Christmas Cards 2015

Now that the holiday festivities are over, I realized I'm overdue in showing the Christmas cards I made this year (well, technically last year)... so here goes!

I used the Stampin' Up! single wood-mount stamp called Dove of Peace for these two cards:

I inlaid the stitched center layer into a frame of silver glimmer paper, and then layered the whole thing on a Wild Wasabi card base. I cut the word "peace" out of the same glimmer paper, stamped the dove with silver Delicata ink so it shines in real life, and then spot colored with a Wild Wasabi marker.

I did much of the same here, except I made the stitched frame from Old Olive cardstock and put it on a heavy Whisper White base. The bird is stamped in gold Delicata so it shimmers. Sweet and simple!

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Next up is a batch of cards I CASEd using the Stampin' Up! Sleigh Ride edgelits, glimmer paper, and Winter Wonderland specialty designer series paper. 

On this card and the next, I used silver glimmer paper. On the first card I placed six clear gemstones around the sentiment, but I decided it was embellishment overload when combined with the three black candy dots.

I "fixed" the problem by using a stamped-off silver Delicata snowflake over the sentiment on the rest of the cards in this set.

I don't have as much Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper as I do the silver, but I thought I'd give the DD a try anyway. Turns out I like it best!

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Finally, here are two cards I made flying by the seat of my pants using the Stampin' Up! Peaceful Pines stamp set and stuff that was just sitting on my desk. When I started I had no layout in mind, and no plan for which supplies to use. I like these the best of this year's cards!

I embossed the pine tree in silver and then cut out the tree and star using the coordinating framelits. The DSP layered on Night of Navy is Season of Cheer from the Holiday mini catalog. A few strategically placed panels, some rounded corners, and a little sponging on the edges, and voila'! 

I had so much fun with the outside that I went on to make the inside festive as well. The three snowflakes are from the holiday Stamp of Approval collection.

I'm not sure whether I made the above card or the below one first, but I think they're equally eye-pleasing for different reasons.

I used two dies to cut out the tree on this second card: the outside frame and then a framelit that cuts cute little branches into the center of the tree. I forgot to be sure they were lifted up before I took the picture, but the effect is pretty cool.

Here's the inside of the card:

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I made a total of about eight cards this year, significantly less than I usually do, because I was struggling with carpel tunnel and pinched ulnar (elbow) nerves on both arms. At the time of this post, I've already had surgery on my left side and it is making a drastic improvement, and I await surgery on the right side with hopes that it will be equally successful. I'm told that the nerves in my hands and arms may take up to a year to regenerate, so I'm expecting to get a lot more done in 2016 with a lot less pain.

Up next: A small 3D project I made as a gift for a friend. I hope you'll be back to join me!

Warmest wishes to you for New Year! May it bring you much love, happiness, and creativity!

Smiles,
Joyce Spear, a.k.a. StamperJoyce