My Three-Mistakes Card

You know those new foil sheets in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog?  Well, I wanted to use the gold to cut out some snowflakes using the Festive Flurry Framelits dies.  That's when my mistakes happened.

Mistake number one:  I was cutting out two snowflakes, but after I ran them through the Big Shot, I realized I had put one die upside down.  Yep, it didn't cut, but it left the gold foil paper with a nice impression of the snowflake.  Well, I had one snowflake and a ruined piece of gold foil paper -- or so I thought.

Mistake number two:  I cut the white background cardstock to emboss it using the Pretty Print Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  After I embossed it, I realized I had cut it too small.  Drat.

Mistake number three:  I heat embossed (using gold embossing powder) the greeting (from the Joy to the World stamp set in the holiday catalog).  It was perfect -- until I noticed a mark to the right of the word "Holidays."  I tried to tell myself the recipient probably wouldn't notice it, but it was all I could see.

It all came together  for me, though, when I used that ruined piece of gold foil paper as the bottom layer.  The ruined part doesn't show now.  It also made the white embossed layer a perfect size. 

And, remember that one snowflake I had cut?  It worked great to cover that stray mark that was just after the word "Holidays."  All it needed was a bit of silver sparkle, and the Glimmer Paper was perfect for the job.

I think someone special will get this card this Christmas.

Festive Flurry

I wanted to make a Christmas card for a coworker that I knew (hoped?) she would love.  The result is below.  I sure hope she oohs and aahs over it when she gets it.  I guess  have to wait until December to find out.

The Details
I used the Stampin' Up! Festive Flurry Framelits Dies and Festive Flurry stamp set.  The Designer Series Paper is the Winter Frost paper in the holiday catalog.  You can't quite tell from the photo, but I used the silver foil sheet for the background square (behind the white) as well as for two snowflake cuts.  You can see the solid silver points in the snowflake layers.  The card stock for the card itself is Smoky Slate.  A Frosted Finishes Embellishment is in the center.  Perfect!

I had planned to put a sentiment on the front, but decided I liked the card as it is.  Now, I must wait since it's three months until Christmas.  I don't know about you, but when I make a card specifically for someone, I want to give it to that person right away.

It's not too soon to plan for Christmas

I was so inspired by a card done by Brian King that I did a few variations of it.  You can see his original card at his blog at stampwithbrian.com.  His blog is worth checking out and adding to your list to follow.  Even if you don't stamp, his writing is entertaining and interesting (synonyms?).

The card below is basically the same card Brian made only I turned the star background on point.

The next version of the card is basically the same but is done in blues.  I sponged the silver glimmer paper with soft sky ink.

I stepped it up a bit for this last card.  I trimmed the layers in Cherry Cobbler cardstock.  It sure sets it all off nicely. 

Supplies Used:

Glimmer Paper:  Silver, Champagne
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Brushed Gold (in top card), Baked Brown Sugar (in bottom card), Soft Sky, and Island Indigo (in middle card)
Stamp Set:  More Merry Messages
Big Shot and Festive Flurry Framelits Dies

Gift Card Box

My exercise teacher celebrates Hanukkah, so I wanted to make her something to hold a gift card.  Hanukkah is at the end of November this year, but it's nice to have things done early -- at least in my little world.  The box I came up with uses the textured 12" x 12" cardstock in Island Indigo and Smoky Slate from the holiday catalog.

 I found many online tutorials on how to make the box, and I combined elements from several of them as well as adding my own touch.  Below is a picture of the top of the box.

See that curly clear ribbon?  Well, it's not ribbon.  It's that plastic strip that Stampin' Up! has around the ribbon to hold it in place.  I cut off the ends and curled it and used it to jazz up the top of the package.

When you open the box, the four sides fall open as pictured below.  The center holds a gift card.  I downloaded clip art for the pictures and typed some Happy Hanukkah sayings and printed these four things on our whisper white card stock. 

I used the new envelope punch board to make the gift card holder that stands up in the center of the gift.  The Festive Flurry stamp set and dies were used for the snowflake on the front of the card as well as on the front of the gift card holder.

Card stock:  textured 12" x 12" cardstock in Island Indigo and Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Smoky Slate

DSP:  Winter Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper

Stamps:  Festive Flurry 

FrameLits:  Labels Collection, Festive Flurry

Embossing Folders:  Stylish Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Punches:  Blossom (used to make the flower on top of the package)

Ribbon:  Okay, I admit I used a retired product here.  The ribbon that was perfect was from Sale-a-bration.  The color was just right--Island Indigo--and it was just what I needed.

Other:  Rhinestone Basic Jewels (in center of snowflake on the inside of package), brad (I used a retired brad for the center of the flower.)

Snowflake Info:  I used Iridescent Ice embossing powder on vellum to emboss the snowflake inside the box.  I used white craft ink to stamp the snowflake on the outside of the box.  I then took each of those snowflakes and mounted them on cardstock that I had also cut out.

My supply list ran long on this one.  If you've read this far, wow, I'm surprised (and thrilled)! 

I have a feeling my exercise teacher will love this gift card holder.  I'll bet she'll reuse it for a gift card for her daughter.  She did that last year, and the card holder I made wasn't as fun as this one. 

I'm already thinking about Christmas

I can't help it.  Try as I might to set my mind on making autumn cards, I find myself making another Christmas card.  I've been coming up with different designs so I can choose what I want to offer at my October stamp camp.  I will offer at least three -- maybe four -- different cards.

I wasn't happy with my snowflake card until I put the Frosted Finished Embellishments in the center of the snowflake.  Perfect!  The silver embossing powder was used both on the snowflake and the sentiment.

Stamp Sets:  Festive Flurry stamp set, More Merry Messages

Big Shot:  Festive Flurry Framelits Dies 

Cardstock:  Night of Navy, Smoky Slate

Other:  Silver Emboss Powder

I had some fun playing with the Circle Card Thinlits Die.  I used Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder on Coastal Cabana cardstock for the snowflake.  Once again, it was the Frosted Finished Embellishments placed in the center of the snowflake to save the day.

Here's the card opened.  I left the right side of the circle (with the saying) blank so I could sign the card there.  By the way, the Merry Christmas is heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

Stamp Sets:  Christmas Messages, More Merry Messages

Big Shot:  Festive Flurry Framelits Dies,  Circle Card Thinlits Die

Cardstock:  Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Coastal Cabana

DSP:  Winter Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper

Other:  Silver Emboss Powder

The card below is a tried and true design, but I think it will be fun to do in class.  Besides, that stamp set sentiment is perfect for this card.

Stamp Sets:  More Merry Messages

Cardstock:  Whisper White, Real Red, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry, Gumball Green, Pacific Point, Melon Mambo

Other:  Dazzling Details (on the light bulbs)

Thanks for coming by to see the cards.
Tina