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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Card - Peace

Today is the last Christmas Card!  I never get tired of making Christmas cards. I love the colors be they bright and cheery or dark and classic.

Today's card is also my wish for the world: Peace.

I really like the way that this card turned out.  I was planning on sending this to my dad in New York.  I like the way the swirl and the snowflake are on the card - reminds me of a gust of wind.  I love the blue tinsel!


I added three blue gems in the lower right to help balance the card a bit more.



Close Up!

I used one of Tim Holtz' techniques that he used in his 12 Tags of Christmas: Glossy Accents on top of cardstock letters to make them dimensional.



This is a die cut from TH Festive Greenery (Sizzix).   I added some Stickles Crystal Glitter glue.


Another tip from Tim: To make this snowflake pop, I punched one from dark brown cardstock and then one from the ice blue glitter cardstock (Martha Stewart of course!).  I offset the brown paper beneath the glitter cardstock to create a shadow effect.


I love this min tinsel!

This is the embossed image on the inside of this card.  It's amazing what you can see after you take the picture!  I never saw the smudge (and I'm a decent embosser too!).

Hope you liked this final card!  On to a couple of New Years Cards and then the New Year!

Woo hoo!!

Lis

Friday, December 23, 2011

Christmas Cards - Over the River...A Card for Grandma

When I was in Elementary School, we would sing songs around Thanksgiving and one of the ones I remember quite clearly (even the old book we read the lyrics from ) inspired me to make a card.  I don't remember the title of the song but here are the lyrics I DO remember!

Over the river and through the woods
To Grandmother's house we go
The horse knows the way to follow the sleigh
Through the white and drifting snow

Over the river and through the woods
Now grandmother's house I spy
Hurrah for the fun the pudding's done
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

There are only a couple of the stanzas.  I know the song had a lot more (and I am pretty sure that some of the above isn't quite right either! But you get the idea.)

Today's card dedicated to all the grandparents out there who make such wonderful memories for their grandchildren! Thank You!




Close Up!

Here you can see the dymo labels, the bright red ribbon and the "25" which is in white glitter cardstock.

I needed to use a glittered cardstock that would contrast well and had this grey-green kind.  I did do the car in gold.  I tore my papers but didn't edge them with anything, preferring to keep the white.

I hope you enjoyed today's card and a little reminiscing!

Lis

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Christmas Cards - Cardinal

Today's card is one I have been wanting to make for a month or so. 

I've been searching for the Martha Stewart Holiday Cardinal Punch.  Unfortunately it's sold out! I found a similar punch that McGill makes of a bird.  Stampin Up also makes one with a separate wing as part of the punch also (this is what made the MS punch special).  So, I created this card.

I added some black dots by the cardinal for seeds.


The cardinal is attached using mounting tape.

Close Up!

Here is my little cardinal!  I did the wing out of red glitter paper.  The body is punched out of gold foiled music paper.  I made the cardinal by punching an extra wing and gluing the tip to the back of the head to make my "cardinal".  Stampin Up website had a tutorial on it and it looks good!



Although my background papers were glittered, I added additional stickles glitter glue around one tree and behind to give more dimension. I also edged the back torn edge in the same glitter glue.

 I cut one tree shorter (same die cuts) and layered them here.


I hope you liked my little cardinal card.

Have a Merry Christmas!
Lis

Monday, December 19, 2011

Christmas Cards - Santa Card

Hi everyone!  WOW! It's getting so close to Christmas!  I can hardly wait!

Today's card features the big guy himself!

I love K & Company stickers. They are so vintage!  I wanted a nice background for my Santa sticker so I embossed some brown cardstock and then sanded it lightly to really bring out the pattern (this is not core'dinations paper).

I added a wine red ribbon and bow and some punched ornaments with gems below.  I also used some green pine patterned paper.


Here's a nice side view.  You can easily see the layers of the Santa sticker.


Close Up!

Here is a close up of Santa.  He has just a touch of glitter on his hat and some outlining the frame.

This is a close up of the ornament border punch with the gems I added.


The days are winding down toward Christmas. Have you gotten your shopping done?
Take care and come back again to see more card inspiration!

Lis

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Christmas Cards - December The 25th

Today's card is a simple but effective card... The 25th of course!

I got the red 25th piece from part of a scrapbook paper.  I didn't even have to sand it.  The background paper which actually has a pattern of reindeer on it has a great old feel to it.

  Here's a side view.

Close Up!

I really like rosettes!  Tim Holtz started a fad all by himself when he came up with the rosette dies from Sizzix.  The one below I made from the smaller rosette die.  I colored it a bit with vintage photo dye ink and placed a gem in the center.

This patterned organza kind of blends in with the background paper but that's OK.  The organza adds a bit of sparkle.
Thanks for stopping by! Come again!
Lis

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Christmas Cards - Christmas Collage Card

I LOVE this card!  I came home from  work one day and sat down at my craft table (aka my kitchen table...LOL) and made it.  I love when everything comes together and inspiration hits.  Those are the best moments!

Christmas Collage:

I have this wonderful green, red and gold Florentine paper from Graphic Products Corp. (You should visit their scrapbooking papers...amazing!)  I attached a scrap that I had (no measuring, no kidding!) to a 5 1/4 x 4 piece of Christmas cardstock.  (You will notice the glass gem surrounded with crystals in the lower left!)


Here's a side view.


Boy do I have Close Ups!

I had already added the flowers to the card but I really really wanted to add some dark green ribbon too.  I decided to add the ribbon over top of the flowers.  It reminds me of when you bundle a bunch of flowers together.  You can also see the green glitter holly leaves and red dew drops peeking out of the side! (PS: the flowers also have some gold glitter on the edges of the petals!)

After I added the Florentine paper, I realized that it just seemed so "cut".  I The edges were really apparent and didn't blend the way I wanted them to .  I could have used color to accomplish this but decided on white tissue tape from Tim Holtz.  I added this on two sides only.

There was a big empty space on the right and I wanted to put something there too.  I found some gold merry Christmas stickers which I added.

 I added large white pearls by the flowers and also at the top right of my paper.




I hope you love this card as much as I do!  Come back again for more Christmas Cards!
Lis

Friday, December 16, 2011

Christmas Cards - Merry Christmas

I really love this card.  I had some Bo Bunny Christmas papers (Father Christmas Line) and there was one page with some tags that I cut out. I really wanted to use the tags because I thought they were so pretty.




Close Up!

The tags came as you see them on my card.  I have a set of small self inking stamps with Christmas sayings on them that I used here.  Although the jeweled flower brad was not made for Christmas I thought it went well.  I don't limit myself to holiday lines for holiday cards.



Bling is the thing!  I love using crystals to decorate my cars.  I cut them up and reconfigure them.  It's a lot of fun.
Thanks for stopping by today!

Lis

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Christmas Cards - 25

Today's card has the number 25 on it.  I often use symbols of holidays (as we all do) on my cards.

I think this card is too busy.  I probably could have done without the rosette with the 25 on it. 
The greenery looks ok though.








Close Up!

Here are the festive greenery die cuts. I attached the pine cone with several layers of mounting tape underneath in the middle so that I could round the pine cone.  I added some stickles glitter glue and shaded with Vintage Photo dye ink.  I added the red dew drops (clear colored red with alcohol inks).


I really love this 25.  The font is great.  It reminds me of an old time grocery store.


Come back again for more Christmas Cards!

Lis

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Christmas Cards - Noel

Today's Card is 5 1/2 x 8 1/2.  It's not my usual size but I wanted to get so much in I had to go to a bigger size to do it.

First, this card was for my sister.  She is a great cook and very old fashioned.  I wanted to work this into my card.  I had some stickers that were made of canvas (the red gingham and the noel).  I added the brown with white stitching ribbon - not really a Christmas ribbon but it works well on this card.  I edged the papers in Vintage Photo to give a more antiqued look.


Close Up!

Just a little touch of gold glitter in the shape of a holly leaf die cut makes for a pretty accent.  I took my rectangular Noel sticker and added it to a tag.  I put it on angled as the tag was bigger and I didn't have a different sticker to match.  I think it came out ok.


I used gold doilies for accents.


I hope these ideas have given you ideas!

Lis

Friday, December 9, 2011

Christmas Cards - Snow Flurries

I have really been enjoying making my Christmas Cards this year.  It seems that there are so many beautiful papers to choose from!

Today's card is called Snow Flurries and features one of Tim Holtz On the Edge dies.  I really like the Christmas plaid with all the green and red in it.



Close Up!

The red and green dew drops are clear ones dyed with alcohol inks to match my card!  I colored my grungeboard die cut with pearl paint dabber.


Isn't this a pretty little sticker?

Hope you enjoyed today's card. Come again for more!
Lis

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Christmas Card - The 25th

Hello December!  The holiday season has officially begun and I am busily making Christmas Cards for friends and family and YOU!

Today's card is called "The 25th".

This turned out to be such a pretty card.  I die cut the number and holly leaf from Tim Holtz' movers and shapers dies (glitter cardstock).  The canyon brown cardstock (Kelly Paper) is embossed with music.  Although the background of the patterned paper is white and my card base is ivory, they don't do to badly together. (I think that is because of the distressed edge.)


I like the way the red ribbon plays off the red holly leaf.



Close Up!

Although the holly was not designed to go with the numbers, they fit well together don't you think?


I made a double loop bow for this card.

Thanks for dropping by today!  Come back again for more Christmas Cards!

Lis