More Holiday Cards

I had some more fun playing around with the ideas from the first day of Online Card Classes Holiday Card Workshop today.

First off, another of the folded banner tree cards, using the colours from this week's Dynamic Duos challenge:

This time I heat-embossed the "fa-la-la" onto a New England Ivy banner, and left the tree a more natural kraft colour, with wood-grain sequins.

 

The caroling continues on the inside, but I counted the la-las correctly this time.

Then I tried a card design by Kristina Werner, using some  interesting techniques. Firstly, only partially embossing the card panel, leaving a flat space for stamping the sentiment; secondly, using thin strips of washi tape to define the edges of the panel.

My card uses an image and sentiments from Paper Smooches.

The snowman from "Warm Hearts" was given some Enamel Accent eyes; some baker's twine (The Twinery), Aquadots and Houndstooth Washi (Close to My Heart) complete the card.

Can't wait for the second day of class. Enrollment is still open!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Quick "Holiday Card Workshop" Post

"It's the most wonderful time...of the year!"

Yup, time for another edition of Online Card Classes Holiday Card Workshop. It's my third year attending. Last year my sister and I had fun, setting up a Skype crafting session, to do our "homework" together (she lives in Amsterdam, so we had to time it carefully!). I read that one participant has taken the whole week off work so she can stay home and create! Lucky!

Anyway, the idea is to try the techniques and projects demonstrated and share them.

Here's my take on a Z-fold card by Jennifer McGuire:

The banner is cut to appear as one piece when the card is closed.

But when its opened, the message is continued on the inside:

I liked the look of the white pigment ink on coloured card stock. I embossed my tree and used some star-shaped sequins; the original was embellished with a cute die-cut of Xmas lights. Stamps are a mixture of Paper Smooches (sentiment) and Close to My Heart (background stamp).

That's it for tonight--watch for some more cards later this week.

Happy Crafting!

Caroline

And more "Jolly" HCW Tags

Here are a couple more tags, inspired by Online Card Classes' Holiday Card Workshop.

One of the lessons focussed on using dies, so I broke out my favorite Sizzix Christmas die, Reindeer #2. He is just so joyful; he has to make an appearance every year! This time I mounted him on a scalloped circle punch (CTMH) and a rosette made with a Tim Holtz alterations die, and the Dakota houndstooth paper from CTMH. The word "Jolly" is from another Sizzix die. A little Stickes and some velvet and organdy ribbon complete the look.

I used the Memory Box "Modern Landscape Border" die earlier this week as a mask. This time I cut out just a portion of it and mounted it above an "Outdoor Denim" tag. I glued a small piece of yellow paper behind the door and window of the little house, and gilded the trees and roofline with Diamond Stickles. A few gems in the "sky" and a little sponging along the edges of the edges of this tag seemed to be all it needed.

The photo (taken at night) doesn't do this cutie justice.

So now I'm up to five designs for my gift-tag workshop--a couple more ideas percolating. Stay tuned!

Happy holiday crafting...

Caroline

More Holiday...Tags!

The Online Card Classes' Holiday Card Workshop has been great for inspiring ideas for gift tags, as well as holiday cards. I'll be doing a tag workshop for 10 people at the end of the month, and I promised them 12 different designs (a la Days of Ch.ristmas and Tim Holtz). Here's a sneak preview:

We'll start with these tags which just involve cutting, tearing and glueing. Some of my peeps have not done much crafting before, so I don't want to overwhelm them all at once. It was fun to use double sided paper on these as you just cut a series of gradually bigger squares in half, and then mix 'em up.

 Foam-taping just the bottom edge of each layer added some tiered dimension.

For this shimmery card, they will learn to use an embossing folder, then spray the resulting piece with glimmer mist (Smooch Spritz). The snowflake is a Sizzix "Embosslit" which cuts and embosses at the same time. It was glitzed up with some alcohol markers, Stickles and a beautiful CTMH gem.

Here's another view.

There will be a few other cards to hone some more paper-crafting techniques. But the piece-de-resistance/final item will be this snow-man globe card, where they will do some Copic marker colouring:

Its amazing how much dimension is added by just a little shading on either side of an outline stamp. This cutie is an older CTMH set.

Off to watch the next installment of Holiday Card Workshop...

Happy Crafting!
Caroline

More Holiday Cards

How's this for an eye-popping Christmas card?

The idea was to use a non-traditonal background stamp for a holiday-themed card. I can't resist that SWEET little zebra from Paper Smooches "Zoo Crew" set. I set her (?) off with a zebra-skin patterned background stamp from The Stamps of Life, in cranberry ink. The sentiment is from PS's "Christmas Sampler" set.

I cut out the zebra's head using a craft knife so I could fringe her mane and slip a die-cut wreath (Sizzix) around her neck. A little red Stickles, some Pea-pod twine from The Twinery, and you have a black-and-white-and-red-all-over card! Cheery indeed.

I tried another version, too, in non-traditional Xmas colours, but a little softer:

The star/snowflake background stamp is from Paper Smooches "All Yule Need" set. I may switch out that red bow yet, for something with less contrast. Having lots of fun playing!

Happy (holiday) crafting,

Caroline

THANKS! for Holiday Card Workshop

I have been following Online Card Classes' "Holiday Card Workshop" this week.

Lots of great ideas to kick-start your holiday card-making, from batches of simple gift enclosures to embossing techniques, background stamping and more. My goal was to make one card for each day of "class," but I wasn't able to carve out any stamping time until today.

I tried Kristina Werner's embossed background grid on my "Say Thanks" card. I was also hoping to create this in enough time to play along with this week's Color My Heart's challenge  Color Dare #16, which was to use these colours:

A nice, harvest-inspired collection. However, I missed the cut-off--too pokey.

But! at Paper Smooches, Kim Hughes issued a challenge to make a thank-you card for a chance to win a stamp set from this month's release. So if I hustle and get this post ready before midnight, I might be in the running.
I used the "So Grateful" (B1395) stamp set from CTMH for the pumpkin on my card, swiping the stamp down the ink-pad for some interesting texture. Sentiments are from PS sets "Good Gab" and "Alphadots". Maraschino twine from The Twinery. I figured saying "thank-you" in three languages has us covered from Mexico through the Canada!
Check back this weekend for some more creations inspired by HCW.

Happy crafting!