A Die-cut Christmas

Howdy folks!  It’s been a long while since I posted last.  Too many challenges with health and well-being, along with the great planning and excitement of my oldest son’s graduation from college! 🙂  I can’t tell you enough about how proud I am of his accomplishments!  He has a job lined up – 2 days after graduation – and starts in January 2015.

Since I have a bunch of pictures of the cards I made for this Christmas – I will list supplies for all of them at the end of this post.  I tried to remember everything I used, but I may have missed something – so if you have any questions, please leave me a comment, and I will try to address it as soon as I can.

While I own more stamps than any one woman should have, I also am in the same predicament with steel dies.  I love, love, love them!  The front of all the cards were done solely with dies – with the exception of one card.  All of the insides of the cards, however, do have stamped sentiments (from Penny Black’s Christmas Cheer stamp set).

Without further ado ….

I used really pretty shimmer cardstock and the pictures do not do them justice!  Even the shimmer from the Zig’s Wink of Stella pen does not show well in these pictures.  I guess I need to invest in a better camera – these are taken from a little digital camera — any recommendations?  I hear the DSLR cameras are great.   Any thoughts about the  Canon EOS Rebel T5 DSLR?  I noticed the reviews on Amazon are great (and the prices for the camera and accessories packages are dropping).

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and pray for better health and happiness for the rest of this year and in 2015!  Don’t be a stranger! 🙂

Hugs,

Stephanie

Supply List

Stamps

Penny Black’s Christmas Cheer

Waltzingmousestamps.com Seasonal Flourish

Dies 

Memory Box Frosted Christmas Tree

Memory Box “Bells Are Ringing” (98683)

Memory Box Pine Needle Border (98467)

Memory Box Cosmic Star Set (98464)

Memory Box Holly Vine (98188)

Memory Box Grand Merry Christmas (98680)

Memory Box Gabriella Border (98649)

My Favorite Things’s Dienamics “MERRY” Photo Frame (mftstamps.com)

Savvy Dies “JOY”

Impression Obsession’s Small Snowlakes (iostamps.com DIE100-F)

Marianne Creatables Pine Branch (LR-0181)

Cottage Cutz Winter Pine Branch (CCE-045)

Lil’ Inker Designs Stitched Snowflakes (lilinkerdesigns.com)

Cheery Lynn Designs “Bows and Bells” (cheerylynndesigns.com DL163)

Dee’s Distinctively Christmas Tree #3

Simon Says Stamp “Merry Christmas” Die

Simon Says Stamp Falling Stars Die Plate

Craft Dies by Sue Wilson “Holly Accessory Kit” (CED3014)

Papertrey Ink’s One Liners Die Collection (papertreyink.com)

Spellbinders Ovals

Spellbinders Matting Sets A & B

Embossing Folders 

Stampin’ Up Textured Impressions Square Lattice

Anna Griffin Swedish Bells

Embossalicious Die’sire “Let It Snow”

Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Sheet Music A2

Darice Basketweave

Paper – Bases

Paperandmore.com Wood Grain Lumba White 111# (Best woodgrain paper out there IMHO)

Paperandmore.com Pine Linen Cardstock 80#

Paperandmore.com Cherry Red Cardstock 100#

Papertreyink.com Shimmer Paper – Cream, White, Scarlet, Raspberry

Paper – Accents 

Paperandmore.com Pearl Metallic 107# (5×7)

Paperandmore.com Gold Metallic 105# (5×7)

Paperandmore.com Crimson Red Metallic 105# (5×7)

Paperandmore.com Fairway Green Metallic 105# (5×7)

Bo Bunny Mistletoe  (6×6)

DCWV Burlap Mat Stack

DCWV Glitter Cardstock (6×6)

Lawn Fawn Peace, Love, Joy (6×6)

Fancy Pants “Oh, Deer” (6×6)

Carta Bella “So This Is Christmas” (6×6)

Crate Paper “Bundled up” (6×6)

Other 

Aluminum Tape

Ranger’s Tim Holtz Distress Inks – Mowed Lawn, Barn Door

Marvy Uchida Liquid Applique

Bling and pearls from stash

Various ribbons from Papermart.com

Versamark

Ranger Super Fine Detail Embossing Powder (sentiments inside some cards)

Memento Luxe Northern Pine Pigment Ink (inside some cards)

Ranger Liquid Pearls – Buttercup  (for some reason, it went  on great, but by next day -everything was a blob!

End of  Supplies

OCC Summer Camp 2 – Week 2, Day 1, Sketch 3

I gave the 3rd sketch a try; also incorporating the  watercolor technique from Kristina’s video. The three Distress Inks I used were Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn and Salty Ocean.  I used Zing! Chestnut embossing powder for the “brown” in the color palette.

Since the Lil’ Inkers Stitched Circle mat dies were still out on my table, I used them to die cut the bristol paper which had been colored with the Distress Inks watercolor wash. I used a smaller and larger Spellbinders circle die to create the inner blue frame around the sentiment.  The sentiment is from CAS-UAL Fridays Breathe Stamp set.

The solid circles were popped up with dimensional foam tape. The open circles were taped down to the card front.  I love these colors together! 🙂

Hugs!

OCC Summer Camp 2 – Week 2, Day 1, Sketch 1

Hi all! I’m baaaaaaaccckkk! lol I’m caught up with the homework! Yee haw! (that’s the okie coming out in me!)

Our color scheme for this week is cream, brown, blue and 2 variations of green.  I have to admit, this is not a color combination that I would have picked out  myself – so it is definitely a challenge.  This is a great color combination, in my opinion, for male cards.   Here is my homework, using the 1st sketch, which Kristina so fabulously demonstrated in class –

Products used:

• Stamps: Hero Arts Star Wreath (CL555), Technique Tuesday Awesome stamp set
• Papers: Gina K. Designs Christmas Pine (card base), The Linen Door 4.5″ x 6.5″ paper pad (second layer), Grafix Vellum in Surf (3rd layer), Grafix Vellum in Clear (sentiment)
• Punches & Dies: Lil’ Inker Designs Stitched Circle mats, My Favorite Things Dienamics Blueprints 1 (stitched label die)
•  Inks/Color Mediums: Versamark
• Embossing Powders: Adirondack Bottle, Zing! Chestnut
• Other: Hemptique hemp cord – brown

OCC Summer Camp 2 – Week 1, Day 4

Hello again!  The assignment for today was to create a card in 10 minutes or less!  At first, I thought “how am I going to incorporate 4 out of the 5 colors into a card in under 10 minutes?”!  Then, I had an epiphany – I probably had something in my stash of craft supplies that had at least 4 of those colors in it.  So, I dug through papers – no luck!  Then, it struck me – my stash of washi tape!  Wa la! Problem solved!   This is what I did to get my card made in  9:55 … close, I know…

•      Cover a 5″ x 7″ sheet of paper with washi tape
•      Die cut with the 4 smallest circle dies in the Lil’ Inkers Stitched Circles set (using washi covered paper)
•      Die cut, again, with the 3 smallest circles (using rest of washi covered paper)
•      Die cut the 2nd smallest circle out of white cardstock
•      Dry emboss the front of the card with Darice Argyle embossing folder
•      Stamp sentiment (Paper Smooches Healthy Vibes set)
•      Assemble

Didn’t think I could do it, but once I figure out the design and got everything ready – it went pretty quick! Woohoo!  Oh, guess you want to see the card now, huh?

The washi tape is pretty reflective. It really makes for a pretty card!

I am dedicating this card to my friend Margie’s husband, Jim.  He gave us quite a scare today and is in the hospital.  Hugs!

OCC Summer Camp 2 – Week 1, Day 2

Today in class, we covered three more techniques – (some you may already be familiar with if you have been stamping a long time) – including making watercolor stripes with Faber-Castell gelatos and stamps, multi-inking with masking, and stamping over painted images.

The technique I chose to do on my card today was demonstrated by the fabulous  Shari Carroll – who demonstrated the making of watercolor stripes with rubber stamps and gelatos – this is a new twist on an old technique for me (I had already done the other techniques in the past), so I was excited to give it a try!

I performed the technique on bristol paper.  Since I wanted the lines to be full of color on both ends (and not taper off), I pulled the stamp across the paper starting on each end (if that makes sense!)  I die cut the finished piece with one of the Lil’ Inker Designs Stitched rectangle dies.

Since I had the other half of the sheet of Gina K. Blue Raspberry cardstock sitting on my desk from yesterday’s homework, I used it as the cardbase.  Again, I used the largest of the Lil’ Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles just to dry emboss the edge of the the front panel.  The sentiment and little “flying” chick are stamps from Stamps by Judith and Heather. (The “flying” chick used to be a standing chick, but I cut off his legs by accident when fussy cutting – though I have to say I like to see him flying! lol)

I did use the 3rd sketch from class as well as the color pallete.  Just have to say that I’m LOVING this color palette!

Here is my homework for today! 🙂

I hope everyone else is having as much fun as I am in class, and I can’t wait to see what everyone creates!

Hugs!

OCC Summer Camp 2 – Week 1 Day 1

Today is the official start of Summer Camp 2 at onlinecardclasses.com! Wooohoo!  I find that attending classes, such as this one, force me to think outside the box and inspire me to sit down and get creating- especially when there is HOMEWORK!  Today’s lesson combines using a specific color palette with the option of using one of three sketches.

I chose the second sketch – putting my own personal spin on it! Instead of using different colored strips of cardstock, as demonstrated by Kristina in class, I decided to go with a piece of designer paper that has stripes of chevrons in varying colors – including the colors in this week’s color palette. Here is my card –

The card base is Gina K.’s Pure Luxury cardstock in Blue Raspberry.  Both the orange and yellow frames were cut from DCWV cardstock  with Lil’ Inker Designs Stitched Circles and Stitched Rectangle dies.  I just love these dies!  The small rectangle was also cut with a die from the set -using chevron paper from Basic Grey’s Kneehigh 6×6 paper pad.  The “you” die cut with a die from Cheery Lynn Designs. The sentiments on the chevron rectangle were stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with Super Fine Detail Embossing Powder from Ranger.  The sentiments are from Simon Says Stamps “BE” clear stamp set.  The texture on the cardbase and the white circle were made with Papertrey Ink’s Linen Impression Plate.

It’s not too late to sign up and join in the fun! Take care all! Hugs!

Moxie Fab’s Tuesday Trigger: Scene in Tangerine Challenge

I was SO inspired by the colors in this weeks Moxie Fab’s Tuesday Trigger: Scene in Tangerine challenge!  Love this color combination! Cath has done it again – giving us another wonderful color challenge! 🙂   Just click on the following image for all the details and join in!  The more the merrier!

Here’s my card –

I had tons of fun making this card!  Items used in the card include Paper Smooches “Believe in the Magic” sentiment from their Joyful Greetings set (on the inside, I wrote “… of you” — so it’s Believe in the Magic of You! – cute, huh?)

The striped background was made by using Memento Markers which I colored directly onto Impressions Obsessions’s  C-A-C Thick and Thin striped background, misted with water, then pressed a piece of  Neenah Solar White Super Smooth cardstock.  Papertrey Ink’s Rick Rack border die was used on green, yellow and orange Bazzill cardstock.  I ran the rick rack pieces through my Vagabond in a Sizzix dots embossing folder.

The yellow and white squares were textured with Papertrey Ink’s Canvas Impression plate, and then, run back through the Vagabond with Lil’ Inker’s Stitched Square Mats dies.  The little banners (used with orange striped brads) are die cuts made with a dies from My Favorite Things Die-namics Blueprints One set.  They are also moveable!

The card is an A2 sized card.  It’s such a bright and cheerful card. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Please leave your comments – I love hearing from everyone and anyone! Hope you all are staying cool.  Here in Oklahoma, we had a cool front come through, and it’s beautiful outside!

Take care! Hugs!