After Christmas Card (or an early start for next year)

Hi everyone.  I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas with family and friends.  However, what do you do when you get a Christmas card from someone after Christmas?  Do you send them one back, or just wait until next year?  Whatever you decide, it is never too late, or too early, to make a card for someone special at Christmas.  So, this is an easy one but looks like a million bucks.  Okay, that's just my opinion, but I hope you agree.

Choose an image from the Vintage Christmas collection and an appropriately sized frame from GSL.  The Flourished Frame Karen works quite nicely for this image.

Trim your image to fit inside the frame opening, then paint frame with pearl nail polish and let dry.

Use your finger to dab the Stickles lime green glitter glue for a delicate application and let dry.

Turn frame over and dab glue over frame, again using finger to apply a light coat.  Lay frame over image and adhere both to front of card, as shown.

Make a couple of rosettes and follow directions that come with the die.

Paint Memories word ribbon and several different sizes of snowflakes with the pearl nail polish and let dry.

Use the flat end of a makeup sponge to dab Romance red paint over the top of the Memories word band.  Add crystal Stickles glitter glue to top of each snowflake for extra sparkle, and edge rosettes with pine needles distress ink.

Adhere all pieces to card front, as shown, and lifting some  of the pieces with foam dots.

Supplies Used:
GSL  Flourished Frame Karen
GSL Word Ribbons 1
GSL Snowflake Shape Set
Vintage Christmas Paper Collection (Authentique)
Olive Green card stock (for 5"x7" folded card)
Rosettes die  (Sizzix/Tim Holtz)
Tokyo Pearl Nail Polish (any pearl nail polish would work)
Romance chalk paint (DecoArt)
Lime Green, Crystal Stickles (Ranger)
Pine Needles Distress Ink (Tim Holtz)
Peace metal embellishment

I hope you enjoyed this super quick but oh-so-beautiful Christmas card.  You can make beautiful cards so easily just by choosing an appropriate laser cut frame from Gypsy Soul, and there are so many to choose from, too.  They add dimension without adding bulk, so they go through the mail without extra postage.  Of course, if you add lots more embellishments like the rosettes on my card above, you might want to box it up or hand deliver it.  Of course, if I am sending a gift, this is the perfect card to add inside the box, and yep, no extra postage there either.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I just want to wish you all a very Happy New Year!!!

Barbara

Day 12: Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party

Hello everyone.  Well, today is the last day of the Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party.  So I have one last Christmas card to share with you.

Add print papers to card base, as shown.  Stamp Santa onto white card stock, color with markers, and distress edges.  Stamp Santa's pouch and color with markers.  Shape pouch and adhere to image with pop dots.

Cut out center of cupcake liner and cut open, accordion fold and layer onto card, as shown.  Adhere Santa image over the top.  Add "Nice" chipboard sentiment and you are done!

Supplies:

Green card stock
DCWV Homemade Christmas paper stack
Santa rubber stamp
Cupcake liner (Recollections)
Chipboard sentiment (K&Company)

I hope you have enjoyed playing along or simply visiting the link up party bloggers.  Thanks for stopping by and for all the nice comments you have left me.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay CRAFTY, my friends.  

Barbara

Day 11: Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party

Hello all!  So glad you stopped by for Day11 of the Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party.

This Christmas card was super simple to make.

Die cut rectangle frame from red card stock, print hot air balloon snowman to fit inside frame and adhere.  Add gold glitter straight line stickers around inside frame and gold star brads on each corner.

Fussy cut "Believe" from paper stack, and use one of the print papers for your base layer over a red top-folded card.

Ink chipboard snowflake with Delicata Golden Glitz ink, add red dew drop to the center, and add holly leaves beneath it.

Voila, you are done!

Supplies:

Altered Pages collage sheet:  AP-153 Santa Clause; Chipboard Snowflakes
DCWV Christmas Made paper stack
Red card stock
Quickutz 4x4 rectangle frame die
IMAGINE Crafts:  Delicata Golden Glitz ink pad
The Robin's Nest:  dew drops
Bazzill holly leaves
Gold straight line stickers
Gold star brads

If you have not linked up, there is still one more day to do so.  Otherwise, sit back and enjoy all the creative talent being shared and visit all the blogs in the Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party you can to get as much inspiration as you can handle, and enjoy.

Have a good day, and see you again tomorrow!

Barbara

Poinsettia Christmas Card - Day 10: Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party

Hello everyone.  So glad you stopped by today, because I want to share another Christmas card with you for Day 10 of the Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party.  I am having so much fun using Pam Bray's Christmas stamp sets from Sin City Stamps.  I really love how this turned out!

One of my favorite Christmas images, right after Santa and Snowmen, is the Poinsettia.  Pam did a wonderful job recreating this wonderful flower.  So, here is another example of what you can make with her wonderful sets.

All I did was stamp and heat emboss the poinsettia image twice with gold embossing powder, once in whole, once part. Then I colored with my Copic markers and fussy cut each one.  You may notice that the flower only is not the whole flower, but just a portion of it.

Next, I added some gold Flower Soft to the center of the small flower only.  Then I die cut two size frames from the pink pearl and olive pearl card stocks.  I pop-dotted the olive frame and added strips of the wavy gold lines stickers around the edge.  Then I adhered my poinsettia, with the smaller flower pop-dotted on top of that.  You may notice that I did not align the flower, but instead, I offset it so it would have the appearance of more petals.  You can play with this image and arrange it just about any way you want and have so much fun making all your flowers different.

I also added the red Wink of Stella glitter brush to the petals for extra shimmer.

I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of the beige card stock, die cut with the smallest nesting frame, edged with brown ink, and pop-dotted it, also.

One last thing, I added straight gold lines stickers around the edge of the print paper layer for that extra bling. It makes it look embossed without the trouble.

Supplies:

Sin City Stamps:  Pam's Christmas Collection 2 stamp set

Quickutz Nesting Frames 2; Wink of Stella glitter brush (red);

Card stock:  white, beige, pink pearl, olive pearl

Holiday Traditions print paper (Recollections)

Starform Stickers (gold lines and ripples) (Ecstasy Crafts)

Copic markers:  R37, R39, YG 23, YG25, Y17

Gold ink and embossing powder

Black StazOn

Gold Flower Soft

Stop by the UPA link up party and see what everyone is making!  There are some awesome projects and lots of talent.  

Have a wonderful day!

Barbara

Joy to the World - Day 9: Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas

Hello everyone.  Day 9 already!  Whew, it is sure going by fast.  I am having a blast making my Christmas cards to share with you as part of the Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party.  I hope you are playing along, but if not, then I hope you are enjoying all of the wonderful talent that is sharing their creativity with us.

Today, I have a simple, traditional red and green Christmas card.

It was so simple to make.  Just stamp the sentiment and trumpet onto white card stock.  Then use any die that will fit around the image to cut out.  Color in with markers, add some gold glitter glue to the trumpet and let dry.

Next, trim green card stock to slightly smaller than card front and run through any embossing folder. I chose these snowflakes, so I hit the high spots with white ink.

Edge the pieces with a gold Krylon pen, adhere to red card, pop dotting the trumpet image.

Next, I added these pretty little red roses and holly leaves, with some snippets of silver beading.

Simple!

Supplies:
Red, Green, White card stock
Snowflakes embossing folder (Paper Studio)
Inkadinkado Herald Trumpet rubber stamp
Joy to the World rubber stamp (unknown)

Be sure to stop by the Link Up Party over at Unruly Paper Arts and visit the bloggers who are linked up. They are sharing some fabulous things.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful, creative week!

Barbara

Joyeaux Noel Christmas Card & Just For Fun Rubber Stamps

Hello everyone.  This month, we have another wonderful sponsor over at Altered Pages.  This time, it is with Just for Fun Rubber Stamps.  They have been around for quite awhile, and I have been collecting and using their stamps for years.  I love making Christmas cards with my rubber stamps, and this one is a combination of stamping and collage. 

Print out Collage Backgrounds I collage sheet and cut out solid background image.  Ink up the Holly Background stamp with Forest Moss and stamp over the background.  Trim background to measure 3-3/4" x 4-3/4", distressing and inking edges with brown ink.

Add red Pico Embellisher to holly berries.  Let dry.

Cut beige card stock to 6"x12", fold in half to make  top-folded card.  Layer Glitz red print paper (5-3/4" x 5-3/4"), then Glitz solid brown (4"x5") with distressed and inked edges, then holly stamped background paper, also distressed and inked.

Print Blue Santas collage sheet and cut out Santa, donkey and child image.  Die cut with Nesting Frames 2 dies to fit the image.

I added some pretty shimmer with my clear Wink of Stella Glitter Brush around the child's halo, the candle halos, and even on Santa's beard, after all, he IS magical, too!

I wanted to mat this with a piece of gold metallic card stock, but the next larger die was just too big, so I used this little tool called Magic Matters disk set.  I've had this tool for years, and pull it out whenever I need to mat shapes. So I turned the gold card stock over and, using the 1/8" tool, made an exact replica of my original die cut.  Pretty cool, huh?

I layered these together, then used my adhesive dimensionals to lift it up for dimension, after laying a strip of the seam binding ribbon along the center.

I made a three loop bow and adhered it to the left, along with the Christmas Wishes banner I fussy cut from a second image on the Blue Santas collage sheet.

Lastly, I inked a chipboard Snowflakes with Stormy Sky ink, patted on Snow Cap paint dabber, dried, then added Salty Ocean to give it that extra pop of color.  This was then adhered over the center of the bow.

Supplies:

Altered Pages:  Collage Backgrounds I collage sheet; Blue Santas collage sheet; Glitz Designs Joyeax Noel 6x6 Paper Pad; Tags Assortment; Nesting Frames 2 dies; Seam Binding Ribbons; Snowflakes; Wink of Stella Glitter Brush; Score Tape; Adhesive Dimensionals
Just for Fun Rubber Stamps: Holly Background
Other:  Forest Moss, Stormy Sky, Salty Ocean, Frayed Burlap distress inks; gold metallic card stock; Beige card stock; Snow Cap paint dabber; Tsukineko Love Letter Pico Embellisher


I am also linking this project with the Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party.  

I hope you enjoyed my Christmas card today, and I just want to remind you to 

 head over  here  to check out the Altered Pages December special on ALL DIGITAL collages.  This month any  *DIGITAL*  collage sheet is only $1.00!  Yes, $1.00!!!  Stock up now for all your crafting and collage needs for the entire year of 2015, for only a buck a piece!  This is only during December though!

And while you are checking out all of the fabulous products at Altered Pages, I hope you will also stop by the Just for Fun shop and cheek out their wonderful stamps, as well.  They have quite a selection… something for everyone!

Have a wonderful and creative week!!!

Barbara

Mixed Media Card - Day 7: 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party

Hello everyone.  So glad you stopped by today, because I want to share a mixed media Christmas card with you for Day 7 of the Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party.

I have been playing with my Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays, and I am loving them.  Here is what I made.

I had started with the 5"x7" pre-folded Kraft card that I had already gessoed and added color with Faded Jeans and Gathered Twigs Distress Inks.  I was not happy with the results, so I sat it aside for a few days.  

I thought it was a bit flat and needed some shimmer, so I pulled out my Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays and began misting away, first with Delphinium Turquoise, then California Poppy Gold.

Next, I applied light molding paste through the holly bough stencil in each corner.  You can see that the paste is picking up some of the color beneath it.  It will be covered with sprays, so I am not concerned.

Next, I stamped and heat embossed the Snowman with black pigment ink and silver embossing powder.

Then I used Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays in Lucky Shamrock Green and Ramblin' Rose Pink.  You can see the shimmer in the upper right corner where the light is hitting it.  Isn't it beautiful?

I wanted to make a snowy effect, so I added dots of Irresistible Wedding Dress texture spray by removing the spray and flicking the tube end onto the paper.  I used a white gel pen to give some highlights to the snow beneath the snowman.

I stamped and heat embossed the Snowman once again onto white card stock, coloring with my Copic markers, and fussy cutting.  This was pop-dotted over the first stamped image.

I also stamped and heat embossed the sentiment, this time with black embossing powder, and die cut it with the Frames 2 die.  To remove some of the brightness of the white, I added some Stormy Sky distress ink around the edges, also pop-dotting this.

I punched a snowflake from a scrap of white metallic card stock and adhered an acrylic bubble in the center.

Supplies:

Sin City Stamps:  Pam's Christmas Collection stamp set
5"x7" Kraft Card (pre-folded)
Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays: Delphinium Turquoise, California Poppy Gold, Lucky Shamrock Green, Ramblin' Rose Pink
Stormy Sky Distress Ink
Gesso, Light Molding Paste, Black Pigment Ink,
Quickutz Nesting Frames 2 dies
Tim Holtz Holly Bough Stencil
Copic Markers: R37,Y17, YG23, YG25, YG37, C1
Snowflake punch

Thank for stopping by, and I hope you are still enjoying the link up party.  Have a wonderful and creative day!

Barbara

Snowman Crossing - Day 6: Unruly Paper Arts Christmas Link Up Party

Hello everyone.  So glad you stopped by today, because I want to share another fast Christmas card with you for Day 6 of the Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party.

This is a simple A2 size card from blue card stock, then adhered a snowflake print paper slightly smaller than card base.

I used my Silhouette machine to cut the pine tress with snow banks, (green and white card stocks), and the lamp post from a glossy black card stock.

I added a tiny bit of Flower Soft at the top of the lamp post to simulate a Christmas wreath.  This was pop dotted for dimension.

The snowman was fussy cut from a piece of print paper that had snowmen all over it.  I cannot remember who makes it, though.  It was in my stash for quite a while.  This was also pop dotted with double dots for even more dimension.

"Snowman Crossing" was computer generated onto light blue card stock, punched out with an oval punch, and I embossed the bottom of the oval with white embossing powder to look like snow.

I hope you enjoyed my cute card today.  Be sure to stop by the party participants to see more inspiration, and join in, if you like.  We'd love to see what you've made.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend.

Barbara

Snowflake Card: Day 4: Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party

Hello everyone.  So glad you stopped by today, because I want to share another fast but elegant Christmas card with you for Day 4 of the Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party.

I would also like to enter this into the Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge #161 - 'Tis the Season.

Make 4-3/4" x 6" side folded card from cream sparkle card stock.

Die cut blue metallic card stock with Cathedral Lace Frame. Adhere to card front.

Die cut chipboard with snowflake, emboss with matching embossing folder.

Paint snowflake white, then lightly sponge on weathered wood.  Spread a very light coat of Crystal Stickles over all.  Let dry.

Adhere snowflake, flowers, and butterflies to card front.

Supplies:

Cheery Lynn die:  Cathedral Lace Frame
Sizzix/Tim Holtz die:  Layered Snowflake w/matching embossing folder
Card stock:  Blue metallic, cream sparkle
Chipboard
Distress Paints:  Snow Cap, Weathered Wood
Crystal Stickles glitter glue
Embellishments:  Roses (Kaisercraft)(Recollections); Butterflies (Recollections)

I hope you enjoyed my quick card today.  Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!

Barbara

Every Time a Bell Rings... Day 3: Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party

Hello everyone.  So glad you stopped by today, because I want to share another fast but elegant Christmas card with you for Day 3 of the Unruly Paper Arts 12 Days of Christmas Link Up Party.

Can you guess which movie I was thinking of when I made this card?  (Answer below)

This is an A2 size card from dark bronze metallic card stock.  The next layer is a piece of light pink metallic card stock that I embossed with a woodgrain embossing folder, die cutting the edge of it to match a second piece of die cut white metallic card stock.

After first die cutting the Florentine Bells from the white metallic card stock, I cut a second piece from gold metallic, cutting only the bells.  This was layered on top of the white, and adhered to the front.

I punched a snowflake from a scrap of the white metallic card and adhered.

I computer-generated the first part of the sentiment onto another scrap of the white card, which I punched into an oval shape to layer on top of the larger dark bronze metallic label.

I computer-generated the sentiment for the inside of the card.

A few extra embellishments were added to finish it off.

Supplies:  Pearlized Cardstock (Paper Studio); Snowflake Punch (Emagination Crafts);  Florentine Bells die (Tattered Lace); Scalloped Borders Two die (Spellbinders); Resin Flowers (Prima Vintage Trinkets); Fiskars corner edge punch; Vintage Label punch (McGill)

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to visit the Unruly Paper Arts Link Up Party, or link up your own project.

Answer:  It's a Wonderful Life (as if you didn't know)  (LOL)

Have a terrific day!

Barbara