25 Tags of Christmas

Tracey McNeeley has a fabulous special she does each year called the 25 days of Christmas. This year she asked the design team at StampNation if we wanted to play along in her challenge.  Of course I said YES!  I love making tags for Christmas gifts.  Sometimes I will even hang tags I've made on our Christmas tree as decorations.

Here is my first tag.

I was so inspired I couldn't stop at just one, so I made a couple more and filmed the video for you!

***Note- If you are reading this post in an email or reader you may need to visit my blog to view the video.  

The second tag is so quick and easy to make!

Here is a close-up, so you can see the shimmer of that Delicata ink.

To make the blog hop even more fun Tracey has prizes and giveaways and she is letting me get in on the fun.  Leave a comment here by November 26th for a chance to win, then be sure to check out Tracey's blog for even more chances to win a prize from one of her fabulous sponsors.

• Reverse Confetti
• Clearly Besotted
• CAS-ual Fridays
• Neat and Tangled
• Paper Smooches
• Lawn Fawn

You will be beyond inspired for all your holiday tag needs this season!

If you are looking for more holiday card and tag ideas, be sure to check out A Very Trendy Holiday 2.0  Clicky for more details.

I'm also entering one of my tags in the Addicted to CAS challenge.

  

Supplies:
Stamps: Compliments of the Season (Waltzing Mouse Stamps); EnFrancais (Stampin' UP!)
Ink: Iced Spruce - Antique Linen - Tea Dye - Gathered Twigs - Weathered Wood (Distress Ink); Golden Glitz Delicata (Tsukineko), Black Hero Hues (Hero Arts)
Paper: Distress Watercolor (Tim Holtz/Ranger); Cartographer (Prima)
Accessories: Metallic Gold Embossing Paste (Wendi Vecchi); Stitched Duo 1 Die (Pretty Pink Posh); Endearing Stencil (Penny Black); Cherry Cobbler Linen Ribbon - Real Red Woven Satin Ribbon (Stampin' UP!)

Stampin' Celebration + Design Team Call

Yesterday a new challenge went live on Stampin' Celebration and I almost missed it!   Yikes!  I'm glad I was able to get my card submitted just under the wire because I think this sketch has so many creative possibilities.

The sketch inspired me to look for an extra large stamp in my stash for the background "circle".  I inked up my stamp with distress inks, then sprayed it with water before stamping it on a piece of cardstock.  There was still loads of ink on my stamp so I stamped it again for the piece you see in my final card.

Doesn't this technique give the stamp a unique watercolored look?  I wished I had my camera turned on for this card, but I had no idea where I was going and it would have been a 60 minute video.  I love the stark contrast of the white and the watercolor, but I needed to subdue it a bit for my sympathy card, so I sponged on a soft pink.  When I was about to adhere the vellum I realized I had no place to hide the adhesive.   Luckily I had some very thin washi tape laying next to me on my stamp table.  It worked as a perfect mask.

Stampin' Celebration is having a Design Team call and a few changes to the guidelines of the challenge to make it easier for all of us to remember.  :)  Be sure to check out this post if you have ever thought of joining a design team.

Before I go I wanted to remind you that tomorrow is the last day to take advantage of the $1 StampNation trial. If you've been curious about StampNation and want to try it out before you buy a full membership, then hop on it before it disappears.

Tomorrow is also the last day to take part in the housewarming party blog hop.  Clicky to see my post for more details.

I can't wait to see what you are inspired to create!

Stampin' Supplies
Stamps: Gathering Together (Penny Black), En Francais (SU)
Ink: Dusty Concord-Milled Lavender- Peacock Feathers- Picked Raspberry (Distress Inks), Versamark, Basic Gray (SU)
Paper: Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Vellum, Whisper White
Accessories: In Color Sequins (SU), Clear Embossing Powder, Washi Tape, With Sympathy Die (SSS)

Fight Like A Girl

If I had superpowers I would erase Cancer.   Unfortunately I don't have the power to do that, but I can stand behind my friends and family in the battle for their lives and offer prayers, support, encouragement, tears and a well timed card.

This card will be sent to one of my friend's battling breast cancer, but it was made for all of you touched by cancer in some way.  {hugs}

Butterflies are symbol of hope for a beautiful tomorrow, to me, so I chose to include a butterfly over my pink ribbon.

TCC3

I'm linking up with a new challenge that I hope you will check out. The Card Concept There are so many styles represented in the design team for this challenge site that you are sure to find your own somewhere in them.  I'm pretty sure my card today fits in the Shabby Chic category, but it could also fall under Freestyle Collage and Classy & Elegant.

Fusion#4

I'm also linking up with the fusion challenge using the butterfly against a blush background. Hopefully I will get a chance to make another card using the sketch.

Sending out prayers and healing thoughts to all of you out there battling cancer or taking care of someone who is.  "Fight Like A Girl" and kick cancer's but!

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Card Supplies:
Stamp: Fight Like A Girl (A*muse Studios), Gorgeous Grunge (SU), EnFracais (SU)
Colors: Blushing Bride, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Smoky Slate (SU)
Accessories: Embossing Paste, Leanna Butterfly (SSS), Leafy Branch (Savvy Dies), Tessatina Stencil (Memory Box), Vellum Cardstock, Basic Pearls, Tea Lace Doily, Pink Taffeta Ribbon, Wink of Stella Pen, Irridescent Ice Embossing Powder

Play Day in the Hobby Room

Having some fun with some new goodies this weekend.  :)   I thought it might be fun to make a Clean & Simple (CAS) card and then step it up with a more embellished card using similar supplies.

It all started with the Leafy Branch die from Savvy Stamps.  Isn't it beautiful cut out of Brushed Bronze metal from Add A Little Dazzle?  I paired that with the Lots to Say stamp set, also from Reverse Confetti.  It was heat embossed with Early Espresso before being dry embossed with my dots embossing folder.

While my Big Shot was getting a workout I decided to try out my brand new Love Notes die from Reverse Confetti.   I was SUPER impressed with all the Confetti Cuts dies.  (Yes, I bought more than one. ;)  They cut smoothly through metal as well as glimmer paper and they released easily from the dies.

My stepped up card has just a few more details that are easy to see.  The seem binding ribbon was adhered with score tape in a scrunchy band across the card.

Each of the rhinestones was colored with Copic R29.  It was so easy to color these gems, just like everyone has been telling me.

I'm entering lots of challenges with these cards.  :)  It should be pretty easy to tell how I was inspired.

The Curtain Call challenge ended this morning, but it is what inspired the love message on the first card.  I had planned to make a thank you card before I saw this challenge last night.  When I saw it I got excited because I knew I could use my new goodies from Reverse Confetti.

Curtain Call

CAS isn't always easy for me, but I am learning with each challenge I do and each lesson Maureen Merritt gives us at StampNation.  CAS*ology has a refresher course on CAS design for their challenge.  Contrast was pretty easy to accomplish with all the white space and saturated colors of the first card.  It truly was a light bulb moment for me that contrast plays a big role in CAS design.

CAS*ology

My personal challenge to create a Christmas card a week led me back to Merry Monday challenge.  It was a color challenge, but one I found easy to accomplish.  :)  Usually I struggle with color challenges, but not this time.  I think this color combo is great for rustic Christmas cards.  You should check out the design team and other submissions for this challenge.  They are lovely.

MM#92

Last, but certainly not least is the challenge that started all this.  I ordered the die and knew I wanted to use it with Brushed Bronze metal sheets.  Lucky me that it was a perfect fit for the current Dazzling Divas challenge.  :)

DD#9

Even though I don't have red nor white metal sheets, I think you can see how this picture inspired the colors on my cards.

Can you believe I was inspired by 4 different challenges and none of them are sketch challenges?  

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Love You Card
Stamps: Lots to Say
Paper: Whisper White, Red Glimmer Paper
Accessories:  Brushed Bronze Metal Sheet (Add A Little Dazzle), Dots Embossing Folder, Early Espresso Embossing Powder, Leafy Branch #10092 (Savvy Stamps), Love Notes (Reverse Confetti)

Warm Wishes Card
Stamps: EnFrancais (SU), Seasonal Flourish (Waltzing Mouse Stamps)
Paper: Early Espresso, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones, Brushed Bronze Metal Sheet (Add A Little Dazzle), Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Copic R29, Early Espresso Embossing Powder, Leafy Branch #10092 (Savvy Stamps)

Love and Sympathy

My uncle passed away last weekend, at the age of 49, after his battle with cancer.  My heart is heavy for my aunt and cousin who had to say goodbye so soon.  It's never easy to make sympathy cards, but I honestly feel it is the most important card I send.  My hope is that it will bring some small measure of comfort to know that I care about them and I'm praying for them.

The stems were colored with a Pear Pizzaz marker and the flower was colored with Wisteria Wonder.  The butterfly was stamped onto vellum then punched out using the small butterfly punch.

 

The sentiment from this stamp set is just lovely.  It's a new stamp set for me and I'm just sorry I needed to use it so soon.

Rest in peace, Uncle Rod.  We'll be holding your wife and daughter in love and prayers.

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Stamps: EnFrancais Background; Love and Sympathy; Papillion Potpouri
Paper & Ink: Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake, Pear Pizazz, Wisteria Wonder
Misc: Small Butterfly Punch, Wisteria Wonder Ruffled Ribbon, Distressing Tool

 







Masked Love

Yesterday I showed you how I used the tag from the Artisan Embellishment Kit.  On today's card I used that same tag as a mask.  I simply layered the tag onto a piece of cardstock and then sprayed smooch spritz all over it.  When I lifted up the tag I had this lovely "white" tag left behind. 

From there I added the EnFrancais background stamp and layered my Crumb Cake strip.

The Love sentiment comes from You Are Loved stamp set.  I gold embossed it, then used my oval punch to punch out the sentiment and the Decorative Label punch to punch out the background.   In the picture below you can see I have ribbon running between the two layers and the oval is popped up using dimensionals.

This would make a nice Anniversary card, or give it to anyone you love.  It's going in my stash, and the next wedding, bridal shower, or anniversary party we go to I will have a card already made.  Or, I can just save it for my honey and give it to him.  It's not too girly to give to the man I love.

 

Last night I filmed a video showing you how to make this card front.  It's not complicated, but there are several steps.  It's funny to me how a fairly "Clean and Simple" card can be "not so simple" to make.  (especially when you decide to start filming at 11pm at night.)

***Note: If you are reading this in an email you may need to go to my blog to view the video above.  Just click on the title of this post, "Masked Love", and you should be taken straight to this post on my blog.

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Stamps: EnFrancais, You Are Loved
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Very Vanilla
Ink: Crumb Cake, Gold Smooch Spritz, Versamark
Misc.: Artisan Embellishment Kit, Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon,  Gold Embossing Powder, Oval Punch, Decorative Label Punch


Artisan Embellishment Kit



You Are Loved




EnFrancais



Remember When

Don't you hate when you need to send a sympathy card?  It can be nice to have some sympathy cards on hand, but I find that I enjoy the process of praying for someone as I make them a card after they have lost a loved one.  Don't get me wrong, I hate that there is a need, but I love that I can do "something" for them, no matter how small.

As much as a sympathy card is appreciated in that first week, I think it means even more in the weeks and months that follow the loss.  In those first days everything can be a blur.  Later it seems as though everyone but you has moved on.  It is then that a sympathy card received has such a deep impact.   So if you are a procrastinator and think it is too late to send a card, you could end up sending it at the perfect moment. 

I wanted to do some tearing for this card.  For some reason it seemed appropriate.  Perhaps it is the tears, or because a heart is broken.  This card is for someone who has lost her father, so I also wanted the card to have a masculine touch.

I did add a few pearls.

The inside looks like it is on an angle because I am trying to hold it open in one hand and take a picture in the other.  It looks much straighter in person.  (at least I hope it does)

I hope you never need to send a sympathy card, but if you do then I hope this inspired you in some way.  My prayers are with each of you who have lost somebody you love.

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Card Recipe:  All items Stampin' UP!
Paper: Retired DSP, Very Vanilla CS, Sahara Sand CS, Soft Suede Cardstock
Ink: Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede
Stamps: Word Play, En Francais, Four Frames, Blessings From Heaven, Retired Background stamp
Misc.: Brushed Bronze, Bronze Button, Linen Thread, Basic Pearls, Decorative Label Punch

Congratulations ~ TSOT

Ready for another Try Stamping On Tuesday?  I know I just did one yesterday, but there was a new one up today and it was PERFECT for helping me make this wedding card. 

Here is the sketch from TSOT

There are a LOT of dimensionals on this card.  The heart alone has 3 layers to get it up over that (retired) ruffled ribbon.

I may end up needing a padded envelope to ship this.  :) 

I hope the bride and groom will feel the love when they open this card.

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

Card Recipe:
(Most items used are Stampin' UP!)

Stamps: You Are Loved, En Francais, Itty Bitty Banners
Ink: Basic Grey, Blushing Bride, Versamark
Paper:  Basic Grey, Blushing Bride, Whisper White, Twitterpated DSP
Misc.: Blushing Bride Ribbon, Crochet Lace Trim (non-SU), Clear Embossing Powder, Basic Pearls, Labels Framelits Die, Hearts Framelit Die, Bitty Banners Die

Labels Framelits Die

Hearts Framelits Die



You Are Loved



Itty Bitty Banners

Bitty Banners Die