Stampin' Up!

Stamping 411 – Folded Christmas tree

November 5, 2010 By Connie | 95 Comments

UPDATE: 11/24/15: It amazes and blesses me that so many people still visit this post on my blog to see this card! I made this card FIVE years ago! Thank you for stopping by!

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Time again for the Stamping 411 sketch challenge! When I saw the sketch, I started thinking about things that could go outside the rectangle panel to frame it. Although flowers would work, I wanted to do Christmas. I remembered seeing a folded Christmas tree and I thought the size would be perfect! I adapted the sketch slightly since I didn’t use the curly label under the front panel, but it still works! Just be inspired!

And here is my card:

EDIT: The circle is 5 1/4, then cut in half. Use the score lines on the template as a GUIDELINE on where to fold before you press in the score lines. If you look at the card, I think it is pretty easy to figure out how to fold, but the short side is Mountain, then Valley, then Mountain again as you are looking at the right side of your DSP (larger polka dot in my sample).

This is a Word Doc…converting it to PDF caused it to lose the shape.

https://inkspiredtreasures.com/wp-content/uploads/Folded Tree Diagram.doc

Several have asked for a PDF, so here it is, however, the size may not be the same.

https://inkspiredtreasures.com/wp-content/uploads/Folded Tree Diagram.pdf

Not a lot of stamping on it…mostly bling! I started by folding half of a 5 1/4″ circle of Jolly Holiday Designer Paper into the Christmas Tree shape. I like how the folds make it stand out away from the card a little! I pierced a hole in the top and added a Gold Glimmer Brad and a small rectangle of Early Espresso cardstock for the tree trunk. The base card is Old Olive and I ran Very Vanilla cardstock thru the Big Shot with the Petals A Plenty Impressions Folder. I wrapped Old Olive 1 1/4 Stripe Ribbon (LOVE that ribbon!) around and secured on the back.

I stamped the greeting from Christmas Greetings in Cherry Cobbler on Very Vanilla cardstock and layered it on Cherry Cobbler. I added some Rhinestone Jewels in the upper right corner for a little bling. I tucked this panel under the Old Olive Ribbon, then tied some Linen Thread around the ribbon to gather it. Finally I added the folded tree with a couple Stampin’ Dimensionals!

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CCMC123 Merry Crittermas

November 4, 2010 By Connie | 5 Comments

Today is the Thursday Challenge over on Create with Connie and Mary! We've started a new round of Challenge Team Members and have a couple NEW faces for you and I KNOW you will enjoy their work! So, here is the sketch we are using this week!

When I first saw the Merry Crittermas set, I was so-so about it…but…since I have it and have been watercoloring the little critters, I am having SO much fun! Their little faces are SO sweet! Here is the card I made using the sketch!

I started by selecting the little kitty from the set and watercolored her with Stampin' Write Markers the same as my own kitty, Bleach! She is Basic Gray with spots of Crumb Cake "bleach" marks…that's how she got her name! I layered the Whisper White on Garden Green. I used a piece of the glitter stripe pattern from Candy Cane Christmas Designer paper and placed it on a layer of Blushing Bride that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Petals A Plenty Impressions Folder. The base of the card is Baja Breeze.

I added a strip of Real Red Satin Ribbon across the front and two In Color Glimmer Brads in Blushing Bride color. The greeting from Merry Crittermas was stamped with Basic Black on Whisper White and punched with the Small Oval punch, then layered on Baja Breeze cardstock. Up in the right corner I added three large Rhinestone Jewels. Oh…and I added the cute little bird from Merry Crittermas next to my singing kitty cat! I think it turned out CUTE using some non-traditional colors!

Again, make sure to check out what the other Challenge Team Members did this week over on Create with Connie and Mary! And…grab your stamps and play along! We love to see what you do with the sketch! Make sure to label it CCMC123 and mention Create with Connie and Mary in your post!

It's not too late to join Create with Connie and Mary! We feature new Holiday Mini products every week. There is a new project posted every day and there will be an average of two fabulous tutorials each and every week. NEW is a project sheet for every project not having a tutorial! We like to have fun so we have challenges and prizes for our subscribers. Our sites stay up long after the session is done, so you will always have access to the site and the tutorials. For more information and to see our Preview Week projects please visit at Create with Connie and Mary!

French Foliage Poinsettia again!

November 3, 2010 By Connie | 6 Comments

I showed the stepped up version of a French Foliage Poinsettia card on my Saturday post HERE. I want to thank everyone for their nice comments…I enjoyed reading them! Now, I wanted to show you one that my Club members made last week. I showed how this could be their Christmas Card, even though it did require a little more cutting. It would be easily mailed since it doesn't have the bow and economical because I substituted home-made glitter paper for the pearls in case you need to make a LOT of them! Very demonstratable for demos…I've sold a lot of French Foliage stamp sets because of this card! I love using a predominantly fall stamp set to make a Christmas card!

I used many of the same elements. The base is Cherry Cobbler. I added a full layer of Jolly Holiday Designer Paper which would save time from cutting the panels like on the other version. I cut the Top Note from Old Olive and stamped Merry & Bright from the Bright Christmas stamp set in Basic Black.

I stamped 11 leaves from French Foliage with Cherry Cobbler on Real Red cardtock, then cut them out. I stamped two of the larger leaves in Old Olive on Old Olive cardstock and cut them out. (Great TV time activity for me!) I made the poinsettia by punching a 1 1/4 circle out of scrap paper and then adhering the leaf "petals" to it. Instead of the pearls for the centers, I made some glitter paper by inking up Daffodil Delight piece of cardstock with Versamark, then sprinkling on Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder and heat set it. Then I used a 1/4 circle punch to cut them out…it adds a little bling without the bulk! Or use the center of the Daisy die to make a bunch of circles at once!

I know I'll be making a few of these this Christmas! How about you?

Serene Snowflakes

November 2, 2010 By Connie | 2 Comments

Life is kind of crazy here…trying to get the initial planning done on the wedding. Since I'm in town I get to be more involved in the planning, which is FUN, but again time-consuming. We are sitting in pretty good shape now with reception location nailed down. Next up is Save the Dates to be designed and sent out!

So…onto my card! Here is a card that I made with my technique class last month. I got the idea from Dawn Olchefsky who calls it Clear Block Stamping. I love the subtle look of the block inked in the background! I switched up her fall card to a Christmas/Winter card!

The base card is Marina Mist cardstock and I layered on Night of Navy. The main layer is Whisper White. I inked up the square D Clear Mount Block with Marina Mist, then stamped off on scrap paper, then inked up the edges with Night of Navy ink and stamped on Whisper White. In the top left and lower right corners I stamped off with Marina Mist ink and the smallest snowflakes from Stampin' Up!'s Serene Snowflake stamp set. I stamped the largest snowflake full-strengh with Marina Mist and the next size snowflake full-stength with Night of Navy. Inside the large snowflake I placed a Silver Glimmer Brad for some sparkle! I added the greeting from Many Merry Messages with Night of Navy Ink.

I wrapped some Marina Mist Taffeta Ribbon around and tied a knot on the front. This is a pretty quick and easy holiday card to make! Not a lot of bulk on the front so it is easy to mail!

Well…I have to get in my Studio today and get some things done! Deadlines are creeping up on me! lol!

I have a couple spots left in my next Round of Ribbon Shares! Find more information HERE!

With the new catalog, Stampin' Up! has introduced a lot of new ribbon colors! So, I thought it was time for more Ribbon Shares. Each Group of Ribbon will be wrapped around 1-2 pieces of chipboard so your ribbon arrives wrinkle-free and organized.

Create with Connie and Mary Saturday Challenge

October 30, 2010 By Connie | 1 Comment

Wow…another week has FLOWN by! We have another Saturday Challenge over on Create with Connie and Mary! The challenge this week is All that Glitters! Our subscribers have the opportunity to play along and be put in a drawing for one of TWO $75 gift certificates and free subscriptions to the next edition! It's not too late to join…you will have access to all the past projects we've done, plus the future ones, of course! Check out the preview on Create with Connie and Mary to see what type of projects we've been doing!

Well…you certainly can't appreciate the SPARKLE on this card! The photo just does NOT do it justice! The entire background is Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder! It really adds an elegance to the simple stamping on this card!

The base is Rich Razzleberry cardstock. I'm sorry to tease you, but I used a technique for the background to get the sparkly Iridescent Ice look along with the Vintage Wallpaper Impressions Folder. I'm waiting until Tuesday to share that technique with you so my Club members have a chance to learn it first! It is lovely in real life! The Holy Family is stamped in Rich Razzleberry Classic Ink on Very Vanlla and layered onto more Rich Razzleberry cardstock. I used the Scallop Edge Punch along one side. I stamped the greeting and punched it with the Modern Label punch, then used the larger Modern Label die from Movers & Shapers Punch Windows set for the background. Each is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals.

The Rich Razzleberry 1 1/4 Striped Ribbon is wrapped around to the back and adhered, then I placed an Antique Brad on the front to hold it in place.

Make sure to check out what the rest of the Create with Connie and Mary Design Team did this week! They are DEFINITELY full of sparkle, although the photos don't do them justice!

Mary Brown – StamperCamper's Corner

Cristena Bagne – Gettin' Crafty

Rochelle Gould – I stamp, I create, I have fun!

Jenn Picard – A New Ink on Life

If you haven't checked out the Create with Connie and Mary site yet, now is the time to do it! We feature new Holiday Mini products every week. There is a new project posted every day and there will be an average of two fabulous tutorials each and every week. NEW is a project sheet for every project not having a tutorial! We like to have lots of fun so we have challenges and prizes for our subscribers. Our sites stay up long after the session is done, so you will always have access to the site and the tutorials. For more information and to see our Preview Week projects please visit at Create with Connie and Mary!

Stamping 411 – French Foliage Poinsettia

October 29, 2010 By Connie | 33 Comments

It is time for another Stamping 411 sketch challenge! This one I decided to mix up the background a little bit and use 4 different patterns in the Jolly Holiday Designer Paper Pack to represent the background of the sketch.

I started with a base of Cherry Cobbler cardstock. On it, I layered Very Vanilla cardstock. Then I cut the four patterns from Jolly Holiday into 1" wide stripes and placed them on the Very Vanilla. I cut a Top Note from Old Olive cardstock and stamped Merry & Bright from Bright Christmas in Basic Black in the corner. I wrapped the Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon around the back and made a bow for the front.

For the Poinsettia, I stamped the leaf from Stampin' Up!'s French Foliage 11 times with Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink on Real Red cardstock and cut them out. I used the larger leaf and stamped it twice with Old Olive Classic Ink on Old Olive cardstock. I punched a 1 1/4 circle from scrap paper and began adhering the petals to the circle…back row along the edge and then filling in closer to the middle of the circle on top. I added Pearls to the center for some extra bling…and three graduated sizes along the top of the Top Note diecut. I used Stampin' Dimensionals behind the circle for the Poinsettia and also popped up the Old Olive leaves.

I love how this turned out! Let me know what you think! Make sure to check out what the rest of the Design Operators did on Stamping 411 this week with the sketch!

Have a great weekend…I get to go with my future daughter-in-law to shop for the dress! Woohoo!

Create with Connie and Mary – Halloween Theme

October 28, 2010 By Connie | 1 Comment

Today is another Thursday Challenge over on Create with Connie and Mary...and it is an EASY one! Anything Halloween! Grab your Halloween stamps and play along! Just upload your creation over on Create with Connie and Mary…we love to see what you do. Make sure to identify it as CCMC-122 and list Create with Connie and Mary in your post.

I obviously didn't get the message that everyone on the Design Team was going to do a 3D type project this week! It didn't HAVE to be a 3D…they just all did one. I finished mine at the stamping retreat last weekend and I like it, so I'm sticking with my card! Although…I guess I could make it into a tag for a bag! lol!

I started with a base of Confetti White cardstock and layered on Tangerine Tango cardstock that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Spider Web Impressions Folder. I used a couple scraps of Wicked Fun Designer Paper and layered them on Basic Black cardstock.. For the center, I punched a 2 1/2 Circle and then stamped the Halloween sign from Dark & Dreary with Basic Black on Whisper White and punched it with the Decorative Label punch. I stamped it again in Tangerine Tango and punched only the 31 number in the center with a 1/2 circle punch. It is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals. I decided I needed a little bling and added Rhinestone Jewels on the top and bottom of the circle. And, finally, I stamped the spider from Dark & Dreary with Basic Black on Whisper White, colored him in with the Tangerine Tango Stampin' Write Marker and cut him out. He is also popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals.

I love how it turned out! Make sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team has done with this week's Thursday Challenge over on Create with Connie and Mary! And…come play along! Everyone is welcome!

Day of Gratitude

October 27, 2010 By Connie | 3 Comments

I know, I know…bad blogger! I haven't posted since Saturday! My customers know that I've had company for a week…and then was at our semi-annual scrapbook retreat over four days of the weekend! Yes…four days of indulging in my stamping addiction! I did get a lot done…100 Christmas cards are almost done, just need one piece cut out and glued on (TV time). Several projects for Create with Connie and Mary are done for the next couple weeks…you won't want to miss them! (It's not too late to join if you aren't a member!) The time goes by SO fast, though! We had a GREAT time and now I can't wait for March and the next one! My poor girlfriends had to travel home in the terrible weather we had yesterday, though…I know Linda's flight was delayed a couple hours.

So…here is a project that I made up for our Stamping Festival Stamp Camp a few weeks ago! I love the quality of the Mini Lunch Sacks that are in the Holiday Mini and paired it up with Day of Gratitude stamps, some apple cider, caramels and a cute little thank you note. Who wouldn't like getting this little gift? Everything tucks easily inside the little Mini Lunch Sack.

I cut a piece of Autumn Spice DSP and added the Early Espresso Dotted Ribbon Punch piece along one edge for a scallop. I stamped Gratitude greeting from Stampin' Up!'s Day of Gratitude on Very Vanilla and punched with the Decorative Label Punch and sponged along the edges with Early Espresso. I popped it up on front of the DSP with Stampin' Dimensionals. I stamped one leaf in Cajun Craze and cut out and stamped the same leaf on the 3×3 note in Cajun Craze. The other leaf was stamped in More Mustard and cut out. Both cut out leaves were tucked behind the greeting. Thank You on the note is in the same Day of Gratitude set and stamped with Early Espresso.

When you place the cider inside, you do need to fold the top of the packet down. Then I folded the Mini Lunch Sack to the front, punched two holes with the Crop-a-Dile and tied with 1 1/4 Early Espresso Striped Ribbon (LOVE that ribbon!) and a Cinnamon Stick on front for a cute little accent and added spice for the cider! A quick and easy little project!

Well…I have a BIG day of prep work to do for classes the next couple days! I was hoping to get that done over the past weekend, but the time just went by SO fast! Hmmm, wonder if we could stay for a WEEK next time! lol!