17 days until Christmas!!!  I know all of you are so busy but I hope you’ll grab a glass of eggnog or hot cocoa and read this post.  As usual I have many samples to share with you.  If you see something you like, please give me a call (915-833-9500) and I can hook you up with all the supplies to make your own!

 What’s New at The Stamp Act?

The Viva Décor Pearl Pens are here and I am sorry to say I have not played with them yet – stay tuned for more details on how they work.  I have lots of colors in stock!

New (to us) Memory Box Dies arrived yesterday and another order will be coming soon.  Stop in and check out the Catillion or the Scalloped Edge 5” x 7” frame dies – they are fabulous for either flat correspondence cards or for fold over notes.  Watch for my upcoming class in Faux Letterpress using these dies.  The popular Deer Trio, Star of Wonder and La Rue Flourish are in stock now plus the new Crystalline border, Charlotte border and Pop Up Joy. 

    

And don’t miss the Madison Window Die (Small) – it is hot, hot, hot!  The Grand Madison Window is out of stock so it may be a while before it comes back – so don’t miss your chance to snag the small window while you can!  I’ve got plenty for everyone but they are bound to sell out too!

 

 

 

 

  

  

  

   

New Classes this Week

Where to start? How about this Saturday’s classes?  Dec. 10 from 10am to Noon, we’ll take one stamp, the new Penny Black Poinsettia Script background, and use it to create multiple cards.  We will use both the new Tim Holtz Distress Stains and the Winter Limited Edition Distress Ink pad trio with the stamp – and the results are stunning.  The cards are quick and easy but very impressive!  Here’s a peak at 2 more samples:

  

 

For the card on the left I added a poinsettia I cut with the new Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia die.  The sentiment on this card is from an (old) clear set from Impression Obsession.  The "Celebrate the Season" sentiment above is from the same set.

 

 

 

 

Saturday afternoon from 2 to 4pm we will make the cutest ornament (or gift tag) using the Want 2 Scrap Lacey Ovals Nestboard and Nestabling self-adhesive crystals to decorate the ornament.  The central image will be from Just Rite Stampers new Blizzard Buddies set.  On the back of the ornament we will use a reindeer die cut (Spellbinders die).  You will love this elegant ornament so please join us for the fun.  In this class we will also make a gift card holder – sample is in my head and I promise it will be perfect too!

 

 

Thursday, Dec. 8 our afternoon holiday workshop is entitled “It’s All About Santa!” and, as the name implies, we will make cards featuring the jolly old man!   First, our Cowboy Santa (all stamps from Deadbeat Designs) reminds us who's  in charge of this Ho-Ho-Holiday!  Next our Santa Globe card shows the jolly elf and his reindeer flying over the housetops inside a snow globe.  See the Ho-Ho-Ho-tag?  It’s made with a Tim Holtz fragment charm stamped with Stazon ink.  The Santa Globe stamp and Grand Snow Globe die are from Memory Box.  While we’re talking about the Santa Globe stamp, here’s another example of the stamp used behind the Grand Madison Window die.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our last card shows Santa dancing and prancing – maybe on December 26^th??  This stamp from Impression Obsession is so cute and jolly – simply stamp, color with Copic Markers and distress the edges with Pumice Stone Distress Ink.  Add a little Stickles glitter glue (I used Frosted Lace), a sentiment from Hero Arts and a few metallic décor embellishments (also Hero Arts) and you’re done!

 

 

Here’s another Santa card that I couldn’t include in the class because we ran out of the Graphic 45 paper needed to make it.  This style of card is called a pyramid card.  I chose to use 2 sizes of Spellbinder’s Labels 22 dies to cut the picture of this old fashioned Santa.  Then I used the same size die to cut my signature skinny borders then mounted the photo cut outs on the skinny borders to get a framed piece.  This frame was then mounted over the portion of the Santa that was originally cut out.  The pyramid design highlights portions of the Santa picture drawing attention to the picture and giving it more presence.  Try this technique with other pictures of stamped backgrounds.  It’s fun and impressive!

Classes December 17

Sat, Dec. 17 from 10am to Noon, we will make Holiday Thank You Cards.  For the card on the left, I used the Twig and Berries, Perched Reedbird, and Thanks script dies from Memory Box as well as their “Candy Cane” paper.  For the card on the right, I used the Fredward Bear stamp and die from Memory Box as well as their Santa Hat die and “Beary Good” paper.  Inside this card, the fun continues when a “thanks” cut from the “Beary Good” paper pops out at you!  This is cut with the Folding Thanks Die from Lifestyle Crafts.

One more Thank you card showcases the Memory Box Arborscello Die in a white on white setting.  Leave it plain or embellish it with glitter – this tree has a very elegant look!

 

 

 

 

To prove it’s not too late to make Christmas cards, on Sat, Dec. 17 from 2 to 4pm, we will have a class called Holiday Stamping Express!  Join us to make several quick and easy cards featuring snowmen, santas and all kinds of holiday icons!  Samples coming soon!

Other Fun Samples!

Is this the cutest card?  The Peppermint Rosette is cut from some red and white striped paper from Amuse Art Stamps with the Memory Box Rosette die.  This die cuts a vertical strip 1½” wide so when you adhere the ends and “smash” it flat, the rosette is 3” wide.  To make it thinner, simply cut off ½” vertically so the rosette will be only 2” wide.  Wrap the “peppermint candy” in cellophane, tie with ribbon and adhere to card.  The background stamp is made with the Memory Box Twinkle Ball stamped in Versafine Crimson with a sentiment from Amuse Art Stamps.  The Scallop border is made with a border punch from EK Success.

For a non traditional Christmas card try these colors.  I embossed the background with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder (run it through twice to get the width).  Then using the Memory Box Classic ornament, I cut 3 solid backgrounds, and using the Snowflake Ornament, I cut three decorative ornaments.  Glue the two together using Glossy Accents and thread some pink wired string through the hole at the top.  Cut 2 Frostyville Borders from the same pink cardstock and mount these using Glossy Accents at the top and bottom of the card.  Mount the ornaments, tie 3 bows and glue these at the top of the wired string.  This is a really pretty card!

 

One last sample.  Who can resist this darling snowman from Penny Black (called "Warm & Cold"). I stamped him in black Memento ink, colored him with Copic Markers then cut him out.  The wavy ground is pasrt of the stamp and I extended the look to the sides of the card.  I mounted him wiht foam tape to a blue cardstock "sky" and stanped and embossed a few small snowflakes.  The "Twinkle" sentiment is from a new Penny Black clear set called "Let it Snow."  What an easy and ahppy little Christmas or winter wishes card.

That’s enough for today – please stop in soon and see these samples and lots more in person!  Thanks for reading the blog today.