2013 Christmas Card Challenge - August 2013

Happy August!  Whew!  I'm glad it's here.  While I never get tired of making and thinking about making Christmas cards....  the July challenge I set for myself was just a little stressful!  Looking for designs, thinking about designs...  but I did it!

While at home in Wisconsin this past June for family celebrations, we spent some time in Door County - Ephraim, Sister Bay, etc. etc.  If you ever get the chance to go.... definitely take it!  We were there just before it got really busy - it was wonderful!

I especially LOVED the Tannenbaum shop - set in an old Lutheran Church.  I've already mentioned it here.  What I need to do is post some of the MANY pictures I took at the shop.  The tree toppers were so original!  The themed trees!  Just WOW.  :)


So, on to this month's challenge - I'm not sure if the shopping malls still do this, but I remember clearly from the 1980s they would decorate for Christmas in lots of jewel tones.  Burgundy, turquoise, lime green, bright pinks,  with gold and silver accents.  I really loved those colors together!


The theme for August is:   Mall Colors - or Jewel Tones   either way you like to look at it. :)

Here are my cards for the challenge.

I used the current ornament and die set from the Christmas catalog...  in these colors:
Elegant Eggplant, Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade (ret.) and Melon Mambo.  The double bow at the top is in Rich Razzleberry satin ribbon (ret.) and gold cord holds the ornaments in place.

I used lots of pearls and rhinestones on this card....   13 pearls and 10 rhinestones each!

Now on to your part of the challenge!  The basic rules and regs. of this challenge can be found HERE.
Basically, make six (more or less) Christmas cards based on the theme stated above, and add your link to the Linky on this page. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Christmas in July 22

A VERY big OOPS!!!!!

So many Christmas cards, one was bound to be 'forgotten'...  
This is the card I made for July 22.  The oops!!???   I forgot to post it!

Here it is - 

I really love that retired Festival of Prints paper!  It's quite versatile.  This year they've come up with 3 different Christmas prints (available August 1st).

I used the scallop punch as a border on the embossed white panel and the double-bow seam binding ribbon to add some flow to the card.

The large ornament is studded with pearls at almost every available spot.

Please enjoy!

Mom just HAD to have Red and Green!

 When we got home from Stamp Club Monday night, Mom said she just had to have red and green for Christmas colors on these ornament cards.

YES, she really liked the Espresso/Crumb Cake card we made at club, but wanted a set in red and green.

At my craft desk, I had the new In-Colors handy:  Raspberry Ripple, and Gumball Green - so I spent some time playing with the designs.

When I saw this stamp and die set bundled in the new catalog, I knew I'd get lots of use out of them, but I had no idea I'd actually use it this much....  love the stamp set!!!

 These two cards were made at the same time, but I mixed and matched the colors - wasn't exactly sure how Mom wanted these, so she gets both kinds. :)

 As I've said before, I really LOVE these new ink pads Stampin' Up has designed for us, but sometimes the sponging edges is tricky.  Have to be careful how much ink gets on the sponge, or you have splotches.


Your comments are treasured!

Stampin' Up Card Club - October, 2012

 Our October Cards:

I really like this card - the extra layers really make it nice in person.  I admit I didn't choose the sentiment very well, but just went with what was on the stamp block already.  I keep the cards we make, and then reproduce them - so it's mine anyway. :)  MINE, I tell you!  (LOL)

I REALLY love this card - basically a simple design with lots of great detail.... Lacy Brocade embossing folder, En Francais background stamp, layers, stamps and die cuts, some bakers twine and a pearl.  So many basic items - but put together SO well!

Kathy, as usual did a fantastic job.


Your comments are treasured!

2012 Christmas Card Challenge - August

Well, here we are in August...  August 5th.  It's tax-free weekend here,  and SO SO hot!

I want to send out BIG thanks to all the contributors here - last month was GREAT with 3 entries and 2 winners from the voting.  Congrats, ladies!  From now on though, I will only have one winner, so if there's another tie I'll use a number generator or some other impartial way to choose one winner.

Ok, on to more important things!  So, even though it's August, and you might not have participated in the CCC yet, there is still time!  Don't have a blog?  Contact me through the comments, and I'll make sure your pictures get posted in the challenge.  (I've already got a plan for that contingency!)

Here is the link to the original post from January introducing the challenge, and all the (very simple) rules needed to participate in these monthly challenges.

The theme for the month of August is:  Try A New Technique!  You must use some new paper crafting technique you have never used before for this month's cards.  Have you seen something on YouTube you've been DYING to try and haven't?  Here's your chance!  Saw a cool technique on someone's great crafting blog and you just had to try it?  Here's your chance!

The basic rules are the same as always, create 6 or more Christmas cards between today and the 20th.  Get them entered in the Linky below, and get your friends to start voting for your card between the 21st and 24th midnight CST.  I will announce the winner, and get the prize out in the mail!!!

Good Luck!
I'm sure your cards will put mine to shame for sure.

Here are my cards for the August Christmas Card Challenge.  I used a new technique called Sparkly Stained Glass, first demo'd by Mary Director, an awesome, wonderful Stampin' Up Demonstrator.  I saw her video, and loving everything sparkly, I just HAD to try it!!!!!
One thing you don't know, is the previous post I made with only the glitter... those cards were actually made AFTER these, so they still count as a new technique.

Since the cards use a Window Sheet, the light really made it tough to get good pictures of my cards, so you'll see some glare.  Funny though, the lights don't glare like that to your eyes.  Hmmmmm

Ok, enough of me... here are my cards, showing different variations.... More info below!

Each one looks just a little different, so I took some close-ups.  Sorry again for the glare.

This technique isn't difficult at all, but it's so different from anything I did before, I had to give myself a little pep-talk when I started with the reinkers.

This one especially shows how they sparkle!

I am always amazed at how these cards just SPARKLE!!!
I used 3 - 4 colors of reinkers:  Raspberry Ripple and Green Galore were my favorite.  Cherry Cobbler and Wild Wasabi worked really well, and Riding Hood Red and Green Galore were great too!
I think I like the very light green to give it a contrast with the reds that seemed to take over.

I went and got a few colors of Staz-On ink, but it turned out that the Jet Black worked the best.

HERE is the link to Mary's video tutorial.  Thanks so much for this AWESOME technique!!!


Good Luck with your August cards!  Can't wait to see what new techniques you try.

Your comments are always appreciated!

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 A Proud member of The Lime Light. Click on over to see what we are doing.

Sparkle, Sparkle, Glitter, Sparkle!!! Christmas in July Cont'd.

OR, you could say Glitter, Glitter, Sparkle, Glitter! I liked both, and couldn't decide which one to use. :)

Only a few more days left in July... I just had to take advantage of an idea that hit me, with the help of a dear friend!! (Thanks, Melissa!)




HERE is a link to the original tutorial done by one of the Long-Time, AWESOME Stampin' Up Demos, Mary Director.  I made some of those, but as I was talking with my friend after our crafting Saturday, it dawned on me that I could use some of the colored glitter I have as well!

SO, early this morning, I made the card as directed - but instead of using the reinkers, I used the colored glitters from the PK Glitz company.  China Red, Pine Forest, and Honeycomb were the colors I used.  I also used one of the Stampin' Up new ornament sets, and used the same glitter colors on the stamped image and heat-embossed them.

Why is Merry Christmas in black??  I know, but I didn't have any other options there...  You must stamp in Staz-On ink on the transparency sheets, or the ink beads and smears.  The only Staz-On pad I currently have is black.  Will have to take a look around for some more colors.... Silver, Gold, etc.

I do hope you can see the glittery sparkles!!  Even in low light, they are so sparkly!

Your comments are always appreciated!

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A Proud member of The Lime Light. Click on over to see what we are doing.

More Christmas in July

 I'm still in the mood to play with the Christmas theme... so here goes!

These two cards are called "Joy Fold" cards.  They're pretty simple to make, just cut your two card bases, and adhere white cardstock or DSP to follow the theme you're after.

I've seen these cards made for all types of occasions.  The trick is, you need a button, ribbon, baker's twine, - something to keep the front piece of the card closed.  Here I used the small red ornament with some dimensionals to keep it lifted off the paper a bit.

The DSP used here is Be Of Good Cheer, and I stamped the ornaments in Gumball Green, and Raspberry Ripple.

The two cards look ALMOST the same - but can you see the differences?

This is an inside view of the Joy-Fold card...  lots of area for decorating and adding lots of little details.

 This image of Santa is from CTMH colored with my Stampin' Up markers.  I refuse to spend that crazy amount of money on Copic Markers... if I work at it, I can get almost the same effects from my SU markers.

The Noel is stamped with Raspberry Ripple ink directly on the cardstock.  Don't you just LOVE LOVE LOVE the new ink pads?  The coverage is FANTASTIC!  I also used the embossing folder, die, and punch pack to add detail at the bottom of this card.  LOVE that Victorian style!

Your comments are always appreciated!

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 A Proud member of The Lime Light. Click on over to see what we are doing.