Showing posts with label Christmas cards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas cards. Show all posts

Creating Keepsake Cards


Hi everyone!

If you follow me, you know that I love creating vintage inspired cards. That is why I am so excited to share with you some fun and exciting news. I have been chosen to be part of the creative crew for Canvas Corp Brands. They carry the 7gypsies line which is one of my favorite products to work with.

The one year term begins in 2017, but I just couldn't hold back the news any longer.  To celebrate, I created this keepsake card using an old photo of my Mother-in-law Shirley.  She is on the left in this photo and is seated with her brother and sister on Santa's lap! While she is no longer with us, I think of her often.

She was a card maker well before I was and was the one who introduced me to Tim Holtz and got me started on my Vintage Card Making!  I miss her every day!


It is a wonderful photo and makes a great addition to this years holiday card.

To see how I made this card, click on the video below.



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12 Days of Christmas - Day 4

Hi everyone! Hopefully you are all caught up through day 3 of my 12 Days of Christmas and are ready to start a new week of inspiration.



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12 Days of Christmas - Day 3

Welcome back to my 12 Days of Christmas Series. It is Day 3 and today we are focusing on technique.

It is always fun to come up with unique backgrounds. Using a simple sentiment stamp, I was able to create a fun background for my house stamp.  What was great about this card is that the sentiment went perfectly with this house turning it into a wonderful Christmas card.

To see how I created this card, visit my You Tube Channel by clicking the video below.



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Coffee Lover's Blog Hop - Day 3

It is Day 3 of the Coffee Lovers blog hop. How is everyone doing?  I decided to go clean and simple for this card as well as throw in a little  holiday cheer.  Some may think this little monkey is drinking hot cocoa, but we all know better!


The Christmas tree is from So Suzy stamps and the Monkey is  from Stampendous. The Monkey stamp I got in a destash group on facebook. It is called Changito Cocoa. Unfortunately, the only place I could find it was on Ebay!

The card is very simple card, but I think it works. What do you think?

Thanks for hoppin by!
Supplies


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Winter's Butterflies - 3 CAS Cards

Hello everyone and happy November!  I am here to share with you three different cards I made using two So Suzy Stamps!


The two stamps I used are called Butterfly 3 and Winter's Butterfly.



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Stick it Down - Sneak Preview

Happy Monday! Well it is the start of another week and the team from Stick it Down is just so anxious to get started in January. We all are just like a bunch of little kids waiting for Christmas to arrive.

Since January is still 2 weeks away, we decided we wanted to give you a little sneak preview. Some of the design teams have put together a project for a little pre-inspiration. I wanted to share with you one of my favorite rubber stamps. I believe I got this from a garage sale. I have used it for Christmas Cards in past as well as Congratulatory cards for new babies. It is just so perfect and precious.

Here is the sketch we had to work from:

And here is what I did:

  • White card stock for base of card
  • Black and white paper from my stash
  • Star Punch
  • Angel stamp is from Inkadinkado
  • Sentiment stamp is from Just Rite - Christmas Trimmings

All Wrapped up
The sentiment worked just perfectly, since the baby is all wrapped up. What a perfect gift!

I hope that we have given you some inspiration to check back with us in January. As a reminder, this will be a multi-challenge blog with a new challenge posted each Tuesday. 

1st Tuesday: Single page layouts based on the sketch
2nd Tuesday: Card based on the sketch
3rd Tuesday: Single page layouts based on the sketch
4th Tuesday: Double page layout based on the sketch
5th Tuesday: Anything Goes

Have a great week!

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

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Christmas & Snowflakes

Happy Wednesday! Wow. I can't believe it is mid week already. I did some Christmas Shopping last night and just have a couple more things to pick up then I can get my box in the mail to my family in California. In between the shopping, I had a chance to finish up this card I started a couple of days ago. I had a minor mishap when working on this card.  When I opened my jar of gamsol to begin my blending, I spilled some solution on the card. I thought for sure it was ruined. I decided to go to bed and deal with it in the morning. When I woke up this morning, it was like the spill never happened. It dried up perfectly. I was so happy, I thought for sure I was going to have to start from scratch!

Heather over at Lacy Sunshine is being very generous this month. Typically you need to participate in her last challenge to get a freebie for next challenge, but she is offering this cutie up to everyone this month. Pop over to her blog to see what you need to do to get this cutie.  Additionally, if you use "Flurry" in her current challenge, she will give you another freebie called "Willow" and you also get to be put in her drawing for a $30 image voucher.

I am going to a holiday party this Saturday with the group that I make cards with. We are having a secret gift exchange, so I plan on giving this card along with the gift. Hopefully it will be a hit.


Here is what I did:

  • Used turquoise blue for my card base and cut the corners with my fancy scissors
  • Matted image on blue card stock and matted that onto glitter card stock
  • embellished hair with baby white pearls and drops with rhinestones from recollections
  • used drops of dimensional magic to bring out drops on image
  • Punched out snowflakes with silver glitter paper
  • added silver snowflake and silver brads
  • Sentiment is from Just Rite Cling Stamps - Christmas Trimmings
  • colored image using Artist Loft pencils and gamsol blending solution


This card was suppose to be for a future challenge on one of the DT I am on, but I want to make sure I get my freebie. Oh well, guess I will just have to make another card.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:


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What is Positivity?

I recently came across a card challenge blog called the Path of Positivity. What a great title, it intrigued me to read more. Upon reading the introduction page, I thought to myself, this is a challenge I want to participate in. The sentence that moved me was in the 4th paragraph "...a different sort of challenge blog designed to inspire, nurture and provide support for the soul by creating a positive path to follow, one project or post at a time."

Wow! I thought to myself, this is a place I want to be. So I started thinking to myself. What is Positivity?
so I "Googled" it, (I do that a lot):  

pos·i·tive


: thinking about the good qualities of someone or something : thinking that a good result will happen : hopeful or optimistic
When you look at the definition, it talks about a frame of mind..thinking about... It doesn't cost money, you don't have to have strong muscles, you just have to have a certain attitude about things. I believe that a positive attitude is contagious, but so is negativity. I choose to be positive. It creates for a much happier life, home and relationship with friends and family. And after-all, isn't that what life is all about? There is a quote by Gandi, that pretty much sums it up:

Mahatma Gandhi
“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
The theme over at Path of Positivity Challenge is "Joy". They are offering a freebie if you need a little inspiration. I had this JOY stamp tucked away. I dug it out and created this card:

If you have been following my blog, you know that I like black and white cards, they are simple, but classic. 
Here is what I did:
  • Card base Black 5" x 5"
  • stripped and polka dot paper from stash
  • Die cuts from Spellbinders: Lacey Circles & Scalloped Circles
  • Black ribbon
  • Gems
I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:











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Bit by the Bug Tuesday: Christmas Reindeer

It's Tuesday, do you know what that means? It is time to introduce you to another Bit By the Bug freebie over at Creative Bug on the Loose.

This week we have Christmas Reindeer






Christmas Reindeer is a must is have for your holiday digi collection. You can use him alone or add other images to create a holiday scene as I have.

When I first saw him, it looked as if he was arriving...so I thought well, maybe he just arrived to the North Pole? That is what is fun about imagination. Each person can look at the same image and see something different. What do you see?

 I used black and white card stock for the base of my card and the frame. I used my fancy scissors to cut the edging on the black card stock. The snowflakes and the North Pole stamp are from Recollections and the sentiment is from JustRite "Christmas Trimmings. I colored "Christmas Reindeer with my Artist Loft's pencils along with my Gamsol blending solution.

 In order to take advantage of this week's free digi stamp, Christmas Reindeer, head over to Creative Bug on the Loose and follow the instructions on how to grab it. While you are over there, don't forget to check out all the great digi's available in the store for purchase.

So, what are you waiting for. Head over to Creative Bug on the Loose NOW!


I've caught the bug,
have you?



I'm entering this card in the following challenges:





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Let the Shopping Begin!

Good morning! Hope everyone had a great weekend, I know I did. I officially started my Christmas shopping. Every year I say that I am going to start early and get all my shopping finished so I can enjoy the few weeks before Christmas. This is the time I like to bake and just enjoy time with the family. So with one present down, perhaps I will actually meet that goal this year.

I wanted to share with you my latest card. I just LOVE this little girl. Her name is "Maddie" and she is from the Lacy Sunshine Collection. Her friend "Clover" has accompanied her on her shopping trip in style by sitting on top of her head. The look on her face is classic. Kinda looks like me after I have done a full day of shopping. But She certainly has the right idea and appears to have completed most of her shopping!

I embellished the card with a Christmas Tree in the background and decorated it with gems. I also included a wrapped Christmas present to sit underneath the tree.  I finished the card off with a simple message of "Season's Greeting."  This has turned into one of my favorite cards. I hope you like it.

Maddie & Clover Shopping
I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:


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Turn that Attitude into Gratitude

It is common practice that thank you cards are sent out for wedding and shower gifts. The bride will typically recruit a guest to document gifts as they are opened to capture who the gift was from. So why do we not practice this same etiquette at Christmas? Are we so excited and overwhelmed on Christmas morning that we forget our manners? As  a child, we always wrote thank you notes after Christmas, and I have carried on this tradition with my son. This was not my most favorite thing to do after Christmas, and it is not for my son either.  As he gets older, he doesn't understand why he can't just text or email his Thank You's, but I have always felt the written card has much more meaning.

As a card maker, it is easy for me to keep the tradition going and sending out my Christmas thank you cards after the holidays. As a teacher, my husband gets many gifts around the holidays and he practices this as well. He is very organized with the gifts he has received to ensure he knows who gave what gifts.

As parents, I believe it is important to set the example and take time to thank the person for the gift. You can thank the gift-giver and tell them why or how it is appreciated. Even if you get a gift card, you can say what you intend on buying with the card. You can also use this card to tell this person something special about Christmas and wish them a happy upcoming New Year.

But when it comes down to it, if you cannot find the time to send a handwritten thank you card, then a text, email or phone call is better than nothing at all.

I found this Tim Holtz card making kit called Christmas Cheer at a shop called Archiver's when I was in Ohio last month. There are four stamps in this set, including a wreath and stocking, which are not shown. The stamps are smaller and intended for mini cards or tags. I thought these would be perfect for Thank You Cards, so I am making sets of four which I plan on listing in my Etsy shop as well as using them for my own personal Thank You's this year.

I would like to enter these cards into the following challenges:




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Clean and Simple Cards

As a card designer, it is always instinct to add and embellish my card with lots of bling. But sometimes you just need to step back and adopt the mantra "Keep it simple!" There are many card challenges out there that have this theme. You may see it abbreviated as CAS for Clean And Simple. I do not participate in many of them as I usually do not keep it simple. Many of these cards tend to have more "white space," but that is not necessarily a requirement. The idea is typically to focus on the message rather than the embellishments. I have also seen cards with added texture to the background. This can be done with embossing or cards that are minimally embellished. The CAS style works really well when you need to replicate a card numerous times, such as Christmas Cards. Hopefully I have accomplished the CAS style with my Snowman.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:



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Santa can have a sense of humor too!

I don't typically make funny cards. But when I was asked to make a set of 10 humorous Christmas Cards, I was up for the challenge. I began looking in craft stores and on line for some funny rubber stamps, but did not have much luck. I have even bid on a few on EBAY, but have not been fortunate to win the bids. Then I had the idea to use some of my stamps that I already had and just add a funny saying or quote. This definitely turned out to be a more economical way to create some unique, funny holiday cards. It is funny what a little creativity can do.


 I think that is why I love making these cards, it challenges me to dig deep and make something from my imagination. As I get deeper and deeper into this hobby, I am loving it more and more. I have to come up with a few more ideas, but here are a couple of the cards I have made so far.

The cards are tri-folds, that I designed. I have used this card fold for some of my fall cards as well.

This is a template I really like. Santa is from Recollections and Wanda is from Stampin Up. It is a birthday set, but I think it works well for this card.

I would like to enter these cards into the following Challenges:



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One persons Trash is a Card makers embellishment

When you need an embellishment, you probably don't go to your recycle bin. I didn't either until recently. I am finding as I make more cards, my imagination grows bigger and bigger. I find myself walking the aisle at Home depot looking at small objects and trying to think how these items would look on cards. I have to admit, Tim Holtz has been a big inspiration in this area. Many of his idea-ology embellishments do not look like your typical card embellishments. That is why I love them. Little items such as a bottle cap or soda can tab can really add dimension to your cards and create a unique look. This can be said for any types of crafting. There are so many items that can be used to create unique crafts. This is not a new concept, remember the days we use to make necklaces and art out of macaroni? Well, we are just taking it to the next level.

I made this card using a Cling Stamp from Recollections. I colored in my Santa image and matted it on black card stock. I created my Santa belt with black ribbon, black brads and a Soda Can Tab for the belt buckle.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:


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What is Christmas without a Gingerbread House

While in Ohio last week, I got a little taste of the Winter season. It snowed! Now I am sure that the locals probably did not think much of it, as it barely came down and did not stick to the ground. But coming from Arizona, if I have a chance to say I was in the "snow" I am gonna say it! The temperature dropped below 40 degrees and I could definitely feel the chill in the air, especially since I did not take a jacket. It is difficult traveling from the West Coast to the East Coast in the winter. Not only do you need to deal with the time zone difference, but you need a completely different wardrobe. Having that brief encounter with snow, put me in the mood to make this card. The image was provided by a new friend I met on Google+. She has all sorts of fun images that she shares as well as some beautiful cards that she creates. The paper is from American Crafts "Merrymint" pad.
Merrymint

Gingerbread House


 I am looking forward to using some of the other Christmas paper in this pad.








I would like to enter this card into the following Challenges:




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Christmas Card for Little Girls

No Peeking!
Hello All. I got such a great response from my BCA card I posted yesterday, I decided to make a few more PINK cards. I have been busy working on Christmas cards to ensure I have enough stock for my online store, so I decided to make a Pink Christmas Card.

When I was a little girl, I loved Pink. It still is one of my favorite colors. So why should we not have Pink Christmas Cards? In the spirit of BCA month, I have created this Pink Christmas card. I think any little girl, (or big girl) would love to receive it with a special gift just for her.

I embossed the white glossy card stock with snowflakes and used card stock from Recollections called "My Favorite Things". Used cut outs from Quikcutz to create the presents and the "25". Merry Christmas stamp is from Stampin up Family Reunion set and finished card off with Ribbon and Bow. I loved how this card turned out. I will be using one of them for my Niece's Gift this year. She is a Pink Girl, just like her Auntie.

I would like to enter this card into the following Challenges:




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Christmas in July

I have been catching up on some of the blogs that I read and everyone is talking about "Christmas in July". It is hard to think about Christmas in July when you live in Phoenix, AZ and the temperatures are getting into the teens daily. Right now I am sitting in my swim shorts typing this blog, so hard to get in the "Christmas spirit". Many crafting sites are introducing their Christmas product now. Tim Holtz just released his "sneak Peak which includes his new seasonal products and Amazing Paper Grace just posted a beautiful Beautiful Gatefold snowflake card using a spellbinders template. So, I dug through my card stock to see what I had to play with and this is what I came up with. So I guess I can say that I have officially started making my Holiday cards. I can't wait to try out some of the new products introduced for this season. I will be sure to share as I create. HAPPY CRAFTING!

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