Card Gallery #279

I promise you I'm not obsessed with Halloween. (Okay, maybe just a wee bit. Don't tell anyone.) But I had another scrap of the decorative paper from the treat box in the last entry and I hated for it to go to waste.





The second card is an interesting one (at least to me). I was inspired by book binding. I used extra strips of cardstock (the same I used for the base) to create a faux binding. It creates a natural offset for your decorative elements (in this case the glossy floral handcuts). The ribbon was a last minute addition--but the idea looks great with or without the ribbon. This is definitely a technique I want to experiment with more in the future.

Treat Boxes

This weekend, I felt the urge to experiment more with my Sizzix Matchbox Bigz XL Die (#114890, $42.95) that I purchased from Stampin' Up! With basically two diecut pieces of cardstock or other material, you can create wonderful multi-use boxes that are perfect for party favor, sweet treats, and small gifts. I worked with several types of cardstock and made versions of a baby shower treat box, a Thanksgiving prayer box, and the Halloween treat box pictured below.

I chose a rust colored textured cardstock to make the box out of. The tray insert portion actually requires no adhesive to put together (though you can add it for extra security). The sleeve portion of the box takes a small strip of sticky strip tape to construct. The diecut medallion on the top of the box is but one of the three choices you have to cut out with this Bigz XL die. I used a 2" strip of decorative paper with a Halloween theme to create the box band. Finally, the decorative topper--a whimsical jack o' lantern--is part of a new Stampin' Up! set called 'Pumpkin Patch' (#116499, $22.95) that was introduced in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog (see sidebar). I chose to fill my treat box with some lusciously juicy Sunkist Tangerine Jelly Belly beans. Trust me, the box contents were not long for this world.







May whatever treats you find stuffed in your inbox today be sweet and juicy! More importantly, smile and keep crafting...

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

Yesterday, the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog went live. You can now order items from this lovely 39 page mini-catalog via my Stampin' Up business website (clink link in the sidebar) or from your favorite Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. The catalog has a great array of holiday (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas) themed stamp sets, embellishments, gift ideas, and projects. It also features the introduction of a new line of Build-A-Bear Workshop themed items. Finally, there is the introduction of the forthcoming jewelry line and a software suite called 'My Digital Studio'.

Today's card project features many items that you'll be able to find and purchase from the 2009-2010 Holiday Mini Catalog. This project uses Stampin' Up! Riding Hood Red cardstock (now retired) and decorative paper from the 'Merry Moments' DSP pack. The red cardstock is cut to 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and scored at 4 1/4". The decorative paper mat is cut at 4" x 4 1/2".



Using Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock and the new stamp set 'Delightful Decorations' (#116517, $21.95; p. 24) and the coordinating 'Ornament Punch' (#116794, $15.95; p. 25), I created my decorative elements using Stampin' Pads in Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, and Bermuda Bay. I chose three of the holiday ornament stamps and onced stamped, cut them out using the coordinating punch.



Once my ornaments were stamped and cut, I decided to use some Stampin' Up! Gold Elastic Cording (#109867, $4.95; p. 27) to tie a bow around the stem of each ornament for a bit more sparkle and visual interest.



I thought the ornaments looked right at home on this sheet of Designer Series Paper with green pine boughs scattered throughout. This paper is found in the 'Merry Moments' collection in the 2009-2010 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog (#115672, $9.95; p. 160).



The decorative paper and ornaments called out for a traditional holiday color--red. So, I chose to go with a piece of the unfortunately retired Riding Hood Red cardstock (from last season's In Colors selections).



Using the Stampin' Up Tag Corner Punch (#107215, $6.95; p. 186), I contoured all four corners of both my base cardstock and Designer Series Paper mat. I then attached the mat with Stampin' Up! SNAIL Adhesive. The ornament pieces were attached with Stampin' Up! Stamping Dimensionals to give the card some depth and a focus on the ornaments. Finally, I decided to use a sentiment from another new stamp set entitled 'Four The Holidays' (#116921, $13.95; p. 19).



The sentiment was stamped with Basic Black ink and the card was complete.




Though the Christmas holiday season is yet a few months away, now is the time to be thinking about what design and format your holiday cards will take. If you've never made your own holiday cards, now's the perfect time to look at some of the marvelous ideas Stampin' Up! offers and get your feet wet and your brain oozing creativity. Some of the best gifts and rememberances are the ones that come from the heart--and from the hands.

I'm going to be hoping for snow this year(yet, again!) and wishing you all a very creative Wednesday! Keep Crafting...

Happy Harvest

I have a confession to make. I've recently become totally enamored of a Stampin' Up! cardstock color that often gets short shrift--Kraft. You can purchase a forty (40) count package of 8 1/2" x 11" 80lb. weight cardstock for $ 7.50 (#102125). Many people accuse the color of Kraft paper as being bland and boring. But with Summer dying its slow death, Autumn is right around the corner...and Kraft is the perfect color either as a main focus or accent to your projects. There's something about Stampin' Up! Kraft cardstock that is at once vintage and freshly modern. Another interesting thing about the Kraft cardstock is how wonderfully in coordinates and compliments the currently line of fabulously popular In Colors selections. Try pairing up some Kraft cardstock with Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Rich Razzleberry, or Crushed Curry. I think you'll be surprised at the palette it opens up for your imagination and creativity.

I just finished making a set of card fronts for a Stampin' Up! swap I participated in and I used the combination of Kraft cardstock, Soft Suede cardstock, Soft Suede ink and a new stamp set that will be debuting tomorrow (09.01.09--which is the official launch of the new 2009-2010 Holiday Mini Catalog from Stampin' Up!). The results (if I may say so myself) were striking. (I will share the project with you once my swap happens; Oh, and I'd be remiss if I didn't give the Philly Inkers a shout-out!)

Over the weekend, I tackled several more card projects using Kraft cardstock. The one I'll be sharing with you today is Autumnal in theme. I used a piece of 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" Kraft cardstock scored at 4 1/4" as my card base. I used a Martha Stewart corner rounder punch to lop off the four couners. The decorative mat paper is from 7 Gypsies. It is a slightly lighter shade of Kraft color base and has a very muted cranberry polka dot pattern to it. I thought the contrast in tones was intriguing. I rounded the corners of my decorative paper and then used a tea stain along the edges to draw the eye in. A strip of Stampin' Up! Close To Cocoa cardstock cut at 1 1/2" x 4" serves as a horizontal break in the design.

Using Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock to stamp my images and the Papertrey Ink stamp set entitled "Vintage Picnic", I used Tsukineko Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black to stamp my images. The basket and pumpkins were then hand-colored with Copic Sketch Markers. The sentiment was stamped on Whisper White and them punched out using the Stampin' Up! Modern Label Punch (#116630, $ 15.95). I then used a chamomille and chai blend tea dye to "age" the sentiment label and ink its edges. I adhered all of my elements with Stampin' Up! Two-Way Glue Pen and added a faux stitched accent with my Uniball Signo 1.0mm White Gel Pen.

I really love this particular Papertrey Ink stamp set--it is very versatile. I also like this project because it shows that you can mix-and-match your scraps and come up with a cohesive project. It's no secret I love using Stampin' Up! products. But, I love many different companies and lines and often mix products in projects and designs. Don't box yourself in to thinking that you need to be "matchy--matchy" in your crafting. Papers, stamps, ribbons, and embellishments from a host of different manufacturers often create stunning synergy.

So here's a look at the finished card. Whatever you are harvesting today, may you do it with a smile on your face and love in your heart. Keep Crafting!

O Christmas Tree Pop-Up

Today I turn 44. So, I thought I'd share a sneak peak of something I bought as one of those "present(s)-to-myself". This exclusive Stampin' Up! Sizzix Bigz XL die will be available in the upcoming Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini-Catalog, which will be active from September 1, 2009 through January 4, 2010. The die is called "O Christmas Tree Pop-Up" (#116822) and will retail for $42.95. This Bigz XL die and a complementary ornament Sizzlits die were designed by artist Karen Burniston.

I used some Bazzill Bling cardstock and my Cuttlebug to cut out the pieces for my tree assembly. To create this pop-up, you will need one (1) cut of each of the largest tree shapes, four (4) of the smaller tree silhouettes, four (4) of the triangular tree pieces, and one (1) of the base piece (which attaches your tree pop-up to your card base if you choose to use it in a card fashion). Of course, this Bigz XL die is highly versatile for use in home decor, holiday decorations and other Christmas projects. Here are the cuts used in this project:



The assembly of the actual Christmas tree pop-up is relatively easily and I highly recommend reading the enclosed instruction sheet with the die before you begin. After a bit of awkwardness the first time, it becomes a logical process. Amazingly, the assembly of the tree does not require any adhesive or other fasteners. It is comepletely built on a tab and slot construction.

Here are a few shots of the construction portion of the project:








Once you have your basic pop-up tree constructed, the real fun begins: trimming your tree. As I mentioned, there will be a Sizzix Sizzlits die that will cut a star tree topper and various shaped ornaments in the Stampin' Up! Holiday-Mini catalog. (You'll have to wait to see that! I can't just spill everything...). For this tree, I thought it might be fun to use some of my Basic Grey Bling jewels to decorate my tree. Using various colors and shapes of stones, this is what I ended up with:






The fact that I used so many three-dimensional rhinestones as decorations does not make this pop-up tree the ideal candidate for a card. But, I did it anyway so that you can see the possibilities. The one little odd piece from the original cuts is all that is required to attach the tree to a card. Here, you will need a bit of adhesive. I have to admit that I'm absolutely intrigued by the engineering behind this pop-up mechanism. It's quite brilliant.






This is but one of the new and brilliant ideas and products coming in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini 2009-2010 catalog. The stamps are adorable and the accessories are all MUST HAVES. (Trust me, if you saw my preview order you'd understand!) Over the next couple of weeks, I'll continue to give you a few sneak peaks of things coming down the pike in Santa's Big Bag of Surprises. Until then, Keep Crafting!

Candy Corn Explosion

I came upon this lovely sheet of candy corn paper from a Die Cuts With A View Fall Stack from last year. It inspired me to play with a couple of Martha Stewart punches and create a couple of Halloween themed cards.

I have to say that I am completely in LOVE with the new Martha Stewart Punch Around The Page punch sets. Additionally, the new wing-edged punches are a dream when it comes to folding them up and conserving on storage space. I recently purchased the Spider Web punch set and finally found a source to order my Loopy Border set. I even re-purchased the Drippy Goo punch just to get the wing-edged version.

Both cards are A2 size and the card base is Bazzill textured cardstock in Raven. The first card features a Drippy Goo border on the decorative mat. The stamped skull image is from the new Stampin' Up! Halloween set entitled "From The Crypt" (#115460, $22.95). It was stamped on Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock (#100730, $7.50 for 40 sheets) with a Classic Stampin' Pad in Only Orange (#102696, $5.95). The sentiment is from the Stampin' Up! set "Teeny Tiny Wishes" (#115370, $36.95). The card is accented with a Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pen in Orange.




The second card showcases the same decorative DCWV paper. I cut a piece at 3 1/4" x 5" and used both the Martha Stewart Wing Edger Spider Web punch and the Corner Spider Web punch to create the all-around border. To highlight the web cuts, I adhered the decorative paper to a piece of Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock cut at the same size. I used the Stampin' Up! Ticket Corner Punch (#107214, $6.95) on the four corners as an accent.

Medallion

I guess it is rather gauche to say, but I really love this card. There's just something about the combination of colors and textures that makes me happy.

The centerpiece of the card is one of the new stamps from the 2009-2010 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog called "Medallion" (#115223, $17.95). It's a very large damask-inspired background stamp that is very Parisian in feel and style. Because the image is so large, you can really be creative with it--making it a subtle element or a focal point of a card, scrapbook page, or home decor project.

The base of this card is a piece of 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" Stampin' Up! cardstock in Night of Navy, scored at 4 1/4". The mat of Papertrey Ink's Stamper's Select White cardstock is cut at 4" x 5". The Medallion image was stamped in two parts. First, the offset image was stamped on the card mat with Tsukineko Memento Ink in Blue Danube. Then, I restamped the image in Tsukineko Memento Bahama Blue and cut out only the center circle portion and adhered it to the card mat image. The button is from Papertrey Ink's Enchanted Evening Collection and was sewn on the cardstock with their Rustic Jute Button Twine. The card mat was then sponged on the edges with Tsukineko Memento Bahama Blue and adhered to the card base. A diecut journaling block was added to the card interior as the cardstock was so deep in color. The finished piece has a charming couture charm to it (if I may so myself).