Christmas is Love

I made a number of Christmas cards this year, about 30 in all. Far fewer than previous years, but then I started in November instead of July. Some of them I posted on earlier posts, many I made and mailed immediately, so no scanning was done. This is the last card I made Sunday and my favorite. A one of a kind made for my sister Angie, who got me comfortable with cracked glass technique and tying ribbons. She also shares a  love of trains with me and her grandson Nathaniel.
On the back I wrote this verse in white:

This is love: not that we loved God, 

but that he loved us 

and sent his Son 

as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Merry Christmas!

Thank You Card

I love the colors in this paper. I think they are kind of Christmas-y, so this could be a good thank you card for after the holiday.I used Versamark ink and gold embossing powder for the sentiment and a gold paint pen inside the scallops.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to send holiday greetings to anyone who happens by my blog today.

Going out of My Comfort Zone

This card is dedicated to my sister because it has embellishments she loves and I do not use too often: ribbon and glitter. What was I thinking? I was at my local stamp and scrapbook store, Sparkle and Sprinkle, with my sister Angie recently. She was looking for their new micro glitters and showed me how they feel soft, not sharp like regular glitter. I was hooked and bought a bottle of a color called Reflection. I used a wide double sided tape, stuck one side to white card, then punched it in the border punch. Then I applied the glitter, rubbing it into the exposed tape. I used my tidy tray and brushed out the excess back into the bottle, but there was extra glitter on my table, on my fingers, in my hair, on my clothes...I sparkle! I heat embossed the snowflakes(Michael's $1 stamp) with silver embossing powder over Versamark ink, used a silver paint pen to outline the larger circle and embossed the words on the tag with the same silver. The ribbon has silver glitter in it, too. I am going to stamp "tis the season to sparkle" on the inside.

 

PS you can order online from Sparkle and Sprinkle if you are not nearby. See the link on the  right.

More Glittery Cards

 I found this ribbon on sale at Mike's yesterday and thought it would go well with my snowflake embossing folder. The blue snowflake was stamped with Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue ink, so it sparkles, too.

These two cards on the right were made with the same ink and then embossed with clear powder. This is Brilliance Starlight Black ink which stamps on both  white and dark paper. The stamp set is Rejoicing With You from SU. I used a silver paint pen to edge the mat below the sentiment piece which is just a smidgen smaller.

This last card was also made using the Starlight Black and outlined with a silver paint pen as above. The stamp is from Impression Obsession. No embossing was added to this card, just a little glitter pen added sparkle to the stamens in the center of the poinsettia.. You can see how neat that ink is on the white and red card stock.

Joy Ornament Card

I just got a new toy: a Grand Calibur die cutting machine. Now I am able to use my Impression Obsession dies and also cut and emboss with my Nestabilities  easily. Here's a card I made using the pine branch and a stamp set from Sparkle and Sprinkle that matches the Nestie Ornament dies.

I added some glitter on the branch with a glitter pen and used silver embossing to continue the sparkle. It doesn't show, but the base card has a sparkle finish as well.

I added two score lines and popped up the ornament, too.

My Talented Sister

My sister, Angie Martino, teaches a stamping class a couple times a month in her home. Here are the cards I made in her class today that she designed. I think I like the red vintage card best.

No ribbon, but one card had glitter. My husband swears every time I come home from visiting her, I  have glitter somewhere on me! Can you see it under the snowmen? It is actually a thick glitter, so maybe none stuck to me tonite.

Talk about not wasting paper...

I have finally used all of the pattern paper, 2 8X8 pieces from the Vintage Holiday pad that had the flowers on it. Ended up getting 13 cards total. I know others have gotten 18 cards out of the same amount of designer paper, but I am pretty happy with 13. Here are the final four. I hope I have given you an idea of how to make a variety of cards out of the same paper.

This one used the last little pieces. I was thinking it could be used as a birthday or get well card, too, just by changing the sentiment.

I just love those Liquid Pearls on the oval scallops. This looks even nicer in reality.

This card's layout came about when the "Merry" on top and the" Christmas" on the bottom did not stamp out clearly. So...cover them with matted patterned paper and voila!

(the ribbon made the card crooked in my scanner, everything lines up straight on the actual card) I like the clean and simple style of theis card.

Hope you are not getting tired of these yet.

Here are  more cards using the vintage holiday sheets.

On the second card I used a white gel pen to add the dots and lines on the scallop circle, copic R29 marker for the red dots, and green memento ink, Bamboo Leaves, direct to paper to add color along the right edge. Then after looking at the card again I decided the dots on the scallop needed more oomph, so I went over them with a drop of Liquid Pearls, White Opal.


 




And here's another using an embossing plate and then sanding the flowers. Still have some pieces of that vintage paper so maybe 3 more cards to go.

Still thinking vintage...

Still trying to use that vintage holiday paper from a few years ago. Here are two more cards. Red stars on top card and inside of punch flowers below were done with Copic R29 marker. You may have figured out that I am using a second sheet of printed paper, too. I only have 2 sheets, so lets see how many more cards I can make.

And I am very behind in my card making...

So I found an idea for making many one sheet wonder Christmas cards blog and posted it on my Pinterest page.

 Then I got busy and came up with these using my Vintage Holiday pad of 8X8 paper designed by Mabelle R O for The Angel Company.

The bow on this card is a sheer ribbon heated with my heat gun to make it look a little old.

Used Martha Stewart and Fiskars border punches here and there.

 This is the design I think I will take to my club meeting on Thursday.

Sorry about the light on this last one. Wouldn't scan well and I couldn't get my flash to work on the phone camera.

Christmas is Coming

I saw this card made by Julie on her blog Paper Trufflez and it inspired me to make the card below it.

 

I used glittery paper from My MInds Eye, and Jelly Roll Glaze pens to color.Here's the inside using stamps from Sparkle n Sprinkle.

 I have been told the colors and papers didn't look Christmasy enough. What do you think?

Hi, Neighbor!

Our community association is having an event called "Hi, Neighbor" next week. It is held for the many clubs to set up information tables for community members. Our  club, Gone Stampin' will have a table and I made 100 bookmarks to give out. Each bookmark will have a label on the back with the meeting info printed.  I used Blooming Meadow from Hero Arts, Kaleidacolor ink pad Autumn Leaves, and Memento Rich Cocoa for the sentiment and sponging.

Holiday Card Class

I just heard about this online class.


Holiday Cards Class online
For only $25 you can get lots of great ideas. The instructors are designers whose work I have admired on other sites.Be sure to scroll down and watch the short video that gives a peak into the class design.
Here is the info from the site:

All NEW for 2012! Join us for a holiday cardmaking class featuring different styles of stamps and a variety of supplies!

We cardmakers love the holidays, perhaps more than any other time of the year! It’s the time when we can really stretch our cardmaking muscles with holiday cards. Whether those cards are intricate, inky masterpieces or clean and simple creations, Christmas and holiday cards are some of the most fun to create!
Join instructors Kristina Werner, Jennifer McGuire, and special guest artists for over 20 videos and 30+ card ideas! Online Card Classes’ Holiday Card Workshop includes…

• Tips and tricks for mass-producing cards. We know some of you make hundreds of cards for the holidays! We’ll show you how to create all those card more effectively and and with greater efficiency.
• Different ways to approach holiday stamps. For example, multiple ways to use outline, background, or sentiment stamps to help you get the most of holiday stamps you may have on hand.
• Fun, inky techniques for holiday crafting!
• Lots of motivation to jump in and start creating your holiday cards!

Christmas Card for Oct 18th meeting

Ta Da!

Besides the card stock, I used a SU embossing folder, copics markers, and Stickles. The fold is on the left.

One last peak...

Here's the last peak. If you are a club member you will see the whole card at our meeting tomorrow. If you miss the meeting or are not a member, you can check back here Friday and the wholecard will be posted.

I'll bet you have a pretty good idea now. No?

Are you peaking?

That's ok, I want you to see another  peak at my card.

More Peaking

Here's another peak at my card for club on the 18th.

Do you think you know what the whole card looks like?

Another piece of the puzzle...

Are you good at puzzles? Have you figured out what my card looks like yet?

Hope you are excited about my meeting as I am!

Hooray Goodies Came

Oooh, I just love it when stamp stuff comes to my mailbox! Here are the things I ordered from Impression Obsession:












The tree stamp matches the die.
The leaves dies are similar to some TAC stamps I have. Can't wait to play with them.

Christmas Card sneak peak

I am getting ready for my stamp club on the 18th. Each member is supposed to bring a "card in a box" which is where each of us designs a card as a sample,then brings materials for 6 more cards to be made. Everyone explains how to make the card, then we move around the room making one card at a time until we run out of time. That was what the "Hello" card was designed for (on my first post). My card is finished and my papers are cut. This is SOOOO not like me, but I will not be able to do this any other time this coming week. The requirement is to make a Christmas card. Here's a little peak of part of the card. I will post the whole card after the club meeting on the 18th.

Hello!

This is the card that I designed for the Gone Stampin' club meeting last week.

Basic card is white card stock. First I stamped the flower design with Palette Claret ink. I used designer cardstock  and DCWV pink card temporarily taped together, put into the Fiskars border punch, tied on the sheer ribbon, then glued down to the base card. Then I punched the natural card using the Marvy Ushida (pink size) scalloped circle punch, inked the Hero Arts stamp with Memento Cottage Ivy, and laid the scalloped piece on the stamp. I used Prismacolor pencils 1015, 912, and 930 to color, along with the colorless blender pencil. Last, I sponged around the scallop with the Claret ink and popped it up on the front  of the card.