Snowy Christmas Card

Well, like it or not, ready or not, in about 9-1/2 weeks, Christmas will arrive. Yikes! You would think that one didn’t know it was coming with all the last minute activity going on. I have nearly stopped sending cards, but now that I am making them, I want to send LOTS! That means I have to MAKE LOTS! Today was a beginning. I may not get as many done as I would like, but there will be a fair number sent.

I was really just playing around with stamps and dies and a variety of paper today. I like rustic and have this old paper that I should clear out of my stash. It is sort of wood grained blue, sort of scruffy (like peeling paint scruffy) with snowflakes on it. That was my inspiration for this card. Well, really, two card fronts.

As I said, I was playing around and what I did on the inside I didn’t like for a card inside, so it became a card front for a second card. I am showing the fronts today, and at a future, yet-to-be-determined date, I will show you how I decided to finish them.

On the original front, I used a card base of Night of navy. The printed paper already has a wood grain look, but I ran it through the Big Shot with my Stampin’ Up! Pinewood Planks 3D Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing folder.

Using a die from Tonic Studios I cut a large snowflake in Very Vanilla and another in Sahara Sand. I thought the Very Vanilla was TOO bright and fresh for the aged looking paper. The Sahara Sand did a nice job of toning down the brightness. These were adhered together, offset a bit, with liquid glue.

From the Seasonal Layers dies I chose the two small snowflakes and cut them in Very Vanilla. I proceeded to lose one of them, and decided the card didn’t need it anyway, so didn’t cut another. This was liquid glued to the printed panel.

The 1″ strip cut off a full sheet of card stock when making a 5″ x 7″ card became my sentiment strip. The sentiment is from Merry Patterns. I love this font and it is the perfect size for this card. Using my Paper Snips, I cut a flag at one end and liquid glued it to the printed panel.

A length of Linen Thread was wrapped around 3 times and taped to the back. Over this, I used Stampin’ Dimensionals to adhere the layered snowflake. The final touch was a Linen Thread bow made by wrapping it around 3 fingers 4 times and tying it with another length of thread that I wrapped around the bow 3 times. A Glue Dot holds it in place above the sentiment. Nice.

ON to the inside, er, uh, the second card front. When I decided I didn’t like this for an inside, I simply used my Stampin’ Trimmer and cut the card into two pieces. Easy Peasy!

Another piece of the snowflake, worn looking paper is the mat for the Very Vanilla die cut piece. I used the Swirly Snowflakes dies to cut the bottom half of the panel and liquid glued it to the printed mat. The sentiment from Snowflake Sentiments was stamped in Night of Navy off to the right, leaving room for a couple of Seasonal Layers snowflakes, also in Night of Navy.

I did not dry emboss this printed paper, but I think any future cards using this will be embossed. I think it gives a richer look to the finished piece.

This is a very nice front of the card, but not for the inside. I just think the whole look says, “I am the front of the card.”

The medium Very Vanilla Envelope was stamped on the front with the three small snowflakes stamp from Snowflake Sentiments in Night of Navy across the bottom of the front. This is a lovely little stamp with a lot of potential. The flap is dry embossed with a Darice embossing folder of swirling snowflakes. When I finish the two cards I will need to make a second envelope, but for now this is all there is.

While this is not the type of card I will send at Christmas, it could be part of a set of cards as a gift for someone. And with a different sentiment, perhaps “Thank You?” it could be an any occasion type of card.

I hope you enjoyed my experimenting. What fun is it to have all these things to play with and not try anything new? Be brave, and do some experimenting on your own. It is only paper and ink!

I am willing to be your demonstrator if you do not have one. Just click on the Shop Online button at right to shop with me. There are goodies for you if you do.

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The Designer Paper Series ‘Buy Three, Get One Free’ promotion is good until October 31. All purchases for this deal must be from the list below. You can order as many as you like. You get to choose which ones from the list that you want, so if you want 3 at the $10 price and the free one is $13, you can do that!The T

The Merry Patterns Host promotion also ends October 31. To get this lovely stamp set FREE, just have sales of $300. You can order this yourself, or get some friends together and place your order. This is a great set, very versatile.

Card Cuts: Night of Navy: card base 4-1/4″ x 11″ scored at 5-1/2″, 2 small snowflakes 2″ x 3″; Very Vanilla: large snowflake 4-1/4″ x 4-1/4″, sentiment panel 1″ x 5-1/4″, small snowflake 2″ x 2″, inside (or second card front) 3-7/8″ x 5-1/8″; Printed paper: front mat 4″ z 5-1/4″, inside mat (or second card front) 4″ x 5-1/4″; Sahara Sand: snowflake 4-1/4″ x 4-1/4″

NON Stampin’ Up! products used: Tonic large snowflake die, printed paper, Darice swirling snowflakes embossing folder (envelope)