Wraps and Tags for Your Christmas Giving

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Wraps and Tags

One of the best things I like to do at Christmas is create my own wraps and tags.  Sometimes things get so hectic that I don’t do as many as I would like.  Around July or August, I think about making those wraps and tags, but here it is the last part of November and I am not as far along as I would like to be.

For these gift-giving wraps and tags, I choose to use the Square Pillow Box thinlits from the Holiday catalogue. I really tried to resist this thinlit but it didn’t happen.  It was calling my name!

Wraps and TagsRecipe

Stamps: Wonderland.

Ink/Markers: Tuxedo Black, VersaMark.

Paper: Whisper White, Winter Wonderland Specialty DSP, Window Sheets.

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Pillow Box Thinlits, Ornate Tag Topper Punch, Gold Embossing Powder, Basic Black Baker’s Twine, Gold 3/8” Glitter Ribbon, Winter Wonderland Designer Washi Tape.

This bag is made using the Winter Wonderland DSP and specifically the black and white with a bit of gold side.  This is beautiful paper and sometimes I don’t like using one side over the other. The tag is made using the Ornamental Tag Topper punch and the Winter Wonderland Washi Tape. The sentiment was stamped in Versamark on Vellum and heat embossed with Gold embossing powder.

Here’s the next one in my series on Wraps and Tags.

Wraps and TagsRecipe

Stamps: Cozy Christmas

Ink/Markers: Tuxedo Black, VersaMark

Paper: Pool Party, Home for Christmas DSP, Window Sheets

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Pillow Box Thinlits, Red Ribbon, 1/8” Handheld Circle Punch, Home for Christmas Enamel Dots, White Embossing Powder, Holly Jolly Greetings, Gold Cording Trim, Washi Tape.

While the previous gift packaging was elegant (at least I think so), this one is more whimsical and fun.  The Pillow Box was made using the Home for Christmas DSP.  This DSP uses mostly the traditional colours of Christmas.

I used my own template for the tag on this gift.  The paper measures 3″ across.  You can make it as long as you like.  I measured at the half way mark on the shorted side and then measured 1″ down on either side.  I took my Paper Snips (love these scissors) and diagonally cut from the side mark up to the top mark.

The trees, house and Santa and his reindeer were stamped from the Cozy Christmas stamp set  inked in Tuxedo Black on Pool Party.  The sentiment was stamped in Real Red ink across the bottom of the house. The snowflakes from the Wonderland set were stamped with VersaMark and embossed with White Embossing Powder.  They were on my work table so I didn’t go hunting for some others.

For  both of these packages, I cut a piece out in the front and place a Window Sheet over the cutout piece.  I am not sure what will go into these boxes but you will be able to see them.

I would love for you to leave me a comment and let me know what you think of my wraps and tags.  Do you need supplies to make your gift packaging?  Visit my ONLINE store where you will find the items.

ONLINE STORE

Handcrafted Sympathy Card with Garden In Bloom Stamp Set

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Handcrafted Sympathy Card

A handcrafted sympathy card is a gift from the heart. There are so many emotions that the one-left-behind goes through over time.  One way to help the grieving is to let them know that you are thinking about them and the one who is gone from their life is with a sympathy card. Beside, creating the handcrafted card allows you to dwell on the person who is gone and remember the times that you spent together.

This handcrafted card is for the family of a dear work colleague. She hired, mentored, and coached me to become a leader. She believed in my abilities to become an asset to the organization. Consequently, I was able to rise through the ranks and gain a trusted position that provided me with so many opportunities.  Forever, I will be grateful to her for her wise words.

HandcraftedHandcrafted Sympathy Card Recipe

Stamps: Garden in Bloom, Thoughts and Prayers.

Ink/Markers: Melon Mambo, Wisteria Wonder, Blushing Bride, Memento Black, Mossy Meadow, Pear Pizzazz, So Saffron, Basic Black Marker.

Paper: Whisper White, Mossy Meadow, Melon Mambo.

Accessories: Big Shot, Lots of Labels Thinlits, Linen Thread, Paper Piercing Tool.

There are a few tricks, though, as this stamp set allows 2 or 3-step stamping.

For this handcrafted sympathy card, the first major hurdle is determine which stamps to use to stamp the various flowers, leaves, butterfly and bee.

I have added a picture of the various stamps and grouped the stamps so you can see which stamps you will need to use to build the flowers, leaves, butterfly and bee. Compliments of Split Coast StampersHandcraftedWhen you first look at the stamp set, you will wonder which stamps go with each other to form the different layers of the elements.  I have drawn boxes around the different stamps so that you can see how to group them.

When you stamp, you can use different colors and/or different intensities. The outline stamps are stamped using Tuxedo Black Momento ink. For this card, I used the same colors, for the flowers and the butterfly.  I did stamp the ink off once for the butterfly body,  and the second layer is used full strength.  The large leaves are filled with with Mossy Meadow and the smaller leaves with Pear Pizzazz. The bee’s body was stamped in So Saffron at full strength.  The bee’s flight path is outlined with the Basic Black Marker.

What do you think of when you handcraft a sympathy card?  It is great therapy for the one sending the card to the family member and you.  Leave me a comment and upload your sympathy card.  I would love to see it.

Slider Snowman Card Made Using Punch Art

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The Slider Snowman

Have you ever created a slider card?  These are so much fun and you can use the technique to create cute cards for all occasions.

I wanted to create a slider card but didn’t know where to begin.  So, like a lot of crafters, I turned to the internet to see what I could find.  Thanks to France Martin, I was able to recreate the “Slider Snowman”.  Perfect for a Winter Card.

There are a few key components to creating a slider card:

  • A punch to create the slide area.
  • A penny.
  • Foam squares to lift up the cardstock so that the slide will work properly.

Slider SnowmanRecipe

Stamps: Snow Place, Wonderland,

Ink/Markers: Real Red, Basic Black Marker, Sahara Sand, VersaMark

Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Island Indigo, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Holiday Fancy Foil DSP

Accessories: 2-1/2” Circle Punch, 1-3/4” Circle Punch, 1-1/4” Circle Punch, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Boho Blossom Punch, Large Oval Punch, White Gel Pen, Googly Eyes, Pool Party Embossing Powder, Home For Christmas Enamel Dots, Dazzling Diamonds..

Other: Pennies, Foam Tape Adhesive.

Punch Pieces Need to Create The Snowman:

For Saucer: Punch 1 2-1/2″ circle from Real Red.

For Body: Head – 1  1-1/4″ circle from Whisper White, Body – 1 3/4″ circle from Whisper White, sponge with Sahara Sand ink.

Arms and Legs – 4 pieces from Whisper White using Word Window Punch, Trim pieces to 3/4″ lengths, sponge with Sahara Sand ink.

Boots: 1 Pieces from Basic Black using Modern Label Punch.  Trim each end to 7/8″ and using Snips, trim a curve in the top.

Gloves – 1 piece from Island Indigo using Boho Blossom Punch and cut in half.

Hat: Punch 1 piece of Island Indigo card stock using 1-1/4″ Circle punch, trim and attach to head. Punch 1 piece of patterned paper piece using 1-1/4″ Circle Punch, trim to form top of hat and attach to Island Indigo.

Cut a piece of Pumpkin Pie in a triangle shape to form nose.

Assemble Snowman and attach to Saucer following picture.

Prepare card base and layer a piece of Holiday Fancy Foil DSP (Snowflakes) over card base.

Using a 4-1/4″ X 5-1/2″ of Whisper White card stock, stamp and emboss snowflakes, rip bottom of card stock, apply adhesive to ripped edge and sprinkle with Dazzling Diamonds.

Using Word Window Punch, punch a slot in the center of embossed piece.  You may have to join 2 punches together to get a long enough slider.

Place a penny behind slot, place stack 2 dimensionals on top of penny, place a second penny on top and outside the slot.  Attach snowman to top penny using a dimensional.

Attach all to card base. To ensure that the snowman will slide and turn, use a 2 layers of foam tape so that the top piece is high enough from the base.

Stamp sentiment and attach to front of card.

Now, it’s your turn to create a Slider Snowman.  Have fun and let me know how it turns out.

Supply List

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

 

 

Why We Love Handmade Cards And Why They Are Special

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We Love Handmade Cards! Why?

I love handmade cards. I design and create handmade cards, I give handmade cards, I sell handmade cards.  Then I get asked “Why would I put all that time and effort into creating and making a card when I could simply go to the store and buy one”.

There are reasons why handmade cards are “special” to me.

First, you cannot compare the handmade business with a large corporation. I don’t mass produce items, I don’t sell the items in the same way nor do I receive the items in the same way. Compare the mass produced greeting card with the handmade card and there is no comparison. Every piece of the handmade card is about people and not machines. It is about the time and effort that goes into each piece of the card,  it is about the designing capabilities, the skill, the imagination and the resourcefulness of the crafter. A handmade card is a treasure.

Today, we are in an era of “throw away”.  Something new comes along and we replace the old.  What do we do with it?  Throw it away. Human nature wants the latest and greatest gadgets.

That’s where handmade outshines the mass produced.  You will never have to upgrade because the handmade item is a “one of a kind” which makes it unique and interesting.  Yes, you can make several cards at the same time, using the same design and the same products,  however there will always be slight differences in every card.

We need to celebrate and support the handmade business.  Why, because the items are crafted with love and care and one size does not fit all.

My card share today is a Thank You card for a midwife that has been instrumental in the delivery of happy and healthy babies.  The Moms wanted to say thanks for her support and love.  This card was commissioned as the purchaser was looking for something unique and cute.

Handmade CardsRecipe

Stamps: Something for Baby, Another Thank You.

Ink/Markers: Delightful Dijon, Tangelo Twist, Tip Top Taupe.

Paper: Whisper White, Delightful Dijon, Tangelo Twist, Tip Top Taupe, Bohemian DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Baby’s First Framelits, Large Scallop Edgelit, Everyday Clips.

Next time you need a greeting card in a hurry, rather than rushing to the store, you can always purchase a handmade card.  Contact me at karen@simplysaidwithkaren or visit my Etsy Store, Simply With Heart.

 

Boston and Harvard Sight Seeing Highlights

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Boston and Harvard Vacation Highlights

After spending a day at sea, we arrived in Boston.  We hopped on board a bus to start our tour of historical Boston.  This city played an important part in the American Revolution between the British and 13 American colonies.

Boston

Now, I can say that I went to Harvard

Boston

Diane in Front of One of the Buildings in the Undergraduate area.

Before I get to the history sites that we saw, we did a tour of Cambridge and Harvard University.

Harvard University was founded in 1636 because the Puritan immigrants wanted someplace where clergymen could be educated.  In 1639, the name was changed from New College to Harvard College.  John Harvard willed the college £779 pounds sterling and 400 books for the library.

Notice the statue in the background.  There are three lies about this statue:

  • The statue is not of John Harvard.  It is actually a 19th-century Harvard student that posed for the statue.
  • John Harvard was not the found of the university but a financial supporter.
  • The date on the statue is 1638 when actually is was founded in 1636.

The irony around these 3 lies is that the motto for the university is “TRUTH”.

Our way back to Boston, we also passed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a school for the Sciences and Technology.  This school is a popular as Harvard but not nearly as many students or high tuition fees.

Before we left Cambridge, we crossed the Charles River, where the Harvard University Rowing Team trains.

Boston

Harvard University Rowers Training in the Charles River

It was off to Boston to visit various historical sites and hear the story of Paul Revere and the American Revolution.

The first place we passed was an historical Fire Engine House.  Notice how small the opening where the Firetruck sits.  Because of the small opening, the City of Boston has to special order the Firetrucks.

We past by the new Old South Church but before I talk about it, I want to talk about the Old North Church.  After having made our way through the narrow windy streets of the historical district, we made a stop at the bottom of a large hill.  There was no parking for the bus so we had to walk up the hill and down another hill to get to the church.  And there it was at the bottom of the hill, the Old North Church.

Boston

Old North Church at on Salem Street

This church was the site of Paul Revere’s famous signal was sent…”One if by sea, Two if by land”. This phrase refers to Paul Revere’s midnight ride which preceded the American Revolution in 1776. The lanterns were used to signal the patriots of the British military movements.

Boston

Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride

 

The church is still used today.  Notice the box pews rather than the regular pews we are used to seeing in a church.  These pews were bought by the members of the congregation.  The wealthiest were able to purchase the pews at the very front.  Your financial status indicated where you could sit in the church.  People painted and decorated their box pews according to their own tastes.

Boston

The Box Pews inside the Church

 

Finally, I will leave you with pictures of the new Old South Church.  The original church was a meeting house and it was there that the Boston Tea Party gave the war “whoops” in 1773 to signal  the beginnings of the American Revolution.

Boston

New Old South Church

 

There is so much history in the eastern US.  I certainly enjoyed learning about and hearing about the history that I really never payed attention to when I was in school.

Join me in my blog posts and show you more history.  Next up will be Portland, Bar Harbor and Rockville, Maine.

Snowman Christmas Card – Tri-Shutter Fancy Fold

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Cute Snowman Christmas Card

Cute Snowman Christmas cards are a hit with nearly everyone on your card list.Even if a person is not crazy about a snowman card, you could win them over with this Tri-Shutter card.

So now, you are wondering what does a snowman have to do with with a Tri-Shutter card. Tri-Shutter refers to a type of fold, or as we like to say in card making land ‘fancy folds:.

No, you don’t have to make a snowman card as this fold can be used for any type of card you choose to make.

Snowman

I have prepared a template for you showing the size of the card stock you need to cut for this card.  It also included the scoring measurements as well as the type of fold to use  M – Mountain Fold, V – Valley Fold.  Also included are the measurements for cutting to compensate for the various fold.  THere is also a picture taken from the top of the card so that you can see the various folds.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://simplysaidwithkaren.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Tri-Shutter-Template.pdf”]

 

Snowman

Open (Inside)

 

Snowman

Open (Front)

Recipe

Stamps: Snow Place*.

Ink/Markers: Real Red, Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Basic Grey Archival, Mossy Meadow Marker, Pumpkin Pie Marker.

Paper: Whisper White Thick, Real Red, Whisper White, Vellum, Home for Christmas DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Snow Friends Framelits Dies*, Deco Labels Collection Framelits, Real Red 1/4” Cotton Ribbon, Home For Christmas Enamel Dots, Clear Embossing Powder.

* Stamps and Framelits may be purchased as a bundle.

Once the cardstock is cut, scored, cut and folded, now you can start to decorate the card.  I wanted the card to be fun and cherry, so I layered all the DSP on pieces of Real Red cardstock.  There are 3 different patterns of DSP on this card.  All of the pieces are from the Home for Christmas DSP collection.  This is a great way to mix and match the patterns.

The “Merry Christmas!” is stamped in Real Red on a piece of Vellum.  I didn’t want to cover up the DSP so this is a good way to expose the DSP.  Of course what snowman card could do without an ice cream cone.  This was added as an accent on the sentiment block.

The snowman was stamped and die cut and attached to the main deco label panel.  A small bow made from the Real Red 1/4″ Cotton Ribbon was tucked into the corner.  Also, a white Home for Christmas White Enamel Dot was added to his hat.

Finally, Mr. Penguin sporting his top hat and red striped woolly scarf was place on the back panel.  What top hat is not complete with a bit of mistletoe and holly berries.  He’s dressed to the 9’s and ready to celebrate the holidays.

This is such a cute stamp set and the matching dies make it so easy to use. No fussy cutting.

Why not try making a snowman card for yourself?  You can find all the supplies in my online store or click on the links below for some of the individual products.

 

Vacation Was Great – Bad Luck Did Visit

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Vacation Was Great – Except…

My vacation was great (which they usually are), however, this one went sideways at the end.  You know that saying, “if you didn’t have bad luck, you would have no luck at all“.   My sister-in-law and I did a12 night cruse starting in New York and ending in Quebec City Canada.

We spent 2 nights in New York before the cruise.  We toured Manhattan, Time Square, saw Wall Street, the 911 Memorial Greenwich Village and ended the day with a harbour tour.  The city is certainly beautiful at night.  On the tour, we passed under the 3 bridges, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge.  During the tour harbour, we also passed the Statue of Liberty.  You never realize the size of this statue until you actually see it.

Vacation was fun

Statue of Liberty – Day

Vacation

Statue of Liberty At Night

Vacation

911 Memorial Pool

The Memorial Pool is such a reverent site.  I could feel something at the site that I cannot describe.

After the tour of the harbour we had to figure out how to return to our hotel in Newark, New Jersey.  Nothing like leaving that til it was dark.  However, when we walked from the harbour up the the bus station ( which we thought was the train station), we all felt safe.  Or maybe it was safety in numbers. We did find a bus that would take us to the Newark Airport for $9.00 (because we are “seniors”, and then all we had to do was take the shuttle back to the hotel.

The next day it was off to the Serenade of the Seas for our 12 night cruise to Quebec City.

IMG_0551

Our home for the next 12 nights

Well, that’s about it for the first couple of days of our vacation.  Check back over the next couple of weeks and I will be telling you about the rest of the vacation and the bad luck that happened.

Make Spirits Bright with a Handmade Christmas Card

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Make Spirits Bright

What do you do to  make spirits bright at Christmas time? Many people struggle at this time of year for various reasons.  For some, there is no money for the extras, for others it may be a “blue” season, for others there may be no family..

Here are some ways that you can make spirits bright for others:

  • donate to your local food bank.
  • donate your time to a community dinner and help in the preparation and serving of the food.
  • donate gifts to a community charity that collects gifts for the under privileged.
  • if you know someone will be alone over the holidays, ask them to share your dinner.
  • donate used warm clothing and blankets for those who live in a colder climate.
  • carry handmade Christmas and holiday cards with you and hand them out so that they can be used by the recipients to share with others.

Here is a simple card that you can make to donate to others.

Make Spirits Bright

Make Spirits Bright

 

Recipe

Stamps: Among The Branches*, Holly Jolly Greetings.

Ink/Markers: Basic Grey, VersaMark.

Paper: Whisper White Thick, Smoky Slate, Basic Black, Red Foil, Silver Glimmer, Winter Wonderland Specialty DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Christmas Greetings Thinlit Dies*, Woodland Embossing Folder, Silver Embossing Powder, Silver Thread, 2″ Circle Punch, 2-1/2″ Circle Punch, Banner Triple Punch, Brayer.

* Among The Branches and the Woodland Embossing Folder may be purchased as a bundle.

To create the background, the Woodland Embossing Folder was brayed with Basic Grey ink.  Make sure you choose the side with the background raised and the trees indented.  This will usually be the side the says “SIZZIX”.  Carefully, place the Smoky Slate card stock in the folder and run through the Big Shot using the usual sandwich for embossing folders.  You will achieve a beautiful suede background and the birch trees will pop.

The Red Foil banner is the pop of colour that is needed for this card.

This is a simple card that you could recreate that would make spirits bright for someone that needs cheering up at this time of year.

 

It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas Time, The Best Time of The Year

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Holly Jolly Christmas Checklist

Now, are the lyrics from the song, “It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas time, the best time of year” stuck in your head?  Today, I saw someplace that it was only 83 sleeps until that Holly Jolly Christmas.  I know that sounds like a long time, however, there is lots of preparations that have to happen before you get there.

One of the preparations is to get your Christmas cards done. It takes time to design and create the cards.  Here is a checklist of things you need to do before you get all those Christmas and Holidays finished.

  1. Design your card.  Maybe you have seen a card that you can copy or maybe it was an idea on Pinterest, or even one through the 12 Days of Christmas email. (If you haven’t signed up for my mail list, its not too late.  You can sign up HERE.
  2. Once you have your design, you need the products to create the card.  You need to decide the stamp set, the colour of card stock and ink you will use, any designer series paper you may want to incorporate and of course any embellishments.  If you need any supplies, you can order from my ONLINE STORE.
  3. When you have your supplies, it’s now time to start the creation process.  This is truly the fun part.  Get together with a couple of friends and make an afternoon of it.  What could be more fun, stamping, creating, great conversation with friends, and maybe some goodies.
  4. Lastly, if you don’t have time  to do Steps 1-3, sign up for my Christmas Card Creativity class.  You can find all the details HERE.

Here is my Holly Jolly Christmas card to inspire you.

Holly Jolly ChristmasRecipe

Stamps: Holly Jolly Greetings*.

Ink/Markers: Basic Grey, Mint Macaron.

Paper: Mint Macaron, Whisper White, Red Foil, Gold Foil, Glassine Sheets, Holiday Fancy Foil Designer Vellum,

Accessories: Big Shot, Ovals Collection Framelits, Christmas Greeting Thinlits Dies*, Basic Black Baker’s Twine, Iced Rhinestone Embellishments, Fringe Scissors.

Holly Jolly Greetings*,  Christmas Greeting Thinlits Dies* – can be purchased as a bundle.

Did you notice the fringe on the bottom of the Holly Jolly Christmas card?  It was created using a piece of Glassine Sheet.  Using the Fringe scissors, cut a fringe along both sides of the strip.  It’s important that you don’t cut all the way through from one side to the other.  Otherwise, you will just have strips of Glassine paper.  To finish the fringed strip off, place a strip of Gold Foil paper down the middle .

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving to All The Canadians

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Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to Canadians everywhere.  Yes, we Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October.  It’s always the second Monday in October, so the date changes from year to year.  We eat the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings.  Therefore, by the time Christmas is finished, some people may be tired of turkey.  Not me though.

Canada was the first country to celebrate Thanksgiving.  It was brought to Canada by Martin Frobisher, an arctic explorer, more than 40 years before the Pilgrims came to the United States.

Why do Canadians celebrate their happy Thanksgiving in October?  Canada is located in the north  and the harvest season takes place earlier than in the US.  The holiday coincides with a 3-day weekend so many Canadians travel to celebrate with family. This also makes it a happy Thanksgiving.  Monday is not necessarily the day we have our Turkey dinner and Mr. Turkey could make his appearance on anyone of the 3 days.  The Thanksgiving holiday is also not a prelude to Christmas shopping.  There is no mad panic in the stores the day after.

Happy ThanksgivingRecipe

Stamps: Vintage Leaves, For All Things, Among The Branches.

Ink/Markers: Soft Suede, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Rich Razzleberry, VersaMark.

Paper: Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Kraft, Into The Woods DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Leaflets Framelits, Woodland Embossing Folder, Clear Embossing Powder, 1-1/4″ Burlap Ribbon, Gold Cord, Linen Thread.

For the background on this card,  I used the brayer and Soft Suede ink to in ink up the Woodland Embossing Folder.  The Kraft card stock was put into the embossing folder as normal and then run through the Big Shot.  This technique brings out the birch trees and they are more distinctive.

If you want to use this technique, make sure that you emboss the correct side of the embossing folder.  To ink the background behind the trees and make the trees stand out, always brayer the side of the embossing folder that the background is raised.  This will using be the side that has the word “Sizzix” on it.

The leaves used the emboss resist technique.  After heat embossing with Clear embossing powder, different colours of Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango and Daffodil Delight were sponged on the leaves.  This will also distress the leaves a bit.

The little leaves from the Among the Branches stamp set were stamped on the background after the embossing.  I used the 3 different leaves with 3 different colours.

Have fun with your Thanksgiving card and again Happy Thanksgiving.

Magic of the Holiday Season Handmade Christmas Card

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Magic of the Holiday Season

When I was a child, I loved the magic of the holiday season.  I remember the Christmas tree with the twinkling colourful bulbs 9 (no LEDs then).  When 1 light on the string went out, the whole string went out.  How many of your have spent time chasing the elusive burned out light.

My Mom and Dad always put the tree up after us kids had gone to bed, so when we got up in the morning, there it was.  Some other magic of the holiday season was the Christmas concerts at school and church, the visiting friends and relatives, and the Dads playing with my brother’s new train.  Yes, the big boys like to have fun on the floor too.

 

Magic of the Holiday SeasonRecipe

Stamps: Cozy Christmas.

Ink/Markers: Mint Macaron, Real Red Marker, Mossy Meadow Marker.

Paper: Whisper White, Mint Macaron, Real Red, Home For Christmas DSP.

Accessories: Banner Triple Punch, Real Red Pompom Trim.

This card is a case of a card in the 2015 Holiday catalogue – page 8.  All the catalogues are a great source of inspiration.  You can copy them exactly or you can change up some of the elements.

For this Magic of the Holiday Season, I copied most of elements, except for some of the embellishments.  You have to go with what you have.  Has this happened to you?  You want to make a card like one you have seen but you don’t have all the products.  Well, I bet your card looks just as beautiful as the one you were inspired by.

Instead of the button in the corner, I used the Real Red Pompom Trim across the strip of DSP.  This trim is so cute and can be used on packaging, tags and yes, even scrapbook pages.  Did you notice the cute little deer?  He, or maybe it’s a she, was fussy cut from a sheet of the Home for Christmas DSP.   On these papers, there are a number of different poses that you can incorporate into your Christmas crafts.  Actually, there are several pieces of the DSP that you can fussy cut and use…Santa and Christmas trees.  I love this paper.

What for you makes the magic of the holiday season? Leave me a comment.  I would love to hear.

 

Poinsettias – The Christmas and Holiday Flower

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Poinsettias For The Holidays

Poinsettias just say Christmas and Holidays.  I can’t seem to keep them going until the end of the holidays but every year I have one.  One can’t say I give up!

In the 2014 Holiday Catalogue, there is a new stamp set called the “Reason for the Season”  This stamp set has two versions of Poinsettias.  One version is requires the 3-step stamping method and the other version is an outline for petals and leaves.  With this version, there is a matching punch called the Festive Flower Builder Punch.  These two products are available as a bundle and you save 15% off the price of the items individually.

Of course, the punch is not just for Poinsettias and can be used to create other flowers. Using this punch, you could create a sunflower just by using So Saffron card stock or Daffodil Delight card stock.  Punch the center in Soft Suede or Early Espresso and you have a sunflower.

Here is the poinsettia I did using the punch.

PoinsettiasRecipe

Stamps: Reason for the Season.

Ink/Markers: VersaMark, Pear Pizzazz.

Paper: Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Real Red, Vellum, Gold Glimmer, Home For Christmas DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Stylish Stripes, Christmas Greeting Thinlits, Festive Flower Builder Punch, Gold Emboss Powder, Gold Sequin Trim.

Because the punch has multiple shapes, I would suggest that you punch out the petals and/or leaves and then stamp.  This is not difficult because the stamps are Photopolymar and you are able to see through them.

The petals were stamped using VersaMark on Vellum and then heat embossed using Gold Embossing Powder.  The leaves were stamped on Pear Pizzazz card stock using Pear Pizzazz ink.  This provides a tone-on-tone effect.

The center was punched from Gold Glimmer paper and adds that WOW factor. To finish off the card, the word “Peace” was die cut from Whisper White using the Christmas Greeting Thinlits.

Leave me a comment and let me know if you will be making any Poinsettias for this coming holiday season.

Be Your Own Boss -Start A Business and Satisfy Your Inner Desires

Simply Said With Karen Posted on by
Be Your Own Boss

To be your own boss could be one of the most important thing you do for yourself. If you have that dream, then make it a reality.  Yes, to be your own boss may seem over whelming in the beginning, however as you grow in your business, you will find the satisfactions in your daily life start to form.

Be Your Own Boss

In this post I will share 5 reasons to be your own boss,

So let’s get started.

  1. You will be in charge of your own income.  While that may be scary at first, you need to remember that the sky is the limit.  Yes, you may not have as much income as you did working a 9-5 job, but you are in control. No one can put a ceiling on your income potential.
  2. You are in control of every aspect of your business.  You make the decisions about your business and there is no one to tell you what to do.  Of course there could be downsides of this as you must be disciplined so that you can achieve your goals.
  3. You are the one responsible for your own success.  There is no passing the buck here.  You will need to show up every day to “take care of business”.
  4. You can set your own hours.  For some, this is  a huge goal for someone that wants to be their own boss.  You may only want to work your business 2 or 3 days a week, or perhaps you need some time off, you can take it.  Maybe you are still working your 9 – 5 job and you can only devote so many hours a week to your business.  Whatever your life looks like, you are in control of your business.
  5. You will be challenged.  When you work a regular job, often you will find the work not to be challenging and pushing your limits.  In order to grow as a person, you need to be challenged.  Owning a business will challenge you on may fronts during start up and as you grow your business.  However,that is where the satisfaction comes from.

Remember “you can do it.”

As a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, I live the 5 reasons for owning my business.  If you have the desire to be your own boss and own a business, then I can help you out.

Read about becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and joining my team by going HERE.  I am here to help you become successful. If you have questions about becoming a demonstrator email me and I will answer your questions.

All I can say is that I am so glad that I got to be my own boss.

 

Exploding Box Card – September Class Project

Simply Said With Karen Posted on by

Exploding Box Card

Have you ever created an exploding box card?  I have always had this project in the back of my mind to do for a class.  It finally happened for this month’s class.

There were 5 ladies at the class and they did a fabulous job of creating their exploding box card.

Yes, it takes a bit of time but it’s well worth the time and effort.

For this exploding card box, I chose the 2015-17 In colors of Tip Top Taupe and Mint Macron, along with  Mossy Meadow, a 2014-16 In Color.  All the ladies were happy with their project and there were ohhhs and awwwws once they were finished.

So, I am thinking that you are thinking where are the pictures for the box card.  Well, here they are!

Exploding Box Card Box Card 2 Box Card 3 Box Card 4 Exploding Box CardRecipe

Stamps: Butterfly Basics, Watercolor Wings.

Ink/Markers: Mint Macaron, Tip Top Taupe, Mossy Meadow

Paper: Whisper White, Mint Macaron, Tip Top Taupe, Basic Black, English Garden DSP, 2015-17 In Color DSP Stack (polka dots – Mint Macaron and Tip Top Taupe, Window Sheets, Silver Foil.

Accessories: Big Shot, Bold Butterfly Framelits, Butterflies Thinlits, Tags and Labels Framelits, Metallic Foil Doilies, 3/4” Circle Punch, 1” Circle Punch, Mint Macaron 1” Dotted Lace Trim, Rhinestone Basic Jewels.

You can use this type of card for so many occasions and it also doubles as your gift box when you place your gift inside.  If you wish to extend your congratulations or send a message, you can attach a white piece of card stock on one of the flaps and write your message on that.

So next time you want to try something new, try the Exploding Box Card.

Sign up for one of my Fancy Fold and Wow Classes.  See the details HERE

 

Craft a Creative Christmas with the 12 Weeks of Christmas

Simply Said With Karen Posted on by

Craft a Creative Christmas

You can craft a creative Christmas and I am going to help you!  The 12 Weeks of Christmas will soon be coming to crafters inboxes – but only if….they have signed up and confirmed on the Simply Said With Karen email list by 1:00 pm PT on September 30th. Are you signed up?

You will receive 12 beautiful  projects that you can create complete with a supply list and step by step instructions to complete each project. You will receive 5 card ideas, 4 gift  ideas and 3 ideas for gift packaging and tags.  Woo Hoo!, you’re set.

Sign up Here so that you don’t miss a single project and you can craft a creative Christmas.

Today, I am sharing a project that you will not see in the 12 Weeks of Christmas emails.  The projects that come to you are exclusive and will not be on my blog, Facebook Page, Twitter or any other Social Media sites. So go ahead and craft yourself a creative Christmas with this card.

Craft a Creative ChristmasRecipe

Stamps: Happy Scenes, Guy Greetings, Snow Place.

Ink/Markers: Island Indigo, Marina Mist, VersaMark, Basic Black, Sahara Sand, Basic Grey, Whisper White Craft.

Paper: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Real Red, Whisper White Thick, Tip Top Taupe, Home For Christmas DSP, Window Sheets.

Accessories: Big Shot, Hearth & Home Thinlits, Softly Falling Emboss Folder, White Embossing Powder, Silver Cording Trim, Snowflake Elements, Ice Rhinestone Embellishments, Dazzling Diamonds, White Gel Pen.

Here are some tips for creating this card:

  • To create the scene, mask off the lower portion of the Whisper White card stock. Tip a Post-it Note for the masking.  Include the gluey part so that your mask will stick to the card stock.  Using Sahara Sand, sponge a line across the top of the post-it note to create a horizon, then sponge the next layer up using Marina Mist ink and finally finish off the top with Island Indigo ink.
  • When you rip the note for masking, rip for that there are up and downs because you are going to use this for creating snow banks.
  • To create the snow banks, move your mask down a bit and sponge with Sahara Sand ink.  Move the bumps to different places on the card stock so that they are not in an up and down row.
  • Stamp the card from the Guy Greeting stamp set in Basic Black ink and fussy cut.
  • Stamp the trees in Basic Grey near the horizon and then stamp a little lower down.
  • Using the snow flake stamp, stamp snow flakes in the sky using Whisper White Craft ink.  Add snow to the trees using the White Gel Pen.
  • Using Multipurpose  Liquid Glue, spread a thin layer along the tops of the snow banks. Cover with Dazzling Diamond. Attach the car in the lower right hand side.
  • Now build your window using window sheets, the window frame and border,
  • Put a thin layer of glue on the Snowflake element and cover with Dazzling Diamonds.
  • Cut the window frame and window box from Tip Top Taupe using the thinlits.  Cut a piece of the Home For Christmas DSP using the thinlit and attach to Tip Top Taupe.
  • Die cut the window frame and attach the window sheet.  Finally attach to your happy scene,
  • Stamp the “LET it Snow” sentiment on Real Red cardstock with VersaMark. Heat emboss with White Embossing Powder.
  •  Loop the Silver Cording a couple of times and layer the Snowflake Element and the Iced Rhinestone Embellishment.  Place on the window.
  • After dry embossing the Marina Mist layer with the Softly Falling Emboss Folder, the outside edges were sponged with Marina Mist.  Likewise, the window frame was sponged with Tip Top Taupe.
  • Attach the sentiment underneath the Snowflake.

You have now created a beautiful and cute Holiday card.

Make sure that you are signed up for the Simply Said with Karen email list.

Now you can craft a creative Christmas.