A lot of card makers are like crows, they like things that sparkle! The Year of Cheer suite definitely has sparkle with all the metallic papers, the pretty embellishments and the amazing washi tape that all go with this suite. You can even go over the top and mix it with our glimmer paper. I am so thankful to Barb Stewart for designing these beautiful cards. As soon as I saw them I knew I would offer a class with them and everyone was in love. The best part is that you get a beautiful card with very little effort and that is what many of us long for. Simplicity. Beauty. A little extra time to just relax. These cards do all of that!
I did add one extra card to the class out of sheer necessity. You see when I decided to offer this as a class I was totally out of the foil snowflakes, so I wanted to offer an alternative. I ended up using the stars from the Starlight Thinlets and it turned out beautifully. The stars are so very lovely, but the foil snowflakes are immediate gratification. I will share a video at the end of this post to show you how to make the stars in the most easy and efficient way.
Starlight Thinlets Alternative
The starlight thinlets coordinate with the Star of Light stamp set. I love this 21 piece stamp set because not only does it have beautiful star images including star dust that can be used on Disney cards as fairy dust, it also has lots of beautiful sayings.
When my customers saw this card they thought I had embossed the star. Really it is just two star framelits layered on top of each other. I have some pictures here, but please note that in the second picture the stars are just laying on top of each other, I haven’t adhered them yet because I want to do that in my video and I don’t want to have to make more stars!!
Measurements
Now for the important information. Measurements do make everything easier right? No need for guesswork. Here you go. All the cards are the same which is just wonderful.
heavy white cardstock: 4 1/4″ by 11″ scored at 5 1/2″
foil paper (I used champagne, silver and gold but copper also works) 3 3/4″ by 4 3/4″
patterned paper from Year of Cheer- 3 1/2″ by 4 1/2″
for the sentiment- whisper white cardstock 1 1/4″ by 3 3/4′ metallic 1 1/2″ by 4″
One of the cards uses soft suede for the matting and this also looks quite wonderful, so if you need to save some money you could use this instead of the foil paper. To make your foil paper last longer be sure to cut out stars from your big mat before you put the patterned paper over top, just be sure to leave a 1/4 inch margin all around!
Did you know that you get 12 gold and 12 silver foil snowflakes in each package and that they are cream coloured on the back? So you can use them as a neutral accent or you can sponge them with any colour you like, or you can stamp the whole snowflake with versamark and emboss in gold, silver or copper for a thicker, more luxurious finish.
Here is another inspiration for the Add a Little Glitz stamp set that the saying “May your season sparkle”.
Finally here is the video on how to use your star framelits with the least amount of frustration.
I hope you have a great weekend! Remember if you live in Canada and don’t already have a demonstrator I would love to have you order from me or even better, join my team and get your own discount.
One of the most popular classes of the year is the Christmas stamp-a-stack. Everyone loves giving and receiving Christmas cards and it is really gratifying to make a stack of them all at once to get a jump-start on the season. I love having a big stack of cards all ready to be mailed out on December 1. It is really nice to make some over-the-top special cards too, but quick and easy stamp-a-stack cards are always fun to do.
Inspiration
I was inspired by two things when I was creating these cards. The first inspiration was our October paper sale which goes to the end of October. If you buy three packs of featured paper you get one pack FREE! So I bought some paper for myself of course including the Be Merry paper. The second inspiration was my swap card from Selina Merali. I love the layout of this card and the nice big sentiment and I thought it would work really well with the Be Merry paper.
The designer series paper is layered on a garden green mat measuring 4″ x 5 1/4″. The bottom strip of patterned paper is 2″ x 3 7/8″. The top part is whisper white 3 1/8″ x 3 7/8″ and it was stamped with real red using the snowflakes from Night in Bethlehem. The words are from Carols of Christmas. I used shimmer black ribbon and red satin ribbon to finish it off. The snowflake on the left is from Colorful Season and the star is from Night in Bethlehem.
Here are some more versions of this same card:
Here is the original card from Selina. She used Merry Little Christmas designer series paper from the holiday catalog. Isn’t it just amazing how the little details can make all the difference? I love how the linen thread and the rhinestone add just the right touch to the little tree accent. The stitched thinlets are also fabulous for accenting the sentiment.
Sometimes Simple is Best
The next card I made expressly with simplicity in mind. I love this snowflake border thinlet and I really wanted it to shine without any distractions. So I combined it with a bold sentiment and a few rhinestones. Which colour combination do you like best?
Although I love both colour combinations, the card on the left is quicker to make as there is no embossing. If you really think about it, this card doesn’t even have to be a Christmas card, it could just be a cheerful winter card or even a birthday card. I used pool party on the first card and heavy white cardstock and night of navy on the second card with the sentiment embossed in white as well.
The last set of cards were cased from another swap card, this one I received from Genevieve Ko. The cards are the same, I just used a different sentiment on each one. They use the Night in Bethlehem suite.
This card is a little more intricate for a stamp-a-stack card but it is not too difficult to prevent you from making a bunch of them in good time. The hardest part will be deciding who to give them to!
Class Date and Details
The date for this Christmas stamp-a-stack is Wednesday October 25 at 9:30am and 7pm. If the response is overwhelming I will also open up a spot at 1pm. The cost is $35 for 12 cards and envelopes. You will get four cards of each design. There will be variations of each card that you can choose from. I will set up three stations so that you can make your cards at your own pace. Please bring your own adhesive which includes a tape runner of your choice, glue dots, dimensionals and fine-tip glue if you need it. A pair of sharp ribbon scissors can also be good to have on hand. There will also be a door prize at this event, it will be the Merry Patterns stamp set that is a host exclusive.
Contest Winner
I almost forgot to tell you about the winner of my Spooky Cat contest. Thanks to everyone who commented on my posts, I really appreciate it. The winner was Juleen Henderson. Comments are always appreciated, it helps to alleviate the feeling that your blog posts are just disappearing into cyberspace. Have a super day and keep on stamping!
Hello stampers. When is the last time you really played with your stamps? This retiform technique is a great one for encouraging just that. Retiform means “netlike”. The Webster dictionary says:
Definition of retiform. : composed of crossing lines and interstices : reticular netlike; specifically : being the connective tissue cells of the framework of the lymphatic glands.
Well, we are not interested in the lymphatic glands, but the crossing lines and all the other fun stuff involved with this technique is truly addictive. Here is what you need to have on hand to do this technique. Two coordinating colours of ink, a lighter shade and a darker one. A sponge. Sticky notes of varying sizes. The five inch by three inch is ideal and then the smaller square ones are great too. Rather than describing the technique in writing, it is much easier to simply watch the video, so I will post that at the end. In the meantime, check out the various cards that I have made. I was originally inspired by a video I saw on Pinterest by Randi Collins. Here is the link to her video.
For this card I used early espresso for the stamping and soft suede for the sponging. I used the stamp sets Night in Bethlehem, Hearts Come Home and Musical Season. I accidentally stamped the one drummer boy in soft suede, but it still looks good I think. For the next card I used the exact same stamp sets but switched it up a bit. No two cards are alike, and that is the fun part.
This one is different mainly because of the straight segment at the top of the card. Do you think this adds to the card or takes away from it? The next two cards use the stamp sets So Many Shells and High Tide and the colours marina mist for sponging and dapper denim for stamping.
The next card is done by my customer and friend Heather Adams. She left a bigger white line between segments and I really like that look as well.
The last card has a bit of a twist in that it uses a pop of colour. I used the stamp sets Painted Harvest and Vintage Leaves. Colours are soft suede, early espresso, crushed curry and cajun craze.
This last card was made by my team member Aileen Boersma. She made it for her grandson using No Bones About It.
So there you have it! A great new technique called “retiform” which sounds more complicated than it really is. Just mask off sections with sticky notes, sponge and stamp till you fill up your card front. Watch the video for full details and then get down and dirty and make some of your own. I would love to hear how you make out with it. If you need any supplies and you live in Canada, please use the host code on the side bar when you place your order and I will pop a card in the mail to you as a thank you. Are you a true addict? Then save yourself a bunch of money and join my team by getting the starter kit, it really is the best deal in the entire catalog. Click here to do that, or message me if you have any questions.
I often get asked where I get my inspiration from. I would say that the number one source of inspiration is other demonstrators. There is so much talent out there and people post their work on Pinterest, on Facebook, Instagram and other groups as well as their own blogs. A quick Google search where you type the name of the stamp set and the word “Stampin’Up” and you will get lots of ideas. I try to always give credit if I copy someone else’s work, but the truth of the matter is that there is nothing new under the sun. We are constantly soaking up ideas and sometimes they combine to form a new idea. It could even be something we came across years ago. The nice thing is that you can make beautiful cards even if you don’t have a creative bone in your body. That is why I fell in love with card making. I wasn’t good at art, or at least I didn’t think I was, but the stamps are already beautiful and all you have to do is ink them up and stamp them on paper and the beauty has begun. The stamps unleash your creativity with their own beauty. Let’s take a look at the rest of the swap cards.
This first card is by Mo Dickie. I am in awe of this fancy cutting on the front of the card. I will have to recreate it to see how she did it, but it looks great! It also uses one of my favourite bundles in the holiday catalog, the musical season bundle. I love the nostalgic feel of this stamp set, especially the drummer boy, but also the gorgeous instruments. Great sentiments too! “May the spirit of the season be the melody that plays in your heart all year long”.
Have you ever been to busy to get your Christmas cards out in time? I have, and that year I made New Year’s cards. It was so liberating! I had fun making the cards in that beautiful time between Christmas and New Year. The next card is perfect for that. Linda Yamamoto made this great card using the Cheers to the Year stamp set. Notice how perfectly it coordinates with the gorgeous Year of Cheer specialty paper? Do you see that sparkly strip in the middle? It is the coordinating washi tape. Wow, what a great suite this is.
Do you have a nativity set that you set up every year in its own special place? I got one when the kids were small so that we would all have a visual reminder of the true meaning of the season. The Night in Bethlehem bundle reminds me of that and I do love it so much. Genevieve Ko made this stunning card and she added some silver glimmer paper and silver-rimmed pearls to step it up. She also used the Starlight thinlets from the annual catalog.
One of the first “techniques” I learned as a card maker was heat embossing. Oh the magic of watching dry embossing powder turn into a raised shiny thing!! Clear embossing is also a beautiful yet subtle way to add interest to your card. Liane Binder used clear embossing on her tea cup in this lovely card. I love the tea bag!! Our linen thread is just the perfect thing to use to attach it as well. There is no substitute out there for Stampin’Up! linen thread. I hope they never stop making it. The stamp set used here is Merry Cafe and the embossing folder is called Winter Wonder.
The last of my swap cards was made by Karen Duke. I absolutely love this clean and crisp card. What a great bundle this Carols of Christmas is. I especially love that both the deer and the trees can be used entirely on their own without needing a stamped image. The gold embossed sentiment really makes it pop.
Good morning stampers! 20 Canadian demonstrators participated in this swap and 90% of us made Christmas cards. I really do think that most stampers are suckers for Christmas cards. I try not to get started on them in my classes until October, but it sure is rewarding to have a big stack of them all ready to out on December 1 so that there is no stress about making them. It is also so very nice to have enough hand made cards to give to everyone on my list. The first card I am sharing today is a clean and simple card by Sharon Davies. It really is stunning in its simplicity. The Winter Wonder embossing folder, silver foil sheets and rhinestones work so well together. Cheers to the Year is the stamp set used. I love you this set can be used not only for Christmas and New Year but also for weddings!
This next card uses the faux silk technique and was made by Winona Semler. It uses the stamp set Painted Harvest and the coordinating leaf punch. I love the soft look Winona created with the repeated leaf stamped background and the Layered Leaves embossing folder. The glitter enamel dots add just the right amount of sparkle to keep it lively.
This fun assymetrical card (big word that basically means things are at an angle or slightly offset) is made by Anne Granger. She used the Winter Wonder embossing folder and the stamp set Merry Cafe. The great thing about this set is that it coordinates with the Coffee Cafe suite in the annual catalog. This set embraces so many occasions. Fall with the pumpkin spice latte, Halloween with “witches brew with scream & sugar”, apple cider, Valentine’s Day with “love is brewing” and “I love you and coffee”. There is also a saying for tea lovers, for Christmas and for New Year.
Do you love traditional, sparkly Christmas scenes? If so, you will fall in love with this card by Cynthia Millan. She used embossing paste and dazzling diamonds glitter for the snow. The star of this card is the Hearts Come Home bundle. This bundle was at the top of my wish list for this holiday catalog.
This classic card by Alison Solven in black and white with a touch of red and green is stunning. She used the Carols of Christmas stamp set, the Merry Music Specialty paper and the 7/8″ striped ribbon from the Merry Little Suite of Christmas on page 11 and 12 of the holiday catalog.
The next card involves embossing on vellum which almost makes the vellum look like frosted glass. Great job Lisa Althouse. Lisa used Snowflake Sentiments and Winter Wonder embossing folder. I really like how she used the stitched framelits and the layering squares framelits to make a unique focal point with the sentiment.
So this is the end of the second batch of swap cards. There will be one more batch tomorrow. I hope you are enjoying these cards as much as I did. The only hard thing will be deciding which card to CASE first!
Change Your Life and Join My Team
If you love making cards and enjoy sharing them with others, you may want to consider joining my team. I am always looking for new people to share what I love and how Stampin’Up! can really change your life in so many amazing ways. It starts with getting your own discount which is a great thing indeed, but after that, the possibilities are endless! Message me if you have questions, or if you want to jump right in go to http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/thepamperedstamper/jointhefun and scroll down and click on join now.
