Stamping challenge progress

Way back in January 2012 I gave myself the challenge to make at least one card with every Stampin' Up!^® stamp set I own. I've been plugging away on that goal and have definitely made some progress. The tricky part, though, is that my stamp collection is always in flux. Of course, I continue to get new stamp sets fairly regularly. But I'm also (a little less regularly) getting rid of sets, either by donating them or giving/selling them to friends and family. In fact, I keep a box filled with stamp sets I rarely use that are next on my "to give away/sell" list (although occasionally I go through the box and take out something I've decided to keep).

So in a nutshell, it's hard to say how many stamp sets I actually have, and I think some of the stamp sets I've used in my challenge I don't own anymore. But to date, assuming my unofficial records are correct, I've made cards using 130 stamp sets. Now I've made many, many more cards than that this year, but I have favorite sets that I use a lot, so repeats don't count. And I only counted the main stamp set for each card, even if I used multiple sets, so the total number of stamp sets I used is probably higher than 130. But all in all, I think that's fairly impressive progress. Especially since there were times when I had to push myself to put down a favorite stamp set and pick up one that I hadn't used in years.

I didn't put an end date on my challenge, so I will continue to work toward my lofty goal. Thanks for stopping by!

Sweet, simple birthday cards

Have you ever glanced at your calendar and realized that you need to mail a birthday card the next morning? Or realized that your stash of birthday cards has been depleted as you're getting ready to go to a party? I know there are times when we all need a quick birthday card. But quick doesn't mean it can't be cute, too. Here are a few ideas for simple -- but still sweet -- birthday cards.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!^® unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Happiest Birthday Wishes
Card stock: Confetti White, On the Bright Side - One card stock pad (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Baja Breeze
Accessories: Petite Pennants Builder punch, mini silver brads, paper piercer and mat, Simply Scored tool, Glue Dots

I love the simplicity of this card and how the fun colors and patterns on the pennants really stand out. This was a very easy card to make and definitely took less than ten minutes. To create the border, score a line on each side of the card front about 1/8" in from the edge. For the banner, punch out five pennants from patterned paper and use a paper piercer to make a hole in the top two corners of each pennant. Use mini silver brads to connect the pennants together and attach the banner to the card front. (Tip: Once you have the banner assembled, lay it on the card front and decide where you want to place it. Then use the paper piercer to gently mark the location of the holes in the pennants on the ends. Move the banner, poke the holes in the card front -- be sure not to poke into the back of the card -- and then attach the banner with the brads.) If desired place a Glue Dot under each pennant to keep the banner secured to the card. The last step is to stamp the greeting along the bottom of the card.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Big Bold Birthday, happiest Birthday Wishes
Card stock: Very Vanilla, Lucky Limeade
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Basic Black Stampin' Write Journaler, white gel pen
Accessories: 1/16" hole punch, 1/8" Lucky Limeade organdy ribbon

To start, fold your card base and then cut 1/4" off the top and the unfolded side so the card measures 4" x 5-1/4". Stamp three balloons near the top left corner of the card and add accents on the balloons with a white gel pen. Use a black marker to draw the balloons' strings, making sure the lines come together near the bottom of the card. (I used a ruler so the lines were straight, but wavy lines would work just as well.) Punch a 1/16" hole on either side of the spot where the lines meet, thread the ribbon through the holes and tie a knot or a bow. (This step took me the most time because I am not a good bow-tier. I always have to try a few times before I get a decent bow.) Stamp the greeting, create a doodled border around the card front and then mat the card with a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" piece of Lucky Limeade card stock.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Create a Cupcake
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla card stock; Brights Collection Designer Series Paper (DSP) stack
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Real Red
Accessories: Cupcake Builder punch, 1-3/4" circle punch, 2-3/8" scallop circle punch, Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue, Dimensionals

For this card start with a 4-1/4" x 3" piece of DSP, mat it with a 4-1/2" x 3-1/4" piece of Very Vanilla card stock and adhere the panel to the middle of the card base. Stamp, punch and glue the cupcake together (the "sprinkles" are punched from the same DSP as the main layer) and adhere it to a Very Vanilla circle with Dimensionals. Stamp the greeting on a narrow strip of Very Vanilla card stock, trim the right side in a V shape and glue the left side to the back of a Chocolate Chip scalloped circle. Adhere the scalloped circle to the layered panel and add the Very Vanilla circle and cupcake to the middle of the scalloped circle.

This card took me a little longer to make the other two cards because it had more steps. But you could simplify the card by omitting one or both of the rectangular layers, punching the cupcake pieces from colored card stock (instead of stamping and then punching) and replacing the punched and glued "sprinkles" with rhinestones or pearls.

Thanks for stopping by!

Love and thanks

While I've had a bit of time off work over the holidays I fully expected to be busy stamping in my craft room and then sharing all my creations on my blog. I was going to finish my cards to ship to Operation Write Home and restock my personal stash of birthday cards. But in reality ... that's not quite what happened. I have done a bit of stamping, but I've also been busy playing with some new toys (namely, a couple of Lego sets and a Kindle Fire HD), reading, watching movies and just generally relaxing. It's been glorious, and to be honest, I'm really not ready to go back to work on Wednesday. Sigh.

But I do have a few cards to share with you, so here are the first two: a love card (perfect for Valentine's Day or any other time) and a thank-you card.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!^®):
Stamps: You Are Loved
Card stock: Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Whisper White
Ink: Pool Party
Accessories: Beautiful Wings Embosslits die, Decorative Label punch, Calypso Coral baker's twine, corner rounder, Dimensionals, Glue Dots

I wanted to use non-traditional colors for this card so A) it didn't look like your usual Valentine, and B) it was a little more gender neutral. I admit that this card still leans to the feminine side (flowers and butterflies will do that), but it's not pink and frilly, so I guess I partly accomplished my goal.

I started out by stamping the bottom portion of the card with a flower image and then added a strip of Calypso Coral card stock slightly below the middle of the card. I wrapped a piece of baler's twine twice around the strip, tied a knot near the right side of the card and let the "tails" hang down. I stamped and punched out the greeting, adhered it over the knot with Dimensionals and added a few die cut and embossed butterflies.

Supplies (all Stampin Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: So Many Thanks
Paper: Basic Black, Confetti Cream, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Bermuda Bay card stock; Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper (DSP) pad
Ink: Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Bermuda Bay markers
Accessories: Plaid embossing folder (Sizzix); 1", 1-1/4" and 1-3/8" square punches; black grosgrain ribbon; Dimensionals; Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue

This is one of those cards that didn't turn out the way I imagined it in my head. I don't know about you, but that happens to me a lot, sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the recycling.

I started out by punching many squares from three colors of card stock and coordinating DSP -- a great way to use up some scrap pieces. (In this photo, the squares that are a little lighter in color are the DSP.) I played around with the arrangement of several of the squares on a plain card base until I was happy with the layout and glued them down with Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue. Then I embossed the entire card front with a plaid embossing folder to add some texture. I used markers to ink the sentiment stamp with different colors, matted the stamped image with Basic Black card stock to help it stand out and adhered it to the card with Dimensionals. The bottom of the card needed something, so I added a simple strip of black grosgrain ribbon. I made four cards of this design (and I have enough squares left to make several more), and each one turned out a little different.

Coming up: a few birthday cards and an update on my personal stamping challenge. Thanks for stopping by!

Coordinating gable box and card

My grandma's birthday is Dec. 23, so every year I try to make sure her gift -- including the card and packaging -- are definitely not Christmas-y. This year I decorated a kraft gable box with some tropical-looking paper flowers and created a card to match.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!^® unless otherwise noted):
Card stock: Crumb cake
Accessories: Kraft gable box, paper flowers (Mulberry Street),Bermuda Bay polka dot ribbon, In Color printed designer brads, Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze corduroy brads, corner rounder, large glue dots (ZOTS), Scor-Tape (Scor-Pal)

This set was very easy to make, which was important since I created it the afternoon of the party. For the box, I wrapped the Bermuda Bay ribbon all the way around, putting a piece of Scor-Tape about every 3" to 6". I mixed and matched the flower layers, added brads for centers and then adhered them to one side of the box with large glue dots. For the card, I rounded the corners of a Crumb Cake base, adhered a piece of the ribbon along the front and added one large layered flower and two smaller single ones, all with brads in the center. That's it! Super quick and super cute.

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
- Calvin Coolidge

May the spirit of Christmas reside in our hearts, homes and families all through the year.

Merry Christmas!

Punch-art tools and money holder

My dad has been looking at replacing some of his tools recently, so as part of his Christmas present this year I'm giving him some money to put toward whatever tool he chooses. I didn't want to just hand him cash, though, or put it in a regular Christmas card. So yesterday I made a special tool-themed card with a pocket (literally) for holding the money.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!^® unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Alphabits, Just Jeans, Expressive Flexible Phrases
Card stock: Buckaroo Blue, Going Gray, Close to Cocoa, Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Night of Navy
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Night of Navy
Accessories: Woodgrain embossing folder, large oval punch, Word Window punch, 2-1/2" circle punch, 3/4" circle punch, 1/4" square punch, large tag punch, pinking scissors (unknown), small and medium metallic brads (Making Memories), screw brads (unknown), hemp twine, white gel pen, Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue, Dimensionals

I used this great punch-art tool card by Carolynn on SplitCoastStampers as my inspiration. (She also provides links to a couple more samples of punch-art tools.) I changed a few details, but it was exactly what I needed to get started.

I decided to make four tools (a hammer, a screwdriver, a wrench and a saw) as well as a toolbox. I wish I'd had more time to make step-by-step directions with pictures while I was creating this card, but here is a basic description of how I made the tools and toolbox:

Hammer: For the hammer head, punch a large oval from Going Gray card stock. With the same oval punch, make two small notches on the top and bottom of the left side of the oval and punch out the bottom right part of the oval. Use a scissors to cut off the left "point" of the oval and to make the angled cuts from the flat edge to the two notches. For the handle, punch Word Window shapes from Close to Cocoa and Going Gray card stock. Trim the end off the gray piece and adhere it to the brown one. (I adhered the gray piece at the very end of the brown one so it actually made the Word Window shape a bit longer.) Adhere the handle to the hammer head.

Screwdriver: For the handle, punch a large oval from Basic Black card stock. Use a scissors to cut off a small portion of the left side of the oval and a little larger piece from the right side. Use the oval punch to make small notches on the top and bottom near the right side. Use a scissors to make the angled cuts from the flat right side to each of the notches. For the shaft or shank, cut a 3/8" wide strip of Going Gray card stock, hand cut the blade and adhere it to the handle. (I didn't measure the length of the shaft; I just trimmed it to what looked like the right length.)

Wrench: Punch a Word Window shape and two 3/4" circles from Going Gray card stock. Hand cut the notches in each of the circles and then adhere the circles to the Word Window shape.

Saw: For the blade, diagonally cut a 1-1/2" wide piece of Going Gray card stock with a pinking scissors. (Again, I just eye eyeballed the length of the piece to what seemed right.) For the handle, take a 1-1/2" wide piece of Close to Cocoa card stock and insert it through the circular opening in the bottom of the 2-1/2" circle punch. Close the punch to remove just the end of the strip and create the rounded edge. Lightly draw and then cut out the opening for the handle. Adhere the handle to the blade and add three small metallic brads.

Toolbox: Cut a 2-3/4" by 3-1/4" piece of Crumb Cake card stock. Use a ruler to draw the handle (about 1/4" wide on the top and sides) on the card stock and then cut away the extra pieces. Emboss the toolbox with the Woodgrain embossing folder and, if desired, add the word "Tools." (I used the Alphabits stamp set and 1/4" square punch to create the letters, which I glued on the toolbox.) To adhere the toolbox to the card, place adhesive just on the handle and the edges of the sides and bottom of the box. That way the tools can be removed from the box. (I did, however, adhere the saw to the card with Dimensionals.)

And then there's the inside of the card:

I used Night of Navy card stock to create the pocket. I don't have a pocket stamp or template, so I just made my own and cut it out. (I thought I had written down the dimensions, but apparently I didn't. And now it's all wrapped up. The card itself is 5-1/4" square, so that gives you a starting point.) I stamped the pocket shape with the Just Jeans stamp in Night of Navy ink (it's hard to see in the photo, but it adds a great denim look) and then drew the stitching with a white gel pen. I added a medium-sized metallic brad to each corner and a little tab on the right side (stamped with Expressive Flexible Phrases) and then adhered the pocket to the card. Again, place the adhesive just around the side and bottom edges so you can slip money (or a gift card) into the pocket. For a finishing touch I used some hemp twine to add a tag with a message; that way the card could even be reused.

Whew! Sorry this was a long post, but I wanted to share as many details as I could. If you still have any questions, post a comment, and I will respond as soon as I can. Thanks for stopping by!

Last-minute Christmas cards

I had thought I was finished making and sending all my Christmas cards until my dad called a couple of nights ago. He wanted to know if I had any extra cards he could buy from me (nothing like procrastinating, right?). Now, he's bought Christmas cards from me in the past, and most years I have plenty left because I always seem to make more than I need. But this year I just didn't have the time to make as many cards, so I only had three extras (and that was after I used several left-over cards from previous years).

My dad sounded disappointed and said he needed six to eight cards, so I told him I'd make some cards that night. I wanted -- no, needed -- these to be quick cards because I was making them the same night I made my treat bags for work. So they weren't fancy or highly embellished, but I still think they turned out cute.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!^®):
Stamps: Jolly Bingo Bits, More Merry Messages
Card stock: Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler
Ink:  Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: 1" square punch, Postage Stamp punch, rhinetsones

I made four cards each of two different designs. This design was especially quick because I used the layout from a previous Christmas card and just changed the images, colors and greeting. Easy peasy. I added a single rhinestones on top of the tree for a touch of sparkle.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Peaceful Season, Nature's Gift (Close to My Heart)
Card stock: Naturals Ivory, Soft Suede
Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede
Accessories: Sponge, linen thread

This card took a bit longer to design because I had to play around with the layout of the stamped images before I found an arrangement that worked. I was okay with that, though, because I really like this stamp set, and I had been a little disappointed that I didn't use it for any of my own Christmas cards this year. (I love creating nature- and animal-themed holiday cards; to me, they truly exemplify the sentiment of peace.) Once I had the stamping done, I sponged the edges of the Naturals Ivory panel with Crumb Cake ink and layered it on a Soft Suede card base. I added the linen thread for a touch of natural-looking embellishment.

I didn't have a chance to ask my dad what he thought of these cards -- he picked them up from me at work, but I was in the midst of putting toddlers down for nap time -- so I hope he liked them. But now I think I am really and truly done with Christmas cards ... I hope.

Thanks for stopping by!

Rudolph treat bags

Every year I like to give a little holiday gift to the families of the toddlers in my class. In the past I've made card sets and cocoa mix, but this year my time was short. Really short. So I decided to make simple treat bags with Hershey's Kisses candy and a festive Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer topper, which is a combination of a couple of different ideas I saw online.

Supplies:
Card stock (Stampin' Up!^®): Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Basic Black, red glimmer paper
Accessories (Stampin' Up!): Top Note and Tulipe dies for the Big Shot, 3/4" circle punch, 1/2" circle punch, white gel pen, Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue
Other: Stapler, 4" x 6" treat bags (Celebrate It)

I scored the Top Note die-cut in half on the long side and then folded it. I placed the top of the filled treat bag inside the folded die-cut, gathering it a bit toward the middle, and stapled everything together. (I placed the staple near the point on the short side of the die-cut.) For the eyes I punched two white 3/4" circles and two black 1/2" circles and added the small white accents with a gel pen. I punched a 3/4" circle from red glimmer paper for the nose and adhered it over the staple. For the antlers I used a swirl shape cut with the Tulipe die and adhered it to the back of the Top Note die-cut.

I also was going to make coordinating cards to go with the treat bags, but I ran out of steam. Instead I just wrote a quick holiday message on the back of the treat bags and sent them home with my toddlers.

Thanks for stopping by!

What a day!

As I promised in my last post, here are a few pictures from our kids' crafting day last Saturday (sorry they're a day late).

Everyone hard at work. The crafting lasted about half an hour, and then they announced, "We're done!"

Thank goodness for the coloring packs from the Target dollar section and several Christmas cartoons.

A quick break for lunch -- mac and cheese, chicken strips, carrot sticks and chocolate milk -- and then it was
back to movies, games and general silliness.

The finished projects. Well, almost finished. After I took this picture, I added ribbons to the tops of the trees for
hanging and clothespins and magnets to the gingerbread men and snowmen.

Whew! It was a crazy, but fun, three hours. I think everyone had a good time, at least I hope they did. I learned, though, that next time everyone must have their own bottle of glue. I had to get out some of my glue from my stamping supplies so they didn't have to share.

I think later this week I will have some actual crafty items to share with you. With all the hoopla of shopping, addressing cards and mailing packages, I didn't have any crafting time last week. But I do have to put together little treat bags for the toddlers in my class, so stay tuned for those. Until then, thanks for stopping by!

Let the crafting begin

A few weeks ago I decided to invite five of my young cousins (OK, technically first cousins once removed) to come over for a kids' craft day. I offered to do a few crafty Christmas projects with them so their moms could have a few hours to do whatever they needed or wanted to do. Well, tomorrow's the big day.

I've been looking forward to kids' craft day, but I've also been a little stressed about it, more than I thought I would be. I have craft materials of nearly every variety, and I plan art projects almost daily for my toddlers at work, so how hard could it be, right? Well, there were a couple of challenges. First, we only have about three hours from start to finish. Not a lot of drying time for paint or significant amounts of glue. Second, the kids' ages range from about 2-1/2 to 6-1/2 years old, so I needed something manageable for the young ones but not boring for the older ones.

I finally decided on decorating trees as the main activity. I cut tree and trunk shapes out of fun foam, glued them together and then gathered all sorts of odds and ends for decorating -- buttons, hearts punched out of card stock, mini jingles bells and strands of lights, pom poms, fabric stars and beads -- and sorted them into muffin tins. It's a pretty open-ended project, and I'm sure they'll have all kinds of creative ideas.

I also took out some gingerbread men die-cuts that they can decorate (with the above-mentioned supplies as well as glitter glue and googly eyes) to make ornaments or fridge magnets. (I will glue a clothespin to the back of the gingerbread men and then add a magnet on the clothespin.) For a third option, I have some pipe cleaners ready to go in case they want to make beaded ornaments. And if all else fails, I bought each of them an activity pack from the dollar section at Target that includes a little coloring book, crayons and stickers. I'll keep them busy one way or another!

I'm planning to take pictures tomorrow, so come back later this weekend to see the masterpieces. Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas bitty boxes

A couple of months ago I bought the Bitty Box and Envelope Big Shot die from the Stampin' Up!^® Clearance Rack. I'd been eying it for awhile, and I couldn't resist once it was such a good deal. I'm glad I bought it, because the bitty boxes are a great way to package little Christmas gifts for neighbors, coworkers, etc. The boxes are very easy to assemble, and a stack of two or three made with coordinating patterned card stock and tied together with a ribbon are adorable.

Here are the supplies I used to make the boxes:
Bitty Box and Envelope die (Stampin' Up!), Blitzen Collection card stock (Basic Grey), Old Olive and Riding Hood Red striped grosgrain ribbons (Stampin' Up!), white crochet thread (DMC), Scor-Tape (Scor-Pal)

I did not tape the boxes together because I wanted them to be reusable if the recipient chooses. They do slide out of the ribbon easily, so I'll have to be careful when delivering them. (One solution would be to add another piece of ribbon going around the boxes in the other direction.)

I have to confess that this set of three boxes has a "faux bow" on the top. After I tied the ribbon in a knot, the ends were too short to make a regular bow, but too long to just cut off and throw away. Here's how I made the faux bow:

Step 1: Lie ends of ribbon flat on either side of the boxes.

Step 2: Near the knot form a loop with each ribbon end.

Step 3: Wrap a piece of crochet thread around the loops.

Step 4: Tie a knot with the crochet thread, pulling tightly around the ribbon.

Step 5: Flatten the loops to the sides and trim the ribbon ends. Tie on a gift tag with the crochet thread and then trim the ends of the thread.

Are you wondering what I put in the boxes? That was a fun, albeit slightly challenging, quest. The boxes are about 2-3/8" on each side and 3/4" deep, and I filled them with:

Two Ghirardelli chocolate squares
Three foil-wrapped Chocolate Santas
A small Christmas ornament
Small stones (I found some polished hand-carved stone hearts that benefit Haitian artisans through the Hand/Eye Fund.)
A lip gloss, placed diagonally (I love the fun, yummy flavors from Crazy Rumors.)

Some other possibilities include:
A tealight candle
A pair of ribbon barrettes
Small shaped erasers for kids
Earrings, bracelet or necklace
Crafty embellishments, such as ribbon, buttons or brads

Thanks for stopping by!

Snow!

And more snow. And more snow. It's starting to feel much more Christmas-y today with our first major snowfall of the season. Wet, heavy snow. Lots of it. Between me, my sister and our downstairs neighbors, our sidewalk was shoveled three times today. (And the house is on a corner lot, so there is no shortage of sidewalk.) My arms are about done in.

The snow is still falling, too, although it seems to be letting up a little bit, thank goodness. By the time I finished shoveling earlier today, there was already a half inch of snow covering the sidewalk that I had shoveled first. Not the most encouraging sight.

I'll admit the snow doesn't have quite the appeal it did when I was a child. Now it makes me worry about the hassle of walking to work on snowy, icy sidewalks or wonder if the buses will be running on schedule. You know, all that boring grown-up stuff. But it is still a beautiful, amazing sight. I love the snow layered on the tree branches and the sense of peacefulness that seems to envelope everything. I'll try to remember that feeling come March when I have decided for the fifty-third time that I should move to a tropical island.

Thanks for stopping by!

Quick kid cards

I have a couple of young cousins who are celebrating their birthdays this month, but I discovered yesterday that I didn't have any kid-themed birthday cards on hand. So yesterday after work I sat down with two of my 8" x 8" printed card stock stacks and spent a few hours making some quick and easy kid birthday cards.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!^® unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Perfect Party
Card stock: The Glitter Stack (DCWV), Whisper White
Ink: Pacific Point
Accessories: Merry Minis punch pack, 1/8" hole punch, Island Indigo baker's twine, Dimensionals

To make this 3" x 6" card I trimmed one sheet of the printed card stock to 6" x 6" and folded it in half. I used a coordinating pattern from the pack to add a layer along the left side of the card, and I punched a 1/8" hole along the fold so I could wrap baker's twine around the card front. I discovered that the star punch from the Merry Minis punch pack from Stampin' Up! was exactly the same shape as the stars in this paper -- just a little larger -- so I punched out a few stars (I used the strips I trimmed from the card base) to add as embellishment. It's hard to see in the photo, but this patterned card stock has glitter accents on it, so this card has a fun sparkle to it.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Birthday Greetings
Card stock: The Glitter Stack (DCWV), Whisper White
Ink: Lavender Lace
Accessories: Spring green grosgrain ribbon, 2-3/8" scallop circle punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Mini Glue Dots, Dimensionals

This is another 3" x 6" card using two coordinating patterns of printed glitter card stock, but this card has a girly feel. Again, I love that one of Stampin' Up!'s mini punches worked perfectly with the printed images (the flower shapes aren't exactly the same, but you can't tell unless you really look closely). I used three pieces of ribbon to make the embellishment: one long piece adhered across the card front, one smaller piece with one end adhered over the other to form a circle, and one very small piece wrapped around the circle, creating two loops.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Party Hearty
Card stock: The Glitter Stack (DCWV), Whisper White, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: 1-3/4" circle punch, 1" circle punch, 2-3/8" circle punch, Melon Mambo pom pom trim, Dimensionals

These two cards, which are 3-1/2" square, aren't really limited to being kid cards; they would be great for sisters, girlfriends, moms, etc. Did you notice that for the center of each focal point I added a circle of the printed card stock used for the other card? These are cards that will probably be hand-delivered (or tucked into a gift), because I don't have the right size envelopes on hand, and the pom pom trim is just a little bulky.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: On Your Birthday
Card stock: Safari Kids stack (DCWV), River Rock, Night of Navy
Ink: Night of Navy
Accessories: Postage stamp punch, hemp twine, Dimensionals

For this card I cut a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of patterned card stock and adhered it to the front of an A2-size Night of Navy card base (4-1/4" x 5-1/2"). I used the postage stamp punch to punch out three animals from a coordinating print and one square of River Rock card stock. I stamped the card stock with a sentiment (I'll write in the age with a marker before I send the card) and then adhered the squares to the card with Dimensionals. I added hemp twine around the bottom of the card for a little safari-appropriate embellishment.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Happiest Birthday Wishes
Card stock: Safari Kids stack (DCWV), Gumball Green, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: 1-3/4" circle punch, 2-3/8" scallop circle punch, mini pearls - baby boy assortment (Doodlebug Design, Inc.), Dimensionals

This card uses three different coordinating papers: the background strip, the main panel and the scalloped circle. It's the only card of the bunch that didn't have glitter accents in the paper, so I added a green mini pearl in three of the corners of the brown layer. In addition to using the scallop circle punch to make the focal point, I also used it to cut off the top right corner of the card. Those hungry alligators must have been in my card-making supplies again!



Thanks for stopping by!

Sparkle and scallops

Today I'm going to share what will probably be my last two Christmas cards this year. ( I could be wrong, of course. It's been known to happen.) At first these cards seemed totally unrelated to each other. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing, at least not to most people. But I have this strange need to have some sort of theme among the cards that I include together in a blog post. (What can I say, it's one of the ways I can make my left brain happy while I'm being all creative with my right brain.) So I wasn't sure how I was going to approach a blog post with these two random Christmas cards. Then I looked at the cards again and realized that they do have a couple of things in common: they both have rhinestones and scalloped layers. Whew! It's a bit of a stretch, but I'll go with it. Crisis averted.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!^® unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Dasher
Paper: Naturals Ivory, Soft Suede, Old Olive card stock; Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: Small and Large Classic Scalloped Ovals Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), 5/8" Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, rhinestones, Dimensionals

I wanted this card to have a slightly rustic feel to it, so I used earth tones: a Soft Suede card base, Old Olive ribbon and layers of Old Olive and Naturals Ivory card stock. The piece of Natural Composition Specialty DSP on the bottom of the card does double duty: the woodgrain pattern enhances the natural feel of the card, and the glossy print brings just a bit of texture and glam. I added a little more glitz by placing a few rhinestones around the reindeer's antlers and along the bottom right edge of the card.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Wonderful Winterland, Jolly Bingo Bits
Card stock: Whisper White, Real Red, Garden Green, Baja Breeze
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Real Red, Garden Green, Baja Breeze, Pretty in Pink, Blush Blossom, Soft Suede, Basic Gray
Accessories: Candy Cane Christmas designer fabric, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Tasteful Trim die, rhinestones, circle punches (1" and 1-3/8"), scallop circle punches (1-1/4" and 1-3/4"), Dimensionals

I always seem to forget about fabric when it comes to making cards, even though I've seen many cute samples and ideas incorporating fabric. But when I noticed the stripes on the hat and scarf of the ice skater in the Wonderful Winterland stamp set, I thought it would be fun to coordinate them with the stripes in the Candy Cane Christmas fabric.

I used the Tasteful Trim die to cut a double-scalloped strip of fabric, and I adhered the strip to the card just above the layer of embossed Whisper White card stock. I punched out the stamped images with circle punches, layered each one on a coordinating scalloped circle and adhered them to the top half of the card with Dimensionals. I added some randomly placed rhinestones to mimic the look of falling snow.

I hope you liked this bit of sparkle and scallops. Thanks for stopping by!