December Stamping Projects - Christmas Card Parade!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Finally I get a chance to sit down and share some of my Christmas cards. It's been far easier to share them on Instagram (@yourfriendchristine77). Normally I would provide more detailed instructions, but as you can see, I made a lot of different cards. Instead I'll share how I go about designing so many cards in such a short time.

First, I study the fall holiday catalogue long and hard. Sometimes there are sample ideas that I want to CASE (Copy And Steal Everything) or techniques I want to try.

Second, I take out my stash of scrap paper and start making sketches. My grade 6 teacher always taught us that paper has two sides and I never forgot this advice :-) I fold the paper into fourths and cut it apart. Sometimes sketches are detailed, sometimes they aren't. I jot down notes about colours and stamps along the way. All good ideas start with a sketch, even if it is on a napkin.

Third, I look through my stash. New stuff is always fun, but sometimes I want to mix and match. For example, last year's Beautiful Baubles set really compliments this year's Christmas Gleaming set. I also start gathering cardstock or DSP. Usually I put one project to a dollar store basket to stay organized.

Fourth, I order stuff! Yeah, you knew that part was coming :-) As a demonstrator, I get sneak peeks and can order a month ahead of regular customers, w00t!

Fifth, I start writing down all the steps I need to do. This isn't just because I love lists--it's easy to forget a step or measurements. If I want to go back and figure out how I made a card or what I used, then I can.

After that, the making magic part happens. I still work full time, so one evening I might cut paper or make bases and leave stamping and colouring for the weekends. If I can carve out an hour a night with Netflix, I'm doing pretty good! Usually I make cards in sets of ten so I have one to keep for my sample binder.

Lots of ink went into these moose cards with layers of Pool Party, Granite Gray and Petal Pink ink for a wintry look.

Strokes of orange and white pencil crayon on Real Red cardstock make the cardinal pop. For extra shimmer I used gold glitter glue on the branches. A fun and simple and card!

This very festive card was a quick make with the matching punches. Gold ink dots add an extra touch.

More fun with punches! Mint Macaron and Cherry Cobbler are made for each other. The Stamparatus was a big help with this card.

Colouring can be a challenge. I used strokes of purple and blue chalk pastel to create a night scene. The trick is to remove some of the pastel with an eraser to simulate moonlight.

And there you have it! 45 cards to give and five to show off in my sample binder. There actually is a sixth card but I'll reveal it later as I'm not quite happy with them :-) Enjoy the warmth of the holidays and I'll see you back in the new year with Sale-A-Bration!

2018 Christmas Cards

Whew! November and December were busy months. I hardly had a chance to sit down and do the banking.

I sat down and made a few Christmas cards and now that they have been sent off, I can share them. Click for larger. Here is this year's Christmas card:

Christmas Wishes

Here's another card I made, but I didn't get around to sending any of them off. Oh dear! Late for this year, early for next, I always say. I like the tone on tone look and the shimmer paper really looked great when embossed with the Blizzard background thinlits die.

Have a safe and warm holiday season! Stay tuned for new exciting products in 2019...the Sale-A-Bration catalogue drops January 3rd :-)

November Stamping Project: Peace on Earth Christmas Cards

Nothing puts more fear into some hearts than Christmas cards. Start them in July? Get them out on time? I would love to make handmade Christmas cards if I had the time...

Never fear! You can totally stamp a stack and give a special handmade card easier than you think! You just need a little planning and you'll have a stack in no time by designing a card around two stacks of paper. Pick one task per night and you can make them in a week. Promise!

This card uses the One Sheet Wonder technique, if you need to brush up on it. Another thing to note about this design is that you can make horizontal or vertical cards - as long as the sentiment square covers the seam of the two papers.



Supply list for many cards

• Be Merry 8.5x11" cardstock pack
• Whisper White 8.5x11" cardstock - optional - the Be Merry pack comes with extra thick Whisper White paper
• Quilted Christmas 6x6" DSP
• Old Olive ink
• Real Red ink
• Carols of Christmas stamp set
• Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies
• Year of Cheer Specialty washi tape
• White copy paper
• Dimensionals
• Ruler and craft knife or Stampin' Trimmer
• Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals and Big Shot

1. Score as many sheets of Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler down the middle for the number of cards that you want to make. Cut in half but do no fold to make card bases.
2. Measure the largest square from Stitched Shapes against a sheet of Whisper White cardstock and cut strips of paper. You should be able to get 9 squares from a sheet. Die cut the squares from the strips.
3. Use the Peace on Earth stamp to stamp sentiments on the squares. Use either Old Olive or Real Red ink, or both!
4. Select one sheet of each design from the Quilted Christmas 6x6" DSP paper pack. Follow the One Sheet Wonder technique to create a variety of pieces to create card fronts from.
5. Pair up a big piece of DSP with a small piece for the number of cards you are making. Line them up together and trim, if necessary, so that the two pieces are flush with each other.
6. Carefully tear two pieces of washi tape and adhere the two pieces of paper at the seam. Wrap the tape around the front and back edge - no need to cover the part that will be covered by the sentiment.
7. Run adhesive over the back of the new card front you just created and adhere to the front of the card, centering it in the middle.
8. Take your sentiment squares and pop them up with Stampin' Dimensionals.
9. Trim copy paper into 7.5x10" sheets, then cut them into quarters measuring 3.25x5". Adhere them to the inside of the card, or stamp another sentiment inside - it's up to you!

Here is step 4 and 5 in action. The washi tape is from last year's tin of cards.

You can have the small piece at the top or bottom of your card - it's up to you!

Now, this it the part of the card that I can't tell you how to do, because it's up to you! You can take your favourite Christmas dies and die cut shapes from gold and silver foil paper (hey, Stampin' Up! sells that too). In my sample photo, I used the stars from Starlight Thinlits Dies and discontinued nesting stars. You could add any of the lovely shapes from Pretty Pines Thinlits Dies. My tip for die cutting foil paper is to make sure that the foil side is against the die for a perfect cut. Cutting against the back can rag the foil.

And there you have it! You can stamp a stack for Christmas and share what you love with your special friends and family :-)

October Stamping Project: Smitten Mitten Greeting Cards

If it feels like I skipped over Halloween - I have! Unfortunately I don't have any little goblins and ghouls to make a craft for. Autumn in Calgary is a very short season - maybe a few weeks before we're launched into winter. I designed this card as mini-glove weather approached.



Click for larger image



Supply list for two cards

• Powder Pink 8.5x11" cardstock
• Whisper White 8.5x11" cardstock
• Rose Red 8.5x11" cardstock
• Powder Pink ink
• Rose Red ink
• Smitten Mittens stamp and die bundle
• Cable Knit embossing folder
• Stamping sponges
• Ruler and craft knife or Stampin' Trimmer
• Adhesive and Big Shot

1. Score a sheet of Whisper White down the middle. Do not fold or cut in half yet.
2. On the right hand side of the Whisper White sheet, stamp mittens and patterns all over in Powder Pink ink.
3. Cut in half to make two card bases.
4. Flip the cards over and stamp the non-mitten sentient inside with Rose Red ink. Add a tiny mitten too!
5. Use up largish scraps of Whisper White by stamping the mitten sentiment twice in Rose Red ink. Die cut.
6. Die cut two solid mittens from Rose Red cardstock.
7. Cut one long 2x11" strip from a sheet of Powder Pink cardstock and cut in half.
8. Emboss with cable knit embossing folder.
9. Go back to your card bases and sponge Powder Pink ink around the edges.
10. Time to assemble! Adhere the embossed strip to the front of the card. Layer the solid mitten behind the stamped mitten. Voila!

You could also try making this card vertical or use the Softly Falling embossing folder instead. Imagine all the cool colour combos you could do - purple, red, green, blue - I went with pink tones to be a little different :-)