My favorite 2011 Christmas cards

These are my three favorite Christmas cards I made this year. 

I loved the Stitched Felt that was in the Holiday Mini Catalog, but now it is gone unless it shows up in the Clearance Rack at some point.  I challenged myself to use them, instead of hoard them.  I almost succeeded.  You saw the snowflakes the other day, and today I have cards made with the mittens and the wreath.  I never did use the Holly...

The other day I said that the Holly Berry Bouquet was my favorite Designer Series Paper but I think I loved this paper just as much!!  It is the Frostwood Lodge series, and I was happy to see some traditional Christmas colors.

I used Garden Green cardstock for the card base and Cherry Cobbler for the background layer.

The two scalloped die cuts were cut with the Sizzix Perfect Pennants Die, and layered with circles. 

The pleated green piece is Garden Green cardstock that I scored on my Stampin' Up! Simply Scored Scoring Tool, and then folded into pleats.  

I wrapped it with Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine.

Close up of Stitched Felt

The sentiment is stamped on a Modern Label Punch, which is layered on a Modern Label Movers and Shapers Sizzix die cut.

Here is a close up of the focal piece.

I used the Stitched Felt Wreath on the next card.  This time I used Holly Berry Bouquet Designer Series Paper.

 I layered Cherry Cobbler cardstock on the Wild Wasabi card base.

The Whisper White layer was embossed with the Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

I punched 1-3/8" squares from the Designer paper and layered it on the cardstock square to resemble a window.

The Cherry Cobbler quilted satin ribbon is ruffled onto a strip of Sticky Tape.  I am sad to say it is no longer available.  I think it would have been pretty for Valentines.

This is the final favorite card!!  I cannot take credit for the design - I cased it from Chiaki Haverstick at www.stampinpro.com.  I used the Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper, again.

My favorite thing on this card is the paper medallion under the image!  I used my Stampin' Up! Simply Scored Scoring Tool to do that which made it easy peasy to do.  The scallop was made with the 2-3/4" Scallop Circle punch. I die cut the scalloped borders with the Sizzix Tasteful Trim die.  Those glitzy dots are the new Dazzling Details - an iridescent glitter glue from Stampin' Up!

Talk to you again soon!

Phyllis

Christmas Keepsake Box - my favorite project ever!

I am saving the best things for last, IMHO!  This is my favorite project I ever made! I used a kit that I earned from Stampin' Up! for a new recruit last July.  It included all the paper, ribbon, package of pearls, buttons, charm,  doodads, glitter, etc. as well as instructions, so I had everything I needed to make it. It was quite a haul of goodies!!  It saved the time of digging things out of my stash because it was all right there.  I had so much fun making it, I loved every minute, but I really did lose track of how many hours it took.  Click on the photos for a closer look.  These photos are not the best because I took them in a hurry before I rushed out the door to deliver it.

I purchased a few more of these because I have not found these boxes anywhere, they are a really nice size.  So many of the keepsake boxes are too small.

Stay tuned, the last final Christmas post in on the way soon.

Then it's on to Valentines, almost too late...

Phyllis

Stampin' Up! card swaps

I participated in several card swaps with other Stampin' Up! demonstrators that you can see in my Webshots Gallery.  It is too far out of the season to fill my blog with them, but they really are too good to miss.

Find the Mega Christmas Card Swap here.  

I also participated in  Stampin' Up! demonstrator swap of 2011 Holiday Mini card here.  Most are from a swap with SUDSOL members (Simply Unique Demonstrators Sharing On Line - a subscription group) and others are cards I swapped with some local demonstrators as well as some one on one swaps with several demonstrators.  This group will include Halloween, Autumn / Fall, and Christmas.

Details are missing right now for some of them but I will add them when I have time.  

I will edit the post to add the cards I made, but I didn't have any left so I have to make them!

Have an awesome stamping day evening!

Phyllis Strickland

Christmas Cards - Make Your Own Designer Paper with Stamps!

OK, more Christmas!  In this post I want to show you that you can make your own beautiful background paper with card stock, stamps and ink.

The first card showcases the Distressed Dots background which is stamped on Marina Mist cardstock with White Craft Ink.   I also inked the edges to give the paper more dimension and so it would stand out from the other layers.  I used  this stamped cardstock for the background layer of the card as well as the tag, which I die cut with the Two Tags die.  These are layered on a card base of Brushed Silver cardstock.
The snowflake was die cut from Silver Glimmer Paper with the Sizzix Snowflake die. I punched a snowflake from the Glimmer Paper, because the die cut snowflake looked too open. The center is several Brushed Silver cardstock flowers punched with the Boho Blossoms punch.  They are held together with a Marina Mist Glimmer Brad.
I should buy stock in Stampin' Dimensionals which are double-sided adhesive foam dots!  As you can see I used them between every layer in the card as well as between the layers of the snowflake.   Supply list is at the bottom of the post.
The beautiful Vanilla Velvet ribbon is retired.  (Shh!! don't tell anyone but I have a small stash of it!

Here is another stamped background.  The stamps I used for the background are from the Season of Joy stamp set (still available!).  I stamped with Craft Whisper White and Craft Real Red inks to stamp a semi-random pattern.  Be sure to let the first color of ink dry before you start stamping with the next color.
That is Stampin' Up!'s beautiful Real Red satin ribbon and the fancy edge was done with the Pinking Hearts border punch. The Stitched Felt Snowflake and the red button are retired :-(


Supplies for the Silver Glimmer Paper Snowflake card:
122815  Distressed Dots stamp
100712  Brushed silver cardstock
124005  Silver Glimmer Paper
115594  Sizzix Two Tags Die
113460  Sizzix Snowflake #2 Die
119852  Snowflake Punch
119858  Boho Blossoms Punch
121004  Glimmer Brads - Subtles (Marina Mist)

Supplies for the Stitched Felt Snowflake Card:
110384  Season of Joy Stamp Set
117286  Satin Ribbon - Real Red
117649  Pinking Hearts Border Punch

Hope you enjoyed these cards.
Phyllis

Hello again, here are a few more Christmas cards I made.  I want to get these posted so I can get on to Valentines... almost too late!

Today I want to show you the lovely centerpiece embellishment you can make with punches.  I used Fancy Flower Punch for the bottom layer and then embossed it with the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  I cut several 5-Petal Flowers from the Red Glimmer Paper and stacked them on top.  The center is the two smallest flowers from the Boho Blossoms punch, cut from Wild Wasabi card stock.  I stacked all the punches together and cut a hole in the center with a handheld circle punch.  I held them together with a Gold Glimmer Brad.

I used the gorgeous Holly Berry Bouquet paper, which I embossed with the Starburst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, for the background.
The Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding is ruffled onto a strip of Sticky Tape.
Supplies:
118073  Fancy Flower Punch 
120175  Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder 
119880  5-Petal Flowers
121790  Red Glimmer Paper
119858  Boho Blossoms punch
121003  Glimmer Brads - Basics
120992  Seam Binding - Cherry Cobbler
Cardstock - 119685 Cherry Cobbler, 108641Wild Wasabi

Stamp, stamp, stamp!
Phyllis

Stampin' Up! Christmas Cards 2011

I am going to post Christmas Card samples I made this year, but was too busy to post during the Holiday season.  I noticed that some of my favorite bloggers are doing that, so if they are OK with it, I am, too! 
Most of the product is retired, so I am not going to list many details.  If you have a question, just shoot me an email.

This was one of my favorite sets - Christmas Lodge.  I stamped the image with Early Espresso classic ink on Crumb Cake cardstock and layered with Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, and Whisper White.  I used a Signo white gel pen for the snow on the lodge and mica flakes  for snow on the ground. Coloring was done with chalks for a muted effect.  The textured background on the white cardstock layer was done with 119976 Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder which is still available.

Christmas Lodge Stamp Set 

My favorite Designer Series Paper in this catalog was the Holly Berry Bouquet.  I loved the glitter and dimension of the stripe, polka dot and snowflake patterns.  For this card I used the glitter stripe and polka dot papers  I wanted to showcase the glitter so I used a small stamp from the Perfect Punches stamp set 120516 which is in the Idea Book & Catalog.  I punched a cricle background from Red Glimmer Paper 121790, also still available. The scallop edge layer was die cut with the Perfect Pennant Sizzix Die 123126.

Perfect Punches Stamp Set

This is a close-up to show the glitter

Well that is it for today.  It took far too long because I am new at this, so there is a lot of trial and error going on here!
I will be back tomorrow with more cards, I think it will go faster.
And I dont know where all that space is coming from...
Happy Stamping,
Phyllis

Dollar store journals get a Stampin' Up! make-over

Look what you can do with a $1.00 journal from the dollar store and some Stampin' Up! supplies.   I have had a stash of these that I picked up at the Dollar Tree because they were surprisingly good quality.  They were earmarked for a project that 's been on my list too long...   Then I got a request to make journals for a recent workshop/class, and when I had no luck finding inexpensive journals I had to raid my stash. 
We had a lot of fun making these.  We used pages from Stampin' Up! Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack to cover the journal.  We started by wrapping the paper tightly around the cover, pushing it into the grooves, and slitting and cutting as needed, before we applied the PVA glue.  Then we brushed sections of the cover and carefully applied the paper to make sure there were no air bubbles.

The flower layers were cut from the Stampin' Up! Flower Fun Die, the 5 Petal Punch and the BoHo Blossoms punch.  We crumpled them into tight little balls, then uncrumpled them, stacked them and attached the layers with a rhinestone brad.

We used the Snowflakes embossing folder to apply texture to the white paper square and layered that on squares of cardstock that coordinate with the designer paper.  The label is made with punches - large oval, scallop oval and the modern label as well as the modern label from the Punch Windows set of Sizzix Movers and Shapers dies.
 All the items are from Stampin' Up! except the journals and PVA glue.

Some masculine cards

Stampin' Up! has some fabulous masculine stamp sets in the 2011 Summer Mini Catalog - Best Dad Ever and The Open Sea

Something special for a nurse!

My niece graduated Magna Cum Laude from West Virginia University School of nursing in May 2010.  Despite all that, it takes time to get the license, and then find a job. I think it was in February, she finally found a job in nursing and had to go through some training to be an OR nurse.  Finally she is where she wants to be so I made this for her in honor of her achievement.

All supplies are from Stampin' Up!
 
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Real Red
 Accessories: wide striped grosgrain ribbon - Real Red, Designer Series Paper - Celebrations

I found a template on the internet to make the envelopes from the Designer Series Paper.

I purchased the tutorial from Lynn Pratt at stampndesign so I can't take credit for the design itself.

Mother's Day Card - a bit late!!

Here is the card I made for my Mom this year.  I am so glad the "Messages for Mom" set is in the new catalog, but most of the other items will be retired.

Stamp Set:  Messages for Mom (wood:#117016; clear:#118580)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Rose Red
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Basic Black
Accessories:  Boho Blossom Punch (for Rose Red flower layer); Very Vanilla Rosette (retired), Springtime Vintage Designer Paper (retired)