Good Morning Fellow Stampers -
Happy Monday to you all -- and Happy Thanksgiving Week. Hard to believe, really! How quickly this Fall has gone by; and most of the months of our beautiful Holiday Occasions catalog. We now know what will be retiring from that catalog, and we have begun our annual Online Extravaganza sale. Before we know it, you will be seeing the beautiful new 2016 Spring Occasions catalog for the first time, and we'll be getting ready to kick off Sale-a-Bration! So much coming, so much fun and excitement. I've already seen the new catalog, and it is truly beautiful!
In the meantime, we still have Christmas looming ahead of us; for which I need to get an awful lot done yet! Eeeeeek! Today is Paper Players [PP272] challenge time. I've created a lovely Christmas design today, with lots of gold and bling. 😉 Let's check out today's sketch challenge and design!
Doggone Delightful Stampin' Design Tips:
- Layerothology. This card base is cut from Crumb Cake card stock, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4". This is a standard A2 card.
Technique Tip: Always use a scoring tool to make lines. Don’t just fold by hand. This often results in buckling and wrinkling of the cardstock, depending on its “weight”. A great card deserves a great foundation on which to build. Also, use a Bone Folder to create a crisp edge on all of your folds. But be careful…too much pressure can lead to unsightly “cracked” edges.
Technique Tip: Did you know that there is a right and wrong side to your scored card base? The “bump” formed by the scoring tool goes toward the inside of your card. You’ll notice when you fold inward so the score bump is inside that you get a perfect professional-looking fold and card every single time!
I have created a background matted layer which consists of Cherry Cobbler measuring 5 1/8" x 3 7/8", overlaid with a piece of Winter Wonderland Designer Vellum measuring the same. This back-matted with a piece of Gold Foil measuring 5 1/4" x 4", just enough for a peek of gold around the edges. Hint: I have used a glue dot in each corner to attach the vellum to the cardstock; I then covered these spots with pearls so that you have no hint of adhesive showing through the vellum. This is an easy way to conceal adhesive showing through vellum cardstock.
- Perfect Pines. My little "tag" focal point is created using the Perfect Pines framelits dies. How fun and easy! I cut three trees; one from Crumb Cake, one from Cherry Cobbler, and one from a piece of designer series paper from the Home for Christmas DSP. I sponged the edges of each of the trees with Crumb Cake ink, and then finished off the top tree with a Gold glittered edge, using Crystal Effects sponged around the edges and then layering on the glitter, letting it lay where it wanted. The three trees are adhered together with SNAIL, offset from on to the next. Then I embellished with Gold Sequin Trim, Pearls, and layered from the back side with Gold Metallic thread, before the piece was popped with dimensionals on the card front. The final detail is a "hand dyed" Cherry Cobbler seam binding double bow, created by mixing Cherry Cobbler re-inker with 70% rubbing alcohol in a Stampin' Spritzer, and then spritzing a piece of Whisper White 1/2" Seam Binding ribbon. One note here: Dying tends to come out lighter than your cardstock or even stamping color. Be prepared by that and not surprised. I did put approximately 30 drops of re-inker in my spritzer, and let the ribbon soak for awhile after being thoroughly sprayed. The bow is attached with glue dots at the top of the tree trio, over the Gold Sequins. Wouldn't this piece lovely a gift box this Christmas??
- Cozy Christmas Wishes. A lovely banner of "Christmas Wishes" was created using a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock cut 1 1/2" x 3 1/2", and gently trimmed on the edge with the Triple Banner Punch (this means, watching from the bottom of the punch, just putting in enough of the end of the cardstock to get the banner trim -- don't put the piece all the way into the punch!). The sentiment, from the Cozy Christmas stamp set, is stamped with Versamark, and embossed with Gold embossing powder. The piece is backed with a Gold Foil banner just peaking from the end, and the entire piece is popped with dimensionals. Pearls are the finishing touch to this piece!
- Turn to the Inside. I used a lovely sentiment from the Versatile Christmas stamp set on the inside of the card, stamped in Cherry Cobbler. I accented the sentiment with the beautiful little bells from Cozy Christmas stamped in Encore Gold Metallic ink (retired). A strip of Gold Foil runs down the right-hand side for an added accent. Very classy and elegant.
I hope you have enjoyed today's Christmas card design. Several items used in today's design will be retiring as of January 4th, including the Cozy Christmas and Versatile Christmas stamp sets, and the Winter Wonderland Designer Vellum stack and Home for Christmas DSP. Don't miss out on these fabulous products -- order yours today before supplies are gone!
We have officially kicked off Day One of the Online Extravaganza today -- and today is a special day with the First 24-Hour Flash Sale -- Today is our Buy 3 / Get 1 Free Designer Series Paper sale. Be sure to note that this encompasses DSP in the Annual Catalog Only, not in our Holiday Occasions Catalog. Stock up Today!! This is a great way to kick off the new year with your inventory nice and full and ready for Spring card making!! We also have this past June's Paper Pumpkin kit, Happy Thoughts, at 50% off today (this is the entire kit!), and both the Gift Box Punch Board AND Envelope Punch Board at 30% off today only! What a fabulous deal!! These are two of my favorite punch boards!!
The rest of the main list is in effect as of today and through the rest of the week! Then we'll have our Second Flash Sale next Monday -- so hold on!! So many deals and so much fun!! Be sure to take advantage of all these great deals! Get your orders in early! While supplies last!! Be sure to check the PDF I've attached here and use it as your checklist! Let me know if you have any questions -- [email protected].
Until Next Time . . .