{12 Weeks of Christmas} Week 2 -- Diverting from the Traditional Color Palette

This card was created for a Color Scheme Challenge a while ago at 365 Cards: 

While I'm a big fan of the traditional color palette for Christmas, I like how fun and fresh this note is.  The colors we were to use were Old Olive, Bashful Blue, More Mustard and Crumb Cake (or something thereabout -- I assign Stampin' Up! colors to those challenges).

This is also a simple and versatile layout.  By crumpling the scraps of More Mustard and adding a dry embossed layer (and rhinestones!), texture abounds in this project...  The Labels Collection Framelits make the basis of the focal point easy to create.

In a second project, I was going for a bright and cheery look without the traditional colors.  Using Tags til Christmas and my ornament punch, I created the Melon Mambo ornament, tied off with a bit of white floss.

The texture in this card was created using the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder ("TIEF"), and turning the card base to show the opposite relief from the Elegant Eggplant layer.

This color scheme was brought to you by the Color Coach...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Snow Swirled (W111690, C127799), Tags til Christmas (W120847, C121169)

Papers:  Crumb Cake (120953), Whisper White (100730), More Mustard (100946), Bashful Blue (105120), Old Olive (100702), and Elegant Eggplant (105126)

Inks:  Bashful Blue (126961), More Mustard (126964), and Melon Mambo (126948) Classics

Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Labels Colleciton Framelits (125598), Petals-A-Plenty TIEF (116824), Vintage Wallpaper TIEF (120175), Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246), 1/2-inch Circle Punch (119869), Ornament Punch (119847), Color Coach (120148), and Stampin' Dimensionals (104430).

{12 Weeks of Christmas}: Week 7 -- Technique Tuesday: Z-fold

Hi, there, and welcome to another installment of {12 Weeks of Christmas}!  This week, I've got a fun technique that adds *WOW* to your project without adding any cost (we love those, don't we?!).  It's called a Z-Fold and there are all sorts of variations.  I thought we'd start simple; I'll show you a more complex one in the future...

Start with a half-sheet of Riding Hood Red card stock, cut vertically.  Next, score (using Stampin' Up!'s fabulous new Simply Scored tool) at 5-1/2 inches and 8-1/4 inches.

I fed the (end) 2 3/4-inch piece through my Big Shot, using my Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

The accents on that little flap include a piece of Baja Breeze (suggested by my Color Coach) that I edged using the Scallop Edge Border punch, a piece of 1/4-inch Whisper White grosgrain ribbon (which I tucked around the edges of the Baja Breeze so that the "Behind the Scenes" isn't visible on the card), and a Scallop Oval piece of So Saffron with the sentiment stamped in Baja Breeze and punched using the Large Oval punch.  Finally, I stamped the little bloom from Season of Joy on whisper White (using the Riding Hood Red Classic Ink) and cut it out, using my super-fine Stampin' Up! Paper Snips.  A "Faux Bow" of the same Whisper White grosgrain ribbon finishes off the front.

For the "inside" of the card, I inked the big blossom from Season of Joy in So Saffron and stamped it first (it's barely visible in the photo, hiding behind the sentiment), then followed it up with the square image/sentiment stamp that I colored using my Stampin' Write Markers (that's how I got parts to be Baja Breeze and the three blooms in the upper left to be Riding Hood Red).  The same big blossom is inked in Riding Hood Red on the envelope to tie the two together (remember, no naked envelopes!).

Stampin' Up! Supplies:


Stamps:  Season of Joy (#110384, $26.95)

Paper:  Riding Hood Red (#111348), So Saffron (#105118), Baja Breeze (# 111352) and Whisper White (#100730) card stocks

Inks:  Riding Hood Red (#111836 pad, #120971 marker), So Saffron (#105213), and Baja Breeze (#111833 pad, #120965 marker) Classic Inks

Accessories:  Simply Scored Scoring Tool (in the Holiday and Occasions Mini Catalogs, #122334), Big Shot (#113439), Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#116824), Scallop Edge Border (#119882), Scallop Oval (#119856), and Large Oval (#119855) Punches, Paper Snips (#103579), and Whisper White 1/4-inch grosgrain ribbon (#109025)

{Stamp Set Spotlight} Season of Joy: Day 2

I'm sure that the botanically-minded readers will know that the bloom pictured here is a poinsettia. However, I'm willing to bet that I can use this stamp pretty freely all year long. I used it to make a winter-themed card.


I paired the Regal Rose with the Blushing Bride (which I'd run through the Big Shot, using the Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions folder). It's adhered to a sueded piece of Early Espresso.

The poinsettia is stamped on a tag from the Two Tags Bigz die, which comes with a ready-made slot to keep the "mini card" closed. Narrow Pretty in Pink grosgrain makes for a sweet knot.

I'm going to make a few more of these quick and easy cards for December birthdays and winter "Thank You" notes...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Season of Joy

Papers: Regal Rose, Blushing Bride, Early Espresso and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Regal Rose Classic (I "stamped off" to give it tonal distinction)

Accessories: Big Shot, Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions folder, Two Tags Bigz die, Pretty in Pink Narrow and Early Espresso Grosgrain Ribbon