Twelve Days of Christmas Cards

My friend, Carol Cassel from Scrapbook Campus, wanted to offer templates/sketches for 12 Days of Christmas Cards. She wanted to have a variety of cards to go with her templates, so she enlisted the help of friends! Be sure to sign up to her list so you’ll get all the card ideas. The emails go out each morning, so if you’re just starting on day 5, you may end up getting your first email the morning of the 6th. Don’t worry if you’ve missed the first ones, as she will give access to all of them at the end!

Here is the card template/sketch Carol provided for Day 5. As you can see, these ideas can certainly be used for ANY occasion!
Scrapbook Campus-Card 05

 

After some consideration, I decided to use the idea from a graphic I’d seen which had three stockings on it. So instead of limiting myself to using the circles in the top section, I simply used the idea of three things. So here is what I started with, the card base and three little paper stockings. Now, don’t let little paper stocking stop you in your tracks! If nothing else, draw them and cut them out! That is an easy shape and they don’t have to be perfect!

Card base and three Christmas stockings

Card base and three stockings

 

I wanted them to appear as if they were hung up, so here’s what I did…Artful Adventures Christmas stocking card

  • Went to my stash and dug out darling little clothes pins!
  • Used a length of embroidery floss and made triple knots near the ends, so that I could hide glue dots attaching it to the card.
  • Hung the stockings. Placed foam dots beneath the stockings to adhere them to the card and give them support. This also allowed the weight to not be pulling from the string.

Now that I could see how low the stocking would hang, I could decide how much space I would have for the bottom section of the card. It wasn’t nearly as much as in the sketch, but that’s okay! It was just enough to add something. I don’t know about you, but song titles and lyrics often come to mind when I’m working on something, and this was one of those times. Once I decided on my phrase

  • I measured how much room I was going to have and simply typed it up and printed the phrase on my printer!
  • Then I cut it out to the correct dimensions and adhered it to my card.

Now for the envelope.

ScrapbookCampus-Envelop05

I used white as the base of the envelope, and attached the same patterned paper from the stockings, to the curve.

Adhered matching paper to the back curved flap.

Adhered matching patterned paper to the back curved flap.

If you already have envelopes to use, simple use a bit of patterned paper on the back to make it a bit more special! It’s an easy way to coordinate your card with envelope.

Now for the front of the envelope.  Many of us think of stockings hung up on a brick fireplace, so I decided to use the left portion of the envelope front to create a little indication of bricks. I grabbed out a colored pencil and made my bricks. I just roughly colored them in, not being too careful or perfect.

Since stockings were used in place of the circles on the card, why not use another one for the circle area on the envelope front? Since the envelope was white, I made the base of the stocking red so it would stand out. After adhering the stocking to the envelope, I also coated it with Glue N Seal, to create a smoother surface, and make sure it didn’t come off in the mail.

Brick and Christmas stocking on envelope

Here they are together. Thank you again to Carol Cassel from Scrapbook Campus for letting me provide a card for the 12 Days of Christmas! Sign up here so you can get all the templates/sketches. Carol is an expert using Paint Pro software and teaches classes. If you or someone you know wants help with Paint Pro, Carol is your gal!

Artful Adventures Christmas stocking card and envelope

Cheers to YOUR Artful Adventures!

KS

Artful Lettering Touches for Your Holidays

If you aren’t familiar with Joanne Sharpe, I’d like to introduce her to you. She is is a gifted artist and teacher, who is known for her colorful and whimsical work. She has a number of online classes, but I wanted to call your attention to her  Five Golden Letterings class which is absolutely free! It will cost you nada, zilch, zero…nothing!

Five Golden Letterings Free Class by Joanne SharpeThe class was done in 2012, but I’m sure you can find some useful ideas.These ideas are just as useful now as they were when she created the class.  Watch the videos and see which techniques you’ll want to try!  You can even use other colors besides gold! Shhh… I won’t tell!

She will show some great ways to spiff up wrapping paper, gift bags, and cards!  It’s amazing how a handful of supplies can be used to de-stress and make something artful and useful all at the same time!  There is no doubt you’ll find ideas to artfully add some special touches to your holidays!

Stop by and check out her Five Golden Letterings class!  Then come back and share with us what you’ve made!

You can also find Joanne on her Whimspirations blog.

 

Jazz Up Printables for Unique Cards

make it monday blog hop logoWelcome to another Make It Monday blog hop. If you came from Lisa Harris’ blog, you’re in the right spot! Isn’t her Santa’s Helpers Workshop brilliant? If you didn’t see her post, make sure you make it back to her blog!

Today’s Artful Adventure idea may come in handy, so take note! With all the printables that are available, why not use them to create something? You don’t even have to spend much time or effort on jazzing up a printable to make it unique. The point of using a printable is the fact that you should be able to just print it and be done. However, I’m not sure I could do that. I always want to add a touch that makes it unique and makes me feel like it a little more personalized.

The Creative Christmas Bundle has a number of printable items! Today is the last day the bundle is available for the special price of $29.99. I decided to use My Dream December digi kit by Margareta Carlsson. There are quite a few images to choose from in the kit, which is predominately red and white, with some pink and whites, as well. They are clean, crisp designs and I felt that any additions I made would be easy to spot.
Creative Christmas Bundle My Dream December Digipack

I simply printed out the image I wanted on nice printer paper. I usually try to keep a pack of presentation paper around for times like this, but I couldn’t find my pack! You usually get great color printing on presentation paper! Oh well, this will end up being more true to most of our lives — regular printer paper! The image was not resized, it is the original size of 3″x4″.

My Dream December image printed on printer paper.

My Dream December image printed on printer paper.

 

Next, I simply trimmed the image, and placed it on the card base to get an idea of how it would look. You can either use card stock, or make it easy on yourself and have a pack of cards and envelopes on hand.

Trimmed to add to a 4.25" x 5.5" card base.

Trimmed to add to a 4.25″ x 5.5″ card base.

Since I only wanted to print the image without resizing, it left quite a bit of border outside the image. I decided to dry emboss border lines in the white margins.

Scored using paper trimmer track and stylus.

Scored using paper trimmer track and stylus.

 

Dry embossed by scoring.

Dry embossed by scoring.

Gold ink was sponged in from the outer edge and gave more definition to the embossed lines.

Inked edges with gold ink; then adhere image to base.

Inked edges with gold ink; then adhere image to base.

I used Bonding Memories Broad Tip Glue Pen from Close To My Heart to adhere the image to the card base. The paper will not get all wet and wrinkled with this product, so it’s perfect for using since we are using a much lighter weight paper than card stock for the image.

To decorate the tree:

  • glue pen was used to add a bit of glue for glitter on the star
  • Stickles glitter glue was added along the lines of garland
  • Rhinestones were colored with a Shin-Han Touch Twin alcohol marker
  • Puffy white paint was used to add a bit more dimension and a snowy look to the ground.
Glitz and glimmer added to printable image.

Glitz and glimmer added to printable image.

 

Printable image embellished to create unique Christmas tree card.

Printable image embellished to create unique Christmas tree card.

 

Remember this is the last day to get your Creative Christmas Bundle.

15 Designers, 15 Projects, 1 Low Price!

Bundle Details

Now onto the next stop on this week’s Make It Monday blog hop! Pop over and see what Beth’s got up her sleeve this week. She is showing us how she is using products from the Creative Christmas Bundle in her December Daily album. In case you’re not familiar with December Daily, it is an album created to capture the memories of each day throughout December! Yep, just like it sounds! But before you go, I have one last thing to share with you today!


CYBER MONDAY DEAL from Close to My Heart!arrow

For the first time ever, Close To My Heart is offering a Cyber Monday Sale on Monday, December 1, 2014.

There has never been a better time to buy Close To My Heart’s exclusive Cricut® Collections

20% off, TODAY Only

Whether you love scrapbooking, cardmaking, or creating 3-D projects, our four exclusive Cricut® collections make the perfect addition to any craft room! Sale starts at midnight (MST) on December 1 and ends at 11:59 pm Monday night.

Each bundle contains 3 stamp sets which coordinate with the Cricut cartridge, and each one has other items included, depending on which bundle you select.

PLUS, with an order of $50, you are qualified to get the stamp of the month for just $5; and also a C or D sized stamp set for $10. That means a savings of about $35!


CTMH December 2014 Stamp of the Month

Easy Digital Pocket Page Cards or Tags

With the holidays here, since it has become so popular, I was thinking how much fun it would be to show some of my family how to capture some memories with Pocket Page scrapbooking. The cards come in a zillion colors and styles, and pretty much offer something for every taste or occasion. Not only can these cards make scrapbooking easy, but the cards can be used for so much more. Since they have images, words, or even phrases, they can make quick work of a card making project, or even a “traditional” scrapbook page, and can be a great addition to a mixed media piece, or art journaling! Here was a previous post showing different uses for pocket cards.

Did you know that you can create that same pocket page look digitally? It’s really not difficult! Close To My Heart’s online software, Studio J makes it easy! Or what if you want to create your own pocket cards? You can do that, too!

Watch the video and see how easy it is.

 

A Gift for You!

I would like to let you all know how much I appreciate you following my blog. It is my desire that as I share things I like to do, that you’ll pick up some tips and tricks along the way; and that you’ll want to try new things. As a special “Thank You” to you, I’d like to offer these two pages of pocket page cards. All you have to do is print, and cut. You can even size them down to an 8×8″ square and print them on a letter size paper, to use any way you’d like.

Yuletide Pocket Cards 1

Right Click the button to download, or click to view, and then download.

Yuletide Cards #1

Yuletide pocket cards

Right Click the button to download, or click to view, and then download.
Yuletide Cards #2

Create your own Studio J pages here.

Creative Christmas Bundle Preview

 

May you enjoy the holidays, and thanks for stopping by! (Leave and message so I know you were here!)

Cheers to YOUR Artful Adventures!

KS

 

 

Here it is! The Creative Christmas Bundle!

 Are you pressed for time during the holidays?

Creative Christmas Bundle Preview

Do you want to make handmade gifts, cards, and scrapbook pages, but find it hard to find inspiration to help you get it all done NOW?

Have we got the solution for you!

Our Creative Christmas Bundle contains all the information, inspiration, and instruction you need to craft your most creative Christmas ever.

In this bundle you’ll learn how to:

  • Create easy, inexpensive gifts for everyone on your list
  • Spend more quality time with your family while counting down the days to Christmas
  • Make a beautiful December Daily album or Christmas Journal
  • Use cut files and your iPhone to create your own journal and filler cards for pocket-style scrapping
  • Upcycle everyday household items into stunning holiday projects
  • Use digital printables to create your own holiday greeting cards and scrapbook elements
  • Make custom photo gifts
  • Use your art supplies to create a unique Christmas journal
  • And so much more!

You’ll have the tools and inspiration to get started creating right away. Here’s what’s included:


Your December Solution

Digital scrapbooking bundle from Melissa Shanhun with BONUS audio and video inspiration and tutorials

Creative Christmas Bundle December Solution


My Dream December Printable Cards and Digital Overlays from Margareta Carlsson

Creative Christmas Bundle My Dream December Digipack


Whimsical Printable Christmas Cards

from Cara Vincens with BONUS postcard option and coupon code to The Hooting Pirate Etsy StoreCara Vincens Printable Christmas Cards


Advent Calendar and Activities

Printable content from Connie Hanks; with BONUS planner in both list and calendar formats

Creative Christmas Bundle Advent Calendar Pockets  and Activities


2015 Flower Calendar

Printable from Karen Fitting, with BONUS Artisan tutorial

Creative Christmas Bundle Floral Calendar


Let There Be Night

Silhouette Cross-stitch Patterns from Jen Weber

Christmas-Cross-Stitch-Christmas Creative Bundle


12 Day Advent Envelope Project Tutorial

from Jen Wright;  with BONUS advent cards

Creative Christmas Bundle Advent Pockets


PaintShop Pro Calendar Making Class

from Carole Cassel

Creative Christmas Bundle Calendar Class


Santa’s Helpers Gift-making Workshop

from Lisa Harris

Creative Christmas Bundle Santas Helpers Workshop


iPhone Christmas Scrapbooking Class

from Beth Soler

Creative Christmas Bundle iScrap-n-Snap class


Art Journaling Basics Class

from Kristie Sloan at Artful Adventures

Art Journaling Basics online class with eBook bonus!


Pocket-style December Scrapping Cut Files

from Alison Day, Day Designs

Creative Christmas Bundle December Pocket Page Cut Files


An Upcycled Christmas Class

from Gina Zee, GinaZee.com

Creative Christmas Bundle Upcycled Christmas


Photo Gifts for the Holidays Class

from Mary Mosely and Jackie Lyals

Creative Christmas Bundle Photo Gifts Class


Be Jolly Digital Scrapbooking Collection Kit 

from Janet Carr

Creative Christmas Bundle Janet Carr

 


Get the Bundle Now!
CreativeChristmasBundleBuyButton


FAQs

HOW WILL I RECEIVED THE PRODUCTS?

The products are delivered by instant download – no physical products will be shipped.

After purchasing you will receive an email with a link to download the products, including coupon codes to redeem the video classes.

HOW DO I USE THE PRODUCTS?

  • Purchase the bundle
  • Open the email titled Creative Christmas Bundle, Here’s Your Bundle!
  • Download the Creative Christmas Bundle.zip file
  • Unzip the file (this will be done automatically in Safari, or simply right click and select Extract all…)
  • Inside will be 15 folders, one for each designer’s contribution
  • Open the PDFs with the details on how to complete the project or access the classes.
  • Watch the videos
  • Print the patterns/printables/projects of your choice
  • Enjoy creating your Christmas!

HOW DO I OPEN THE PRINTABLES?

  • Unzip the main Creative Christmas Bundle.zip file
  • Within each folder will be the relevant files for each project.
  • Simply print the PDFs and JPEG files at home or use your favourite photo processor to print them professionally.

HOW DO I REDEEM MY CLASSES?

  • Unzip the main Creative Christmas Bundle.zip file
  • Within each folder will be the relevant files for each class.
  • Open the PDF for the class you want to redeem and the instructions for redeeming it, plus any coupon codes will be inside.

HOW CAN I GET HELP?

Email Lisa info@scrapbookbundles.com

Get the Bundle Now!
CreativeChristmasBundleBuyButton