Gunmetal Berries Ornament

Howdy!  I bet you're wondering about the "gunmetal" in my title.  LOL  That comes from the name of the pearls that I used on this card - Gun Metal Pearls from Want2Scrap.  I decided to do something different and used these dark silver Gun Metal pearls for the berries on top of the ornament on my card.  I love how they contrast with all the burgundy and beige on this card.

Here are the supplies from Classy Cards 'n Such that I used for my card:

Gun Metal Pearls (Want2Scrap)
Handmade Holiday 6x6 paper pad (Simple Stories)
Twig Wreath die (Impression Obsession)
2011 Heirloom Ornament die (Spellbinders) - sold out
Noel Christmas Ornaments stamp set (JustRite)
Joy Foam pads (small)

Please note that the ornament die is sold out right now. But if you contact the owner of Classy Cards 'n Such (Beverly) and let her know that you want to order one (or more), she will set up a special pre-order page for you so you can still get this.  This applies to both the 2010 Heirloom Ornament die set as well as the 2011 Heirloom Ornament die set.  I have all three of these (2010, 2011, and 2012) and I have been using them on most of my Christmas cards so far.  :-)  Love em!!

I started with a vanilla card base and added a layer of black cardstock.  The burgundy with circles paper from the Handmade Holiday pad was layered on to the black cardstock.  I added a strip of black cardstock and then a smaller strip of the beige polka dot paper (also from the Handmade Holiday pad).  Next, I stamped the ornament with some burgundy ink and then colored in parts of it with Copic markers.  I stamped the sentiment with black ink directly in the middle of the ornament, and then I used the corresponding die from the 2011 Heirloom die set to cut the ornament out.

The pine branch at the top of my ornament was created by running the Twig Wreath die through my machine with some dark green cardstock.  I did this four times so I could have two sprigs of pine on either side of the ornament.  The pine branch is one of the smaller dies inside the wreath die.  I didn't use any of the other parts of the die - just the little pine branch.  I adhered the ornament with some Joy foam pads, affixed the pine branches at the top, and added three of the gun metal pearls to the center.

There are tons of wonderful dies, pearls/rhinestones, stamps, and 6x6 paper pads in the Classy Cards 'n Such store.  Save 10% off your order by using this code, Holly-10, when you check out.  Time for me to get back to making some more Christmas cards to share with y'all!  Have a great day!

Happy Birthday, Technique Junkies! Blog Hop

Good morning and welcome to the Birthday Blog Hop for Technique Junkies!  Technique Junkies is 10 years old this month - whoo hoo!  Ten years of Technique Junkies newsletters and CDs means hundreds and hundreds of fun techniques for us to incorporate into our paper crafting projects.

If you have arrived here from Ann Clack's blog, you are on the right track.  If not, please start at the first blog in the hop, the Technique Junkies blog, so you don't miss any of the awesome creations we are sharing with y'all today.  Didn't you just love what Ann created??  She always does beautiful work for the newsletters, the CDs, and the Yahoo group.

For my project today, I had a really hard time picking just one technique to play with.  There are so many that I consider my favorite technique, such as Wisped Frames, Torn Frames, Circle Collage Background, Faux Silk, Popped Blooms, Watercolor Distress, Telescoping Cards, Glitter Roll, Rubbed Gelatos, and the list goes on and on...  :-)  I decided I wanted to make a Christmas card, but with non-traditional colors, and after looking at this angel stamp, I picked the Antiqued Glimmers technique (12-09 issue) for my project today.

I love the gorgeous swirls of purple hues with the angel and the snowflakes.  You can see the subtle shimmer from this technique in this close-up picture below:

Isn't that awesome?  And with this technique, you can use any colors you want.  The possibilities are endless!  I accented some of the snowflakes with some rhinestones to intensify the shimmery aspect of my card.  The stamp credits and information are listed at the end of this post.

Now for the BIG NEWS!  Be sure to comment on each and every blog in this hop for a chance to be the new Guest Designer for an issue of Technique Junkies!!!!  It's an incredible honor and privilege to be a Guest Designer.  You'll see the newest techniques two months before the issue goes live and your artwork and your name will be in print!!  It's an awesome feeling to see your name and your creations immortalized in the Technique Junkies issues.

It's time for you to hop along to the next blog, so let's go see what Pat Huntoon (the owner of Technique Junkies) has created for you today.  Click HERE to go to Pat's blog.  Remember to leave comments on each blog to increase your chances of becoming our new Guest Designer!  Happy Birthday, Technique Junkies!!


TJ Technique: Antiqued Glimmers
Stamps: Inkadinkadoo (angel), Cornish Heritage Farms (Aged Sheet Music), JustRite (sentiment from Noel Christmas Ornaments, sold at Classy Cards 'n Such)
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine, Versamark
CS: Wisteria, White
Other: circle punch, rhinestones

Dotty Je t'aime

There is a fun challenge (#16) over on the Rogue Redhead Designs blog to "Go Dotty."  I pulled out my Floriculture stamps (from Rogue Redhead Designs) and stamped on some dotty patterned paper.  I added a little twist by doing the Popped Blooms technique from Technique Junkies to give the flowers extra interest and dimension.  :-)

If you want to Go Dotty, play along in the challenge over at Rogue Redhead Designs.  There's still some time to enter and possibly win a great prize.  Have fun!

Woodland Ornament Card

Hi folks!  I've been working on my Christmas cards and I'm sharing my Woodland Ornament card today.  I love making rustic things, whether it is cards, wreaths, pies, or soups.  Here are the supplies from Classy Cards 'n Such that I used on this card:

Christmas Sentiments stamp set (Impression Obsession)
Deer Trio die (Memory Box)
2012 Heirloom Ornament dies (Spellbinders)
Handmade Holiday 6x6 paper pad (Simple Stories)
Art Institute Dries Clear Adhesive
Crystal Ice Glitter
Bricks and Bark embossing folder (Spellbinders)
Joy Foam Pads (Small)


I die cut the Deer Trio from kraft cardstock and then cut the largest deer away from the trio.  The antlers were colored with a brown Copic marker and I sponged some brown ink on his body.  I die cut the ornament from one of the patterned papers in the Handmade Holiday pad, wrapped some linen thread around the top, and adhered the deer to the ornament.  I added some white cardstock to the bottom, trimmed the edges, covered the white "snow" with the Art Institute glue and then sprinkled the Crystal Ice glitter on top.  You can see the glitter in the close-up picture below.

While I waited for the glue/glitter to dry, I ran some kraft cardstock through the Bricks and Bark embossing folder.  I used the Cuttlebug Highlights technique from Technique Junkies on the embossed piece and then distressed the edges.  I adhered that to some distressed artichoke cardstock and then adhered that to some more patterned paper from the Handmade Holiday pad.  I stamped the sentiment at the bottom of a kraft card base, adhered the papers to the card base, and wrapped some linen thread around the bottom.  The ornament was adhered to the embossed cardstock with some Joy foam pads.

You can save 10% when shopping at Classy Cards 'n Such by using this code, Holly-10.  Stock up on die cuts, 6x6 paper pads, glitter, embossing folders, and stamps so you can make your holiday cards for this season.  :-)

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:


Crafty Bloggers Network #4 - Anything Goes
Hiding in my Craft Room #68 - Die Cuts
Stamp and Create - Winter Wonderland
Lady Anne's Challenges - Anything Goes
One Stop Craft Challenge #201 - Anything Goes
Totally Papercrafts Friday Challenge #139 - Christmas

3D Ornament Christmas Card

I've got a new Christmas card to share with you today.  Slowly but surely I'm building up my Christmas stash.  Hopefully I'll have enough cards made before December rolls around!

On this card today, I was going for a homespun country feel with a fun 3D element thrown in.  I started with a vanilla card base, added a burgundy layer, and a layer of patterned paper from the Handmade Holiday 6x6 paper pack.  I stamped the Merry Christmas sentiment with black ink toward the bottom of the patterned paper - it looks like it is part of the paper, doesn't it?  This sentiment is from the Noel Christmas Ornaments stamp set from Just Rite.  Also in that same stamp set, I pulled out the small oval ornament and stamped it on burgundy cardstock several times.  This ornament was cut out with the new 2012 Heirloom Ornaments die set (Spellbinders) - I just lined it up over each stamped ornament and die cut each one individually.

Once my ornaments were die cut, I used the Going 3D technique from Technique Junkies to transform the flat ornaments into a wonderful 3D version.  I wanted just a wee touch of sparkle on these ornaments, so I pulled out my Sakura Stardust Glitter Pen and went over some of the lines to give them a little oomph.  You can see the ornament and the sparkle in the close-up picture below.  I tied some linen thread around the top of the 3D ornament and set it aside while I die cut the fabulous Pine Branch.  It was just too green for me, so I used a brown Copic marker to draw in the brown branches and I sponged a little brown ink to tone down the green-ness before I adhered it to my card.  I affixed the 3D ornament to the Pine Branch and then fluffed up the pine needles for a little extra texture.

You can find the paper, the stamps, the die cuts, and the glitter pen at Classy Cards 'n Such.  Just click on the links that I've provided above.  You can save 10% off your order by using this code, Holly-10, when you check out.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Christmas Stamping All Year Long #33 - Traditional Colors

Hiding in my Craft Room #68 - Die Cuts

Creative Inspirations Paint - Anything Goes

Stamptacular Sunday #186 - No Rules

Collapsing Cupcake Box

Hi again!  I made this fun Collapsing Cupcake box to share with y'all.  The tutorial for this great technique is on the brand new Great Gifts CD from Technique Junkies.  The Great Gifts CD contains 40 brand-new tutorials for gifts for all occasions! All of the tutorials are in step-by-step pictorial format, of course, and are printable to 8 1/2" x 11" paper. It is only $14.95 plus shipping. You can order by clicking on the link in my sidebar (on the right-hand side) or from the Great Gifts Page:

http://techniquejunkies.com/great-gifts-cd.html 

I decorated my cupcake box with rosettes.  The directions for making these rosettes are in the fabulous Rosette Wreath technique, also found on the Great Gifts CD.  The picture below shows what the box looks like when you untie the ribbon:

Isn't that cool?  I had fun making this box.  Just think of all the different patterned papers you could use for making your own cupcake box.  Use fall papers, Christmas papers, Valentine papers, birthday papers - the possibilities are endless!

Joyous Noel Ornament

Are you ready for Christmas??  I've got another Christmas card to share with y'all.  This one has more muted and elegant tones for a vintage feel with a little touch of glitter.

I started with a couple of patterned papers from the gorgeous Handmade Holiday 6x6 paper pack (Simple Stories) and adhered them to a strip of vanilla cardstock.  I added some Ivory Cotton Cluny lace over the bottom piece of patterned paper and taped it to the back of the vanilla cardstock strip.  This piece was then affixed to a burgundy card base.  Next, I stamped the largest ornament from the Noel Christmas Ornaments stamp set (Just Rite) on some vanilla cardstock and cut it out with the coordinating 2010 Heirloom ornament die set (Spellbinders).  I colored the ornament with some Copic markers to match the papers and then I lightly sponged the edges with some Antique Linen distress ink.  Then I pulled out my stash of glitter and added some Chantilly glitter to the three circles on this ornament.  The ornament was then affixed to the card with some Joy foam pads (small).

This card can be created in tons of different colors - just change the papers and color-coordinate the ornament.  Best of all, this card doesn't have any bumpy embellishments and it will be perfect to pop in the mail.  I hope this inspires you to make a few more Christmas cards for your stash this year.  :-)  Remember, you can save 10% by using this code, Holly-10, when you shop at Classy Cards 'n Such.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Fab 'n Funky #142 - Vintage
Divas by Design #56 - Anything Goes
Sentimental Sundays #123 - Anything Goes
Pile it On #41 - Vintage/Shabby Chic
Crafty Bloggers #4 - Anything Goes