Vintage Santa Step Card

    Visit my blog often enough and you will begin to see that I love Step Cards and 3-D projects.  While perusing Pinterest recently I came across a card with this new shape I hadn't seen.  Her picture tutorial was nice, but it seemed to me a lot of paper was wasted in her layout.....so, I went to my handy dandy Silhouette Cameo and drew out a background to use.  This machine comes in soooo handy.  I not only now have this style of card ready to cut when I want -- I can also cut out my layered pieces to the correct proportions as well.  Often using scraps and laying them out for one run through.  Now that's efficiency.
   Vintage cards are usually not my style - but around Christmas time these images always appeal to me.  I have several post cards that were my Grandmothers, as well as some other images, that date back to around 1903 - 1912. I have made cards and ornaments from copies of several of them over the years.  This paper by K & C from last years holiday stash seemed perfect for this image.  The card when flat fits in an A6 envelope.  
     After making this one I decided to start another one - the next is going to have lots of glitter to make it a little more vintage looking - I'm thinking it will be very nice looking.  If I have a chance I'll try and post it.

Thanks for stopping by

Materials:  Copy Vintage Post Card, Computer, Spellbinders Label Die and Gold Label Four, Rhinestones, K & C DP, Pop Ups

Santa nestled in the greenery

    Months ago I saw a card on Pinterest that fascinated and inspired me.  I had only recently purchased the Spellbinders Ornament die, but realized the shape of the card was nothing close to what I owned.  So the picture was filed away until recently when I decided I would just have to make my own background to replace die used in my inspiration piece.  Why own a Silhouette Cameo if you can't get creative.

     I designed my own shape for the easel background and then started playing.....I am in love with this sweet half moon Santa from Sassy Cheryl and I thought he would look great.  However, he just looked SO plain sitting on the ornament - next thing you know I drew upon my inner Kiitie Caracciola  (oooh I love her work - you can check out her gallery here) and out came the Martha Stewart punch, some snowflake dies, blinginty bling and soon Santa was nestled amongst the greenery with snowflakes falling.  I do have to admit that at one point I had to tell myself 'step away from the bling' as I was afraid I might be getting to carried away.  Below I have posted the inspiration image and a second card I made using this same easel background I created and the Spellbinders Ornament die.....it amazes me how changing things like paper, and images can make three very similar cards look so different.

This is the inspiration piece, now watermark can't remember who did it, but they are talented. 

This is my second card using the shapes from my first one at the top of the page. 

     Just love how both of my cards turned out - beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.  I have about 13 ornaments painted and finished and ready to go.  Thanks for looking. 

Materials:  Silhouette Cameo, Spellbinders Ornament Die, Bling, Martha Stewart Punch, Designed2 Delight Digital, Sassy Cheryl Digital, Designer Cardstock, Copic Markers, IO Snowflake Die

Challenges:  Just myself :)

Get Well

     This card is for a Bella, she has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (only a few short months after her cousin Bridger received a more severe and aggressive cancer diagnosis).  The Teapotters over at Splitcoast have challenged us to make Isabella some cards to cheer her up.  I am late getting to the Tea Party.....which is rather ironic as I knew of Isabella's diagnosis and need for cards two weeks ago and made this card.  I'm just way behind in getting it to the post office.  The Teapotters will probably be making princess cards, I made this before the challenge, but I personalized it so Isabella would feel special.  You can read about Isabella here.  This card will get to the post office in the next two days and I am continuing to keep Isabella, her family and her cousin Bridger in my prayers......these kids are too young to have to go through all these treatments, breaks my heart.  What troopers they are.

Materials:  Old Bear Stamp, Silhouette Cameo for Letters, Ribbon, Cardstock, Spellbinders die, Copic markers

Challenges:  MMTPT272

With Sympathy

     While I enjoy creating cards I always find it a challenge to be asked for a Sympathy card....you want the card to reach out and touch the recipient, yet words are so difficult in those times.  My co-worker needed a card for her Aunt who lost an older daughter pretty suddenly.  As I surfed the net I came across a blog that had a poem that brought me to tears.  The woman posting it had lost a child and put this poem, she had received, on her blog because she was so touched by it.  There was no credit for who wrote it (I may have to Google further to find out and I will update that info if I find it).
     It was such a long poem I struggled with putting it on the inside of the card.  Should it be on vellum as an overlay on some lovely paper with hearts in the background, should it be shrunk down and made so small it couldn't be read?  Finally,  I decided it should be the background of the front of the card.  I printed it in grey ink and adjusted them so that the words went around the die I wanted to put in the middle -- two hearts, the poem ends with a reference to the heart.
     It is simple and yet I think it conveys a lot of heartfelt thought.  I kept the sentiment on the inside simple

Materials:  Computer, Spellbinder Die, Heart Embellishment, Cardstock