Joyful Christmas

CCMC282 Joyful Christmas

December 19, 2013 By Connie | 5 Comments

Well, I really haven't gone back to making Christmas cards. This one has actually been done for a while for the Create with Connie and Mary Color Challenge this week! These colors were perfect for ending up the holiday cards for me.

Here's my card using Joyful Christmas again! It really has become one of my favorite new sets this season!

Lots of different techniques on this card and it is full of shine and sparkle with Silver Embossing and Silver Glimmer Paper!

The base is 4 1/4 x 11 Whisper White, folded in half.
I added a 4 x 5 1/4 layer of Cherry Cobbler cardstock.
Across the center, I added a 3 x 4 piece of Season of Style Designer Paper.
Down the right is a 1 1/4 x 5 piece of Silver Glimmer Paper.
I stamped the Poinsettia and leaves from Joyful Christmas twice with Versamark Ink, once on Whisper White and once on Vellum Cardstock, then embossed with Silver Embossing Powder. I cut the center out of the Vellum one and the complete poinsettia out of the Whisper White. I sponged Cherry Cobber ink over the Whisper White poinsettia…making it darker in the center and lighter towards the edges.
I layered the Vellum center over the larger poinsettia…it really is a cool effect with a little of the darker sponging showing thru the vellum.
I sponged Old Olive on the leaves (not a color in the challenge, but the poinsettia really needed leaves…sorry!)
I popped up all the leaves and flowers with Stampin' Dimensionals on the front.
Finally, I stamped Joyful Tidings from Christmas Messages stamp set with Cherry Cobbler Ink, then cut it with the Oval Framelits and added it to the front with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Love all the glimmer and textures on this card! Make sure to check out the rest of the Challenge Team over on Create with Connie and Mary, then grab your stamps, take a break and play along!

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Create with Connie and Mary is getting ready to launch our Valentine Special MINI Collection immediately after Christmas on December 26th! That is so we give our demo subscribers plenty of time to set up their classes! Sign up TODAY at Create with Connie and Mary so you don't miss out!

This MINI collection will be slightly different…only FOUR projects…and only $5.95 US!!!

A mini session featuring the Whole Lot of Love Valentine suite of stamps and accessories!
FOUR step-by-step pictorial project tutorials…two card set tutorials and two 3D projects!
NEW! Kits of supplies for each project will be available to purchase!
Featuring the Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Stack on all our projects!
ONE tutorial revealed EACH day on Dec 26, 27, 28 and 29.
Exclusive to subscribers, these projects will not be shown ANYWHERE else!
Demos & Customers welcome!

Join today over on Create with Connie and Mary!

SUO78 Joyful Christmas

December 17, 2013 By Connie | 5 Comments

Our SUO Challenge (SUO86 not 78 as I have listed above!) this time is Last Minute Gift or Card Ideas…a very timely topic as many of "us" are trying to work on finishing up our Christmas lists! I know it will all get done, but at this point I'm really wondering! lol!

I had lunch with some "old" neighbors a week ago. Three of our families get together often during the year, our kids having grown up together. The other one, we hadn't seen in 5-6 years! It was fun catching up! I wanted to take a little gift for each of them, but waited to the last minute to get anything done. These were really quick to pull together and I completed them in about an hour!

I used some of the pennants left over from the banners class I held. (And the Refill Banner Kit and Accessory Kits are on the WEEKLY SPECIAL this week…don't miss out! Here are the details:

I used the Chevron stencil and Crumb Cake ink to make the pattern in the background of the banner
I added a 2" strip of Old Olive with a 1" strip of Season of Style DSP over top and used my Hot Glue Gun to secure to the canvas.
I embossed the Joyful Christmas poinsettias with Gold Embossing Powder on Cherry Cobbler, along with the leaves on Old Olive cardstock, cut then out and placed on the front with Hot Glue.
I added Pearls to the centers of each Poinsettia.
I cut the Merry from Red Glimmer Paper and Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet on the back…it stuck GREAT to the canvas!
Finally, I added some retired Twill Striped Ribbon that I had left over. It worked and matched perfectly and I'm happy to use some of it up!

I suggested they hang these on a door handle to help decorate for the season. It worked perfectly as one was in an apartment getting ready to move into their newly built home so she hadn't done any decorating for Christmas, the other lives in a Condo and doesn't put out many decorations. These are small enough and sturdy enough that they can use year after year!

Make sure to check out the rest of the SUO Challenge Design Team to see what ideas they came up with for Last Minute Gift or Card Ideas over on SUO Challenges!

November Tour de Freaks It’s Christmas time!

November 19, 2013 By Connie | 7 Comments

The Control Freak swappers are showing off their Christmas finery in the Tour de Freaks blog tour this month! Make sure to take the tour around to all the stops! You've probably just come from the wonderfully talented Lisa Martz's blog. If you've arrived here prior to November 20th, please know that not all the stops may be working yet.

I choose to do some Christmas packaging for my projects this month! I have a Folded Top Box with window sides, a decorated Tag a Bag and my Nugget Tin all done up with Joyful Christmas poinsettias!

First up is the Folded Top Box…wish you could see how pretty it is in real life…the box folds and twists to close and then I added some Silver Ribbon to hang it if desired! I cut just two of the center portions of the poinsettias to add to the side, then used A Banner Christmas for the words. Inside is a cello bag filled with chocolate Christmas bells.

The Season of Style Designer Paper really is shown off on the sides and the top folds. I used the Chalk Talk Framelits to cut and line the windows on each side.

If you remember, last month I did the Nugget tin in a fall theme. This month I've used Joyful Christmas Stamp set and a couple layers of Poinsettias. The inside I used a separator for the Hershey nuggets that are wrapped in Season of Style Designer Paper. The belly band slides off to open.

Last, I decorated one of the Tag a Bags with a belly band. I sold some of these at a craft fair…all they need to do is add the gift or a gift card!

Hope you like all my Christmas packaging ideas! Again, make sure to continue on your way around the entire Tour de Freaks blog tour to see some fabulous Christmas ideas! Next up is LeeAnn Greff, I'm sure you will love her projects!

CCMCWINTER13-03 Joyful Christmas Holly

November 9, 2013 By Connie | 4 Comments

It's the end of Week 3 already over on Create with Connie and Mary Winter Collection 2013! We've had some FABULOUS projects this week, perfect for your holiday classes or gift giving over the holidays! AND, it's not too late to join! Sign up today and you'll be one of the first to see our Week 4 projects and you can refer back to the projects we've already done for up to a year after the edition ends!

Today, the Design Team has a fun sketch challenge for you to try!

Can you see that I used the poinsettia leaves from Joyful Christmas to make my holly leaves? I thought that was pretty clever of me! lol! I LOVE the patterns and colors in the Season of Style Designer Paper this year…very traditional which I appreciate! I think the polka dot pattern is my favorite!

Here are the details:

The base is 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 Cherry Cobbler, folded in half.
I cut the Season of Style Designer Paper polka dot pattern to 2 3/4 x 4 and layered it on 3 x 4 1/4 piece of Old Olive cardstock and placed on the front. Then added a 1 x 5 1/2 strip of Cherry Cobbler print in the same package.
I used the Circle Framelits to cut the 2 3/4" Crumb Cake and 1 1/2" Cherry Cobbler Circles and placed on the front.
I made the holly with three of the Joyful Christmas leaves, stamped with Always Artichoke on Old Olive cardstock, then sponged with Old Olive Ink. I added three 1/2" circles of Red Glimmer Paper for the berries.
I used the Christmas Wishes greeting in That's the Ticket stamp set and punched with the Ticket Duo punch to layer over the bottom of the circles.
Finally, I added a couple pearls along the right edge for some extra bling!

Make sure to check out what the Design Team did over on Create with Connie and Mary…lots of inspiration for you using this fun sketch! Come play along!

CMCCWinter13-02 Joyful Christmas

November 2, 2013 By Connie | 4 Comments

I absolutely adore this poinsettia set, Joyful Christmas! I've done a lot of different things with it. This one is a card that I used for the Color Challenge this week over on Create with Connie and Mary Winter Collection 2013. We do Saturday challenges during our sessions, so feel free to play along!

But, I liked it so well, that I also used it for my Control Freaks Holiday Swap! I made them up while I was at my stamping retreat.

Here are the details:

The base is 4 1/4 x 11 of Cherry Cobbler cardstock, folded in half.
I added a 4 x 5 1/4 layer of Whisper White, then a 1 1/2 x 5 1/4 strip of the striped pattern in Season of Style Designer Paper along the left side. I also added a 1/4" strip of Champagne Glimmer Paper.
I cut a Deco Framelit from Crumb Cake and stamped the greeting from Joyful Christmas in Cherry Cobbler and placed it on the card.
Next, I stamped the Poinsettia twice with Cherry Cobbler ink on Pink Pirouette, cut out the layers, then sponged more Cherry Cobbler ink on the petals. I curled the petals slightly and then added layers with Stampin' Dimensionals on the front.
I added Champagne Glimmer Paper circles (from the Owl Punch) in the center of the flower.
I also stamped the leaves with Always Artichoke on Old Olive, then sponged with more Old Olive ink.

I love how it turned out! Make sure to check out the rest of the Design Team and what they did with this color challenge over on Create with Connie and Mary!

We are in the end of Week 2 with Create with Connie and Mary Winter Collection 2013 and it's not too late to join! This week we are working on some FUN holiday and Christmas projects! Each of our tutorials comes with step-by-step PHOTO directions so it is easy to follow along! Come join us! Get more details and sign up at Create with Connie and Mary!

Joyful Christmas

October 16, 2013 By Connie | 2 Comments

Today over on Create with Connie and Mary we are introducing our Guest Designer, Deb Currier, who has a FREE TUTORIAL for PREVIEW WEEK of our Winter Collection 2013. One week during the session each of the members of the Design Team will make a set of 4 cards from new Holiday stamp sets…that gives you 24 EXCLUSIVE card ideas that only subscribers will see! Use them individually or as a set in your classes! AND, make sure to check out our website to find WHERE to go to leave a comment for Blog Candy, a FREE subscription to Create with Connie and Mary Winter Collection!

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I was asked to do a 3D Make & Take for 30 people during a stamping retreat I attended back in September. I ended up using the Tag a Bag Gift Bag and decorated it with Joyful Christmas poinsettia! I decided to go with Pink Poinsettias for something a little different.

I wrapped the bag with a belly band design so it just slides off to get inside the bag without damaging the bag itself!

Here are the details:

I cut a 2 x 11 piece of Cherry Cobbler and folded in half to form the base of the belly band. I secure the ends with Sticky Strip.
I folded the bag down so the belly band would fit around it.
I added a 1 x 5 1/2 strip of Season of Style Designer Paper down the front of the band.
I stamped the Poinsettia from Joyful Christmas with Cherry Cobbler Ink on Pink Pirouette twice and cut out one full and one center from the Poinsettias. I stamped the leaf with Old Olive ink three times on Old Olive cardstock and cut out. They are layered together with Stampin' Dimensionals and placed on the Belly Band.
I added a large Rhinestone Jewel to the center for some bling.
Finally, I cut the word "Merry" from the Expressions Thinlits and Silver Glimmer Paper. Just the center portion is adhered to the belly band. TIP: Use wax paper between the paper and the framelit and run it thru 2-3 times to make sure it cuts well. If doing multiples, make sure the wax paper is popped out of the Thinlit each time so you get a nice clean cut.

Isn't it festive? I love how it turned out!

Again, make sure to check out Deb's card set over on Create with Connie and Mary! The set is WONDERFUL and now I can't wait to get that stamp set…mine should be here today! And…while you are there, check out how to sign up for our exclusive Winter Collection subscription! Early Bird savings ENDS on Saturday…you don't want to miss out! Get over 24 step-by-step PHOTO tutorials for only $24.95…just about $1 each! Let us design your classes for you during this busy holiday season!

Joyful Christmas

October 1, 2013 By Connie | 3 Comments

We've been dog sitting the past couple days. She's a beautiful Golden Retriever and so sweet. She follows us around everywhere! I think she is happy to have our undivided attention…no Carter around to steal the attention from her! lol!

Have you noticed the small paper packs in the Holiday Mini? This one is Winter Frost (also comes in Season of Style). You get 48 sheets (24 double sided designs) in a 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 size. I grabbed one of the patterns and cut it down for a layer on this card. How simple! You also can't appreciate the Silver Metallic Foil Sheet going across the center…it is cardstock weight so it doesn't crinkle or bend easily…and gives off a nice reflective surface. The poinsettia I had sitting on my desk from another project, so thought I'd use it as the focal image. The embossed White looks so pretty against the cardstock vellum! And, of course, that Silver 1/8 Ribbon is WONDERFUL! I hope they add Silver and Gold to the regular line…love it!

OK…here are the details!

The base is 4 1/4 x 11 Whisper White, folded in half.
I cut the Winter Frost Designer Paper to 4 x 5 1/4. I added the Silver Foil Sheet cut 2 x 4 across the front, then added the 1/8 Silver Ribbon at the top and bottom to hide the seams.
I stamped the Poinsettia twice with Versamark on Vellum Cardstock and embossed with Whisper White Embossing Powder. I cut out the entire flower once and just the center portion on the second one. I added Pearls to the center and added to the front of the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.
My greeting is a strip of Coastal Cabana cardstock, stamped with the Christmas Greetings from Warmth & Wonder Hostess set in Island Indigo Ink, cut with a flag end, and tucked under one of the petals of the Poinsettia.

Very, very simple…cutting the Poinsettia took the longest. But I love the non-traditional look of the White Poinsettia against the blues and silvers. Pretty!

Did you see? We are starting the Early Bird signups for our Winter Collection on Create with Connie and Mary. It's all about Christmas and Winter projects! It's not too early to start planning those gifts and decorating and we have lots of GREAT ideas to help you! See more information over on Create with Connie and Mary!

Joyful Christmas

September 10, 2013 By Connie | 2 Comments

Hi everyone! I had a wonderful time at our stamping retreat over the weekend! I had two girlfriends come in from out of state, and we had lots of fun catching up with all the news! Plus, I did get LOTS of cards made, so I am VERY happy! They left last evening…but I do hope to see them again soon!

This is one of the stamp sets that I used a lot this weekend. After I started playing with it, I had SO much fun! I needed a card for the new SUO Challenge this week…SUO78 Use your Favorite Technique. I love watercoloring, so I did a twist on it with markers. For this, I used Natural White cardstock, outlined the image with markers, then used my AquaPainter to move the color. I did need to add a little more marker color in the center area by scribbling the marker on the plastic stamp case and picking up the color with my AquaPainter. My most favorite way to color!

Here are the details:

The 4 1/4 x 11 Crumb Cake is folded in half to make the base card.
I added a 4 1/8 x 5 3/8 piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock on top.
On the 4 x 5 1/4 piece of Whisper White, I added strips of polka dot and striped designer paper from Seasons of Style DSP package. Then added the Silver 1/8 Ribbon and a strip of Old Olive cardstock on the diagonal, too.
The greeting was stamped with Old Olive ink in the upper left corner.
I stamped the poinsettia and leaves with Black Stazon, then used my AquaPainter and Cherry Cobber, So Saffron and Old Olive markers as I mentioned above. They were cut out and layered together with Stampin' Dimensionals and adhered on front.

I love it and it is so easy to color with markers! Hope you try it! Make sure to check out the rest of the SUO Challenge Design Team to see their favorite techniques! I can't wait to see them!