Today, I'm sharing a couple of my latest Christmas cards...& when I say latest, I mean latest. They may still be postal so if they arrive in your mailbox, please try to look surprised & know they were sent with love even if a little late.
This one was inspired by my gorgeous friend Kim, who actually sent me the lovely Merry thinlits die cuts & stamped chevron background to play with. It's quite soft in person thanks to the crumb cake, vanilla & cherry cobbler & champagne glimmer colour combo. Here's a close up so you can see the sentiment section better.
For some reason, this card feels a little vintage-y to me even though
it's quite clean. Maybe it's the pleated seam binding ribbon or the
champagne glitter or....maybe I'm just nuts. I really liked how it
turned out & hope the recipient likes it. Next up...
This one has a similar layout, similar colours (white instead of vanilla, silver glimmer instead of champagne) much more contemporary look thanks to the Season of Style spotty DSP & washi tape. I think this suits the receivers style (fingers crossed).
I have one more Christmas post to share, so stay tuned for more soon. Inky wishes, Di
Supplies
Merry Chevron Stamps: chevron background
Card/paper: crumb cake, cherry cobbler, very vanilla card, champagne glimmer paper Accessories: cherry cobbler seam binding
Tools: merry minis punch pack - star, Big Shot, Expressions Thinlits dies
Merry Spots
Card/paper: crumb cake, cherry cobbler, whisper white card, silver glimmer paper, Season of Style DSP stack Accessories: Season of Style washi tape
Tools: merry minis punch pack - star, Big Shot, Expressions Thinlits dies
Today's project is certainly not one of my quickest Christmas projects ever, but definitely one of my faves. I really loved the ornament projects in our Holiday Catalogue so I made my own version for my Christmas gift packaging class & to give as gifts. I tried some colour variations before deciding on the final version. The ornaments below are a combination of smoky slate & soft sky digi images from MDS to save time), plus smoky slate (top), pool party (left) & coastal cabana (right) card.
As they're a little fragile around the snowflake edges I made a box to keep them safe - with my new Envelope Punch Board (huge yay!). Here's a version in smoky slate, decorated with some Winter Frost DSP & Merry Little Christmas label. I used either large rhinestones or Frosted Finishes embellies in the centre.
Here's another version in pool party with the sentiment from Wishing You.
Here's another pic with the box open.
Speaking of the box, here are some quick instructions.
Envelope Punch Board Box
It's super easy to make with the Envelope Punch Board. Here are the basic measurements you'll need.
1. Cut & score box
Metric Box:Cut card at 21 x 21cm, then score & punch at 9cm & 12cm on all 4 sides
Imperial Box: Cut paper 8 x 8 inches. then score & punch at 3-1/2 & 4-1/2 inches on all 4 sides
2. Round all 4 corners.
3. Fold & flatten at all score lines, cut tabs on 2 opposite sides to form box sides & adhere with sticky strip at corner tabs, so box opens at top, as shown in pic.
Ornament Tips & Tricks
My final ornament had the following layers (top to bottom)
1. smallest snowflake die - printed from MDS - white card, smoky slate 'punch' shape, white snowflake (see pic)
2. Second largest snowflake die - cut with framelit die & silver glimmer paper (make into 3d shape - see vid below)
3. Largest snowflake die - Pool party coredinations card (make into 3d shape - see vid below)
4. Largest snowflake die - printed from MDS - white card, soft sky 'punch' shape, white snowflake
5. Largest snowflake die - smoky slate card
6 2-1/2 circle punch - stamped with chosen sentiment. Sorry, I forgot to take a pic of the back :-(
If you're making lots of ornaments like I did, here are some time saving tips I found along the way.
1. Watch This video below as it shows how to make the folded & scored layers. Instructions start at about 2 mins
2. Use the
MDS digital download version of the Festive Flurry bundle (stamps &
punch) to print the 'stamped' layers quicker. They cut perfectly with the normal framelit dies. I printed 4 large snowflakes & 4 small
snowflakes per A4 page.
3. To make scoring the shapes a breeze, tape 2 of each sized leftover negative die shapes to your Simply Scored plate. Place the snowflakes into the hole, score line & rotate until all are done. This saves time & is gives more accurate scores.
4. Make sure you fold & flatten each score line well, as it makes it easier to push them together & glue.
5. Hot glue can burn! It's great for attaching 3d layers but watch your fingers!
This video
gives you a closer look at the catalogue ornaments & gives some
info on making the 3d snowflake (instructions start at about 2 mins)
That's all I can think of for now, but if you have any q's, just leave a comment & I'll add to the post.
One more final ornament pic just cos they're pretty :-)
Until next time, thanks for visiting & Merry Christmas
Inky wishes, Di
Supplies (all Stampin Up!)
Stamps: Festive Flurry (real or digital download)
Card/Paper: whisper white, pool party, smoky slate card, silver glimmer paper
Ink: whisper white craft ink pad (if using real stamps)
Accessories: silver taffeta ribbon, Frosted Finishes embellishments, Large rhinestones, white embossing powder (if using real stamps)
Tools: Big Shot, Festive Flurry dies, 2-1/2 inch circle punch or die, Simply Scored (optional), scoring stylus, hot glue gun, heat tool (if using real stamps)
Today, I'm sharing another Christmas project I had heaps of fun making - little Christmas owl houses (& a gingerbread ring-in) made with my mini milk carton die.
Here's a closer look at each box. This is the first little owlie with a blingy jacket & pretending to be a reindeer. I love the look of the chevron paper on the roof.
This one is a would-be reindeer too. This was the first one I made - after a bit of a trial play on World Cardmaking Day.I wanted to make sure the box could be opened without destroying the box, so I used separate pieces for each roof side, then added another piece on top, glued only on one side. I used a little clip on this one to keep it closed.
Here's another one.... Rudolf the red nosed...owlie!
To secure the roof on this one (& the first one), I tied some bakers
twine between the paper & box top, so that it could slide up &
down to secure & open the box. You can see it open in this one.
Finally, here's the pesky gingerbread man ring-in. The stamp & die is retired, but I couldn't resist making a little gingy house.
These were really quick to make with the die. only my indecisive decorating slowed me down ;-) Anyway, I hope you like these little guys. If you have any questions, just leave me a comment with your details. I still have some Christmas projects to share, so until next time...
Inky wishes, Di
Supplies Stamps: Pennant Parade (merry tag), Scentsational Season (retired), Gorgeous Grunge Card/Paper: crumb cake, choc chip, early espresso, whisper white, real red, pear pizzazz, old olive card, gold, silver & red glimmer paper, Season of Style DSP Ink: crumb cake, soft suede ink pads Accessories: cherry cobbler bakers twine Tools: Big Shot, mini milk carton die, circle punches & dies for window, owl punch, bird punch, Merry Minis star punch, scallop edge punch, jewellery tag punch (retired) Snow Flurry die (retired)
Today I'm sharing a fun snowman tealight easel card I made a couple of months ago after seeing these cute snowmen on Becky Roberts blog. I thought putting him on an easel would be really cute & he does really make me smile.
I followed Becky's snowman instructions using circle punches plus, large & xl oval punches so check them out here. I did add an extra oval punch shape behind the head, so the hat fitted better. I also had some black rhinestones in my stash so I used them for the eyes & mouth. You can see my snowman closer here.
Here's another version with his little nose lit up. I cut a small circle through the easel backing using the smallest circle framelit die so that the tealight can easily be switched on & off.
With a nose this big, he needed a box to live in rather than an envelope, so I cut a circle window in
I made some single snowmen too, but I forgot to take pics of them, so that's all from me for now. If you'd like any more info, just leave me a comment with your details. Thanks for visiting.
Inky wishes, Di
Edited to add: 21 Dec - 4.55pm
Mr Google put my snowman into a snowstorm with the auto-awesome function - who knew!
My
trusty lappie is back from hospital so I can post again - yay! Today,
I'm taking a quick break from Christmas with a birthday version
of the thinlits flip cards I shared in this post, even though I'm technically using a Christmas stamp set.
The pressie stamps from 'Wishing You' work for any occasion. All I changed from Christmas versions was the colours, DSP & added a birthday sentiment (Simply Sketched hostess set) Here are some other views.
Anyway, hope this gives you some ideas to try. I'll be back with more Christmas soon.
Inky wishes, Di
Supplies Stamps: Wishing You, Simply Sketches (hostess) Card/Paper: calypso coral, marina mist, pear pizzazz, whisper white card, Subtles DSP Stack (spot & chevron). Ink: marina mist, pear pizzazz, calypso coral ink pads Accessories: basic rhinestones Tools: Big Shot, Circle Thinlits cards dies, 2.5 inch circle punch
Today, I'm sharing some cards made with my newest favourite toys - our thinlits card dies. You know I love making fancy fold cards & these dies make flip cards a total breeze. They cut & score the whole card with just one pass on the Big Shot. I knew my class gals would love them too so I based my November class around them. First up, we made two Christmas cards with the circle thinlits card die & Wishing You stamp set. These were inspired by cards made by bff Kellie - thanks Kellie!
Here's a closer look at the cards.
They're a bit trickier to photograph than to actually make! I used 3 of
the 9 coordinating dies that come in the set to decorate the card - the
scallop circle, plus the banner & curly label. I also added a
punched 2 1/2 inch circle & of course some Season of Style DSP
stack paper.
The pics still don't really show how the cards move & flip, so have a look at this Stampin' Up! video which shows lots of other ideas for the dies too.
You can see what you get in the die & stamp sets in the pics below. You receive all 10 dies in the circle thinlits pack for just $55.95. I love the Wishing You set too, as the pressies are great for all sorts of occasions. I'll show you a birthday card I made with it next time. If you have any q's just leave me a comment. Thanks for visiting.
Inky wishes, Di
Supplies Stamps: Wishing You Card/paper: gumball green, cherry cobbler, whsiper white card, Season of Style DSP stack Ink: gumball green & cherry cobbler ink pads & markers Accessories: basic pearls, Season of Style washi tape Tools, Big Shots, Circle Thinlits dies, magnetic platform, 2 1/2 inch circle punch
Somehow it's gotten to December 10, so today I'm sharing some quick & easy card ideas using the Merry Little Christmas Simply Created card kit & stamp setbundle. The kit include supplies & instructions to make 8 of the same cards & cute lined envelopes, but with very little time, effort...& cash, I made 8 different cards with my kit....& I LOVE the Merry Little Christmas sentiment.
This card & envelope is made using the kit instructions. cute huh!
There's lots I could have added to 'fancy' up the cards, but I wanted to use see what I could do without using any extra card, paper or tools. I did add a little extra colour by cutting up a pretty polka dot envelope liner from the kit (yes, I just used 1 liner for all 7 cards) & used a real red & coastal cabana markers for the multi-coloured sentiment. That's it! Here's a closer look at each of the cards.
For the card above, I cut the white flag piece & hid the join under the red strip.
I completed all 8 cards in less than 2 hours - that's super quick for me. Making more would take heaps less now since I've done the design work. Anyway, I hope they give you some ideas to try too.
Want to make your own version? - there's still time Simply order online from my store - the clear mount Merry Little Christmas Bundle is just $30.50 (plus s&h) - save 15% on individual pricing. The bundle includes the stamp set & Simply Created Kit (8 cards). Need more cards - order additional 8 card kits for $16.95 each. If you have any questions about my cards, just ask by leaving a comment.
I still have more Christmas to share, so stop by again soon. Thanks for visiting.
PS: thanks to everyone for their lovely comments on my last post. You just make my day! :-)
Inky wishes, Di
Supplies
Stamps: Merry Little Christmas
Card/Paper: Merry Little Christmas Simply Created Kit
Ink: real red ink pad (card 1), real red marker, coastal cabana marker (cards 2-8)
You’ll find a selection of retired goodies for sale at up to 80% off their original prices – awesome huh!
All clearance rack items will be listed in the Clearance Rack section of my store& are strictly while supplies last. I’d recommend you get in really quick for the best bargains & check back regularly, as Stampin' Up! will add more items to the rack as available.
How to shop
Easy! – Shop the Clearance Rack at my store.Clearance Rack has it's own category in the store so you can find it easily. You can also click on the ‘shop now’ link on my Stampin' Up! website www.dibarnes.stampinup.net. Online orders can include any item in the store - current, clearance or digital!
On your first visit to the store, you’ll need to create an online account using the ‘create account’ option. Orders made through the store can be paid by Visa or Mastercard & are shipped directly to the address you choose. Online orders can earn hostess stamping rewards just like any other order too. Don’t want to shop online?- If you’d prefer not to set up an online account I can place orders on your behalf for clearance or regular items. You can view what’s available online & call or e-mail me your order.
Today's project received the most ooohs from my lovely stamp-a-stack gals & truth be told is probably my favourite Christmas card this year too....so far anyway. I just love blues & silver for Christmas.
The star of the show is the beeeauuuutiful poinsettia from the Joyful Christmas stamp set. For this card, I've heat embossed 2 flowers in white on vellum card, cut one out completely & one only the central flower. It was so pretty, the gals didn't even mind hand cutting it out. We curled the ends using a bone folder to add more depth & secured the flower on the card with just a few glue dots on each piece. A glimmer paper flower & pearl added a little more sparkle. You can see the flower better in this pic.
The remainder of the card is very simple - a strip of paper from the Quatrefancy Specialty DSP, elegant sentiment from Greetings of the Season & sparkly silver ribbon. Anyway, hope you like it too.
A more traditional poinsettia
This poinsettia card uses more traditional colours but still has a clean contemporary look. Pretty straightforward - I cut out the central flower again & coloured the berries with ink pad & blender pen, then matted the panel on cherry cobbler & gumball green base.
That's all for today. Thanks for visiting today. I hope you enjoyed seeing both my poinsettia cards. Back soon!
Inky wishes, Di
Supplies Card 1 Stamps: Joyful Christmas, Greetings of the Season Card/Paper: midnight muse, whisper white, Quatrefancy Specialty DSP Ink: midnight muse ink pad, whisper white craft pad Accessories: silver 1/8 in ribbon, white embossing powder Tools: Heat tool, embossing buddy Card 2 Stamps: Joyful Christmas Card/Paper: gumball green, cherry cobbler, whisper white Ink: gumball green, cherry cobbler ink pads Accessories: real red 1/8 in taffeta ribbon Tools: blender pen
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