Christmas in July LNS Challenge

This week's LNS challenge is to make any type of Christmas project.  For my first project, I embossed the lodge from the set, Christmas Lodge, on to a piece of Very Vanilla using Vanilla EP, a VersaMark IP and a heat gun.  I then used a sponge and rubbed Cherry Cobbler ink over the embossed image.  I wanted to use a shape other than a square for the main focal point, and decided to cut out the lodge image using one of the framelits from the Labels Collection Framelits.  I used the same framelit to cut out a piece of Cherry Cobbler c/s, and cut off the ends and layered them behind the image.  I used the new awesome SU! Paper-Piercing Pack to paper pierce just the ends.

The background image on the large piece of Very Vanilla c/s was made using the Northern Flurry Folder and I used the new Fancy Fan EF on the Cherry Cobbler strips.  Did you know that the 1" square punch is perfect to use to make the indentations on 1" strips, and the same goes for using the 1-1/4" square punch on the same size strips?  Here's the list of what I used:

Stamps: Christmas Lodge
Inks: Cherry Cobbler, VersaMark
Papers: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Big Shot, Northern Flurry EF, Fancy Fold EF, Labels Collection Framelit, 1-1/4" Square Punch, Paper-Piercing Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, Vintage Faceted Designer Button, Gumball Green Satin Ribbon, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Vanilla EP, Heat Gun, Sponge, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Scissors, Stampin' Pierce Mat

Non-Traditional Fold Card:

I choose to do a Stair Step Fold Card and you can find the tutorial HERE on SCS.  I think this would make such a fun stamp camp project and there are so many ways you can "dress up" the folds.  For the first front fold I embossed it using the new Delicate Designs Folders, and then added a Gumball Green bow and Merry Christmas saying.  For the second fold I punched a strip of Very Vanilla c/s using the Lace Ribbon Border Punch, and then layered a piece of Gumball Green Satin Ribbon over the middle.  For the back fold I embossed a scrap piece of Very Vanilla c/s using the Delicate Designs Folder and then cut it out.  I added some Cherry Cobbler brads to add some contrast.  For the focal point of the card, I started by cutting out circle using Cherry Cobbler c/s and the 3-1/2" Circle Die.  I layered on 3" Very Vanilla circle.  I stamped 2 ornaments - one in Cherry Cobbler and the other in Gumball Green.  They were punched out using the ornament punch and the leaves that they are "hooked" on were made using the Bird Builder Punch.  Here's the rest of the details:

Front view of the card

Side views

Stamps: Delightful Decorations

Inks: Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler

Papers: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green

Accessories:  Big Shot, Delicate Designs Folders, 3-1/2" Circle Die, 3" Circle Die,  Lace Ribbon Border Punch, Ornament Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Bird Builder Punch, Cherry Cobbler Brads, Very Vanilla Brad, Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, White Baker's Twine, Dimensionals, Scissors

Holiday Focus - Masculine Christmas Card

Manly Christmas cards are hard to come by, and this is a great challenge that will offer up some great ideas!  For my card I used the trusty Lovely as Tree set, and like how this card turned out.  I embossed the tree onto a piece of First Edition Specialty DSP using Vanilla embossing powder, and the rubbed some Gumball Green and Cherry Cobbler ink around the image.  I took a scrap piece of Very Vanilla c/s and ran it through my Big Shot using the Square Lattice EF, and then folded it and tore the edges.  It's hard to see, but when I was finished I spritzed on some Vanilla Shimmer Smooch and love how it really gives the card a nice shimmer!

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree

Inks: Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler

Papers: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green, First Edition Specialty DSP

Accessories:  Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, Houndstooth EF, Vanilla EP, Heat Gun, Cherry Cobbler Button and Baker's Twine, Very Vanilla Brads, Paper Distressing Tool, Vanilla Shimmer Smooch, Sticky Strip Tape, Dimensionals, Scissors, Sponge

Embedded Embossing Technique

This week's LNS technique is to make a project using the embedded embossing technique.  This is a very simple and fun technique - you stamp your image of choice on cardstock, and then emboss it using an embossing folder.  Simple and fun!

I started by stamping the different leaves from the set, French Foliage, using Midnight Muse, Gumball Green and Soft Suede on a 5-1/4" x 4" piece of Whisper White c/s.  Next I ran that piece through the Big Shot using the Houndstooth EF.  Added some neutral brads, a button, Midnight Muse Ribbon (which I love), and a sentiment!

Stamps: French Foliage, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Inks: Midnight Muse, Gumball Green, Soft Suede
Papers: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Midnight Muse
Accessories: Big Shot, Houndstooth EF, Midnight Muse Satin Ribbon, Word Window Punch, Natural Designer Button, Neutral Brad, Early Espresso Baker's Twine, Paper Piercing Tool, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Scissors

Layers and more layers......

This week's LNS challenge is..........you guessed it - layers!  I think that adding dimension to your project, whether it's by adding a button, a butterfly, flower, etc., adds so much to a project and takes stamping to another level of creativity!  Using our embossing folders also adds an added "wow" dimension as well.

The following is what I came up with.  I almost didn't get it done yesterday as my husband, Richard, threw out his back and I ended up taking him to the ER.  We are still waiting for the pain meds to kick in and he can hardly move.  Makes me thankful that I can walk after seeing how much pain he is in just walking from one room to the next.

Not back to my card, for my base I layered Whisper White, Midnight Muse and then Whisper White.  I ran the top layer through my BS and used the new Fancy Fan EF.  I colored in the flower image from the set, Serene Silhouettes using Midnight Muse and Gumball Green markers.  The image was then cut out using the BS and the Label Collections Framelits.  I added some butterflies and rhinestones for added bling.

Thank for stopping by; have a great day - I am off to pick up another RX for the hubbie.......

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Inks: Midnight Muse, Gumball Green
Papers:  Whisper White, Midnight Muse
Accessories: Big Shot, Fancy Fan EF, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Label Collections Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Mini-Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Scissors

Recycle - LNS Challenge

This week's LNS challenge was to use a recycled item in our project, and I used a pistachio jar for mine.  I almost didn't get this challenge done as this was a very, very hard and difficult week for my son's football team.  One of his teammates died in a car accident this past weekend, and I just didn't have the time or energy to stamp.  So I went for an easy project - I used sticky strip tape to secure the c/s strip to the jar, and then layered different image that I had stamped using the set, Betsy's Blossom.  Here's the rest of the details:

The empty jar with the twine inside; as you can see,

I wrap my twine around empty spools

Stamps: Betsy's Blossoms

Inks: Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Gumball Green

Papers: Whisper White, Summer Smooches DSP

Accessories: Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon, Scissors, Dimensionals, Baker's Twine, Plastic Jar, Sticky Strip Tape

One last add on.....I used the little itty bitty hangers from the packaging of a shower curtain and liner to hold my Stampin' Up! fabric: