Festive Friday Petals-a-plenty

Welcome!
Terri Sproul hosts this lovely blog hop every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month - we're making Christmas Cards! If you're just joining please be sure to start at the beginning of the blog list (below for your convenience) and catch all the great projects posted by these talented ladies!

Todays Christmas card uses two embossing folders. I've layered Garden Green, Riding Hood Red and Bashful Blue cardstock - the blue layer embossed with Northern Flurry 120902. Then atop the blue I layered an embossed piece of Whisper White (Petals-a-Plenty 116824) which I've sponged in Garden Green and used my blender pens with the Ridinghood Red to accent the "berries". A Crumb Cake star with a sparkly brad, and a retired sentiment on the Modern Lable Punch 119849 layered over a Riding Hood Red Oval, finish the card off.
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The texture is nice, I could probably accent the snowflakes or the tree with some Dazzling Details 124117, but as is these would be pretty easy to produce for the holiday list.

Inside I used another layer of Bashful Blue for the message area.

Thanks for stopping by! Please continue to add to your holiday inspiration and visit all the lovely blogs participating in this Festive Friday blog hop!
Next on the path is The Robins Nest. Enjoy!!



Happy Crafting,
~angie




 

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Festive Friday Dashing Through the... Sand

Almost to the half-way point, how strange is it to say that?! But here we are in June already!
Welcome!
Terri Sproul hosts this lovely blog hop every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month - and we're making Christmas Cards! If you're just joining please be sure to start at the beginning of the blog list (below for your convenience) and catch all the great projects posted by these talented ladies!

June has brought me into calmer territory than last months frantic fiascos and festivities, I hope - this week is not looking calm! I swear, if we could skip these spring months my life would be a bit more manageable! (kidding, totally kidding! ok, not totally...)

Today I share a card using a retired stamp. I love Dasher. So sad he is no longer in the catalog for you. The good news, they do have a stamp that is similar- with even a little extra fun added! (Check out Christmas Deer 128144 Wood /128146 Clear ) But this card had been made already, so you get to see this version. If I pick this as our card this year, I would definitely swap it out to the current stamp.

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Dasher and the Snowflakes from Snow Swirled are stamped in Sahara Sand, the center panel is actually very vanilla sponged with Sahara Sand and the strip behind it is an untouched Very Vanilla piece. The Ridinghood Red panel is punched with the Eyelet Border (retired) and accented with a retired scrap of ribbon. I added some dots of white with my Signo Gel Pen, you could bling it up a bit more with some Jewels - either the Basic Pearls or Basic Rhinestones would be pretty. 

Thanks for stopping by! Please continue to add to your holiday inspiration and visit all the lovely blogs participating in this Festive Friday blog hop!
Next on the path is The Robins Nest. Enjoy!!



Happy Crafting,
~angie




 

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Q&A Sending Cards

	Q&A Q: I love receiving cards in the mail. Any suggestions on how to remember to send cards for any occasion? A: That is a great question! We all love the art of making cards, but sometimes it’s hard for any of us to remember special occasions, write a note to a friend, or even let go of a favorite card! (Yeah, we’ve all been there!) We’ve all seen ideas that sounded great and then when you think about it you know it will fit in your life or you think to yourself sarcastically “yeah, that’ll happen”! So, I’ve got a suggestion that will work for planners and those whose schedules are loose. Here are a couple of tried-and-true tips that will put you at the top of the thoughtful friend list! Plan a Moment If you are a planner, you’ll love this tip. Plan a time into your schedule each week for writing cards. Now this doesn’t have to be a big event; even 15 minutes that you can take to reach out to those you care about is great. I recommend stamping a whole stack of cards - they don’t have to be specific to the person, and keeping them on hand so that you can quickly add a note and get it in the mail. As much as we love the art of stamping, the true magic comes when you share that connection with someone else. Start by checking your calendar to see who has birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, etc. coming up. Next, take a few moments to reflect on your week. Who touched your life this week in a way that makes you grateful or who could use the pick-me-up of a thoughtful note? Now write a couple lines - it doesn’t have to be a lot for someone to know that you care. Grab a Moment If the idea of planning a time to sit down makes you crazy, then don’t! Make a "to go" card center that you can use to write notes when you have a moment and the mood strikes you. Our clear-mount stamp cases are ideal. Just add a bit of your favorite Designer Series Paper under the cover and fill the case with a couple of cards, envelopes, a pen, and stamps. Now drop it in your purse or your car. Next time you are waiting for an appointment, sitting in the carpool line, hanging out at a kids sporting event, taking a lunch break at work, or whenever it is you have a minute, you can open your card case, write a quick note, add the address and stamp, and drop it into the mail. It is easy, fast, convenient, and a thoughtful way to make the most of those little moments. Take a Photo If you are like most stampers, you are afflicted with the “I can’t let it go” bug. You know the feeling - you love a card, want to remember a technique, plan to re-create more just like it, so you hold onto the card instead of sending it. Stop it! Cards are meant to be shared! But you can still keep the look, idea, and reminder by snapping a quick photo with your camera or cell phone. Save the photos in a file for card ideas or several files by stamp set, occasion, techniques, whatever it was that made you love the card. Now keep the photo and share the joy of the card by sending it and everyone wins! Share the Magic Unlike email that gets buried and forgotten, a hand-stamped card is a physical reminder to those that receive it that you thought of them, that you care, and that they are special. So hand-deliver or mail a card today. You’ll love the feeling you get from giving, and you’ll brighten someone’s day in a very special way.
© CraftyPerson Production. Images © Stampin' Up!

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Q&A is a regular section of my monthly newsletter.

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via email please sign up  HERE

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Festive Friday Vintage Wallpaper

Its another edition of Festive Friday!! Terri Sproul hosts this lovely blog hop every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month - we're making Christmas Cards! If you're just joining please be sure to start at the beginning of the blog list and catch all the great projects posted! The list is below for your convenience.

May Madness. That about sums it up for me. -- Mad...ness -- But its a nice break to get to sit down to the craft table and actually make something for me. Or, well, not for "me" I guess, but something that is not needed in the next 24 hours for some project I have piled on my overfilled plate this month. ;-) But I digress.

Festive Friday:
I used scraps for this one! Its a layer of Marina Mist that I ran through my Big Shot in the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder and rounded the corners. Onto that, I've stacked some scraps from my Letters To Santa Quick Accents (these are from the paper ribbon sheet, very heavy weight and self-adhesive), in the form of the iconic Christmas tree. The trunk is just a scrap piece, and the star was punched from another scrap off the ribbon sheet. These would be hard to produce in quantity, but if you have enough scraps (what? you don't have a scrap drawer?!?) you could make quite the collection of unique cards to send out. Very similar to the stacked tower of "gifts" type card ( see those HERE ) but definitely more of a Christmas-only type style.

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Thanks for stopping by! Please continue to add to your holiday inspiration and visit all the lovely blogs participating in this Festive Friday blog hop!
Next on the path is CYNTHIA. Enjoy!!


Happy Crafting this Memorial Day weekend.
My heart gives thanks, and remembers those who have fallen in service to our country,
I hope you and yours will also.
~angie



They fell, but o'er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.
~Francis Marion Crawford



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Festive Friday Merry Medallion

Merry May!

Thank you for joining me once again for Festive Friday! Terri Sproul hosts this lovely blog hop every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month, we're making Christmas Cards! If you're just joining please be sure to start at the beginning of the blog list and catch all the great projects posted! The list is below for your convenience.

May has started off with quite a bang for me, I am catching up on a super list of To-Do's and enjoying the last month of school with the kidlets before we head off to Summer Break. "Exhausting" doesn't even begin to describe my schedule these days! You may have heard the stamp I'm featuring today is on the Retired List. ((Big Sad Face - grab it before the end of May!)) I love the Medallion stamp. So, in fond farewell I have used it with a Non-retiring favorite, Snow Swirled, and created this card for you.

This is a little larger than my usual card size (4.25x5.5" aka A2) - this one is 5"x7" to allow more of the Medallion and the snowflakes from Snow Swirled to have their own space. I used a card base of Bashful Blue card stock, layering Night of Navy and Chocolate Chip under my stamped image in Night of Navy. The ribbos is retired, but a nice chunky Chocolate layered over a Night of Navy card stock strip. The images are stamped in Night of Navy Ink, and you'll just see the glisten of some Crystal Effects I sponged onto the center of the medallion.
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Merry Medallion

I had planned to add a sentiment, but the layering and stamped images seemed to do well on their own. (I must also mention that some mini-merry-makers in my house helped themselves to my Bling, and the crystal or pearl embellishments I had envisioned on here, were otherwise put to use decorating fairy drawings or an angry bird picture!! Whats a mom to do?)  I would add a holiday sentiment to the inside with my greetings, and its big enough that I could also slip a nice photo inside. Useful, these large cards are! 

Please continue to add to your holiday inspiration and visit all the lovely blogs participating in this Festive Friday blog hop!
Next on the path is CYNTHIA. Enjoy!!


Happy Crafting!
~angie

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Q&A Easy Paper Envelopes

	Q&A Q: Recently I saw a cute card with a small, patterned paper envelope on the front. How do you make those? A: Envelopes in a variety of sizes have become all the rage since the Diagonal Plate for the Simply Scored Scoring Tool was introduced recently. The Diagonal Plate makes creating envelopes a breeze – no more templates to trace and cut by hand! Hooray! Plus, envelopes are a great way to show off our beautiful double-sided Designer Series Paper without feeling guilty that we are covering up one of the patterns! While the Diagonal Plate comes with instructions and measurements to make four popular envelope sizes, one of my favorites is the small envelope for love notes! Here’s how you can make the 3-1/8” x 3-1/8” envelopes to hold 3” x 3” love notes: Step 1: Cut a 5” x 5” piece of Designer Series Paper or card stock. Place the Diagonal Plate on the Simply Scored Scoring Tool. Place the paper on the Diagonal Plate. Score the first side at 2-1/4”. Rotate the paper 1/4 turn or 90 degrees. Score at 2-1/4” again. Repeat until all four sides are scored. Step 2: Fold and crease all four score lines. Use a Bone Folder for crisp folds. Use Paper Snips or Square Punch to cut out the triangular scored sections. Step 3: Fold in two side flaps to create the sides of the mini envelope. Add SNAIL, Sticky Strip, or Multipurpose Liquid Glue to the very edge of the bottom flap. Fold that flap up over the side flaps and adhere. The envelope is now complete! You can add the envelope to the front of a card or a scrapbook page. Or use it to hand deliver a special little love note. You can use adhesive to close the top flap, tuck the flap inside the envelope, or use a button or brad and a bit of Baker’s Twine to create a fastener. Have fun discovering all of the fun envelopes and envelope projects you can create with the Diagonal Plate!
© CraftyPerson Production. Images © Stampin' Up!

To Buy Stampin' Up! Product, Please Visit My Store 24/7

Q&A is a regular section of my monthly newsletter.

To sign up for my Newsletter, Project Samples, and Promotions

via email please sign up  HERE

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Festive Friday Stained Mosaic

Come on, say it with me: WAHOOO! ITS FRIDAY!!!

Thank you for joining me once again for Festive Friday, Terri Sproul's lovely blog hop every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month, as we make Christmas Cards! If you're just joining please be sure to start at the beginning of the blog list and catch all the great projects posted! The list is below for your convenience.

Earth Day has just passed, and I hope you did something good for our planet to celebrate. If you haven't yet, or are looking for more you can do, I found a great technique for you!! Its called Stained Mosaic, and its done using up all those rubber bits you have left from around your stamps! Recycling!! Into a useful new tool for your stamping arsenal.

I know you'll be excited to try this - on your Christmas cards and everything else...

Stained Mosaic - Beautiful Season from  My Digital Studio (Digi-Stamp)


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If you'd like to see how I made this card, please continue on down the page. And please continue to add to your inspiration and visit all the lovely blogs participating in this Festive Friday blog hop!
Next on the path is CYNTHIA. Enjoy!!

Happy Crafting!
~angie






And so, if you are still with me :
I pulled out one of those leftover stamp surrounds, the rubber around my die-cut stamp set, and set to work snipping it into pieces. So excited to find another use for these pieces, I've quite a collection of them - I just KNEW there would be some cool thing one could do with them! I puzzled the pieces into a rectangle roughly the size of my image. Warning: this takes A WHILE. 

Use a block - wood or clear - that you DON'T WANT anymore


Also, I used my adhesive backed rubber and mounted it onto a clear block that was part of the kids stamping stuff (shhhh! I know, but its probably from the dollar bin or some such...) I will make another one because, though I do like how it came out, I would prefer to try again with smaller gaps between the pieces. I think I would get better detail in my image with less "grout" space. 

I selected my image in My Digital Studio and sized it to my desired dimensions (here, 3"x4"-ish), and then printed it out onto Whisper White cardstock on my printer at home. I colored it using my Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, and Garden Green ink pads with my Blender Pen. I used the bird on holly from Beautiful Season - available this catalog (AND next!) as a wood, clear, or digital stamp set.


Blender Pens - a whole set of markers in one pen

Once colored, I then inked up my homemade Mosaic Stamp with VersaMark and stamped it right over the top of my image. I quickly heat embossed it with Clear Embossing Powder. It was so pretty and shiny... Then I ruined it, per tutorial instructions by smearing my Basic Black ink pad over the top of it all:



Messy Magic

Fun, but sad - I was proud of my coloring!! I must say it was pretty fun though, definitely one of those messy and neat techniques. After buffing it out, I trimmed and mounted it on a layer of Garden Green, and completed my card.



I highly recommend you follow the complete step by step tutorial over at Splitcoast, this is an easy and beautiful way to create a mosaic effect.


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