The Stockings Were Hung in My Studio With Care ... and Some Tips On Creating Your Own

The stockings were hung in my studio with care ... in hopes that my customers would soon be there ..... to see and enjoy what I love to create and share.  Ok, I may be an artist but a poet ... not so much:)  I loved making my stockings this year ----- 31 stockings, in fact.  Warning:  If you decide to get these thinlits dies, they can be very addictive.  Just sayin' ... You have been warned.  We had a wonderful, wonderful time at my class last night and they were delighted with all the stockings.  Enjoy today's post .... and then ... go create something beautiful!  But wait!  There's more!  Be sure to check out my tips if you plan on making some stockings.  There's even a link to a video to help you.

Now, talk about a photo challenge!  As you can see, they're everywhere!

A closer view:

My curly-headed baby:)

Helpful tips:
- Some people use Tear and Tape Adhesive for this project.
- Some people use Fast Fuse Adhesive.
- I think both work well.  I used my Fast Fuse, simply because it was out and handy.
- The funny little 'slot' thinlit piece can be used to give more dimension to the jingle bell.
- Some people used it to cut an opening for their ribbon.  I just punched a hole for it.
- I found that the heavier DSP and the regular DSP both worked worked well for this project.
- The only thinlit that I needed to cut using my Precision Plate was the snowflake.
- Click here to see the latest Stampin' Up! video on making these fun stockings.

The 'banner' hangs behind the bar where I do the bulk of my stamping and paper crafting.  It's so much nicer to work in a happy and inspiring work space.

UP NEXT:
November 18 -- Christmas Retreat
     10:00-3:00 / $45.00 / 18 Cards: 6 Designs - 3 Cards Each
     Fee includes materials, light lunch, and a ton of fun. 
NOTE:
We are having a TON of conflicts come up with this date.  I may have to go to 'kits only' for this class.  I'm thinking that there is NO 'good date' in November for a big Saturday class.  I will have to rethink this for next year.  I only have a few kits remaining, so sign up fast to reserve yours.  In your kit, I'll have everything you need to create your 18 cards.  If you sign up for just the kit, I'll adjust your class fee (to remove lunch expense for you).

December 11 -- Scraps and Prayers Class:
     5:30-7:30 / $15.00 / Christmas Cards and Tags

- Thanks for stopping by my corner of the blogging world.

- Come back often for more creative inspiration.

- Let's create something beautiful today.

Making Multiple Cards

Sometimes, you need to just stamp up a lot of cards to keep on hand for your stash, especially birthdays or any type card that you find yourself sending often.  Here's a look at how I made a batch of birthday cards for our church.

Tip:
-- Create one complete card design, start to finish, to be sure you're happy with your design.
-- Once you have your design in place, you can begin your 'assembly line.'
-- Place your craft sheet over the silver foil piece so you can press it down and not get glue on anything else.

If you need to weight a piece down to be sure it's securely attached, the largest acrylic block works great.

Be sure to stamp the insides of your cards and your envelopes to create a coordinated look.  It really steps up your results.

When you begin a new step for your card design, do that step for ALL your cards, then start the next step and do that step for them ALL.  It really makes your work go faster and keeps it fun.
Tip:
I keep pre-cut pieces of Whisper White CS on hand (4 X 5 1/4") so I can quickly prepare them for the insides of all my cards.  They also work for the card fronts when I need a white card.

I used Crushed Curry for the card bases for the male cards and Melon Mambo for the female cards.  I also changed the DSP layers.

These were really fun to create and I love how cheery they look.  I've had so many people approach me at church and say how much it means to them to receive these cards.  Instead of being just a blessing to them, I feel blessed to be able to give of my time and talents to such wonderful people.  Please, take the time to start sending cards.  There's nothing like receiving a hand made card in the mail.

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or look on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration. 

The Stamp-A-Stack Blues: 2 Beautiful Blues

No, I don't have the blues but I have beautiful shades of blues.
Let's take a look at the Stamp-A-Stack cards I've made with blues.  We'll be making these this afternoon at my Christmas Stamp-A-Stack.  Each one has something quite special.  First up is beautiful Island Indigo:

Are you wondering about the embossed silver paper on the right side of the card?  This is the new embossing technique I came up with previously. (Click here to see.)  I made it using our Stylish Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  (Yes, I know.  It's a long name!)  You simply emboss it 2 times, in opposite directions.  I think it really adds a lot of detail to the card.

This card is my WOW card of the day.  With the silver accents, it's a real winner.  The beautiful Frosted Finishes embellishment on the ornament is just the frosting on the cake.  Click here to see another card with the extended arm version of the swing card using our Thinlits Circle Card die.

Next up, gorgeous Bermuda Bay:

I've used our Window Framelits to create a window.  The lattice is suspended inside the window.
Tip:
When working with vellum, you have to have a plan to hide the adhesive.  Otherwise, it will always show through your vellum.  For my card, I simply placed another piece of Bermuda Bay behind the vellum.  This hides the adhesive and also helps to hide the inside layer (with the message) from showing through.

As you can see, every card has a special message stamped inside and a coordinating envelope.  With our gorgeous Christmas papers, you just cannot help but have a winner each and every time.

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or click on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration.