Merry Christmas!

I might get some artwork up here yet, but in the meantime here is my all-time favourite Christmas commercial made in 2005!
So what are you up to this afternoon?  I'm having a trip through family history!  I am going through all the old Christmas cards that my mother received and kept and getting rid of most of them, but some are treasures. I've also been sorting and organizing my arting area.  Organization is a constant challenge as certain supplies come into favour and others fall out.  They don't fall far enough to throw out, but priorities change.
Hopefully I'll be back later with a card, but take a break and enjoy Hazina - yes, that's her name and she lives at the Vancouver Zoo - she such a personality! (and yes, I did donate to the fund to build her a new habitat!)

P.S.  Belated congrats to Sher Springall for winning the Facebook Candy!!

Facebook Candy!

I hope everyone saw this on the email newsletter, but in case you didn't or have forgotten....

We're celebrating our 400th fan on Facebook!
We're little, but we're growing! Make sure you LIKE us for a chance to win our Facebook Candy!

We'll make a random draw on Monday December 19, 2010 around midnight PST (That'd be Monday night, Tuesday morning on the North American westcoast!) from our list of Friends.

Good luck!
(If you don't get our email newsletter, you can sign up by clicking here!)

All you need to do is be on our list of Friends (people who "like" us!) Yes, you will need to have a Facebook page.

I'd Like to Find You

Here is a quicky little card.  The most work is cutting the paper!  I was delighted to find the Tim Holtz Winter Distress Ink set goes very nicely with the Echo Park Wintertime cardstock.

Okay, okay, I know, I did a crappy job of stamping the BfF!!  You'll do better!

I think I'd Like to Find You would work really well for a friend you haven't seen in a long time.  What do you think?

There were no diecuts in this card, it's just stamps, paper, ink and sticky things.

Card Synthesis:
Card Blanks
Quietfire Stamps: Flourishing Inside-Hearts, I'd Like to Find You, Friends
Paper: Echo Park Wintertime Cardstock set
Glue Dots and Pop Dots
Distress Ink: Tim Holtz Winter set
Brilliance Graphite Black

Here are links to two other posts using this paper:
Snow!
Created byhand Challenge... Oops Missed the Deadline!

Thanks for taking the time to look!
Suzanne

When this Christmas - Created by our Friends!

Here are two lovely cards using When this Christmas!  Thanks for sharing, ladies!

This first one is from Karen G in Logan Lake, BC
(we were just discussing people using damask backgrounds in their Christmas cards this year as we were packing your new rubber stamps this morning Karen!)

and the second is from Carole W. - you can read more about it (and see lots of other good stuff) on her blog -
Carole's Soulfelt Creations.  Love the colours!

Thank you so much for using Quietfire rubber!!  I love seeing what you create!

Warm Winter Wishes

Here is another quick and easy card using Warm Winter Wishes, an embossing folder, cardstock and a bit of decorative paper!
I love the look of blind embossing - that hasn't changed over the years.  Our wedding invitations had a blind embossed snowflake on the front because we had a December wedding!  I might have made my own if there had been easily available embossing machines as there is now.

Card Synthesis:

Card Blanks

Quietfire Warm Winter Wishes

Distress Inks:  Peeled Paint for the sentiment and Antique Linen for distressing

Sizzix: Textured Impressions Branches, Swirls & Ribbons Set (also used in this card the other day)

Kaisercraft December 25th

Coloured Cardstock: Core'dinations Elements

Ink Blending Tool

Tombow Stamp Runner

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzanne

Snowflakes are Kisses - continued in ATC form!

Judi Kauffman shared her "Snowflakes are kisses from Heaven" card with us yesterday.  This morning she surprised us with some ATCs that incorporate the same supplies.  She sent instructions, too.  Thanks again, Judi!

 

Because ATCs are small, I skipped the embossed notary seals I used for yesterday's 5 x 7 card.  Instead of punched stars, I switched to Silver/Gold Glitter Dots that look like tiny snowflakes falling in the distance.  This contrast in size is what makes the larger snowflakes really pop forward to the eye.  I edged the ATCs with silver (Pentouch from Sakura).  The sentiment, "Snowflakes are kisses from heaven" (stamp from Quietfire Design) and the punched Blue Iris Shimmer Sheetz snowflakes topped with glittery snowflake peel-offs remain the same as on the card - though the snowflakes are one layer, not two.  (Glitter dots, snowflakes, Shimmer Sheetz from ElizabethCraft Design)  Tip: Note that on each ATC one of the snowflakes is cut into two pieces - one piece attached at the top toward the left, the other piece attached at the bottom just below and to the left of the whole snowflake, but not directly below the other half!  This kind of cropping tricks your eye into seeing lots of snowflakes falling from the sky.  If you're not into ATCs, this same kind of smaller scale project would work well for tags or tree ornaments. 

(A side note: I know it's fashionable to write just a few words in a blog or on facebook, but after four decades of teaching it feels like cheating if I don't provide complete information and instructions - and it's really important to me to include the "why" of the project as well as the "how"...I hope you find this useful and worth reading!  Judi K)

Judi Kauffman is author of By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes & More

Un-used copies are available from Amazon.ca

Snowflakes are Kisses - Artwork from Judi Kauffman

Our friend and frequent guest designer Judi Kauffman sent us a card that mixes stamping with snowflakes in a unique way.  The snowflakes are blue and gold, not the traditional white.  The card base is glossy coated cardstock folded to an ample 5 x 7.  She also sent instructions, just in case you want to make a card just like her sample.  (Thanks, Judi!)

"Snowflakes are kisses from heaven" is a brand new stamp from Quietfire Design.  I chose Ranger Adirondack Brights ink in Sailboat Blue for the stamping and sponging.  This ink looks soft and pale on the coated cardstock base, brighter and more intense on the matte cardstock rectangle where the phrase is stamped.  I embossed 2.5" gold notary seals with a Cuttlebug folder (Ice Crystals) and used the large circles to draw the eye.  (Tip: take your time peeling the embossed notary seals from the backing - they might tear if you aren't vigilent when lifting the edges)  I punched tiny stars (Fiskars punch) and 1" snowflakes (EK Success punch) from Blue Iris and White Iris Shimmer Sheetz (Elizabeth Craft Designs).  The tiny stars are secured with GemTac glue (Beacon Adhesives).  (Tip: A small dot of glue applied with a corsage pin is all that's needed, I used Embellie Gellie to lift each star and place it atop the wet glue.  The snowflakes are layered in pairs on foam dots to create shadows and extra dimension.  The top snowflake in each pair is embellished with a different snowflake peel-off (Glitter Silver/Gold Peel-offs #7055, Elizabeth Craft Designs).  Not one to be a minimalist, I added sparkly fibers from my stash of knitting yarns, and used Glitter Cardstock (Darice) as the border around the stamped rectangle.

I have been looking for a product like Embellie Gellie for years since a friend showed me a stylus with a similar product on the end, but she couldn't remember what it was called!  Thanks to Judi for that insight.  It is in now on order from my supplier!!  I'm so excited - it will be like having another hand!

Click here to see Snowflakes Are Kisses on the site

Thanks again to Judi for sharing her creation!  And for using Quietfire Design rubber stamps!

Suzanne

Twin Babies in Dandelions

My assistant Jeneen is full of great ideas and this was one of them.  Here is a card she created using the Bosskut Tiny Baby and Dandelion Whispers Embossing Folder.  We think this idea could be expanded to include Christmas themes and single babies.  Too cute!

Thanks for stopping by! Suzanne (and Jeneen!)

Dona Nobis Pacem - for Christmas

When I sold out of the Wreath Embossing Folder overnight, it left me wishing I'd ordered a lot more!! (These things are hard to predict....)
Here is my "make do" wreath!

Oh, oops, the leaf is over "peace".

I used the Dew Drops and inked up the parts of the stamp separately with different colours.  Easy!  I adore this Sizzix Embossing folder.  It's called Branches, Swirls and Ribbons Set.

Here is a close up.

Card Synthesis:

Thanks for having a look! Suzanne

Celebrate Marker Card

The lettering for this card was done with the darker purple and then the drop shadow was added with the lightest marker in the set.
The gilded flourish was made with the Quickie Glue pen and the variegated leaf pressed on while the glue was still wet.  I tried using Jones Tones transfer foil, but the pen glue wasn't strong enough.  Not exactly fine gilding, but fun and quick!

Card Synthesis:
Card Blanks
Quickie Glue Pen
Zig Memory Markers - Elegance
Lilac Avenue (Kaisercraft) 6x6 paper pad
Variegated Green Leaf
Xacto Knife
Pentel Clic eraser