Quick and Easy Christmas Cards

Did you gobble 'til you wobbled?  I know I did-Thanksgiving offers so many yummy goodies I don't eat the rest of the year!  Now that you've had your turkey and said your thanks, it's time to get serious about making your Christmas Cards!!

The Inspired Stamps Design Team is sharing easy peasy lemon squeezy cards with you this week.  My cards are super simple but super cute, doncha think? The "tricks" I use to create several cards in a short amount of time are 

•  start with pre-made card bases in a neutral color
• cut all patterned paper for all cards at the same time
• limit embellishments to 2 or 3
• Use double-sided coordinating patterned paper
• use "dry" or super quick dry adhesive
• cut or punch all shaped paper at the same time 
• stamp all shapes at the same time and limit stamp choices- I used Vintage Christmas and 1.5" Circle Christmas

Once you have gathered and cut everything, start your assembly line. Don't complete cards individually.  You should adhere your patterned bases on all your cards before you move on to the next step.  In my case, the next step was to adhere all the 2nd patterned paper strips, then my adhesive ribbon, followed by the stamped images and finally the rhinestones.  Multiple cards done in record time.

other supplies: all CTMH

Happy 2nd Birthday Inspired Stamps!

It is hard for me to believe Inspired Stamps is celebrating its 2nd birthday as a company!  That means I have been privileged to be on the Design Team for 2 years!  It's been so much fun getting to use these inspirational stamps week after week!  How many exclamation points can I use in 1 paragraph?!  Apparently, an unlimited amount!!!!!!

This week we are, of course,  showcasing birthday cards.  I started with a premade and preprinted base from Michael's Mary Engelbreit collection.  That gave me time to spend making "Ruth" extra special.  The Winter Ruth stamp set has been a favorite of mine since she was introduced. She has 6 sentiments and 6 items she can hold in her mittens.  I chose the gift and birthday sentiment this time.  For her stylish coat, I stamped her on a patterned paper and then just cut out the coat and adhered it to another stamped image.  I did cut the snow mound and tree away to leave me with just Ruth. 

The sentiment is stamped on a piece of cork for her to stand on.  I placed 2 roses over the "ear muffs".  Hope you love her like I do!

other supplies: Close to My Heart Alcohol Markers, CTMH cork, pearls, ribbon and rhinestones.

Artiste Cards and Envelopes

Make adorable cards and envelopes with the amazing Artiste Cricut cartridge from Close To My Heart.  Ready to order HERE.

Inspired Stamps Thankful Card

 

This week we are sharing "Thankful" projects at Inspired Stamps.  I made this card for my Mom who is recovering from a stroke she had 2 and a half weeks ago.  We are so thankful it was caught quickly and that she is recovering well.  I learned that a stroke does not always have the classic symptoms.  She only complained of dizziness but because of the sudden onset and her advanced age, my sister whisked her to the ER.  If you have a loved one who complains of sudden, extreme dizziness and/or headache, don't hesitate to call an ambulance.  I love my 85 yo mom and am thankful that God has kept her and my dad in relative good health!  

For the card, I used the versatile stamp set Fall Gratitude.  I really like this set with its scriptures, sentiments, pumpkins and ivy.

 

 We will soon celebrate the 2 year birthday of Inspired Stamps on November 19 and so are offering a great coupon for you! Use it on multiple orders, no matter the size all month!

Inspired Stamps Tutorial: Ribbon Calendar

It's my turn to share a tutorial as part of the Inspired Stamps Design Team!  I am excited to share a fun Christmas gift you can make fairly quickly and inexpensively.  The ribbon calendar is my daughter-in-love's favorite thing I have made for her and she requests a new one every year.  I have used Inspired Stamps for my scripture panels.

 

These are the basic supplies you will need: 5- 6x6 decorative papers (I like to grab a 6x6 paper pad), 5- 5 1/2 inch heavy cardstock sheets, roll of ribbon, mini monthly calendars, mini clothespins or decorative paper clips or bulldog clips, assorted embellishments, stamped scriptures

 

Choose the pages for your scriptures and glue down your clips.  I really love mini clothespins and you can get a box for less than $3 in the office supply section at Wal-mart.  The clothespins allow you to change out your scriptures or even use photos.

 

 Set them aside to dry well.  Cut apart your mini calendars if needed and adhere to your other 3 panels as desired.  You can try to make up your own calendars with a computer program or do what I did and spend a $1 and download one here: http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/purpleponyart

 Now it's time for the ribbon!  Line up your panels so the backs are facing up.  Space them apart as much or little as you'd like and then take the ribbon and hot glue down both sides, leaving a loop for hanging at the top.  This photo shows the 2 bottom panels.  You only need to glue the ribbon to the top of the bottom panel. I glue all 4 corners of the other panels.

 

To make the back sturdier and look neater, adhere a card stock panel to the back of each panel over the ribbon. 

 Now for the fun part!  Get out your box of embellishments and go to town! That's my "pink" box! 

For your scripture panels, cut a decorative base or use a journaling box and stamp your scriptures and any decoration.  For the top panel, I used Inspired Stamps Strength Stamp Set. For the bottom panel, I used Favorites Collection 1 Stamp Set. On both, I used the doily stamp from Lovely Lace to decorate the edges. 

 I hope you have been able to understand my tutorial and that you will find some time to make a few of your own ribbon calendars!  The clothespins allow you to change out your scriptures or even use photos.

Help Those Affected By Hurricane Sandy

This is directly from Jeanette Lynton,  the owner of Close to My Heart.
 My heart goes out to all those who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy— those who have lost family members, homes, or whose lives have otherwise been disrupted by the storm’s effects directly or indirectly.

I have been hearing on the news that this storm is already being projected to be the fifth most expensive hurricane ever, with expense projections above $20 billion. With such a daunting recovery ahead, relief organizations are calling for generous donations to help defray some of the costs. I know that when we work together, we can make great things happen, and that's why I'm so pleased to announce that we are enhancing our November promotion. Here’s how it will work:

Our November promotion is called Capture the Date, Capture the Savings, and its key player is the November Stamp of the Month, which is a simply fabulous calendar set you can see pictured above. When you make a $50 purchase, you can get this stamp set for a mere $5 under our generous Stamp of the Month program. You can then purchase one additional stamp set from the Idea Book for 50% off. From November 1 through 30, we will be donating $1 from every sale of the November Stamp of the Month set to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief.
 Every dollar counts when it comes to these massive scale relief operations, which is why I hope all of you will participate in this month’s promotion in addition to whatever donations you make independently. Let’s work together to help our friends and neighbors move forward!  You can make your purchase at www.belindak.myctmh.com