Twist & SHOUT!

Isn't this purdy?!!

This is a new concept in gift card holders for me, and this is the first one I made after viewing a video on how to make it.  I THINK it was on Sandi MacIver's blog.

Anyway, I thought it was VERY unique, so I made the one above using Primrose Petals CS, some DSP from Be Of Good Cheer (two different patterns) and the winter boot from the Bootiful Occasions stamp set.

And then I went ON making them!

This one started with Cherry Cobbler CS (don't you just LOVE that color?!!?).  I embellished with the Champagne Glimmer paper, punched with the Scallop Trim Border punch.  Then I cut one of the doilies from the Sizzlet die Delicate Doilies, cut a piece of the Be Of Good Cheer DSP with the 2-3/8" scallop punch.  Another, smaller, scallop punched out of Champagne Glimmer Paper topped those two items.  Next I added one of the Faceted Vintage Designer Buttons, a pearl, and a smidge of the Cherry Cobbler tulle.

After I took this photo, I realized there was no "To/From" tag in it, so I used the words from Chock-Full of Cheer, stamped on Whisper White CS, punched a hole in the end and tied a piece of the Cherry Cobbler Sweater Trim ribbon to the tag.  This one's the fanciest one I made.

I really like the one with the snowman on it.  I cut out the little trees from the Stylin' Snowfolk set.  The snowman himself came from the Snow Much Fun set.  Then I tore some white CS to look like snow drifts, attached them to the front of the gift card holder, added some "snow" (glitter) with the 2-way glue pen and maybe a little white Shimmer Paint.

BRIEF DIRECTIONS:
This gift card holder is SO EASY!  Cut your CS to 4-1/4" x 10-1/8".  Score from top RIGHT to bottom LEFT;  fold, place the flat side on your Scoring Tool and score at 5-1/2".  Fold and decorate to suit!  The gift card itself goes on the inside, so don't forget to decorate the inside as well!

And believe it or not, it fits into a regular card envelope.

I thought these were so unique, I just HAD to make some!

Need better (or more detailed) directions?  Contact me and I'll be happy to supply them to you.  And remember, this doesn't just HAVE to be for Christmas!  I can see these for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day - whatever!  It all depends on your choices of CS, DSP and embellishments!

Already made a few of these?  Won't you share YOURS with me?  Just leave me a comment along with the link to yours!

Thanks for stopping by - come back again soon!

Details, Details

It really is the details that make something stand out from others of its kind.

Take cards, for instance.

I recognized recently that I'm a very basic card maker. I look at cards on other's blogs and realize that my mind just doesn't get that detailed when I dream up a card.

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

But it did make me realize that I struggle with adding the details to cards.

There are times when I whiz through the card making process, and the ideas are just FLOWING. When that mood strikes, I try to take advantage of it, and make as many as I possibly can.

And then I let them sit and "muddle".

I leave them out somewhere so that I see them often. I cogitate on whether or not they're "done".

Is there anything more that I can do that will ADD to the card, without becoming too much?

In the past, many times - I've realized I should have stopped before I added that last piece, or color, or detail. In my eye, by this time, the card is no longer as attractive.

So, I now take the card making process a little more slowly.

Cards might sit out in my stampin' garage for a week or two before it'll hit me what that last tiny little detail is that will make it a GREAT card.

I was blog-hopping the other day and ran across a sample where they'd used paper piercing as the detail on their card. And I realized I haven't pulled those tools out in quite a while.

So I did!

And here are the results:


I papered pierced this rooster a while back and had it in my "parts" bin.


I went thru my entire collection of current samples and there wasn't ONE SINGLE sample that had been paper pierced! But I had this left-over from last year's catalog, so decided to start with it.

Here, the addition of a third layer of CS, also paper pierced, adds more visual interest.

I'm not sure why the colors in the two photos is so different! Both were taken using the same set-up - and, yes, they are the same card, with some minor variations! The card on the left is more true to color than the one on the right.

This one started out as an experiment with our new Shimmer Paints.



I dabbered the paint on to the snowflake stamps and stamped on the Hunter CS.

Then I sprayed the CS with some Shimmer Paint mixed in with a little rubbing alcohol. It comes out BEAUTIFULLY! Such a nice little touch.

The paper piercing on this card is around both the piece with the trees and the greeting.


Try this method for yourself, if you're having trouble adding those details - pull the cards together (but don't glue them down tightly!), and let them "muddle".

Maybe it's what your brain (and creative process) needs too!

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The Kidz were helping me again last night. They've both now learned that the best place to get my attention is out in the stampin' garage. So, one or the other of them is always in MY chair!

And remember I told you they don't both fit on a single chair any longer?

Well, they figured out a way! And now they're BOTH sitting in MY chair!
















They're so fun to have around - never a dull moment!

Keep on stampin'!