Better Late than Never!

Well, it's January 8 and I'm just now getting around to posting our Christmas card! I've been super busy with wedding and shower invitations (which I will post once those events happen--not until Spring/Summer) as well as planning for Slevin's first birthday party. I just got his invitations printed today and OMG I can't wait to send them out! I created them using Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio. It's by far the best purchase I've ever made. I'm also using it to make his baby book. So more to come on that.

Isn't he a cutie??

I also wanted to share the little gifts I made for my co-workers. Everyone is always looking for gum, so I thought these little gum snowmen that I saw on Pinterest were perfect! I drew the faces, scarves and buttons with sharpies and then used My Digital Studio to create a quick tag. One great thing about MDS is how it coordinates with other SU products. 

Christmas Card Set

Ok, I know it's only October, but now is the time to place your orders for Christmas cards! I can make any style of card you need in any quantity. I can also include a family photo if you'd like. Cards can either be digitally created and printed, completely handmade or a combination of both depending on what you want. Please don't hesitate to contact me (renae.rudy@yahoo.com) and get a jump start!

This is a set I made a few years ago as a gift for a neighbor. He loved it! All of these cards were made using SU's Simply Scrappin' Kit. Not only are they great for scrapbook pages, they make it so easy to create coordinating card sets quickly and there was very little stamping required. 

 Here are some close ups.

I also made this cute little gift box for them :)

Click here too see other Christmas creations!

Christmas Cardinal

No, this image is not Stampin' Up :( Jen had this little guy laying around and I thought he would be good to use for Christmas cards to sell at the craft fair in November. I used the same layout as this card that I made back in July. I like the Christmas one better--sorry for the poor quality, I think my camera was dying when I took this picture.

Stamps: Heard from the Heart, Misc Cardinal Stamp

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Merry Moments DSP

Ink: Basic Black, Whisper White, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note Die, Texture Plates, Real Red Ribbon, Sponges, SU Markers, Sanding Block, Dimentionals

1. Score 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 piece of Chocolate Chip at 4 1/4 and fold on score line.

2. Cut a 3 inch square of Very Vanilla, a 3 1/4 inch square of Old Olive, and a 3 1/2 inch square of Real Red.

3. Stamp the cardinal image in the center of Vanilla paper in Basic Black. Stamp branches around edges.

4. Sponge Vanilla piece with Old Olive. Sponges other two squares with Chocolate Chip

5. Adhere all layers and set aside.

6. Run a piece of Real Red through the Big Shot with the polka dot Texture Plate, then again through with the Top Note die. Cut the shape in half. Sand the dots with the sanding block and sponge the edges with Chocolate Chip.

7. Cut a 1 1/2 x 5 1/2 piece of DSP and wrap Real Red Polka Dot ribbon around it. Cut another small piece of ribbon and knot it around the other strip so that the knot is able to move around.

8. Adhere the DSP and Top Note piece to the card base.

9. Ink sentiment from Heard from the Heart in Whisper White. Wipe off all words except "Christmas" with a towel or baby wipe. Stamp word in top 1/3 of the right side.

10. Stamp the other two words in Whisper White onto Real Red and cut out. Adhere above and below the word "Christmas".

11. Adhere cardinal image with dimentionals.

Big on Christmas Joy Fold

Picture overload alert! These cards are so cute in person and I tried to capture it through the pictures (that's why there's a lot of them), but as always, they don't do them justice! This is another set I will be making for the craft fair. These are an example of how easy Stampin' Up makes it to put projects together. Going into it, I knew I wanted to make a Joy Fold card and use the Merry Moments DSP and Big on Christmas stamp set...Stampin' Up did the rest! Based on the piece of DSP I picked, I was able right away to determine my color combination and knew it would match flawlessly...no thinking at all! It probably took me a half hour to make all three of these cards and that included all the coloring, cutting, and faux stitching! Super easy!

Stamps: Big on Christmas

Paper: Garden Green, Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Merry Moments DSP

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Old Olive

Accessories: SU Markers, Dimentionals, Sponges

Now onto the closeups:

Two Cased Christmas's

Both of the cards I'm going to share with you are cased, one from SCS and the other from the new Holiday Mini which starts September 1. They are super easy and will be easy for mass producing.

This first one was too cute not to case! Click here to view my inspiration. While I did change the colors and DSP, they are pretty much exactly the same. I absolutely love the simple look.

I used the 1 3/8 circle punch to make the ornaments from the new Merry Moments Designer Series Paper. A brad was added to the center ornament and the strings and bows were hand drawn with the Chocolate Chip marker. The sentiment is from the new Four the Holidays set which will be available in the mini.

Stamps: Four the Holidays

Paper: Kraft, Merry Moments DSP

Ink: Old Olive

Accessories: 1 3/8 Circle Punch, Silver Brad, Chocolate Chip SU Marker

This next card was cased from page 4 of the Holiday Mini. I used the Snowfall stamp set (retired) that I'm borrowing from Jen. I used these same colors in this card, however, the more and more I look at that card, the more and more I dislike it. I don't think I will be making it for the craft fair...it will probably be replaced by this one. I used the Four the Holidays set again for the sentiment (that set contains: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Peace on Earth, and Season's Greetings). This card is 4 x 9 (although it might need adjusted if I can't find envelopes for it) and the Whisper White panel is 3 1/2 x 4. The Old Olive strips are 1/2 x 4. Can you tell I made both of these cards the same day? the 1 3/8 circle punch and a brad in the center of a snowflake were used on this one as well. My favorite part is the cute little star cut out and mounted by the sentiment :)

Stamps: Snowfall, Four the Holidays

Paper: Real Red, Old Olive, Whisper White

Ink: Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

Accessories: 1 3/8 Circle Punch, Silver Brad

Another Clean and Simple Christmas

Clean and Simple is my theme for the cards that I'm making to sell at the craft fair in November. These are the ones that are going to be mass produced into sets of 5. We are also going to make more elaborate ones that are sold individually. But this is my second design. It used the retired set Snowfall (thanks Jen for letting me borrow it!). I am thinking these colors are going to be my combination of choice for my own Christmas cards this year!

Stamps: Snowfall

Paper: Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip

Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip (marker), Whisper White

Accessories: Scalloped Edge Punch, White Gel Pen, Old Olive Ribbon, Real Red Ribbon, Corner Rounder

1. Score 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 piece of Real Red cardstock at 4 1/4 and fold on score line. Punch all corners with corner rounder (including the top).

2. Take a 3 3/4 x 5 piece of Whisper White and stamp all over it with the snowflakes using Real Red, Old Olive, and Chocolate Chip ink. I found that using the Chocolate Chip marker on the stars worked better because of the shape of the stamp. I kept having big smudge lines when I inked it in the pad.

3. Cut the stamped sheet in half. Round the corners. (We will only be using half for this card, but this allows you to get two cards from one stamped sheet)

4. Cut a 5 x 2 piece of Chocolate Chip and Scallop Punch one end. Use White Gel Pen to add dots to

scallops. Adhere to back of stamped paper.

5. Wrap Old Olive ribbon around paper where the two meet. Tie a small piece of red ribbon in the center and cut off the excess.

6. Adhere to card base.

7. Stamp sentiment using Whisper White.

8. The inside has a 3 3/4 x 5 piece of Whisper White with the corners rounded and an Old Olive snowflake in the corner.

Clean and Simple Christmas

This card was super hard for me to make! It has no ribbon, no buttons, no Big Shot...just stamps, paper, ink...and oh yeah, glitter! :) I really like this card though (are you sick of me saying I like every card that I make yet?!). What's funny is when I first got this stamp set, I immediately wanted to make a reflection card with it, however, after I stamped and made the reflection, I realized that it was bigger than my card base. I tried cropping it a few different ways and wasn't pleased. I just cut off the reflected image and used what I had left to create this card. I kept trying to find a way to add some embellishments, but it kept taking away from the image.

This is one of the card designs I'm going to be mass producing for the craft fair that I'm participating in November 14. PLENTY more Christmas designs to come for that. I also am meeting with my one aunt tomorrow about my cousin's baby shower invitations, so watch out for those as well. I will also have some more Halloween projects and cards soon too.

Stamps: A Wish For Peace

Paper: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White,

Ink: Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze

Accessories: Corner Rounder, 2 Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, 1 1/2 inch Circle Punch, Sponges, SU Pastels

1. Score 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 piece of Kraft at 4 1/4 and fold on score line.

2. Cut a 3 inch square of Whisper White and a 3 1/4 inch square of Chocolate Chip. Round the corners of the Whisper White piece.

3. Punch a circle from a scrap piece of paper and tape it in place on the Whisper White square. Sponge around the top and side parts of it with Baja Breeze.

4. Remove mask and stamp image in Basic Black so that some of the trees are in front of the moon you just created.

5. Color image using Stampin' Pastels and sponge remaining sky line to your liking.

6. Adhere to Chocolate Chip square and adhere to card base.

7. Stamp sentiment in bottom right corner using Chocolate Chip ink.

8. Use 2 Way Glue pen and Dazzling Diamond Glitter to randomly add glitter to some branches of the main tree.