Merry July 25th, my friends! My idea of making Christmas cards with Marcia for our July gathering was a good one. I may have had ulterior motives as my quest to get help with all the fiddly sets by Tim Holtz I recently bought from Sizzix's sale ... they are cute, but OY are they time consuming. But who am I kidding... Marcia and I never let anything get in the way of our fun!
We spent lots of time cutting out the pieces with white card stock intending on adding color where needed on our own time. With this Santa it wasn't quite as easy as it sounds! My first card features that process...
Then on my own time I cut another using colored cardstock...
there really isn't much difference, right? Don't you love that embossing
in the background? Marcia brought her latest from the SB embossing folder Club.
AND a darling Merry Christmas die set from Waffle Flower.
The letters for my HO HO HO come with this Sizzix set aptly called
Santa Greetings. Merry Christmas is from an old MFT stamp set
and the snowy hill is one of the very first dies I bought from SSS.
My next card uses Sizzix Delightful Deer - they were cut from kraft and white
and some additional shading was ink-dauber-ed on... aren't they so
elegant? Some snow and stars in the sky and a 'leftover' from cutting
a die made a wonderful frame and place to tack the leaves and acorns.
I left it sentiment-free as I think it would make a wonderful
masculine birthday card, too!
I'm sending this one over to our friends at BYSH Cardmakers Christmas in July!
If you follow my friend Marcia, you will have already been treated to her
magical Snowmen cards this week! She brought that stencil with her
to share and I couldn't help but start with PINK!
The trouble with finishing our cards while on our own is we have to
improvise on occasion ... like these postage fees and backgrounds - all
from WF's original postage collage set! It all worked out beautifully!
Marcia was the lucky winner of one of Waffle Flowers' Sneak Peek Kits!
This sweet, stenciled/die cut Christmas tree was in there!
I decorated mine with sparkly red glitter stars [MFT] on twine and placed it in
front of my Mama Elephant window frame with a pretty SSS starry night outside, and a Betterpress-ed sentiment!
Then there was FOOD! I made my yummy Shanghai Eggrolls and Marcia brought a marvelous blueberry-topped cheesecake - and an extra for Tom who asked if she had another piece thinking it was well worth the hour to drive down for it! LOL
I have many more of those Sizzix sets and cards made from them to share soon - until then, I'm dashing over to Marcia's post to see how her coloring/piecing session went with only PHOTOS of the sets to follow! Sorry my friend - I promise not to do that again!
=] Michele
Wow! My hat is tipped to you for getting all those pieces cut, colored and put together, Michele! I KNOW you had fun and I loved being able to join you for a quick visit. Santa is amazing with the twine holding the sentiment. The second Santa is delivering a hug that's always welcome at Christmas and beyond. Love those deer and they are perfect for a masculine card! I'm still fighting the urge to buy into those postage stamps but you are both making it so hard! These snowmen are fantastic fun!
ReplyDeleteWell you know I love your Santa's as I had a sneak peak first, and I still LOVE them just as much today...fiddly but absolutely worth it! I love how you did your deer card too, and yes, it would be perfect for a masculine card!! Your snowmen card with the "options" you added are ADORABLE and I just might have to CASE them...too CUTE!! You also made that WF tree SHINE Michele and I'm loving everything about that one! I'd say everything about our Christmas in July was a success...from the card making, the yummy lunch, and the laughter and hugs...a perfect Christmas! Hugs. :0)
ReplyDeleteWonderful cards, Michele! I love that awesome Santa too.... but he is a challenge with so many pieces! Worth the efforts though! Love the embossed background you used!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful card with the deer, and the snowmen are so fun! I have that stencil set on my radar and have actually been waiting for it to be back in stock. Got notification that it is, so I better finalize my order soon before it disappears again!
Wow you had a productive day! LOVE the Santas, but I can see they would drive me crazy, piecing all those wee little bits together! But they are impressive, as is your deer! And of course, all the little snowmen are just the sweetest! I love the pink background!
ReplyDeleteOh WOW, I think you and Marcia had a very productive Christmas in July stamp day. All your cards are fantastic with those cute Santa cards and adorable snowmen postage collage cards. My favorite is that lovely deer card with the great background. I think I need to get busy on my own Christmas cards. Thanks for the inspiration. I am off to check out Marcia's fabulous cards also.
ReplyDeleteoh my, you have been busy. What an amazing set of cards. Some of those sizzix die sets are the devil for tiny pieces. Respect to you for sticking with them. The results are worth it xx
ReplyDeleteWow, what gorgeous fruits of your and Marcia's crafty Christmas time! That Santa does look daunting but he's adorable all put together. I do love those deer the most. And your Christmas tree is so festive for a wintry night. Sounds like a great day of fun and friendship!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous card, Michelle! I absolutely love the scene you created with the deer! Thanks for joining us over at the Christmas in July 2024 {BYSHC} Linky Party!
ReplyDeleteYou know I always get jealous when you get together and create without me lol. WOW, these all make my heart happy Michele, and yes to the 'fiddly' I hear you , but the results are so worth it!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely collection, though cutting and piecing all those bits might make me nuts! As with Marcia's collection yours are beautifully festive and fun. Love them all.
ReplyDeleteEvery one of these cards are your usual level of fabulous creativity, Michele! I know what you mean about the Santa dies and all of the pieces - I have a similar nutcracker one. Lots of pieces, but so worth fiddling around with it! So glad to see you back in this year's BYSHC Christmas in July Linky Party Gallery!!
ReplyDeleteLoving your fun cards and memories of fun of not too long ago! Your Christmas cards are fun and we all know you had a marvelous time. Now.... onto that eggroll recipe?
ReplyDeleteYou are certainly building up your Christmas card stash! I have that Sizzix Santa and after looking at the packaging and Tim's video, I was terrified of all those pieces! But look at you and Marcia having so much Sizzix fun! Love those deer, tree, and your darling postage cards! Just so inspiring!
ReplyDeleteFabulous cards, each and every one. I'm so glad you get some play time with a crafty friend and then you get these results. Whenver I try to "play" with a friend, I talk wayyyyy more than create. LOL I hear you on the fiddlys but man oh man, is the effort worth it. Love the stripes on the pink snowman card. Your lunch sounds super yummy, too. What a great day you had!
ReplyDeleteOh I can't even stand the awesomeness in this wonderful array of cards, not to mention that I so wish I was part of this play date. This is for the company, the crafting and the FOOD! I visited Marcia yesterday and already wanted all of these supplies, now - yikes! And that snowlfake embossing folder AND those deer... adn and. Love the twine, especially of Santa holding up his Merry Christmas sign! Oh my... it's all just fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI love that embossed background! It all looks so crisp! Thanks for playing along with the Christmas in July Linky Party!
ReplyDeleteThey are tedious! lol But yep, so worth it. Love all these wonderful, festive & fun cards.
ReplyDeleteLove all these cards! All super beautiful. Thanks for joining us at BYSHC Christmas in July Linky Party!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to get motivated to make Christmas cards. That Santa is so cute and looks good with either colored cardstock or coloring the white. I love the unexpected colors with the snowmen collage and those deer are so elegant. Great job all around, Michele!
ReplyDeleteIt was worth all of the time you put into those fiddly little pieces, he's such a jolly fella! The deer are just as pretty as they can be and I love the way you've used them. Sweet little snowmen and a festive tree. These are all oodles of fun, Michele
ReplyDeleteYour dayys with Marcia are so productive! And you have lots of patience to fiddle around but the results arw worth it! Delightful cards!
ReplyDelete