Christmas Card Club

Oh my I'm late, I'm late but only a day!  This fortnight's challenge is from Clare and she's asked us to make anything, but a card.  By that she means anything, even cards, but cards plural rather than just one.  I've made this cute gift bag/box shared with me by my lovely team mate Emma just before last Christmas.  I made several for my son's teachers and filled them with stamps and ink spots from Stampin' Up! 's From your Teacher stamp set.  They were popular and very well received so I decided to share them with you my lovely readers. 

Cute and oh so simple to make with just a couple of boxes some belt, braces and fur trim and you're away!  I've also now used some glimmer brads for the buttons attaching his braces which I didn't have at Christmas.  Now I'm one down several more to go for this Christmas.  Of course you could make these for just about anyone, grandchilren, teachers, brownie/cub leaders whoever loves Christmas and Santa Claus. 

Now the challenge a fortnight ago for the Christmas Card Club was set by Margaret and she wanted black and white cards.  I was away doing Disney, but couldn't resist the challenge so I've made black and white cards, but a set of three to just about fit with Clare's challenge. 

You can find other examples of Contempo Christmas by looking here and here

 One of my favourite Christmas sets from Stampin' Up! is Contempo Christmas.  It's so easy to use whether you're a beginner or expert card maker.  The 3D effect that you can create with the ornament stamp and matching punch is just gorgeous and it looks fab in any colour and whether you  enhance it with bling or leave it  naked it is perfect for all your Christmas projects.  Check out the other ladies in the Christmas Card Club via the links in my sidebar!

I'll be back soon with some sneak peaks projects for the new mini launching next month so check back or you'll miss out!

Happy Stampin' Zx

Supplies

Gift box

cardstock - real red, basic black, whisper white (silver from stash)

ink - basic black and real red markers

Stamps - Perfect Punches

Accessories - scallop circle punch, 1/16th circle punch, basic glimmer brads, tombow, snail adhesive, large oval punch

Card

cardstock - whisper white, basic black

ink - craft whisper white, basic black

stamps - Contempo Christmas

Accesories - big shot, top note die stampin up exclusive, satin ribbon in black and white, rhinestones, white embossing powder, heat gun

CHALLENGES

Moving along with the times - Christmas

Curly Cute Sentiments

Wow how cold are you?  Here in Lincolnshire it's well below zero and the odd bit of sunshine is failing to melt the ice and frost!  In fact in our old victorian house we have ice on the inside of the windows!!! At least the curtains are doing their job during the night and stopping the warmth from our stoves going out of the windows.  I hope everyone is safe and well in this cold. 

To take your mind off the cold why not do a little crafting. It's a fab pastime for losing your troubles of feeling cold.  I've done exactly that and started on some Christmas cards. Here's a simple but elegant design.  Score your base card at half centimetre intervals on the reverse to get the texture that you can see here.  The brights designer series paper stack is fab for backing papers and not only that it is excellent value with each sheet costing less than 40p per 12x12" sheet.  Curly Cute stamp set is great for sentiments with

Thank you

Congratulations

Happy Birthday

Thinking of you

and

Season's Greetings  that I've used here.  A very usable, all year stamp set.

Contempo Christmas set provides the ornament and of course, the punch makes this an easy option.  You can also cut it out especially as the punch is temporarily unavailable.  Rhinestones and taffeta ribbon just add to the glitz and a little more texturing provided by the spiral punch and paper piercer. 

Look out very soon for my 'GIFTS TO GO!' packages that I will be offering with free gift wrapping and bonus items with each package including one with the paper piercer.

Keep warm and be safe

Hugs Zx

zoë tant independent stampin' up! demonstrator

Serene Snowflakes are just beautiful

independent stampin' up! demonstrator

Plans just don't go the way you planned do they!  Today we have a burst water main and so now I have one child at home and one at school.  It has to be Charlie at home of course who will gloat when Olivia comes home and wind her up that she didn't get the day off!  She is so much more tactful and would have brushed it off. ' Ho hum' said Pooh. Just as well I made this card yesterday  to enter two challenges, one at  Sweet Stamping Challenge  where you needed to have snowflakes and also for a sketch challenge at Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #93  I've tried to use different products and colours a little different to the traditional Christmas themes.  The new designer series patterns stack of paper in brights came in handy here.  I've used pacific point, real red and tempting turquoise. The latter I embossed with white snowflakes from the Serene Snowflakes set which is also where the large flake comes from also: that has been embossed with white on different coloured cardstock and then carefully cut out for layering purposes and embellished with a sparkly rhinestone.  I've also used one of the sentiments from one of my favourite new Christmas sets Contempo Christmas which is so easy to use. 

It's sparkly and brights and fits the sketch and the theme. Hope you like it!

Until next time,

Hugs Zx