Christmas Open House : bookmark card

This is a beautiful bookmark and card all in one. The bookmark comes out of the card, but on the card creates an elegant focal point. The bookmark is quick and easy to make and would be a cherished gift for a book reader or as a Bible bookmark.

Christmas open house: children's thank you cards

This is a choice for you to make: Children's thank you cards. Easy for them to fill out and pop in the mail, and you instill manners in them while they have fun. You can make 16 of these. You can make them with snowman, or a cute boy or girl holding a candy cane with a winter cap on them.

Christmas open house: photo Christmas cards

These are great and easy Christmas photo cards. It is simply a one layer card (kind of like a postcard). You simply attach your photo to the back of the white frame or patterned paper overlay and you glue the pieces together. Super easy and great for those holiday photo cards everyone likes to give out. The greetings at the bottom of the card are so classy and nice too. You can make a set of 16 of these. You will receive a sheet of dimensional adhesives for attaching these to the card bases once you put your photos in them.

Season of Joy: card templates

I must tell you that I have been having so much fun making these card sets from these 4 sets I am promoting this  month.  It is rewarding to use some of the card sketch templates I have been collecting from various blogs and my Stampin' Success  magazines, and other places.  It is fun to use up papers I have been hoarding as well as embellishments.  I mean, I have all this stuff I think is so neat, but I have been scared to use it.  Plus I feel like I am justifying my purchase of all these stamps by using them.  So many cards to make and so little time.  

So here are some cards with the great Season of Joy set for Christmas.  This is in the regular SU! catalog and was actually revealed last Christmas in the Holiday mini.  But I love the images.  Do you realize that I used all the stamps in this set on these cards?  Eureka!  If you order this set this month or before Christmas you will get the instructions and measurements for all these cards.  NOTE: on all these cards as well as the other sets, I have used some colors and designer papers that are no longer available.  However I know you can find substitutions and really you just need the measurements.  So enjoy the holidays.  Get started on your Christmas cards now.

Holiday Mini offerings: new ornament kits

I just got to see the new Holiday mini catalog and collection today (another awesome perk of being a demonstrator) and all I can say is "WOW!"   There are so many fabulous papers, ornament kits, ribbons, and stamp sets in there.   You are going to love it.  The Holiday mini also contains the new Big Shot and corresponding cutting dies.  About 7 of the dies are Stampin' UP! exclusives, and the rest are regular Sizzix offerings.  If you own a Cuttlebug machine the regular Sizzix dies (except the Bigz XL) are supposed to work in the Cuttlebug.  You only use the two B plates as your sandwich -one on top and one on the bottom.  You will probably experience some serious creaking sounds when you do this, but if your plates are not warped from repeated use in the Cuttlebug, they shouldn't break.  I am not making a guarantee on this, but this is what I have read.  

Now onto the ornament kits that Stampin' UP! is offering in the Holiday mini (click on the pictures above to see them in more detail).  There are three ornament kits:  one for chipboard ornaments, one for paper ornaments and then a collection of felt snowflakes.   There are several pieces in each kit, and each kit ranges from $13- $14 for the felt snowflakes to $26 for the chipboard kit.  Each kit contains enough pieces for them to be broken up into 3rds and you would still get a lot of pieces.  So I am going to offer my customers a combo pack of chipboard, paper, and felt ornaments for a very reasonable price.  

Here are the details:

On Board Trinkets:

Contains:  6 each of 4 different styles of large ornaments, 2 each of 5 words (hope, peace, joy, believe, and love), and then a variety of stars.  Each chipboard piece has a matching die cut designer piece of paper that goes with it to cover the front and back.  

If you order my combo ornament kit you will get the following pieces:  2 each of the large ornament styles, 3 words, and then some of the small star pieces.  You would get the patterned paper that you would then adhere to the chipboard pieces.  These would also look great with a little glitter on them too.  Price for these pieces is $8.30

Star Bright Paper ornament kit:

this kit contains enough paper pieces for 54 stars, 6 paper strip globes, and approx. 6 paper circle globes, 30 feet of silver cord, and 12 brads (for the paper strip globes).  

If you order my combo ornament kit you would get the following pieces: 18 stars, 2 paper strip globes, and 2 paper circle globes, 10 feet of silver cord and 4 brads.  Price for these pieces is $6.60.

Felt Snowflake kits:  (these felt snowflakes would make a great garland, easy wire earrings, and a wonderful stick pin combined with our Pretties kits pearls, clear beads, and hat pins)

Large felt flurries:  contains 27 large snowflakes in white, red, and baja breeze.  

As part of the kit you would get 9 pieces in assorted colors.  Cost:  $4.66

Small felt flurries:  contains 69 pieces in white, red and baja breeze.

As part of the kit you would get 23 pieces in assorted colors.  Cost:  $4.33

So if you get my combo kit you would have numerous ornaments and a variety of each kind.  Total cost for the kit is $20 plus a $6.50 shipping and handling fee (for my time to divide them up, package them for shipping and ship them to you).  That is $26.50 for a kit of 64 ornaments all ready for you to glue and embellish with glitter to your hearts content.  

 PLEASE NOTE: my cost breakdown for the different ornament kits that are in the mini catalog are based on the cost of the kits in the mini without shipping and handling that SU! charges.  With my demonstrator discount, I only pay that amount in the end. I am passing that savings on to you.  You will only be paying for the shipping to you after I divide the kits up.  Any questions please contact me.

I suggest you also order some silver elastic cord for hanging your ornaments at $4.95 for 15 yards.  

These products won't be available to order  until October 1st, which is when the mini catalog goes into effect.  I will take preorders and payments for the ornament assortment kits until September 28th.  Orders will go in on October 1st and I will have them in the mail by the end of October for you.  That should give you enough time to assemble them for holiday decorating after Thanksgiving.   Email me with your order at stampin.chick@gmail.com

 I need to get at least 3 people to order this assortment kit to be able to place an order and cover the cost of the kits.  So I will post sign ups here for each round of kits.  I will not make up an assortment pack unless I have all three people signed up and payment before Oct. 1st.

Round one ornament assortment kit:

1.  Gwen S.

2. 

3.  

Round two ornament assortment kit:

1.

2.

3.

These ornaments would make a great kid's project, a festive gift to decorate a college dorm room, a great start on ornaments for a young adult just starting out on their own and decorating their own tree for the first time, or as a pretty addition to your own tree.   The ornaments would also be wonderful as a pretty decoration on your Christmas presents and gift bags.  Classic colors in these kits would blend well with most Christmas color schemes. 

Christmas photo card cutting service

I was trying to make up some designs for photo cards to offer you, my customers, but I finally got a lightbulb moment last night.  I can't possibly make and stamp cards that will appeal to everyone.  Your tastes and styles are just too varied.  What I like, you may hate.   And to top it all off, I have to keep reminding myself that we will be moving and settling in to our new home this Fall and although I think I can do all these things, I really probably won't.  So I came up with a solution last night.  This is a limited offer, as I won't be able to do this for too many folks, but if you sign up early, I can fit you in before the chaos starts. 

I have two simple  and easy templates for photo cards using my Nestabilities to cut out and emboss a frame for your photo approx a wallet sized photo or a 3 x 4 cut down for the long cards.  I was thinking that to save everyone time, and to get a pretty colorful card, you could choose some 12x12 printed paper you like and I can cut out the frame part of your holiday card on it, using my tools.  Then you would merely have to cut your base cardstock, stamp a greeting on white paper and glue it to the base.  You can then embellish with photo corners or small flowers or snowflakes that you find.  

The cards can be two sizes:  4x8 1/2 to fit in a standard size business envelope, and 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 which can fit in a regular invitation size envelope (A2).    A package of Stampin' UP! designer paper would yield about 48 of the larger size cards, and 72 of the invitation size cards. 

A package of Stampin' UP! solid color card stock to mat the frames on would yield 48 large cards and 72 invitation size.   You can see the papers Stampin' UP! has for the holidays in the Holiday mini and the regular catalog.  Or go to the scrapbook store and pick out your own and send it to me.  

Stampin' UP! designer paper is $10.  Solid color paper is $5.50 for 24 sheets.  

I would charge a $5 fee to cut 48 large or up to 72 small cards.   Then I would charge you for shipping the supplies back to you to put your photos in and assemble together.  You need to provide your own envelopes.  I would go to If It's Paper if you have one near you, as they have the best price.  

So let me know if you want me to do this for you.  I know  a lot of people send out these types of cards, and it's nice to give them a special homemade, personalized touch.   Note about photos: I didn't have the designer paper glued on, so if the pieces don't look centered, that is why.

Another Deer Friends card

Here is another cute card I CASED from Splitcoast.  I changed the patterned paper to something I had and so the colors kind of changed too.  But otherwise it is pretty much the same.  Thanks to the talented card makers there.  I used some paper that I have  had on hand for a few years now.  The colors match the new In colors: kiwi kiss, riding hood red, groovy guava (retiring in color), and then the regular color of old olive.  I also used a little trick for my stitching, since I am so not going to lug out a sewing machine.  I have a clear stamp that is a zigzag stitch that I used with white craft ink, and white embossing powder.  There you go, textured faux stitching.  Love it.  Anyway, I hope you like this card.  Trying to come up with some holiday cards to sell as kits for friends and family to assemble themselves.  I think this one might be a little over the top for something like that, but it was too cute not to try.  

Details:

card base is standard 4 1/4 by 11 folded at 5 1/2

olive layer is 4 x 5 1/4

squares are 2x2

scallop edge piece is 4 x 1 1/2  (used scallop edge punch)

Christmas in July

July is almost over, but it's Christmas in July here.  Trying to design my Christmas card class on the go cards, and here are some more options.  Nothing is finalized yet, but I think these are going to be so cool to make and give.  I simply used my nifty Cuttlebug embossing folders that I found at Hobby Lobby.  Love that store.  We don't have a Michael's or ACMoore close by, but they always had all the old folders and not the new ones.  Well Hobby Lobby which is a short 25 min. away in Gadsden has these great new Christmas folders that go great with the snowflake background folder.  Love it.   These were so easy to make using my Nestabilities for the mats on the images.  I also used the new Kiwi Kiss on the red and green cards.  It looks so great with the Real Red.  Like a strawberry.  Who doesn't love strawberry-kiwi flavored things?  

Details:  

Cuttlebug machine, snowflake background and dots background, and holiday mini folders

Real Red, night of navy and bashful blue cut to regular card size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2  scored at 4 1/4

kiwi kiss 5 1/4 x 4

white on red cards is cut 5 x 3 3 /4

white on blue cards is cut 5 1/4 x 4

red, navy, and bashful blue ribbons

white squares 1 3/4x 1 3/4

nestabilities

1 1/2 circle punch would work for white circles  but I used all nestabilities for the round and scallop round pieces.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours...

I was sooo very excited when Papertrey introduced this new Boards and Beams set in June.  Can you say perfect for new house announcements that I will need to make here soon when our house is built.  However, in the meantime, this set makes a wonderful Christmas card.  Pair it with the Holiday Wishes set from PTI and you have a perfectly coordinated little card.  I tried very hard to add a little snow to the eaves.  I think the next one will be Liquid appliqued and then topped with a bit of chunky ice glitter.  This one just has some white glitter on it. 

 I found the greatest thing yesterday, okay maybe not so great since I bought so much, at Wal-Mart.  Martha Stewart craft papers, ribbons, punches, scrapbook and kits, and this awesome glitter.  There are 3 packs of glitter per package for only $5 and pretty much all the colors match a Stampin' UP! color.  Love it.  That is why I got so much.  And there is a glue pad they sell for $5 too that you ink up your stamp on and then stamp, glitter and it takes the place of heat and stick, I hope.  No more heat gun and two steps.  I haven't actually tried it yet, but I am keeping my hopes up that it works.  And I found this great border punch that I used to make the artichoke border here.  

I watercolored the house with creamy caramel, close to cocoa, bravo burgundy and artichoke.  I colored the windows with summer sun marker and toned it down with a little water.  

This is a super easy pocket card and would be a great Christmas card.  You could even put a family photo on the insert.

HOx3 Santa card

HOx3 means HO! HO! HO! as in Santa Claus saying that with "Merry Christmas!".  Okay I thought it was cute.  I totally CASED this card from the totally great demo magazine we get every month.  Did I mention being a demonstrator is really a great thing.  Lots of FREE samples, a great discount, FREE stamps, a sneak peak at all sorts of new stuff, great support and training, and so much more.  I love it.  What I wish for are more great stamps like some of the other companies out there have come out with, not the same old flower sets that we keep seeing coming out or being recycled by Stampin' UP!  I am just not feeling the same love these days for our stamps.  We need some truly new and cool stuff:  stuff for men, stuff for boys, and not the cutesy cartoony stuff.  Real stuff.  I am so holding my breath to see what new things we are getting in August in the new catalog.  I know of 2 new label like sets with coordinating new punches, new buttons, new In colors and coordinating ribbons and accessories, new Simply Scrappin' and designer papers since they retired all that were in this Spring and Summer catalog.  New hodgepodge hardware kits, and such.  Can I say that I am loving all the new accessories, and I will always love our colors.  Our paper and inks are so great.  But honestly, they better wow me with the stamps this time, or I might not be able to be so excited about Stampin' UP!  I'll try to hang in there with you.  

Here are the details of this fun card:  squares are 1 1/2 x 1 1/2.  Used kiwi kiss, riding hood red, bashful blue and white.  Same with inks.  Used circle punches and scallop punch.  White craft ink and a zig zag stitch clear stamp for the stitching.  I am loving that stamp.  Wise purchase here recently.   Deer friends set, as well as two retired Christmas sets: perfect presentation and Glad Tidings.

Snowflake Serenade Glittery Photo card

I am trying to come up with some easy cards to make for folks who want handmade cards, but do not want  to invest in stamps and such to make them.  They would simply get prestamped supplies for 20 cards from me that they would assemble themselves at a fair price.  Here is one possible contender.  I created this idea in my head, and as always, the actual execution of the idea is not always what you think it will be.  I know a lot of people send out photo cards as Christmas cards.  I want to offer that idea to people who want to add a homemade elegance to their cards.  So here is my first attempt at a photo card.  I love the Papertreyink set Snowflake Serenade.  It is so pretty and elegant.  I stamped the snowflakes on vellum and then glittered them up with heat and stick powder and dazzling diamonds glitter.  Not too bad.  The card is very pretty and sparkly without being messy.  I used thin vellum paper, but I think the vellum cardstock that Papertrey just introduced would work better.  I used our Blue Bayou and Soft sky for the card.  If I offered this as a kit, I would be limited to how many I could make since the colors won't be available to order more paper for this color scheme after Aug. 10.  

Details:

4x 11 card base in blue bayou scored at 8 3/4

soft sky 4 x 2  1/2 torn, and 5 3/4 x 3 3/4 for photo mat inside

vellum 4 x 8 1/2

white craft, soft sky and blue bayou inks

heat and stick powder, glitter, 2 way glue, silver cord

fits in a standard long business envelope

Criss Cross Pointsettia

Criss cross...applesauce. No, criss cross... pointsettia. I must digress for a moment and say that I really do not like the whole criss cross applesauce saying for getting children to sit what has always been traditionally called "Indian Style". All the political correctness is so absurd. Yes, the Indians did sit cross legged, and so what if we attribute that to them. It isn't in the least derrogatory. Okay, enough about that. Sorry. In my attempt to put a cute title on this card, I had to touch on something that irritates me. Not a good way to start a post.

Anyway, here is a cute and super easy little Christmas card that would make a fabulous photo holder for those of you who like to send cards with pictures of your children or whole family front and center for everyone to see and celebrate with.
This is called a Criss Cross card. You can go to my sidebar under project ideas and see the tutorial. It is super easy. It uses a whole sheet of cardstock for each card, but you know the possibilities are endless with this card. Use it to hold a small flat gift, a gift card, a photo, even tuck a little money in there. These don't take long and can be embellished for birthdays, and any occasion. Try one today.
This card uses last year's InColors of Cranberry Crisp and True Thyme. It would work well with any color. I also used some of the last of my last year's holiday thyme designer paper. We have the same paper this year in the regular catalog under a new name and with beautiful shades of green and blue called Wintergreen. The double sided paper is a must for this project if you use it to embellish your criss cross flaps. Because you cut the piece in half and have to flip one of the pieces you cut over to have it lay on the card. You could also stamp the flaps too for less paper cost. You could use just ribbon for the band, or leave that part off. The choice is up to you. I used the In the Spotlight set for the pointsetta. I stamped it, then used the awesome 5 point flower punch and then scored the leaves so they could be shaped to have some dimension. I put them together with a nifty gold brad for the center of the flower, and there you go. Other items used were the round tab punch, and the 3/4 inch circle punch for the little snowflake.

Season of Joy snow and tree

Super simple and easy Season of Joy cards.
3 card stock colors : olive, real red, and white; river rock, real red, and white (although I think next time I would use vanilla).
You could easily leave the celery grosgrain ribbon off the joy card, but you definitely need the red gingham for the river rock tree card.
Season of joy set for $26.95.
3 ink colors (olive, celery and real red; wasabi, real red, river rock)

took me about 5 min. to do two of each of these.

Pine Bough Peaceful wishes

Here is another super simple card.
Peaceful wishes $23.95
Handsome hunter and ruby red cardstock ($5.50 for each pack will get you 48 cards)
Whisper white ($6.50 for 40 sheets)
Hunter and ruby red ink pads ($5.25 each)
Dazzling diamonds and 2 way glue ($4.95 and $3.95 each).
White is 2 3/4 x 2 1/2 and ruby red is 1/4 inch bigger on both sides.

Super simple and quick. You could use any combo of red and green shades for this one. I just picked these two as I hardly ever use these colors.

Mistletoe Simple Christmas card

See I promised you simple Christmas cards that are easy to mass produce. Here is entry no. 1. to go along with the rest of the Peaceful wishes cards you will find on the blog. They are all so simple, and a single pack of paper of each color will give you at least 48 cards in a flash.

Here are the stats on this card.
I used 12 x 12 whisper white cardstock. You cut each sheet into four pieces of 6x6. Score each piece at 3" to fold in half neatly. (whisper white 12x 12 is $7.50 for 20 sheets which will yield 80 cards)
Garden Green and real red 2x 6 strip (Garden green and real red 12 x 12 is $7.50 for 20 sheets)
Garden Green ink pad ($5.25)
White gel pen ($3.95) to color in the berries.
Mistletoe wheel + handle is $6.50 and $3.95
Real red grosgrain ribbon (narrow at 15 yards for $4.95) I used 18" for each card. You will get approx. 30 cards from one spool.
Now I used the Peaceful Wishes greeting from the Peaceful wishes stamp set which is $23.95, but you could use any thin greeting you could find or handwrite it. There are also probably rub-ons you could buy with greetings on it, but those could get pricey. If you order the Peaceful wishes set too, you'll have more options with the same layout, using elements from that. You could use the pine leaves to go across the green strip which you can "ice" with dazzling diamonds glitter ($4.95 and a 2 way glue pen $3.50). You could also use just the stamp set and not the wheel, and use the mistletoe sprig instead.

Christmas Card Extravaganza... part one

I am co-hosting a Christmas card stamp camp/extravaganza in Oct. with another demonstrator. We are going to be making 25 Christmas cards for $25. We provide all the materials for about 13 different cards. I have had some interest, but I know that time to attend one of these on weekends is short, so not everyone could come. I also now that maybe someone might want to just make Christmas cards of all one design, and therefore this might not be of interest.
Time is short but I know a lot of us are into doing homemade and crafty things for the holiday season. I hope to inspire you for the rest of this month and in Oct. with some great Christmas card ideas you can easily make en mass for your own needs. I will provide info. on supplies used, and cost of making about 48 of each card. If you like what you see and want to get supplies, contact me and let me know what card you want. I can give you cutting information as well. I am also going to be posting groupings of cards for each Christmas stamp set I use, to show versatility of some of these sets.

Among other items I will be posting here soon are some great gift items, ornament items, and other information. I am always thinking more ambitiously in what I want to accomplish with respect to the time I actually get to do these things, but I hope to make a good effort and keep my family time and my time with God my top priorities. So be checking back soon. I will be posting the Christmas card extravaganza cards on the side bar after the first class on Oct. 13th. Be looking for them then.

christmas card stamp camp

Here are the cards Beth and I came up with for the Christmas Card extravaganza. I think they are fun. I added a picture to show how to attach the spinner element on your navy blue card. Simply take the linen thread and sandwich it between the circles with some monoadhesive or similar double stick tape. Then attach the strings on the card front lining up the snowflake with the center of the punch out part of your card. Then glue the white strip on top, lining up the punch out edges. It really is easy.
Contact me if you need help.

Star studded Christmas

This is another new Christmas set in the Holiday Mini 2007 catalog. You can purchase these sets starting Sept. 1st. They are fabulous. I really like this set because the greetings tell more about what Christmas is all about: Jesus. The verses tell more about Jesus instead of being just generic "Holiday" greetings. This used the new holiday designer paper which is in lovely artichoke, river rock and pomegranite colors in baroque patterns. It is very elegant looking. Great for quick Christmas cards.

I used artichoke card front, artichoke craft ink for the chipboard circle ring. I used pomegranite ink on the star stamp, cut it out, and took my 2 way glue pen to trace the edges and then I added dazzling diamonds glitter. Very nice subtle POP! I also used the pomegranite stitched ribbon.

The second card: artichoke card base, holiday designer paper, mellow moss paper, river rock, and artichoke inks. I used artichoke ribbon as well. Very green Christmas card, but still pretty.

What do you think?

Sparkly Peaceful wishes

This card is so cool in person, as the glitter doesn't show up so well on the scan. This is so easy, a little faux tearing technique, some sparkly glitter, and some white craft ink make this a winter wonderland looking card. The glitter is only on two of the branches to make them stand out. Just used that 2 way glue from Stampin' UP! and our fabulous dazzling diamonds glitter. Weathered Background was used at the top as well as sponged white ink. Isn't this just so pretty and "peaceful" looking?!!!

This card idea was from Splitcoast. I think JanTink came up with it first. There are many versions on there. Just wanted to give credit where credit was due.

Peaceful wishes

Here are two more quick and easy Christmas cards using Peaceful Wishes. This is a preview of what you will get to make at my Christmas card extravaganza stamp camp in Oct. Lots of quick and easy cards 25 for $25. It's a great bargain, and a great way to get a good chunk of your cards made.

For the top two cards I used Sage Shadow, Always Artichoke, vanilla, and Wintergreen papers. I used artichoke ink for the main images. I used the white gel pen to color the berries white. I then used Sage Shadow ink to sponge around the images. I love the colors here. Not extremely traditional but very nice.
On the bottom two cards I used cranberry crisp and true thyme from last year's IN COLOR palette. I have a lot of paper left, so I might as well use it.