Christmas Cards

Freezin’ Friends are so cute!

0 · Dec 13, 2020 · Leave a Comment

These cute animals are having so much fun in the snow. The Freezin’ Fun stamp set from Stampin’ Up! features an adorable bunny, penguin, raccoon and seal. I made a set of cards with the same design but different cute animal. The first in the series showcases the penguin in a warm scarf and hat.

card made with Freezin' Fun stamp set by Stampin Up! — Freezin’ Fun stamp set by Stampin’ Up!

The cards each contain a winter scene and although I will be using them as Christmas cards – they could be used for “Just a note” or even a winter birthday card. I practiced my alcohol marker blending and am quite happy with how the scarf and hat turned out. The colouring is faster than it looks as the images are small. I also added wink of stella for some sparkle.

The background use the Snowflake Splendor paper designer series paper. I included some of the Pool Party colour in the scarf to pull the look of the card together.

Christmas card featuring Freezin' Fun stamp set from Stampin' Up! — Freezin’ Friends dies make this card easy to make

Freezin’ Friends dies and the Freezin’ Fun stamp set are only available until Jan. 3, 2021. Buy them before it is too late.

link to purchase supplies for christmas card

3D Evergreen Forest embossing folder

0 · Nov 14, 2020 · Leave a Comment

The photo doesn’t do this card justice. The muted colours combined with some sparkle make a gorgeous card that is simple to recreate. Like the Seaside Spray card from this post – the 3D Evergreen Forest embossing folder by Stampin’ Up! creates a gorgeous card. The pine forest trees makes such a pretty raised pattern in the paper.

Do you ever CASE cards? CASE stands for copy and share everything – this card was cased and tweaked to be a bit different than the original. The problem I now have is I can no longer find the original creator to give them credit. Regardless, I added the Pool Party Sheer ribbon as the added sparkle and colour adds to the card’s beauty.

Make it yourself:

A couple tips to create this card yourself.

Less is more. Lightly brush the top of the trees with Pool Party ink, Mint Macaron ink and just a hint of Pretty Peacock. I used the sponge daubers to be able to add just light touches of colour
Fake the pretty bow. Attach ribbon around the back of the Dainty Diamonds embossed white background. Tie a pretty bow with a separate piece of ribbon and then attach it with a glue dot. It is much easier to add the bow afterwards then to try to tie the ribbon around.
Add sparkle to the trees by lightly brushing on wink of stella. This little detail is hard to see in the picture but adds a pretty touch that you shouldn’t skip.

Enjoy creating! Here are the main supplies I used to create this card. If you live in Canada you can order by clicking on any of the supplies below. I am happy to answer your questions – email me at amy@cardsbyacook.com

Product List

Evergreen Forest 3D Embossing Folder [153576] $13.50	Merry Moose Photopolymer Stamp Set [150494] $23.00	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] $163.00	Stitched So Sweetly Dies [151690] $44.00	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [147107] $10.25
Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad [147106] $10.25	Pretty Peacock Classic Stampin’ Pad [150083] $10.25	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100730] $13.25	Pool Party 3/8" (1 Cm) Sheer Ribbon [152462] $8.25	Sponge Daubers [102892] $7.00

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Enjoy the Stillness of the Season

0 · Nov 8, 2020 · Leave a Comment

The snow glistening in the trees is perhaps the most beautiful part of winter. Similarly, gently falling snow is not only pretty but really does make for a quiet, still evening. This sentiment “enjoy the Stillness of the Season” was the inspiration for my Christmas card. I wanted all the design elements to work together to create a card that was peaceful and beautiful for the holiday season.

Evergreen Forest Embossing folder with Silver foil sheets

The card uses the beautiful Feels like Frost designer series paper from Stampin’ Up!. The 6×6 paper features gorgeous images of winter scenes on one side and silver graphics on the reverse. The photographs are beautiful and feature colours ranging from blues and purples to pinks.

Feels like Frost 6x6 Designer Series Paper — Feels like Frost 6×6 Designer Series Paper

It is hard to say which paper is responsible for making this card so beautiful – the background pattern or the silver foil? The snow covered pine boughs in the Feels like Frost patterned paper coordinate beautifully with the Seaside Spray blue cardstock. The embossed silver foil is gorgeous after being embossed with the 3D Evergreen Forest embossing folder. The level of detail and depth created with this embossing folder is amazing! As a result, I couldn’t resist embossing the Seaside Spray blue cardstock background as well.

The Seaside Spray metallic ribbon completes the coordination of the cardstock and silver foil. The silver shimmer in this ribbon is so pretty. The sentiment “enjoy the Stillness of the Season” is simply perfect for this snowy scene.

Make it yourself!

Here are the main supplies you need to create this card at home.

Product List

Feels Like Frost Specialty 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [150444] $20.00	Evergreen Forest 3D Embossing Folder [153576] $13.50	Merry Moose Photopolymer Stamp Set [150494] $23.00	Seaside Spray 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Metallic Ribbon [150446] $9.50
Seaside Spray 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [150883] $12.00	Seaside Spray Classic Stampin’ Pad [150085] $10.25	Silver Foil Sheets [132178] $6.75	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100730] $13.25

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Shop with me if you are in Canada – my help and expertise comes with each purchase. See the complete instructions and download the tutorial for this card here.

Download instructions here

A Cup of Thanks at Christmas

0 · Nov 2, 2020 · 3 Comments

The Press On stamp set by Stampin’ Up! is perfect to create gift card holders to say thank you at Christmas. Slip in your local coffee shop’s, Starbuck’s or Tim Horton’s gift card to show your appreciation to the many people who deserve it! I am making these for my colleagues this year but I have also made gift card holders for my childrens’ teachers, my hairdresser and even the UPS delivery person. Who else can you think of that deserves a cup of thanks for Christmas?

Make it yourself

You can make this card quickly and easily using the Press On stamp set from Stampin’ Up!. The cute set of coffee cups line up perfectly as they are all one stamp. After stamping in black, colour the coffee cups in a traditional Christmas palette of Old Olive and Real Red. The alcohol markers blend beautifully. I recommend adding some light Crumb Cake ink to the background of the cups to prevent them from appearing to float in midair.

a cup of thanks greeting card — A cup of thanks

The front of this card was folded into three sections. The middle section contains the saying ” A cup of thanks” and allows you to write a short message. I am fortunate to have people in my life that help my family and I on a regular basis. Christmas is the perfect time of year to let them know that they are appreciated.

A gift card can be inserted into the pocket created with the Heartwarming Hugs patterned paper. Be sure to use the fine tip glue pen to adhere the pocket to the card with a thin layer of glue. Do not use too thick of a line of adhesive or the gift card may have a tight fit.

Product List

Press On Cling Stamp Set [153392] $30.00	Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper [153492] $15.75	Stitched Rectangle Dies [148551] $48.00	Real Red 3/8" (1 Cm) Double-Stitched Satin Ribbon [151155] $10.25
Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133676] $12.00	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [102482] $12.00	Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131201] $12.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100730] $13.25
Dainty Diamonds 3D Embossing Folder [152702] $12.25	Mossy Meadow Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154890] $12.00	Real Red Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154899] $12.00	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $8.25

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I enjoyed making this card and will enjoy giving small tokens of my appreciation to others just as much – maybe more!

I’ve added this card to Kylie’s International Blog Highlights. You can vote for me and your favourite 5 designs by clicking on the little hearts. Click below to go to the gallery to vote.

link to Kylie Bertucci international highlights

Yuletide Pasture with a Christmas Cow and a Lamb

0 · Oct 13, 2020 · 1 Comment

I love how these animals have been adorned for Christmas. The ornaments on the yak’s horns add such a wonderful festive touch to the card. The lamb is also wearing jolly bells and is ready to ring in the season. This stamp set – Yuletide Pasture – by Stampin’ Up! features not only the yak (Highland Cow) and lamb but also a cute cat sporting a scarf.

yuletide pasture stamp set by Stampin' Up! christmas card

If you are new to using alcohol markers, the Yuletide Pasture stamp set is good place to start. It is not necessary to colour the animals completely. I stamped them using Soft Suede ink and added in a bit of blush to the ears and nose of the lamb using a Petal Pink blends marker. I used Crumb Cake on the yak’s horns and nose and added a bit of Old Olive to the grass under the lamb. Adding in some Real Red and Old Olive to the bells and ornaments add just enough colour so the animals look complete.

The Stitched Nested Labels dies fit together to create a cohesive card design that I’m quite happy with. The gold foil snowflakes tie the design together and add even more festive flair. Do you think silver would work instead of the gold? I like the little snowflakes, but are there any shapes you would choose instead?

Live in Canada?

You can purchase the supplies from me and make it yourself. Just click on the pictures below to be directed to my Stampin’ Up! store. Please note: I have not included the basics such as whisper white paper and adhesive.

Product List

Yuletide Pasture Cling Stamp Set (English) [153316] $29.00	Stitched Nested Labels Dies [149638] $48.00	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [102482] $12.00	Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131201] $12.00
Petal Pink Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [147272] $12.00	Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144597] $12.00	Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144601] $12.00	Real Red Combo Pack Stampin' Blends [147935] $12.00
Gold Foil Sheets [132622] $6.75

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Correction

I have been informed that this is not a yak but rather a Highland Cow. My apologies to those offended by my lack of knowledge.

My Favourite Buffalo Check Christmas Card

0 · Oct 19, 2019 ·

Merry Moose meets Buffalo Check in this rustic and heart warming Christmas Card. The first time I saw the Merry Moose bundle from Stampin’ Up! I knew I wanted to start stamping cards and punching out moose! Sounds silly, but stamping is how I relax and recharge so yes, I get excited about being able to punch out a moose!

The moose reminds me of being in Canada’s cottage country and curling up by the fire with a red buffalo check blanket. Now, I don’t actually own a cottage or a red buffalo check blanket but this card makes me smile anyway. I love how the Real Red cardstock stamped with Early Expresso ink gives the card that cozy feeling.

My favourite buffalo check christmas card featuring Merry Moose stamp set by Stampin' Up!

Tips and Suggestions

The Merry Moose stamp set comes with 2 trees – 1 big, 1 small. The trees are quite beautiful and detailed. The white embossing powder shows the detail nicely – if you don’t get carried away and stamp too many. Stamp 3 trees, 2 large and 1 small, slightly overlapping in versamark ink. Sprinkle white embossing powder on top, shake excess off, and heat set.

The trees are cut out using the stitched shapes dies which produce a lovely stitched border. If you don’t have a die cutting machine you could use a 3″ circle punch or simply a 3″ square.

This stamp set comes with a cute scarf to cut out, but I liked how the braided trim matched the crumb cake behind the trees and linked the colours together. You could try the new Real Red knitted trim and let me know if you like that better.

Ordering information

Below are all the supplies you need to create the Merry Moose meets Buffalo Check Christmas card. Each item clicked will go to my store so that you can help support this blog and purchase from the designer. I have not included the poppy uppy things I used (dimensionals) the adhesive, paper cutter, die cutting machine and heat gun as I feel you may already own those items. Don’t hesitate to contact me for detailed instructions, more information or to ask which supplies are necessary and which are optional.

Christmas Cards

Make it yourself:

Make it yourself!

Make it yourself

Live in Canada?

Correction

Tips and Suggestions

Ordering information

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