Merry Reindeer

I need some cards that have interest but are easily mailed; in other words, no sparkles and the like.  Because I need to make a lot of them I do not want to deal with embossing.    I started with this reindeer stamp from from the long retired Heartfelt Christmas stamp set.  It just so happens that he Merry Monday Challenge this week is to use a reindeer. 

 The paper is Pear and Partridge, Close to My Heart's Christmas paper from three (I think) years ago.  I added interest with a narrow strip of Gold glitter paper and a dab of Red Glitter Glitz to embellish the nose.  I also attached the reindeer panel with foam tape.  The sentiment is from an old Stamp of the Month, Scandinavian Wishes.  Here is a horizontal version featuring a sentiment from an old Hostess Reward set, Sing Glory.

Both cards were based on this sketch by Sunday Stamps:

There you are, two flat, easy to mail cards.  Now to make a whole bunch of them...  Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

Materials used, all Close to My Heart unless otherwise noted:
Paper:  Pear and Partridge (retired), Champagne, New England Ivy, and Colonial White cardstock
Ink:  Saddle, Cranberry
Stamps:  Heartfelt Christmas, Scandinavian Wishes, Sing Glory (all retired)
Embellishments:  Red Glitter Glitz (retired) 

Merry Penguins

This week's Merry Monday challenge is to create a Christmas card featuring critters with this inspiration photo:

Cute little critter plus snow meant only one thing:  the ice skating penguin from a retired Close to My Heart set, Winter Wishes.  I embossed him with clear detail powder to help him pop, colored him with a ShinHan marker, and while I was coloring, colored a bitty sparkle to give him a sparkle butt.  Amy Kiger would be so proud!  I wanted to use this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and pop up the center panel like several of the designers did.  They call them inspiration projects for a reason...

There was one problem.  I wanted to make a border using use a strip cut from Snowhaven which had black on each side.  I was concerned that with the center popped up, you would be able to see the edge of the border if I used a white card base.  The solution was to use a black card base.  To keep the white core from showing I ran the edges of the borders across a black ink pad.  This is what the card looked like without the center panel:

To make the center panel I used the Cricut Design Space to cut the opening and then embossed it using a folder by Darice.  Anytime I am going to emboss a shape or something with an opening I always do all the cutting first so that I can position the paper in the embossing folder so that the embossed design compliments the shape. That is how I got the snowflakes to dance around the opening. I cut a red and white strip for the horizontal element but decided it was too much red and and that a strip with black and white and a touch of red would work better.  Rather than waste the first piece, I used it on the inside:

I used ShinHan markers to put black dots at the center of the flowers and color the ornament and a chalk marker in the ornament's center.  This helped integrate the colors.

This card was also an opportunity to relive my childhood and play Tic-Tac-Toe with the ladies over at Heart 2 Heart Challenges:

Sketch plus Cricut plus embossing gives me three in a row horizontally.  This might even be a two way if you consider that this card could be suitable for a guy.

Now I have two Christmas cards ready for next year.  Thank you for stopping by!  Now why don't you visit Merry Monday, Freshly Made Sketches and Heart 2 Heart for some inspiration and maybe enter them yourself?  I would love to see your work!  Until next time, Hansi

Materials used, all Close to My Heart unless otherwise noted:  

Paper:  Snowhaven, Black, White Daisy, and Cranberry cardstock

Ink:  Black pigment and dye inks, Black and Carmine ShinHan markers

Stamp:  Winter Wishes (retired)

Embellishments:  Bitty Sparkle, red baker's twine from Michael's, black button (retired)

Other:  Snowflake embossing folder by Darice, Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge