Christmas Card Stamp-a-thon 2010

One of my favorite events of the year is my annual Christmas Card Workshop. I start looking for ideas, literally, the summer before. I change my mind over the course of the next few months, several times, until I have it chiseled down to five or six favorites.

Traditionally, I tend toward the more whimsical type of Christmas card. This year, with the deep new colors and nostalgic designer papers, my choices were more vintage. I am so happy with how they turned out this year. I think my stamping friends liked them as well. We had a great, chilly day stamping, snacking, listening to Christmas music and enjoying the company of each other.

I saw a version of this beautiful card on my sister, Penny's blog http://www.penguinstamper.blogspot.com/, last year, and filed it away, knowing I would have to make it too. She always has the prettiest cards, and I use her as a resource constantly.

The base card stock is Bashful Blue, with Whisper White Craft ink on the flourish stamp from Baroque Motif stamp set. On top we placed a die-cut Top Note, stamped with the Simple Snowflake, again in Whisper White Craft, heat embossed in white. With a very light touch, we daubed at the snowflake with Bashful Blue ink to soften it and placed a rhinestone in the center. The sentiment is from the set called Heard From the Heart.

Thanks, Penguin!

The base card is Real Red. The Shimmery White card stock is embossed using the Texturz Plate called Flourish, from the Big Shot. The swirls of the embossed background along with the shimmer of the card stock seem made for each other. The tiny sentiment is from the set called Short & Sweet. Just the right touch here. Then, just like a pretty package, the Real Red Satin Ribbon ties it up with a bow.

This is such a rich looking card, but so very simple. The base card is Very Vanilla, as is the Satin Ribbon and the Victoria Lace. The designer paper is from Deck the Halls and adds that rich Always Artichoke color. The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, stamped in Cherry Cobbler.

I thought I had my cards all ready to go and then I came upon Heather Klump's blog, http://hlkdownstairsdesigns.blogspot.com/, and quite literally scrapped one of my choices for this one. Hers has a cute button in the middle of the punched snowflake, but since my event was in THREE days,and I had no buttons, I pulled out the pearls, because I wanted to do this card so badly. I think she is one of the most creative demonstrators I have ever met! And I feel it was an honor to steal from her! = ^ ) Thanks, Heather for inspiring me everyday!

This is a one-layer, Clean and Simple card. Sometimes less is MORE! We masked the Crumb Cake ink in the center using sponges and then with Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler markers, colored the holly stamp from the hostess set called Peace on Earth. With Cherry Cobbler ink, we placed the sentiment just below.