Hang Your Stocking

Here's a card that just uses the Christmas Stockings Thinlits. The detail on the stockings is just beautiful and the Noel strip makes the perfect place for hanging them. Judy had us save a few of the little swirls from the curly-cue stocking to use as hangers. That way we only had to do one pass through the Big Shot. Clever! She also had us save the snowflake from that stocking and adhere it inside the card in the lower right corner. Sweet touch!

This card uses several new this year products. The expression is from the Hang Your Stocking stamp set. We added a rhinestone to the graphic below the words. The washi tape to decorate that square comes with the Warmth and Cheer pack. The white card stock was embellished using the Big Shot and the new Holly embossing folder from the annual catalog.
This layout could be used for a lot of different cards and occasions.

Candy Cane Lane Suite

Another card Judy had for us to make used some of the products from the Candy Cane Lane suite in the new Holiday catalog. The diagonal patterned stripes are three of the designs in the Candy Cane Lane Designer Washi Tape pack. Just love how quick you can step up a card using washi tape! The gingerbread houses are from a sheet of the Candy Cane Lane Designer Series Paper pack. Really cute papers in this stack of 12; 2 each of six double-sided designs. It was a bit of fussy cutting to cut out the houses. Judy's sample didn't have the two candy canes on the sides of the smaller houses, but I decided to see if I could cut around them without messing up. I did it! My friend, Karen decided to just cut around the houses leaving a little of the Crumb Cake background color around them. And to be honest her card was just a cute.
The thing you can't see in this photo is how we used the Wink of Stella clear brush to add clitter to the snow on the roofs and chimneys. Sparkle! The expression comes from the Embellished Ornaments stamp set in the annual catalog.

Cards Inspired by Dad's Dad Favors

I made 60 of these Ghiradlli favors for the men in our churches to celebrate Father's Day. We had some special guests at church presenting a musical that morning and I wound up giving them to the guests, too. But, I still came home with 5 left over and so I made the cards like the one below. (And the best part I got to eat the chocolate!)

Hershey Nugget Treat Holder & Ghiradelli Treat Holder

 I didn't get a chance to post the Nugget Treat Holder yesterday so I'll post two little gifts today.
The top two photos show the Hershey's Nugget Treat Holder. I used a piece of cardstock cut a scant 2" x 7", scorec at 3" and 4".   You also will need a piece of Designer Series Paper cut 1-1/2" x 6-1/4", scored at 2, 3, 5 and 6 inch marks.
I used the Scallop Tag Topper punch on each edge of the card stock. This gives you a decorative edge and the hole for tying close.
Wrap the DSP around the scored and folded cardstock base to make the holder. Add three Hershey Nuggets or other wrapped candies and then add crochet ribbon and twine to close.
I also used the Bow Builder punch to make the bow for the front. CASE:  Dawn Griffith

This little Ghiradelli Holder goes together so quickly with Washi tape and a punched image. Start with a scant 2" x 5-1/2" piece of card stock, scored at 2-5/8" and 2-7/8". Punch each end using the Scallop Tag Topper punch. Decorate front with Washi tape and Punched star topped off with rhinestone. Fold card stock, insert Ghiradelli square and tie shut with twine. It's that easy! CASE: Mary Fish

Oh, Happy Day

I didn't have any of the same elements in the card I CASEd so, just used the layout and made this card. I like the way all the pieces came together.

Still CASEing the Magazine

As you can see the May/June '15 issue of Stampin' Success really inspired me. These two cards use the same layout but totally different elements for totally different looks. The top card uses the Ornate Topper punch to give the white card stock a fancy edge. In the lower photo I cut the Pacific Point card stock using my retired Two Tags die with my Big Shot.

Love Washi Tape

Another card CASE from the May/June '15 Stampin' Success. It was so quick and easy to make the background with Washi Tape. I used the "kiss" technique to make the pattern heart. Stamp on a solid image with the color of ink of your choice (I used Whisper White) and then press that wet stamp onto a dry patterned stamp. Then stamp onto your card stock. The smaller heart is just a piece of card stock punched and then covered with one of the epoxy heart stickers.

CASEing the May/June '15 Stampin' Success

I love getting my issue of Stampin' Success, the magazine for Stampin' Up! demonstrators. There are always ideas for using their products and wonderful layouts. The May/June '15 issue had so many great layouts I challenged myself to CASE them.
Here's a card that uses one of the samples. Instead of heat embossing I the leaf layer I decided to use some of the Irresistibly Yours Specialty Paper and sponged it with Soft Suede ink. Then I sponged the edge of my Crumb Cake card base, too. The sentiment comes from the Trust God stamp set. And the stripe under the Lost Lagoon card stock is a piece of Washi Tape. Add a little linen thread and Whisper White ink pad and you have all the elements for making this card.

More to Celebrate!

I'm celebrating this layout my niece led me to! It's a great way to use up scraps of Designer Series Paper as in the top photo. Then I thought, "What about using Washi Tape?" (second photo) and lastly I combined the two, DSP scraps and Washi Tape.

Do you notice the oval with the image in the bottom photo? Here's the story on it: I had all the DSP and Washi Tape adhered and noticed a faint black line running vertically in the bare white space right where I wanted to stamp the sentiment. Does this ever happen to you? I used to just scream and start over. But now I think, "How can I cover it up?"  Many times you can distress card in some way like sponge it or use a stamp set like Gorgeous Grunge. I really didn't think these patterns looked like distress images so I punched an oval, stamped it and then added the flower to cover up the last little bit of streak. The recipient will never know. (Unless, they read this blog!)

The final cards for this week also use the Mingle All The Way stamp set (135773 c, 135770 w). I stamped the Wishing You Holiday Cheer... twice so that I could fussy cut the "cheer" banner and popped it up with a dimensional. The expression is cut out using the Chalk Talk Framelits (129983).

Both cards are a CASE from projects in the Holiday catalog. I changed the color combo for the cheer card by using Baked Brown Sugar, Watercolor Wonder Designer Washi Tape (133000) and Champagne Glimmer Paper (127885). The stars are from the 2013-2015 In Color Sequin Assortment (133631). The background is made by stamping the expression multiple times using Baked Brown Sugar ink.

In the lower card I made the gift tag shown in the Holiday catalog and mounted it on All Is Calm Specialty Designer Series Paper (135823) and Lost Lagoon card stock . I had to improvise using the supplies I have to make the tag. So, I stamped the imagine; colored it with Soft Sky, Lost Lagoon, Pear Pizzazz and Strawberry Slush markers. Then I added a band of Pear Pizzazz card stock to the bottom and ran it through the Big Shot using the Banners Framelits (132173). After that I used Fringe Scissors (133325) to cut the Pear Pizzazz card stock. Then layered a strip of All Is Calm Designer Washi Tape (135844) along the fringed card stock. The banner is adhered with some adhesive on the back and a torn piece of the same washi tape along the top.