CASEing for Christmas

Catherine Pooler shared a great video series on cards that were easy to mass-produce.   I added a little to her idea, and used some retired products, because they needed to get used up, but also some things anyone can still get their hands on!    Made several versions, because everyone has different tastes, and honestly, I'm easily bored!

My vintage versions use...

Tools:  Ornament Punch, Framed Tulips Embossing Folder

Paper:  Crumb Cake CS, retired Hostess patterned paper in Concord Crush

Stamp :  Petite Pairs

Ribbon:  Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta
Ink:  Concord Crush 

 Ribbon:  retired Theater Originals in Old Olive
Ink: Old Olive

The contemporary versions use Whisper White cardstock and a Poppy Parade DSP from the same retired Hostess pack.   I embossed the lines on the edges with the Simply Scored (only had it a few weeks but I already love that thing!)  The sentiment is stamped in Old Olive using the Short and Sweet set.  Matching 1/4" grosgrain ribbon.




Did I mention that the card front with the ornament shape punched out is raised with dimensionals, while a 2"x2" square of patterned paper is adhered to the card beneath?   Yeah, that's sort of important to know if you want to replicate either of these cards!   And the cool part is, I have all the ornament shapes left to make gift tags with.  Sweet.

Holy Moly! Clearance Rack Blitz!

Very excited, placed my order already for some new toys (LOTS of punches on that Rack right now!) and to restock on some old favorites that I'll show you in the projects below:

This 12x12 page uses the Botanical Gazette Designer Series Paper (on the Clearance Rack now) and the Nature Walk stamp set - perfect for my heritage album.   The page I'm showing here has a secret - a panel that is held closed with a gorgeous Antique Brad to make room for journaling about my great-grandparents; don't they look like a cheery couple!!   Very interesting people, tho, so lots to say about them, and these are the only photos I have of them, so lots of room for their story in that hidden panel is great.  Other current Stampin' Up! products used include:  Textured Cardstock in Early Expresso, Victoria Crochet Trim, Framed Tulips Embossing Folder (journaling block and photo corner)

This card uses the Lovely as a Tree stamp set, of course, embossed in white on Night of Navy, which sets off the silver Hodgepodge Hardware beautifully, I think.  The Hardware is also available in Vanilla; both silver and ivory come in a huge set of different shapes and brads, in a great re-usable tin.

Finding some Christmas spirit

Been feeling utterly blah and out of Christmas spirit so far this year.   You'd think with 2 young kids I'd be excited, but I have been feeling utterly uninspired.   I've been looking at pretty cards other people have made (the Artistic Avenger in particular), and thought I should just sit down at my craft table and MAKE one already!   I knew I wanted to emboss Dasher in gold on red, and the ribbon was on the Clearance Rack last month, and the rest of the design grew from there.   Not really a card for mass production which is probably what I should be working on, but I'm happy with it!   Maybe I could open a box or two of decorations now!

This card is made exclusively with Stampin' Up! products :)


Stamps:  Dasher (golden focal image), Perfect Punches (sentiment), Triple Treat Flower (in gold on green CS)
Cardstock:  Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red, Garden Green
Ink:  Versamark & Riding Hood Red
Accessories:  Gold Stampin' Emboss powder, retired striped grosgrain ribbon in Riding Hood Red
Tools:  Framed Tulips Embossing Folder, 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, 5-petal flower punch (for leaf), Heat Gun 

Simple, pretty & super INexpensive cellphone skin!

I needed a new cellphone, and asked my husband to get me a basic phone.   He surprised me with a touchphone, and I was more excited about the fact that I'd be able to personalize it than I was about it's fancy features!   Inspired by a YouTube video, I got a clear snap-together case, traced through the front of it onto the back side of my Paisley Petals DSP, and cut it out.   Again using the case as a template to trace onto the back of the paper, I marked a circle for the camera hole and used a 1/2" circle punch on that.    I added my initial on a piece of vellum, since I wanted to see the pattern, but didn't want the initial to get totally lost.   Then, of course I inked the edges of everything with Marina Mist and Night of Navy.   I love my purty new phone, and when I get bored with it, I have TONS of other choices in my stash of papers.


I made a matching business card holder, too - not as happy with how that came out, since I don't have a tiny alphabet stamp, I just wrote my initial, and my laminating machine put a wrinkle on the DSP... still 100x prettier than what I found in the clearance bin at the office supply store, tho!   I had to pry off a really ugly epoxy sticker that covered the whole front before I could adhere my paper...