Christmas is Coming!

It has been too long since I shared what I and others have been creating lately! Just over a week ago I had a couple of friends over for the last Stamp & Chat night for the year and we had a wonderful and busy time!
There were three main projects:
   - A box to hold 4 or more cards and envelopes
   - A box to hold 3-6 tea light candles ( depending on height of candle)
   - Decorate a pillar and some tea light candles

This photo of Katerina's shows the card box well - the inside has a green box attached to the back panel of the "book" and the cards sit inside it. It is made using a free tutorial by Jill Hillard. The front panel we decorated quite differently than the tutorial but we used the basic construction recipe! The decoration was a joint effort - nothing quite like putting more than one creative head together! I suggested the white and gold Poinsettia and dear Katerina took it from there! I love the Polka Dot banner and the lovely crisp Merry

In this version I used a Velcro dot to secure the box closed but in hindsight I wouldn't do that again as makes it a little difficult to open. There are 4 moderately decorated cards with envelopes and plastic pockets inside. I made a matching card and decorated a gift bag as well for a good friend who is yet to be a card maker.

On the card the pearls are embossed with gold EP. It is easy to do - simply adhere pearls lightly to a piece of card. This makes them easier to handle. Push the upturned pearls into the Versamark ink and cover with Gold EP and heat as usual. 

Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Whisper White

Designer Series Paper: Be Of Good Cheer ( Retired )

Inks: Versamark

Stamp: Joyous Christmas

Accessories: Big Shot, Expressions thinlits (Merry), Gold Embossing Powder, Basic Pearls

Next we made a little box by Becky Roberts it is contained in one of her tutorials for purchase  - 12 Days of Christmas 2010.  Whilst we made the box together,  out of respect for Becky,  I didn't share a copy of this tutorial.

The top of the box has a Window Sheet making it a See Through box! Here also are some of the Tea Light candles decorated to fill it. Normal sized teas will fit 6 in 2 layers or 3 Longer burning candles. I find Hallmark tissue the best to stamp on as it easily absorbed into the candle on heating. And don't forget to punch a hole for the candle wick :-)

Card stock: Cherry Cobbler

Designer Series Paper: be of Good Cheer

Stamps:Joyful Christmas (retired)

Accessories:Old Olive ribbon, Antique brad, Tissue paper, sticky strip

And the award for the best pillar candle….goes to K as well!

Again, keeping to the theme of the night it features the Joyous Celebrations stamp.

Wow! what a busy night that was! So many projects completed though makes for some great Christmas ideas. 

Well, happy stamping until next time,

Jan

More Merry Christmas

Good afternoon everyone! And what a gorgeous sunny day it has been too! A beautiful clear blue sky and a very pleasant 23 degrees. My beautiful Sally (lab) has been alternating between lying in the sun until her black fur is hot to touch and she is panting like a steam train

To coming inside and collapsing on the cool tiles whereupon I can't help but laugh at my "hotdog" :-) Ten minutes later she's off to sun bake again - she is so funny!

Meanwhile I have been continuing to make Christmas cards…two cards here with a variation of the Paper Pal arts sketch that I've already made two cards for :-) Yes! Its a keeper of a sketch!!

I also wanted to use up some of the Winter Frost DSP that I haven't used so much of as yet.

This first card uses the Silver foil card stock which is almost permanently out on my table at the moment. But I wondered if the Silver Glimmer paper might actually be better for this one?

Apart from this small difference they are the same card. And as you can see, very little stamping involved! The base is Pool party and have used the Indigo snowflakes from the Winter Frost DSP. Some of the new Silver Ribbon is also used to cover the join of the two papers. The white card stock having been put through the Big Shot using the Print Poetry embossing folder.

The Expression Thinlits die was used to create the "merry" using Pool Party - I find using a sheet of Baking Paper in between the die and the card stock makes it easier to pop out when cut. And I've also found that the more often the die is used, the easier it pops out too! 

The tree image is again from the Joyous Celebrations set  and its actually stamped in Coastal Cabana ink as it gives just a little more colour to it than the Pool Party that would normally coordinate. The Silver glimmer paper here adds to the textured look of the card and seems to suit better than the Foil I think? In each case, dimensionals are used underneath the whole blue/white layer to give it a lift ( and add some dimension ;-) )

Card stock: Pool Party, Whisper White, Silver Foil, Silver Glimmer Paper

Designer Series Paper: Winter Frost Specialty

Ink: Coastal Cabana

Stamp: Joyous Celebrations

Accessories: Big Shot, Print Poetry EF, Expressions Thinlits dies, Basic Rhinestones

Happy stamping until next time,

Jan

Red and white for PPA -180

This red and white - and Gold! - card I decided to use as a practice for the Pals Paper Arts sketch this week ( see previous Post for more info).

The white layer is embossed with the  Petals a Plenty embossing folder and I'm not quite sure why I then decided to colour the middle of the flowers with a marker?? 

The card base and vertical panels are from Brushed Gold card stock. And the red DSP is from the Polka Dot Parade pack - such a happy set of papers!

Card stock: Brushed Gold, Whisper White,

Designer Series Paper: Polka dot Parade

Ink: Real Red

Stamps: Sassy Salutations, Joyous Celebrations

Accessories: Big Shot, Petals a Plenty EF, Basic Pearls

Happy stamping until next time,

Jan

Christmas on my mind!

Today's card is inspired by the fabulous sketch at Pals Paper Arts and my challenge to myself this week to turn every sketch into a Christmas card. And doing quite well - I am now half way thru making the 50 I need….so need to speed it up a bit maybe :-)

This is actually the second card I have made with this sketch - the first was in alternative colours and I will post a bit later.

I picked up the colours from the lovely Winter Frost DSP - Bermuda Bay and the gorgeous silver! The greeting is from the Sassy Salutations set and the tree image is from a retired set that I have been playing with  lately called Joyous Celebrations. The Whisper White layer is embossed with the Print Poetry embossing folder.

Card stock: Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, Silver Foil

Designer Series Paper: Winter Frost Specialty

Ink: Bermuda Bay

Stamps: Sassy Salutations, Joyous Celebrations

Accessories: Big Shot, Print Poetry EF, Silver ribbon, Basic Pearls

Here are a couple of "action shots" of the dogs playing in the park yesterday - sadly the weather hasn't been all that  accommodating today and the sun in these photos is a great reminder that Summer is coming soon!

They have such fun teasing each other but Sally is definitely the "boss" and here she's coming in to surprise Monty but this time...

He's off! Like a crazy puppy he runs a big circle - right back into the smiling jaws of Sal!

He didn't  stand a chance this time LOL!

But they really do love one another!!

Happy stamping until next time. 

Jan

Spot the Dimensional for PCC #68

Today's card uses some of my favourite colours this Christmas season and is inspired by the sketch at the Paper Craft Crew this week.

Now those who know me well are aware that i tend to use a LOT of Dimensionals to add volume to a card. But on this card, because of the way the banners cover the centre panel I decided to use less. So here is YOUR challenge dear readers - "Spot the  Dimensional!" There are only three in use…

Have you found them? There is one under the top of each of the banners and one under the greeting!

One other detail hard to see in this photo is that the Base of the card has been put through the Big Shot with the Polka Dots embossing folder.

The Come to Bethlehem image is a stamp set I have had since I first started stamping - and now it also features as part of this years "Best of Christmas" stamp sets - but this is indeed the original :-)

The greeting is from a set retired last year called Joyous Celebrations and is cut out with the 1" circle punch and layered onto a 11/4' circle of Midnight Muse. The banners are cut from Silver Foil card stock and the beautiful Winter Frost specialty designer series paper.

Card stock: Midnight Muse, Pool Party, Whisper White, Silver Foil

Designer Series Paper: Winter Frost Specialty

Stamps: Come to Bethlehem, Joyous Celebrations

Ink: Midnight Muse

Access: Big Shot, Polka dots EF, Silver Ribbon, 1' an 1 1/4' circle punches, Basic Rhinestones 

Now today was a special day for my dog Sally's special friend Monty - his fourth birthday! So we took him to Hays Paddock park and they had a special play.

 The thrill is always in the chase and Sally wasn't previously (prior to being adopted) called Cougar for nothing as she is a whole 5years his senior but you wouldn't know it as she can more than keep up with him!

 Got Him!

And of course she had a kiss for the Birthday Boy too!! 

Happy stamping until next time,

Jan

Joyous Celebrations and Easel Cards

Its been one of those weeks which has meant little card making has been able to be done!! So was glad to get some time today to make a card for this weeks sketch challenge at Just Add Ink.

I didn't have a scallop quite large enough to allow for the image I chose  so instead went for a circular border for the central image. This card is going to be for one of my sister's whose husband really loves deer so it needed to be something special so have turned it into an Easel card that can have a Tea light candle behind it.

The base of the card is Old Olive card stock and the bright red circle is from a a retired Christmas pack.

The reindeer is stamped onto Vellum card stock with Early Espresso and Versamark ink and  Clear  embossed then attached from the back which is also covered with another Old Olive circle frame.

The circles are cut with Circle Framelits and the border is embossed with the Houndstooth EF as is the beautiful Gold Foil card stock which the chocolate chip ribbon is tucked in behind. Some Basic Rhinestones add a little bit of extra bling :-)

To make an Easel card is easy and fun.To start you make a usual sized card base in Landscape form - that is it opens from the side.

Next you score the whole front of the card diagonally from the top right hand corner to the base. Now you have your basic Easel. Fold the card along the Scored line as shown. To make the "Front" or raised portion add another piece of card stock on top and ONLY add adhesive ( Sticky strip is best) below the Scored line on the card base.

For this card, a circle the same size as the inside of the frame on the front of the card was cut to allow the reindeer on Vellum to be highlighted with a Tea Light candle from behind. Use the same size framelit (or punch if using) for each hole. I cut the Base first - and placed the framelit right up to the scored line. To aid lining up the circles, I lined up the top layer of the card with the Base and turned the whole card over and used a pencil to draw inside the circle on the back of the top layer - this gave me an outline to line up my framelit when cutting.  

On the inside of the card, I used the 25 December of the same stamp set and layered it on top of a circle scallop with dimensionals. The dimensionals here ARE important as the added height is needed to keep the card front upright when standing. 

And yes, it closes flat too for easy postage :-) so I hope you might give Easel cards a go if these are new to you!

Card stock: Old Olive, Chocolate chip, Whisper White, Gold Foil, Vellum card stock

Designer Series Paper: Candlelight Christmas (retired)

Stamp: Joyous Celebrations

Inks: Early Espresso, Versa mark, Real Red

Accessories: Big Shot: Houndstooth EF, Clear EP, Circle Framelits, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8 Circle Punch (for dec 25) Basic Rhinestones, Chocolate ribbon

Happy stamping until next time,

Jan