Inkspiration for Stamping and Scrapbooking

A Few More Christmas Cards

I think this is the first time I've done cards from a kit.... Recently a lss offered a free kit with purchase deal, so there I was with this kit. I got to work making the cards up, but did my usual thing of changing things up, just slightly.

This card pretty much followed the instructions - just added some cocoa ink to the edges. There is red stickles on the ornament and snowflakes, and crystal glaze on the Merry and Bright lettering and the green ornament.

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I added red inking to the edges and cuttlebugged the lower panel to add to the snowy effect. I think it works well with the printed pattern on the snowman.

This card also features red inking, the ornaments cuttlebug and crystal glaze on the bell on the red panel and the dots on the centre panel.

Red ink on the edges, and the tag punch for the letters, instead of just squares. They sort of look like gift bags, a bit maybe?

Thanks for stopping by! - Ann

  

Tree Adornments

While I really admire the lovely decorator trees with all the colour co-ordinated ornaments and ribbons that go on display in magazines and stores every year, my tree never looks like that. Instead, it is decorated with ornaments collected and given to us over the years. Almost nothing on it is plastic, however. That has been my one stipulation. So lots of glass, ceramic and hand-crafted ornaments adorn our tree. Here are a few of the hand-made ornaments given to me by my papercrafting friends.

 I made this one using a clear ornament (easily found at Michaels). I stamped on piece of transparency cut in a circle about the same diameter as the glass ball, using StazOn ink. The image was then coloured with permanent markers. Roll the acetate up to get it into the ball and then use tweezers to "tweak" the positioning. Add some artificial snow and replace the cap.

This one's a little painful to make - it requires shoving a lot of pins through folded paper into the styrofoam ball base, but the effect is well worth it! I love this little pinecone! Next time I'll use a thimble.

If you want to make one, the directions are here.

This lovely ornament started out as a CD. Paper was layered on it and a stamped image was coloured in. Glitter and liquid applique for the snow add to the wintery look. The hole was punched and oversized eyelet set with a cropodile.

The tutorial to make this spectacular star/poinsettia/snowflake (kind of depends on the colours used) can be found here

Here's how that same item looks mounted on a card. Isn't it beautiful?  

Like a cookie exchange but better...

The other night, my friend Christa had 4 of us for a Christmas card making exchange. Now I've done lots of swaps before but this was different. Rather than mass produce a bunch of cards and then trade them, we each designed 2 cards and cut the materials for everyone else to make them. It was a lot of fun. I showed you last time, the cards I designed. Here, today, are the cards I made there, designed by the other 4 cardmakers.

Red and silver make this one a classy one to give!

 Purple is such a hot colour this year in fashion and it's lovely on this card, using a retired Stampin' Up! set called Frosty.

Thanks Joyce!

  

Red and silver again - aren't they gorgeous together?

Frosty again, this time with moss, burgundy and gold. 

Thanks Shannon.

A scrappy Christmas card, mosaic style. I love the little touches - glitter on the poinsettias, small bling on the snowflake - a stamped title.

Silver and blue always look great. The centre panel actually came embossed like that, making this a very quick card to put together.

Thanks Pam!

Punches, Thickers stickers, some stamping, ribbons and glittery embossing, make this a fun and glittery card.

The background is patterned paper. Isn't this a fun group of carolers? I always liked the Merry Minstrels set.

Thanks Christa!

We had so much fun, we're talking about doing this again in the new year, with birthday and other occasion cards. I can't wait!  

  

Christmas Cards - a Cuttlebug Card & a Stamped Card

First Christmas cards of the season.

This one uses a Cuttlebug folder, brushed gold cardstock, and bright red cardstock. The greeting was stamped with gold ink and embossed with glitter embossing powder and heat set. Some gold cord to finish off. This would be an easy card for anyone who needs to do a mass production of cards - they come together very quickly!

This one works for the challenge over at

the Cuttlebug Challenges blog.

 

The Christmas cardinal was stamped on shimmery white cardstock with black ink and coloured in with Copics.

Then it was layered on cocoa brown cardstock and a patterned paper that I used a border punch on. Ribbon, inked edges and more layers finish the card.

I joined 4 friends last night and brought the supplies to make these 2 cards. They also designed and cut materials for 2 cards each, so we all went home with 10 cards altogether, some great ideas, and a lovely night of friendship and Christmas cheer. Christa had Christmas music playing, we served some tasty Steeped teas and I brought some shortbread that I made using a cookie press. That was fun & easy. I'll be back soon to show you the other 8 cards.

Christmas Card Classes

If you are attending this Saturday's Christmas cardmaking class at my place, and you want to be surprised i.e. don't want to know what we're making, stop reading now! If you're dying of curiosity, read on!

Attendees will choose 4 of the 5 designs, and then stamp 2 of each to make 8 cards.

  This card is a CASE of one done by Beate Johns, except that I eliminated 1 layer.

It features a new set from the Holiday mini, A Christmas Cardinal, new colour with the Riding Hood Red, new Alpine ribbon from the mini, and new punches, the Scallop edge and the square scallop. The large scalloped square behind the cardinal image is actually 4 punched out squares taped together with SNAIL. The dsp comes from the mini catalogue too!

 

This card is a CASE too from one I saw on Carolin LeBelle's site. I love the poinsettia paper!

The image is coloured in using blender pens and ink. There is dazzling diamonds on the stmaped poinsettias, though it's hard to tell in the photo. Certainly celery, chocolate chip and ruby red make a nice bright Christmas card, don't they?

 

This card was inspired by one I saw on SplitCoast stampers. I copied the colours and sets but changed up the layout just a bit.

This card features the oldy but goldy Lovely as a Tree to create the landscape for the cheery snowmen from Merry & Bright. The snowflakes stamped in Craft white on the lower third of the Baja Breeze cardbase also come from the Merry & Bright set. Love that Riding Hood Red taffetta - so striking with its white edge!

Does the snow glisten enough?

This card is a CASE from Dianne Pappas. The only changes I made were to the ribbon. I LOVE how the felt ribbon looks and feels on this card - it suits the vintage-y theme and the idea of the sleigh riders huddled under their blankets! Colours are Always Artichoke, Kraft, Ruby Red and Vanilla. The image and greeting are both embossed. The set is Sleigh Bells Ring.

 

This last card was inspired by one I saw on SplitCoast but I changed it up quite a bit.

This is Pacific Point set off with white and Brushed Silver.

The white felt flurry has been glitterified thanks to Tombow glue (it dries clear) and the chunky glitter.

If you have any questions, leave a comment. If you would like to attend the class, there's still room for 2 more people. Email me to reserve your spot. Kits are available for $30 + shipping (or pickup) where all pieces are pre-stamped and pre-cut and you just follow the instructions to assemble.

Christmas Blessings

A BIG thank you to those of you who visit or subscribe to my blog or receive this blog on your reader. I SO appreciate you and your support.

May you experience the peace, love and joy of this blessed season as we celebrate our Saviour's birth!

Merry Christmas!

Blessings, Ann

Our last advent package

Cathy Soeher's four sided triangle box is cute and so adaptable for any occasion. She used wheels to add colour quickly.

A cute tag hangs from the hemp that ties that box closed.

There is probably a template out there for these. If I come across it, I'll let you know!

Happy stampin' and Blessings! - Ann

December 23rd - Almost there!

Now this one looks like a lot of work!

This is a Party Cracker, hand-made!

Pat Duggan printed a pattern directly onto the patterned paper. Some very careful cutting was undertaken to make these.

There is even a real "cracker" piece - the part that goes snap when you open a typical party cracker in here!

I see these getting incorporated into a Christmas class next year... Remind me!

Happy stampin' and Blessings, Ann

December 22 in the Advent Countdown

Night of Navy cardstock covers this little brown notions bag.

It looks as though Debbie b punched out the scallops, but she actually accented each loop with a marker.

Tone on tone stamping give this packet a very subtle look.

Happy Stampin' and Blessings, Ann

Advent Countdown - only 4 days to go!

Laurie Markham's is the most unique design I've seen yet for hot chocolate!

She machine stitched this one, so once it's open, there will be no container to keep for inkspiration - good thing I've got a picture of it! The Real Red poofy part is a folded flap with a little zippy bag of mini marshmallows inside. How cute is that snowman from It's Snow Time, layered onto the scallop punch. It's SNow Time, is a big favourite, and it's on the retirement list, so if you love snowmen, you may want to check it out in the catalogue and give me a call.

Happy stampin' and blessings, Ann