The Greetery {A Little Something to Brighten Your Day}

 Hello friends! I'm happy to be here with a few fun early autumn-inspired projects with products from The Greetery! I didn’t have a set plan or an idea in my mind when I got started, only a color palette. I had fun revisiting a few products from last year’s Hint of Autumn Collection along with quite a few new things that have been released over the past year. I know I always say it, but I love how well everything mixes so well together but still yields results that are fresh and new!

To begin, I just had fun stenciling and embossing the leaves, acorns, and berries that are included in the Autumn Herbarium Stencil and Autumn Herbarium Embossing Folder. Please note, there IS an Autumn Herbarium Background Stamp (same link as the stencil) that allows you to add the stems, but I chose to omit the stamp and instead ran a gold pigment ink pad over the raised areas to bring the veins and stems into view. I stenciled two panels, but ended up only cutting one, so I used the other panel in the center of the “Thinking of You” card. I cut the panel using the Autumn Herbarium Die.

Once the leaves were all finished, I decided to pull out a few of the Bigger Botanicals that were released in the spring; I chose to use Hawthorn, Cress, Oregano, Mallow, and Soapwort. I cut them all from white cardstock and then colored the pieces with dye inks and blender brushes. I assembled them with liquid glue and foam squares. I set them aside while I had fun creating the backgrounds and card bases. Since I already had the color combination set, I simply pulled the same colors of cardstock and got to work cutting and embossing.

The blue card was cut using the Capsule Basics Die; I used the clever and essential (in my opinion) Capsule Basics Stencil to help me decipher where to remove the center portion and then I embossed it using the Capsule Basics Embossing Folder. Once that was done, I cut a frame from lighter blue cardstock using the brilliant Capsule Fixed Borders Large Die. I stamped it using the Thankful and Blessed Stamp Set and adhered it with foam squares around the darker blue base. I cut another capsule shape from white cardstock and then embossed it with the Pretty Picado Embossing Folder. I layered it all up onto a shaped card base and then had fun adding all of the flowers and leaf clusters.

I made quick work of the sentiments for each of the projects I created by using the Little Linked Lables Suite of products. I cut the labels using the Little Linked Labels Die, stamped and heat embossed them with gold powder using the Little Linked Labels Stamp Set.

The final step is the dry embossing which was done with the Little Linked Labels Embossing Folder. I chose my favorite for the blue card and then added a companion sentiment that was embossed using the Simple Everyday Mini Sentiments Stamp Set. I set the rest of the labels aside while I got to work on the next card.

Now, I ended up with so many projects because I made so many elements and they simply HAD to be used! The second card was made using the same steps as the first, but I chose to use the Pretty Picado Die for the frame. I cut it and then secured it with liquid glue. I cut the beautiful stenciled/embossed Autumn Herbarium panel to go behind the frame. I glued it to a shaped base and then added the leaves and sentiment.

The “loose” leaves are placed in the same position they are on the panel, but I used foam squares to mount them for additional dimension. The exception is the cluster of berries in the left corner; I simply added those where I thought they looked the nicest. Once again, the label is attached with foam squares, but this time, the sentiment is from the Simple Everyday Sentiments Stamp Set. I didn’t get a chance to use these versatile stamp sets during the last release, so I had fun putting them to good use on these projects.

I had some leftover capsule pieces and some leftover flowers, so I decided to create two large tags. These could also be used as small cards if tags aren’t your thing. I end up doing quite a bit of baking and I like having a tag to attach to a bakery box if I’m planning on gifting the goodies to family or friends. Both tags are embossed using the Pretty Picado Embossing Folder for depth and dimension.

The lighter blue tag uses two of the Bigger Botanicals on each end and a label in the middle. I used the same sentiment on both tags and this one is included in the Simple Everyday Sentiments Stamp Set and is embossed in gold.

The darker blue tag has some gold pigment ink rubbed over the raised areas around the perimeter. I used the Bigger Botanical as the focal point and then added the sentiment near the bottom. This was such a fun project to work on and really like how it turned out! We’ve been having rainy/cooler weather that makes it feel like autumn might actually be on its way! Thanks for fluttering by!

Easter Tweets & Sweets Tags

I finally got my computer back so I'm able to post these tags I made earlier this week! I was in need of a few to attach to Easter gifts I've been preparing. The gifts I was putting together included the little baskets I made for the Spring Jardin release, so I wanted to keep the tags cohesive with that feel. 

I made four in total, so I cut the base of each egg using the Golden Egg Die from white cardstock and then used dye inks and blender brushes to add the color. I made a yellow, pink, aqua, and purple egg and then added coordinating ink splatter to each one. Once that was done, I cut the gold border using the Golden Egg Filigree Border from bright gold cardstock. I used liquid glue to adhere it to the eggs and set them aside to dry.

I had two flower clusters already made because they were leftovers from the release, so I created two more using the Bigger Botanicals: Jacob's Ladder Die and the Bigger Botanicals: Cress Die. I cut everything from white cardstock and then colored them with dye inks and blender brushes. I added some adhesive pearls to the center of the blue flowers. The two clusters that were already created have some fossilized amber distress oxide spray, so you might notice that as well.

I heat embossed the sentiment onto four strips of coordinating cardstock using the Simple Spring Mini Sentiments Stamp Set and then attached them over the eggs and floral clusters using foam squares.

The base of each tag is one of the dies included in the Golden Egg Die and is cut from my favorite spring pattern paper: Spring Pastels, but unfortunately it is retired. There will come a time when I have used it all and I will be so sad!

I added an eyelet to the top of each tag so the paper wouldn't tear when I added the gold cord.

Before I attached the eggs to the front of the tags, I used the same sentiment stamp set to stamp a "to: from:" sentiment along with another one included in the set for added Easter wishes! I've already delivered the gifts these are attached to and they looked so cute! I wish I would have made more! ha ha! I hope you all have a wonderful Easter celebrating the Atonement and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ! He Lives! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

The Greetery {Welcome Baby}

 

Hello and welcome! I'm happy to be here today sharing a baby card and coordinating tag to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Baby Rose! I’ve been invited to a baby shower for a lady who has SIX boys…yes, SIX! She has been wanting a baby girl since forever and she’s finally getting her girl! Since she’s naming her baby Rose, I thought it only fitting to embrace it and create a rose-themed baby card and tag!

Since I knew the card would be rose-themed, I went straight for the Birth Month Blooms Cuttables, found the rose and coordinating Birth Month Blooms Q2 Die. I considered stamping the rose out, but this was a time-saver. If I was creating multiples of something, I would definitely do stamping instead. I created a gingham mat for the rose using some pink gingham pattern paper cut using the Capsule Basics Die. I used the Folk Heart Sentiments Stamp Set to add the “Welcome Baby” stamped in black. It’s also hard not to want to add Capsule Filigree Borders to everything, so why resist? I added the border cut from Vintage Cream cardstock using liquid glue.

I’m still loving the convenience and ease of the Capsule Fixed Borders Small Die; I cut it from white and then added the stamping to coordinate with the colors of the rose using the Capsule Collection Floral Borders Stamp Set. This is the perfect frame for the rose focal point and provides additional feminine detail to elevate the design. The Sweetest Frames Capsule Edition Stamp Set and Die embossed in gold  give it the perfect landing spot.

Next, I cut another border from yellow gingham cardstock using the Capsule Fixed Borders Large Die. It is a creamy, pale yellow to add warmth, without competing with the pink gingham used on the focal layer. I gave it a touch more detail by adding the pattern using the Thankful & Blessed Stamp. From there, I cut the base layer using the Capsule Basics Die from Vintage Cream cardstock. I also embossed it using the Capsule Basics Embossing Folder. From there, it was simply a matter of layering everything together to complete the design. I did create a capsule base for the card and stamped a sentiment on the inside as well.

The tag was created by choosing one of the beautiful prints included in the Capsule Valentine Gallery Prints. There were more than enough rose options, so I simply chose the one that coordinates nicely with the card AND allows room for a stamped sentiment. I just love how perfectly the Folk Heart Sentiments Stamp works for the card and the tag! I added another cream filigree border and some “hardware” cut using the Hang It Up Die from gold cardstock.

I did add both the large and small bows included in the Regency Bow No 2 Die; the large with some ink shading on the card, and the small on the tag. I’m happy with how this turned out! I have some sewing projects to get started on for Baby Rose, but I’m happy to have the card and tag all made! I hate running out of time and skimping on the card, especially since people think of me as the "card lady”! ha ha! I’m actually making a point to build up my baby card stash since it has dwindled. Thanks for fluttering by!

The Greetery {Rustic Christmas}

Hello and welcome!  I’m thrilled to be sharing quite a few projects here and on The Greetery blog that all started from 2 leftover scraps! If you saw my Thanksgiving Day post, you may have read that I had two die cut pieces left over from that project.  I simply could NOT throw those away, so that was the spark that ignited the flame for today’s projects! Which, by the way, the Thanksgiving Day post was all because of Betsy and her giving us the fabulous tip to try woodgrain cardstock with some of the new embossing folders! Betsy is just the best at fueling our creative spark, isn’t she?

So, with that being said, let’s get started because we have quite a bit to cover and for me to share! I’ve decided I’m just going to share in the order that inspiration struck and how the design process evolved and hopefully that will cover everything. To begin, I had those two pieces leftover; the center of the Shortbread Shapes: Snowflake Die and the center portion of the Capsule Basics Die. Both of these pieces were cut from a beautiful Cherry Wood Veneer cardstock (Cardstock Warehouse) so they were “special” scraps! Ha ha!

 I went ahead and embossed the star-shaped center portion using the Shortbread Shapes: Snowflake Embossing Folder and then added some vintage photo distress ink over the raised edges to give it additional dimension and depth. I also die cut the base piece from China White cardstock from Cardstock Warehouse and ran it through the embossing folder as well and followed the same steps for adding ink. Once that was done, I adhered the wood piece using liquid glue. One of the things I have found that works well for gluing the embossed pieces, is to find the “flat” portions that didn’t get embossed and add the glue there. This will help with the adhesion to whatever you’re gluing it to.

I mentioned in my Christmas Gallerie release post that I had cut, colored, and assembled a whole garden of botanicals that were just waiting to be used. I chose two of the Paperwhite clusters to use for both cards. I toyed around with just using the cluster over the wood panel, but it felt empty, so I went to my stash and looked through some of my older foliage dies and settled on the Magnolia Wreath. I cut it twice from Forest cardstock and blended some Handsome Hunter ink (SU!) to the tips.

 I added some white acrylic paint splatter and then glued the two wreaths together. I adhered it t to the center of the wood/star portion of the card along with the Paperwhite cluster. For the sentiment, I heat embossed one of the greetings included in the Capsule Quick Tags Stamp Set and cut the ends and added a few gems.

I layered that on top of a Little Linked Label that was heat embossed, cut using the coordinating Little Linked Labels Die and then embossed with the Little Linked Labels Embossing Folder. I absolutely love the rustic feeling of this card and I just about stopped there, but the other lone “leftover” piece was calling my name.

I placed the second leftover scrap  in the Rosemal Reflections Embossing Folder  to give it the beautiful embossed pattern and added a touch of vintage photo distress ink over the top. I cut an A2 [panel of Forest cardstock and embossed that, also! I glued the wood grain portion over the top using the same gluing technique as the other card. I decided to simply add the Paperwhite cluster in the middle with the same sentiment/label combo as the other card, but the sentiment is from the Simple Holiday Mini Sentiments Stamp Set.

Both cards have a gold bow cut from the smaller size included in the Regency Bow No. 2 along with some “hardware” cut from the Hang It Up Die. One of the things I love most about the Christmas Gallerie Collection is all of the basics that can be used all year long! I added some Rock Candy Glitter to both cards for some holiday sparkle and shine!

Now, I had played around with adding one of the buildings from the Market Place Collection of dies to one or both of these two cards, but as you can see, I went in another direction., I decided at this point I wanted to make a coordinating Arch Box Large Die with one of the buildings and I chose the Market Place No. 2 Die. I kept the colors the same as the cards but added in the Stormy Sea color for window frames, etc.

I die cut all of the pieces with the base being cut from Colorplan China White from Cardstock Warehouse. I wanted the windows to show through the box, so I cut that from one of the two base pieces before I got started assembling everything. I used liquid glue to add all of the window frames, shutters, etc. I landed on using the Tannenbaum’s name for the shop which then took me in the Christmas tree direction.

I really wanted to add the miniature bottle-brush trees to the outside, which I definitely could have just glued them directly to the building, but instead I decided to attach the entire box to a small base. I cut it using the Capsule Basics Die and then added the Capsule Filigree Borders using liquid glue. I adhered the Market Place box to this using hot glue and then placed the trees next to the building using additional hot glue.

The building was decorated with elements included in the Market Place Holiday Festoons, some snow flock (thanks Betsy), and some gems on each of the bows on the windows. I had so much fun creating this box and my mind has been racing with additional ideas for other boxes/cards! I have been so inspired by all of your creations you have been sharing on social media; well done, friends!

My youngest son wandered down as I was creating this box and asked what I was doing. I showed him what I was up to and he asked if we could put a votive down inside. I told him yes and that is definitely an idea that people have used before. When I took the pictures, the sun was streaming through the window on the detail shot to it actually looks like a votive is down inside, but there’s not! I thought that was funny after he asked me about putting a light inside!

Now, onto the tags! I had so much fun using all of the architectural details on the box, I thought it might be fun to make a pair of tags to complement the other projects. I used the darling door that was released as part of the Fireside Holiday Collection last year. I never used this particular die so I was thrilled to pull it out and use it for this array of projects. I also pulled in the A2 Arches Die to create the different layers and such.

I cut both doors using the Single Arch Door Small Die; one from Kraft and one from Stormy Sea. I cut a larger mat using the A2 Arches from the China White cardstock and added a glow with some yellow ink so it was placed where the openings would line up.

I used liquid glue for the frame and then foam squares for the additional layers. Hardware from the Hang it Up Die, wreaths, and sentiments that were used on the cards. I wanted to keep everything cohesive so It was fun to just use things here and there until I was happy! Of course, I just HAD to add a few trees to one of the tags! I had SO much fun creating this collection of projects! Thanks for fluttering by!

Warm and Cocoa-zy!

It always feels good to get a project checked off my to-do list; especially since it's been there since last Christmas! ha ha! I bought some flannel and heat-resistant thread so I could sew up some holiday rice warmers last year and I never got around to it before Christmas was over, and then I planned on using the plaid flannel (not the tartan one) for Valentine's Day or just winter gifts and that never happened either! I even bought 10 pounds of rice that's been sitting in my pantry all year! Wow! So, now that I've confessed, let's get started!

I'm sharing the details of the rice warmers HERE, but I really thought I had a tutorial from a few years ago, but I don't. I shared some quick steps because this is such a quick and easy, beginner friendly project!

This particular gift consists of the rice warmer, a canister of hot cocoa, a package of Pepperidge Farms cookies, and then a little house box filled with some Ghirardelli chocolates and mini candy canes to be used as add-ins for the cocoa, if desired. I just couldn't resist using the Cocoa Cozy Stamp Set because it was the perfect choice to complement this gift.

There was a particular tag die I was searching for and just couldn't locate it so I threw my hands up in surrender and frustration and just cut some plain tag bases using Pure Poppy cardstock and then cut the tag shape at the top using an old SU! paper punch. Once that was done, I cut out all of the main sentiments using the Cocoa Cozy Die and then stamped them using Frayed Burlap distress oxide ink. I like how it looks like creamy hot cocoa!

I stamped the tags with the accent sentiment using Fresh Snow pigment ink and then added the die cut sentiment using foam squares. The greenery and berries were cut from white cardstock using the Into the Blooms: Swag Die because it's basically living on my desk! ha ha! I colored them with dye inks and blender brushes (my green brush snapped in half because I've clearly been hauling out too much holly....ha ha!)

I spritzed everything with Hickory Smoke distress spritz and allowed them to dry. The cute peppermint is from the In-Stitches: Gingerbread Builder Die and I kicked myself when I realized this great die has been hiding in plain sight and I'd forgotten about it. I only remembered it when I was decorating the Christmas tree in my kitchen and saw THIS little cutie! I've been missing out on using such a great Christmas accent die, but now I fear, I will be using it ALL THE TIME!

As you can see, I made 8 tags in total. Each one is slightly different because I was just grabbing different greenery and such and different pearl for the centers of the peppermints. I was almost done and was cleaning up my supplies and realized the snowflakes from the sentiment set would be perfect so I stamped a trio of snowflakes on each tag and then frosted the corners with a small blender brush and white ink. I threaded each tag with green baker's twine.

Here it is all packaged up!

I had a lot of fun putting this project together and I'm so pleased I got everything sewn and used from last year! 

Thanks for fluttering by!

 

The Greetery {Christmas Gallerie Collection}

Hello and welcome, friends! I'm so happy to be here as we showcase the beautiful new Christmas Gallerie Collection from The Greetery and all I can say is: I'm completely smitten! It is absolutely wonderful and works so perfectly with the last few releases. In fact, I don't think it will ever be able to leave my desk because I will be reaching for it often! Yes, there are Christmas stamps/dies, but it's also jam-packed with so many beautiful basics that are exactly what my collection has been missing and I think you'll agree!

The Greetery will be giving away two $50 gift certificates to the shop, so make sure to visit The Greetery Blog for the official "meet and greet" for each of the new products AND leave a comment there, and on each of the designers' blogs for a chance to win one of the two gift certificates.

Up first is a series of three cards using a handful of the new stamps/dies and I will explain everything as we go along! One of the only products I'm NOT sharing (go figure) is a collection of beautiful printed images included in the Capsule Christmas Gallery Prints. Some of the images remind me of Currier and Ives prints and so I wanted to get inspired by their work. One of the first images to pop up on my search was a beautiful old Currier and Ives book that reminded me of the Bookish Holiday Frames Stamp Set. That was all I needed and I was off! ha ha! 

Many of you mention how much you enjoy it when I used older products that you might already have on hand, so these ones are for you! ha ha! To begin, I die cut a panel of pale pink cardstock using the A2 Stitched Scallops Die and then stamped the detail using the frame image with pigment gold ink. I layered it onto an A2 Pure Poppy background using foam squares. Once that was done, I did some foiling on a scrap of Pure Poppy cardstock using the Capsule Borders 1 Hot Foil and silver foil. I cut it out using the Capsule Basics Die and believe me, this die got a WORKOUT for this release, so I will be referencing it often, but this is where it's linked. I cut the beautiful border from antique gold cardstock using the Capsule Filigree Borders (this also got a major workout) and glued it over the top. I simply used a dot of liquid glue on each of the points and then adhered it to the red piece. You can stretch it and pull it while the glue is still wet until you have the placement correct.

All three cards feature the top detail that is cut using the new Hang it Up Die and I couldn't stop using IT either! Like I said, OBSESSED AND SMITTEN! Included in this release are a series of beautiful new dies called Bigger Holiday Botanicals. The three cards feature the Bigger Holiday Botanicals: Holly no. 1, Holly no. 2, and Mistletoe. I will be showing you a few more of the options on other projects, so stay tuned! I sat down one day and just cut and colored and cut and colored some more until I had a nice pile of beautiful botanicals to use to my heart's content! I still have quite a few left so I'm already dreaming up more Christmas tags and cards! 

The card on the left uses the same basic details as the first card, but this time I used the Rosemal Reflections Embossing Folder for the capsule portion. I was thrilled that the filigree border laid down so nicely over the embossing and I was squealing with joy with the result! I didn't want to stop working and creating because everything is just SO beautiful! Thank you, Betsy, for always giving me just what my crafty soul requires!

This card features the Bigger Holiday Botanicals: Holly no. 1 and Bigger Holiday Botanicals: Mistletoe. Each and every one is simply beautiful and I can't wait to use them ALL! There are a few I didn't get a chance to use, but that will be remedied soon enough! Now, lets' talk about the sentiment; this sentiment is included in the new Capsule Quick Tags Stamp Set. I will be showing you an entire collection of tags made using this set, but for this card and the last card, I used one of the cute stand-alone sentiments heat embossed in gold.

One of my next favorite products is the new Linked Labels series of stamps and dies. The pieces the sentiment is layered on is cut using the Little Linked Labels Die and then embossed using the Little Linked Labels Embossing Folder. There is a coordinating stamp set that I will be showcasing on another project, so I can show you how cute it all is!

All of the foliage is dusted with a bit of Rock Candy glitter, which really enhances the vintage feeling on this series of cards. 

The first card and this card also feature the Regency Bow No. 1 and I will be also showing the Regency Bow No. 2 on a few other projects.

The piece behind the Bigger Holiday Botanicals: Mistletoe is the new Large Linked Labels. It is die cut and then embossed, and just like the small version, there is a coordinating stamp set.

I did some foiling and embossing for something different on this particular card. The sentiment is heat embossed and is from the Simple Holiday Sentiments Stamp Set that is part of the Christmas Market Collection.

My next project is a set of tags that I talked about earlier. All of the cards use the beautiful new Capsule Quick Tags Stamp Set and I had so much fun creating them. I did some that are quick and easy, just like the name suggests, and then I added a few more steps and details on the others!

Let's start with the most basic and work our way up to the most complicated since each one uses the same basic steps for the beginning. To begin, I die cut three capsules in Ocean Tides cardstock and three capsules of Enchanted Evening cardstock. There are two different border images included in the stamp set, so I did two with one border and the rest with the second border. I rotated between gold pigment ink and white pigment ink for the six tags.

The tag that is nearest includes the basic layout and then the pine detail at the top is a separate stamp that you can use. There are also other stand-alone sentiments that you could use here as well, but the rest of the imagery and to: from: sentiments are included in that base stamp.

Each tag uses the Hang it Up Die which is what is included at the top and everything is cut from antique gold cardstock. Each tag also has a filigree border. Some of the tags have a Regency Bow no. 1 and some have a Regency Bow no. 2.....which reminds me, I forgot to mention that each of the varieties has both a large and small bow die included; these cards use the small version of both styles.

This is one of the "stepped" up tags. I used a sticky note to cover up the "to: from:" portion of the tag while I was inking it up and then removed the sticky note before stamping. Once that was done, I used the detail pine portion on both the bottom and top. I added one of the Large Linked Labels stamped with a sentiment from the Large Linked Labels Stamp Set.

These are the two tags I made using that same stamp combo and they use the Holly No. 1 and Poinsettia which are part of the Bigger Holiday Botanicals series.

You can see the Bigger Holiday Botanicals: Paperwhites on the tag on the left.

Here is the entire set so you can compare and contrast which stamps were used.

These tags use the Regency Bow No. 2 and they are the perfect size to accent the top of the tags. 

Since we're in a tag frame-of-mind, let's move onto my next project featuring the beautiful Large Linked Labels Die and embossing folder along with the Little Linked labels Die and Little Linked Labels Stamp Set. I love all of the "handmade" or "homemade" sentiments included in this release AND the last release, so I thought it would be fun to focus on those and make some handmade gifts! 

I had some leftover fabric from a recent sewing project, so I thought I would use it to make some handmade handwarmers for the upcoming winter to give to friends for Christmas. I have made these occasionally over the years and I put together a tutorial a few years ago that you can read about HERE. In that tutorial I share instructions for warmers made with 4 1/2 inch squares, but for today's project, I made them 4 inches square which didn't use as much rice as the instructions say. This particular fabric is from Tilda Fabrics and I used one pattern for the top and one pattern for the bottom, but you can use the same fabric for both sides.

Each tag consists of a base layer created with the Large Linked Labels Die and Large Linked  Labels Embossing Folder. I used a pale green for the base for each tag and then added the cute gold details using the Hang It Up Die...can't stop, won't stop! ha ha!

Each tag also uses the Little Linked Labels Stamp Set, Little Linked Labels Die. I chose all of the sentiments that had reference to homemade or handmade to fit the project.

This particular tag features the Bigger Holiday Botanicals: Wax Flower which is so beautiful. 

I used Rustic White cardstock, which if you've used it, you know it has a different texture which gave these tags a bit of a vintage, worn look that I just love! This tag also features the Bigger Holiday Botanicals: Holly no. 1. I love both of the holly options, but this one seems more romantic and vintage in my opinon.

Of course I couldn't stop with the bows, so a few of the tags got a Regency Bow No. 2 in the small size.

I tied the pair of handwarmers up using some beautiful ribbon that I purchased last year and it complements the handmade/homemade sewn theme perfectly!

For those of you who haven't had your fill of the Shortbread Shapes, have no fear, there's a sweet new addition: Shortbread Shapes: Snowflake! Eep! I'm in love....it is so fabulous and is so much fun to create with! I've only touched the tip of the iceberg with the possibilities and I'm sure the rest of the team will show it off to its full potential!

This is a 5 by 7 sized card, which is the size of the beautiful new Shortbread Shapes: Snowflake Embossing Folder. Of course you can cut the paper to suit your needs, but the 5 by 7 is just lovely to show off all of the fun details!

To begin, I cut a panel of cream cardstock and ran it through my machine using the Shortbread Shapes: Snowflake Embossing Folder. Next, I used the Shortbread Shapes: Snowflake Die to cut the red panel. I carefully placed it into the embossing folder to get it all lined up correctly and then ran that through the machine. I brushed a white pigment ink pad over the top to add the color to the raised portions. I layered it onto the base layer using foam squares.

The next step was the star portion which was cut from Honey Nut cardstock and I followed the same steps as the red piece. There is another die that is included in the set that will cut each section so you can have shortbread slices, but I didn't use it for this project.

For the sentiment, I used the Shortbread Shapes: Rectangle Labels Die and cut it from Pure Poppy cardstock. The center piece was cut from the same Honey Nut cardstock and embossed. The sentiment, which is from the Simple Holiday Mini Sentiments Stamp Set, is stamped in white. I added an enamel candy cane using liquid glue and a few Mint and Berry Bits. I loved how Betsy used those cute peppermints on her cards for the last release and I wanted to incorporate that on mine as well!

I mentioned at the beginning of today's post that I spent an entire crafty session making all kinds of holiday foliage using the Bigger Holiday Botanicals and boy, did that come in handy! I just pulled different pieces here and there for all of my projects which was so fun! This card uses the Bigger Holiday Botanicals: Holly no. 1 and the pine-y pieces from the Bigger Holiday Botanicals: Wax Flower.

I used the large size of the Regency Bow No. 2 Die for this card and of course some of the Hang it Up pieces for the top! I had WAY TOO much fun working on this release and I hope you love it as much as I do! Everything will be available for purchase tomorrow at 10 am EST. Don't forget to visit the other designers' blogs and leave a comment to be eligible to win one of two $50 gift certificates to the shop! Thanks for fluttering by!

Caly Person

Dana Kirby

Laura Bassen

Kelly Lunceford (you are here)

Laurie Willison

Melissa Phillips

Wanda Guess