Midsummer Christmas Card

"Jingle bells, jingle bells!"  .... 

Okay, I know it's hard to get into a Christmas frame of mind when it's in the mid-thirties (mid-nineties for all you US folks), but I wanted to preview a beautiful stamp set from the new Stampin' Up Holiday catalogue which we will all be able to order from on Aug. 1.  It's called "Evergreen" and whenever I say it, I think of Hunger Games! (Katniss Everdeen).  But it really has nothing to do with Hunger Games, and I'm certainly in a random state of mind right now. 

Let's get on with the card:

 

The card base is Chocolate Chip card stock.  The back panel is either Natural Composition Specialty DSP with the music score embossed or the lined Natural Composition DSP with the Music Notes wheeled over it with Versamark ink and heat embossed with Clear embossing powder.  I sponged Cherry Cobbler ink on the edges and lightly in the interior in random places.  The mattes for the image panel are die cut from Chocolate Chip  and Very Vanilla card stock and the new Champagne Glimmer paper with Labels Collection Framelits.

The image begins with a soft sponge of Cherry Cobbler ink in the middle.  I then stamped the solid background tree shape with Crumb Cake.  I inked up the word image (Silent Night) with Versamark and embossed them with white embossing powder. (Make sure the previous ink is completely dry and DO use the embossing buddy to get clear lettering because it is so fine.)  I then sponged the edges and a little in the middle with Soft Suede to bring out the words more clearly.  I added Rhinestone basic jewels and some Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details to make the tree sparkle a bit and popped it up on the mattes with Dimensionals.

Finally I tied a bow around Clear Mount Block D on the narrow end, snipped the back and adhered it to the back panel before mounting the card on the card base.

 Enjoy!  Merry Christmas in July!

Stay tuned for news about the new version of My Digital Studio!

Stamps: Evergreen, Music Notes Wheel (120327; regular;$7.95)                                        

Paper: Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla card stock; Natural Composition Specialty DSP (126917;12 12x12";$15.95); Champagne Glimmer Paper                                                                               

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Cherry Cobbler(126966) ;  Crumb Cake (126975); Soft Suede (126978); all $7.25; Versamark (102283; $9.95)

 Accessories: White embossing powder (109032; $5.95); Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon (120992; 10 yds.; $9.50) ; Rhinestone Basic jewels (119246; 150; $6.50); Dazzling Details - Cherry Cobbler (125585; $3.25)                                                         

 Tools:  Embossing Buddy (103083; $7.50), Heat Tool (129053; $36.95), Stampin Sponges (101601; 3 sponges; $4.25)       

Affection Collection

Here's the first of what will be a regular Thursday post.  I'm making it a goal to be consistent in my posts so you know when to expect them.  My Tuesday posts will most likely be a MOJO Monday challenge entry, and Thursday and Saturdays will be other challenges like Paper Players or Pals Paper Arts or a Splitcoast challenge entry.  I am also going to attempt, as soon as my DH sets it up for me, some video tutorials, so stay tuned for that.  The only thing that daunts me is that I would need a manicure.  I hate nail polish!!!  But every video tutorial I watch has a hand model doing the steps with an immaculate manicure.  Umm - not happening, I'm afraid.  I'll be happy if I can get all the Midnight Muse off my fingers!  I'd probably have to get a voice dubbed in, too.  Anyone else out there NOT like the sound of their own recorded voice??  No, you'll have to like me or leave me, I guess - hand models and voice dubs are not going cheap these days! lol


Convention was awesome, as I've mentioned and we were given a stamp set called "Affection Collection" for free, among many other freebies.  It is one of the new products from the Holiday Seasonal Catalogue, which comes into effect August 1.  I just love the layering you can do with this set and I set about doing just that as I designed a card for my oldest daughter and her husband for their anniversary.

I also used the new Natural Composition Specialty DSP for the back panel.  It comes pre-embossed and makes a great background for this card.  The card base is Cherry Cobbler and it forms a matte for the front Very Vanilla panel as well.  I layered the stamps on the front panel by stamping the lightest first in Crumb Cake Ink, then overlapping those with Soft Suede and Cherry Cobbler Inks and finally Early Espresso for the "always" sentiment.   I distressed and sponged ALL the edges in Soft Suede except the base. BTW, I also used a background stamp from the Clockworks set in the main Idea Book and Catalogue.

I used sticky strip across the front, and after adhering some 1/8" Early Espresso Taffeta ribbon to the middle of some Victorian crochet trim, I pleated it onto the sticky strip.  I finished it off with an Antique Brad.

Let me know if you want a copy of the new Holiday catalogue.  It's bigger and better than in the past and you can order from it starting August 1.  Better yet, join my team and get your very own previews and preorders before anyone else!  Just click on "Join the Fun" on my Stampin' Up website!  It's only $125 to join now and you can choose anything you want in the catalogue up to a value of $155 and you will also receive a business pack valued at $70!  It wouldn't be long before you would be running a profitable home-based business and getting discounts of 20% on all your products.  Email me if you want to join my team.

Stamps: Affection Collection (127949 c; set of 8; $26.95)*; Clockworks (127292 c; set of 8; $21.95)

Paper: Cherry Cobbler (119685;24 sheets of 8 1/2 x 11; $8.50) and Very Vanilla (101650; 40 sheets of 8 1/2 x 11; $9.25) card stock; Natural Composition Specialty DSP (126917; 12 sheets of 12 x 12"; $15.95)

Inks: Classic Ink Pads in Crumb Cake (126975), Soft Suede (126978), Cherry Cobbler (126966)  and Early Espresso (126974), all $7.25.

Accessories: Antique Brad (117273; pkg. of 20; $7.50); Victorian Crochet Trim (118481; 5 yards; $9.50) , 1/8" Taffeta ribbon in Early Espresso (119959; 10 yds. for $8.25)

Tools: Stamping Sponges (101610; 3 sponges; $4.25); Paper Piercing Tool (126189; $4.95)

*available Aug. 1 from the Holiday Catalogue

Clockworks

Natural Composition Specialty DSP

Stamping Sponges