Snowfall Sky Embossing Folder adding the snowflakes.  The right card uses the So Swirly Embossing Folder because it reminded me of the wind blowing and swirling around.  

Two of these cards use a sentiment from the Shepherd's Care set.  I love both the sentiment and font of the "peace on earth" stamp.  It's a sentiment I keep going back to use.  It's perfect, especially with the quiet of the woods on these cards.

This card uses the medium sized tree on all four trees.  As you can see, each one of the trees here have a different mix of colors even though they were all stamped from the same pad.  Just by moving the stamp around the different sections of the pad, you get a different mix.  These were all stamped on the Basic White layer, just spaced out so they can all fit.

I'll just mention here that the cards all used a mix of the four colors already mentioned for the layering pieces on the cards:  Misty Moonlight, Pretty Peacock, Shaded Spruce, and Fresh Freesia.  Except for one which I layered with Lost Lagoon cardstock because the tree colors on that card looked just like Lost Lagoon was added.

The card on the left has a 1/2" strip of Pretty Peacock Glimmer Paper as an accent.  That paper is still available in the Online Exclusive section of the store.   It adds a pretty bit of shimmer to the design.

Both of these cards use the largest and medium sized trees in their design.  When using the largest tree, it's too tall to fit on the card in landscape mode.

So, there you have it!  A complete forest of trees all made the same, but each one ended up being one of a kind.  This was such an afternoon of fun and creativity making all these trees and even more!  I was surprised it took another week to get all of these cards made.  There were just too many choices with cardstock colors for layering, which sentiments to use, which embossing folder to use, embellishments or not, etc.  Yes, it was enough to make your head spin!  But it really was a fun creative endeavor.  Now I've still got just a few more of those trees to take care of that were left over from my stamping frenzy.

Oh, just one more thing.  You might have noticed that none of these cards have any embellishments on them.  I did go back later and added some goodies.  Here's a list of some of the gems used:  Iridescent Faceted Gems, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Iridescent Pearls, White Loose Snowflakes, Pecan Pie & Clear Ribboned Dots, and Adhesive-Backed Snowflake Assortment.  There are others that are retired but still favorites that I dig out every so often.  Whew!  And you wondered how it could possibly take another week to get the cards finished.  Just choosing the embellishments took about a week all by itself!!  :-)  But then again, I always have a hard time choosing embellishments.

Okay, that's all I've got for you today.  Hope that is enough to keep you thinking and creating on your own.  This is such a fun technique.  Each time you make one of those Baby Wipe ink pads, you open up a world of possibilities.

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Another DSP Christmas Card

Hello friends!  I don't know about you, but at this time of year with so many things to do and my lists getting longer and longer, I'm always on the lookout for ways to make things easier and to conserve my time.  I've run across one of my card layouts that went together very quickly with odds and ends that were clogging up my work area, but I think it's really special.  Tell me what you think of this.

I love everything about the card singly, and when you put them all together, wow!  The card design started with the Winter Meadow DSP that is such a wonderful mix of colors with whimsical prints.  You just can't miss with this DSP.  I had a piece that measured 5 1/4" x 2".  That would make a perfect starting place.

The DSP piece is backed with Lost Lagoon cardstock.  It's cut to measure 5 1/4" x 2 1/4" and they're attached with adhesive.  The card base is also Lost Lagoon cardstock.  It measures 11" x 4 1/4".  It's scored at 5 1/2" and folded in half.

Next a piece of Basic White cardstock was cut to fit the card front.  It measures 5 1/4" x 4".  As you can see, it was embossed with the Snowflake Sky Embossing Folder.  I love the delicate background the embossing gives to this layer.  It's then attached to the Lost Lagoon card base using adhesive. 

When adjusting where I wanted the DSP strip, I realized it could use another strip of cardstock or something to add more contrast to the card.  The slight glimmer in the peacock color of the Three Color Glimmer paper pack would work nicely.  Yes, this is still available in the Online Exclusive section of the Stampin'Up! store.  This is such a pretty accent paper!  You can see the subtle shimmer in the picture.  I had an inch wide strip left over in the package.  It was cut to fit the 5 1/4" length.  Then it was eased behind the DSP layers and attached with "green glue" with only about a half inch showing to the right side.  The layers were then attached to the card base using "green glue" to hold it securely.

The sentiment I chose for this card is from the Greetings of the Season stamp set.  The two words are separate stamps so you can line them up however you prefer.  They are stamped on a Basic White label made with the Thoughtful Expressions dies.  The sentiment is stamped with Pretty Peacock ink.

The four pieces of holly are die-cut from Pretty Peacock cardstock.  They are cut with the holly die in the Hang An Ornament Bundle.  Two holly leaves are attached to the top left area of the label using Mini Glue Dots.  Only the tips of the holly have adhesive on them.  The label is attached to the card front using Dimensionals.  After attaching, I tucked in two more holly leaves on the bottom right of the label.  It seemed like it needed just a bit more contrast.  There is a stem in the Thoughtful Expressions die set that fit nice.  It was die-cut from Lost Lagoon cardstock.  Then it was tucked in with the two holly leaves.

The last addition on the card was the bits of bling.  After trying several different possibilities, I settled on the blue gems from the Tinsel Gems Four Pack.  Three gems are added to the label to look like holly berries.  Another two were added to balance out the design.  When the sun shines on these gems, they look just like they are glowing!  So beautiful!

Another card to add to the finished Christmas card box.  With all the card making I've been doing I find I'm running low on cardstock.  Right now, Stampin'Up! is having their Seasonal Sale going on.  What a perfect time to stock up on all those staples that you'll be needing for your holiday crafting.

This sale will run through Friday 11/15.  If you need a demonstrator, I'd be happy to assist you.  When you order either today or tomorrow, please consider using my Host Code shown at the top of this blog post.  Thank you so much for any order you might place.

From the 2024–2025 Annual Catalog:

• 10% off ink, including pads, refills, markers, and Stampin’ Blends. Ink pad bundles and third-party ink pads are NOT included. 
• 10% off cardstock. Close To My Heart cardstock is NOT included.
• 20% total off all stamp and die bundles and stamp and punch bundles. (Stamp bundles are normally 10% off. With this sale you get an additional 10% off.)
• 20% off all Designer Series Paper  (Annual Catalog only)

Isn't this a super sale to stock up on all your cardstock, ink, stamp bundles, and DSP.  It's like getting a Christmas present early!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

More Nests in Winter Cards

Hi again!  Since I was playing with the Nests in Winter DSP yesterday, the paper was still sitting out on my desk.  Yes, I know.  I should have put it all away.  But then I wouldn't have been inspired to make some more cards with those cool die-cut birds.  I can't believe how easy it is to make a card using those birds instead of having to do all the stamping and coloring myself.  Yes, I still like to do all the coloring.  But sometimes I'm just looking for quick and simple.  Don't you have those days too?  Anyway, that's my excuse for today!

Like I said, all this stuff was still sitting on my desk, the DSP, the stamps, the dies.  Oh my, what a mess!  But I saw the die-cut birds and the Pool Party printed DSP and it got my creativity going full speed.   This time I wanted to make a light and airy card with the birds, but still do a quick fun fold.  Let's get creating!

I started with a 4" x 4" square piece of this Pool Party print.  It resembled a snowy sky, so that was the starting point.  With only a 4" x 4" piece to work with, I had to get creative with the rest of the card to accommodate that piece.

The card base is Basic White Thick cardstock that measures 11" x 4 1/4".  It's scored at 5 1/2" then 1" is cut from the front edge.  The Nested in Winter DSP print was attached to the front flap using adhesive.

Inside the card, a 1 1/4" strip of Pool Party cardstock has been added. Prior to attaching it, the strip was embossed using the Snowflake Sky Embossing Folder.  This gives it a subtle snowy appearance that complements the DSP print.

The Nested Essentials Dies were used on this card too.  A different sentiment from the Perched in a Tree stamp set was used this time.  It's stamped near the top with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  I thought the sentiment about singing would coordinate well with the birds.

These birds are from the Nests in Winter DSP that was used on the previous card.  Both styles of birds are die-cut with the coordinating dies.  This makes it so easy to have the birds, branches, and berries all cut and ready to use.  

The birds are attached just below the sentiment using adhesive.  Then the entire tag is attached to the card front using adhesive.  I let part of the tag set below the edge of the layer.  

To add a little subtle bling to the design, a knot was made in a 5" strip of Glittered White Organdy Ribbon.  This gives just a tiny bit of sparkle.  It's attached at the top of the label tag using a Mini Glue Dot to finish the card.

Final look at this pretty snowy looking card for Christmas.  I've just about run out of this snowy DSP print, so I need to get more before I'm ready to sit down and make my own Christmas cards.  That's not a good time to run out of one of the main pieces of my design, now is it?

Off to do a little more creating!  I can't wait to finish a series of cards using the Peaceful Evergreens set I've been working on.  I'm sort of in the middle of those and need to figure out how I want to finish them.  Come on back for the next Christmas installment.  Or maybe I'll have another Thanksgiving card or two up my sleeve.  You never know!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon  

Winter Birds Card

Hi all.  I've been planning ahead for all the cards I need to send out for Christmas, and I've been on a roll.  Today's card is a fun fold that's easy as pie (make mine pumpkin please!).  You can make three of these from one 12" x 12" piece of designer paper, so that's what I did.  Hope you love this idea!

Isn't this a wonderful card with a sweet country feel that's just right for Christmas?  Your first step to making these cards is deciding which piece of dsp that you're going to use.  For my cards, I chose one of the pretty prints from the Nests of Winter Designer Series Paper that you can find in the Mini Catalog.  I love the mix of stripes and the birds coordinating on the card to make it special.

On the 12" x 12" piece with the prints positioned properly, score at 2 3/4" and 6 5/8".  Then turn the paper 1/4 turn and cut at 4" and 8" to get 3 sections that measure 4" x 12".  This will be the main part of your card.

I used a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" piece of Garden Green cardstock for the card base.   This is attached to the folded dsp.  I used "green glue", but you could use the adhesive of your choice.  

The tag on the card front is from the Nested Essentials Die set.  I liked that it slightly overlapped both sides of the turned back flap.  The sentiment is from the Perched in a Tree stamp set.  This was in the Online Exclusive section if you don't have it yet.  The bird is die-cut from another print of the Nests of Winter DSP pack.  I just love how easily you can die-cut a whole stack of these birds and another set of birds too with the coordinating die set.

The ribbon is the Wild Wheat Rustic Striped Ribbon.  This has such a nice golden tone to it.  In the catalog I thought it looked stiff, but it's a nice ribbon that's very pliable which makes it easy to use.  It's attached to the point of the label with a Mini Glue Dot.

For the inside of my card, I cut two different sizes of Basic White cardstock for the sentiments.  The one on the left is 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square.  The right one is 3 1/2" x 3 3/4".  Both of these sentiments are ones I've owned for a good while.  I was looking for something with a religious tone to the sentiment and had a hard time finding what would work.  They are both stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then they're attached with adhesive.

After giving it much thought, I'm leaving these cards bare.  That's right, no bling!  Oh my, what is this world coming to?   Do you think that some bling is needed here?  If so, what would you use?

Thought I'd share the picture of all three cards together.  Since there's almost no stamping and no coloring at all, these cards can be made in a minimum of time.  But they still look special.  Maybe you'll add this idea to your Christmas card stash this year.  If you don't have this particular DSP, try something else that works.  Let me know what you made!

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

My Christmas Tree Version

Hello stamping friends!  I hope you aren't bored by my card today.  So many people have shared their versions of Christmas tree cards this year.  Especially since there are several different tree-centered new sets this year to choose from.  After giving this some thought, I figured why not share one more.  After looking at so many different versions of Christmas trees on Pinterest to get inspired, I feel like I must have seen them all already.  And I hope my version isn't too much like anyone else's card idea.  I think I got idea overload and started mixing up what I saw and what I thought up myself.  Also, I was having a problem finding what I wanted to put together on this card from just my current stash of stamps, punches and cardstock.  So, this card is a real mixture of old and new, but I love how it all comes together into a beautiful Christmas card!

 

Isn't this just the perfect Christmas tree card?  I love how it came together.  When planning this card, I couldn't keep myself from using the retired original Shimmery Paper that we sold previously.  It has a subtle shimmer to it that it's almost unnoticeable, but it is there and makes a lovely backdrop for this tree.

The card starts with a card base of Shaded Spruce that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" that's scored and folded in half.  The first layer is the Shimmery Paper that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  For some added shimmer on this, I flicked a little bit of Wink of Stella on the layer and set it aside to dry for a minute.  I wasn't sure how I'd finish the design until I had a tree to work with, so that was next.

While that was drying, I created my tree(s).  The larger tree image in the Frosted Forest stamp set was stamped on Basic White cardstock with Shaded Spruce ink.  Then I worked with the coordinating stencils to add the rest of the color.  Stencil A was Shaded Spruce added with a Blending Brush.  Stencil B was adding some Mossy Meadow for a shading color.  Stencil C was carefully dabbing and smooshing White Craft ink onto the tree.  Don't rub it on or much of the green will transfer to your white ink pad.  Oops!  After adding the white ink, I added White Embossing Powder to one and a clear glitter embossing powder to the 2nd one.  After heat setting, you can see the difference of the two trees.  For this card, I chose the snowy tree with the white embossing powder on it.

A strip of Shaded Spruce was cut for the card front.  It measures 5 1/4" x 1 1/2".  A strip of the Graceful Greenery Vellum was added over this as a lovely accent.  The strip measures 5 1/4" x 1 3/8".  It's attached to the green strip only under the circle areas to hide the adhesive.  For a final layer on the strip, a length of the Silver & White Sheer Ribbon was wrapped around and adhered to the back.  This was all added to the card front and attached with adhesive.

Two of the Spotlight on Nature circle dies were used next.  The larger one cut a piece of Shaded Spruce, and the next size down cut a circle from the Shimmery White cardstock.  These are layered up together with adhesive.  Then they are attached to the far-right side of the card front using Dimensionals.

The tree was attached to the circles by using Dimensionals also, so it really stands out on the card.

Another retired favorite of mine, the Double Oval Punch, was used to make the sentiment piece.  The larger oval punched out Shaded Spruce and the smaller oval punched Basic White.  Shaded Spruce ink was used to stamp Joy from the Brightest Glow set which I think is retired.  The sentiment fit just right though, so that's what I used.

We're down to the home stretch now.  It was time for any extra bling to go on now.  After evaluating, I went back and added Wink of Stella over all the white embossing powder on the tree branches.  I like the bit of glimmer that added to the tree.  The very last addition was the five tiny Rhinestone Basic Jewels scattered on the tree.  

There, I'm so happy with the entire card, even if it is a mish-mash of old and new.  I really enjoy getting out my retired products and playing around with them.  It reminds me of why I held on to those special items when they retired in the first place.  Of course, I'd be happy to hang on to every single stamp, accessory, and tool I've purchased over many years.  But you know, I really don't want to rent a storage unit to fit it all!  LOL

Hope you had fun creating with me today.  I promise I'll try to stick with more current products next time around.  (Maybe)  Please don't get mad at me if I wander away into the past again.  

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon