Vintage Christmas

     Pathetically enough, my new hobby seems to be surfing Pinterest for vintage Christmas ideas. Rather than actually getting busy and making some of the amazing projects on there, I collect them virtually and save them in the depths of my brain for later use. I did manage to actually accomplish one card this week, which I think was a small miracle.


     For this card I used Eskimo Kisses scraps and a Father Christmas vintage cut-out, along with a gigantic ribbon and some Dresden trim.

     I emerged from my reverie covered in glitter and very happy. It seems I should actually DO crafts more often!

My Creative Scrapbook October Kit

     When I found out my hubby got me a 6-month subscription to My Creative Scrapbook for my birthday in October, I almost flipped! I couldn't have asked for a better present, and this one is truly the gift that keeps on giving! My October kit was jam-packed with TONS of paper and embellies from Crate Paper's Farm House collection. I created five projects with this kit and still have several full sheets of paper and tons of scraps left over. Heaven!


     Here are a few of the projects I created with my October kit. The design team site really helped me put some quick layouts together, and the sketch included with each kit was a big help too. I've already received my November kit, and I can't wait to break into it!

     I also created a mini album to collect our special family recipes from Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Just to emphasize how much paper is really in this kit - this mini album has 8 5"x7" pages covered on both sides!) I want to make sure I preserve a tribute to my mom's cooking, which is truly legendary! This project will be a work in progress during the holidays.

I encourage you to check out the My Creative Scrapbook site for great inspiration! Have a wonderful week, my friends!

Clean and Simple Christmas

     I was talking to a friend recently who wanted to get into papercrafting but had no idea where to start. She loved the idea of making her own Christmas cards but didn't want to spend a fortune on supplies. Projects in magazines can be overwhelming for beginning stampers who feel like they need a whole room of supplies just to create one project.


     My friend's dilemma got me brainstorming about clean and simple cards that can be made with very limited supplies while still looking elegant and special. I worked up a few examples to share using one stamp set, one ink pad, and two shades of blank cardstock.

     I chose Cherry Cobbler and White for my cards, which I think is always an elegant color combination. I used my big shot to add a little texture to the background, but this isn't essential - a simple white background would work just as well. I poked holes in the top layer to add a little visual interest and covered my birds and the heart with red glitter.

     I used identical techniques and colors with this card. One elegant line art stamp set that includes a greeting can really go a long way. 

     Clean and simple is always a difficult technique for me, but I hope I can show my friend that papercrafting doesn't have to be complicated to produce cards that stand out from the crowd at Christmas.

Christmas Scraps

   This week I was digging through my stash of scraps, and I decided that some of the papers I found had been in my stash way, way too long. I found a whole pile of My Mind's Eye Be Merry papers from years ago, and I decided they just had to go somewhere. (Plus, that's the only way I can justify buying new paper to myself, and I'm itching for Echo Park's new Christmas line.)


     I love the snowmen in this paper, so I fussy cut them, mixed them with other scraps and found myself with a whole set of cards and a little gift card holder - made entirely from scraps.

    I had a blast with these snowmen, and as much as I hate to see them go, new paper adventures await!

Materials used:

Paper: Whisper White and Crumb Cake Cardstock (Stampin' Up), Be Merry (My Mind's Eye), Play Date Designer Series Paper (Stampin' Up)

Ink: Baja Breeze and Melon Mambo (Stampin' Up), Tea Dye Distress Ink (Ranger), Versamark Pad

Stamps: Snow Much Fun, Northern Hearts, Winter Post (Stampin' Up)

Embellishments: Ribbon, Buttons, and Snowflakes (Joann Fabrics)

Tools: Classic Circles, Scallop Circles, and Lacey Circles Dies (Spellbinders), White Embossing Powder (Hero Arts), Diamond Stickles (Ranger), Tag and Snowflake Punches (Martha Stewart)

Retreat Report

     Holy snow! Winter has very officially arrived here, and my garage envy is in overdrive. I was commenting yesterday that only in Montana do we have leaves falling on top of snow. When winter happens, it happens quickly!


    Today I want to share a couple of projects I did at a retreat back in October. The first is a piece of framed art that I can't wait to duplicate for Christmas gifts! This class was taught by the wonderful and talented Tamara Carisch, who was also kind enough to purchase, paint, and distress the frame for me. (Thank you, Tamara!) We used the Mistables line by Pink Paislee and Tim Holtz Distress Stains to personalize our projects, so they all came out looking totally different. Of course I chose a vintage/shabby chic look for mine. I had a blast making this project!

     During my second class, we assembled and decorated Kaisercraft's 9 drawer box. This was another project we got to personalize, and I had an absolute blast making it!  Sheila Segil taught us a gorgeous technique using metal flashing tape, acrylic paint, and embossing folders. I wish I had better photos to share, because these just don't do the real thing justice!

     Thank you, ladies, for a super fun day and for two beautiful projects that I'll admire for years to come!

Kisses

     I've been having a blast playing with feminine themes lately, so here's another very girly card I did recently. I used paper from Pink Paislee's Butterfly Garden collection and a vintage image from Creative Scraps.

     As it gets more wintry outside, I have a harder time getting good pictures in my house, but I think the idea comes through. Hugs and kisses for a fantastic week!

Inspire Crinoline Flower

     I adore flowers, so I've been messing around quite a bit with making my own lately. Layouts with flowers are so beautiful, but all those embellies add up quickly. I don't like to sew, so I've been looking for no-sew methods of making fabric flowers, and this one was just a happy accident.

     I cut five layers of polyester crinoline with my Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die and stained them with Distress In in Worn Lipstick, Wild Honey, and Barn Door. I was trying to speed up the drying time by hitting them with the heat gun, when WHAM! Shrinkage turned the petals into ... petals! I'm sure I'll be making lots more of these in every color imaginable.


     This card is for my darling sister, who inspires me every day. She just finished her Master's Degree in Education, and I'm thrilled for her!!


Happy Tuesday, everyone! 

Thanks for the Lift

     Time for a total change of pace! I did this card quite a while back and never got around to posting it. I adore cards with moving parts, and I adore my Up, Up, and Away stamp set from PTI, so why not combine the two?


     Directions for the pop-up can be found on Split Coast Stampers' You Tube channel, and the step-by-step directions made this card really easy to put together. Most of the paper comes from my old stash of October Afternoon, and the delicious ink colors are Stampin' Up's brights collection.

     Thanks for stopping by today, my friends!

Floral Thanks

     I love all things floral and all things shabby chic, so I wanted to make a card that featured my favorite flowers and my favorite color all at once! I made these paper roses using the Tattered Florals die by Tim Holtz, and the card base is my favorite shade of blue (Pool Party by Stampin' Up). I glossed my flowers to make them more sturdy, and I think they turned out looking like porcelain! I love this effect!

     Not sure this card is mailable, but I do love it. I'll be waiting to hand deliver it to someone special. Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!