Hello everyone.  Inspired by this month’s challenge, I have another holiday card to share today.  One of my favorite Winter scenes to create is the Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis.  It’s simple to do, and yet it gives the most “wow” factor.   There are many different mediums that could be used, but my preference is ink blending.  But before I got inky, I did some partial die cutting with the Pine Tree Hill die to create the row of trees from black cardstock.

Laura did a post on partial die cutting and essentially, anything under the cutting plate will cut.  

Used scissors to connect those partial die cut trees and create the front row of trees.

Partial die cut the double trees twice to create the back row of trees.

Forgot to take a picture, but these lined up to create the row of trees as seen on the finished card.  Now onto the Northern Lights... but be forewarned, it’s going to look like a hot mess before things come together in the end. 😂

Started by adding streaks of Twisted Citron, Mermaid Lagoon and Wilted Violet distress inks (di) to a piece of Bristol paper using the edge of a mini blending tool.

Next applied Chipped Sapphire di in between the colors and Black Soot di around the edges... and that pretty much completes the background.  I know it still doesn’t look that great, but persevere till the end and it will turn out. 😉  For sone sparkle, spritz it with a DIY shimmer spray (couldn’t capture it in the photo).

Adhered the trees to the bottom, then splattered with white gouache paint.  Die cut the Peace Airy Script sentiment three times from Bristol paper and stacked them for dimension to finish.

Hope you will give this a try.  Thank you for joining me.  Have a great day.

 

Supplies

 

94295 Pine Tree Hill craft die

 

94335 Peace Airy Script craft die

 

Hi everyone, today I have a holiday card for this month's Memory Box challenge.  

To create this card I applied Twas the Night washi tape to a piece of white cardstock.  I cut the paper at an angel and adhered it to another piece of white cardstock for my card front.  

Next I die cut the word merry from red cardstock and glued it to the card front. I die cut the snowflakes from kraft cardstock and glued those to the card.  

To finish the card, I stamped the word Christmas and added pearls to the center of the snowflakes. That's it! 

Thanks for stopping by today!

 

 

Supplies

 

94331 Merry Airy Script craft die

94287 Sparkling Snowflake Trio craft die

WT501 Twas the Night Wide Washi Tape

CL5247 Mistletoe Swag clear stamp set

I recently got together with friends to make holiday cards and I took stencils to create interesting backgrounds for my cards.  I had so much fun revisiting stenciling that I decided to use two of my favorite Memory Box stencils for today's three cards.

For the first card (the one lying down in the photo above), I started with bright white cardstock, the Winter Snowflakes stencil 88609, Salty Ocean Distress Ink, and my ink blending tool.  I used washi tape to secure the paper and the stencil to my work surface to insure sharp inked images.

I cut a bunch of snowflakes using the SPARKLING SNOWFLAKE TRIO 94287 from some turquoise-y blue cardstock that matched the ink pretty well.

I used Glue Dots in the snowflake centers to adhere three of them over the stenciled snowflakes and pulled the radiating "arms" up a bit from the cardstock. 

 I cut the JOY AIRY SCRIPT 94325 twice, white cardstock for the bottom layer and blue for the top.  I played around a bit with the orientation of the card and the placement of "joy" before glueing the letters on and adding the panel to a matching blue notecard.  For the finishing touch I added dimensional pearls to the snowflake centers.

Next I took the Sprinkle Dots stencil 88597, bright white cardstock, Salty Ocean Distress Ink, and the blending tool to create another background before adding more of the blue snowflakes.

I layered up the Joy Airy Script again, added it to the panel, adhered it to a blue notecard, and popped pearls into the three snowflake centers.

As I was working on that card I remembered the WINTER TREE OVAL FRAME 94309 and thought that its swirling dotted lines might match those of the stencil.  So I inked up another background using the Sprinkle Dots stencil on the front of a white notecard and added the oval tree cut from bright white cardstock and the swirly sky background pieced in using  blue cardstock.  You'll notice that the dots are lighter than on the other cards.  I just used less pressure with the blending tool while adding ink over the stencil.

I added "joy and peace this season" from the MERRY AND BRIGHT MISTLETOE clear stamp set CL5246 stamped with VersaClair Nocturne (black) ink.  

I think when I remake this card I will make it as a panel to adhere to a blue notecard like I did on the first two cards.  In fact I might just cut this one apart and do that.  I think a layer of the solid blue underneath it all will tie in better with the blue background of the winter tree.

I plan to make more cards using the stencils.  These designs can work all winter for many occasions by just changing up the sentiment. 

I wish I could say that I've made all of the holiday cards I will need to send out this month.  I'm going to be a busy girl this week!  Are yours done and in the mail?  Have you posted one for our Holiday Cards Challenge?  I'd love to see what you've been creating!

Happy Crafting!

Winter Tree Oval Frame 94309

Joy Airy Script 94325

Sprinkle Dots stencil 88597

Sparkling Snowflake Trio 94287

Winter Snowflakes 88609

Merry and Bright Mistletoe Clear Stamps Set CL 5246

Hello there! Michelle here, with a cute shaker card! I used the Petite Leaf Frame Die, Joy Airy Script Die, and

Merry and Bright Mistletoe Stamp Set.

I started off by inking up a piece of smooth Bristol cardstock with bundled sage distress oxide ink. Die cut the frame. I die cut the frame two times 

for extra leaves. I added color to the leaves with Copic Markers in shades YG61, YG63, and YG67.  I die cut the Joy sentiment and added

some shimmer with Stickles glitter glue in red. Set aside to dry. Emboss and trim the type sentiment.

To assemble the card, turn the leaf frame upside down and adhere a piece of clear acetate as your shaker window. Than, 

apply foam tape along the perimeter of the frame ( both squares) and all the tiny leaves.  For the shaker sequins, I like to place them

on the card base in a small cluster than place the frame on top so I can center the frame. Lastly, add the sentiments. For a finishing touch

I added some bells and twine. 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Supplies

 

94318 Petite Leaf Frame craft die

94325 Joy Airy Script craft die

CL5246 Merry and Bright Mistletoe clear stamp set

Send warm holiday wishes with a watercolored Petite Leaf Frame card - or make it a birthday card for someone celebrating in December.  Hi, Jean Okimoto here with a versatile design that's great for any occasion.  Different colors would have made it a fall card just a few weeks ago. 

Diecut the large Petite Leaf Frame from white cardstock and set it aside.  Save the center square too.

Pressure-emboss it on watercolor paper.  This will be a guide for watercoloring the leaves in a random mix of green.  Carefully remove the frame with the leaves intact.   Paint the leaves - I used the different shades from the Fresh Greens Kaleidacolor inkpad.  Set it aside to dry.  

Attach the white diecut frame to a 5-½" square white card.  Patiently attach the painted leaves.  It took a bit of time, but it was a welcome distraction after spending several hours at the Emergency Vet with Taffy last night.

Stamp the greeting - from the Winter Greenery Clear Stamps and Die Set - on the center square with Golden Glitz Delicata.  Emboss it with detail clear powder.  I don't usually clear-emboss metallic inks, but this gave it a very cool shimmer.

Paint a scrap of watercolor paper with the green inks.  Cut 3 little leaves and 1 large leaf.  

Cut the seed pod from gold glittered cardstock.

Assemble the card.  

Square cards require extra postage - but I think this one's special enough to deserve it.  Hope you like it!

Thanks for visiting - see you again on Thursday.  Have a great weekend!

 

 

Supplies

 

94318 Petite Leaf Frame craft die

CL5235-D Winter Greenery clear stamp and die set

Hello, Everyone!  Vicki here with you today, sharing a card I made last week for today's post using the Memory Box Grateful Autumn Stamp Set.  In case you haven't noticed, Black Watercolor Paper is all the rage right now.  I saw Kristina Werner working on some with her Pearlescent Watercolors and decided I had to try that out.  A couple of years ago, I got the Finetec Pearlescent Watercolors from Simon Says Stamp during a Steals & Deals Weekend.  I have never been too happy with my personal results from them on regular watercolor paper, so when I saw Kristina using them on black, I had to order some of that paper, right away.  I have the Legion Stonehenge Black in 10 x 14 so I cut one sheet down into 4-5 x 7 pieces.  You can find it on Amazon here.  

Before my paper even arrived at my house (2-day delivery), I saw another video on YouTube using this paper again. Mine arrived the very next morning - early for a change - since I had so many other packages.  Once I had a bit of time to play, I really loved the results on the Black Watercolor Paper with the Pearlescent Watercolors and decided I just had to try it on these beautiful fall leaves from Memory Box.  I'm not an "artist" by any stretch of the imagination, but I can do Watercolor for Card Makers.  It's a class offered by Online Card Classes - co-owned by Kristina Werner and Jennifer McGuire.  I took the class about 3 or 4 years ago.  Someday, I might want to pursue it more in-depth, but for what I do, this class was great.  You can sign up anytime, and you will always have access to the classes you take there.  

I started by prepping my black watercolor paper with a liberal dusting of powder tool.  I like using talc-free baby powder with a fluffy brush for this.  The little pouch is too chalky feeling for me and the little brush tool doesn't hold up to use, so this has been my solution for about 4 years now.  You can also use cornstarch if you want to find something that you already have at home.  This is the most important part of heat embossing.  Otherwise, you end up with little bits of embossing powder where you don't want it to be. 

For my images, I used Versamark with Simon Says Stamp Antique Gold Embossing Powder.  It's my favorite as it isn't a bright yellow.  Use whatever you have even if it's clear embossing powder. I just happen to like and use a lot of gold in my work. 

Next, I used a wet on wet technique for the watercolor.  Starting with a large brush, I wet each leaf, one by one.  Using the Pearl Gold color, I started adding in little bits of color at the base of the leaves and worked out.  Then using a size 4 round brush, I started at the tip of the leaves and added Red Pearl color and worked my way in toward the base.  Then I used Orange Copper for the center area with a bit more water and just let the color travel and settle how it wanted to.  I worked my way around each of the leaves, and let it dry almost completely before adding in the Amethyst, just kind of dabbing here and there with my brush.  I am so happy with the way this looks and that it looks as if I actually know what I am doing with my watercolors. 

I let it dry overnight and then cut it with the Rectangle Basics in the 2nd largest size. I also cut a mat for behind it from a shimmer cardstock called Garnet Plum that I get from PaperPapers.com.  I chose the sentiment I wanted and prepping the surface again in the area where I wanted to heat emboss, I stamped with Versamark and then heat set the Antique Gold Embossing Powder. 

I use a microfiber cloth to remove the excess powder from the surface and I give the cloth one mist of Water to help remove it.  It is a very fine mist, and I'm careful not to tear the paper.  I attached the watercolor piece to the mat piece and then that to a white card base.  I added the three little gold hearts and some sequins in a similar plum color then a little gem in the center.  I have no idea where I got the sequins, but I'm going to have to start looking for some more soon as I am nearly out. I call this color "Sugarplum" and along with pink, it's one of my absolute favorites.  I love how these fall leaves turned out, especially on the black paper.  It was surprisingly easy to do.  In fact, for me, the hardest part is walking away to let it dry and not mess with it too much as I have control issues. *Ü*

If you've been visiting my personal blog, you may have noticed that I have been heavily into Christmas and Holiday Cards, so I was glad for a chance to take a break and do something a little different.  I hope you enjoyed my card today!  Thanks for stopping by! 

Supplies

 

CL5243 Grateful Autumn clear stamp set

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

 

 

The modern Holly Circle Collage - layered over Twas the Night Wide Washi Tape - creates a quick holiday card today.  It's a combination of old and new -  text from the 1800 Christmas story with the cool, minimal holly collage.  Hello, Jean Okimoto here  - this is what we're using today -

Cut red cardstock with the 4" x 5-¼" Rectangle Basics die.  The Rectangle Basics and Circle Basics sets are temporarily out of stock at Memory Box but may be available at your favorite retail store.

Cut the rectangle with the Holly Circle Collage.  Cut the collage again from green cardstock and save the leaves.  

Here's a tip I shared earlier - it's an easy way to select background colors for wide washi tape. Attach a big swatch of tape to a clear background - acetate, a tranparency, or a Memory Box poly bag.  Place your swatch over different backgrounds to see how the tape will look.  It's quick, easy and saves time and tape.

Attach Twas the Night Wide Washi Tape to Kraft cardstock.  Cut it with the 3" circle die.  Attach it behind the collage.  Attach the leaves.  ScorTape and Couture Creations doublestick tapes are great for attaching layers to the wide washis.

Stamp the greeting - from the Bold Christmas Greetings clear stamps set  - on green cardstock with Pinecone VersaFine Claire.  Cut it with the coordinating die.

Attach the diecuts to a side-folded A-2 card.  Add red gem stickers and ½" green circles.

 

Special thanks to everyone from Saturday's classes at Impress. It was great meeting our new students and I appreciate that so many 'regulars' took both classes!  Thanks for the holiday-wrapped Ghiradellis Jan, for the chocolate chip cookies Jacky, for the popcorn and cookies Jenny, and for the big M&M's Debbie!  Did we have enough to eat?  Thanks too Ann, Erin and Lynne - for helping everyone fill their baskets again.

No classes this weekend - I'll be prepping for the December 14 WHITTLE, SCRIBBLE & STACK class. We'll be using the Poppystamps' Whittles, Memory Box Scribbles and the stacking dies from Birch Press Design.  Hoping to use some of the new designs from our Valentine 2020 Collection!

Thanks for visiting - keep warm, be safe.  See you again on Saturday.

 

 

Supplies

 

30087 Circle Basics Set

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

94329 Holly Circle Collage craft die

WT501 Twas the Night Wide Washi Tape

CL5233 Bold Christmas Greetings clear stamp set

32233 Bold Christmas Greetings die set

Hello there.  Inspired by this month’s Holiday Cards challenge and needing more masculine cards, I have a masculine Christmas card to share today.

Started by trimming three 1-1/4” wide strips of pattern paper from the Dashing Stripes and Dots paper pack.  Lined up the Vintage Varsity Alphabet letters on painter’s tape as shown in this post HERE, then die cut “merry” from each strip, staggering them from top left to bottom right. Adhered the negative die-cut strips to a black A2 sized panel.

The camouflage/hidden sentiment technique was used here, so I made sure not to lose any of the die cut pieces.  In this particular case, the centers of the R’s.  Placed the R die-cut into the appropriate spots and used as a guide to position and adhere the inner pieces to the black panel.  Each letter was then die cut four times from black cardstock and stacked with the pattern letter for dimension.  Inlaid the stacked letters to complété the hidden sentiments.  Finished off with a trio of sparkling snowflakes and a Christmas script sentiment all die cut from Bristol paper.  

The camouflage sentiment technique is one of my favourite die cutting techniques.  And before I go, I want to respond to a question left by Kathie on my last post.  She asked if I have a YouTube channel.  The answer is yes, but I’m not set up to make process videos {yet}, so I’m afraid my channel would be of no use at this time. 😂  Thank you to everyone who leaves encouraging comments.  I really appreciate it.  Thank you for joining me today.   Have a great day.  

 

Supplies

 

94341 Vintage Varsity Alphabet craft die

94357 Merry Christmas Noted Script craft die

94287 Sparkling Snowflake Trio craft die

PP1002 Dashing Stripes and Dots 6x6 pack

Hello there! Michelle here, stopping by to share a Christmas card I created using Tidings Wreath

clear stamp set.  I stamped the wreath onto Copic Marker friendly cardstock.  

Here is a list of the colors I chose, for the greenery: YG61, G24, YG67;  the berries: R24, R29, R59;

white/ gray: W00, W1, W2, W3, W6;  blue/ gray: BG70, BG72, BG75;

the background: V20, V22, and colorless blender.

For large images, I color a small section at a time. I don't like to color all the same- colored images at once.

I tend to get bored and make mistakes. Coloring a small section allows me to see where I want to lay my shadows.

After the image is complete, trim your panel. This card measures 4 1/4 by 5 1/2.

I adhered the panel to a card base, than splattered some white and gold paint. After the paint splatter dries

I added some clear Stickles glitter glue. I embossed two sentiments from the same stamp set with gold embossing powder.

I hope you enjoyed this post!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies

 

CL5245 Tidings Wreath clear stamp set

I've been wanting to use the Tidings Wreath stamp set CL5244 and have been waiting for inspiration to strike.  To kickstart the inspiration I decided to use more of the Memory Box patterned papers, VersaMark ink, and silver embossing powder to create a bunch of images to choose from for a holiday card.  I settled on making two cards from one wreath stamped and embossed on green striped paper from the Dashing Stripes and Dots papers PP1002.  Here's the one where I used the Joy Airy Script die 94325.

Here is the process I went through.

The Tidings Wreath is a very large stamp which I placed on a large acrylic block.  I inked it up with the clear VersaMark ink and stamped on a bunch of papers from the Dashing Holidays papers PP1001 and cards of various blue tones, added the silver embossing powder, and heat set the images.

As much as I loved the silver shimmer on those, I really liked the way the wreath looked on both green striped paper from the Dashing Stripes and Dots  6X6 pad and the blue distressed dots paper.  I decided to fussy cut them around the outside edges and also took out the centers.

I found some green notecards that I thought went well with the green striped wreath and began to assemble the first card.  I used a tape runner to adhere half of the wreath to the left front of the notecard and snipped off the other overhanging part.  I took that smaller piece and placed it against the fold on the second card. 

I added dimensional white pearls to both wreaths in the berries circles.  For the card on the left above I stamped the word "peace" from the TidingsWreath stamp set using VersaMark ink and embossed it with the silver powder.

For the second card I cut the Joy Airy Script from sticky-backed glitter paper.  I oriented the card with the fold at the top and added "joy" to the bottom right.

In the next photo you can see how the two parts of the wreath fit back together on the two separate cards.

One stamped wreath=two holiday cards!  

I think I'll make two Hanukkah cards from the blue wreath next on coordinating blue notecards.  Fun!

How are you coming with your holiday cards? I still need to make so many more.  Here in the northeast I should have a snow day this week and that will be a motivating factor in creating a bunch.  Consider posting your cards on our Holiday Cards Challenge this month.  We really love seeing what you can do with Memory Box products.

Happy Crafting!

p.s.  After I finished this post I decided to add some paint splatters to both cards because I thought they looked too green and they could use some snow.

Tidings Wreath CL5245

Dashing Stripes and Dots PP1002

Joy Airy Script 94325