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30 posts from December 2018

Thu 20

Simply Stamped Gift Tags with Winter Greenery, Bold Christmas Greetings and Typewriter Holiday Elements by Jean Okimoto

MemoryBoxWinterGreenery-MemoryBoxBoldChristmasGreetings-MemoryBoxtypewriterHolidayElements-JeanOkimoto-ImagineCrafts-GiftTags-StampedTags-ChristmasTags

Add the final touch to your Christmas gifts with simple tags created using the realistic botanical images from the new Winter Greenery Clear Stamps Set.  They're ideal for simple stamping  - or layering - and they complement our favorite Memory Box holiday greetings.  

Hello, Jean Okimoto here with a set of six tags to identify the great gifts you'll place under the tree this year.

 Cut smooth white cardstock to about 2-¼" x 4-¼" and cut or punch two angled corners.  

Stamp the Winter Greenery branches and leaves with VersaFine Clair Green Oasis or Shady Lane and Delicata Silvery Shimmer.  The pink "joy" card on the left was created by stamping off the Shady Lane ink before stamping the image on the left.  Stamp the center branch with a freshly-inked stamp - then quickly stamp the branch again, partially behind the center branch.  

Stamp the stars - also from the Winter Greenery Set - with VersaFine Clair Tulip Red or Charming Pink.  

The words are from the Winter Greenery,  Bold Christmas Greetings or Typewriter Holiday Elements Clear Stamp Sets.   Stamp them with Tulip Red, Charming Pink, Silvery Shimmer or Gamma Green Brilliance.  Dry the inks.

Attach 3/16" gold eyelets - they add a  warm brightness on the tags stamped with silver too.  Attach red or fuchsia cords.

MemoryBoxWinterGreenery-MemoryBoxBoldChristmasGreetings-MemoryBoxtypewriterHolidayElements-JeanOkimoto-ImagineCrafts-GiftTags-StampedTags-ChristmasTags-ImpressCardsAndCrafts-StampedTags

Special thanks to everyone from last week's STASH CARDS - MANY THANKS class at Impress!  Hope you like the cards and all of the new techniques.  Enjoy the "stash extras" you received - you'll be able to make several more class cards with those supplies.  Thanks too - Jan and Jenny - for the great holiday treats!  Thanks to Erin and Lynne too - for helping us find the right products and supplies for our class cards.

Hope your holiday prep is  just about done - but save some time to make the quick holiday treat wrappers I've designed for Friday's post.  See you!

Jeansignature-3

 

 

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Wed 19

Noel
by Donna Sledzik

Hello everyone!

I can't believe Christmas is almost here! Today I have a quick and easy card for you in case you need some last minute inspiration.

Donna1

To create this card, I started with watercolor paper and inked the pine branch from the Winter Greenery Stamp Set with Forest Moss Distress Ink. Then I stamped it several times to create a pine bough.  

I spattered the background with watered down Forest Moss ink and stamped the word noel in the bottom right hand corner of the paper.  I used red acrylic paint and a toothpick to add the berries.

Donna2

I die cut the ribbon from red glitter paper and glued this to the top of the pine bough.

To finish the card I matted the card front with red cardstock and adhered it to a white notecard.

Donna3

This is my last post for 2018, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

See you in 2019!

Donnasignature

 

 

 

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Tue 18

Merry Christmas Card
by Isha Gupta

Hello and Welcome!  It's Isha and as you know, last week I was playing with my alcohol inks so here is one more CAS card using alcohol ink background on yupo paper. This gives a perfect backdrop for the pretty and delicate pine frame die.

Isha_December_card3

I started by cutting a white mat layer from Yupo paper and applied some alcohol inks to it. Keeping some white space gives the airy feel to the card. Let it dry. 

I then die cut the Delicate Pine Frame die using  white cardstock 3 times and stacked them together. I applied Nuvo clear shimmer pen to this piece and adhered it to the alcohol ink piece. I then embossed a piece of paper using glitter gold embossing powder and die-cut two birds. Adhered it to my focal panel. I now stamped the sentiment to the cardbase and adhered the panel to it.

Here is a close up

Isha_December_card3_cl

 

Hope you got inspired by this card. Have a wonderful crafty day!

Ishasignature

 

 

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Mon 17

Decorative Gift Boxes
by Anne Thompson

I always keep a collection of gift boxes on hand, purchasing them when I find them on sale and stashing them away for when I need one.  In looking through what I had to use for Christmas gifts, I found these great kraft paper boxes with clear acetate circular windows that I thought would be perfect for holiday candies.  That sent me off looking through Memory Box dies for round ones that could frame that window.

These are the dies I selected.

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Let's look at the Poinsettia Circle Frame box first.

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  • The box is 4" square on the top and bottom and the sides are 1 1/2" X 4".  
  • I cut pieces of decorative paper 1/16" smaller than those dimensions--one large square for the top and four rectangles for the sides.  
  • In order to figure out how to cut the center circle to expose the acetate, I tried sitting several dies ( cutting side up) from the WRAPPED CIRCLES die set 30114 on the acetate until I found one just a bit smaller than the acetate circle.  I added two pieces of washi tape under the die, placed that sticky side up on top of the acetate circle and put my paper face down and stuck the die to the paper square where I wanted it to cut. IMG_0987
  • This size turned out to be perfect for the center of the three circle dies I chose for the boxes!
  • I used Scor-Tape to adhere the papers to the top and sides of the box.
  • I then used a glue pen to add the Poinsettia Circle Frame around the exposed acetate circle and the small poinsettia in the center of the acetate circle.
  • There's a small U-shaped cut-out in the front panel to make it easier to open the box.  I found a tiny circle punch and used that to make the half-circle U.
  • I then took some narrow Scor-Tape and ran it around the center of the side panels of the box and added a red ribbon over that which I tied in a bow at the front.  

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  • To finish the box I added some tiny white pearls in the centers of the poinsettias.

For the second box I chose the Wrapped Holly Circle Frame.

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  • I assembled this box in the same manner as the first one.
  • I used a wired red ribbon and red pearls in two sizes on the holly wreath and added the small holly curvy branch to the acetate circle.

For the third box I used the Hutton Wreath die with some small white pearls and a green-dotted red ribbon.  This die was actually from the 2018 Summer Collection but it works perfectly as a holiday wreath when cut from green cardstock.

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Three pretty boxes to fill with sweet treats for friends!

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I've found some kraft coffee bags with acetate windows that I can decorate in the same way.  And I have other boxes and bags that I can die cut circles into and add my own acetate windows before decorating them.  I love the sneak peek of the contents that the little acetate window provides!

Happy Crafting!

Anne Signature

 

Sun 16

Merry Christmas!
by Melissa Rusk

It's getting close to Christmas and time to make cards is disappearing. Today I have some tips to help when you need a card fast.

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My first tip is to have die cuts on hand and ready to go. All of the items I used on the card today are left over pieces that either didn't work on another project or were extra items that I cut out just in case. It's so nice when you don't have a lot of time but want to make a card to have some items already cut. I used the Gingerbread Cookie cut and decorated it with enamel accents in red and green. The snowflake is from the Crystal Snowflakes set.
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My second tip is to go back to another card you have made to pick up a technique. I have been loving using the Typewriter Holiday Elements stamp set this season. I decided to partially stamp the text background on my card just like I have on a few others. I finished the card off by stamping Merry Christmas from the same set and then added some teal enamel dots.

I hope these tips help you the next time you create something!
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Sat 15

Embossing With Dies
by Laura Fulcher

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Greetings friends.  Today I want to talk about using dies to frame your images rather than using them to cut paper.  It is nice to get more as much use out of your dies as possible.

My first step was to stamp my bunny with black Memento ink and then colored him with Prismacolor pencils:

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Next, I taped my rectangle die around the bunny using repositionable tape.  The important next step is to place a rubber mat underneath your paper so that the die cuts into the rubber mat instead of the plastic plate of your die cutting machine.  The rubber mat allows the die to dent the paper rather than cut it.  I don't think the mat I have is sold anymore, but I know that Provo Crafts ans Sizzix both math rubber embossing mats.  I have heard about some people using mouse pads, but you need to find a mouse pad that is the correct thickness.  Some are to big to fit in your die cutting machine.  NEVER force something through your machine.

I have a Sizzix Big Shot, and this is the "sandwich" I used to run my paper through the machine:

Multipurpose Plate on the bottom of the stack opened to Tab 1 (The embossing folder tab)

Big shot plastic plate

Rubber embossing mat

Cardstock piece with my bunny facing up

Rectangle die taped with repositionable tape around the bunny

Second Big Shot plastic plate

When you run it through the machine, you get an imprinted frame around your image:

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To finish the card, I added some white chalk under the bunny and glued a few sequins to the card.

Have a great weekend!

Laurasignature

 

Supplies

 

Fri 14

Winter Wishes
by Donna Sledzik

Hello everyone!

Can you believe how fast Christmas is approaching?  I hope my card today inspires you to get your Christmas cards done, if you haven't done so already.

Donna1

To create this card I took a white card base and spattered it with gold ink.  

On another piece of white cardstock, I stamped the Christmas words background using gold ink and glued this to the card front.

Next I die cut the Winter Frame from white and gold cardstock.  I covered the back of the white die cut with foam tape to keep all the pieces in place and glued the gold frame and snowflakes to the white die cut.

Donna2

I adhered a piece of washi tape to the card front and glued the winter frame die cut on top of it. 

Using white cardstock I die cut the Pine Wreath and used 3 of the branches to embellish the card front.  

Donna3

To finish the card, I added gold pearls to the pine branches and stamped the word wishes on white cardstock and glued that to the card.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to stop by!  Have a great weekend!

Donnasignature

 

 

Supplies

 

Thu 13

That’s Acute Triangles, Hutton Gates and Bold Christmas Greetings by Jean Okimoto

MemoryBoxHuttonGates-MemoryBoxThat'sAcuteTriangleDies-MemoryBoxThat'sAcuteTriangleClearStampsSet-MemoryBoxBoldChristmasGreetings-MemoryBoxRectangleBasics-JeanOkimoto-PastelChristmas-ChristmasDiecuts-GlitteredDiecuts

Combine That's Acute Triangles with pink glitter, Rose Gold ink and the Hutton Gates for a pastel holiday card that sparkles and shines.  Hi friends, Jean Okimoto here with a contemporary Christmas design for the special gals on your list.

MemoryBoxHuttonGates-MemoryBoxThat'sAcuteTriangleDies-MemoryBoxThat'sAcuteTriangleClearStampsSet-MemoryBoxBoldChristmasGreetings-MemoryBoxRectangleBasics-JeanOkimoto-PastelChristmas-ChristmasDiecuts-GlitteredDiecuts

Cut Hutton Gates from white cardstock.  I have the Left and Right gates so I've used both of them to save time.  Cut white cardstock to about 4-½" x 5-½" and cover it with Scor-Tape.  Save the tape liner.  Press the Hutton Gate diecuts onto the adhesive.  Use the tape liners as a presscloth to burnish the diecuts firmly onto the adhesive.  

Brush the remaining exposed adhesive with pink glitter.  A lot of pink glitter!  Use the tape liner to firmly press the glitter onto the adhesive.

Cut the largest That's Acute Triangle  from the glittered Hutton Gate -  cover the die and the cardstock with printer paper to keep any loose glitter from transferring to the machine's plates.     (I used the smaller dies to cut extra triangles for other projects.)

Cut a rectangle of white cardstock with the 3-½" x 4-¾" Rectangle Basics die.  Stamp the solid and patterned triangles from the That's Acute Clear Stamps Set with Rose Gold Delicata.  Heat-set the ink.

Stamp the greeting - from the Bold Christmas Greetings set - on white cardstock with Lightning Black Brilliance.  Dry the ink and cut it with the matching dies from the Bold Greetings set.  Cut another set of the (unstamped) words and attach them to the stamped diecuts for dimension.

Attach everything to a top-folded A-2 card of textured white cardstock.  Add pale pink gem stickers.

MemoryBoxHuttonGates-MemoryBoxThat'sAcuteTriangleDies-MemoryBoxThat'sAcuteTriangleClearStampsSet-MemoryBoxBoldChristmasGreetings-MemoryBoxRectangleBasics-JeanOkimoto-PastelChristmas-ChristmasDiecuts-GlitteredDiecuts

Hope you like this beyond-the-box use of the Hutton Gate dies!  Discover ways to use the intricate patterns and versatile outlines of your Memory Box dies to create unique design elements for all of your projects.  

If you're in the area - join us for my last class of the year at Impress on December 15.  It's STASH CARDS - MANY THANKS.  We'll make 6 thank you cards using the great tools and supplies from my stash.  You'll also some "extras" from my stash to make a few more class cards at home.  

We'll end the year with a Thank You class to express my appreciation to everyone.  Thank you, my loyal students and friends - and Dave and Monica Brethauer for the amazing designs of Memory Box, Poppystamps and Birch Press Design.  Thanks too, Ann, Cindi, Lara, Shari and everyone at Impress!

Jeansignature-3

 

 

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Wed 12

Winter Greenery, Bold Greetings and Wrapped Holly Circle Frame by Jean Okimoto

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The beautiful and versatile new Winter Greenery Clear Stamps Set recently joined the 2018 Holiday Happenings release - and it's quickly becoming a favorite among stampers!  Add it to your collection and you'll love mixing, matching and layering the great designs.

If your cards are already done - Winter Greenery is perfect for tags, gift boxes and wrapping paper too.  Hello, Jean Okimoto here with a quick holiday card for you.

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Stamp the branches on white cardstock with VersaFine Verdant and Shady Lane.  Stamp the little stars with Tulip Red.  Dry the inks and diecut the design with the outer circle from the Wrapped Holly Circle Frame Set.

Stamp "joy" - from the Bold Greetings Clear Stamps Set - with Tulip Red.  Dry the ink, then cut it with the coordinating die from the Bold Greetings Dies.  

Attach the diecuts to a top-folded 5-¼" square card of textured white cardstock - use foam dots for the greeting.  Add clear gem stickers.

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Winter Greenery's designs aren't just for the holidays.  Many of them would be great throughout the year.  The delicate pine branch works for Asian-themed projects too.  Imagine it silhouetted against a full moon - or as a backdrop for a crane or dragonfly.

Thanks for visiting - see you again tomorrow!

Jeansignature-3

 

 

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Tue 11

Merry Christmas Card
by Isha Gupta

Hello and Welcome!  It's Isha and today, I have an alcohol ink background on yupo paper with a touch of foiling, which gives a perfect base for the pretty snowflake dies :)

Did you check our current challenge yet? It's all about Holiday Sparkle and Shine and that is exactly, I am going to share too.

Isha_December_card2

I started by cutting a white mat layer from Yupo paper and applied some alcohol inks to it. I then added a bit of WOW! gold foil.

Now, I die-cut the stitched Piccolo Snowflake using white cardstock and Piccolo Snowflakes using peach cardstock. I applied a bit of clear sparkle pen to it. I then stacked the peach snowflake onto the white ones and adhered it to the alcohol ink panel. I stamped the sentiment and then adhered the mat layer to the cardbase.

Here is a close up to check on all the shine.

Isha_December_card2_cl

Hope you got inspired by this card. Have a wonderful crafty day!

Ishasignature

 

Supplies