Ornaments Deck the Halls Christmas Card

There's not been much activity lately in my craft room, a very sad state of affairs!  I'm trying to kickstart my mojo and get back to creating more often and to help with that I've signed up for a monthly online class.  One of the things that appealed to me about the class is that you get a number of card layouts to work with throughout the month.  I find when you have a good sketch to start with you're halfway to creating a card, as your layout is already decided on which saves time!   I signed up late for the August class so I probably won't get all the sketch cards made but I'm hoping to do more for the rest of the monthly classes.

I decided to make my first layout card a Christmas card because, as per usual, I haven't started making them early enough in the year, even though I always say I will!  I've used some new SU! supplies from the 'Brightly Gleaming' suite of products.  The papers in the 'Brightly Gleaming' Specialty DSP pack are gorgeous, rich colours with copper foil detailing, so luxurious!  I love the unusual, non traditional colours for Christmas showcased by this suite.  You can never go wrong with stamps and matching punches either, that always makes a card come together quickly!

My colour combo is Night of Navy, Pretty Peacock, Mossy Meadow and Very Vanilla.  I stamped the ornaments using VersaMark, heat embossed with copper embossing powder, punched them out and popped them up after drawing strings and bows with a metallic Sharpie.  I also used the Sharpie to add lines all around the die cut stitched rectangle and then I popped the whole panel up.  To finish the front I added a couple of rhinestones.  

 

Here's the inside and the envelope.

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! 'Christmas Gleaming' set
CS: SU! Night of Navy & Very Vanilla 
Patterned paper: SU! 'Brightly Gleaming' Specialty DSP
Ink: VersaMark, SU! Mossy Meadow & Night of Navy, metallic Sharpie
Tools: SU! 'Gleaming Ornaments' Punch Pack, 'Stitched Rectangle' die set
Embellishments & accessories: SU! copper embossing powder, rhinestone jewels, Dimensionals
Ruth

Birdie Card & Matching Gift Bag

Two friends came over to craft with me a few weeks ago and I designed a card and a gift bag for them to make using the beautiful SU! 'Bird Ballad' suite of products.  We had such a lovely time together, I enjoyed it so much!  Here's the Card, envelope and gift bag together.

 

Here's the card - it's a fancy fold design - an aperture is cut out from the card front.  I stamped the image in Memento Rich Cocoa ink and coloured using SU! Stampin' Blends.

 

Here's a view of the card within a card fancy fold.  Inside the Crumb Cake card there's a smaller Pool Party card. The bird panel is popped up with Dimensionals.  I love that the sentiment is hidden until you open the card!

 

Here's another view.

 

Here's the inside of the card and the envelope.  The birdie on the envelope flap was cut out with a circle punch from a piece of 'Bird Ballad' DSP.

 

I gave each friend a mini card (made using the SU! 'Lots of Happy' card kit) and a small gift - I placed the card and gift inside a kraft pillow box which I decorated with an element from the 'Lots of Happy' kit, some Granny Apple Green woven ribbon and a circle tag.   A sweet little token of friendship and appreciation!

Supplies for card & gift bag:
Stamps: SU! 'Free as a Bird' set
CS: SU! Crumb Cake, Pool Party & Whisper White 
Patterned paper: SU! 'Bird Ballad' DSP
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, SU! Stampin' Blends alcohol markers
Tools: SU! 'Stitched Nested Labels' die set , WRMK Gift Bag Punch Board, circle punches
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Bermuda Bay ribbon, Dimensionals

Supplies for mini card & pillow box:
Stamps: SU! 'Lots of Happy' set
CS: SU! Whisper White, elements from the 'Lots of Happy' card kit, Kraft Pillow Boxes
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Stampin' Blends alcohol markers
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Granny Apple Green textured weave ribbon, Whisper White baker's twine, Metallic Pearls, Dimensionals
Ruth

August 2019 Card Group Projects

We got together on the 1st August for our August card group meeting.  I only made two projects for the ladies this month as one of the projects - a pop up flower pot card - is a little time consuming.

Chris Slogar designed the pop up flower pot card for Splitcoast Stampers and her fabulous YouTube video tutorial can be found HERE.

Here's the front of the card.

 

A view from the back.

Here's a side view.  The pop up element folds flat so the card can close to be placed in an envelope.  To have the card on display a band of CS is slipped over the base to keep the base flat.  Ingenious!

 

I added a daisy to the envelope flap to finish.

For the second card we revisited a design we've made before at card group.  Back in June we made a butterfly closure card but for this card I swapped the butterfly to a dragonfly.  I stamped the dragonflies as a background using Mint Macaron ink on the Mint Macaron card base - I do love the tone on tone look!  After I'd glued the fancy outline dragonfly over the solid dragonfly shape I added shimmer to the wings using a Sakura Clear Gelly Roll pen.  I added strips of Tranquil Tide CS cut using a Grosgrain Ribbon die, popped up the sentiment label and scattered a few iridescent flower sequins to complete the card front.

 

The dragonfly wings slide through  the die cut aperture when the card is opened.

 

Here's the inside.

 

I stamped pretty Mint Macaron dragonflies on the front of the envelope to finish. 

 

I wasn't really sure how the ladies would like making the flower pot card but I'm very happy to say it was a hit!  In fact we'll be making a Christmas version next time featuring poinsettias!

Supplies for flower pot card:
Stamps: SU! 'Daisy Delight' set, Personal Impressions 'Large Everyday Messages' set
CS: SU! Cajun Craze, Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight, Grapefruit Grove, Melon Mambo, Old Olive & Whisper White, SU! Window Sheets (acetate)
Patterned paper: SU! 'Delightful Daisy' DSP
Ink: SU! Cajun Craze & Early Espresso
Tools: SU! Simply Scored, Daisy & 1/2" circle punches, M&C Boutique Stitched Rectangle die set
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Old Olive linen thread, glue dots, Dimensionals


Supplies for dragonfly closure card:
Stamps: SU! 'Dragonfly Dreams' set
CS: SU! Mint Macaron, Tranquil Tide & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Mint Macaron & Tranquil Tide, Sakura Clear Gelly Roll pen
Tools: SU! 'Detailed Dragonfly' & 'Petals & More' die sets, Memory Box 'Grosgrain Ribbons' die set
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Dimensionals, iridescent flower sequins
Ruth