1+2=3 Gold Silver & Black Project Three

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If you’ve followed along this week for this awesome color combination for Christmas Cards inspired by the Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge this past week, then you’ll love this final project.  To say I loved this challenge is an understatement.  I made seven cards in all, and really loved switching around the combinations and playing with some new elements in each.  Although the main theme is similar, they are each different and have their own personality.

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Here’s my third, and if you’re on the creative tips list I shared a fourth and VIP Community Members got another in a video form.  Have a great holiday weekend – see you in September!

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Sparkly Ornaments

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It seems to be a sequin theme this week!  Today’s project combines two great weekly challenges – Mojo Monday and Merry Monday.  Fittingly – both give your week a creative jump start.  I have to admit, if I wasn’t prompted to use them (thanks to Deanne over at Merry Monday), I wouldn’t have used Sequins.  In actually, I had to go out to the store to get some!

I got lucky, there was a 50% off bin, and I quickly grabbed these super rich in color Magenta sequins along with some cool chocolate brown ones + plus three other colors at regular price – a whole 1,15 euros – seriously, that’s pretty cheap – where have these been all my life?

You may have seen my other Merry Monday card too – that one uses clear sequins to perfection – as snowfall!  I have a link to that project right here.  This week I’m a guest designer at the Merry Monday Christmas Challenge Blog.  Both Merry Monday and Mojo Monday challenges are fun, I encourage you to enter both!

Here’s the sketch for Mojo Monday this week and my interpretation:

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Do you ever not know whether or not to put embellishments on your projects?  I have a little trick for what I do in that case below.

Creative Tips –

  • To really let the sequins be the star, choose neutrals as your card elements.  Here you see Basic Black, Whisper White and Basic Gray.
  • Both the darker pieces were run through the big shot with embossing folders, the black with the stylish stripes and the gray with the Mosaic Maddness.
  • To add a little depth to the Gray, sponge it lightly with the same color, then on the edges in black.

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  • Cut a circle with framelits or a large punch.  Stamp your ornaments in a pigment based black in and emboss using the heat and stick powder then dazzling diamonds glitter.  To keep that glitter from really staying put – the heat and stick powder works wonders!  And the black ink under the glitter really shows off the various colors of the glitter – very cool!
  • Edge your circle lightly using a sponge and first Gray then black inks.
  • For the subtle background, use Christmas greeting stamps and emboss in Versamark ink, then heat and stick powder then Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  Edge with Gray or Black ink.

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  • Adhere the black card stock strip (2 x 4 7/8”) to your background using Tombo Multi purpose glue.
  • Pop up the Gray piece on foam tape.  Glue the half of your ornaments circle to the gray, then add foam tape to the exposed side.  Adhere to your project.

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  • Wrap silver cord around your project three times.  Create a triple loop with four strings and place in between your stamped, embossed in black and cut out greeting.  Pop it up using foam tape and place over an Artisan Label punch out piece of Basic Black.
  • I wasn’t sure whether to leave it along at this point or use the Magenta Sequins as I planned.  Here are three choices I had.  My trick – take photos and then look at them in my camera or on the computer.  It’s much easier to figure out what to do here.  You can see that you can add sequins, photograph and switch out without having to adhere them.  My choices were none, clear or magenta.

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  • I still couldn’t decide – so I went to my failsafe choice – ask my hubby Michael he quickly said purple and I knew my instincts were right!  Why do we always doubt those?!
  • My final touch was to add a few Rhinestones to the sequins, I know it’s a lot of bling, but why not?

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Hope you love the end result.  If you liked this tutorial and want to learn more exclusive tips, videos and see other projects not on the blog – sign up in the box below and I’ll stay in touch with an e-letter from time to time.  You’ll immediately get the first of three project videos to keep you inspired!

Have a great day – now get stamping!

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Merry Christmas from the Black Forest

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The rain is making little pitter patter noises on our skylights and the early morning daylight has just begun to rise here in Germany.  The lights on the tree are twinkling as I listen to my Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr. and Jazz Christmas CD’s this early morning.  The house is quiet as everyone is sleeping.  The fire in the fire place is crackling and the presents are perfectly placed under the tree, that’s all Michael – not me, he has a gift for it!  I’m fighting off some sort a bug and refuse to let it dampen the excitement of this day!  You can hear nothing outside – no cars, no hustle and bustle and it’s nice.  Just the Black Forest, the rain and us!

Last night we went to a Christmas service in the actual Black Forest.  There was a live manger scene with an orchestra and about 800 people came from far and wide to stand out in the cold and listen to the Christmas story (even on big buses!).  A bonfire twenty feet high crackled in the background and you could hear a pin drop as the pastor enthralled the masses with this joyful story as children dressed as angels with massive wings and shepherds also looked on.  It was quite something. 

After, we ventured the 20 minutes back through the Black Forest back to the Bad Wildbad valley to the town center.  We gathered at the town square just outside the Church and sang German Christmas carols with 1000 other town folk while a 60 piece orchestra filled this quaint small village with beautiful music.  It was the perfect way to start our Christmas Eve.

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I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas.  Thank you for taking the time to visit here and leaving comments this past year.  I hope you have enjoyed all the creative inspiration this past year.  I’m excited for all the great creative inspiration that will be shared in 2014!

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I made this special card just for you today.  The poinsettia flower is embossed and water colored from behind.  It is delicate, just like a stained glass church window.  The small details like just a tiny bit of gold embossing on the raised embossed words in the background really make this card special.  This card is my all time favorite of the 2013 season, and I hope you love it too.Christmas Eve 2013 027 edited_edited-1From my home to yours – I hope you have a safe and happy holiday this year! 

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Retro Regarding Dahlias

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I just got the new Deco Label Framelits and wanted to try them out.  So, what better stamp set to test the waters with than Regarding Dahlias.  Now I ended up altering my framelit to suit the card better, but I think in the end it worked perfectly!  You be the judge.Regarding Dahlias 002 Side

Creative Tips –

  • My trusty Color Coach gave me this combination – another one out of my comfort zone – Coastal Cabana, Calypso Coral and Smoky Slate.  I love the retro feel of the color combination.
  • For the flower, I stamped my Dahlia stamp in Calypso Coral two full times on scrap Whisper White and once just needing the center on a piece of scrap.  I also stamped it once fully on Calypso Coral.  Regarding Dahlias 002 Dahlia
  • I wanted the layered look, so I cut the flower out at three depths and cut in on several petals so that I could bend them upward. 
  • To attach them together, I used Tombow Liquid Glue.  It’s the best for textures and difficult items.
  • The number three Deco Label Framelit is the perfect size for a portrait card.  I cut one in Smoky Slate and trimmed off the rounded parts.  I matted it onto a piece of Whisper White trimmed to give me a 1/16” border.  I then used my circle punch from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack to notch out the corners.Regarding Dahlias 002 CU
  • For the greeting I made a banner using my 1” Square Punch and added a Calypso Coral banner for a pop of color as well.  View my video on how to make banner flags
  • This card needed a little texture, so I added a panel of Coastal Cabana popped up and run through my Big Shot with the Chevron embossing folder.Regarding Dahlias 002 Height
  • I added a little corner stamped in Coastal Cabana and the Dahlia stamp on the inside and on the envelope for coordination.

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It’s a cute card and works for any occasion.  I just love the Regarding Dahlia set – this flower is bold and fun.  I hope you enjoyed it too!  View my other card made with this great set here


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Stamp Sets – Regarding Dahlias (130327c, 130324w)  Ink – Calypso Coral (126983), Coastal Cabana (131175) Paper – Whisper White (100730), Coastal Cabana (131297), Calypso Coral (122925), Smoky Slate (131202) Cool Tools – 1” Square Punch (124094), Chevron TIEF (127749), Deco Label Framelits (130102), Color Coach (130118), 2013-2015 In Color Cards (130120) Finishing Touch – Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

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Too Kind Stamp Set

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The new Too Kind stamp set is an easy and quick set to use.  The images are striking in any color and make wonderful backgrounds as well.  Two step stamping to me is always a great thing.  The images are bold yet soft at the same time.  Paired here with the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set (have I told you yet that’s my #1 new go to set?!) in the background, you can’t go wrong.  Learn the Two Step stamping technique with this video

Creative Tips –

  • For a pop on this card I wanted to use one of the new Chalk Talk Framelits as a spotlight.  I stamped in full color to really provide a pop with these fun bright colors.Too Kind 002 CU
  • To begin, I used my new Stampin’ Up! catalog.  I needed a color combination and I wasn’t feeling the two in the color coach.  I wanted to use Pistachio Pudding, so I started leafing through the pages in my catalog.  I saw the combination on page 14 and pulled out Pistachio Pudding, Island Indigo and Tangerine Tango.  It’s a striking bold combination that I just loved!  Tip – Did you know that those color blocks behind every project idea in the catalog together make color combinations – when in doubt…go to your catalog!Too Kind 002 Side
  • For a muted background I used tone on tone stamping with Pistachio Pudding for a few more images with the Too Kind set and the tiny flecks stamp from Gorgeous Grunge.  This one stamp is your best friend.  It it such a well executed image that it literally looks like you flecked little drops of ink onto your image.  Check out the entire set at the end of this post.  And to see more of the images in action, be sure to check out the two posts preceding this one.Too Kind 002 Height
  • I popped the tag up using Stampin’ Dimensionals so that it really stood out.
  • A complete Whisper White matte in between the Pistachio and Island Indigo might have been a little much, so I decided to go with simple squares to help frame my card front.  I love the end result.

It’s a quick, easy and fun bright card.  Anyone who gets this in the mail would immediately smile.  Don’t you think?  I’d love to hear your thoughts – squares or a full matte?  Do you like the color combination?  Have you used Pistachio Pudding yet?  It’s not an Ingrid color so I struggle with colors like this – I’d love to hear what you’ve paired it with so far!

Free Product Drawing

It’s new Catalog Extravaganza week and I’m continuing the celebration all weekend long until Sunday 10 pm!  Anyone who uses the hostess code QGTZ4ADP will get an entry into my drawing for $25 in free product for every $25 in product puchases (pre-tax/shipping) from my Stampin’ Up! store.  Good luck to you!

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To Shop 24/7 in the Creative Store – Click here!

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Stamp Sets – Too Kind (130450c, 130447w), Gorgeous Grunge (130517) Ink – Pistachio Pudding (131177), Tangerine Tango (126946), Island Indigo (126986) Paper – Whisper White (100730), Island Indigo (122923), Pistachio Pudding (131294) Cool Tools – Chalk Talk Framelits (129983) Finishing Touch – Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430) 

Gorgeous Grunge 

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