Christmas in July Stencil Card

This is another example from my Christmas in July Stamp Camp this week. Stampin' Up! introduced stencils in their Decor Elements line last year. This is a new addition! These stencils are perfect for home decor, but they can also be used in cards and scrapbook pages! This card also used the Big Shot texture plate - Perfect Details.

Christmas in July Stamp Camp

Last night I held my Christmas in July stamp camp. It was a full house filled with fabulous stampers! Here is one of the projects they did:



This card used a lot of punches! Here is a list of what I used:

1-3/4" Circle Punch (1-Blush Blossom and 1-Real Red)

Scallop Square Punch (1-Whisper White)*

Small Oval Punch (1-Whisper White)*

Large Oval Punch (1-Real Red)

Wide Oval Punch (1-Real Red)

Word Window Punch (3-Basic Black** and 4-Real Red)

3/4" Circle Punch (Whisper White)

1/4" Circle Punch (Basic Black and Real Red)

Warm Words Stamp Set and Real Red and Chocolate Chip Ink (sponged edges of Santa piece)

*Punch out a Whisper White small oval punch-then punch out Scallop Square Punch for beard
**Cut off ends of two black Word Window Punches for mittens and boots

I also made a dessert everyone loved. Here is my Double Berry Trifle recipe:

2 Angel Food Cakes (Store Bought)

2 pkgs small vanilla pudding

3 cups milk

2 cartons of Cool Whip

Frozen Blueberries and Frozen Strawberries

Make pudding with 3 cups of milk. Let set until not quite firm. Fold in 1 and 1/4 of the cartons of Cool Whip to the pudding.

Tear Angel Food cake into pieces and line a layer in the trifle bowl (mine is a Pampered Chef Trifle Bowl).

Add a layer of pudding mixture. Layer one of the fruits on top. Then add another layer of Angel Food cake and pudding mixure. Layer the second fruit. Add one more layer of Angel Food cake and pudding mixture. Then top with the remaining Cool Whip.

Add a few fresh berries on top if desired.

25 Cards of Christmas - December 25th

My final installment is for those cardmakers who just didn't get their Christmas cards done on time! Send a Happy New Year card instead!!!!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 24th

Remember the Reflection Technique card featuring Lovely As A Tree? Well, the transparency I used for that card will be featured in today's card. I didn't restamp it at all - just reused it as the focal point.

25 Cards of Christmas - December 23rd

Sorry for the late posts - but after scurrying around prior to Christmas, and then enjoying Christmas with my family, my back decided to go out. Ouch...I am still recouperating, but will finish up my 25 Cards of Christmas.

Here is my 23rd card:

This card has a faux denim background and features many SU punches. This could easily be transformed into a birthday card by changing the "noel" phrase!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 22nd

I have been using the new set Snow Swirled all season. I just love this set!

Here's a card showing an example of a poinsettia made with punches (the 5 flower punch and the 1/4" circle punch). I also used the long scallop punch for the bottom of the tree piece. There's a brad on top inside the "star".

25 Cards of Christmas - December 21st

Today's card is a gift certificate holder. I won't tell who it is for so I don't wreck the surprise! I used the new holly wheel! I embossed the saying in white ep on the coordinating tag. Mellow Moss, Riding Hood Red, and Always Artichoke are a great color combo!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 20th

Today's card is an example of Reverse Poppin' Pastels. This card uses Snow Swirled and To You and Yours.
Reverse Poppin' Pastels is such an easy technique. All you need is dark colored cardstock and lighter pastels. I use a QTip or a cotton ball and spread the pastel (in this case I used white) all over the piece of cardstock. Then ink your image with Versamark and stamp onto the pastel piece. The Versamark takes off the pastel to leave the image.

Enjoy!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 19th

The kids had off today - we had a total of about 12 inches of snow since 1:00 am last night. This was the third snow day in a month! I usually adore snow days, but today I had really wanted to get some Christmas wrapping done. Very hard to be sneaky when kids are coming in and out with wet gloves etc.

For today's card, I used Big on Christmas. A very simple card, but it shows a faux button - made with the 2-hole circle punch and then punched out with the 3/4" circle punch. Tie a knot with a piece of hemp or ribbon and pop it up with mini glue dots.

25 Cards of Christmas - December 18th

Where does the time go in the day? As it gets closer to Christmas, my to-do list is only getting longer, not shorter!

Here is my card to December 18th - it features Cardinal Christmas - one of my favorite sets from the Holiday Mini.

25 Cards of Christmas - December 17th

My second stair step card features Jolliest Time of the Year. Here it is!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 16th

For December 16th and December 17th, I will be showcasing a card format called the stair step card. I learned this technique online from a fellow blogger (thanks, Gretchen!). This card was tweaked from her example. The Holy Triptych stamp set is perfect for this format!

I taught my stampers this technique/format at my latest Technique Tuesday class. Here were the instructions I gave them:

STAIR STEP TECHNIQUE

Supplies
Holy Triptych/Many Merry Messages Stamp Set
Snow Swirled Stamp Set (for Star)
Confetti White/Night of Navy CS
VersaMark/Gold Glory EP/Emb Buddy/Heat Gun
AquaPainter/Various Inkpads
Scoring Blade/Pencil/SU Grid Paper

Cardbase
5 ½” x 11 piece of CW CS
Score as follows:
1 ½”; 3”; 5”; 7”; 9”
Fold on the score lines like an accordion.
5 ½” x 4 ¼” piece of CW CS for back base.
Attach back base to front of last “mountain”.

Stamp images in Stazon.
Cut out images (leave off star on Holy Family image).
Color in images with AquaPainters and inkpads.
Let dry.
Emboss star to center of large Night of Navy piece.
Emboss phrase on right end of small Night of Navy piece.
Adhere pieces.
Wise men on left, Holy Family in Center, Angel on right.

25 Cards of Christmas - December 15th

It was a chilly day around here today...and I luckily got to do some stamping. This card is a shaker card featuring the Santa from Jolliest Time of the Year.

I used some tiny gold star confetti and Christmas cookie decorations for inside the shaker. I hope you like this one!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 14th

Today's post includes one of my favorite stamp sets and one of my favorite techniques.




Lovely as a Tree is just one of those sets I hope never retires. I use it for almost every occasion (and see I don't even have a greeting on this card - just in case I need it!). The technique I used is called polished stone - I used Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, and Silver Encore refills for the background.

25 Cards of Christmas - December 13th

Ok, so it is not really December 13th when I am posting this. Sorry, but I just couldn't fit this in on Saturday.

Here is my card using Holiday Lineups and Sincere Greetings:

I used the Big Shot Top Note die and the Button die. I have used the direct-to-paper technique for the background and embossed the snowman on the Top Note. I just love these snowmen!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 11th

Today's card is a bit "out of the box" as you may not think of this stamp set when making Christmas cards. I used the Wow Flowers stamp set along with Heard from the Heart.

The flowers look quite like snowflakes when embossed in white. Here it is!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 10th

The card I am featuring today uses Holy Triptych, Sincere Salutations, and Baroque Motifs. I love the large stamp from Baroque Motifs as a background. The color combination uses Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, and Naturals White with silver accents (Silver EP and Silver Mini Library Clip).

I love the softness yet richness these colors invoke. Enjoy!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 9th

The kids were home from school as we had 9 inches of snow at least since last night. I am just as happy (I think even happier) when the kids have off of school.

Today's card is a very simple card - with limited coloring on purpose. I was trying to go for the look that you oftentimes see in artwork -you know - the bright red cardinal in a snowy birch forest. The stamp set is Home for Christmas from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

I like the simple look of this card - hope you do too!

25 Cards of Christmas - December 8th

For today's card, I chose one that uses a technique that I have always been scared of. I know this sounds silly, but although I have been stamping since I was 15 years old (I'm closing in on my mid-40s right now), there are just a few techniques that intimidate me.

The reflection technique used to incorporate using the Stamp-a-ma-jig. I have owned one ever since I became a demo...but honestly, I've never used it. Shame on me.

I learned a different way to do the reflection technique using an acetate sheet (much like the SAMJ, I know). However, all you had to do is stamp the image with Stazon on the top of the base piece and then once on the acetate and then flip the acetate and smoosh it down at the bottom of the base piece. Voila! OMG! I was giddy with excitement when I tried it the first time and it worked!!!!!! My Technique Tuesday class loved learning this easy method!

To be honest, I didn't have too many stamps that I immediately thought of when I wanted to try out the technique EXCEPT Lovely As A Tree. That stamp set is the PERFECT choice for this technique...and I am crossing my fingers and toes that it is not one of those on the chopping block tomorrow morning when the 2008 Fall Winter Stamp Set retirement list comes out.

Ok, enough talking and typing....here is my card!

What technique(s) intimidate you?????

25 Cards of Christmas - December 7th

For today's card I used Punch Pals. This set was perfect for a mug template card - which you can insert a package of hot cocoa! That little penguin is just soo cute. I added the tag with the three snowballs on the bottom. The sparkly glitter adds a nice touch too! I should use this set more often - I am glad it is on my stamping table as tomorrow I have some time to stamp!