Birthday Lion - Stampin' Up! Bonanza Buddies - Fab Friday 179

  We're rolling into the last weekend before Christmas with a fun Fab Friday sketch challenge!  Forget about making those 17 dozen Christmas cookies and play along with our challenge instead!  Well, even if you can't shirk your Christmas duties play along after Christmas as your reward for making it through the very busy holiday season!  Our challenges run for 2 weeks so there's always time to catch up!

    This is fun sketch to play with because of the "framed" look as well as the large center panel which could be anything!  I enjoyed using some new Mini Catalog products on my project.  Look for these fun new items in the beginning of January!

  Isn't this lion adorable?  It was fun to create a little celebration scene complete with balloons.  The whole Bonanza Buddies set is adorable.

  The background is new DSP called Birthday Bonanza.  It's super cute with a nice mix of designs.  I topped that layer with a Coastal Cabana frame cut with the new Stitched So Sweetly dies that nest just so to create some nice frames.

  Next is the cute lion from Bonanza Buddies.  I stamped him with a combo of Daffodil Delight and Mango Melody and used the coordinating Bonanza dies to cut him out.  The face and the balloon strings were stamped with black ink.

  The balloon was stamped 3 times in different ink; Grapefruit Grove, Bermuda Bay and Terracotta Tile then cut out and popped up with dimensionals. 

  The Terracotta Tile banner sentiment was stamped with black ink and then the ends were flagged.  I popped the lion with dimensionals on the end of the banner. 

  One birthday card for the new year down, 83 more to go!  Just kidding.  I don't actually know how many birthday cards I need but I definitely know I need more than the 3 I have left right now!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Bonanza Buddies

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Black, Bermuda Bay, Grapefruit Grove, Terracotta Tile

Paper: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Birthday Bonanza DSP, Terracotta Tile

Accessories: Stitched So Sweetly dies, Bonanza dies, dimensionals

Cup of Warmth - Stampin' Up! Cup of Cheer

  This year I have really enjoyed the variety of Christmas Designer Series Paper in the Holiday catalog.  I committed heavily to the Wrapped in Plaid DSP and the Let it Snow Specialty paper.  I used it a ton, I used it a ton in classes and I still have some bits and pieces left which will probably be turned into Christmas thank you cards.  The Let it Snow paper is especially suited for use into the new year.  The little mittens and hats on some of the paper is perfect for the snowy cold months ahead of us.

  I used a bit of the mitten paper as a background for a nice cup of hot chocolate or tea or even coffee.  Really you can imagine your hot beverage of choice in the mug.  With a quick change of sentiment it easily turns into a Christmas thank you.

  The card base is Blueberry Bushel, then a layer of Shaded Spruce with the DSP up next.   A Shaded Spruce Stitched Shapes square and a Whisper White square make a nice background for a Real Red mug cut with the Cup of Cheer dies. 

  The sentiment from Itty Bitty Christmas and the snowflake from Colorful Seasons embossed with Shimmer White embossing powder gives a nice bit of sparkle.  The sentiment banner is hand trimmed and popped with dimensionals.

  A little baker's twine bow finishes off this quick and easy card.

  There's still time to make a few Christmas cards and get them mailed out!  I've had mine made for a while now and stamped and addressed them last week but I have been waiting on the photos I ordered of the boys before I could seal them up and send them off!  It will be nice to check this item off my to do list!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Itty Bitty Christmas, Colorful Seasons

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Blueberry Bushel, Shaded Spruce, Whisper White, Real Red, Let it Snow DSP

Accessories: Stitched Shapes dies, Cup of Cheer dies, White Shimmer embossing powder,  dimensionals, baker's twine

Classic Christmas Tree - Stampin' Up! Wrapped in Plaid

  I'm winding down with my Christmas cards and have just a few more to share.  I pulled out some of my new Mini catalog products to start a card to post later this week so check back for new stuff!  And I realized that I've been so focused on Christmas cards that I have only 3 birthday cards left.  Yikes!  Better lock myself in the stamp room for a few days to catch up.  That would be terrible wouldn't it?  :)

  We made this card at my last class.   It's got a very traditional vibe and I love the rich color combination,

 
  My stampers used a different Pretty Peacock DSP from the Woven Threads pack which I think looks even better than this one from the In Color 6x6 pack.

  The base is Very Vanilla thick, then a piece of Crumb Cake stamped with the itty bitty stars from So Many Stars.  It's hard to see but they are stamped in gold ink for a bit of shimmer.  A Merry Merlot band that is embossed with the Subtle embossing folder goes across the middle.

  A Stitched Nested Label die was used to cut the layer to anchor the tree as well as it has a nice spot at the top for one of the Itty Bitty Christmas sentiments. 

  The tree from Wrapped in Plaid is stamped onto watercolor paper.  To get the muted watercolor look you can do several different ways.  1) lightly spritz the watercolor paper with water and then stamp 2) ink up the stamp and spritz the water directly onto the stamp then stamp to paper or 3) ink up the stamp, stamp to paper and then spritz the image.  Each one will get you slightly different results as will using different amounts of water.  If you use too much you end up with an Old Olive blob and not a tree!  Don't be discouraged if you have to try more than one time!

  The tree is punched out with the Pine Tree punch and the trunk is added in Soft Suede.  It's then popped on dimensionals and a gold Glimmer paper star is added to the top. And finally the whole label is adhered to the card front with dimensionals.

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Wrapped in Plaid, Itty Bitty Christmas

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Gold

Paper: Very Vanilla thick, Very Vanilla, watercolor paper, Merry Merlot, In Color 6x6 DSP, Gold Shimmer Paper

Accessories: Pine Tree punch, Subtle embossing folder, star punch (retired), Stitched Nested Label dies, dimensionals

Snowman Gift Card Holder - Stampin' Up! Snowman Season

  I had nothing on my calendar today so I was planning to knock out a quick blog post and get on with lots of little things that need doing around the house.  2 hours after sitting down to do it I've finally gotten to writing the blog post!  I had updated the operating system on my Macbook last night as it's been reminding me to do it for some time and then this morning when I went to edit the photos my little photo editing software didn't work anymore with the OS update.  Boo!  So me being the totally not-tech-savy person that I am I proceeded to figure out how to download an updated version of the editing software and how to do the watermark and then how to save it.  It was a process let me tell you!  I'm sure it took way longer than if I had let my husband or 13 year old do it for me but I wanted it NOW darnit!

  Now that I've shared my saga I feel better!  On to the regularly scheduled program; Gift Card Holders!  My last class of the year made 2 of these as one of my 3 projects.  They used different papers from the Let It Snow DSP than my sample and any papers and stamps can be used. 

  This is honestly one of the easiest gift card holders I've ever made.  I searched around and found some measurements and then altered the design to fit the stamp set that I wanted to use; Snowman Season.

  To start you need a 8.5" x 3.25" piece of cardstock.  You can get 3 gift card holders out of one sheet of regular 8.5 x 11 cardstock.  Then score at 2" and 6" and that's it!

  The sizes of the DSP and Whisper White insert are as follows:

Top Flap DSP - 3 x 1.75
Whisper White insert - 3 x 1.75
Inside DSP - 3 x 2.25

  The smaller sizes of DSP are perfect for using up lots of smaller scraps you've been hoarding this whole time!  Use them up!

  I rounded the edges of the top flap, and both the top flap DSP and insert for a more finished look.  Before you created the pocket for the gift card be sure to use a small circle punch to create the little thumb hole.  Once you adhere the outside edges of the flap down with tear tape to create the pocket you can't get the punch in place.

  The front decorated with a diecut oval to mount the snowman on.  I added some of the Sparkling Crystal Effects and Ice Stampin' Glitter to the bottom portion for some sparkle.  The snowman hat has a cluster of red rhinestones and a little baker's twine bow stands in for a scarf.

  To be able to easily reuse the gift card holder I used little velcro dots for the closure. The finished size is 3.25 x 4. 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Snowman Season

Ink: Smoky Slate, Shaded Spruce

Blends: Flirty Flamingo light, Pumpkin Pie light, Pool Party light

Paper: Shaded Spruce, Whisper White, Basic Black, Let It Snow DSP

Accessories: Stitched Shapes dies, snowman punch, Shimmery Crystal Effects, Ice Stampin' Glitter, baker's twine, red rhinestones, dimensionals, small circle punch, corner rounder, velcro dots

Cup of Cocoa - Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Christmas

  Every year when it starts to get colder I think some hot chocolate will taste so good so I buy a package of the powder mix (yes I know!  But we make it with milk instead of water so it actually is decent!) and then I come home from the grocery store to put it away in the pantry and then I find the half used container from last year. And the one from the year before that. And the mason jar gift of cocoa mix. And the fancy flavored packets the boys got from somewhere.  So I'm on restriction from buying this treat for a while!!

  But I can still make cards with a mug of some hot chocolate!  This card has very little stamping; just the little tag but I think the neutral colors with the pop of the red Glimmer paper makes it pretty eye catching!  Some of the sweet sentiments from Itty Bitty Christmas are just the right size for the tag die in the Cup of Cheer die set.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Itty Bitty Christmas

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Paper: Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red Glimmer paper

Accessories: Pinewood Planks embossing folder, Oval dies, Cup of Cheer dies, dimensionals, white/silver bakers twine

Cheer x 3 - Stampin' Up! Cup of Christmas - Fab Friday 178

  I didn't get as many cards shared this week as I had planned but I definitely made time to get a sample sorted out for this week's Fab Friday Challenge!  It's a great color combo for those who need a few more ideas to finish up those Christmas cards (yes I'm looking at myself!!).

  Yes, it's 5 colors but really one of them is Whisper White which should be a no brainer to use!  I go through more Whisper White than any other color.

  I used basically the Cup of Cheer dies for this card and it actually came together faster than I thought even with all the bits that had to be glued.  The only bit of actual stamping is the tag and the embossed snowflakes on the Seaside Spray cup.  I grabbed the snowflakes from the Snowman Season set.

  The panel behind the cups is embossed with the Winter Knit embossing folder for some added texture.

  I hope you'll find these colors inspiring for your own stamping and then come share your finished projects with us at Fab Friday!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Cup of Christmas, Snowman Season

Ink: Versamark, Merry Merlot

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Mossy Meadow, Pear Pizzazz, Seaside Spray, Merry Merlot

Accessories: Winter Knit embossing folder, Cup of Cheer dies, Shimmer white embossing powder, baker's twine, rhinestone

Peace in Gold - Stampin' Up! Wrapped in Plaid

  Our tree is up and decorated and some inside decorations have been put up and the plan is to do the outside lights and the rest of the inside decorations this weekend.  We'll see how it goes; hopefully the weather will cooperate!

  For now I've got a sweet little Christmas tree card to share.  The sweet trees in Wrapped in Plaid are just perfect paired with Designer Series Paper from both catalogs.

   The card base is Whisper White thick with some little stars from So Many Stars stamped on the edges in Mint Macaron.  The Itty Bitty Christmas sentiment is embossed in gold.

 I liked how the quilt pattern of the Garden Lane DSP (annual catalog) kind of looks like star points and would be a nice back drop to a tree. The DSP square is backed by a layer of Mint Macaron.  I tied a length of gold cord around and tied a little bow.

  The tree is embossed with gold embossing powder and then punched with the Tree Punch.  I thought leaving it white was a nice contrast to the green of the DSP.  I popped the tree with dimensionals and added a gold foil star cut with the Stitched Stars dies.

 Done and done.  I might have to revisit this design to make the last of the cards I need.  We've already received 2 Christmas cards and I feel behind!  I need to get a quick picture of my boys in front of the tree to include with our cards.  So very behind in this house!!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: So Many Stars, Itty Bitty Christmas, Wrapped in Plaid

Ink: Mint Macaron, Versamark

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Mint Macaron, Garden Lane DSP, Gold foil

Accessories: gold embossing powder, gold cord, dimensionals, Pine Tree punch

Plaid & Gold Christmas - Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Christmas

  It's been a hot minute since I had time to share a card as I had my last class of the year as well as Thanksgiving last week.  It's time to buckle down and get things checked off the to do list.  I counted up my cards and I think I just need 10-15 more then we can jump into the new spring catalog and Sale-a-Bration!  Woo Hoo!  But for now we need to stay focused on Christmas stamping.

  Today's card is really sweet and simple and uses a few dies and punches for some interest.

  This design can be made in multiples and mixed and matched using the Wrapped in Plaid DSP.  The gold accents tie it all together!

  The card base is Shaded Spruce embossed with Pinewood Planks embossing folder.  A star is cut from the Wrapped in Plaid paper using the Stitched Stars dies.  The sentiment from Itty Bitty Christmas is embossed in gold and punched out with a circle punch. It's layered over a Shaded Spruce Stitched Label die.  The Pine Tree punch is used with some gold foil for the Christmas tree.

  All the shapes are popped up over a length of Shaded Spruce/gold striped ribbon.  See like I said super easy and quick!

  I loosely based my layout on a sample on the front cover of the Holiday catalog (can you see which one?).  I liked the different shapes but wanted a more traditional look with the gold so I swapped out colors.  Definitely use the catalogs for idea; color combinations, layouts, and how to use embellishments can all be tweaked to fit your supplies on hand.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Itty Bitty Christmas

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Shaded Spruce, Whisper White, Wrapped in Plaid DSP, Gold Foil

Accessories: Pinewood Planks e.f., Stitched Stars dies, Stitched Labels dies, Pine Tree punch, gold embossing powder, dimensionals, Shaded Spruce/gold striped ribbon,