What 2 Stamp

Circles in the Snow

OK, I know we're all over Christmas cards by now, but I was cleaning up some decorations last night and decided I just had to show you this one. I didn't make it--it came to me from my sister-in-law's sister Cindy, in New York. She took various sizes of circles and layered them to make an ADORABLE snowman. She was even clever enough to handcut little felt mittens! I just wanted to share this one, so you can tuck it away in your "to make" file for next year--and don't be surprised if I pull out a copy of my own come next Christmas.

I hope you've all had a great holiday break. I took some quality time off with my family and it was wonderful to recharge the batteries and enjoy those I love.

And now, I'm ready to get back to stamping! Check back tomorrow for the launch of the new Occasions Mini catalog and the Sale-a-Bration catalog. There's so much great stuff, you'll need to set aside some happy time to enjoy all the new goodies. See you then!

A Colorful Merry Christmas

I knew I had to have this stamp the first time I laid eyes on it. Shown in the A la Carte section near the front of the Stampin' Up! catalog, this large stamp, called Christmas Postcard, packs a punch with its vintage design. It would look great stamped in a single color, but it also begs to be colored.

I stamped it on watercolor paper, and here is how I got that great red shading in the words: I used Cherry Cobbler and Bravo Burgundy markers to color onto the top of the plastic box the stamp comes in--this makes an ideal palette as the ink stays wet on top of the plastic. I used an Aquapainter to pick up the lightest shade, Cherry Cobbler and color in all the letters first. I then picked up the Bravo Burgundy color and colored over the letters again. Finally, I used the Bravo Burgundy marker to color in a little space at the top of each letter, and then I "dragged" that dark color down into the letter. Watercolor paper is specially designed to hold up to all this watercoloring and the addition of layer after layer of color.

I added some Rich Regals brads and a Basic Rhinestone, but this is one card where the stamp and the coloring really are the main attraction.

Santa Post

I just love the Letters to Santa Designer Series Paper, especially the sheets that have postage-looking pieces all over. I have used whole sections of the sheets on other cards, but this time, I decided to cut out a few of the individual postage pieces. It only took a couple of minutes, and if you were really in a hurry, you could skip the task of making all the little "nips" into the edges of the postage.

The border is made with Cherry Cobbler cardstock and the Scallop Trim border punch. And of course, I had to sneak in a little Red Glimmer Paper! See last week's posts for more ideas on using that shiny goodness.

Oh So Jolly

Time's getting short to make all those Christmas cards, so why not let Designer Series Paper do the work? These 2 cards were made from half a piece of Letters to Santa DSP. I wanted to highlight the number 25 in the middle of each of the bingo-style cards, so the card on the left uses Stampin' Up's Red Glimmer Paper, punched with the scallop circle punch, to show off the big number. For the card on the left, I covered the 25 with Dazzling Details so that it would shine.

Glitter Wreath Card

We're still rolling on our Glimmer Paper card ideas with today's card, a wreath made from Stampin' Up's Silver Glimmer Paper. The scallop was cut with the Scallop Circles #2 die for the Big Shot, and then the center circle was punched with the 2-1/2" circle punch (that's the big circle that was on yesterday's card).

The holly leaves were cut from Letters to Santa paper, using the Stocking Accents die. The holly berries also were cut using the Stocking Accents die, from Red Glimmer Paper. A jingle bell tied with crochet thread finishes this striking wreath.

Don't worry, we're not done--there will be another Glimmer Paper idea coming tomorrow!

Glimmer Me Happy

Tis the season to...use glimmer paper! I just love the red and silver glimmer paper Stampin' Up! sells--all the shine and none of the mess or work of regular glitter. And what better time to break out the glimmer paper than Christmas?

I make every inch of the glimmer paper count. For instance, the center red star cutout in this card came about in this way: I punched out the circle so that I could then punch a scallop circle around it (you'll see that card later). I needed a small star for another card, so I punched that out of this circle. Then I looked at the circle with the star punched out and thought how great that would look mounted to silver glimmer paper. So, this card is a great frugal use of paper, and super-quick to make! Now, that's my kind of card.

Stay tuned for more glimmer paper cards this week!

A Stocking Full of Goodies

I'm hard at work with all the Christmas cards and gifts I'm making with my papercrafting supplies--I'll bet you are, too! This week, I'm using the Holiday Stocking Sizzix Die to make goodie bags for my son's class. When you're pressed for time (which we all are, right now!) it doesn't get any quicker than using a large die to make a goodie bag.

I cut the front of the bag from the Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper, and the back of the stocking, the heel and the toe from Garden Green cardstock. The cuff is Whisper White. I sealed the edges of the stocking with Tombow Multi-Purpose Adhesive. Because paper doesn't have as much give as fabric or felt, I need to keep my goodie bag items to a minimum to fit them all in there. But, it is the perfect size for a candy cane, a pencil and a chocolate Santa. Speaking of chocolate Santas, where did I put that bag.....

Advent Calendar Class on Nov. 12

Christmas will be here before you know it and what better way to countdown than with this adorable Advent Calendar? This delightful project will be my Nov. 12 class. All materials will be pre-cut and you'll have a fun afternoon of stamping and embellishing--just think how cute this will look in your house! For more details and to register for the class, click here.

Card Cafe on Oct. 15

 
This month's Card Cafe will be on Oct. 15, at 1 p.m. You'll have the chance to make Halloween and Christmas cards, whichever strikes your fancy. The card above is one of 2 Christmas designs available this month. To see the other cards, check out the Card Cafe page. If you would like to attend Card Cafe, just choose which designs you would like to make and how many of each, then email me with your choices. Cards cost $3 each, 6 for $15, or 12 for $25 and you can make as many as you like. Each project comes with all precut materials, as well as a photo and instructions, so if you're pressed for time, you can always do the stamping and punching during class and then assemble the cards at home. Please RSVP by Wednesday, Oct. 12 if you would like to attend.

12 Weeks of Christmas

 
Yes, it's that time of year again--already! I'm bringing back a special program I shared with you a couple of years ago, called the 12 Weeks of Christmas. It is a little gift I do exclusively for those who subscribe to my email newsletter, which you can do through the red box at the top left-hand side of this box. Starting tomorrow, email subscribers will receive a weekly email with a unique Christmas idea. I will be showcasing card and gift ideas, as well as wrapping/packaging ideas. The projects will all be quick and "do-able" so that you can produce a lot of handmade items very efficiently. The 12 Weeks program will wrap up by Dec. 16.

The projects won't be posted on the blog; they are available only to newsletter subscribers. So, sign up for my email newsletter if you haven't already, and please feel free to share this with your friends!