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Elf Punch Art

This punch art elf is based on some of the images that have been floating around the internet, however, I thought he'd be cute holding onto a Christmas Letter to Santa!

I started with a base card of Bermuda Bay card stock and stamped the snowflake from Stampin' Up!'s Winter Post stamp set randomly across the top half.  Along the bottom, I placed some Merry Moments Designer Paper in the red stripe pattern.  I hid the seam with a strip of Basic Black card stock.  The letter is made with the Scallop Envelope die, I folded it up and adhered the front side to the base card and stamped the snowflake around the edges.  I used the Santa Postmark from Winter Post in Basic Black Classic Ink in the upper right corner.  Merry Christmas is from the set, Christmas Greetings and stamped in Basic Black ink, too. 

I made the Elf head with the Ornament Punch, the hat is also done with the Ornament Punch and then cut with the Wide Oval Punch.  The pom pom on his hat is the scallop flower from BoHo Blossoms.  His pointed ears are the star flower from BoHo Blossoms punch, too.  His hands holding the Christmas letter are made with the Word Window Punch.  The eyes are Bermuda Bay 1/4 circles with 1/8 Basic Black and highlighted with a White Gel Pen.  I colored his cheeks with Blush Blossom marker and his mouth with a Basic Black marker.  His nose is also a 1/4 circle from Blush Blossom.

I hope you enjoy my version of the Elf punch art!  My classes enjoyed making him!

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Christmas Tag Swap

Every year for at least the past six years, I’ve been involved in an alphabet Christmas Tag Swap with an online group, Creative Stamping Friends.  28 people choose a letter to design their tag around, plus a cover and back that lists the names of those who participated.  The theme of the tag must match the letter…in my case I did I for Ice Skating…a winter theme.  We make 28 of the same tag and send it to the Hostess.  It is fun to look back thru the years and see the different people who have participated and the designs on the tags.  Part of the requirement is that the letter appear on the front of the tag somewhere to identify the alphabet. I take all my tags and hang them together on a huge binder ring to display them and keep them all together. 

This year I used the stamp set, Winter Post and Baja Breeze as my base tag.  I stamped the snowflake with Baja Breeze in the background.  The skaters are stamped with Basic Brown ink.  I added some snow drifts at the top and bottom of the tag and used some Tombow Multipurpose glue and Dazzling Diamonds on the icicles (Martha Stewart Goo Punch) and along the top of the snow drift.  The snowflake is an retired Stampin’ Up! punch with a white mini brad in the center.  The I is from Lovely Letters (yes…I realized AFTER I was ALL done that I stamped the letter upside down!  Did you notice?)  I added some Soft Sky stitched ribbon I had left from the In-Colors last year.  I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out!

I did a bunch of my wrapping today…will try to finish up the bows and wrapping tomorrow (just my DH’s left to wrap and he was home all day).  Still have some stamping gifts to make up along with my tags for packages.  Hopefully it will all get done!  I really could use another week to prepare!

Winter Post invitation

Tuesday, I showed you the invitation that I did use for our Holiday Party invites, here is the one that I did first, but didn’t use.  Mary and I worked on a challenge to use the Top Note as a fold over card.  I combined that with an invitation since I needed to come up with an idea.  I did like this one…but it was a little more time-consuming.  The Top Note die was run thru twice, and then the Confetti White trim needed to be cut off so it layered onto the Riding Hood Red.  Since I had a bunch to make, I decided to go with the easier one.  

I love the reindeer in this set!  I think he is so elegant.  And, I’ve seen lots of ideas using this Winter Post set as replica of a post card.  I stamped the snowflakes off once before stamping on the Confetti White (with Baja Breeze).  The rest is stamped with Basic Brown.  The scrap of Alpine stripe ribobn and rhinestone brad are secured on the Confetti white piece.

Hope you have a great day!

Winter Post – Burnished Embossing

My technique classes did this card at their classes this past month.  A pretty simple background technique with lots of wow!  I think it looks best when done with more of an open type stamp…something that allows the darker color to pop through…like on this lacy snowflake from Winter Post Stamp Set!  I used White embossing powder, but you could use clear or even Iridescent Ice for a more subtle look.

The strip of designer paper is from Ski Slope in the mini catalog.  I still LOVE that paper!  I’ve used up all this stripe, I think.  The set, Winter Post, is one of my favorites, as you can tell by the number of times I posted cards done with it!  I stamped the skaters in Basic Brown and used my Blender Pen to color in their clothes with Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss and Riding Hood Red.  The Santa Post medallion is in that same set, however I punched out just the 1" circle, instead of using the entire image.  This card really came together quickly!  It is not too late to order your supplies to make your Christmas cards!  Just give me a call for some personal help with your order, or use the fast and quick Online Ordering Shop Now button on my website! 

Winter Post – Control Freaks Swap

I think everyone should have received their swaps back by now, so this is ok to post.  This was my swap for the Holiday Mini Catalog Swap for Control Freaks Swappers.  We get the BEST swaps from this group!  I love getting my package back in the mail…it is just like Christmas!

I used Winter Post for my card.  I did something similar to a Joy Fold, but turned it so the card could stand up on its own.  The second picture shows this better.  I used Baja Breeze as my base card, then layered Whisper White stamped with Baja Breeze snowflakes.  I used a narrow piece of Holiday Treasures Designer Paper and my Scallop Edge punch to punch an edge of scallops above the designer paper.  I stamped the December 25 image and punched it with the Designer Label punch.  Then I folded a small piece of Riding Hood Stripe ribbon in half and tucked it under the Label punch.  The skaters were stamped in Basic Brown on Whisper White.  I decided to leave them uncolored since it made a quicker card.  I didn’t think to make an "ice rink" under their skates until I’d already shipped it off.  The Columbus Day holiday made my time a little shorter than I thought.

So…I’m pleased with how it turned out!  And I love the swaps I received in return. 

I put a good dent in packing for the Retreat this weekend.  Just need to grab a suitcase full of stamp sets and I’ll be good to go!  Hope everything fits in the car (along with my two friends!)  Woohoo!  Everyone is arriving today!  Yeah!

Blogger’s Challenge – Warhol

Years ago our yahoo group, Creative Stamping Friends, did Technique University challenges.  Pat from Technique Junkies shared the Warhol technique with us then and I thought it was SO hard.  (It is now in a past issue of Technique Junkies Newsletter.)  I remember how challenged I was when I did it years ago.  This time was easier…don’t know if my stamping "eye" has expanded or I’ve seen more samples done since Lisa Somerville does this technique to perfection, but I could see the Warhol immediately when I looked at the new set, Winter Post.  Here is a SNEAK PEAK of a couple stamps from this set along with the SNEAK PEAK of new Designer Paper, Frosty Day.  Very retro colors for holiday paper, don’t you think?  I love it!

For the details, I stamped the Snowflake with Chocolate Chip Craft ink on each of the colors, then embossed with clear embossing powder.  Very shiny!  I mounted the colors of Really Rust, Kiwi Kiss, Bashful Blue and Chocolate Chip on Very Vanilla cardstock.  Then I stamped and embossed the Santa Postmark and punched with the 1" circle punch.  I sliced a small piece of the new Frosty Day designer paper (you KNOW the first cut is the hardest!) and layered the 5/8 Chocolate Chip grosgrain over top.  I wanted something in the center of my snowflakes and was inspired when I saw my Pretties Kit with the vanilla half pearls in a perfect size!  I started with a base card of Old Olive since I wanted a little contrast between the Kiwi Kiss and Old Olive.  I love how those two colors work together, too!

Hope you enjoy the weekend.  I’ll still be busy working on my craft fair items…I’ll have lots to share after next week!

Set:  Winter Post
Inks:  Chocolate Chip Craft Ink
C/S:  Old Olive, Really Rust, Bashful Blue, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Frosty Day DSP, Very Vanilla
Other:  Clear EP, Pretties Kit, 1" circle punch, dimensionals, 5/8 Chocolate Chip ribbon