Category Archives: Holiday Cards

Country Nativity Christmas Card

Posted in Cards, Christmas, Holiday Cards by

Country Nativity Christmas Card

(inside: A holiday wish to bring you Cheer, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!)

Back in July, I attended the Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Convention in Lancaster, Pa, and I took a super fun class taught by Jennifer (from Stamplistic) where we played with Guilders Paste Wax. I love the metallic look achieved with this product and decided to use it to create the background for this Christmas card design.

The Christmas embossing folder used is unbranded, and the wax color is Foundry Bronze.

The focal stamp is called “Country Nativity” by Uptown Rubber Stamps (no longer available?). The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, was colored with Copic markers (E00, E18, E40, E41, E42, E43, E44, E47, G29, Y23, B95, and B97), and was then embossed with the “Subtle” embossing folder from Stampin’ Up (retired). The inside stamp is called “Holiday wish to bring cheer greeting” by DRS Designs.

Nutmeg “History” Medallions Paper from the Indie Chic Collection by My Minds Eye (#IC0204) was used along with Recollections white and black.

The image used on this card is one I had used on a card I made (more than!) a few years back. At that time, I stamped a pile of panels with the intention of making several of that card design. I guess life got in the way, and the pile of uncolored images ended up in a “to be finished later” box. I ended up coloring them (now) the same way I had on that card, but I changed up the rest of the design using the background panels I created with my newly discovered wax. Good to finally finish those panels – lol!

Thank you for checking out my card project!

Vintage Christmas Explosion Gift Box

Posted in Christmas, Interactive, Paper Crafting Projects (other) by

Vintage Christmas Explosion Gift Box

I made a few of these explosion boxes with pockets on the inside for gifting cash or gift cards. I actually had 4 gift cards, but if I needed fewer pockets, the other flaps could just be decorated.

I used the CREAlies “Create A Box Large – Explosion (or not) box Large” die set (#CCABL27) to create the box. The set includes one die to create the top/bottom, a square to create the side panels and several more dies for the decorative panels. There is also a die to create “connectors” if you want the box to stay together and not “explode” when opened.

In addition to this large box (3 3/4″ square), there is also a medium box and a small box (sold separately).

The 3D Christmas Tree in the center was created with the CREAlies “Varia 3D Christmas Tree” die set (#CLVAR09).

I was inspired to create this box with the tree in the center after watching Karen’s videos (HERE and HERE). She shows a partial exploding box in her video which is another way to use this die set.

Just a note – The top and bottom of the box are created with the same die. Usually, the top of a box is slightly larger than the bottom half. As a result, the lid is very tight and a bit tricky to get on, especially if the sides want to keep falling! I ended up using my trimmer (instead of the included die) to create the panels for the sides, and I made these panels 1/16 inch smaller than the die would have made them. This helped a bit. I still used one of the additional (stitched) dies to create the decorative panels. Also, I created my own pockets as there is no die for that. (Karen cut one of the squares in half on the diagonal to create hers.)

The card stock for the base of my box is “French Roast” by Core’dinations. The patterned card stock for the outside is by American Crafts #368494 (no name given), and the paper used for the inside panels/pockets is “Christmas Joy” by Reminisce. The Christmas tree was made with “Merry, Merry” which is also by Reminisce. All of this paper has been in my stash for years, and it felt good to finally use it!

Thanks for checking out my project!

A Few Simple Christmas Cards

Posted in Cards, Christmas, Holiday Cards by

A Few Simple Christmas Cards…

Embossed O Little Town of Bethlehem

Handmade cards are a joy to make and a pleasure to give, but sometimes it’s hard to find the time with everything else that needs to be done to prepare for the holidays. But cards don’t need to be complicated. Here are a few “simple” cards I made that came together pretty quickly…

Beautiful paper + a large scene stamp + embossing powder = done! The above slimline card features some beautiful handmade marbled paper from Emily Romero Marbled Paper & Designs. I paired this with Gina K Designs Metallic Gold and white card stock. The stamp is “Peaceful Night” from Woodware” and was embossed with Gina K Gold Embossing Powder.

Santa’s Hole in One

Someday, I’d like to sit down and color this image, but for now, white embossing powder on blue card stock makes a simple but fun card for golf enthusiasts! The stamp is called “Hole in One” by Gary Patterson/Stamps Happen.

White Warm Wishes

Dry embossing and a stacked die cut greeting were used to make this white on white card design. The embossing folder is “Swirl Baubles” by Crafts-Too, and the greeting was cut with the “Festive Mini Expressions – Warmest Wishes die” by Sue Wilson/Creative Expressions.

Joy

This final sample was made with one die cut and the same papers from the first card above. The die is “Joy Nativity Die” from Cottage Cutz.

Heat embossing on patterned paper (or plain), dry embossing and die cutting – simple techniques but so many possibilities!!

Thanks for checking out my “simple” card projects!

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Floating Greeting Cards (several samples)

Posted in Birthday Cards, Cards, Father's Day, Holiday Cards by

Floating Greeting Cards (several samples)

I wanted to create a card that has a greeting that appears to be floating. This is achieved by adhering the greeting die cut to an acetate panel which was inspired by this video by Sam Calcott.

I think the “floating” effect is really cool, but the clear panel creates a challenge when trying to include a sentiment on the inside. If you don’t want the inside sentiment to show through the acetate, you could either put it on the back or try to position it behind the card stock strips.

OR…

Here are two additional ways to make the card to include an inside message without it showing through the front…

The first way is to create a “card within the card” as shown in this video by Yana Smakula. A sentiment can be added to the inside as usual, but the middle panel hides it when the card is closed or displayed. She used a plain acetate panel for her card front, but I created my acetate panel with strips – exactly as I did on my first sample (literally – lol!).

Here is a Father’s Day sample made the same way:

Since the greeting die cut was too large to fit completely on the straight acetate panel like on the birthday design, I used a circle die before cutting my strips to make my window larger to accommodate the larger greeting. This one also has the “card within the card” to hide an inside sentiment.

The circle “scrap” I cut out of the above card was used on the final sample below.

The card base is all acetate. A sentiment could be hidden behind the focal circle so a “card within the card” was not needed for this one. Instead, I attached a card stock circle inside on which to add my sentiment.

Recollections Foil Paper (#313049) was use along with black and white card stock. The “Happy Birthday Friendship Script” die is by Memory Box and the Father’s Day die is by Alinacutle.

Obviously, these samples could be decorated more elaborately (and differently from each other – lol!). I was just experimenting with the different variations so I kept the designs simple and used the supplies that were out and handy.

Thanks for checking out my card projects!

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Sweet Bouquet and Best Wishes

Posted in Birthday Cards, Cards, Holiday Cards, Mother's Day by

Sweet Bouquet and Best Wishes

This bouquet image from the Stampin’ Up “Dear to My Heart” set (retired) is so sweet but so small (my card isn’t even A2 size!) so CAS it is – lol!!

Sticking with the “tiny” theme, I used a greeting from the “Tiny Words” set from Simon Says Stamp.

I applied ink to the stamps using Distress Markers (aged mahogony, rusty hinge, dried marigold, mustard seed, and peeled paint) which allowed me to get different colors on the single image.

The frames and panels were cut with Photo Dies #13 (which I bought at a scrapbook expo a few years ago and can’t find online to link), and I used my score board to deboss the background.

This card is small – 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches – so I created a custom envelope with my We R Memory Keepers envelope punch board. (6 7/8″ square paper punched at 3 7/8″).

Thanks for checking out my card project!

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