Calendar Easel Card

Today I wanted to post this cute little calendar easel card, which makes a great gift right here as the new year approaches! The little calendar is from vippies.com. For my calendar I decorated it with the Gently Falling Stamp set and the fun greetings set Friendly Phrases. The designer paper is from my scraps, so I don't remember what the name of it is, sorry.

                            Stamps: Gently Falling, Friendly Phrases 

                            Paper: Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, unknown DSP 

                            Ink: Cajun Craze, Chocolate Chip, Early Espresso 

                            Accessories: Calendar from Vippies, Dimensionals, Glue dots, paper snips

                            Techniques: Rock & Roll, 2-step stamping, hand cutting 

Here’s how to make the calendar:

1. Start with a 3½” x 8½” piece of cardstock. Insert it in your Simply Scored board so that its 8 ½” side is along the top of the board, and score it at 2-1/8” and 4-1/4”.

2. Fold both score lines the same direction. Decorate the 2-1/8” panel at the end, and attach the calendar so that it is across the first fold.

3. Make a panel or punch to use for the inside of the card, and attach it to the lower half of the inside of the card using Dimensionals. This will work as a place for the top half of the card to catch, creating your easel.

All items that I used to make this card (except the calendars) are available from Stampin’ Up! The Gently Falling stamp set is only available in the Holiday Mini Catalog which lasts through January 3^rd, so don’t miss out! If you would like to purchase any of the items shown here, please visit my business website at http://www.trina_kuriger.stampinup.net/

My Christmas Cards for 2011

Here are the Christmas cards that I used this year. Since it has been a tough year, several of them a CASEd from other stampers, and I will try to give credit where appropriate. Enough with the disclaimers already, on with the cards!

This card was inspired by one that I saw in Stampin' Success Magazine, but I changed the image and the greeting. This a "cheater" out-of-the-box technique card, because I just stamped the image once on the oval and a second time on a separate sheet of WW cardstock, colored it, and then cut out leaves and berries and attached them with glue dots so that they hung outside the oval.

Stamps- Beautiful Season, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Paper - Riding Hood Red, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Letters to Santa DP; Ink: -Black Stazon, Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, Basic Gray, So Saffron;  Accessories - Decorative Label Punch, Riding Hood Red Taffeta from Mistletoe Originals ribbon pack, Self adhesive pearls, Red sharpie to color pearls;  Techniques - Center Step, Watercoloring with Blender Pens, Out of the Box Technique, coloring pearls with sharpie markers 

This card was designed by my friend and fellow demonstrator, Lynn Anderson. The glitter on the roof and porch railings is Dazzling Details. I thought she did a beautiful job and had to remake it myself!

Stamps: Christmas Lodge 

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Basic Black, Frostwood Lodge DP 

Ink: Black Stazon 

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler Quilted Ribbon, Dazzling Details 

Here are a couple of tips on how I made this card. I made the "mat" for the oval using eight flowers from the Blossom Bouquet punch. To get red rhinestones, I colored them with a red Sharpie before I put them on the image.

Stamps: Easy Events 

Paper: Real Red, Lucky Limeade DP, Very Vanilla 

Ink: Basic Black, Lucky Limeade 

Accessories: Real Red 5/8" Satin ribbon, Victoria Crochet Trim, Ovals Die, Blossom Bouquet punch, Basic Rhinestones, Red Sharpie, Blender Pen

Techniques: Coloring with Blender Pen, Coloring Rhinestones 

I CASED this from someone but I don't know who because I just saw it and then later did it from memory. I didn't make a lot of changes, except to make it an A2 size. The Medallion is stamped in Old Olive Craft Ink and embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. The "merry" that has been punched out is from the Pennant Parade stamp set. 

Stamps: Medallion, Pennant Parade 

Paper: Whisper White 

Ink: Old Olive Classic and Craft inks 

Accessories: Old Olive Satin Ribbon, Jewelry Tag punch, Vintage Trinkets, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder 

I CASEd this card from Mary Fish. This version is very similar to hers, I just used the Postage Stamp Punch, changed the sentiment and used Silver Glimmer paper instead of the cardstock she had used for the scalloped edge. The front panel is popped up on Dimensionals to give the card a shadowbox effect.  

Stamps: Jolly Bingo Bits, Heard From the Heart 

Paper: Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper 

Ink: Cherry Cobbler 

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Postage Stamp Punch, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Dimensionals

I did a card very similar to this one about two years ago in Old Olive. I love the look of masking and sponging so much I thought it was time to revisit it! TFL!

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree 

Paper: Marina Mist, Whisper White 

Ink: Marina Mist 

Accessories: Marina Mist Scalloped Dotted Ribbon, Snowburst Embossing folder, Northern Frost die, Self-adhesive Rhinestones, Post-it Notes, Oval die (to cut post it notes), sponge 

Techniques: Masking, Sponging 

Stamps: Dasher, Serene Snowflakes, Four the Season 

Paper: Night of Navy, Brushed Gold 

Ink: Versamark 

Accessories: Gold Embossing powder 

Techniques: Heat Embossing 

Stamps: Pines and Poinsettias 

Paper: Real Red, Wild Wasabi, Holly Berry Bouquet DSP 

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi, Cherry Cobbler 

Accessories: Snow Burst embossing folder, 1-3/4" circle punch. 2-3/8" scallop circle punch, 2-1/2" circle punch, scallop trim border punch, riding hood red 3/8' taffeta ribbon 

I wanted to make a shaker frames card with the Sweet Snowglobe stamp, and found an adorable one made by Minders on Splitcoast Stampers. I just changed the background stamp, embossing folder, border punch and the greeting. Also I added a snowflake and a button! 

Stamps: Sweet Snowglobe, Jolly Bingo Bits, Season of Joy 

Paper: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Read Red, Garden Green 

Ink: Bashful Blue, Read Red, Garden Green, Versamark 

Accessories: Snowflake Punch, Window sheets, 1-3/4" circle punch, 2-3/8" scallop circle punch, mica flakes, Brights Buttons (Real Red), Pretty Petals Embossing folder, Dazzling Details, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, glue dots and multipurpose liquid glue 

Techniques: Marker to stamp, Watermarking, shaker frame 

All items that I used to make this card are available from Stampin’ Up! The Christmas Lodge and Pines & Poinsettias stamp sets, Holly Berry Bouquet and Frostwood Lodge Designer Papers, Dazzling Details, Mica Flakes and Silver Glimmer Paper are only available in the Holiday Mini Catalog which lasts through January 3^rd, so don’t miss out! If you would like to purchase any of the items shown here, please visit my business website at http://www.trina_kuriger.stampinup.net/

Lace Rosette Christmas Card

Well, here I am finally back with a card for you. This card is very similar to one in the November issue of the SU demonstrator’s magazine, Stampin’ Success. I just changed the color scheme, greeting and embellishments slightly to have it just the way I like it. I found that a lot of stampers had questions about how to make the rosette, so I am going to do a photo tutorial showing you what worked for me.

Before I start the tutorial, I will go over the basics for the rest of the card. I started with a 3-7/8” x 5-1/8” piece of Crumb Cake Cardstock, and I stamped the greeting from Hand-Penned Holidays in Island Indigo Classic Ink. Then I rubbed it with an Embossing Buddy and I stamped the snowflake (from Serene Snowflakes) in Versamark all over the Crumb Cake piece, but trying not to cover the greeting. I then used white embossing powder and heat embossed the snowflakes. I adhered this Crumb Cake piece to a 4x5¼” piece of Whisper White Cardstock. Then I added the ribbons. There are actually three pieces of ribbon on this card. First I adhered two pieces of Island Indigo Ruffled ribbon around the cardstock, overlapping them about half way. This made them wide enough that they looked pretty topped with a piece of Whisper White 3/8” Taffeta Ribbon. I used Sticky Strip on the back of the cardstock to adhere the ribbon, because I think it needs a strong adhesive to hold all this ribbon.  Then I adhered the entire panel to an Island Indigo card base. After that all that is left is to explain how I made the lace rosette.

Lace Rosette Tutorial

1.Start with a 1”x6¼” of Whisper White cardstock.

2.Use your Simply Scored score board to score it at ½” intervals (1/2”, 1”, 1½”, 2”, 2½”, etc).

3. Turn the cardstock over and score at the ¼” and ¾” marks, all along the cardstock. You will end up with a score line between each of the marks you made in step 2. You must score before you punch!

4. Punch the scored cardstock with the Lace Ribbon Border punch. This size cardstock is too small to show all of the detail of the punch, as you see in the example, one side is cut flat instead of having the curved edge.

5.Fold the cardstock back and forth along the score lines. Use a bone folder to get a good crease.

6. Apply a small amount of Tombow Mulitpurpose Liquid glue to the last ¼” piece of the lace, and glue that to the first ¼” so that you create a ring.

7. Clip the two ends together and leave them to dry for a few minutes.

8.(Optional)Apply a little Tombow Mulitpurpose Liquid glue in random areas around the outside of the cardstock, then sprinkle on Dazzling Diamonds. Leave it to dry for a few minutes.

9.Punch a 2-3/8” scalloped circle out of Island Indigo cardstock.

10. Apply a puddle about the size of a dime of Crystal Effects to the center of the scalloped circle.

11. Put your Lace Rosette ring on the scalloped circle, so that the curved edges are down and the flat side is up.

12. Gather the top into the center and press down to flatten the white cardstock.

13.  Press the gathered center into the crystal effects and make sure it is lying neatly (not too neatly, don’t make yourself frustrated over this, because you will be covering the center up eventually).

14.Put something on top of the rosette to hold it in place while it dries. You want something heavy enough to hold it but not heavy enough to smash it flat. I used a button container. Leave it to dry at least  ½ hour, possibly longer depending on your climate.

15. Use a scrap of Whisper White cardstock and punch it once with the Scalloped Lace Border punch. Cut out one of the center flower elements to use on top of your rosette. You can either cut this out by hand, or punch it out with a ¾” circle punch. If you use the circle punch you may have to clean up any messy edges by hand.

16. Apply a little Tombow Mulitpurpose Liquid glue to the back of the flower element and glue it down on top of the rosette.

17. Cover the hole of the flower element with one of the largest sized Basic Rhinestones.

18. Adhere to your card with Dimensionals.

That’s all there is to it. I hope you enjoyed today’s tutorial!

All items that I used to make this card are available from Stampin’ Up! The Hand-Penned Holiday stamp set is only available through January 3^rd, so don’t miss out! If you would like to purchase any of the items shown here, please visit my business website at http://www.trina_kuriger.stampinup.net/

I'll be posting again soon

Hi everyone, sorry for my long absence. My mother died recently of metastatic breast cancer. I took a few weeks away from everything to take care of her at the end, and after that I just didn’t have the energy to do anything extra. Honestly, stamping has been a little hard for me, since it was something my mom and I always did together. But I am feeling ready to start blogging again and I have some things in mind to post. I’ll be back tomorrow with a tutorial and hopefully after that I will be posting regularly again.

Happy Stamping!

Trina