Stampin' Up!'s Snowflake Soiree...

Here is another Christmas card from a recent workshop.  I CASE'd this card from one received at Deb Townsend's WOW Holiday catalog swap.  I sure get some good ideas from her swaps!  As always, I mix it up a bit from the card I receive so here's my take on the card.

Here's what you will need to make this card:

• Marina Mist, Midnight Muse and Whisper White cardstock
• Midnight Muse, Marina Mist and Baja Breeze classic ink
• VersaMark ink
• Snowflake Soiree stamp set
• Silver embossing powder
• Heat gun & embossing buddy
• Frosty Snowflake Die
• Delicate Designs embossing folder
• Pearls
• Frost White Shimmer Paint

Here's the inside of the card.  The small snowflakes and "Believe" were embossed with silver embossing powder.  Super pretty!

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Watercolor Winter from Stampin' Up!'s Holiday Catalog..

Here's another card from a recent workshop.  Everyone seems to be getting into the Christmas spirit and requesting Christmas cards.

 Here's what you will need to make this card:

• Soft Suede, Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler classic inks
• VersaMark ink
• Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green and Very Vanilla cardstock
• Champagne Glitter paper
• 2 1/2" Circle punch
• Cherry Cobbler embossing powder (for the flowers)
• Heat gun
• Embossing Buddy
• Watercolor Winter and Greetings of the Season stamp sets
• Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding ribbon
• Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine
• Rhinestones (colored with gold Sharpie)

Here's the inside of the card.  Make sure when using the colored embossing powder that you use your Embossing Buddy so you don't get flecks on your cardstock.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

By the Seashore....

Here's a card from a recent workshop.  Did you catch the Monet Technique that was a recent Technique Tuesday?  If so, you will recognize it here.  If not, click on Techniques above and learn this cool technique!

 Here's what you need for this card:

• Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Whisper White and Glossy White cardstock
• Night of Navy and Marina Mist classic inks
• Subtles Pattern Pack paper
• Marina Mist, Baja Breeze and Night of Navy Watercolor Crayons
• Postage punch
• By the Seashore (current) and Happiest Birthday Wishes (retired) stamps sets
• Crystal Effects

NOTE:  Glossy White paper was used with the technique on the piece that has the sentiment.  The technique was also used on a piece of Whisper White for the seashells.  After completing the technique, the seashells were stamped and cut out.  Finally they were covered with Crystal Effects.

Here's the inside of the card.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Just Believe and the Acrylic Sheet Technique....

Here's a card I made for a recent workshop using a technique where you color on an acrylic sheet using the markers. 

Here's how to do the acrylic sheet technique:

1. Take a piece of an acrylic sheet at least a couple of inches larger than your cardstock.
2. Color on the acrylic sheet at the bottom about 2" high with the Old Olive marker.
3. Then color above that using More Mustard but only about a 1/2" high area.
4. Then color above that using the Pool Party marker but again, just an 1/2" high area.
5. Finish coloring to the top using the Marina Mist marker.
6. Spritz with water several times until the colors just begin to meld together.
7. Lay your paper down on top of the acrylic sheet.
8. Take your piece of tissue paper and press down so it absorbs any of the water and ink that does not transfer to your cardstock.
9. Remove tissue and turn over your cardstock to see the result - gorgeous!

Here's what you will need to make this card:

• Certainly Celery, Whisper White and Pool Party cardstock
• Black StazOn ink
• Old Olive, More Mustard, Pool Party and Marina Mist markers
• Just Believe, Thoughts & Prayers and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets
• Acrylic Sheet
• Tissue Paper
• Water in misting bottle
• Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon
• Old Olive 1/8" ribbon
• Printed Brad
• Corner Ticket punch
• Lacy Brocade embossing folder

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Technique Tuesday ... Monet Technique

It is Tuesday and I am back with this week's technique.  It is a quick and easy technique but very pretty for a background piece.

 Here's what you will need:

• Stampin' Up! Watercolor Crayons
• Aqua Painter
• Glossy Cardstock
• Stamp Set - I used Everything Eleanor

 Choose three coordinating colors of Watercolor Crayons.  I used Pretty in Pink, Rose Red and Rich Razzleberry.  Draw squiggly lines in each color, spacing them apart so you can get all three colors in an area.

 Here's what your paper will look like.

 Take your Aqua Painter and give it a light squeeze so you get some water down into the brush.  Then begin to tap, tap, tap down on the paper.  Do not keep the bristles down on the cardstock as you move it.  You want to dab straight down and come back up.

 Repeat over your entire cardstock and let it dry.  Do not try to get rid of the air bubbles that you might have on the cardstock.  These help enhance the look.

 After the cardstock is dry, you can stamp your images onto it.

I finished this card off using the sentiment from Perfectly Penned set and a Rose Red seam binding ribbon.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Be of Good Cheer Paper Gift Card Holder...

Here is a cute card which also is a gift card holder - perfect for Christmas!  It is very easy to make with just a few score lines using the Simply Scored.

 Here's what you need to make this card:

• Be of Good Cheer Designer Series Paper
• Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler & Very Vanilla cardstock
• Cherry Cobbler classic ink and Gumball Green and Cherry Cobbler Markers
• Jolly Bingo Bits and Petite Pairs stamp sets
• Simply Scored
• Diagonal Plate for Simply Scored
• Scallop Circle Punch
• Small Scallop Circle Punch
• 1 1/4" Circle Punch
• 1/4" Circle Punch
• Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding ribbon, Gumball Green Stitched Satin ribbon and Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine

Here's the backside of the card and the gift card holder.  I used the slot punch which is retired to attach the gift card although you could use a temporary tape on it to hold it to the cardstock.
Here's how to make this card:

1. Cut a piece of DSP down to 8" x 8".
2. Place it in your Simply Scored with the diagonal plate.
3. Score from the top left corner down to the bottom right corner.
4. Without moving the paper, score diagonally at 1 1/4"
5. Flip the paper over, keeping the corner score line in the same place.
6. Score again at 1 1/4".  You will now have three parallel score lines.
7. Now turn your paper 90 degrees so the bottom left and the top right corners have the score lines.
8. Score at 2 3/4".
9. Flip the paper 180 degrees so the other non-scored corner is in the top left.
10. Score at 2 3/4".
11. Fold along the three score lines so they make a mountain in the middle with valleys on both sides.
12. Open the paper back up and fold both of the 2 1/2" score lines to the inside.
13. Fold back up along the three score lines.
14. Hold the paper together at the top corners and punch a hole using the 1/4" circle punch.
15. Insert ribbons through hole and hold together with Baker's Twine.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Clockworks Stamp Set...

I fell in love with this stamp set when I saw it for the first time in the catalog but didn't end up getting it until August and then it sat!  I was assigned to make a masculine card for a recent workshop and thought this would be perfect.  You cannot tell by the picture but the face of the watch has shimmer paint on it which gives it a really cool look.

 Here's what you will need to make this card:

• Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla cardstock
• Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Early Espresso and VersaMark ink
• Clockworks and Itty Bitty Banners stamp sets
• 1 3/4" Circle punch
• Gold embossing powder
• Bitty Banners framelit
• Champagne Mist shimmer paint

Here's the inside of the card.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams