Getting merry with it, part 3

Yup, I'm starting to slow down with these cards from the Spellbinder's Limited Edition kit. And the kit is still practically full! 

I have 9 more to go to meet my goal of 25 cards from this kit.

Old paper pads need love, too!

This group of cards features an old 12 x 12 paper pad from Michael's that is about 4 to 5 years old.  It's one of those pads that I keep because I'm "going to use it someday", but it's never the right one, right now.

The card bases for these are larger, 6.5 x 5, and have been in my stash since about 2009.  Yup, 10 years they've been carefully stored, stashed, and moved around from one shelf to another in my craft room. Can't blame Mimi for these because I remember buying them before I found out that "everybody" does A2 cards.

So, the plaid backgrounds are from the old plaid paper pack, and the " Love Peace Joy" is a cut-apart from the same pack.  The "Happy Holidays " banner is from a die from Concord and 9th.

The poinsettias on the cards are from an old Spellbinders die, and the poinsettias on the side are new this year from Sizzix. The twigs are from Gina Marie Designs, and are a classic to me.  The Sizzix flowers will eventually get onto cards, but now they make good photo props.  

The center panel from this card is from a cut-apart from a newer paper pad called "Say Freeze" from Michael's.  The gold snowflakes are from a Spellbinder's Small Die of the month club die for November 2019.  This one is A2 sized. Yes, I really do like to mix in new with the old to give it better life.

Yes, it appears I'm still avoiding coloring. Oh well.

Honoring Mimi by using her craft stash

My mom, Mimi, was an artist and a crafter. After she died in 2000, I took home a lot of her craft stash.

One of the items that had me baffled were card bases with fancy front edges. I'd never seen that kind before, and that was before I got into card making.  The card bases were in their original Jo-Ann's packaging.

Well, DUH, Mimi had cut the edges herself with decorative scissors. How many years did it take me to figure that one out?  About 17 years, that's how long.

This fall I am trying to use up pre-made card bases and since these are at least 20 years old, they must be among the first ones used.

This first card features a sentiment die, some glitter snowflakes, and some red decorative tape.  The tape is a dollar store find.

This card features the pink paper from Michael's called Sugar Blush.  It's one of the 6x6 pads I picked up just after Christmas last year.  The sentiment is a die from Simon Says Stamp, and the gold glitter snowflakes are from My Favorite Things' layered Snowflake Splendor kit from 2 years ago.

This card features the pink paper from Sugar Blush (Michael's), the layered tree from Pretty Pink Posh, and the sentiment from Concord and 9th.  I cut the tree parts from paper I had glittered with glitter gel. I also applied the glitter gel around the edges of the pink panel. 

For each of these cards, I put a strip of patterned paper on the bottom inside, to contrast with Mimi's fancy cut bottom edge.  I've a few more of these card bases to use up, and I will remember Mimi with each and every one I do.  I sure miss her.

It's finally cool in Florida, so sweaters it is!

Yay, we got a cool front here in South Florida, and temps are down to the '50s. It won't last long, but it really gets me in the Christmas card mood! 

All of these cards were inspired by Mary Polanco and a Youtube video she did a few weeks back about not overthinking your designs. I was going to follow her idea with my own dies, but I needed this sweater die that she used. 

A couple of things I don't remember Mary mentioning are that when you ink-blend onto a finished card base you will get ink on the back of the card. Well, I did, anyway.  Also, I used these kraft card bases and they warped, a lot.

I used some white acrylic paint watered down for the white splatter, and the paint picked up some of the Distress ink and turned beige or pink. I kept it.  I also cut the warped fronts off and attached them to some cream colored card bases that also have been in my  stash a long time.

Most of this paper is from "Say Freeze", new paper packs I picked up at Michael's last week. I especially enjoyed fussy cutting some of the images for the inside.  I used some washi tape that's been in my stash for a while, also.

The outside sentiments are from Simon Says Stamp and Concord & 9th.  

Sweaters on cards, none in real life.

I am loving this sweater die from Hero Arts. It has tiny round and heart shaped punch-outs as well as a tree that can be punched out or left in place.

I cut a second sweater out just so I could get the tree in striped layers, and embellished the card with snowflakes cut from mirror gold and glitter card stock. The sentiment strip is from a 6x6 paper pad I got at Michael's.  Sigh, yes, I bought more patterned paper. So sue me.

The red background layer is textured card stock from DCWV, and was recently given to me by my sister-in-law. She's de-stashing craft items that are not quilt-related. So, even more paper for me.

The layered poinsettias will be featured soon on another card.