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“Celebrate” Blog Hop

inkin-krew-blog-hop-banner2Amy’s Inkin’ Krew Blog Hop theme today is “Celebrate!” That single word covers a lot of territory….birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, weddings, babies, graduations and on…and on…!

I am choosing to celebrate the birth of Christ with the Wise Men From Afar stamp set.

One of my all time favorite Christmas hymns (though I like them all) is “We Three Kings.” I was so happy to see the stamp set Wise Men from Afar in the Stampin’ Up Holiday catalog this year. To go along with that is the Merry Music Designer Series Paper with the “We Three Kings” music. For our hop today I am pairing those two items as well as some Designer Series Paper from Merry Little Christmas.

So, take a look, then go on to see what the creative minds on our team have put together.

card front

I began by cutting my card base from Basic Black card stock. The front is matted in Whisper White, on top of which is the Merry Little Christmas DSP in black with white stars. This is the mat for the Merry Music art piece.

Using Basic Black ink, I stamped the Wise Men to the left of center and toward the bottom of the paper. I wanted a tiny bit of color on this card, but didn’t want to detract from the main theme. Hmmm. What to do? Well, I colored in the little dots on the three robes, each in a different color. I used my Stampin’ Write markers of Elegant Eggplant, Real Red and Pacific Point.

As these were men of wealth, I added a bit of glitz to the color with my Wink of Stella. I also added color to the white areas of their headpieces and more Wink of Stella.

Of course, they were following a bright star, so I made mine out of Silver Foil Sheets using the die from Night in Bethlehem. Before adhering the star, and before adhering the Merry Music DSP to the starry DSP, I cut another big star from the music. Using Liquid Glue, I attached the music to the stars paper. Then, I inset the silver star into the music. I really like this effect. This whole panel was adhered to the Whisper White mat with Liquid Glue also.

detail

For the sentiment, I used the short one in the Wise Men from Afar stamp set, stamping it in Versamark on Basic Black paper. Before stamping, I rubbed my Embossing Buddy over the black paper so the embossing powder wouldn’t stick anyplace that was not stamped.

I heat embossed this in Silver Emboss Powder. I used my Paper Snips Scissors to cut a flag in one end, leaving the other end straight. To set the sentiment off a bit more, I put Versamark Ink on all the edges and heat embossed them in silver also. This gives a finished look to the sentiment banner.

I placed three Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals on the back near the straight end and wound some Silver Metallic Thread around to peek out from behind the sentiment. Using more of the Silver Metallic Thread, I wound it around the whole panel three times under the Wise Men, and just under where the lower edge of the sentiment banner would be, taping it on the back.

After adhering this card front with liquid glue to the card base, I added more Stampin’ Dimensionals to the sentiment banner and adhered it to the card front.

Card front….Done!

inside

For the inside, I used the same papers, layered in the same order. The sentiment, also from Wise Men from Afar, is again heat embossed in Silver on Basic Black card stock. This was cut using the Lots of Labels framelits. The Silver Foil Sheets mat was cut with the next larger size framelit. All were adhered with liquid glue EXCEPT the sentiment to the foil. To be certain of good adhesion, I used Fast Fuse for this step.

On to the envelope. I stamped the three Wise Men on the front of my Medium White Envelope in Basic Black ink. On the flap I used Liquid Glue to adhere the leftover piece of “We Three Kings” music from the Merry Music Designer Series Paper.

envelope front

card and flap

I hope you enjoy this card. I think it is one I will repeat.

Card Cuts are below.

Now, just click on the ‘Next Blog’ button to go on to see what the super creative Mary Deatherage did for you today. Or, use the ‘Previous Blog’ button to see Jaimie’s creation.

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If you prefer to just check out individual Bloggers, just click on their name to go to their blog. Enjoy the Hop! But before you leave, check out my rewards below, as well as the card cuts for today’s card.

Karen Finkle

Jaimie Babarczy

Julie Johnston (you are here)

Mary Deatherage

Sue Prather

Linda Richenberg

Jari Francis

Jackie Trimble

Amy Koenders

Qualify to earn FREE Stampin’ Up! product from ANY current Stampin’ Up! catalog or promotion! The Wild Wing Creations Bird Eggs Rewards Program is my way of personally saying “thank you” to my returning customers.

Bird Egg Rewards

Use this Host Code: VHXAV2SZ

If you apply that Hostess Code to your online orders under $150, you’ll get a free gift from me. If your order is over $150, please don’t apply the hostess code (you’ll miss out on your own Stampin’ Rewards/Hostess $$ if you use it), but you’ll still get the free gift, too!

To shop with me, just click on the Order Online button at right of this post.

For more details on my customer rewards, click HERE

Card Cuts: Basic Black: card base 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ scored at 4-1/4″, front sentiment 7/8″ x 2-5/8″, inside sentiment 2″ x 3-1/2″; Whisper White: outside mat and inside mat (cut 2) 4-1/8″ x 5-3/8″; Merry Little Christmas Designer Series Paper: front mat and inside mat (cut 2) 4″ x 5-1/4″; Merry Music Designer Series Paper: front art piece 3-1/2″ x 4-3/4″, inside panel 3-1/2″ x 4-3/4″, envelope flap 2-1/2″ x 6″; Silver Foil Sheets: star 1-1/2″ x 1-3/4″, inside sentiment mat 2-1/2″ x 4″.

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Stampin’ Up! Wise Men From Afar

Good Wednesday to you all. I hope you are all ready for Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. I am not, but I will be when I need to be. I have a plan and that is half the battle!

Today’s offering is probably my favorite of all the holiday cards I have done. This one is just what I wanted it to be. Not always do the ideas in my head turn into the card I thought I wanted. This one did. Take a look.

front

I began with a Sahara Sand card base. To this I Liquid Glued a panel of Gold Foil Sheets. The art piece is also Sahara Sand into which I die cut the star from Bethlehem Edgelits. Not wanting a black star, but a Gold one, I placed the Sahara Sand piece over the Basic Black mat and drew around the star onto the black. This was my guide. I did not cut the star, but a small circle using the Layering Circles Framelits. This was large enough to allow the gold panel to show through.

Next, I stamped the 3 Wise Men in Versamark, using my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to get the placement correct. These were heat embossed with Gold Emboss Powder AFTER I swiped the surface with my Embossing Buddy. This gave me the placement for the city of Bethlehem. I wanted it to be black, like a silhouette, so had to decide whether to stamp the skyline or die cut it.

I opted to die cut, and so glad I did. The Basic Black card stock shows through and is much more silhouette looking I think. To only get part of the die to cut, I offset the top cutting plate of my Big Shot to end just at the edge of the tall building. The big shot will not cut if both plates are not covering the die. It cut perfectly. I saved all the little window pieces.

The sentiment, from Wise Men From Afar, was stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in gold. I then liquid glued the stamped, embossed and die cut panel to the Basic Black mat and onto the Gold Foil panel.

Placing the cut out piece of the city (I guess the positive), back into the space it left, I then knew where to glue the windows. Using my tweezers and liquid glue I adhered them and removed the positive city silhouette. This is so cool!

detail

For the inside I used the star from Night in Bethlehem and stamped it in Versamark and heat embossed it in Gold.  I used the other sentiment from Wise Men From Afar, again in Versamark and Gold Emboss Powder.  Below it I stamped the city from Night in Bethlehem in Basic Black. Wow! I do like this. inside

This panel was glued to a Basic Black mat and into the card base.

For the Medium Crumb Cake envelope I again stamped the city in Basic Black on the front and a heat embossed gold star on the flap.

I hope you like this card as much as I like it. This one will become multiples to send to friends. Who knows, I may even package up a few to sell at our bazaar next week.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving whatever you do tomorrow.

If you need supplies, just click on the Order Online button at right.

Card Cuts: Sahara Sand: card base 4-1/4″ x 11″ scored at 5-1/2″, sentiment panels (cut 2) 3-3/4″ x 5″; Basic Black: front and inside mats (cut 2) 4″ x 5-1/4″; Gold Foil Sheets: 4-1/8″ x 5-3/8″

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