
Hello Fellow Stampers :-)
Happy Weekend! How is everyone doing this second day after Thanksgiving? Are we in full swing yet? I have to say that since Thanksgiving Day I've lost some steam. I'm feeling tired and haven't gotten nearly done what I had hoped. Even this morning I'm moving rather slowly. But I'm trying to get in gear -- it's time to put away all the Fall decorations and pull the storage room apart so we can get to the all the Christmas and winter fun. Uggghhhh though, really!! It's a lot of work. Maybe I'll sit here with the coffee a little longer ;-)
So, unfortunately, I'm a little behind on the Mojo Monday blog post; but as they say, better late than never! This card design has been in the works in the back of my mind for several days as I've been contemplating this week's Mojo Monday [MOJO475] challenge sketch. I originally thought I would do something really traditional in green and red, and maybe incorporate some of our Warmth & Cheer designer paper or the pretty Present & Pinecones designer papers. Boy, talk about changing my mind totally; and when I sat down yesterday to try to expand on my inspiration, I ended up spending quite a bit of time at my work table trying to get just the effect I was looking for.

Want to know what inspired today's card design? . . .


Doggone Delightful Stampin' Design Tips:
- Layerothology. This card base is cut from Thick Whisper White cardstock 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2" - a top fold vertical A2 card. The background to this card is quite special. I have used Melon Mambo cardstock in various matted layers throughout this card design; but the background layer on this card is our beautiful Fancy Frost specialty designer series paper, that I have worked over with InkaGold beeswax paint medium. Luscious! We'll talk about that a little bit more in a minute. There are two "forward" layers on this card - one with Silver embossing on Whisper White, matted with Brushed Silver cardstock (retired); the other showcases a beautiful sentiment from the Christmas Pines stamp set inked in Sweet Sugarplum ink, and matted with Melon Mambo cardstock. Let's look at each element of this design a little more closely :-)

- Inka-Gold by Viva Decor. I've talked about Inka-Gold before. I purchased a number of colors of this wonderful paint medium early this year; and I'm still learning a lot about how to use it. The reality is there are so many ways to use this wonderful mousse-like medium. I'm loving experimenting and learning.

For this week's card background I used one of the gorgeous pieces from the Fancy Frost SDSP. I then used Platinum Inka-Gold with a Tim Holtz sponge applicator and laid a layer of the color over the entire piece, buffing it out as I went. This put a beautiful sheen over the paper that helped the raised portions of the cardstock pop out.

I then went back over with some Rose Quartz Inka-Gold, and just lightly worked it over the raised portions to give a "pinkish" glow to the coloring. It turned out so beautiful; and because Inka-Gold is pearlized, the whole background just shimmers. I'm going to have to play some more with this.

I have used my finger to apply this medium in the past; but this really turned out beautifully with the Tim Holtz distress sponges. If you are interested in Inka-Gold beeswax paint medium (this is NOT a heat set paint medium), check out all the colors and information HERE.

- Christmas Pines. I chose the "thinner" image of the pine boughs in the Christmas Pines stamp set, and stamped those in Versamark several times. I then took a small portion of Silver embossing powder, mixed it with a little bit of Irridescent Ice embossing glitter (retired), and embossed the images. They really turned out pretty -- too bad they get hidden a great deal by the design ;-) This piece is matted, in an offset, with Brushed Silver cardstock (retired - some of my precious stash), and laid flush with the background using Fast Fuse adhesive so it will stick (remember, that is Inka-Gold on there and it's shiny and smooth so needs some extra help to stick to it). I wrapped these two layers with the beautiful 3/8" Glitter Ribbon from the Fancy Frost Suite in the Holiday Occasions Catalog - in Silver and Sweet Sugarplum! The perfect coordination for my card design.

- Tidings of Comfort & Joy. This beautiful sentiment is from the Christmas Pines stamp set. I have paired it with the gorgeous scrollwork image from the Banners for Christmas stamp set to create this lovely focal point. The piece is popped with dimensionals and offset with a gorgeous star/snowflake cut using the Starlight Thinlits. Some rhinestones and a "faux box" finish off this card design.

Here's a little closer view of some of the details :-)

Well, there you go. I hope you have enjoyed today's card design inspiration! It's time for some "business" now -- as we're just flying through this wonderful week of promotions and deals AND Today Is :

Small Business Saturday (that comes after Black Friday now -- LOL :-) )
This is actually a really important day for us small business owners. And we have an incredible sale going on right now with Stampin' Up!
Click on the image to be taken to my Online Store, and be sure to check out all the wonderful items currently offered on the Online Extravaganza, discounts up to 40% off. You really don't want to miss out on this opportunity to snag this wonderful goodies.
You can click HERE to see the entire list - just download it to your computer and peruse.
I'm offering an additional 2016 Stampin’Up! Gift Guide for you today ~~ some great suggestions for gifts for your crafty friends or a family member:
KITS
Watercolor Wishes Card Kit: $35.00, item number 140406

The giftable Watercolor Wishes Card Kit includes preprinted cards for the perfect artistic look without the mess. Includes supplies for 20 unique cards in 3 sizes and an exclusive stamp set. Make one when you need it, or make them all and use them later. Makes 20 unique cards.
Kit Includes:
- 20 cards total
* Folded card sizes: 4″ x 4″, 3-1/2″ x 5″, 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ (10.2 x 10.2 cm, 8.9 x 12.7 cm, 10.8 x 14 cm)
* 12-piece photopolymer stamp set
* 20 card bases
* Die-cut accents
* Cardstock flag stickers
* Night of Navy and Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin’ Spots
*Washi tape
* Giftable Kraft box
* 50 sequins
* Wood die cuts
* Stampin’ Dimensionals
*Acrylic stamp block
Oh Happy Day Card Kit: $35.00, item number 142725

Stamp and stick—that’s all it takes to create stack of all-occasion cards. Make one card when you need it, or make them all and use them later.
Kit includes
* Set of 13 photopolymer stamps
* 20 card bases and coordinating envelopes
* Giftable kraft box
* Die-cut glittered chipboard shapes
* Embossed sheets
* Printed die-cut images
* Die-cut gold foil sheet
* Die-cut white sheets
* Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Spot
* Printed color doilies
* Baker’s Twine
* Glittered dots
* Stampin’ Dimensionals
* Acrylic stamp block
Project Life Scrapbooking and Memory Keeping
A 12 x 12 Album, Project Life Style is the perfect way to quickly and easily get those photos off your computer, printed and tucked into an album where people can actually SEE and APPRECIATE them!

12 x 12″ Black Faux Leather Album, $30.00, item number #135292

12 pages, $7.00, item number #135295
Project Life is easy as you slip your photos into pockets and then add pre-designed cards to jot notes and memories.
* 100 cards in 3 sizes: 4″ x 6″, 4″ x 4″, 3″ x 4″

All Year Long: $16.00, item number 141670

Baby Boy: $16.00 item number #138457

Baby Girl: $16.00 #138504

Moments Like These: $16.00 #138454
So an Album, Pages, and a Card Collection comes to $53.00.
A perfect gift for nieces, new moms, grand kids, or even yourself 🙂
GIFT BAG PUNCH BOARD

How fun to be able to make your own Gift Bags?! Perfect for anyone crafty!!
Instead of buying bags for small treats and gifts, create them in a variety of sizes using the cardstock or Designer Series Paper of your choice. The Gift Bag Punch Board makes it super simple to create gift bags in varying sizes. All you have to do is punch, score, and adhere.
* Makes bags 2″ (5.1 cm) deep in heights from 4″ to 10″ (10.2 cm to 25.4 cm) tall
* Makes bags in 3 widths, up to 3-5/8″ (9.2 cm)
* Lightweight and portable
* Has a fold-away score extender and a scoring tool that tucks into a convenient storage slot
* Measurements printed on the board
* Instructions included
$20.00, item #135862
GIFT BOX PUNCH BOARD

When cute wrapping paper just isn’t enough, why not make your own box? The punch board creates boxes in a variety of sizes, up to 4″ (10.2 cm) on each side.
The Gift Box Punch Board makes it super simple to create gift boxes in varying sizes. All you have to do is punch and score.
* Makes boxes up to 4″ (10.2 cm) on each side
* Lightweight and portable
* Has a scoring tool that tucks into a convenient storage slot
* Measurements printed on the board
* Instructions included
$20.00 #135863
You can shop all these items at my Online Store -
Please feel free to email me at anytime with questions!
And thanks for supporting me on Small Business Saturday!
Until Next Time . . .

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