Paper Girl

365 Cards: Torn Edges

Hello!  Are you recovering today from the Christmas craziness?  I hope Santa was good to you this year!  For today's 365 Cards challenge, the goal is to use some torn edges somewhere on your card.  That's it!  All you need to do is tear some cardstock, so now's your chance to work out that pent up holiday stress!

 

I know this looks to be another Christmas card (and I suppose, technically it is), but it's more of a winter card!  I used my torn edges to create snow drifts for the trees (which are from Mac Mae's December card kit!).  The snow drifts are accented by some chunky glitter on the torn edges.  Those pieces and the trees are layered on top of a piece of frosted plastic.  This makes the front of the card base.  I attached it to my blue card back underneath the scalloped edge at the top (after tying the ribbon around the flap).  On the inside, I stamped snow flakes all in white.  With the frosted plastic on the front, you can see through to the snowflakes on the back (not so much in the picture, but more so in person). 

That's it for me today!  Tomorrow, I'll have a NON-Christmas-y card for the 365 Cards Sunday sketch, so be sure to stop back by!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Stamper's Select White (Papertrey Ink); Bashful Blue (Stampin' Up!); Frosted Plastic sheet (Shortcuts)
  
• Stamps: Signature Christmas (Papertrey Ink); Holiday Punch (Stampin' Up!)
  
• Ink: Fresh Snow (Papertrey Ink); Wild Wasabi (Stampin' Up! - retired)
  
• Accessories: Trees (Mac Mae December card kit); Chunky Glitter, Ribbon (Stampin' Up!)
• Tools:  Apron Lace Edge Punch (Fiskars)
  

Merry Christmas!

Here we are - Christmas Day!  Merry Christmas to everyone!  I  hope wherever you are, you're having a happy, healthy Christmas.  I'll keep today's post short...

My card for today is a Christmas Tree - can't get more Christmas-y than that, right?

I love the simplicity of this card and the red & green together (which was not my original plan!).  I heat embossed the tree in gold.  Because this stamp has circle cutouts for the addition of "ornaments", I decided to use a small poinsettia stamp to add flowers to the trees instead of traditional ornaments.  I stamped them in red and cut them out with my paper snips.  Then I added a small gold pearl to the center of each flower.  I layered this piece on top of some gold cardstock.  At this point, I was going to put this on a white card base (similar to THIS card), but decided to go with red to tie with the poinsettias.

Tomorrow, I'll be back with my Saturday challenge card for 365 Cards.  It's a winter theme card, but isn't specifically Christmas :).

Have a wonderful Christmas day!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Stamper's Select White (Papertrey Ink); Brushed Gold (Stampin' Up!)
• Stamps: Peaceful Poinsettias, Tree Trimming Trio (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Ink: Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink); Versamark
  
• Accessories: Mini Pearls (Basic Grey); Gold Embossing Powder (Papertrey Ink)
  

Pretty Poinsettias!

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!  I can't believe it's almost Christmas day!  I have to admit, though, I think I like Christmas Eve just a bit more than Christmas day.  It's the height of the Christmas season and anticipation is in the air. 

For today's card, I used a classic symbol of Christmas - poinsettias:

My first step was to cut out a white label from my Top Note Sizzix die.  After I did that, I used the poinsettia texture plate on the top note piece to give it the embossed poinsettia design.  Next, I used a small brayer to add the red ink to the embossed poinsettias.  For the bottom portion, I used some leftover patterned paper I made for a card last week (check it out HERE).  I ran it through the Big Shot with the Top Note die and then just trimmed it down to the size I wanted.  I simply adhered that to the original poinsettia Top Note piece, wrapped a ribbon around it, and added a small tag with my Merry Christmas sentiment. 

I think I'm all set for the holidays!  I finished up my Christmas shopping yesterday, which is much later than I normally finish things up. I have to say, though, the deals out there made me glad I waited until the last minute!  Tomorrow, I'll have one last Christmas card to share with you, so if you have nothing else to do on Christmas day, stop by for a visit!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Kraft, Stamper's Select White (Papertrey Ink); Old Olive (Stampin' Up!)
• Stamps: Peaceful Poinsettias, Polka Dot Basics (Papertrey Ink); Teeny Tiny Messages (Stampin' Up!)
  
• Ink: Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink); Wild Wasabi (Stampin' Up!); Versamark
  
• Accessories: Ribbon, Brads (Stampin' Up!)
  
• Tools: Poinsettia Texture Plate, Top Note Sizzix Die (Stampin' Up!)
  

Fun Gift Card Holder

Hello! Only a few days left!  Today's Christmas project is a gift card holder.  I used a template from PTI - Cash, Charge, or Carry for the template of my gift card holder.

I used some extra designer paper from the Mac Mae December card kit.  I cut the holder out of kraft cardstock, inked the edges with tea ink, and added the DSP panels to the front.  I distressed the edges of the panels on the outside.  For the inside, I added some solid cardstock in the back.  The ribbon at the bottom was really to cover a mistake.  I originally stamped the sentiment (a different one) where the ribbon is, but when I went to adhere the "wings" it covered part of the phrase.  So...I put some ribbon over that and moved on! 

I'm off to do shopping today!  Hope you are enjoying your last few days of the Holidays!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Kraft, Sweet Blush (Papertrey Ink); Old Olive (Stampin' Up!)
• Designer Series Paper:  Mac Mae December card kit
  
• Stamps: Signature Holidays (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Ink: Cranberry Crisp (Stampin' Up! - retired)
  
• Accessories: Ribbon (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Template:  Cash, Charge, or Carry (Papertrey Ink)
  

Those little extras...

During PTI's blog hop last month, I came across one blog that showed some adorable snowmen ornaments.  I can't for the life of me remember who's blog that was, so if anyone recognizes these, PLEASE let me know so I can give proper credit!  I changed a few minor things, but for the most part they're a direct CASE. 

 

I added these to a couple of gifts that I gave out to friends this year.  They're surprisingly easy to make, the hat is probably the hardest part!

Tomorrow, I'll have a cute gift card holder to share with you!  Until then, have a lovely day!

Itty Bitty Cards...

The final countdown to Christmas is on....this week is it! Today's Christmas cards are my final cards that I made with the December Mac Mae card kit.  These are a couple of itty bitty cards, which you know you have to have on hand for those little last minute packages.

 

Both of these cards are 3x3 and feature stickers from the kit.  For the first card, I used a scallop circle from my stash to layer under the sticker.  I added some decoration in the corners with a paper piercer. 

For the second card, I added some floss through the sticker (which comes in the kit) and layered that on top of some scrap designer paper from the kit.

Quick & easy!

That's it for me today!  Have a wonderful day!

Supplies (First Card):

• Cardstock: Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Stamps: Borders & Corners: Circles (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Ink: Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Tools: Paper Piercer (Stampin' Up!)
• Everything Else:  Mac Mae December Card Kit

Supplies (Second Card):

• All Supplies:  Mac Mae December Card Kit

365 Cards: Super Sketchy Sunday

Hello from snowy Connecticut!  The big snowstorm came through last night, but my area didn't really get as much as I think we were expecting.  I haven't really been outside, but just looking out my windows, it looks like we only got about 5 inches.  For all the hype, that's not that much!  Not that I'm complaining!

For today's 365 Cards sketch, I created a simple Christmas card.  Here's the sketch:

 

And here's my card:

I had to use my little card holder so you could see the red peeking through the scallop edges!  As I said, this is pretty simple.  I cut out 3 triangles from 3 different green cardstocks.  I created the trunks from the PTI Tree Trimming Trio set by stamping 3 trunks and trimming 2 down to fit the smaller trees.  I added some mini red beads to bring in some color to the trees.  I scallop punched the edge and added red cardstock inside.

That's it for me today!  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Stamper's Select White, Pure Poppy, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink); Old Olive, Mellow Moss, Certainly Celery (Stampin' Up!)
  
• Stamps: Tree Trimming Trio (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Ink: Rich Cocoa, Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
  
• Accessories: Mini Red Beads (Michaels); Red & White Ribbon - retired, Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Red Ribbon, Button, Twine (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Tools: Scallop Edge Punch (Stampin' Up!)

365 Cards: Imagine This - Fire

Hello! I've very excited about today's challenge for 365 Cards. It's an "imagine this" challenge and today, you're supposed to let FIRE be your inspiration for your card design.  At first, I was wondering how could I work in fire with my 25 days of Christmas?  The obvious link between Christmas and fire is a warm cozy fire by the fireplace, but how can I do that on a card?  I don't have a fireplace stamp!  I don't have a fire stamp!  Well, I decided to get crafty!

 

In the PTI Boards & Beams stamp set, there's an itty bitty stamp of stones.  It's supposed to be used to create a stone wall or walkway.  I, however, used it to create a stone fireplace!  I drew out an outline of a fireplace shape onto light gray cardstock.  Then, I used my tiny stamp to fill in with stones.  I then used a couple of gray Copics to color some of the stones for dimension.  Next, I cut out the fireplace along the lines I'd lightly drawn earlier.  However, as you may know, a stone fireplace doesn't have straight lines!  So, I used my paper snips to trim the edges to give it some "bumps".  Finally, I lightly sponged the edges with dark gray ink.  The mantel is just a strip of dark gray cardstock bumped up on dimensionals.

The fire, the inspiration for this card, was created by using 2 circle punches! I used a 7/8" and a 1-1/8" circle punch to punch out "petals" with my colored cardstock (basically, punch out a circle, then insert the circle into the edge of the punch again to chop off a petal).  I inked the edges of my petals and arranged them in a flame shape.  I adhered them all together, then chopped off the bottom for a smooth edge.

Here's a closeup of the fireplace:

 

I stamped the tops of 2 Christmas trees for my mantel decoration and colored those with Copics.  I distressed the edges of the cream cardstock and lightly inked it with tea ink.  For the kraft cardbase, it needed a little something to take off the plainness.  I didn't want to use another background stamp, since I thought that would go overboard.  I ran it through my Big Shot with a wood grain texture template, then rolled some tea ink on top of the impressions to slightly bring out the texture.

The bottom green piece was created using the 2 leaf stamps from the PTI Peaceful Poinsettia stamp set.  I just stamped those in Versamark and then added some red dots here and there.  I liked that piece so much, you'll see it on another card in a couple of days!  Once I finished it, I was still thinking it needed just a touch of something else.  That's when I added the string of mini red beads.

For the inside, I stamped a simple sentiment:

 

I thought that was a fitting sentiment!

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend snuggly & warm in front of a fireplace (with some hot cocoa!).

Supplies:

• Cardstock:  Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate, Smokey Shadow, Soft Stone (Papertrey Ink); Kraft, Old Olive, Summer Sun, Really Rust (Stampin' Up!)
  
• Stamps: Boards & Beams, Peaceful Poinsettia, Home for the Holidays, Signature Christmas, Polka Dot Basics (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Ink: Rich Cocoa, Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Pure Poppy, Tea Dye Ink (Papertrey Ink); Really Rust (Stampin' Up!);  Versamark
  
• Accessories: Mini Red Beads (Michaels); Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Gold Glitter Pen (Sakura); Copics
• Tools: Texture Plates Kit #4, Cutter Trio (Stampin' Up!); Brayer
  

Gotta have Christmas Trees!

Thank goodness it's Friday!  Only 1 week left until Christmas....can you believe it?  Where has the time gone!?  For my Christmas card today, I'm sharing another card that I made using the December Mac Mae card kit.

Everything except the kraft paper, button and the tree trunk are from the kit.  It's kind of hard to see, but I used a small scallop edge punch to create the layers for each of the papers.  I started out with a tree shaped triangle and used that to determine where to cut my layers.  Then I created the scallop edges and layered them on top of each other.  I stamped the tree trunk from PTI's Tree Trimming Trio set.  For the Kraft layer, I distressed the edges and lightly inked it with tea ink. 

Any fun last minute Christmas plans for the weekend?  I'm not sure what's up for me...I hear we may be getting snow this weekend, so I think I'll be stocking up with some cold weather food, wood for the fireplace, and plan a marathon of Christmas classic movies! 

Tomorrow, I have a really fun card for my day at 365 Cards, so be sure to swing back by for a visit!

Supplies (Townhouse):

• Cardstock:  Kraft, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Stamps: Tree Trimming Trio (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Ink: Dark Chocolate, Tea Dye Ink (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Accessories: Button (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Tools: Scallop Edge Punch (EK Success)
• Everything else:  Mac Mae December Card Kit
  

Home for the Holidays...

I have 2 cards to share with you today.  One of my favorite (and underused) PTI stamp sets is Boards & Beams.  That's the one with a house and a townhome.  So cute for housewarming cards!  I bought the companion set recently that has the Christmas additions and couldn't wait to give them a try.  Here are the cards I came up with using both of these sets:

 

I used Copics to color both of these, although for the townhouse, the house is Kraft paper, so I didn't do as much coloring on that one.  Both cards required some masking and I stamped the snow on the eves of both houses in white, then sprinkled glitter on top of the ink.  The kraft paper of the townhouse makes the white easier to see. 

Since these cards required a bit more work than my usual Christmas cards, I'm sending them to 2 good friends that will appreciate the hard work!  Ladies, I hope you enjoy them! ;)

That's it for me today!  I'll be back with another Christmas card tomorrow - another Mac Mae card kit creation. 

 

Supplies (House):

• Cardstock:  Kraft, Pure Poppy, Stamper's Select White (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Stamps: Boards & Beams, Home for the Holidays (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Ink: Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko); Fresh Snow (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Accessories: Ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Dazzling Diamonds glitter (Stampin' Up!); Copics

Supplies (Townhouse):

• Cardstock:  Kraft, New Leaf, Stamper's Select White (Papertrey Ink); Cranberry Crisp (Stampin' Up! - retired)
  
• Stamps: Boards & Beams, Home for the Holidays, Holiday Button Bits (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Ink: Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko); Fresh Snow, Tea Dye Ink (Papertrey Ink)
  
• Accessories: Ribbon (Stampin' Up!); Dazzling Diamonds glitter (Stampin' Up!); Copics
• Tools: Ribbon Tags die (Nestabilitiles)