Ornamental Pines Christmas Card

Today I'd like to share one of the cards I made for friends and neighbors during this holiday season.  It's made with the Ornamental Pine stamp set and I think you're going to love it as much as I do.

Here's My Card Inside and Out:

 

Supplies:

Stamp Set:    Ornament Pines #

Classic Ink:   Early Espresso, Old Olive 

Card Stock:   Old Olive, Whisper White, Early Espresso

Accessories: Early Espresso Twine Cord, Dazzling Details Glitter, White Gel Pen, Adhesive, 

How It's Made:

1. Cut an 11" x 4 1/4" piece of  Old Olive Card Stock and score at 5 1/2" for the card base.

2. Cut a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Early Espresso for 1st layer.  See picture for how I make the most of my card stock that is layered and not visible. 

 

I used a thinlet from the Labels Collection to remove the center part of the card stock that will be layered; in this case from the Early Espresso card stock.  I'll be able use that piece in another project and as another bonus I've lightened the weight of the card a bit by taking away this piece.  You can see the Early Espresso layer on the card base in the final sample above. 

3.   Cut a piece of Whisper White card stock measuring 5 x 3 3/4" for the final layer and cut an additional piece measuring 5" x 3 3/4" for the inside of the card.

4.  For the front layer stamp the pine branch from the Ornamental Pine set in the bottom left hand corner of the Whisper White layer in Old Olive ink.  Stamp it twice more in the upper right hand corner, overlapping the branch. I started with the largest image and then moved back to the corner for the second image.

5.  Ink up the pine cone image with Early Espresso ink and stamp it twice in the upper right hand corner of the card face.  I used the downward branch as a guide for laying the pine cone in and making it look connected to the branch. 

I coloured the white pieces on the pine cones with my white gel pen.  The moment you do this the pine cones just pop, almost like 3-D.  I also added Dazzling Diamonds for the smallest amount of sparkle on the snow areas I coloured. 

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6.  Stamp the "Christmas Wishes" from the Ornamental Pine Stamp set below the pine branch. The original card I was CASing (see below) had a banner that was layered with Old Olive card stock across the front of the card, however I chose to stamp directly to the card face.  

Before layering this layer onto the card face I wrapped two lengths of Twine Cord Early Espresso around the white card stock tied it in a knot and then tied a single loop bow.  Tip:  To ensure the cord doesn't swivel around on your card fix it permanently to the back of the card stock with a small piece of scotch tape right over the middle of the cord.  Burnish it down so it doesn't cause a bulge on the front of the card, and voila problem solved. 

Here is the original card I cased showing the added sentiment banner and only one layer of butcher's cord ribbon.  This was one of the samples that Cheryl Lefore displayed for her Christmas stamp-a-stack.  I chose not to add the banner and instead stamped directly to the card face, and double-wound my cord.  

7.  For the inside of the card I stamped the pine bough on the bottom left hand corner of the card in Old Olive ink.  The sentiment, which I think is absolutely beautiful and so meaningful for Christmas is stamped in Early Espresso Ink.  Tip:  To make sure the sentiment is centered I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig 
and every card was exactly the same.  Also when adding ink to your stamps with the new pads don't squish the stamp image down on the ink pad, just tap it.  Rule of thumb, tap, tap, tap and then look at the image to make sure it's fully covered then stamp. 

I hope you liked this brief tutorial on how to make this card.  I'll try to post some additional cards using this set over the coming days. After using this beautiful stamp set I can say with assurity that Ornamental Pines is going to be one of my favourite Christmas stamps of all time.

Happy Stamping!

Penny Tokens

Santa's On His Way ..... Gift Card Holder

Santas almost here and he's checking his list to see who's naughty or nice!  

Isn't this Santa just the sweetest?  And, he's so easy to make.  What a perfect enclosure for a gift card. I made this Santa Gift Card Holder at one of Cheryl LeFore's recent stamp club evenings. This cutey takes about 10 minutes to make and is simply adorable.   

Supplies:
Stamp Set:   Cheerful Tags #135065 pg. 5 Holiday Catalogue
Classic Ink:  Real Red, Blushing Bride
Cardstock:    Real Red, Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Basic Black
Thinlet:        Gift Card Envelope and Trims Thinlets Dies
Diecut:         Gift Bow Bigz L Die #129977 pg 223 Annual Catalogue
Punches:      1/4" and 3/4" circle punches,  Window Word Punch
Embossing:  Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder #117335 pg 226 Annual     Catalogue
Accessories: Sponge Dauber, Dimensionals, White Pompom, Hot Glue Gun and 2-way Glue Pen Glue Dots, Big Shot Machine, Trimmer, Scissors and Bone Folder.

Here's How I Made It: 

1.  Cut two pieces of Real Red card stock to 6"x6" for the gift card and 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" for the Santa Hat.

2.  Cut the 6" x 6" piece or Real Red card stock with the Gift Card Envelope Die.  Score on the edges to form envelope.  Use glue dots to seal envelop sides.  Set aside.

Gift Card Envelope and Trims Thinlits Die #135854

3.  Use the 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" piece of Real Red card stock for the hat and mark the top center of the card stock at 1 7/8".  Using a ruler draw a line from the top mark to the right and left side forming a triangle.  Trim off the side pieces with scissors to form the triangle.  NOTE: You can also use the large pennant from the Perfect Pennants BIGZ L (retired) die if you have it. Sculpt the top of the hat with a bone folder to curl the point towards Santa's face.  Glue a white pompom on to the tip with the glue gun. 

4.  Cut a 1" x 3" piece of Blushing Bride for the face.  Punch out the nose with the 3/4" circle punch from a scrap of Blushing Bride card stock. Sponge edges of circle with Blushing Bride ink and set aside.

 5.  For the beard and mustache cut a 3 1/2" x 4 1/4" (beard) and two 2" x 4 1/2" (mustache) pieces of Whisper White card.  Place these pieces on the Gift Bow Bigz L Die and run through the Big Shot Machine.  Emboss these cut pieces with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder to give them some texture. Assemble the bow using glue dots.  

Gift Bow Bigz L Die cuts two sizes of bows - #129977 pg 233 of the annual catalogue. 

6.  Cut a strip of Whisper White card stock measuring 3/8" x 3 1/4" for the brim of the hat.  Use the Window Word Punch to punch out the 3 1/4" strip.  Using two way glue attach this strip to the bottom of the hat for the brim. 

The Window Word Punch is a versatile tool to have in your punch toolbox.  #119857

7.  Using two-way glue or tape runner attach the Santa face to the center back of the hat. There should be about 1/4" of the word window strip showing on either side of the face, to ensure it's centered. 

This is the backside view of the gift envelope once the Santa face is attached.

8.  Attach the bow to the center of the face with a dimensional. Add glue dots under the bow parts of the mustache and attach to the face. Punch out two eyes from the black card stock with the 1/4" punch and center them above the bow center; attach with glue dots.  Glue the nose to the center of the bow.

9.  Attach the Santa face on an angle to the front of the envelope with glue dots or tape runner.  I just added the adhesive to the back of the face and the bottom of the hat.  Glue it down well so the face doesn't fall off.  

10.  Cut a card insert measuring 2 1/3" x 3 3/4" to tuck inside the gift holder envelope.  I stamped "Holiday Cheer" from the Cheerful Tags set in Real Red ink for my greeting.  Add the gift card and you're done!  Easy Peasy! 
 

Cheerful Tags 7 piece Photopolymer Stamp set coordinates with the Note Tag Punch.

Merry Christmas and Happy Stamping
Penny Tokens

HOST A PARTY IN JANUARY AND GET AWESOME REWARDS

Between January 6th and January 31st you will earn great hostess rewards for holding a party.  Contact me today to set up a date and work out the details. 

Year-End Closeouts - Clearance Rack ........Save up to 80% off

CHECK OUT THE YEAR-END CLOSE OUTS and save up to 80% on Stampin' Up! products!   Stampin' Up!  is clearing up their inventory for year end and that means big savings for you!

The Clearance Rack has been expanded with many more items including some holiday ones and there are discounts up to 80 percent on some fabulous items.  Take advantage of these amazing deals before they're gone! Check out the Year-End Closeouts to see what's on sale!

The Fine Print:

Promotion Dates: 5 Dec 2014 - 5 Jan 2015

• No minimum purchase required.
• No refunds or exchanges on Year-End Closeout items.
• Items offered during the Year-End Closeouts are while supplies last.
• Online customers and demonstrators can add non-Year-End Closeout items to their order.
• Year-End Closeouts orders are eligible for hostess benefits/Stampin' Rewards with qualifying orders.
• Following the Year-End Closeouts sale, some remaining items may stay in the Clearance Rack. Other items may be removed from the Clearance Rack to be added at another undetermined time.
• Orders must be placed online or as demonstrator orders.

Deadlines:
Phone orders: January 5, 2015 3:50 pm (MT)
Online orders: January 5, 2015; 11:50 PM (MT)

Join Stampin' Up! Today - Special Bonus Offer This Week

 JOIN MY TEAM TODAY

Have you been thinking about becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator?  Well now may be the best time of the year for you!  

Join now during Stampin' Ups! One Week special for new Demos and get some great discounts!  From November 24 - December 2, join my team, and you will qualify for five percent cash back on commissionable orders placed in December.  You'll also get a 25 percent discount on the Starter Kit with all the same great products included! More details on this limited-time offer are listed below.The Fine Print:

• Demonstrators will not receive additional percentages off for multiple recruits. One recruit qualifies you for the five percent cash back. 
• All commissionable orders must be finalized in the month of December to qualify for the five percent cash back offer.
• Only active demonstrators are eligible to receive the cash back bonus.
• The five percent cash back for the recruiter is based off of her commissionable sales, not those of her downline.
• The five percent cash back will be paid with commission in January.

    Deadlines:

• Mail: All orders must be received by the end of the business day on December 2 . 
• Online: All Starter Kit orders must be finalized on December 2 by 11:50 PM (MT).

Online Shopping Extravaganza - Nov 24 to Dec 1, 2014

 

A big shopping extravaganza has just been announced by Stampin' Up!  This Online Extravaganza starts today with select items and bundles at discounted prices. 

There are limited-time door busters on November 24 and December 1, or while supplies last, so you don't miss out!

Check out this Online Extravaganza flyer to learn more about these deals and discover which products (including select Textured Impressions Embossing Folders) are going on sale here. 

Paper Pumpkin Past Kits Sale:

Also, during the Online Extravaganza a few of Stampin' Ups! past Paper Pumpkin refill kits will be 20% off and available to ALL customers. (Please note that refill kits do not include stamps or ink.) 

Stampin' Up! is adding two new kits to the existing Paper Pumpkin past kits offering (available to current subscribers only). Visit Paper Pumpkin today to see the latest kits available. 

Festival of Trees

Today I want to share a card I made at Cheryl LeFore's Stamp Camp last week that uses the Festival of Trees Punch and coordinating Stamp Set.

This is one of my favourite bundles this season, and judging by the fact that it's been on back order a few times, it's the favourite of many other stampers too. 

Save 15% off the regular price by ordering the bundle #137640.  This stamp set is available in English, French and Spanish.

Here's My Card:

Card design from Cheryl LeFore's Stamp Club

Supplies:

Stamp Set:  Festival of Trees
Card Stock:  Lost Lagoon, Soft Sky, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White,
DSP:  All is Calm Specialty DSP, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper (for stars)
Punch:  Tree Punch, Star Punch from Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack
Accessories:  Dimensionals, Trimmer

How Did I Make It:
1.  Cut a 4 1/4 x 11" piece of Lost Lagoon card stock and score at 5 1/2".
2.  For the 1st layer cut and adhere a 5 1/4" piece of Pear Pizzazz card stock.
3.  For the last layer cut and adhere a 3 3/4" x 5" piece of Pool Party card stock.
4.  Cut 2 1/2 x 4" strips of various designs from the All is Calm Designer Series Paper and punch out 10 trees.  No two patterns will match.
5.  Stamp the sentiment "A little merry wish..." in Lost Lagoon in the upper right hand corner of the Pool Party layer.
6.  Adhere three of the trees across the card face with the tip of the last one just below the sentiment line.
7.  Adhere a second layer of trees with dimensionals  overlapping the first layer.
Line up with the bottom of the card stock layer.
8.The last four punched tree designs need to be reduced in size before adhering them over the second row of trees.  To do this you need to cut a strip of scrap paper measuring 2 1/2 x 8 1/2" and adhere the first tree with repositioning tape to the end of the strip.  Fit the tree into the punch moving it so the stump of the tree is just above the stump area on the punch.  When the tree is positioning the way you want then depress the punch.  Voila a perfectly shaped smaller tree image.  Repeat this process for all four trees and then adhere them with two dimensionals (top and bottom) on each tree.  I positioned the center trees first placing them in between the three trees on the second row and then adding the other two trees one on each side.  I matched up the bottoms of the trees so they just barely touched. 

Here you  can see how the tree trunks are lined up with the bottom of the Pool Party layer and the bases of each tree just touch ever so slightly.

9.  Punch out 3 stars from Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper using the star from the Itty Bitty Accents Punch set.  Mount these stars randomly on the tree tops with pieces of dimensionals. 
10.  For the inside of the card, cut a piece of Whisper White card stock to measure 3 3/4 x 5".  Stamp the blank tree image on the left hand side in Pool Party ink.  Using Lost Lagoon ink stamp the image with the balls on it over top of the tree image.  Stamp the sentiment "For Lots of Joy at Christmas" in Lost Lagoon ink.

Card and Matching Envelope

Well that's it for today.  I hope to do some more cards and tags featuring this stamp set bundle in the coming days, so I hope you'll return to check them out.

Happy Stampin!
Penny Tokens

Christmas Star Card -FMS#160

Happy November everyone!  Halloween is over and the clocks are turned back once again as we head into late fall.  Although it's been a while since I've been able to post, I'm back in circulation again, and starting the count down to Christmas with some great cards and techniques. 

I'm starting off my month with a wonderful easy sketch I found on Freshly Made Sketches that was designed by Rita Wright, of Rita's Creations blog.   I liked the simplicity of this sketch, which helped my card come together fairly quickly.  Make sure you visit the site and check out all the great entries by the design team and other participants.

Here's the Sketch:

Here's my card:

I wanted to create a vintage style Christmas card using some of the awesome designer papers from the Trim the Tree Designer Series Paper Pack.  I chose two complimentary papers with Garden Green and Crumb Cake designs and then paired these up with Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green card stocks.  

Supplies:
Ink:  Crumb Cake and Memento Tuxedo Black
Card Stock:  Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green
Papers:  Trim The Tree Designer Series paper Stack, Gold Glimmer Paper
Accessories:  Stars Collection Framelits, Banner Framelits, Itty Bitty Accents Punch (star), Stripes Embossing Folder,  Paper Trimmer, Adhesive, Dimensionals, Glue Dots.

How It's Made:
1.  The card base measuring 4 1/4" x 11" and scored at 5 1/2 is cut from Crumb Cake card stock.  I sponged the front edges of the card with Crumb Cake Ink.

2.  My next layer was made with Champagne Glimmer Paper.  Now I love this stuff but I don't like wasting it.  As you'll see from the next two pictures, I make the most of it before using it as a layer on a card.

I used a variety of punches and framelits to punch out images from the center of the 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Champagne Glimmer Paper.

Here's the finished layer before I adhered it to the card front.   Looks pretty awful, but remember it'll be covered with the next layer of card stock and no one will ever know but you.   

After punching away the center of the piece (see above) I've cut away whatever scraps remained and left only a small border around the inside of the square.  This step saves on mailing costs by taking away the weight and bulk from the card

 3.  The next layer is a 3 3/4" x 5" piece of Cherry Cobbler card stock that's been texturized with the Stripes Embossing Folder before being adhered over the glimmer paper layer.   Note it's hard to stick card stock to glimmer paper so I used Tom Bow adhesive to attach.

4.  I cut a banner from the Trim a Tree Designer Series Paper Pack and a coordinating square which were both mounted on card stock to give them a little more stability on the card front.  The edges were sponged with Crumb Cake Ink to give them a vintage look.  
 

There are 48 sheets of 4 1/2" x 61/2" pieces of Christmas themed designer series paper in this stack.  Pages coordinate with  Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Sahara Sand, Early Espresso and Whisper White inks and card stocks.

5.  I stamped a medium sized star from the Bright & Beautiful stamp set in Cherry Cobbler ink on a piece of Crumb Cake Cardstock.  This star and a smaller one were cut out using the Star Collection Framelit dies.   I mounted the medium star on Cherry Cobbler card stock and fussy cut around it leaving a 1/8" border.  This was mounted over top of the banner with dimensionals.

6.  The smaller star was cut from the Garden Green piece of DSP and was stamped with the word "JOY", one of the five word stamps featured in the Bright and Beautiful stamp set. I cut out an additional small star from the Champagne Glimmer paper and mounted the DSP star to it with glue dots.  I also punched out five small stars with the Itty Bitty star punch and mounted them to the card front with glue dots.  

 

I hope you enjoyed today's card and brief tutorial.  Please leave me a comment if you have a moment, I really value your feedback.   Let me know how you do your Christmas cards........ all at once, or do you make a few at a time throughout the year and set them aside?  I'd be interested in any great methods you might have for making cards in bulk.  

Happy Stampin'!
Penny Tokens 

Win Prizes - Project Life

Do you love scrapbooking but find it overwhelming, don't know where to start, or don't have the time? If that's the case, then Becky Higgin's PROJECT LIFE scrapbooking technique and products might be the perfect solution for you.  Stampin' Up! carries their own unique line. 

Enter to win every item currently available in the Project Life by Stampin' Up! line!  It's easy just e complete an entry form on the Stampin' Up website and you'll be entered to win one of the following:

FIRST PLACE PRIZE: ONE HUNDRED (100) first place winners will receive their choice of any single Project Life by Stampin' Up! card collection and coordinating accessory pack. (Approximate Retail Value of prize: $24.90 USD.)

GRAND PRIZE: ONE (1) grand prize winner will receive every item currently available in the Project Life by Stampin' Up! line! (Approximate Retail Value of prize: $475.00 USD. Subject to item availability on date the prize is awarded. See Official Rules for details.)

 

http://www.stampinup.com/home/en-US/PLxSUGiveaway

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone from our home to yours.   There are so many things to be grateful for in on this special day, besides the turkey and pumpkin pie. Here's a few of the thoughts I've had today on things I'm grateful for:

• I don't live in Japan where they are experiencing a major typhoon that is wiping out homes and has injured many people;
• I don't live in Calgary where following a major explosion and fire last evening they have had areas of the city without power for  many hours;
• I don't live in Western Africa where they are dealing with Ebola or work in the hospital in Texas where one man has died of Ebola and his care worker is quarantined and receiving treatment;
• I don't live in Syria, Iran, Afghanistan or any of the other countries in the world where fighting has taken many lives this weekend;
•  
  
• As a Canadian I'm grateful for my freedom and for the freedom of my family and friends and the fact that I live in a country that for the most part allows us freedom of expression to say what we want or believe in, to live the lives we want and which empowers us to grow and nurture our minds and explore the world we live in.  I'm grateful we live virtually in harmony and peace in Canada.
• I am grateful for all of those people who in some way protect my family, friends and myself from strife, assist in times of disaster and reach out with love for others not only on long weekends but throughout the year.
• I am grateful for the roof over my head, the food on my table, the continued good health of my family, my wonderful friends and the simple things that can be taken for granted.; and
• I'm grateful that I have a creative mind and have been able to share my love of paper crafting with so many like minded individuals through my blog and my community. 

 

Here are the projects I completed earlier this week when I attended the Artful Artisans tri-monthly meeting at Jennilee Paul's home in Chilliwack.  What a great evening!  It's so nice to get together with all these wonderful gals, see what they've been creating and talk shop. Also got in some driving time with one of my besties, Debby Evoy. 

Beverly, Betty-Ann and Jennilee all brought shoe box swaps, so we were able to make some great Make N' Take projects.  They did an amazing job showing us what to do and pulling it all together with all that's going on in their individual lives.  My hat is off to you ladies. 

Isn't this little Halloween goodie box just the cutest?  Beverly showed us how to assemble this awesome little box that is cut out using the Fry Box Bigz L Die.  It measures 3 x 3 1/3" and could be decorated for any occasion that calls for a small treat or gift holder.  I loved the combo of the Label Bracket punch and the banner on the goodie bag.  Super easy to put together. 

Jennilee Pauls our hostess designed this beautiful snowflake card for her  Make N' Take demonstration.  Isn't it stunning?

Jennilee crafted this card using the Snowflake Card Thinlets Die Cut, Lost Lagoon and Whisper White card stock. The dotted paper you can see on the right hand side of the card is from the All Is Calm Specialty Designer Series Paper #135823 and the beautiful ribbon is 3/8 Silky Taffeta Ribbon in Lost Lagoon.

The combo of Whisper White, Lost Lagoon and Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper for this card was simply stunning.  We also die cut a small snowflake from the Silver Foil cardstock and it looks like real metal.  This is topped with one of the small snowflakes from the Frosted Sequins pack which includes over 450 sequins in small, medium and large sizes and white snowflakes.

These beautiful snowflake embellishments are from the "All Is Calm Snowflake Embellishments" pack featured on page 22 of the Holiday catalogue.  These simple and elegant snowflakes come 20 to a pack and give just the right finishing touch to this project.  The word "joy" is one of the three word die cuts in the Snowflake Card Thinlet Die set.  The other two words are Brrr and Snow......... how appropriate and what fun! 

Snowflake Card Thinlet Die Cut #135855 $40.40 includes 9 dies. 

Jennilee also drew for door prizes and I was fortunate enough to win this beautiful box she made with the new Gift Box Punch Board #135863 and it contained a roll of the Natural and Old Olive Two-Tone Trim #135837.  

Jennilee made this box out of Whisper White card stock that was stamped in Pear Pizzazz, Smokey Slate and Pool Party ink using the Endless Wishes Photopolymer stamp set featured on page 32 of the Holiday Catalogue.

It's easy to create your own wrapping paper with just a few stamps and some coordinating inks.  Check out all the great projects made with this design on page 32 of the Holiday Catalogue.

Endless Wishes a 19 piece Photopolymer two-step stamp set, available in English, French and Spanish.

The Natural and Olive Two-toned ribbon is super chunky and super fun.  I can't wait to use it on one of my projects.  It is five times thicker than baker's twine and comes in a 10 yard roll.

The Gift Box Punch Board #135863 page 5 of the Holiday catalogue

Last but not least, our third make n' take project was presented by Betty Ann and involved a brayer technique that I hadn't tried before.  She also demonstrated how to tie  a double bow using just your fingers.  Both were great techniques and the amazing thing is that this was one of the fastest cards I've ever made from start to finish. 

The Nature's Peace stamp set features 4 stamps including this large block. 

Well that's it for today folks.  I hope you enjoyed these cards and will leave a comment and come back again.  

Happy Stampin!
Penny Tokens