Branch Out Winter

I created this card for a thank you note for my brother-in-law's mother who is always very kind to send us a gift at Christmas.

First, I sponged Night Navy Ink from a stamp pad on to Whisper White card stock using a circle mask for the moon and a scrap piece of paper for the snow. I coloured the moon with Barely Banana pastel, which you can't really see in the picture. The snow on the tree branches was created with a white gel pen.

I punched three holes side by side on the panel with my Crop-A-Dile to make the hole for the ribbon to go through because a punch wouldn't go through three layers of card stock. I put the ribbon around the card, through the panel and tied the knot before I used two-sided tape to adhere the panel. That way there wasn't a hole on the inside of the card.

Happy New Year!
Kim

Card Stock - PTI Stamper's Select White for base, SU Whisper White, SU Real Red, SU Night of Navy
SU Ink - Night of Navy, Chocolate Chip, Real Red
SU Stamps - Branch Out
Accessories - Nestabilities, Real Red 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Sakura White Gel Pen. Stampin' Pastels, Crop-A-Dile

Fifth Avenue Red

I started out with plans to CASE this card by Carol Lee. I just got the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set for Christmas and I knew I wanted to use it for my sister-in-law's birthday card. Her favourite colour is red and Carol Lee's card is just perfect! Things weren't going as planned so I decided to try out my new Elegant Bouquet embossing folder that I also received as a Christmas gift and I ended up with the above card. I love PTI's Stamper's Select White for card bases, but I don't think it goes through the embossing folders as well as SU's Whisper White.

I still had the designer paper strip and real red card stock and ribbon piece, so I decided to give Carol Lee's card another try. I learned a few years ago to use whisper white craft ink with white embossing powder, but I noticed that it wasn't really smooth - it looked a bit like stitches. I decided to emboss three more flowers, but use VersaMark instead. That produced smoother embossing, but when you cut the flowers out (and oh how I LOVE to cut out little tiny things - NOT!), sometimes the embossing flakes off. It is less noticeable if you have stamped with the white craft ink first. So, if I'm cutting things out that have been embossed with white embossing powder, I am going to use craft ink, if I'm not cutting out, I am going to use VersaMark. Here is how my card turned out:

I decided to play around with it a bit more and added another flower that is raised with dimensionals. I also trimmed the ribbon a bit more:
In real life, I think I like the card with four flowers better, but in the pictures, I think I like the three flowered one better! What do you think?

My husband picked the first card to send to his sister so I'll save the other one for someone else or for Debbie next year! :)

Thanks for looking,
Kim

Card Stock - PTI Stamper's Select White, SU Real Red
SU Designer Paper - Pink Flamingo
Stamps - SU - Fifth Avenue Florals, SU - Warmest Regards, PTI - Faux Ribbon
Ink - SU - Real Red, VersaFine - Black Onyx
Accessories - Whisper White Embossing Powder, oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities, Stampin' Dimensionals, Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, Offray white satin ribbon from Wal-Mart, red satin ribbon from my stash

Whimsical Santa

This Santa from A Whimsical Winter was even more challenging than the Snowman. First of all, I made it to fit on a 4.25" x 5.5" card, which meant the Santa was much smaller than the snowman so there were LOTS of itty-bitty pieces. Boy, those are tough to glue! I made a couple of goofs, but nothing so tradgic that I felt I had to scrap it and start again. I forgot to add Santa's front. Adding that piece would have given definition between his body and right arm - actually his left, but on the right side of the picture :) I put his boots on the back of the trim of his coat, which made the trim bumpy. Next time I would put his boots behind his main body.

Merry Christmas!
Kim

Card Stock - PTI Stamper's Select White for Base, SU Whisper White, SU Baja Breeze (Retired), SU Real Red, SU Old Olive, SU Blush Blossom, Basic Black
SU Designer Paper - Holiday Treasures (Retired), Merry Moments
Accessories - Sakura White Gel Pen, SU Basic Black Marker, Cricut, SCAL Software, A Whimsical Winter SVG File, Rectangle Nestie, Big Shot

Mister Snowman

Snowmen are a favourite of mine... who doesn't love something so rolly polly? I made this card for a friend of mine who always gives me snowman decorations for Christmas. The SVG file I used to make Mister Snowman is from My Snowman Collection at myscrapchick.com.

I started out with plans to make the card the snowman shape rather than an embellishment on a card. Unfortunately, I goofed and just duplicated the body and welded the bodies together. I should have flipped one of the bodies over before I welded the two together. Oh well, next time! this card was quite easy to put together - not too tiny of pieces. I don't know why the set comes with another circle to use on the head. I didn't use it nor did I use the mitts, button or eyes. (It's easier to draw on the tiny pieces)

The background for the card is from my scrapdrawer. A couple of years ago I was making my daughter's confirmation card. This piece had a smudge on it so I didn't use it for my daughter's card, but the snowman covered it so it works for this card! I think the swirls give it a wintry feel.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

Card Stock - PTI Stamper's Select White, SU Old Olive, SU Rich Raspberry, SU Pale Plum, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie
SU Designer Paper - Cottage Wall
Ink - VersaMark
SU Stamp - French Flair
Accessories - Cricut, SCAL Software, SU Basic Black Marker, SU Silver Embossing Powder

Whimsical Snowman

I used a SVG file from A Wimsical Winter from myscrapchick.com to create this birthday card using SCAL software and my Cricut. It is for my cousin who's birthday is December 28th, so I thought a snowman would be fun. I hope it isn't too Christmasy... I left the star off of it!

This paper piecing project was a bit more challenging than my Paper Palz cards. First, I had to resize the file to get it to fit on a card. I failed and ended up making a snowman that was too big for a standard card so I had to make a larger card, create an envelope and use double the stamps to mail it! Oh well... The next challenge was gluing the itty-bitty parts like the buttons.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

Card Stock - PTI Stamper's Select White for base, SU Whisper White, SU Lovely Lilac, SU Basic Black, Close to Cocoa, SU Only Orange, SU Tempting Turquoise
SU Designer Paper - Kaleidoscope
Accessories - Cricut, SCAL Software, A Whimsical Winter SVG File, Basic Black Marker

Paper Palz Reindeer

Well, this is the last svg file from the Winter Faces collection from myscrapchick.com. I've had so much fun making these cards that I think I'll buy their penguins, just because they are so darn cute! While I have used my Cricut and SCAL software to cut out the pattern, the collection contains other files for different brands of cutters as well as a pdf file if you want to cut it out by hand.

The reindeer card was less challenging to make than the snowman and Santa cards, but it is the one that I have been the least happiest with... though I must say that the cards are waaaaay cuter in person. Here is the first one that I made (It's not a great picture, but I've already given it away to my nephew):

I like the Chocolate Chip as the head and ear colour and was pleased with the way that this one turned out, but then I had this idea that wouldn't it be neat if the antlers were velvet! So on a trip to a scrapbooking store, I found the velvet paper that you saw on the antlers on the first card. I used the paper to make this card:

But, it really looked hideous because the velvet paper did not cut well in the Cricut and the ears were placed not quite right. Plus the colours in the picture make the reindeer appear piggish! (The head is Creamy Carmel, but I can't get it to look like that in the picture!) So, I lift the pieces off the base, trimmed the antlers, added a designer paper background and came up with the first picture of this post...which I think is an improvement. I just wish the velvet paper matched Chocolate Chip card stock so I could have used it for his head. Sigh.

The other bonus I got from doing this project was I found this AWESOME tutorial by Amy about taking pictures of cards so hopefully my pictures will better represent my cards. I used her advice for the first picture of this entry.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

PS I forgot to mention that I used Glassy Glaze to make his nose shine like Rudolph's!

SU Card Stock - Old Olive, Glorious Green, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Real Red, Basic Black, 1897 Bon Bon - Crushed Velvet Carstock by Doodlebug Design Inc.
SU DSP - Merry Moments

Accessories - Cricut, SCAL, White Gel Pen, Glassy Glaze Enamel

Paper Palz Santa

These are so much fun! I just wish I had more little ones to make these cards for. The svg file I used with my Cricut and SCAL software is from myscrapchick.com. This one was a little more finicky than the other two. I think I will play with the moustache and the face piece as layering them was a bit of a challenge. I think if they were just a bit bigger they, it would be easier to put together.

You can see the "leftover" piece of real read card stock on the bottom of the back of the card. I kept it there in case I decide to use this card as a gift card holder. If I want it to be a regular card, I just slice that piece off. If I want it to be a gift card holder, I cut a half circle with my slit punch and then glue the sides on the inside of the card.

If anyone knows of any other sources of paper piecing cards like these, please pass the the information on to me.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Real Red, Whisper White, Blush Blossom, Basic Black
Accessories - Cricut, Sure Cuts A Lot software, White Gel Pen, D'Vine Swirls Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Big Shot

Paper Palz Snowman

Another cute, cute, cute card thanks to Winter Faces from myscrapchick.com, my Cricut and SCAL software. This one can be a gift card holder or just a card. I cut my paper 4.25" x 11" and scored it at 4.25" and 8.5". The remaining piece can be folded up on the inside to become a pocket for a gift card or can be cut off so it is just a card. I struggled a little with the gluing of the mouth as it is so thin, but I have picked up a new glue pen and I'll give that a try on the next one.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Textured Baja Breeze, Shimmery White, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black
SU Designer Paper - Holiday Treasures
Accessories - White Gel Pen, Pumpkin Pie Marker, Cricut, SCAL

Paper Palz Penguin

I love when I accidently come across something... a quest for a snowman card lead me to myscrapchick.com. For $5 US I was able to purchase four svg files to make four different CUTE Christmas cards. Here is the first one I made:
Just another reason I love my Cricut and Sure Cuts A Lot software! I can use these files to make cards or scale them down for gift tags or even make them into gift bags! This card was super easy to create... though I did angle the eyes wrong the first time and he was one angry looking penguin!

Thanks for looking,
Kim

SU Card Stock - Whisper White, Basic Black, Summer Sun
Accessories - Stampin' Dimensionals, Cricut, SCAL, Pretty in Pink Stampin' Pastels, White Gel Pen

Peeking Snowmen

I saw Laurie's card and fell in love with it! (I am a sucker for snowmen and penguins - they are both round and cute!) I don't have the snowman stamp set that Laurie used, but decided I could recreate it using my VersaMark marker and black embossing powder and scraps of orange card stock. If I make it again, I might try it using a black marker and an orange marker to speed up the process, though I do like the texture of the black embossing powder eyes and mouth.

I think Papertrey Stamper's Select White makes a better base for a card like this that is quite heavy with layers. I find it much more sturdier than Stampin' Up's Whisper White.

Thanks for looking,
Kim

Base - white - 5 1/2", silver- 5 1/4", blue dsp - 5"

White Squares - 2"

Silver Squares - 1 3/4"

Blue Squares - 1 1/2:

Snowmen - 1 3/8"

Card Stock - PTI Stampers Select White for Base, SU Brushed Silver, SU Only Orange, SU Bashful Blue
SU Designer Paper - Bashful Blue
Ink - VersaMark (Pad and Marker)
SU Stamps - Flaky Friends
Accessories - Black and Silver Embossing Powder, Cricut, SCAL software