Christmas Card Club

Our Christmas Card Club Challenge Lead lies with Anne this time and her challenge is for us to make a clean and simple Christmas card.  Not always easy, but with the rising cost of postage, clean and simple Christmas cards are exactly what we all need if we are to avoid needing a second mortgage to pay for the shipping. 
We have lots of friends around the world and so I've made a card for posting abroad with no ribbons, bows or bling, but have used texture instead.  You can create detail without bulking your card by using your scoring tool.  Score on the inside of your card to make it raised (embossed) of the front or 'deboss' by scoring onto the front. 
You can also get versatility from your stamp sets with a little imagination. My snowflake is from the Mixed Bunch stamp set in the Stampin' Up! Summer Mini catalogue which is stamped in white craft ink and allowed to dry.  To speed the drying process you can heat it gently with your heat gun or leave to air dry.  The curly label punch and modern label punch are great for adding detail to a sentiment and the corner rounder punch can soften the base of the card.
Inside the sentiment is perfect for those friends in distant lands, but is from a retired Stampin' Up! set.

Don't forget to visit Anne and the other ladies in our club and if you'd like to join in please contact me and I'll point you in the right direction.

Check back in the week to see pics from my first ever Stampin' Up! incentive trip to Vienna.  Zx

Supplies

Cardstock - crumb cake, whisper white, textured cherry cobbler

ink - stampin up cherry cobbler, crumb cake, white craft

tools - stampin up simply scored scoring tool

Thinking of you

stampin up demonstrator zoe tant

Once again the sun has come to Lincolnshire and I hope it's with you too!  I've been working in my craft room to make a card for Terry, Pamela's husband.  I made this card using a selection of punches and an embossing folder from my stash.  I wanted quiet elegance and to pass on the message that we are here for him.  Inside I've used a retired US stamp set where the sentiment reads

The best thing

about the future is

that it comes only

one day at a time.

Abraham Lincoln

I'm sure right now he feels there is no future, but his friends and family will be there for him to try and bring him through his grief.
Supplies
13/4" circle punch
Curly label punch
scallop trim border punch
13/8" xl square punch
Ornate Flowers Stamp Set
Vintage Vogue Stamp Set
Colours crumb cake, chocolate chip, whisper white, real red , old olive
spritzer tool
daubers
Back soon.
Hugs Zx

Buttons & Bows Challenge

 

Click on the images to enlarge!

Well we've warmed up slightly it's now only freezing and this morning there was no ice on the windows, just a fun skate to school where untreated roads are sheet ice covered with icing sugar snow!!! Oh joy and sad children as the school next door to them is closed as the pupils travel in from all over the county, but my two have had to go to school.  I'm a bit sad too as it means I have to collect them.  More joy!!!!!!

To take my mind off the drive I'm sharing this card with you that I made yesterday for the Sweet Stampin Challenge of Buttons and Bows.  It just so happens that my card fits in with these challenges also.

Meljens - Buttons & Bows

Fairy Fun Friday - Buttons & Bows

Papertake Weekly - Cut it out

The buttons and bows on my card are obvious in the accents to the bottom right and the bows are made from Stampin' Up! gold elastic cord and real red taffeta ribbon at the top of my washing line posts.  For cut it out I have punched mini hearts for the tops on the washing line posts and I've also cut out each letter from the Stampin' Up! Newsprint Designer Series Paper just like Shelli did at Convention recently.  Of course you can spot my scallop trim borders and also the curly label pieces to the top left.  A few self adhesive rhinestones adds the sparkle that we need for the festive season and there you have it a challenge entry to cover all.  Why not take a look at the other challenge entries for more inspiration. 

Don't forget I'll be launching my special GIFTS TO GO packages very soon so check back.

Hugs Zx

Zoë Tant Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator