Bells and Boughs Card and Gift Card Holder

I have two coordinating projects to share today - a card and a gift card holder.

The card was made first using the Bells and Boughs stamp set, Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder, the oval from the Designer Frames embossing folders, the Scallop Oval punch, and my Big Shot.  The ink is Always Artichoke and the Cardstock is Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke, and Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations (which has been sanded to make the embossed image stand out).

I wanted a gift card holder for a class and I really liked the above card, so I modified it to look like this.  I used the Top Note die for the shape and changed up the colors a bit.

The brad creates a hinge to open the gift card holder.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  If you'd like to learn to make great projects like this gift card holder, please join me at a class sometime.  Or, join a stamp club and get free classes by purchasing great Stampin' Up products.

 

Another Occasions Mini Valentine Card

A simple Valentine card today using the hearts from the Designer Frames Embossing Folders, the Hearts Framelits, Take It To Heart, Teeny Tiny Wishes, half a sheet of Whisper White cardstock and a 1/2" strip of Designer Series Paper.

The card really is straight.  I just couldn't get it to lay flat and so it looks bowed out in the middle.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Tomorrow I'll take a break from Valentine cards.  Be sure to check back.



Sprinkled Expressions Valentines with Embossing

I  have two Valentines to share today.  They are similar but a little different.  Both use the same stamp from Sprinkled Expressions, which is one of the exclusive Sale-A-Bration stamps this year.  They both use 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon, both have a Whisper White base beneath a Real Red layer, and both have a row of hearts along the bottom made by one of the Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folders.  These are in the new Occasions Mini Catalog and contain three small embossing folders which are ideal for creating a border along the edge of your project.

The first card has stripes along the side which I made using the Simply Scored tool. I love this tool! It has simplified so many tasks and added new possibilities. I would never have tried decorative scoring without the Simply Scored tool.  My hand just isn't steady enough.  The sentiment was punched out with the extra large oval punch and layered in one of the two frames included with the Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folders.

This card has a second row of hearts along the top. The sentiment was also punched out with the extra large oval punch, but this time I sponged the edges with matching Real Red ink and then used Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere it.

NC SU Demonstrators Holiday Blog Hop 2011

I'm so excited to be part of the very first North Carolina Demonstrator's Blog Hop!  Follow the links to see an assortment of projects created by several talented Stampin' Up demonstrators, using products from the current Holiday Mini Catalog and this year's Idea Book and Catalog.

Both of my projects use the Bigz L Holiday Stocking Die.

The first project is a gift card holder.  The picture on the left shows the stocking with the gift card tucked away completely.  This allows the gift to be a secret until it is removed.  The picture on the right shows the stocking hanging from a hook on my hearth with the gift card sticking out - also a fun way to present a gift card.

I used the Big Shot to cut two stockings in Whisper White and the other pieces in Real Red.  The stockings were texturized using the Square lattice Embossing Folder.  You can see it better in the left picture, but I think it makes the stocking look quilted.  I added the red accents to each stocking and then used a thin bead of Tombow adhesive to attach the outer edges of the stockings to each other, leaving the top open.  This made the pocket to add the gift card (or cash or any other thin item) to.

The holly leaves were made with the Large Oval Punch, which I folded in half.  I then used the 1 1/4" Circle Punch and Paper Snips to shape the leaves.  The berries were punched with the circle punch from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.  I added the Whisper White 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon so the stocking could be hung.  How cute would they be hung on a Christmas tree?

My second project is a Christmas card.  I folded the card stock in half and lined it up just inside the top cut of the stocking die.  This left one long piece that folds over to make the card.  I made the cuff the same way, but made the cuff narrower.  This not only fit the card better since the cuff needed to line up with the top of the card, but by modifying the size the card can now fit in a Medium Square Envelope (p. 182 of the IB&C).

I used the Textured Impressions Designer Frames Embossing Folders Set to add the oval the card.  I stamped the image from Word Play and then punched it out using the Extra Large Oval Punch, which fit perfectly in the embossed oval.

This die is so full of possibilities.  Imagine making the gift card holder with Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper.  Or make fabric stockings with felt or Designer Fabric.  Fill with a little candy and you have a cute gift for a teacher or classmates.

This die isn't limited to Christmas, either.  What about a baby bootie?  How cute would that be at a baby shower?  I'll try to get some other ideas posted over the next couple of weeks.  Be sure to check back to see what I come up with.

www.makelifecreative.blogspot.com



I hope you've enjoyed this stop on the NCSU Demo Holiday Blog Hop.  Thanks for stopping by!  Click on the link above to go to the next blog to see more great projects (Tiffanie Doyle) or the link below to go back to see the variety of projects at the previous blog (Sharon Maranich).

http://inkiefinger.blogspot.com/



Happy Stamping!