Last Day.. and Only One More Day!

 

Before I start on today's card duo... important announcements...

Last day to claim your Bonus Days coupon codes that were emailed to you for your eligible July orders...

And only one more day until the new Autumn Winter catalogue is live... yay! So much to excite...

Come back tomorrow for the release of the online pdf version... or email me here if you want a hard copy ... and yours has not yet arrived in the post from me... or if you would like me to be your demonstrator (UK only)!

So back to the card... this is the other card we made at the last Monthly Training... and the Z Fold one was shared yesterday...

A simple little gatefold card using the Merry Music papers (coming tomorrow!) and the Carols of Christmas bundle. Die cut scalloped and plain Layering Circles for the greeting panel...  Gold embossing ... along with Crumb Cake (deer  and cardstock) and Pool Party (snowflakes)... Finished off with the lovely Soft Sky Classic Weave ribbon...

Carols of Christmas & Merry Music papers

Back to Carols of Christmas today... available in clear mount and wood mount...

Remember this set... this is on early release from the Autumn Winter catalogue and available now... just so you can get ahead with your Christmas card making...

So I thought it high time I shared a lovely Z Fold card using the set...

And this also includes another Sneak Peek for you... as the papers are from the Merry Music Speciality papers (available soon... from 1st September)

A few more musical papers being shown in the shot below...  along with some other lovely products that I will introduce you too later!! Can you spot why I am up my Christmas happy street....

This is a project we made at our last Monthly Training using papers Julie had brought back from her Thailand Incentive Trip... so lovely to get to use something before anyone else.

Though I will be in trouble when Julie spots my mistake... she lovingly selected the Deck The Halls music paper for this card... and I stuck it on the wrong way round... oops!

And for those of you need a further quick reminder on this lovely stamp set and dies... here you go...

Carols of Christmas Group Shot and Round Up

I was asked to put up a group shot of my Carols of Christmas card makes so far...  so here you go... 2 versions!

Out of interest which visual do you prefer? Photo Collage or Wood Caddy? (actually a Gardeners Caddy that I couldn't resist!! Thanks TK Maxx)

Card Front Builder dies and co-ordinating Carols of Christmas available to purchase on early release now... in wood or clear mount bundles with 10% off...

Click on the individual photos below for more details and direction...

And here is another group shot to finish off the post...

Hearts Come Home & Hometown Greetings #3

Keeping to my Night of Navy & White theme....

Two of the three house lined border dies in the set used here... both panels cut centrally and then hand cut to the end

Glimmer trees die cut using the same border dies and added...and small glimmer pieces stuck behind the windows for a bit of extra shine...

Nightsky panel achieved using the Baby Wipe Swoosh (or Swipe) technique and then die cut using the Card Front Builder dies... I used this die twice across the top - starting at the right hand side so that I didn't end up with 2 moons!!

There is a small starry die in the Hometown Greetings set that can be used... but I was feeling lazy and the other dies were still out!

Finished off with a white embossed greeting...

And the one thing I would do different next time... put a piece of silver glimmer behind the moon aperture to get that "by the light of the silvery moon" effect....

And some simple instructions for anyone not familiar with the Baby Wipe Swoosh technique...

(1) Grab a Baby Wipe and an ink pad...

(2) Press the top of the closed ink pad so that ink transfers onto the inside of the lid...

(3) Open up the ink pad and dab your baby wipe onto the lid to pick up the ink...

(4) Swoosh (swipe or wipe!) your baby wipe across your piece of card... 

(5) Swoosh & build up colour & texture until you are happy...

Hearts Come Home & Hometown Greetings available from 1st September... but Card Front Builder dies and co-ordinating Carols of Christmas available now... in wood or clear mount

Carols of Christmas Poinsettias.... and Three Tuesday Tips

Just realised I forgot to share this card made using the pre-released Carols of Christmas stamp set and Card Front Builder dies...

These are in the Autumn Winter catalogue which will be released 1st September... but this set is available to you to purchase now... Wood mount bundle here and Clear mount here...

Now I have to admit to 3 reasons why I didn't post this earlier...

(1) It is in a different colourway to all my other Carols of Christmas makes so it didn't fit in my series! 

(2) This is in Real Red and Tranquil Tide... and I wasn't going to share until I re-made it all in golds! But then everyone at Team Training liked the colours - so what do I know... so thought I should share in any case...

(3) I struggled to line up the die and stamped images to cut out my poinsettias! In fact I just couldn't do it really... and although they are die cut on this card... it took ages in trial and error.... so I resorted to fussy cutting for some more I now have in stock... yes they are in gold!

But then fast forward 2 weeks to Team Training last week...and suddenly I could see the how! It just came upon me in a flash... so I can happily share the trick with you too....

So Tip Number 1...

Stamp up your poinsettias with the arrow on the stamp pointing to the top....

Place the die over your poinsettia (aligned top of image to the top!!!!) with the corner/90 degree angle of the die to the centre at the bottom... 

Note that there are 2 of these dies.... so you can cut 2 corners of a mat at a time...

So I have now marked the relevant die with a B for bottom as a reminder... note that the Sizzix/number etching is upside down...

And cut! See not so hard.... 

I even managed to space and stamp my four demo poinsettias perfectly for all to (just) be cut out just right! Phew!

Tip Number 2... cutting a smaller poinsettia out! Same theory... but using the other corner die... so Sizzix etching right way up this time... just had to tilt the bottom angle a bit more up to the right to get it to line up...

And Tip Number 3... The new Mini Stampin Dimensionals are the bomb!! So perfectly sized... 

Pop them in the die cut area of where you want your flower to go... remove the protective cover... and pop your poinsettia on top... much quicker and easier to line up right than a flower with a 3D foam pad underneath...

Carols of Christmas and Card Front Builder dies are now available to order!

I am so happy to be finally saying those words... and to celebrate... I have created a couple more Carols of Christmas cards to share with you today...

This really is a lovely good value bundle.... I could have carried on creating with it for quite a while! There is so much in there to get the creative juices flowing...

Don't forget to scroll back for the last week or so to see the other cards made and shared with this set...

I know that many of you have been itching to order Carols of Christmas and get on with some of your christmas cards... so click here to go straight to my Online Shop...

Available in Clear Mount and Wood Mount... bundled with 10% off - or stamps & dies separately

 

Want to see more... here is a Video Introduction released by the Home Office....

And don't forget your Delightful Daisy papers and new Tranquil Tide In Color ink and card if you like the Tranquil Tide and Pool Party colour scheme I have been using!

And (as I was asked) here is a close up of the die-cut trees stamped with the texture stamp from Background Bits hostess set... with a bit of glitter to finish off of course...

Carols of Christmas Baubles...

Another clean & simple card using the pre-released Carols of Christmas to share today... Scroll back through the past weeks' posts to see more using this set...

Standard A6 tent fold card... with largest Layering Ovals die cut aperture...

Tranquil Tide greeting stamped through the aperture... Smoky Slate baubles stamped either side...with a few extras to the right... with stamped & die cut baubles in Pool Party, Smoky Slate & Tranquil Tide added

Finished off with Smoky Slate stars and a few stamped and die cut sprigs of holly...

Carols of Christmas stamps and Card Builder dies available to purchase from 1st August... or if you can't wait till then... sign up with Stampin' Up! today and get the stamp set for free.... along with a few extra essentials... Click here for more details...