Peace on Earth

DH and I just returned from San Antonio, TX.  Our oldest daughter came in from Afghanistan and we wanted to be there to welcome her home and to spend the Thanksgiving Holiday with her.

While in Texas, I checked the SCS website to find today's challenge (F4A197 - Let It SNOW!) found here. "Let It Snow" is also SUO Challenge #84 challenge found here.  I decided to CASE this card that I have had in my favorites forever.   I titled my card "Peace on Earth" because  this is my wish.



Stamps: Christmas Lodge, Lovely As a Tree, Serene Silhouettes, Calm Christmas, Gorgeous Grunge
Inks: Chocolate Chip, VersaMark, White Gel Pen
Papers: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Silver Glimmer Paper
White & Clear Embossing Powder
Embellishments: Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Christmas Memories

Another SCS Creative Crew Project

Holiday focus: Always Artichoke and Very Vanilla.

Stripes DSP: Stripes embossing folder, swiped the Always Artichoke inkpad over it, ran it through the big shot to make the striped card stock

Dotted DSP:  Punched out small circles using the Small Circle Punch from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack, adhered to Always Artichoke card stock.

Evergreen Stamp set from the SU! Holiday Carryover.

It's a Wrap

This is one of my submissions for the SCS Creative Focus: KITS! Creative Focus: KITS! I used the 'Merry Little Christmas Kit' (Digital download) to add the sentiment and digital stamp on the image panel. The Stampin' Up! Envelope Punch Board was used to make the box.

I used the 'Merry Little Christmas Kit' (Digital download) to make these bows. Although I own the Bigz Bow die, I find the digital image is a great space-saving alternative. I used my Stampin' Up! Envelope Punch Board to make the large box. The small boxes are also digital downloads.

NOEL ... Christmas in July

Lately I've been making a lot of Christmas cards and I am really getting in the mood to start my Christmas shopping. I've already started making a list of things to purchase (and make) for friends and family.   The CC434 Challenge falls right in line with my train of thought... Christmas in July. My card for this challenge is pretty simple... no sketch... I just free-formed it. 


Card Stock & Inks:  Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Gumball Green
Embossing Folder: Petals-a-Plenty
Stamps: Seasonal Sayings, Ornament Keepsakes (stamped on letters and corner of card
Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine (untwisted Whisper White from Cherry Cobbler before tying to letters)

I used my Cherry Cobbler and Gumball Green Stampin' Write markers on the sentiment stamp and added it to the bottom left-hand corner of the Crumb Cake panel, then ran it through the Big Shot machine using the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder.

For a 'Chipboard' effect of the letters, I cut each color of card stock to 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" (5 layers for each letter), stacked and glued them together, brayered over them to remove any air bubbles, then let them dry. I ran my heat gun over them a few seconds to make sure they were completely dry before running the stacks through the Big Shot machine with the die.

I used one of the ornament stamps from the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set to add interest to each letter.  I stamped each color of ink on the same color of letter (tone-on-tone).  The corner treatment is from one of the ornaments in the same stamp set.  I stamped it on Crumb Cake card stock in Cherry Cobbler, used one of the Ornament Keepsakes Framelets  to cut out the ornament, them used the corner punch to turn it into my corner treatment.

Christmas in May

I am so sad to see this stamp set retire because  I think it is one of the more elegant Christmas stamps from Stampin' Up!  The SUO Challenge 71 - Favorite Retiring Stamp Sets was hard for me because there were several stamp sets that I really love.  I narrowed it down to two but this stamp set was the one I chose to use.

Stamp Set: Beautiful Season.
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Vellum, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive.
Inks: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Black StazOn, Crumb Cake.
Ribbons: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding.
Punches: Scallop Circle (corners); Modern Label.
Brads: Neutrals Assortment

Christmas Gift Tag

SCS Gift Card Challenge.

FS268: ME

The Featured Stamper for today over on SCS is anyone who takes the challenge... that means ME! I am one of many who will be featured today... YAH!!! This is also another posting within the same week for me... I guess I am kinda on a roll. I had left-over Holiday Treasures DSP from my post the other day so I used more of it for these cards. I still had rub-ons out and I want to use them up before they dry up; they filled in the open spaces on these little 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 square cards. To make these cards, I also used Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, and Old Olive card stock to coordinate with the DSP.

Christmas Joy

My March cards for the SCS Christmas Card Challenge. I have had this Stampin' Up! Illuminations stamp set since forever but never used it. I had to have it... like so many other stamp sets that I have sitting on my shelf... un-inked... retired... ignored for other stamp sets that I tend to use over and over. I decided to give it a try for this month's Christmas Card challenge. Sometimes I find that stamp sets that I just had to have are duds... They look really neat in the SU! catalog, but, once I get them and ink them up, I don't like them. For this card I used SU! Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip card stock and Holiday Treasures DSP. Very Vanilla Base: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" Chocolate Chip Panel: 4 1/8" x 5 3/8" The Two Old Olive DSP Panels: 5 1/8" high x 1 7/8" wide (each one) Chocolate Chip DSP Panel: 4 3/4" high x 3 1/4" wide DSP Strip: 4 1/4" long x 3/4" high 6 Red Brads I colored the image with Old Olive and Real Red Stampin' Write markers (SU!) Challenges: Friday's 'Free 4 All': F4A109 Three or More Thursday's Way to Use it': WT367 - Rub-Ons Wednesday's Sketch Challenge: Sketch Challenge 377 Monthly Christmas Card Challenge: CCC12 March

'Tis the Season

These Christmas cards were so quick and easy and you can make a bunch of them in no time. I find the fastest way to make cards when you are making a batch is to score the card stock before you cut it. Here is what I did for these cards. Take 3 sheets of 8-1/2" x 11" Very Vanilla card stock and score each sheet down the center at 4 1/4". Cut each sheet in half so that you will have six cards that not measure 8 1/2" x 5". Quick and easy... a lot better than cutting each sheet in half, then scoring cards individually. Card Recipe: Gifted and Perfect Ending stamp sets; Very Vanilla and Cherry Cobbler card stock; Cherry Cobbler Ink; Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine

Peaceful Snowflakes

I Watch every Scrapbooking show I possibly can and I especially love watching the ones on HSN. When I saw this Martha Stewart snowflake punch on clearance earlier this month, I had to order the set. The accompanying pamphlet with my punches demonstrated this card... I changed the colors a bit but still stayed within the color range of Martha's card. They were quick and easy cards to make for my January submission for the SCS Christmas Card Challenge.

Something Old... Something New...

I've got batches of dsp yet I keep ordering more and more. Here are a few Christmas projects using some of the retired dsp from Stampin' Up. I saved a few cans after opening green beans to bake a Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving Dinner; I wanted to recycle them for the cans of Snowman Soup. I just received my Candy Wrapper  die from Stampin' Up! and made a few of the candy wrappers and filled them with Hershey's chocolate Kisses. I am placing them in candy dishes around the house for additional holiday decorations.

More views:

Holiday Tweets

I made this with the Stampin' Up! Petal Cone die.  The challenge was to make a card or project without the use of stamps.  This project doubles as a holiday decoration as well as a treat holder.

Card Stock:  Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, and More Mustard.

Accessories:  Spellbinder star dies, SU Petal Cone Die, SU Bird Punch, Martha Stewart punch.

Christmas Goodie Bag

I've been on vacation in sunny hot Texas.  The average  temperature was in the triple digits while we were there... It's so good to be home.  Now that I am home, I can take part in the SCS challenges again.  This is for this week's color challenge (CC341 Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie), and Ways to Use it (WT342 Back to School Week 4: Lunch Sacks).  I used the Stampin' Up! Snowflake Embossing folder to emboss the the lunch sack, topper, and faux snow.  I found six Turquoise eyelets in my stash and added them to my topper.  I know that these are not traditional Christmas colors but I am in a Christmas mood these days.

Christmas Card Journal

I can't believe it's March already. I was doing a little spring cleaning this morning and decided to use my 'Cinch' binding machine to bind my Christmas cards I received from friends and family this past Christmas. Normally I just stick them in a box somewhere and DH eventually tosses them when he thinks I am not aware. I think I will start displaying all the cards I receive like this from now on.

Cut 2-inch wide strips of card stock to the height of each card. Adhere to the folded end of your card. Score and fold down the center and punch holes using the hole punch of your choice. Bind as desired (ribbons, wire, rings)

Benefits of this Journal: fully decorated with your choice of cards to use as a cover; readily available and full of inspiration for making more Christmas cards.

Some of my cards are landscape, some portrait, depending on the style of the cards. I think this adds a bit of interest to the Journal. I also added scanned copies of photo Christmas cards to this Journal.

I wanted this to be a true depiction of all cards received. I am now in search of Anniversary and Christmas Cards from the past that DH has not tossed.

iTunes Gift Card Holder

I had a hard time trying to match up my card stock with the iTunes gift cards for my daughter and son-in-law. I decided to use Melon Mambo for hers and Wild Wasabi for his. These gift cards are larger than the normal ones so here are the measurements I used:

6 1/2" x 9" card stock
Score on the 9 1/4" side at 1 1/2" and 5 3/8"
Decorate as desired.

I attached the image panel to the ribbon on the front. Once untied, the gift card holder can be easily opened.

Christmas Money/Gift Card Holder

My Mother has everything she could possibly want so, for Christmas, DH and I usually give her a small gift and money. I usually try to find a creative way to present the money so that It takes on the appearance of a gift. I cased the outside of this gift card/money holder: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1862505 and I followed some of the directions for the inside of this graduation gift card/money holder: http://stampwithdiane.blogspot.com/2007/12/money-holder-card.html.

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My SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=84546

Cookie Boxes

I am trying to get inspired to do my holiday baking, decorating, and shopping. I ran across this cookie box and decided to make a couple. Directions can be found here: http://inkingoutofthebox.com/cookie-box-tutorial.

I used So Saffron and Basic Black card stock on the first box. I also used the Martha Steward Butterfly punch and a border stamp from Stampin' Up!

The second box is made using Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White card stock. The flower was made using the Stampin' Up! Scallop punch and Whisper White card stock.

Christmas List

This little booklet will be very helpful as I do my Christmas shopping. If you are interested in making one, please visit Lisa Johnson's blog for directions (http://poppypaperie.typepad.com/poppy_paperie/2009/09/christmas-lists.html)