THEM BONES CHRISTMAS

If you have been following me for the last month or so you know that I am challenging myself to make one Christmas card each week using whichever product I am featuring for the week.

Making a Christmas card from Halloween Designer Series Paper was a challenge, but I love how my Christmas Card turned out.

There was one design within the collection that was Starry Sky Stripes, so that was my starting point.  It was the only design that I thought I could make work for Christmas.  Orange and Black Plaids or Orange Houndstooth patterns can certainly be used for non-Halloween cards, but I didn't think they worked for Christmas.  I like to use non-traditional colors for Christmas, but orange just wasn't working!

The design with a border of tombstones on each side of the paper had a starry "sky" section in the center of it, but it also had a bunch of bats flying around in that sky, so I knew I couldn't use much of it for my sky as bats didn't seem appropriate for Christmas either.  In order to have a "bat-free" sky I would only be able to use a narrow strip.  But this created challenges with the layout because.  Using such a narrow strip made the proportions look wrong.

I had seen a Double Z Fun Fold that used a narrow strip near the bottom of a card, and that gave me a brainstorm!  Why couldn't I use the narrow Z-Fold at the top?  And when I remembered the Horse & Sleigh bundle, everything fell into place.

The bush on the front is heat embossed on Starry Sky cardstock with White embossing powder.

The tree on the base of the card to the far right, was heat embossed with both white and silver embossing powder on Basic White cardstock.

The Sleigh is attached to the left panel of the card with dimensionals and the horse is not adhered to anything.  When you open and close the card the horse moves across the scene.

The foiled designer paper on the two far left front panels is from the Naturally Gilded DSP collection.  I scattered several iridescent rhinestones in the sky to create sparkle as you open and close the card.  What do you think?  Does THEM BONES work for Christmas?  

Use this link to download a detailed tutorial with diagrams for cutting and scoring.

Below is a list of products I used.

Product List

Horse & Sleigh Bundle (English)

[162126]

Hope & Peace Cling Stamp Set (English)

[159773]

Starry Sky 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159263]

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

[159229]

Them Bones 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[162215]

Naturally Gilded 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper

[161639]

Silver Foil Sheets

[132178]

Starry Sky Classic Stampin' Pad

[159212]

Versamark Pad

[102283]

Starry Sky Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[159222]

Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[154880]

Pecan Pie Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

[161674]

Lemon Lime Twist Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

[161682]

Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[154904]

Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[154883]

Stampin’ Blends Light Combo Pack

[159465]

Basics Embossing Powders

[155554]

Metallics Embossing Powders

[155555]

Iridescent Rhinestones Basic Jewels

[158130]

Heat Tool (Us And Canada)

[129053]

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

Add All to Cart

LET'S RIDE IN A ONE HORSE OPEN SLEIGH

Have you ever ridden in a One Horse Open Sleigh?  I have not, but I always thought it looked like it would be fun -- and romantic.  Maybe I just watch too many Hallmark Christmas movies!

What do dryer sheets and frosty air have in common?  Have you experienced winter days where snow is swirling in the frosty breeze, and it is sparkling like diamonds in the sun?  This is the effect that using the dryer sheet technique over a winter scene on your card gives.  

The technique is very simple, and the only supplies required are a used dryer sheet and some spray adhesive.  If you are a paper crafter that love sparkle, sprinkling just a pinch of optional glitter on the adhesive before you adhere the dryer sheet to the card adds even more sparkle.

Watch this video to see how it's done.

This card uses another scene from the One Horse Open Sleigh 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper.  The most difficult part of this card was deciding which scene to select.

The Horse and Sleigh is one large stamp, so it was easy to stamp the image on Basic White and then color it with Stampin' Blends.  There is a separate die for the runners on the sleigh, so I decided to die cut those and also the trim around the top edge of the sleigh from silver foil (available as an ONLINE EXCLUSIVE).  Then I easily adhered them over the Basic White cardstock.

The white tree was die cut from cardstock with another die from the Horse & Sleigh Dies.  This Suite would be great to mass produce Christmas Cards.  The DSP is going to do most of the work for you as it will give you many diverse backgrounds that work perfectly with the horse & sleigh.  Be sure to check out this DSP in the product list below.  I can also visualize it working wonderfully with snowmen and cute little animals.

Save the pieces that you trim off your 6" x 6" DSP sheet to make the scene fit your 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" card front.  Look how pretty one of the "scraps" looks to decorate the bottom on the inside of the card.  I even had two narrower scraps to decorate the front of my envelope.  Every square inch of the 6" x 6" piece of Designer Series Paper was used!

Please use this link to download a free tutorial.

The products I used are shown in the list below.  Additionally, you need to save your used dryer sheets and get a can of spray adhesive, and you will be all set to go!

Product List

Horse & Sleigh Bundle (English)

[162126]

One Horse Open Sleigh 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[162118]

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

[159229]

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

Silver Foil 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Pack

[156457]

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

Misty Moonlight Classic Stampin' Pad

[153118]

Misty Moonlight Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[153108]

Petal Pink Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[154893]

Pecan Pie Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

[161674]

Pebbled Path Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

[161658]

Lemon Lolly Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

[161673]

Real Red Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[154899]

Stampin’ Blends Light Combo Pack

[159465]

Stampin' Blends Color Lifter

[144608]

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

Add All to Cart

WINTER WINDS SHAKE THE TREES

I recently joined a small stamping group of fellow demonstrators and this month we have a challenge to make a shaker card.  So, I thought I would share my card with you.

I don't make many Shaker Cards because I've never been very happy with those I've attempted, but since I was challenged to do so, I had to try.

I used one of the patterns from the One Horse Open Sleigh designer series paper (DSP) for my background.   There are so many pretty designs that it was difficult to choose which one I wanted to use, but I thought the snowflakes and sequin "confetti" from my stash would be easy to see with this large Early Espresso Tree behind it.  The "window" into my shaker box was cut with the Countryside Corners Dies.

The dark woodgrain designer series paper is another pattern from the One Horse Open Sleigh DSP.

A die cut white tree and the Joyful sentiment, both from the Horse & Sleigh Bundle, highlight the window.  A little snippet of Glittered Organdy Ribbon, currently an ONLINE EXCLUSIVE, keeps the sparkle of the "confetti" going.

To trim the inside of the card I used a leftover piece of the DSP that I had trimmed off from the piece for the card front.  The narrow edge of Early Espresso cardstock draws your eye to that pretty leftover "scrap".

The sentiments are both from the Horse & Sleigh Stamp set, and I love it when Stampin' Up! gives us sentiments that pair together.

Use this link to download a FREE tutorial for today's card.

I used "confetti" I had in my stash for my "snow", but if you don't have any snow-appropriate "confetti, you could use the Loose Silver Sequins from the current catalog.  I've included it on the list before for information.  

Product List

Horse & Sleigh Bundle (English)

[162126]

Countryside Corners Dies

[161471]

Stylish Shapes Dies

[159183]

Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[122924]

One Horse Open Sleigh 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[162118]

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

[159229]

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

Window Sheets

[142314]

Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad

[147107]

White 3/8'' (1 Cm) Glittered Organdy Ribbon

[156408]

Loose Silver Sequins

[161626]

Foam Adhesive Strips

[141825]

Add All to Cart