Use Your Stash
As demonstrators we love to share our creations, crafty ideas and to sell Stampin' Up! Products. However, there are times that we all need to make more use of the stash we own. Maybe it's because the products have been used or only used once or twice, perhaps we're watching our budget. With this in mind the 'theme' for our Just For Fun classes in October was to try to use our regular non Christmas stamp sets to create Christmas cards, though we could use approriate sentiment stamps to pull the idea together. The card samples I made may not have been the best Christmas cards I've ever created but I met the brief that I'd set and would be happy to send any of them.
Below is the first card I came up with.
The patterned paper looks a little like twigs and branches but is actually seaweed, it's a sheet from the Come Sail Away suite - Come Sail Away DSP! The words Ho,Ho,Ho! are stamped using the Lined Alphabet set, coloured with a Stampin' Blend in real red before having Shimmery Crystal Effects on top. Once this sets it gives a raised glossy effect. The stamen stamp from Colorful Seasons is stamped lightly in smoky slate to emulate a snowflake. The card is finished with a silver foil die cut which has been made with the Frosted Bouquet set of dies, also a little tombow glue around the ede of the white card which has been sprinkled with glitter. Note: I used a deaper red to colour the letters as, when the crystal effects is added they colour appears lighter, making a good match for the cardstock.
This card is made with the Layering Alphabet dies that coordinate with the stamp set used above to create a clean and simple card in seasonal colours albeit a more vibrant shade of green! The card is whisper white (thick), granny apple green and cherry cobbler. Finished with a clear faceted gem.
In seasonal shades it gives the impression of a poinsettia. The ribbon is Stampin' Up! but is from my stash as it's now retired - I'd bought too many reels at the time!
The sentiment is a stamp from Merry Christmas To All.
The final card makes use of the charity set featured in our Autumn/Winter catalogue called Natures Beauty. It's right at the very back on page 63 - the inside back cover and I feel sure that some people may have overlooked this lovely set. Priced at £20 (a donation of £2.50 is made by Stampin' Up! to a mental health charity for each set sold) the set has 9 stamps including 3 beautifully drawn animals - a deer, fox and the rabbit featured below. The trees on the oval are also in the stamp set. The area around rabbit has been die cut with the Stitched Shapes dies and sponged/daubed in blueberry and old olive ink. The white background is embossed with the Woodland embossing folder - such a versatile item, surely must be one of our all time best sellers!
This card is finished with gorgeous subtle gold ribbon which is available for the Christmas Time is Here medley bundle.
If you would like to view any of the products used in these projects then scroll down and click on the images.
I hope today's cards have inspired you to look through your stash and get inventive!
Happy crafting!
Lesley
Product List
This site is my sole responsibility as an Independent Demonstrator and is not endorsed by Stampin' Up! Images copyright 1990 - present day Stampin' Up!
0 comments