Seasonal Bells Bundle

This Seasonal Bells bundle in the Holiday catalog is one I needed even notice the first time through. There are so many great things in this little catalog. The bundle consists of the Bell Punch and the Seasonal Bells stamp set. The stamp set also has expressions that can be used for wedding cards. The musical designer series paper comes from the This Christmas Specialty Designer Series Pack in the annual catalog. The Kraft Rope Trim in available in the Holiday catalog. Wouldn't it be fun to use on masculine cards!

Cable Knit Dynamic Embossing Folder

Stampin' Up! is introducing the newest type of textured embossing folders. Dynamic Textured Impressions from Sissix. Oh, my you have to see this in person. The folder is thicker than the regular embossing folders so that you get different degrees of depth. In this folder the cable sticks up from the card more than the rows in between. Since the folder is thicker you eliminate one of the acrylic plates when you make the Big Shot sandwich. The company also suggest to spritz your card stock lightly with water before running it through so it doesn't break down the fibers. We didn't do that and it worked fine. I've heard from another demonstrator that they also found that wasn't necessary. It may depend on the pressure of your particular Big Shot. Or maybe it's another example of the great quality of product SU! sells.
The Sweet Sugarplum ribbon is from the 3/8" Glitter Ribbon Combo Pack (silver being the other color included). This ribbon would also look great on valentines. The expression and holly and berries were stamped using the Hang Your Stocking stamp set.
I told Judy I would never have imagined putting Cherry Cobbler and Sweet Sugarplum together but it works! This color combo would also be pretty with valentines.
I hope SU! will be introducing more of these Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folders.

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.

Stamping Open House with Judy

 On Saturday, I attended another of Judy Vogelsang's Stamping Open House events. Judy is a local Stampin' Up! demonstrator who does this once a month and has graciously invited me to join in even though I don't order from her, since I can get the products myself. But she does know I will peruse and usually find some supplies on her retired clearance rack in her studio. I love the chance to pick up things I use at a good price or get something that I regret not ordering.
Anyhow, this is the 10 cards we made this month. Usually we only make five and it just takes a few hours to make them. This month she hosted a special Christmas Open House where we made 10 cards, she served a little buffet lunch.
This was such a fun day for me with my friend Karen along. Karen is a beginning stamper.
Another part of the fun was using so many items in the new Holiday catalog. Judy really had a lot to show us. Fun!
But first I'll showcase the card using the Joyful Nativity from the annual catalog. It's simple but elegant card.

Just some stamping which is super easy since the set is photopolymer and lining things up is a snap! Then add a rhinestone to the star and some gold thread at the bottom and you're done. Looks like I need to tame my gold thread with a rolled up glue dot!

The second card I'll share today uses the Banners for Christmas stamp set from the Holiday catalog.
It's another quick card that just makes me think, "Warmth and Cheer."  That's the name of the Designer Series Paper Stack used on this card. This is a stack of 48 six by six sheets of DSP and each one just exudes warmth and cheer.  The Merry Christmas expression is wavy because it is meant to fit inside one of the Bunch of Banner framelits. Since this is photopolymer set I could have placed the stamps on the block to make it straight but decided I liked the curvy look.

We colored in the berries using a Cherry Cobbler marker and then added a piece of the new 5/8" Burlap Ribbon from the annual catalog with a mini glue dot. Feels like home, doesn't it?

Triple Pane

Washi Tape Seams