Still making Christmas cards...

I'm still making Christmas cards to donate, and I expect I'll keep making them until the last week of December. 

While I have finished making cards for my personal use, I haven't shared all of them here on the blog. Today's post shows you a couple of them that were a lot of fun to make.

The Santa image used on these two cards was a free AI image available online. I love the look of a traditional Santa, so I printed out a few and made several of these cards.

I used some mat silver cardstock to die-cut a frame for Santa before adhering the image to a die-cut red banner. I embellished my frame with a little holly cluster that had some self-stick gems in place of the berries.

The banner was popped up with foam tape and the sentiment was popped up with thin foam strips (they're great for sentiment strips!).

When I have the time, I love adding a little decoration to the inside, too. I used a scalloped border punch and a thin strip of red CS to create this embellishment. 

The sentiment is a stamp that I have used on a lot of cards this year.

This card was made the same way, with a couple of small differences. I added silver dots with a Viva Decor pen, and I matted the sentiment with red CS before popping it up beneath the banner.

I used a different sentiment on the inside of this one. I added the scalloped strip of DSP at the bottom, but I did not add the thin strip of red cardstock. In looking at the photo, I wish I had!

The days are zooming by, and I am doing my best to get everything ready for the big day. I still have some decorating, wrapping and baking to do. I think I'll let my DH take care of some of the cleaning. He's actually pretty good at that!

I hope your Christmas preparations are well underway. I'm sure some of you are even done and just enjoying the days leading up to the 25th!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl 

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #214: Anything Goes or (Option) Black and White...

 

Oh my stars, it's DECEMBER! I can hardly believe that we are in the last month of 2024, soon to celebrate the beginning of 2025. 

Since this is the final challenge of the year on the Let's Craft and Create blog site, I hope you'll join in the fun. The option for Decenber is "Black and White," and I decided to use that suggestion to create a couple of Christmas cards. Sound crazy? I wasn't sure I'd like the end result, either, but...I really do. 

I'd love it if you'd enter some black and white Christmas cards so I can add them to the "ideas" file in my head. Sometimes I have to print those ideas out, because my head's file system is not terribly reliable. LOL

I started by making a couple of black A2 card bases. Then I searched for some buffalo check paper. I didn't have any so I found a free clipart image of it online that was perfect.

The sentiment was printed with the computer, die-cut, and adhered to a black, die-cut, scalloped square.

Finally, I die-cut three different snowflakes out of glitter cardstock and added them to the card front. There is a sparkly gem in the center of each one, although the gems are a little hard to see in the photos.

I thought the inside deserved a little decoration, too, so I stamped a line of fancy snowflakes on the center top at the same time that I stamped the sentiment.

If you look at the first photo, you'll see that I stamped the same line of snowflakes on the envelope flap, as well.

Because I liked the first card so much, I decided to make a second one. This one has different sentiments (inside and out) and the snowflakes were in different positions. Other than that, it was made exactly the same way.

Now it's your turn to create something fun. I'm excited to see all your creations, but especially the black and white ones! If you need a little inspiration, just click over to the Let's Craft and Create blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has posted there.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

A fun layout...

 

I don't recall where I saw this layout, but I wanted to give it a try.

The green layer was cut at 4" X 5.25" for my A2 card base. The floral DSP, which is the other side of the green stripe, was cut at 3 3/4" X 4 1/2". Then I cut that piece at a diagonal before adhering both pieces onto the green panel. 

I cut two circles, one out of the dark gray that is included inthe floral print, and one out of white. I stamped my sentiment, glued the white circle to the gray one and popped them both up on foam squares.

I added a portion of a leafy sprig and three pink gems for embellishment.

I stamped a sentiment on the inside and added the rest of the leafy sprig. I trimmed it down so that it wasn't readily apparent that it was only a part of the original die-cut.

This is a fun layout to make, and I can see it being used for all kinds of cards, even Christmas and other holiday cards. Other shapes and die-cuts could be used in place of the circle, too. 

I hope you'll give it a try.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

From our house to yours...

 

I had a number (maybe 8 or 10) pre-printed, pre-cut window frames in my stash. I think they came with other crafty odds and ends that the thrift store had given me. I decided to use some of them for Christmas cards. Since this is the first time I've used any of them, I am entering this card into Challenge #69 on the NBUS blog.

After inking the edges of all the frames, I went online to the Bing.Create program to create an AI image for a scene outside the window. 

I ended up printing an entire sheet of cardstock full of the small images I had created, I began by gluing the window frame directly over an image and then carefully cutting around it.

I added some DSP to my card front, with a strip of gold DSP to cover the splice. Then I popped up my window onto the front of the card.

Finally, I die-cut a white cat, inked its edges with some gray ink and adhered him to the window sill, as though it is watching the lighted tree.

The sentiment was stamped, die-cut, and popped up on thin foam strips.

The inside was stamped with a sentiment to finish the card. 

This is a larger card--4 1/2" X 6"--to better accommodate the window frame.

I have really enjoyed using AI images on my Christmas cards this year. They have made it so much easier to carry out a card idea like this one.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Happy birthday 10-year-old...

 

When I am making kids' birthday cards to donate to the thrift store, I sometimes like to put ages on them. This doesn't seem to limit their saleability. Who knows, maybe it even enhances it!

I saw a similar card design on Pinterest, but gave it my own twist. I had these two pre-printed card bases in my stash (they've been there for years!) and it was time to use them up.

I used an old Cuttlebug embossimg folder for the pink circle. This particular embossing folder is one of the first ones I got when I started making all my own cards. When I put my circle into the folder, I made sure the embossed area would include a complete "happy birthday." That way it could also serve as a sentiment. I backed the pink circle with a larger, wonky-scalloped circle and adhered it to the card.

The "10" circle and the ice cream cone were die-cut and popped up. I also did a bit of inking on the ice cream and the cone.

I made this card exactly the same way, except the white circle was deckle-edged. I thought about making the ice cream chocolate instead of strawberry on this one, but decided against it. Most young kids I've known--both boys and girls--have preferred strawberry.

I added a stamped sentiment to the inside to finish the cards.

If you're in the U.S., I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday. Are you taking part in "Black Friday" shopping? I have gone out in years past a few times (I could count them on one hand), but it's not something I actually enjoy. I prefer to purchase Christmas gifts earlier in the year, if at all possible.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Pastel Christmas scene...

 

This card was made with a lovely AI Christmas scene that was offered for anyone's personal use on one of the AI Facebooks sites. I thought it was so pretty and would be perfect for a few Christmas cards.

I started with a light blue A2 card base, turning it 90 degrees to create a top-fold card. Then I cut an inch off the bottom front. "Merry Christmas" was die-cut from the inch piece that I cut off and adhered to the inside panel of the card.

All I did to embellish the scene was to add some glitter along the tops of the snowy hills. It adds a wonderful sparkle!

When the card is opened, you see the stamped sentiment on the inside. I used blue ink, as close to the color of the card base as I could get. 

There is still plenty of room to sign the card.

I made several of these cards, and I may even make a few more. I just love the softness of this scene.

I want to wish all of you that are celebrating a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you are able to gather with loved ones and enjoy a special meal together. We will be at my daughter's house, along with my brother and possibly some of my daughter's family friends. We are definitely looking forward to it!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Jingle all the way...

 I have been busy making Christmas cards. I plan to be done making them for my own personal use before Decenber 1. I will continue making them to donate to the thrift store, but the pressure will be off.

I made these two cards using a couple of card bases I had made from some heavy, teal and white cardstock. 

Of the two cards, this one is my favorite. I die-cut some jingle bells from silver holographic cardstock. I put them on a silver cord and fixed each one in place on a die-cut panel with a dimensional.

After adding a bow and a popped up sentiment strip, I adhered the panel to the front of my card.

I love the way the holographic cardstock reflects the colors around it.

This card was made in exactly the same way, but with snowflakes.

This time I added some gems to the snowflake centers for a little sparkle.

This is the sentiment I stamped on the inside of each card.

While teal is not the usual Christmas color. I really like how these turned out. I only wish I had more than a single sheet of the teal print!

Do you have a favorite non-traditional color for Christmas cards? I know I've seen some beautiful pastel ones.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl