Ready!

Tags are done and gifts are wrapped. I even have a few left to add to a stash for next year. Hope all your Holiday plans are proceeding smoothly!

We wish you....

I finally finished my Christmas cards. It was rough going as I just had no idea what I wanted to do. Since getting into the Holiday spirit has been difficult, I decided to go very simple this year. So, I used some pre-cut card kits (leftovers from Club Scrap kits) and stamps from Close to My Heart:

The nesting dies are by Stampin' Up! Not one of my more spectacular efforts, but at least they are done!

Gift Tags

I think I've made enough gift tags for Christmas. My goal to use my stash of patterned paper has worked well. I have also been using die cuts quite a bit. For the gift tags below, I folded patterned paper in half and positioned in in the Sizzix/Tim Holtz ornament die so that the fold was below the to cut line. Thus, it makes a mini ornament card. I ran a complimentary paper through the die again to cut out the top of the ornament.

I stamped and punched put the center circles. Super easy! I made the tag below similarly using the Sizzix/Tim Holtz dwellings die:

You can see the top is a bit flat due to the fold. Take a look at your dies - there may be some that would make a perfect fold over card.

Tuesday's Tag

For today's tag, I took out (of the package) a couple of new stamps. The background is by Hero Arts - love it!

It was stamped in Distress ink, but seemed a bit too dark for what I wanted to do. Enter Distress Stain in Picket Fence - it toned it down a bit. I stamped the bird (My Mind's Eye from the Merry and Bright collection) onto the tag in black. I then re-stamped it on a separate piece of card stock in Barn Door Distress ink. I cut out the bird and mounted it over the black image with mounting tape. The flowers were also re-stamped onto white card stock, cut out and mounted over the original image. I added some Straw Distress Stickles to the center.
From a scrap of Merry and Bright paper, I die cut the lace edge on the left. I used the same print to punch out different size snowflakes. I added a smear of glitter glue to the snowflakes. Here's a close up:

Last of all, I stamped the sentiment (My Mind's Eye Merry and Bright) and cut out the banner. It was also added to the card with mounting tape. Finally, I stained some cream ribbon with Stormy Sky Distress Stain. I did use the papers and tag from my stash, only the stamps were new!

Some Favorites

A few years back, I was debating about getting a Big Shot by Sizzix. After all, I didn't like to use die cuts. I had steered clear of them for decades. But, I did like embossing folders, so I figured why not get the Big Shot. One of the best tools I ever bought. I think this is pretty funny since almost all the cards and tags I have been making use a die cut!
I made the card below for a friend. The snowman in the fold-over card. I folded white card stock in half and the put the fold just below the top of the hat. That way, it doesn't cut through:

After die cutting, I opened the snowman up and placed the front into a snowflake embossing folder. I slightly inked the raised snowflakes and smeared on a bit of glitter glue. The photo below shows how the snowman opens. The banner is made from a SimonSaysStamp thin die (a new favorite!). I mounted the snowman to the card with mounting tape.

                                          

Sweet Treats

I had invited my gym buddies over for a lunch, a thank you for all the support they have given over the past half year. I was thinking of making a cute holiday favor for them to take home. Opening my drawer of dies, I embarrassingly recalled that I had bought the Stampin' Up matchbox die and never used it! No time like the present...
I used a couple of patterned papers, instead of card stock. I wasn't sure how sturdy they would be so I did make a test box. Thankfully, they worked beautifully:

I made the lid from printer transparencies. It was thin enough that I didn't need to score it to wrap it around the little box. I used my ATG gun to adhere it together. Since you can still see a bit of the glue line, I placed the ribbon around the box at the seam and tied a bow. Below is the bottom view, you can see I still needed to adjust the ribbon:

They were a big hit, thankfully. And, I stayed with my resolution to use my stash - including old "new" dies!

Tuesday's Tag

I had a weekly feature, Tuesday's Tips, for a couple of years. I haven't really posted any new tips for awhile - been distracted with real life. So, for a twist, I thought I would have Tuesday's Tag. I figure it will help me get tags done for Christmas. Plus, I can make some for gift tags for a variety  of occasions. For the tag below, I used a Darcy's Christmas set:

I stamped a swirl in gold and silver inks, then lightly sprayed with Glimmer Mist. The tree was stamped with Bottle Adirondak. I stamped the frame and greeting, cut them out and mounted it to the card with mounting tape. Quick and easy - which is something I need!

Let it Snow

One of the more interesting card sketches this season has layered stamping. I was playing around with this technique using some snowflake stamps and Distress Inks.

To make it a bit easier to stamp, I used re-positionable adhesive to keep my white panels in place. The sizes of the white panels are:
                       5 1/4 x 4
                       4 1/4 x 3
                       3 1/4 x 2
The blue card stock sizes are:
                       5 1/2 x 4 1/4 (fold over card)
                       4 1/2 x 3 1/4
                       3 1/2 x 2 1/4
Super easy to cut and the card comes together quickly, The plastic snowflakes have a bit of iridescent glitter glue. I threaded a scrap of home made twine in red and white.

Emerald

It's that time of year again. Pantone released the color for 2013 - Emerald Green.

I was originally going to post this tag on Tuesday, but jumped the gun and posted a card instead. This tag was made while I was playing with my new falling stars die. I added the row of house (Sizzix/Tim Holtz)  and couple of Stampin' Up tag images. At the bottom. I made a mixture of white flocking and glitter to imitate snow. All tied up with homemade twine!

                                                         

Falling Stars

I recently purchased a couple of new dies, mainly for backgrounds. I love the Falling Stars thin die made by Memory Box for SimonSaysStamp. I decided to combine it with another die I bought some time ago (and never used!)

After assembling the pieces, I decided to add my "homemade twine" and a mini tag (from Stampin' Up). I added a bit of glitter glue -

Loved the way this card turned out. It may be a future Christmas card...

Merry and Bright

"Tis the season for all things holiday. I recently purchased a few (trying to stick with my "use my stash" commitment) new Christmas papers. The above background chevron's are from My Mind's Eye. Love the colors. I'm having a Holiday lunch for my gym buddies and thought it would make a great background for the invitation.
I wanted to make it simple and easy since I needed a dozen or so. I "second generation" stamped the sentiment "May all your days be merry and bright", and over stamped the "You're Invited" in a deep eggplant color. I love the subtle contrast that the two colors bring. Originally, that was going to be the entire card...but I decided to punch and stamp the mini tag (Stampin' Up!). Then, I needed twine...to match....So, out came the markers and white twine to customize the color. It was a long process making the twine for 12 cards, but I am pleased with the final product!