September 2013 Card Group Projects

September is the month I start introducing Christmas cards at card group.  I make two Christmas cards and one non Christmas which seems to strike a happy balance for everyone!  One thing I thought I'd learned over the years at card group is not to use the same products on more than one card.  The ladies usually split into groups and work on different cards and it's very frustrating if more than one group needs the same items as there's a lot of waiting around.  When I came to make up the card kits I realised I'd used the same colour ink, the same embossing folder and the same die on the two Christmas cards, ack!  There was a couple of weeks gap between making the two cards and I forgot and didn't check what I'd used.  So I made the second card again using a different folder and colour of ink and I die cut the holly vines for the first card to avoid an unseemly scramble at the Big Shot!   Maybe that will make the lesson sink in LOL!

Up first is a snowman shadow box card - and the snowman is on a wobble spring!  This card fits into a C6 size envelope and is made with two pieces of A6 Island Indigo CS.  Both ends of both pieces of CS were scored at 1/2" and 1".  I used oval dies to cut the aperture and Real Red frame for the front piece.  I embossed a panel of white CS with a snowflakes folder and glued that to the back piece.  I stamped the snowman, tree, sentiment and mistletoe, fussy cut the mistletoe but used dies to cut out the other stamped images.  I die cut two Gumball Green Holly Vines to go around the frame - I kept the vine along the top whole but snipped a bit off the one that goes down the card.  I added tiny punched snowflakes with gems, popped up the sentiment label and glued the mistletoe behind the frame.

I popped up the tree onto the white embossed panel, added a red star at the top and placed red pearls as ornaments.  I then attached the snowman to the embossed panel with the wobble spring - the adhesive part of the spring was larger than the snowman body so I cut it down to fit.  Then - and only then - did I tape the two pieces together to form the shadow box card - and I adhere one side at a time using strong tape.  Experience has taught me to assemble the box card when you've added absolutely everything, it can be quite a challenge trying to add things to the inside of the shadow box once the card is assembled!

Here's a view from the top to show how the card is put together.

I cut a white panel for the back of the card and stamped some snowflakes and a lovely sentiment.  Hmmm, maybe a smaller sentiment would have been better but I wanted to use that one!  NOTE:  I've put shadow box card instructions on my Tutorials tab HERE. 

Card two is a CASE of a fab card made by Loll Thompson, I loved it as soon as I saw it!  Click HERE to visit Loll's blog page, the card I CASEd is the second one down.  I embossed a piece of white CS with a snowflakes folder, glued that to the front of the A6 card and used a square Nestie die to cut out an aperture from a separate panel of white CS.  I stamped the sentiment, attached the holly vine to the aperture with teeny dots of glue and then popped up the entire panel.  I then stamped the  solid ornament in Cherry Cobbler ink, cut it out with the matching punch, popped it up and added a gem to the centre.  (Many thanks to Jan for the loan of her SU! Delightful Decorations set!)  I punched a holly sprig, glued that underneath the sentiment and sprinkled on teeny red pearls as holly berries.

Card three is a 5 1/4" square thinking of you card that requires just some simple stamping, die cutting and punching.  I stamped the woodgrain circle in Crumb Cake ink, used a circle die to cut it out and die cut a larger Rich Razzleberry mat circle.  I used a Rich Razzleberry marker to colour the dots of the smaller flowers and added a punched tiny flower to the centre of the large flower.  I punched the butterfly, lifted the wings a bit and finished off the card by adding some iridescent gems.

Supplies for christmas cheer shadow box card:
Stamps: Hero Arts/Sizzix 'Snowman' stamp & die combo set, 'christmas cheer' from SU! 'Sweet Essentials' set, mistletoe from Hobby Art 'Christmas Robins' clear set, PSX 'Snowflake Medley', Hero Arts 'Wonderful Christmas' cling set
CS: SU! Island Indigo, Real Red, Gumball Green & Whisper White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Island Indigo, Real Red & Gumball Green, SU! Pumpkin Pie marker, blender pen
Tools:Petite Oval Nestabilities dies, Memory Box Holly Vine die, dies from Sizzix/Hero Arts 'Snowman' stamp & die combo set, Spellbinder's Labels Trio die, X Cut snowflake punch, X Cut star punch, SU! Simply Scored, Crafts Too Snowflakes embossing folder
Embellishments & accessories: Action Wobble Spring, red pearls, SU! Rhinestone Jewels, Dimensionals

Supplies for ornament Merry Christmas card:
Stamps: SU! 'Delightful Decorations' set, Memory Box 'Merry Christmas'
CS: PaperMania white A6 card blank, SU! Old Olive & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Cherry Cobbler
Tools: square Nestabilities die, Memory Box Holly Vine die, SU! Ornament punch, X Cut Holly Branch punch, Cuttlebug Snowflakes embossing folder
Embellishments & accessories:  3D foam tape, SU! Dimensionals, SU! Rhinestone Jewel, tiny red pearls

Supplies for woodgrain circle thinking of you card:
Stamps: Hero Arts 'Flower Wood Background', SU! 'Curly Cute' set
CS: PaperMania cream square card blank, SU! Rich Razzleberry & Very Vanilla
Ink: SU! Crumb Cake & Rich Razzleberry
Tools: circle Nestabilities dies, Craft Tonic butterfly punch, SU! Itty Bitty Flower punch
Embellishments & accessories: PaperMania iridescent gems