Bunting, Butterflies & Birdie Birthday

Last Friday was Kelly's birthday and this is the card I made for her using the SU! Pennant Parade set.  I wanted a DL size card but the thing I don't like about DL cards is that they don't always stand up well, they have a tendency to flop down.  So I cut two pieces of Pool Party CS, one longer than the other, added a score line to the longer piece and then glued them together to make a side opening DL card.  I sponged the Whisper White panel with Bashful Blue ink and stamped the sentiment.  I then got busy stamping and punching out the bunting.  I've used white baker's twine for my line, I popped the bunting up and then added different coloured brads.  I thought the birdie from the Sweetheart set would look good perched on the line of bunting so I stamped, cut him out and popped him up.  I then added a trio of teeny embossed butterflies.  To finish off the card front I added bling here and there.

Then I decorated the inside of the card and the front of the envelope.

I wanted a birdie holding a flag for the envelope flap - pennant and Word Window punched shapes attached to a cocktail stick saw to that - simple but sweet I think!

I sent Kelly some SU! ribbon as a little gift.  My fab demo Joanne ran a ribbon share and I received it from her packaged so nicely in a cello bag with a lovely stamped and punched topper.  All I had to do was wrap it in tissue paper and add a tag.    I had such a sweet thank you email from Kelly, bless her!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Pennant Parade, Curly Cute, Sweetheart, Broadsheet Alphabet & Vintage Frames sets, SU! Dot Dot Dot background stamp, Hero Arts Sending Smiles Messages & Designer Alphabet clear set
CS: SU! Pool Party, Melon Mambo, Marina Mist, Chocolate Chip & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo & Chocolate Chip
Tools: SU! Petite Pennants, Decorative Label, Fancy Flower, 5 Petal Flower & Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punches, SU! Beautiful Wings Embosslits die, SU! Square Lattice embossing folder, Wonky Rectangle Nestabilities die, Crop-A-Dile
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Marina Mist, white baker's twine, assorted colour SU! brads & an SU! rhinestone brad, blue rhinestones, 3d foam pads

Simply Stampin' Challenge #31 - Tree Trio Merry Christmas Card

Oooh, what a lovely sketch to work with for this week's Simply Stampin Challenge!

I used the Pennant Parade set to make a Christmas card - I love the pot and Christmas tree in that set!    I started out by cutting a piece of Holly Berry Bouquet paper to go on the front of my Wild Wasabi panel.  To make the scalloped edge I punched out Real Red circles with the 3/4" circle punch and glued them behind the patterned paper.  I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark ink and embossed it with Wild Wasabi embossing powder.  Before gluing the Wasabi panel to the front of the Chocolate Chip card base I added some Real Red grosgrain ribbon.

I stamped three pots in Real Red ink and then went over the trunks with an Early Espresso marker.  I stamped three trees with VersaMark ink, embossed each one with Wild Wasabi embossing powder, coloured the garlands with a Daffodil Delight marker and punched them out.  I stamped three Real Red stars for the tops of my trees and glued two tress flat to the Very Vanilla panel but I popped the centre tree up with Dimensionals.   To finish off the front, I added a rhinestone to each star and added a row of rhinestones under the 'Merry Christmas'.

For inside the card I cut a piece of Wild Wasabi CS at an angle, cut a notch with the 3/4" circle punch and glued it to the card base just at the sides and bottom in order to form a pocket.  I plan to put money or a gift card inside the pocket as a Christmas gift.  Using the gorgeous Holly Berry Bouquet glittered stripy paper I added a contrasting strip and punched a tree.  I cut a piece of Choc Chip CS for a trunk and popped the tree up.  I cut a Very Vanilla message panel to insert into the pocket, rounded the corners, added the 'just for you' and a round tab.  Couldn't resist putting more bling inside - on the tab and 'just for you' elements!  I punched a circle out of a piece of Holly Berry Bouquet paper, matted that onto plain and scalloped punched circles and I popped that up over a strips of paper and CS on the front of the envelope.

I hope you'll join in with this week's Simply Stampin' challenge, this really is such a nice sketch to work with.  It would work really well rotated too!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Pennant Parade, Season of Joy & Just Believe sets
CS: SU! Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi, Real Red & Very Vanilla
Patterned paper: SU! Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty DSP
Ink: SU! Real Red & Wild Wasabi ink pads, SU! Daffodil Delight & Early Espresso markers, VersaMark
Tools: various SU! circle punches, SU! Word Window, Modern Label, Corner Rounder & Round Tab punches, Stamp-a-ma-jig
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Real Red grosgrain ribbon, SU! Wild Wasabi Stampin' Emboss Powder, SU! Basic Rhinestones, SU! Dimensionals

Embossed Fern For You Card

I love leaf and foliage stamp images and ferns are a favourite.  When I saw this gorgeous Hero Arts Artistic Fern stamp I loved it immediately.  To find it was in a set with a matching Sizzix embossing folder that embosses around the stamped image was doubly appealing!  A gorgeous leafy image AND a matching embossing folder - what's not to love?!

Cajun Craze looks fab with Old Olive and I've added a dash of Early Espresso with some Whisper White for a winning colour combo.  I inked the entire fern stamp with Old Olive ink and then added Cajun Craze ink here and there to the image using a sponge dauber.  I was so happy how the stamped image turned out, I had an 'ooooh' moment.  After embossing the image with the matching folder there was another 'ooooh moment'!  The embossing around the image adds such a lovely touch.  To finish off the card front I popped on a Cajun Craze butterfly and an oval sentiment.  Some vintage brads were added to the butterfly body and the wings are popped up. 

I really like that flowery frame stamp from the Ovals All set but I don't use it that much 'cos of the 'Fabulous Friend' wording on it.  I'm a stamp surgeon these days though, quite happy to lop off parts of stamps I don't want LOL!  My friend Jan has given me a couple of stamps to operate on too!  So now I can use the lovely flowery stamp with any sentiment - or leave it as it is.  Here I've added the 'for you' from the Fresh Cuts set.  I coloured in the flower with the Cajun Craze marker and added another vintage brad to the centre.  The scalloped oval is popped up over the ribbon.

I glued a white panel inside, added the sentiments and the fern image.  I was so taken with the leafy loveliness that the fern had to go on the front of the envelope also!  I really like how autumnal this card is, a great birthday card for this time of year!

Supplies:
Stamps: Sizzix/Hero Arts Artistic Fern stamp & emboss set, SU! Ovals All & Fresh Cuts sets, inside sentiments from Hero Arts Sending Smiles Messages clear set
CS: SU! Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Early Espresso & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Cajun Craze & Old Olive
Tools: embossing folder from Sizzix/Hero Arts Artistic Fern stamp & emboss set, SU! Beautiful Wings Emboslits die, SU! plain and scalloped oval punches, sponge dauber
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Early Espresso 1/8" taffeta ribbon, SU! Vintage brads, 3d foam pads

Velvet Stocking Merry Christmas Card

I just couldn't resist the new Sizzix Stocking die that came out recently - with the bonus of a free embossing folder included!  It's SO lovely, the embossing detail is gorgeous.  I wondered what it would be like cut out from velvet paper and I also wondered if velvet paper embosses well or not.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  The velvet paper embosses BEAUTIFULLY! 

The stocking is quite large so I started off with a 7" x 5" Riding Hood Red card base and added a simple layer of dotty paper.  I cut the stocking from crimson and cream velvet papers and embossed both parts.  I brayered SU! Crumb Cake lightly over the cream part.  I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark ink and embossed with Brown Sugar embossing powder.  I was so taken with my velvet stocking I wondered if I could punch some velvet holly - and I could!  So holly was added to the stocking and the sentiment strip.  I added a Chocolate Chip bow to the stocking, used a jump ring to attach a small gold jingle bell and popped the stocking up.  Red pearls act as holly berries on the sentiment strip and punched photo corners at the top left finish off the card front.

I glued a Very Vanilla panel inside the card and stamped a gorgeous Stampendous sentiment.  I added a strip of holly patterned paper and drew lines on either side with a marker.  I did the same for the front of the envelope.

Here's a close up of my velvet stocking in all its embossed glory!  I love it - and can't keep from stroking it and jingling the bell LOL!

Supplies:
Stamps: 'Merry Christmas' from SU! Four the Holidays set, Stampendous 'Snow Brackets' cling stamp
CS: SU! Riding Hood Red & Very Vanilla, crimson, cream & dark green velvet papers
Patterned paper: Three Bugs in a Rug Deck the Halls 'Best Time' & 'Holly Jolly'
Ink:  VersaMark & SU! Riding Hood Red & Crumb Cake
Tools: Sizzix Stocking Bigz die & embossing folder, SU! Photo Corners punch, Martha Stewart Holly Branch punch, brayer
Embellishments & accessories: Zing Brown Sugar embossing powder, SU! Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, gold brads, jingle bell, jump ring, red pearls, 3d foam tape

Merry Christmas Ornaments Gap Card

Another Christmas card made for my stash, I am determined to have enough cards made in time this year!  This is a 5 3/4" square gap card made with the SU! Contempo Christmas set.  My colour combo is Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze and Riding Hood Red - hmmm, I like this combo muchly!  I started with a Pear Pizzazz card base and added a snowflake embossed Baja Breeze panel at the top.  I inked inside the folder with Baja Breeze ink before embossing the CS.  I cut the card apart, stamped and punched three ornaments, punched another three ornaments and then joined the card back together by sandwiching the ornaments with 3d foam pads.  The gap measures 1 1/4".  I sprinkled Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the front of the ornaments.  I added the sentiment, a decorative punched border and a couple of red strips to finish off the front.

Then it was time to work on the inside of the card.  I added a white panel with two coloured strips, stamped the sentiment and the three snowflakes.  I absolutely love that snowflake from the Patterned Pines set and stamped in those three colours - even lovelier!   It was so worth the effort of cleaning the stamp in between inkings to get the three colours!  A stamped and punched snowflake circle element on the envelope flap and the card was completed.  

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Contempo Christmas & Patterned Pines sets, Stampendous Christmas Wishes clear set
CS: SU! Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze & Riding Hood Red
Tools: SU! Ornament Punch, Martha Stewart Optic Dot border punch, snowflake embossing folder from Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland set, circle punches
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Dazzling Diamonds, 3d foam pads

Simply Stampin Challenge # 30 - Halloween Card

How exciting - this is my first project as a member of the Simply Stampin' challenge DT!  I'm also chuffed to bits that my friend Kelly is also on the Simply Stampin' DT!  This week's challenge is Halloween and I don't normally make anything for Halloween.  I've just taken part in a Stampin' Up! designer paper share and the fab Frightful Sight Halloween papers made things a lot easier.  As I don't have any Halloween stamps, I combined patterned papers with a punch art bat. 

I made a side opening A6 Basic Black card base to start with and then set to work making the bat.  I know I've added vampire fangs to him but actually, he's too cute to be scary LOL!  The body of the bat is obviously an upside down owl and then I used plain oval punched shapes to make the wings, trimming them with scissors to get some shaping.  I then used the stem/vine part of the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder to add veining detail to the wings.  After adding the eyes and drawing on the mouth I sponged Whisper White craft ink around the bat.  Batty is hanging from the Two Step Bird punch stem and he's popped up.  To make a moon I cut a circle from a piece of paper from the Big Top Birthday pack, it was perfect - yellow with clouds going across it!

Here's a close up photo so you can see batty's wings.

Then when the card is opened there's more Frightful Sight papers, a BOO made with the Broadsheet Alphabet set and a scalloped circle with a spider on it.  The spider circle really does pop out at you 'cos it's mounted on a spring!  I've had the springs in my stash for ages and finally got round to using one!  I added a strip of the spidery paper to the front of the envelope.

I really enjoyed making this card!  Please, please do join in the spooky fun of this week's Simply Stampin' Halloween challenge, I'd love to come and see what you make!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Broadsheet Alphabet set
CS: SU! Basic Black, Cajun Craze & Whisper White
Patterned paper: SU! Frightful Sight & Big Top Birthday
Ink: SU! Basic Black & White Craft
Tools: SU! Owl Builder, Bird Builder, Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, 1 1/4" Circle & Large Oval punches, SU! Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, sponge dauber
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Dimensionals, non SU! spring

Butterfly Birthday Card For Gill

It's our great friend Gill's birthday today and this is the card I made for her.  Gill doesn't do sombre, dark colours.  A few weeks ago she and some other friends were looking at the Christmas cards I'd made this year.  She was horrified by my black and white Christmas cards!  Mind you, she did find a sparkly blue card she really liked and claimed that one for herself so I'll let her off not liking the black and white ones!  Whenever I make a card for Gill I always make sure it's a bright little number.

I just got lots of SU! patterned papers 'cos I took part in a paper share my demo Joanne offered.  I thought I'd start off with a butterfly die cut from a very pretty paper from the Flirtatious pack.  I added a smaller embossed butterfly on top and joined the two together with a sparkly pink brad.  I've added half dimensionals with the backing paper still on under the wings so they stay popped up.  Before embossing the smaller butterfly I inked inside the folder with Pretty in Pink ink.  I did the same with the Rose Red embossed panel - using Rose Red ink.  I punched a Pretty in Pink border with the Lace Ribbon Border punch and positioned the Rose Red panel over the top so only part of the lace border showed.  The sentiment is actually on one line so I masked and stamped twice to get the 'Happy Birthday' on two lines.  To finish off the card front I added some clear rhinestones.

I stamped a sentiment inside, added a trio of embossed Pretty in Pink butterflies and popped on some clear rhinestones.  A strip of the pretty paper, Rose Red CS strips plus a blinged butterfly added the finishing touches to the envelope.

Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Birthday from Hobby Art, inside sentiment from Stampendous
CS: PaperMania square white card blank, SU! Rose Red & Pretty in Pink
Patterned paper: SU! Flirtatious pack
Ink: SU! Rose Red & Pretty in Pink
Tools: SU! Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die, SU! Beautiful Wings Embosslits die, Craft Concepts Butterfly Kisses embossing folder, Cuttlebug Victoria embossing folder, Stamp-a-ma-jig
Embellishments & accessories: clear rhinestones, PaperMania pink glitter brad, 3d foam pads

Poinsettia & Holly Inky Card

I've been playing with my distress inks and a water mister again so I've had very inky fingers!  I started off with a Riding Hood Red A6 card base.  I patted Wild Honey, Peeled Paint and Fired Brick inks on my heat resistant craft mat, misted with water and then smooshed a piece of Ranger manila CS through the inky mess.  I blasted with my heat gun to dry the panel, trimmed it to size, inked the edges and then stamped the music background.  Out came my favourite Fabulous Flourish stamp, I inked it with VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with Zing Brown Sugar embossing powder.  Some spritzing with gold Perfect Pearls mist added some seasonal shimmer.

I'm puzzled as to why there doesn't seem to be a vanilla embossing powder for sale.  When I decided I needed a vanilla powder I just couldn't find one out there.  I followed a recommendation on Splitcoast Stampers to try the Zing Brown Sugar one so I went for that but I think it's a little more brown than vanilla.  I like it but I'd still like to find a creamy vanilla one - Stampin' Up! need to add a Very Vanilla powder to their range!

I stamped the poinsettia on three different colours of red CS, cut the flower out in layers, inked the edges and joined the layers together with a sparkly gold brad. I then punched some holly leaves, inked the edges and added red pearls for berries. The poinsettia layers are all popped up.

That fab flourish made an appearance inside the card along with a gorgeous retro Merry Christmas sentiment.  I stamped the flourish and inked the edges of the vanilla panel with Crumb Cake ink.  I stamped the poinsettia on the envelope flap 3 times with Riding Hood Red ink to finish off.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts Fabulous Flourish & Music Background stamps, Creative Expressions Poinsettia stamp, 'Merry Christmas' from SU! Four the Holidays set
CS: SU! Riding Hood Red & Very Vanilla CS, Ranger manila CS, Core'dinations Barn Door, Cranberry & Fired Brick CS
Ink: Tim Holtz Wild Honey, Peeled Paint, Fired Brick & Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks, SU! Riding Hood Red & Crumb Cake
Tools:  Martha Stewart Holly Branch punch, Crafts Too heat resistant craft mat, Ranger Mini Mister, heat gun
Embellishments & accessories: Zing Brown Sugar embossing powder, Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls mist, PaperMania sparkly brad, red pearls, 3d foam pads

Foofy Flower Just For You Card - Simply Stampin' #29 Colour Challenge

This week's Simply Stampin' challenge is a very interesting colour combo of Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Basic Black and Whisper White.  I decided to use the lovely Medallion stamp and I layered black and olive circle mats and added a foofy flower in the centre.  To make the flower, I punched 3 Cajun Craze Fancy Flower shapes, pierced a hole in the centre of each for a brad to go through, spritzed both sides with water and crumpled them up, unfolded them and crumpled them up again, repeating the unfolding and crumpling a few times.  I joined the three layers together with one of the fabulous Antique brads.  The sentiment was punched out with the Word Window punch and layered onto a Modern Label shape.  I added punched photo corners to the top right and popped gems on the corner and sentiment.

Then there's a surprise when you open the card and see inside!  It's a box card that folds flat to go in an envelope but it pops up when the card is opened.  I glued a Whisper White panel inside,  punched a Decorative Label aperture and added an olive piece of CS behind the aperture.  I used the Boho Blossoms and Itty Bitty flower punches to make flowers to go on the piece of olive CS.  I then added some die cut leaves, stamped the sentiment and stamped part of the Medallion on the envelope front.

I came across this type of card a few days ago.  The one I saw was made using a 12" x 12" piece of CS but I wanted to use a piece of A4 CS.  I cut an A4 piece of Cajun Craze CS so that the card was as tall as a normal A6 card.  I then scored the CS on the long side at 3 1/2", 7", 7 1/2" and 11" and I had to cut a smidgen off the right hand side.  The box part inside folds flat when the card is closed and the front of the card isn't wide enough to cover that.  So I punched an Old Olive border with the Eyelet Border punch and glued it behind the card front.  I think I may have avoided that if I'd glued the box shape differently, I'll have to try it again!

Here's a photo taken from the top so you can see the box shape on the inside of the card.

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Medallion bg stamp, Just Believe & Sincere Salutations sets
CS: SU! Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Basic Black & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Cajun Craze, Old Olive & Basic Black
Tools: SU! Fancy Flower, Photo Corners, Eyelet Border, Word Window, Modern Label, Decorative Label, Boho Blossoms & Itty Bitty Flower punches, SU! Little Leaves Sizzlits die
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Antique brad, clear rhinestones

Blue Sparkly Tree Merry Christmas Card

Another sparkly Christmas card to add to the box.  I started off with an A6 Baja Breeze card but I chopped some off the right hand side and used a snowflake border punch to add a decorative edge.  I stamped the tree with Night of Navy ink and stamped the swoosh underneath to ground the tree with Baja Breeze ink.  I used Heat and Stick powder before sprinkling on Dazzling Diamonds to make the whole panel sparkly.  I added a thin mat of Night of Navy CS, stamped the sentiment and added a navy strip next to the snowflake border.  To finish off the card front I added clear rhinestones to the snowflakes.

I glued a white panel inside the card but I felt that the part that was visible from the front looked too stark so I stamped the Texture wheel stamp in Baja Breeze.  Much better, just takes that starkness away!  I added a navy strip, stamped the sentiment, rounded the corners and added some punched snowflakes.  I stamped a snowflake border on the front of the envelope.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts Branch & Flourish Tree, swoosh from Hero Arts Friendship Messages clear set, Merry Christmas from SU! Seasonal Wishes set, inside sentiment from Stampendous Christmas Wishes clear set, SU! Texture wheel stamp, snowflake border from My Cute Stamps Let It Snow set
CS: SU! Baja Breeze, Night of Navy & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Baja Breeze & Night of Navy, VersaMark
Tools: EK Success Snowflake slim edger punch, Woodware small snowflake punch, Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Heat & Stick powder, SU! Dazzling Diamonds, clear rhinestones

Going Giddy Over Ginkgo

A while back a friend told me about a ginkgo leaf set that PaperTrey Ink were selling and she said the stamps were absolutely gorgeous.  I said "they may well be gorgeous but I'm not looking!"  I love leaves but I told myself I don't need any more leafy stamps.  So I didn't look.  For a while anyway I didn't look.  Then one day I made the mistake of looking  and it was all over, I fell in love with the Harvest Berries set immediately!  Oh my goodness, the ginkgo leaves in the set are just beautiful, what a giddyingly gorgeous set -  I'm not wild about the sentiment in the set but I can live with that as I love the leaves so much!  I wonder why some images appeal so much more than others, it's fascinating.

I decided to make a birthday card but I ended up using a Christmassy colour combo!  The white card measures 5 1/4" square.  I die cut a large Sizzix ticket shape and layered that on green and brown mats.  I stamped the ginkgo leaves on a separate piece of white CS in Memento Bamboo Leaves ink and cut them out.  PaperTrey Ink actually sell a set of dies that match the stamps but until I get those I'm happy to cut them out with scissors.  I popped up the cut out leaves, stamped a few berries with Adirondack Cranberry ink and then covered some of the berries with deep red metallic nailheads for a touch of contrast.  I used the lovely SU! Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch to cut a decorative strip of Cranberry CS, stamped the sentiment and then couldn't resist adding a small ginkgo leaf cluster over the strip to finish off.

More ginkgo leaves on the envelope and inside plus a birthday sentiment.

Supplies:
Stamps: PaperTrey Ink Harvest Berries set, SU! Curly Cute set, Hero Arts Yummy Treats clear set
CS: PaperMania white square card blank, Core'dinations Cranberry & French Roast, white CS
Ink: Memento Bamboo Leaves & Adirondack Cranberry
Tools: Sizzix Ticket Framelit die, SU! Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch
Embellishments & accessories: deep red metallic nailheads, 3d foam pads

Oak Tree Birthday Wishes Card - Simply Stampin' #28 Sketch Challenge

Last Saturday's Simply Stampin' #28 challenge was a lovely square sketch.  It's been a busy week so I've only just got round to making my card today.  Here's the sketch:

I rotated the sketch 90 degrees anti-clockwise.  The card measures 4 3/4" square and was made with Crumb Cake CS.  I stamped the tree on watercolour paper, patted inkpads on a ceramic tile and coloured with a waterbrush.  I used my new Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch for the Chocolate Chip strip at the bottom and embossed the Old Olive panel with the Square Lattice folder.  The circles and oak tree panel are all popped up. 

Some simple stamping of the lovely oak leaf and acorn image was added inside the card and to the envelope flap.  A masculine birthday card made to keep in my stash - now that doesn't happen often LOL!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Lovely As a Tree & Sincere Salutations sets
CS: SU! Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip & Whisper White, watercolour
Ink: SU! Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip & Early Espresso
Tools: SU! Dotted Scallop Ribbon border, 3/4" & 1 1/4" circle punches, SU! Square Lattice embossing folder, waterbrush
Embellishments & accessories: 3d foam pads

October 2011 Card Group Cards

We had our October card group get together today and we made three cards.  I kept this first card wintery so that it could be used for Christmas or as a general purpose card.   The card base is a side opening A6 size made with SU! Bashful Blue CS.  Before embossing the Scrollwork Frame I used a brayer to apply Bashful Blue ink inside the folder.  After embossing I cut the inside part of the frame out.  I stamped the Hero Arts Winter Scene in Chocolate Chip ink onto white CS, sprinkled on some ultrafine crystal glitter, trimmed the panel and glued it to the card front.  I then added a knot of Chocolate Chip ribbon to the frame and attached the frame to the card front with 3d foam tape so it's popped up.  I didn't add a sentiment to the front but I took a variety of sentiment stamps that could be used inside the card.  I let the ladies choose which occasion they wanted to use the card for.

The second card is CAS with a traditional red and green colour combo.  The Fabulous Flourish was stamped on the card front with Always Artichoke ink.  I stamped the poinsettia on a piece of Ranger manila CS using Fired Brick ink and then spritzed it with water.  This leads to wicking and the image gets coloured in all by itself as if by magic!  After drying it with a heat gun I trimmed the flower, popped it up over the flourish and added a gold nailhead to the centre.  I then added the Merry Christmas sentiment with Riding Hood Red ink and rounded the right hand side corners.  I absolutely LOVE the font used on that sentiment, it's so gorgeously retro!

Lastly, there was this sparkly black and white tree trio card.  I stamped the trees on white CS, added some double sided adhesive sheet, peeled off the backing paper and covered the whole panel with crystal ultrafine glitter.  I pressed the glitter down by patting a piece of kitchen paper firmly over the panel.  I then trimmed the panel to size and matted it onto a scalloped black rectangle with silver mini brads.  I embossed the black strip with an embossing folder - I know it's not easily seen in the photo!  I embossed twice, once from each side 'cos the folder wasn't long enough for the whole strip.  I stamped the sentiment and popped up the scalloped panel to finish the front.

I love the corner element stamp that is included in the Patterned Pines set and I couldn't resist adding two corners to the sentiment inside the card.

Supplies for blue winter scene card:
Stamps: SU! Hero Arts 'Winter Scene'
CS: SU! Bashful Blue & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Bashful Blue & Chocolate Chip
Tools: Crafts Too Scrollwork Frame embossing folder, brayer
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, crystal ultrafine glitter, 3d foam tape

Supplies for poinsettia Merry Christmas card:
Stamps: Hero Arts Fabulous Flourish, poinsettia from ???, sentiment from SU! Four the Holidays set
CS: PaperMania cream square card blank, Ranger manila CS
Ink: SU! Always Artichoke & Riding Hood Red, Tim Holtz Fired Brick Distress Ink
Tools: Ranger Mini Mister, heat gun & Crafts Too heat resistant mat, Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper
Embellishments & accessories: gold nailhead, 3d foam pads

Supplies for black & white tree trio card:
Stamps: SU! Patterned Pines set, sentiment from SU! Best Yet set, inside sentiment from Stampendous Christmas Wishes clear set
CS: PaperMania white A6 card blank, SU! Whisper White & Basic Black, Woodware double sided adhesive sheet
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Tools: Plain & scalloped rectangle Nestabilities dies, Sizzix 'Starry Night' embossing folder, SU! Mat Pack, paper piercer, Stamp-a-ma-jig
Embellishments & accessories: crystal ultrafine glitter, silver mini brads, 3d foam tape

Flowery Sending Love Card

I bought some Sizzix Framelits dies a while ago and I love them.  I was so excited when I heard that Sizzix were partnering with Hero Arts to bring out sets that contained cling stamps with matching dies!  I have been impatiently waiting to get my mitts on these and a few days ago I got some.  Oh dear, more excitement was to come when I found out about sets that had cling background stamps with matching embossing folders!   A few days ago I went to the Glitter Pot, my local stamp shop, but they hadn't got these products on the shelves, they were in crates behind the counter waiting to be put out.  The staff took pity on me when they witnessed the excited reaction (well, OK then, overexcited is nearer the mark!) I had when I knew that they had got them on the premises - they kindly let me loose on the crates so I could get the sets I wanted!

So I've tried some of my new goodies on this card I've made for a close friend.   I've used the new SU! Pool Party colour, oh my goodness, it's beautiful, I love it!  I've also used two of my new stamp/die combo sets.  The sentiment is a new stamp also but I'm afraid it had to undergo surgery LOL!  It came with a snow globe cling stamp I bought and the sentiment originally read "Sending love around the world".  I knew I wouldn't use it very much at all as it was so I chopped off the "around the world" - much more useful now!

The card measures 4 3/4" square and first off I attached the strip of dotty Melon Mambo ribbon.  Then I merrily stamped and die cut the sentiment, frame, sprigs and flowers.  I've popped up a Pool Party centre on the largest flower and I added Dazzling Diamonds to that and the two Melon Mambo flowers.  The sprigs and frame are also popped up.  It is SO easy to line the dies up with the stamped images and I certainly wouldn't fancy cutting out that sprig with scissors!

For inside the card I cut a white panel and added a die cut flower with Dazzling Diamonds sprinkled on the centre.  I stamped a matching background stamp on the front of the envelope plus a  frame.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts 'Frames with Sprigs' & 'Floral' stamp & die sets, sentiment from Penny Black 'Sending Love' cling set, Hero Arts 'Paper Art' background cling stamp
CS: SU! Pool Party & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Pool Party & Melon Mambo
Tools: dies from Hero Arts 'Frames with Sprigs' & 'Floral' stamp & die sets
Embellishments & accessories: SU! dotty Melon Mambo grosgrain ribbon, SU! Dazzling Diamonds, 3d foam pads