September 2016 Card Group Projects

On Thursday we got together for our September card group meeting.  From now until November all the card group projects will be Christmas related.  Due to lack of time owing to a busy work schedule and with Owen's illness last year I didn't make many Christmas cards and I didn't buy a lot of new Christmas stuff.  I've made up for that this year - a lot of new SU! Christmas goodies have been added to my stash!  I used some of my new goodies to make three Christmas cards for the ladies to make.

First up is this simple but stylish stocking card which I CASEd from a card shown on page 15 of the SU! Autumn-Winter catalogue.  I used Mint Macaron, Cherry Cobbler and Emerald Envy for my colour combo and the patterned paper is from the 'Presents & Pinecones' DSP pack.  I popped up the sentiment banner and the stocking.

Here's the inside and the envelope.  I thought it would be cute to hang the small stocking from the 'J'!

For the second card I used the gorgeous 'Pretty Pines' Thinlits die set plus the 'Merriest Wishes' stamp set and 'Merry Tags' Framelits die set.  The card base measures 5 1/4" square and I added an Old Olive mat layer.  I glued a strip of patterned paper plus a die cut grosgrain ribbon strip to a square white panel, glued the die cut pine boughs and greenery sprigs in place and adhered the white panel to the card.  I absolutely love the tag die with the deer and tree scene and I thought it would make a lovely ornament to hang from a pine bough.    I stamped the sentiment in Early Espresso ink and then die cut the tag.  I punched a 2" white circle to go behind the tag and coloured it pale blue with a ProMarker.  I used the same pale blue marker to add some colour below the snow line and then used brown and green markers to colour the deer and trees.  I glued the tag and 2" circle together to make the ornament, added a Cherry Cobbler die cut bow with a rhinestone in the centre and I popped up the ornament.  To complete the card front I added some deep red pearls to the dark green sprigs.     

Here's the inside and the envelope which I decorated with stamps from the 'Merriest Wishes' set.  I stamped the snowy background in Soft Sky ink and stamped the 'Be Joyful' over the top in Early Espresso ink.  

The third card is a fun snowflake spinner card using the 'Flurry of Wishes' stamp set.  I borrowed the 'Sliding Star' Framelits die set from my good friend Lesley a few weeks ago and I loved how easy the dies make it to create a spinner or slider card so I had to get the set for myself!  I used Pool Party and Night of Navy along with Whisper White as my colour combo.  

I glued the Night of Navy mat layer to the front of the A6 sized Pool Party card base.  I stamped a white panel with snowflakes and the sentiment and then die cut the spinner channel.  I glued a piece of Whisper White CS to the Night of Navy mat layer so that would show through the channel.  I think all the ladies at card group liked the Night of Navy showing through the channel so they left that step out - it's all down to personal preference!  I stamped the two snowflakes image from the stamp set onto Pool Party CS and cut them out using the 'Snow Flurry' punch.  I made a spinner element by placing a round 3D foam pad between two pennies and I inserted that into the channel.  I adhered the larger of the two snowflakes to the penny and checked that it was able to spin freely.  Hmmm, I wasn't 100% happy with how that looked, I felt something was lacking so I took it off and tried something else!  

I still have the retired SU! 'Festive Flurry' stamp set and matching dies - they won't be leaving my craft room any time soon, if ever! - and I die cut a Night of Navy 'Festive Flurry' snowflake and glued the Pool Party stamped and punched snowflake shape over the top - I thought that looked much better!  I inserted the new snowflake spinner into the channel and popped up the white panel using 3mm thick 3D foam tape.  To complete the card front I added some die cut photo corners.  This card was such a hit that I've said I'll design another spinner card for next time!   

Here's the inside and the envelope.  I used the smaller stamped and punched snowflake to decorate the envelope flap.

Supplies for stocking card:
Stamps: SU! 'Hang Your Stocking' set, Hero Arts 'Miracle of the Holidays' set
CS: Mint Macaron, Cherry Cobbler & Whisper White 
Patterned paper: SU! 'Presents & Pinecones' DSP pack
Ink: SU! Mint Macaron, Emerald Envy, Cherry Cobbler
Tools: SU! 'Christmas Stockings' Thinlits die set, MFT 'Fishtail Flags' Stax die
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Dimensionals

Supplies for pine bough & ornament card:
Stamps: SU! 'Merriest Wishes' set
CS: SU! Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White (regular & thick)
Patterned paper: SU! 'Presents & Pinecones' DSP pack
Ink: SU! Old Olive, Early Espresso & Soft Sky, ProMarkers - Pastel Blue, Pear Green, Tan, Burnt Sienna 
Tools: SU! 'Pretty Pines' Thinlits die set, SU! 'Merry Tags' Framelits die set, circle punches
Embellishments & accessories: deep red pearls, SU! rhinestone jewel, Dimensionals

Supplies for snowflake spinner card:
Stamps: SU! 'Flurry of Wishes' set
CS: SU! Pool Party, Night of Navy & Whisper White (regular & thick)
Ink: SU! Pool Party & Night of Navy
Tools: SU! 'Snow Flurry' punch, SU! 'Sliding Star' & 'Festive Flurry' Framelits die sets, MFT Die-namics 'Photo Corners' die set, Die'Sire 'Decorative Corner 1' die set, circle punches
Embellishments & accessories: iridescent blue gem, 3D foam tape, round 3D foam pad, two pennies