December Sketch

Have you seen the December sketch at the The Sketch File? I love the simplicity of this sketch and I've found it very inspiring.  I've created another Christmas card and hope you will find time to play along with us at The Sketch File . I know how busy everyone gets this time of year. I guess that's why I am late in posting this card.

Snowflakes Again & Again

I have found myself constantly reaching for my snowflake punches when creating Christmas cards for this year. As much as I try to vary the theme, I seem to be drawn to snowflakes again and again. For this card I also have revisited a z fold. I used my scoring board to score an 8.5" x 11" piece of green cardstock. I laid the cardstock on the score board in landscape mode, with the shortest side on the left and the longest side at the top of the score board. I scored at 2.5" and 5" and trimmed off the bottom 1.5". I this z fold to attach the back and front panels. 

Cut Away

Here's another simple card that I've already sent to a recipient. I created this card when I was going through my "let's cut away part of the front panel" phase. I used the die cut snowflake to reattach the front panel once I had cut away the diagonal strip. Since the patterned paper was only 4"x 6" cutting away some of the front panel allowed me to use the paper on the 5"x 7" cardbase. I love the various patterns on this paper and how they stand out against the white.

Snowflakes

It's the second week of December already and I'm sharing another card based on our December sketch. This one will end up in my pile for next year as I have already sent cards to family and friends for this year. It will be nice to be ahead on my cards next year. I had to scramble just a bit this year to get them all done.

 I hope you find Kathy's sketch inspiring and will play along with us at The Sketch File! Feel free to shrink, enlarge, rotate, flip the various parts of the sketch to make it work for you.

December @ The Sketch File

Welcome to a new month. We're sharing the last sketch for the year at The Sketch File and Kathy and I are looking forward to seeing what you create with it. As always we'll be posting inspirational cards throughout the month and we hope you will find time to create something with the sketch and share it with us. I'm still working on a few more Christmas cards even though I have sent most of my cards to family and friends already.

Two Christmas Cards

I am posting two Christmas cards based on the November Sketch at The Sketch File. I simply can not believe that it is already the end of November. I have created enough Christmas cards for the year, but that Christmas shopping list is hanging over my head. I have no idea when I will get to that!  Anyway, Kathy and I hope you will be inspired by our November sketch and will create and share a project based on the sketch. Please share it with us at The Sketch File.

To be Delivered

I thought this card would be great to use when we deliver Christmas cookies to friends. I hand cut the apron and the wooden spoon. I used chalk in the center of the spoon and along the edges to give it definition and make it look more realistic. I love that the patterned paper had so much detail. It gives the apron a festive quality.

Thanks for stopping by!

Candles

Hmmmm, I just discovered that I hadn't posted this card. The candles are punched and the silver dish is hand cut. I added four tiny star shaped gems to the candle tag and use a computer generated sentiment. Do you think there is a bit too much green on this one?

Pine Tree on Circle

I have created another card with part of the front panel removed. I've reattached it with at pine tree on a circle. I kept the color scheme the same accept for the addition of the yellow star on top of the tree. It was actually challenging to find a green that matched the green in the patterned paper. I got lucky and had a scrap piece that was just big enough to create the pine tree. 

Divided on This One

I'm still trying to come up with unique card folding/shape techniques. Here I've decided to divide the front panel on the cardbase. I cut the front panel into three parts, removed the center then reattached the right hand panel with the matted Christmas tree. The four brads help hold this in place.

Love You ...to the Core

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As I was nibbling on an apple the other day, it reminded me of apple picking when I was a child. I always looked forward to this family outing and couldn't wait to bite into a crisp, ripe MacIntosh apple.  As I finished nibbling the apple down to the core, I decided to use an apple theme for a card. I decided to create this card for my son who recently went off to college. I hand cut the apples, leaves and stems and added a bit of white chalk to add highlight to each apple. They don't look like MacIntosh apples but I think you can tell that they are supposed to be apples. However, my favorite part the card is the inside. I hand cut an apple core, added a few color penciled seeds and finished it off with a computer generated  "Love you to the Core" sentiment.

Embossed Snowflakes & Snowman Tag

I'm digging into my twine stash again. This time I have used twine as a border and as a tie on my tag. The snowman was punched and I added a glitter snow field for him to sit on. Now that I look at the photo of the card, I see a bit of white cardstock that isn't supposed to be there. Oooops! It's the bit to the right of the tag. I guess I better take that off.  Anyway, this is one of those cards that turned out totally different from where I was first heading when I started to create it. Now, I'm not so sure I even like it.

Mittens & Snowman

Here I am again with another Christmas card. I have used some snowman patterned paper that I bought ages ago. Since the snowmen are wearing blue hats, I decided to create blue mittens for the embellishment. I hand cut the mittens and added a piece of crimped white cardstock for the mitten cuffs. The mitten on the right definitely shows the crimping, but is less obvious on the mitten on the right.

Candy Cane Z Folded Card

Do you find yourself using the same type of embellishment over and over again?I definitely think I've been doing that as I have been working on creating my Christmas cards. My go to embellishment is snowflakes. So, I decided NOT to include snowflakes on this card. Instead I decided to create a few hand cut candy canes. I started with white cardstock, cut the shape of the canes from it and then added the dark red stripes. I used a Z Fold cardbase and added leaf patterned paper and a white mat.

I hope you are enjoying the weekend. Thanks for visiting!

Tree Tag

I have rediscovered twine lately so several of my latest cards will include twine as some sort of embellishment. Here I've used the twine around the outer edge of a circle/ring. In the center of the circle I've used torn white paper to represent snow and added a punched tree. I then placed the circle embellishment on a tag and added a twine bow to the top.

Stripes & Ribbon

I'm still plugging away at my Christmas cards. I began this card with the striped patterned paper. I decided to keep it simple and added the green ribbon, a few snowflakes and a computer generated sentiment. I'm not sure I like the end result so this card will probably go into my donation pile. Every year I have a pile of cards that I decide not to use for one reason or another. I put them in a box and donate them locally.

Deer on Snowflake & Striped Panel

Here's another Christmas card that came together quickly. This one has a Z Fold cardbase and I've added a striped panel than hangs off the edge of the fold. I've also added a dry embossed snowflake pattern mat and placed three deer in the foreground for a focal point. I used twine on the right to finish the card.

Changing Things Up

When I sat down to make this card, I decided it was time to change things up a bit. I wanted this card to be unique. So, I cut the front panel of the cardbase into strips. I then put the strips back together by adhering them to the striped cardstock. To create the striped cardstock, I added strips of maroon and green cardstock to a white cardstock base. I handcut and decorated the candy cane, stocking, mug of cocoa and added punched embellishments that included the holly, snowflake and tree.

HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING THE WEEKEND! THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

Gingerbread Man with a Hat

This card definitely ended up looking a lot different from what I had intended. I started by handcutting a gingerbread man. I wanted to make him a bit smaller than the gingerbread man I had created for my previous card and I think I succeeded. However, this little gingerbread man seemed a bit lost on the very colorful patterned paper. To make him pop just a bit more, I added the hat and layered the sentiment over top of him. It is hard to tell because the front panel is so larger, but this card is also a Z fold card.

Plump Gingerbread Man

Here I am creating yet another Z fold card! I think I really like this card folding technique because I keep coming back to it. However,  as I mentioned in a previous post, I am trying to use some supplies from my stash that I haven't used in a while, so this card features rick rack, brads and twine. My plump gingerbread man is handcut with inked edges and painted facial features.

Gingerbread Man on Washi

I recently decided to pull out some supplies from my stash that I haven't used in a while. I go through stages where I seem to use the same products over and over so I wanted to change things up a bit. My goal for this card was to use Washi tape. I handcut a gingerbread man, added some ink around the edges and used white and red paint to create the icing detail and buttons. Hmmmm, now as I look at the photo of the card, I'm feeling that my gingerbread seems a bit bald. Maybe I should have added a hat.

Candy Canes

At first glance you might be thinking that I have created another Z fold card. but look more closely. This card is simply a 5" x 7" card with 2.5" of the front panel removed. I've used a dry embossed oval and adhered it to the right side of the back panel to create a flap that opens.  I cut the candy canes from maroon cardstock and used paint to add the stripes. On the left edge of the card, I added a punched border and the red and white twine.

Snowflake on Green

Here's another Z fold card. I've dry embossed the white panels with a snowflake pattern and continued the snowflake theme by adding the large die cut snowflake to the front panel. I added two layers to the large snowflake and used 3-D adhesive between them. I've written the sentiment with glitter glue and added glitter to the large snowflake on the front and to the snowflake next to the sentiment. I love the contrast between the green and white and the clean, simple feel of this card.

Santa Hat on a Z Fold

It is incredible to think that we are already more than half way through November.  It is our first Autumn in our current home and we have enjoyed seeing the glorious color here in Virginia. It is so very different from the fall color and weather we experienced in Wyoming during the past last eleven years.

Today I am sharing another Christmas card with a  Z fold. I ended up using a monochromatic theme. I handcut the Santa hat and used a bit of chalk to add the detail to make it look like the fabric of the hat had a few folds. Behind the front Z panel, I've added white cardstock to give plenty of space to write a message and personalize the card.

Thanks so much for visiting! Have a fun and creative weekend!

Side Step Cards

As you can see, I've created a series of cards using the side step pattern. I have created these cards over several weeks but decided to post all of them together as they share the same card folding technique. It's a fun technique with loads of possibilities. The card with the deer is really dark blue, but for some reason I couldn't get a decent photo of it. 

Layer upon Layer

Are you looking for inspiration?  If so, please visit us at The Sketch File. Kathy and I would love to see what you create with our November sketch. You can use the sketch as is or shrink it, enlarge it or rotate it. I've chosen to use the layers as a flap on the front of this card. Can you still see the sketch on this card?

Holly & Holly Berries

Do you have a favorite punch that you use over and over again? My holly leaf punch is among my favorite punches. I use it repeatedly when creating Christmas cards and love how a little bit of chalk and a dry embossed line down the center make the leaf look more realistic.

Three Ornaments

I love the combination of white and dark red/maroon. To me it is an elegant combination and that was what I was trying to accomplish with this card. I die cut the three ornaments and added silver embroidery thread to make the ornaments look like they are hanging. I dry embossed the front white panels and added a computer generated sentiment.  On my computer screen the sentiment looks like it was matted on a brighter red cardstock, but it is really the same cardstock as the card base.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

Four Trees on the Diagonal

I have been trying to come up with alternatives to the basic 5"x 7" card base. So for this card, I folded the sides to of the front panel to the center and cut away a portion of the card base at a diagonal. I then used scraps of  patterned paper and cut four trees (all the same size).  I matted the trees and used them to attach the diagonal panels on the front of the card.  I like that this card looks very different from the other 5" x 7" cards that I have been creating. 

Dangling Snowflakes

I'm sharing a Z fold card. I've used this pattern to create other Christmas cards already, but here I decided to dangle a few snowflakes from the strip of the blue cardstock. I used patterned snowflake paper for the background. I doubled each snowflake sandwiching embroidery thread between each and attached the thread to the blue strip at the top of the card. It's a pretty simple card (hhhmmmm, maybe that's why I like it).

Hat & Mittens @ The Sketch File

It's Tuesday and time to share another card based on the November sketch. I hope you can find some time to play along with us over at The Sketch File. Our sketch will be around for the entire month of November and we'd love to see what you can create with it. I decided to create a set of hat and mittens and use them as the focal point. I ended up handwriting my sentiment, but will probably change it out and print the sentiment with MS Word. The white gel pen that I used just doesn't allow the words to pop enough.  Here's our sketch (two versions of it):