With Grateful Thanks for My Team for One Night in Bethlehem

I've mentioned that I direct a Christmas outreach program called One Night in Bethlehem, where we turn our church into a Bethlehem marketplace and let people roam through, taking part in the interactive displays and crafts.  Then we perform a play based on the first Christmas.  That's coming up this weekend and it is an incredible amount of work, but very satisfying to see it all put together.  I have an amazing team who each use their gifts to organize one or more aspects of the evening and I really wanted to thank them, so I designed a card which I will make enough of to give to the team.

• This is also created for the Challenge #81 over at Dynamic Duos this week.  It's Your Choice week, so we are to work with Midnight Muse and one other colour of our choice.  I chose silver for the festive sparkle.

• I used the elegant Dove from Calm Christmas and heat embossed it in Silver Stampin' Emboss powder.  I wasn't sure how that would work with all those fine lines in the stamp.  I thought they might be obliterated with the embossing powder, but as you can see, it worked brilliantly.
• I added a panel of Midnight Muse on the card base, but embossed it up to the ribbon with the Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder for a little texture on the bottom.

• This view gives a little better look at the sparkle and shine from the silver embossing powder (which is on the sentiment from Lacy and Lovely, too) and the Silver Glimmer paper.
• The Midnight Muse Stitched Satin Ribbon is beautiful layered on the Silver Glimmer paper.
• I added some Rhinestone Basic Jewels on the dove for a little added dimension and shine.
• The sentiment is also heat embossed and punched out with the Large Oval punch and layered with Glimmer paper punched with the Scallop Oval punch.

I hope this helps my committee to feel my appreciation for them and all the work they did.  I'll let you know how it went after this weekend.  Thanks for dropping by!

• Calm Christmas Wood-Mount Stamp Set
• Calm Christmas Clear-Mount Stamp Set
• Lacy & Lovely Clear-Mount Stamp Set
• Lacy Lovely
• Midnight Muse 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock
• Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Silver Glimmer Paper
• Versamark Pad
• Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder
• Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents
• Midnight Muse 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon
• Heat Tool
• Circles Collection Framelits Dies
• Large Oval Punch
• Scallop Oval Punch

Staples

We had a challenge to do at our Creative Escapes retreat last weekend and I was not into it at all.  It was a "How do you use it" challenge or something like that.  And the thing that we were supposed to showcase was ... staples. Hunh.  I've seen them used from time to time on other blogs, and I've never really liked them. I don't know why.  Maybe because they seem so random and out of place.  Kind of like the torn edges on washi tape.  But they are an element of grunge so I guessed I'd better get with the program.  I decided to go for the gusto and add some staples to my project.  Here it is:

• How did I do?  Random? Check. Shiny? Check. Out of place....well, no. Oddly they seemed to fit on this card. Weird.
• I did get some flak for the birds from the Modern Medley DSP.  They are meant to be silhouettes of flying doves.  Everyone else seemed to think they were crows, in which case the sentiment would be a plea! Then there was my hubby, who soothed my hurt feelings by saying, "No, dear, I don't think they're crows!"                                                                                                                       "Thanks, hon!"  I sighed with relief.                                                                                                     "No, actually, that looks more like a flock of seagulls!  Ha, ha, ha!"  Smack!
• As always, that burlap ribbon makes the card.  LOVE it!  And that little pop of Cherry Cobbler.  The Cherry Cobbler flag is embossed with the Pretty Print Embossing Folder.

• The sentiment is from the Calm Christmas stamp set, which does have a dove image in it, but a lot bigger than these pigeons.
• A little sponging just adds to the rustic look I was going for.  Soft Suede is always my ink of choice for sponging.

• The more I use framelits, the more I appreciate Apothecary Accents.  They give just the right touch for sentiments and labels.  Although there is just one size of each shape, you can matte them easily by die cutting a second in another colour, preferably darker and cutting it in half vertically.  I cut off the little knobs at the top so you don't see the separation where the cut is and then I glue each half extending beyond each end.  Ta da!

Okay, I've mastered staples!  Now, on to ripped washi tape.  Might have to grit my teeth for that one, though.

Here's a new promotion from Stampin' Up, in case you were getting bored:

Click on the photo above to find out the downloads on sale and the print products as well.

Stamps:  Calm Christmas (w132736; c132739)

Paper:  Modern Medley DSP (126926); Basic Black (121045), Crumb Cake (120953), Cherry Cobbler (119685) and Very Vanilla (101650) cardstock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Soft Suede (126978) and Cherry Cobbler (126966)

Accessories:  1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon (132140); Staples (yeah!)

Tools:  Stapler; Apothecary Accents Framelits (127003); Pretty Print Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (132175); Big Shot (113439)

Apothecary Accents Framelits

Big Shot

1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon

Modern Medley Design Series Paper

Pretty Print Embossing Folder

Calm Christmas Embossing Folder

Christmas in July!

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but there are only 148 days until Christmas! 


 Now, you're either squealing with excitement, or looking for something to throw at me. Hey, don't kill the messenger.  I'm just stating the facts.


But don't worry!  With Stampin' Up's help, you're going to be more than ready for the BIG DAY!  In just 3 days our Holiday Mini Catalogue will go live and it's just jam-packed with great cards, decor items, packaging ideas, cookie decorating and more, including a great planner journal for you.  I know some of you have seen it already and can hardly wait to get that first order in.

I have some great Christmas Stamper's Dozen classes planned along with some great wreaths and banners for home decor for the holiday season.  And start making your wish lists now and pass them on to your loved ones so they can get you what you really want!

But while we're waiting, I thought I'd show you a couple of cards I made using the new products this week. The first one was created for this week's Dynamic Duos Challenge #63 :

Here's the Challenge logo:

• I used Pear Pizzazz Core'dinations cardstock for the card base and embossed it using the Beautifully Baroque embossing folder.
• The stamp set is from the new Holiday Mini and it's called Calm Christmas and I certainly hope yours is this year!  The sentiment is also from that set.
• I used Pear Pizzazz 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon to tie a festive little bow and added some sprigs of mistletoe, created with the Bird Builder punch.
• The Rhinestone Basic Jewels add the finishing touch to this simple card.

If you haven't received your Holiday Mini yet, let me know and I will get one to you as soon as I can.  I am just waiting to receive a shipment of catalogues.  August 1st, I will have a link to the catalogue on this site for you to peruse as well.

Keep your eyes open this week for my new fall schedule and new Product Shares from the mini as well.  I am really excited about all the great classes I have planned for this fall!

Stamps:  Calm Christmas (w132736; c132739)*

Paper:  Pear Pizzazz Core'dinations cardstock from the Subtles Collection (129954); Garden Green (102584), Pear Pizzazz (131201) and Whisper White (100730) cardstock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Garden Green (126973) and Pear Pizzazz (131180)

Accessories:  3/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Pear Pizzazz (131208), Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246)

Tools:  Beautifully Baroque Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (130917); Bird Builder Punch (117191)

Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder

Bird Builder Punch

Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Subtles Collection Core'dinations Cardstock