Artsy Christmas Cards with Matching Envelopes

I love artsy looking cards that are quick to create. The two cards below were VERY quick, thanks to my Stamparatus. All products Stampin' Up! 

I did exactly the same thing to make both cards, just used different colors of ink for each one. 

I used Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad for the one above and Gorgeous Grape for the one below. I stamped the tree & foliage from the Sheltering Tree stamp set with Versamark and embossed it with White Stampin' Emboss Powder on to a watercolor panel. After I made the envelope with matching  cardstock, I embossed just the tree on the envelope. I did the "ink smooshing" technique on the watercolor paper after I embossed the tree & foliage image. I use a large (gallon size) zip lock bag for this. I just lay it on my counter, tap the ink pad on it and spritz with water. Then I just tap, smoosh or swipe the watercolor paper face down to pick up the ink. Either let it dry naturally or dry with your heat tool on the low setting. The heat embossed area resists the watercolor. 

Using the Stamparatus, I lined up the sentiment from the Merry Christmas To All stamp set and stamped it using Jet Black Stazon Black Ink on to each panel. The cool thing about Stazon is that you can stamp it on top of an embossed image and it will dry since it is an alcohol based, permanent ink.  For the last step, I adhered the watercolor panels to folded Whisper White Thick cardstock. 

The things I love the most about these cards? The design is actually pretty simple, just doesn't look like it is with the watercolor added. I also think the matching envelopes really make these cards stand out.

You can make this too! (If you are reading this in an email, click on over to my blog post to see supplies.)

Click HERE to shop the year-end closeout!

Free Embossing Folder ($8.50 or less)

Want more to LOVE? Simply place an online order through me for the amount of $75 to $149.99  (before tax & shipping) and you will earn your choice of a Stampin' Up! Textured Embossing Folder valued at $8.50 or less. Just use the hostess code in the top right corner when ordering, DO NOT choose "no contact" from demonstrator. Then email me at stampinartfully@gmail.com to let me know which embossing folder you would like to have. It normally takes 3-4 weeks for your embossing folder to arrive. If your order is $150 or more (before tax & shipping), you earn your own hostess benefits and are able to use those Stampin' Rewards for anything from the catalog including the hostess exclusive stamps located HERE. 

Live in the US and need a catalog? Once you place your first order with me, let me know you need a catalog. This is not just a hobby for me, it is a passion! Click on the header above to find out more info on how you can earn free stamp sets just by shopping with me. Earn Frequent Buyer Rewards!

A reminder: please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Let's get social!

     

Faux Wax Seals With Embossing Powder & Using Negative Space

Many years ago I went through a phase of putting faux wax seals made with embossing powder on lots of cards. Having ran across some packaging ideas on Pinterest using wax seals, I thought I would give it a go again for a card front. As I was contemplating filming a quick tutorial, I ran across one that was very well done by a Canadian Stampin' Up! demonstrator named Tracy Elsom. Click HERE to see her tutorial. 

For "seal" on the card above, I tore a piece of paper, then did the exact steps she shows in her video. The photo below shows the stamp & set I used to get the impression on the seal. I also made a matching envelope from a piece of Cajun Craze cardstock. My Envelope Punch board is really getting a work out lately. 

Close up of the embossed seal:

Before I die cut the pine needles from the  Christmas Pines Bundle, I stamped some random splatters on a piece of Cajun Craze using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and an image from the Artisan Textures stamp set. After I die cut the images, I realized the negative spaces on that piece of paper would make a great card front. This is how I came up with the card below. 

I think it worked out great! I used a sentiment from the Rooted In Nature stamp set, but this would work for many different occasions. 

I think they look good enough together to give as part of a gift set. What do you think?

You can make this too! (If you are reading this in an email, click on over to my blog post to see supplies.)

Free Embossing Folder ($8.50 or less)

Want more to LOVE? Simply place an online order through me for the amount of $75 to $149.99  (before tax & shipping) and you will earn your choice of a Stampin' Up! Textured Embossing Folder valued at $8.50 or less. Just use the hostess code in the top right corner when ordering, DO NOT choose "no contact" from demonstrator. Then email me at stampinartfully@gmail.com to let me know which embossing folder you would like to have. It normally takes 3-4 weeks for your embossing folder to arrive. If your order is $150 or more (before tax & shipping), you earn your own hostess benefits and are able to use those Stampin' Rewards for anything from the catalog including the hostess exclusive stamps located HERE. 

Live in the US and need a catalog? Once you place your first order with me, let me know you need a catalog. This is not just a hobby for me, it is a passion! Click on the header above to find out more info on how you can earn free stamp sets just by shopping with me. Earn Frequent Buyer Rewards!

A reminder: please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Let's get social!

     

Simple Anniversary Card For My Hubby

We were married 37 years this past November.  Whenever I make my husband a card, I tend to always add a little sparkle or bling. He "gets" me, so it works for both us!

This card was a quick one, using Basic Gray & Crumb Cake as my color palette. 

I used the Stitched Shapes Framelits for the Basic Gray piece in the center, embossing the bottom piece with the Corrugated Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I stamped an image from the Gallery Grunge stamp set behind the central piece. I applied Clear Wink of Stella to the border on the round piece. The "love" die cut is from the Sunshine Wishes dies and I applied Clear Wink of Stella to that piece too. The word "you" was a scrap I had and honestly cannot remember which stamp set it came from, but I trim single words out all the time from stamped sentiments. 

You can make this too!

Free Embossing Folder ($8.50 or less)

Want more to LOVE? Simply place an online order through me for the amount of $75 to $149.99  (before tax & shipping) and you will earn your choice of a Stampin' Up! Textured Embossing Folder valued at $8.50 or less. Just use the hostess code in the top right corner when ordering, DO NOT choose "no contact" from demonstrator. Then email me at stampinartfully@gmail.com to let me know which embossing folder you would like to have. It normally takes 3-4 weeks for your embossing folder to arrive. If your order is $150 or more (before tax & shipping), you earn your own hostess benefits and are able to use those Stampin' Rewards for anything from the catalog including the hostess exclusive stamps located HERE. 

Live in the US and need a catalog? Once you place your first order with me, let me know you need a catalog. This is not just a hobby for me, it is a passion! Click on the header above to find out more info on how you can earn free stamp sets just by shopping with me. Earn Frequent Buyer Rewards!

A reminder: please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Let's get social!

     

Masculine Card with Envelope

The hardest card for me to make is normally a "man card". Not that you couldn't give this card to a woman, but it would really work for a man. All products Stampin' Up! 

This card took about 15 minutes from start to finish, even with making the envelope! I simply swiped Whisper White Craft Ink on the front of the Blueberry Bushel card front, then stamped a tree from Rooted in Nature on top of  the craft ink swipe using the matching Blueberry Bushel ink. I love the way the tree image really pops. I stamped the sentiment on Crumb Cake. I used a square framelit from the Stitched Shapes Framelits to cut out the sentiment. Simply line it up on top of the sentiment, cut it out with the die, then line it up again with the bottom of the sentiment and run it through the Big Shot once again using the same die. With the stitched marks in the cardstock, it is quite easy to line it up and get the die to "catch" so you can cut out a perfect rectangle.

I made a stamped envelope out of regular Crumb Cake Cardstock using the Envelope Punch Board. I stamped the envelope using my Stamparatus after the envelope was made. By using this must have tool, I was able to make sure I had perfectly stamped images on the envelope, placed exactly where I wanted them.  

You can make this too!

Free Embossing Folder ($8.50 or less)

Want more to LOVE? Simply place an online order through me for the amount of $75 to $149.99  (before tax & shipping) and you will earn your choice of a Stampin' Up! Textured Embossing Folder valued at $8.50 or less. Just use the hostess code in the top right corner when ordering, DO NOT choose "no contact" from demonstrator. Then email me at stampinartfully@gmail.com to let me know which embossing folder you would like to have. It normally takes 3-4 weeks for your embossing folder to arrive. If your order is $150 or more (before tax & shipping), you earn your own hostess benefits and are able to use those Stampin' Rewards for anything from the catalog including the hostess exclusive stamps located HERE. 

Live in the US and need a catalog? Once you place your first order with me, let me know you need a catalog. This is not just a hobby for me, it is a passion! Click on the header above to find out more info on how you can earn free stamp sets just by shopping with me. Earn Frequent Buyer Rewards!

A reminder: please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Let's get social!

     

Stretching Your Dies (Part 2)

If you haven't seen the post I made yesterday regarding using your dies in ways other than intended, click HERE. When I started playing around with this idea, I realized there were so many other ways to use the tree dies from the Winter Woods Bundle. This was the first card I made. 

Just like yesterday's card, I cut the background tree from watercolor paper and used Moss Green Brusho on it. The die I used for that tree is circled below. 

For the Old Olive tree layered on top of the Brusho tree, I used the die circled below. 

As you can see from the photos of the dies, they are approximately the same height. I didn't alter the Brusho tree for this card, but I did alter the Old Olive tree by just snipping off the bottom with a pair of scissors to make the tree shorter. The little red bird is from the Best Birds Bundle. I love the little pop of Real Red on this card. 

I used Brusho on watercolor paper again for the tree in the front. However, I shortened it by using the die to trim the base of the tree off to make it shorter. This is similar to what I did yesterday, only I cut yesterday's tree in three pieces. I finished it off with another little red bird and a red rhinestone.

 You can make this too!

Free Embossing Folder ($8.50 or less)

Want more to LOVE? Simply place an online order through me for the amount of $75 to $149.99  (before tax & shipping) and you will earn your choice of a Stampin' Up! Textured Embossing Folder valued at $8.50 or less. Just use the hostess code in the top right corner when ordering, DO NOT choose "no contact" from demonstrator. Then email me at stampinartfully@gmail.com to let me know which embossing folder you would like to have. It normally takes 3-4 weeks for your embossing folder to arrive. If your order is $150 or more (before tax & shipping), you earn your own hostess benefits and are able to use those Stampin' Rewards for anything from the catalog including the hostess exclusive stamps located HERE. 

Live in the US and need a catalog? Once you place your first order with me, let me know you need a catalog. This is not just a hobby for me, it is a passion! Click on the header above to find out more info on how you can earn free stamp sets just by shopping with me. Earn Frequent Buyer Rewards!

A reminder: please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Let's get social!