Night in Bethlehem Decorations

It’s time to get your Christmas decorating done, and this tutorial has three Christmas decorations that would make a good addition to your collection. They would make great handmade gifts, too. There’s a Bethlehem lighted scene, a Christmas tree ornament, and a Christmas luminary. The projects would also make a great Christmas Décor class.

This beautiful project was designed by Christy for Craft Project Central. To get the instructions, simply subscribe to November, or select one of the 3-, 6-, or 12-month packages that include November.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a wonderful day!

Let it Snow!

I’m a huge fan of the “eclipse cards.” Whoever came up with this idea should be entered in the Stampers Hall of Fame!

Here’s my latest eclipse creations.

This reminds me of my favorite Christmas movie, White Christmas.  You know, the scene in the train where they sing the Snow song? I love everything about that movie! And, of course, I love snow. I don’t love to drive in snow, but I love the quietness when it’s falling, and I love walking in it, and sledding, and Cross County Skiing (not downhill, because I have more control with Cross Country) and just the magic of snow and winter and making snow angels. Two days after the snowfall, I’m ready for it to go away – and it usually does. Because in Virginia, after two days, it turns into ugly slush and muck and gross stuff. Virginia is a funny state. We’re not really Southern, but we’re absolutely not Northern either.

This is a “white on white” card. I stamped the greenery from Father Christmas in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, then colored with Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Blends (seriously, if you haven’t ordered these yet, you’re missing out on a fabulous opportunity!). Then I embossed the panel with the Softly Falling Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, then die-cut the S N O W using the Large Letters Framelits.

I sponged some Soft Sky Classic Stampin’ ink on the stamped panel, then adhered it to a Night of Navy layer (slightly smaller than the 4″ x 5-1/4″ Whisper White stamped panel). I added the S N O W letters back in with two layers of Stampin’ Dimensionals. Remember to keep the center of the O flat, though (no Stampin’ Dimensionals), and then adhere it to a Thick Whisper White Cardstock card base. I added a 1/2 Silver Foil Snowflake under the S N O W.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Here’s hoping your winter days are filled with all the magic of the season!

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Oh, What Fun!

Here’s my swap for the 2017 OnStage Live event in Salt Lake City.

I still have a lot of coloring to do, and I have to assemble the cards. But I have a long flight to Salt Lake City, so I’m hoping there’s no turbulence and I can get this done!

This uses one of my favorite stamp sets from the 2017 Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog – Christmas in the Making. I stamped the image in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, then colored it with Stampin’ Blends Markers.

I wanted a fun sentiment, so I stamped the oh, what fun from the Oh, What Fun Stamp Set in Real Red Classic ink. A strip of Christmas Around the World Designer Series Paper completed the card.

If you haven’t ordered the Stampin’ Blends yet, be sure to add them to your next order!

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a wonderful day!

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Holiday Gift Giving Ensemble

Christmas is just around the corner and soon you will be thinking about packaging and about how you can add a nice touch to your gifts… well, here are some ideas to dress up your gift giving! You can pick from a small gift bag, a gift card envelope, or some fancy holiday tags! How about making all of the above along with a greeting card, and a cute box for those sweet tags?  This gift set is the perfect holiday present!

This beautiful ensemble was designed by Monika for Craft Project Central for November. To get the instructions for Monika’s project, simply subscribe to November, or select a 3-, 6-, or 12-month package that includes November.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a wonderful day!

Peace on Earth

I love Thanksgiving, because it gives us a chance to reflect on our lives and realize how very much we have to be thankful for. And, of course, we spend time with family – even if it’s just Mike and me.

The day after Thanksgiving, though, starts the Chrsitmas season – at least in my mind. There’s a house we pass every time we go to the office that is so decked out for Christmas. The owners started decorating more than a week before Thanksgiving. While I don’t like to rush the holidays, this house makes me smile. It’s so overdone, it’s magical. I love to pass it after dark when Amelia is in the car; her delight is infectious.

I decided to create a Christmas card with non-traditional colors.

All the different snowflakes on Basic Black, Basic Gray, and Pool Party carry the message of peace, don’t you think? I love snowfalls at night, because it’s so quiet and peaceful, and that’s what this card reminds me of. I used two designs from the Christmas around the World Designer Series Paper (DSP), and a little piece of Merry Music DSP. It’s hard to tell in the picture, but I colored the snowflakes on the Merry Music layer with a Pool Party Stampin’ Write Marker.

I stamped and silver embossed two sets of leaves and a flower from Carols of Christmas, then added them to the stamped sentiment, also from Carols of Christmas. I die-cut the sentiment and Island Indigo layers with the Layering Ovals Framelits. then added them to the card.

The hardest part about this card was deciding on which DSP to use. Once I settled on the black, gray, and Pool Party color palette, it was easy.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a wonderful day!

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Amelia’s Christmas Card

If you’ve followed my blog for more than two days, you know that besides being a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, I’m a happy wife, mom, and grandma! After growing up with two brothers and raising two sons, it’s been very interesting having a granddaughter. On days her parents are both working, she keeps me company, and we have so much fun. She is very artistic, has a wonderful imagination, and she loves to sing and dance. Most days, she wants to play “pretend.”

Today, however, I had to do some work in my craft room. I explained that I could play when I finished, and she was so cooperative (although every 10 minutes she asked, “Are you ready to play?”). She was having her own art time, though – coloring and playing with clay.

Here’s what I was working on. Yesterday, Amelia’s top was black with lots of metallic and sparkly snowflakes. I thought it would make an awesome Christmas card.

Not only did Amelia inspire this card, but she also helped with the design. I knew I wanted a black layer with metallic snowflakes. I used the Foil Snowflakes from the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog for the corners. The two small snowflakes are from the November Paper Pumpkin kit, Back to Plaid. I stamped in VersaMark, then embossed with Copper Stampin’ Emboss Powder. The Silver, Copper, and Champagne Foil snowflakes are diecuts using the Seasonal Layers Thinlits.

A little side note here. If you are new to stamping and want a great set that’s very versatile, check out the Colorful Seasons set in the 2017-18 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. There are leaves, snowflakes, flowers, and great sayings that will work for lots of occasions. You can also bundle the stamp set with the coordinating Seasonal Layers Thinlits and save 10%. And there are so many papers and embellishments that coordinate.

Back to my card…The joy sentiment is also from the Back to Plaid Paper Pumpkin Kit. If you missed this kit, don’t worry. There are lots of snowflake and sentiment options in the  Stampin’ Up! Annual and Holiday catalogs! (But, remember – the Holiday Catalog Sales Period is ending January 2. Order soon, or you may be disappointed. Seriously – you do not want to pay eBay prices for retired products!) I stamped the sentiment in Whisper White Craft Ink, then embossed with White Stampin’ Emboss Powder.

After I had my layer finished, I was in a quandry. Should I layer to Basic Black or Whisper White? I had an idea, but decided to check in with my inspiration source. I showed both options to Amelia, and she said (without hesitation), “Black.” Yep. That’s what I thought too. It looks amazing! I did add a Whisper White layer inside so I could write a greeting, but I love the black on black.

I love having my little creative genius working with me. I’ve noticed, though, that she’s getting a little too comfortable in my stamp room, and is “borrowing” things – like my ink palette, my embellishments (she thinks the self-adhesive jewels, dots, shapes, and sequins are “stickers,” and has decorated her craft table with them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found an enamel heart on one of us after brushing up against her table.), and my washi tape. I have to keep an eye on her at all times!

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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Happiness & Cheer

I had a lovely “getaway” over the weekend. I did absolutely nothing I had planned to do. In fact, I mostly did nothing. I read, watched a few tutorials, and just “hung out.” It was lovely not to have any expectations.

When we got home, my Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog preorder was here. Wooot! I was so excited. I made a few tags with the Tags & Tidings bundle which includes the Tags & Tidings Stamp Set and the Christmas Tags thinlits. Of course, you can purchase these separately, but if you bundle them, you can save 10%. This is a fun idea. You stamp all the tags at once (they’re all on one stamp), then die-cut them all at once. So easy!

I also played a bit with the Happiness & Cheer Stamp Set. I love the images in this set and it was on my wish list – but not at the very top. That is, not until Amelia saw it. “Buy that one!” she insisted, and who am I to say no?

I think she liked this set because there’s a puppy in it. When I showed Amelia the finished card, she said, “That’s me and Sofia!” Yep. That was the idea.

I stamped the image with Tuxedo Black Memento ink, then colored with Stampin’ Blends. I used a LOT of them, because there are so many new ones. There were a lot of new colors in the 2018-19 Annual Catalog, but Stampin’ Up! also added six more colors for the Holiday Catalog. Stampin’ Blends are the Stampin’ Up! Alcohol Markers, and they’re so easy to use. Anyone can look like a pro with these.

After I colored the image, I used the Ovals Framelits does to die-cut, then sponged the edge with some Pineapple Punch Classic Ink. Before adhering the stamped image to the Regals (Shaded Spruce) Designer Series Paper (DSP) I punched the corners of the DSP with the Detailed Trio Punch. It really stands out over the Real Red card base (embossed with the Pinewood Planks Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder).

For a final touch, I added one of the Tags & Tidings tags and a bow to the front. I love how the Real Red die-cut bow mimics the bow on the wreath.

Remember, this month you can earn Bonus Days Coupons for every $50 you spend. Then you can redeem them in September – just in time for the Holiday Catalog! The limited time Blended Seasons Stamp Set, Stitched Seasons Framelits, and Watercolor Pencils Assortment 2 are also available through August 31 (or while supplies last). So much “end of summer” fun!

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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Pleasant Pheasants

One of my favorite stamp sets from the Stampin’ Up! 2018 Holiday Catalog is Pleasant Pheasants. What a lovely set for fall! It’s so fun to color, and there are six new colors of Stampin’ Blends in the Holiday Catalog. All of the Stampin’ Blends, except the Ivory and Bronze, are available in light and dark versions which you can order separately or as a combo. Two of the new colors are Cajun Craze and Blackberry Bliss. Aren’t those perfect for the autumn season?

I decided to make another simple “Z-fold” card using the wheelbarrow full of pumpkins image from Pleasant Pheasants. Of course, I have a wheelbarrow story, but I’ll save it for after the card.

For a Z-fold card, simply score a 4-1/2″ x 11″ piece of cardstock at 5-1/2″ to form the card base. Then score the front at 2-3/4″ and fold it back for the “z.” Easy! I decided to make a kind of “Gatefold Z” for my design.

I stamped the image on Very Vanilla Cardstock using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. Then I colored with Stampin’ Blends. I know I used Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede, and Crumb Cake. I’m not 100% sure which greens I used for the grass, but whichever ones you use will be lovely. I love all our greens. (I’m thinking Old Olive, but maybe I added some Dark Granny Apple Green as well.) My sky is just a scribble of Light Pool Party. I just wanted to give a hint of sky. The image layer is backed with a slightly larger layer of Early Espresso Cardstock.

The card base is Mango Melody, because that may be my favorite new color. (Coastal Cabana and Poppy Parade don’t count, because they are returning colors.) It also looks really nice with the Wood Textures Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack pattern that I chose. Several Neutrals also look great with this DSP, but I wanted a card base that was a little brighter.

I added the Wood Textures DSP to the front and the inside far right. On the inside panels, I stamped and colored the leaves from the Pleasant Pheasant Stamp Set, and colored them with Stampin’ Blends in “fall-ish” colors. It gives lots of room to write a message or stamp a smaller sentiment.

You may know that I come from a farming family. My dad’s family raised cattle and grew apples and peaches. My grandparents’ home was the “base of operations,” especially in the early years before a separate office was built. They also had the main barn, and when there were chickens and pigs, they were there as well. So some of the employees were often at the house working or dropping off boxes of fruit. To my brothers and me, they were more like family than employees. They treated us like we were their own kids – or, at least, nieces and nephews.

One of my favorites was Mr. Wharton. If we were at the house in the afternoons after school and before he went home, he would grab a wheelbarrow and give us rides. He’d pretend to dump us, but he never did. It was the closest thing we had to amusement park rides back then.

Years later, I tried to push a wheelbarrow. They are very tricky little things. Balancing a load on that one tiny wheel is much more difficult than Mr. Wharton made it look. (Maybe he wasn’t pretending to dump us after all!) I’m more of a “cart” person, I think, because I need four wheels.

Don’t forget about Bonus Days in August! To help you get started earning those $5 coupons for every $50 order, consider adding the New Color Classic Stampin’ Pads to your next order. You’ll get all 16 new stamp pads. This includes the returning In Colors (Coastal Cabana, Poppy Parade, Flirty Flamingo, Blackberry Bliss, Mossy Meadow, and Mint Macaron), as well as all the gorgeous brand new colors – Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green, Highland Heather, Gorgeous Grape, Soft Sea Foam, Balmy Blue, Merry Merlot, Gray Granite, Petal Pink, and Shaded Spruce.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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Meanwhile, Back at the Farmhouse…

I tend to go overboard whenever Stampin’ Up!® offers country, farm, or apple stamps. I grew up in a rural area of the county on a farm, and our family grew apples. So, of course, I have to have as many of those themes as I can.

One of the new sets from the upcoming Stampin’ Up!® Holiday Catalog is Farmhouse Christmas. It kind of reminds me a little bit of the house I grew up in. There are lots of fun Christmas and winter stamps as well as a set of coordinating Farmhouse Framelits Dies. (And, yes, you can bundle them to save 10%.)

I wanted to play with an idea for a swap, so I pulled out the new stamps and dies.

I know. Pretty plain and simple, right? I stamped the tree in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, then colored it with the light Soft Suede Stampin’ Blend.

I used the Beautiful Blizzard Stamp Set to stamp the background snowflakes using Frost White Shimmer Paint. I was so excited to see this in the Holiday Catalog! I love using shimmer paints for a hint of sparkle. You can add it to a palette or a stamp pad made from felt. But if I’m only stamping a few times, I don’t want to waste any of my paint. I shake the bottle (make sure the lid is on tightly!), then use a Sponge Dauber to pick up ink from the lid and apply to the stamp.

The Beautiful Blizzard Stamp Set has a coordinating Blizzard Thinlits Die. You can die-cut an entire sheet of snowflakes with just one pass through the Big Shot. I used Sparkle Glimmer Paper for the snowflake.

Here’s the inside.

It’s another shadowbox card. These are so easy to make and so fun, because they fold flat to mail. I stamped the farmhouse in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, then die-cut and colored with Stampin’ Blends. I stamped and die-cut another tree and more snowflakes (in Smoky Slate this time). Then I added a few more die-cut sparkle snowflakes to the inside of the card. I bundled the Beautiful Blizzard Stamp Set and Blizzard Thinlits, again saving 10%.

The final bundle I used from the Holiday catalog is the Tags & Tidings Bundle. First, the Tags & Tidings Stamp stamps 16 images at one time. Then the Christmas Tags Thinlits Die die-cuts all 16 – again all at one time. So cool! It really speeds up the process. I used the Merry Christmas to You and Yours tag on my card using two silver Metallic Brads.

To create the shadowbox card, you’ll need one sheet of cardstock. I used Balmy Blue for my card. Cut the cardstock into two 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ pieces. Score one piece at 4-1/4″ to create a 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ card – just like we usually do. This will be your card base.

Cut 1/2″ off one edge (so one half of the card base will be 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ and the other will be 3-3/4″ x 5-1/2″). The short side will be the inside back of your card (on mine, it’s the part where I stamped snowflakes and added the three Sparkle snowflakes; the front has the fence and tree).

Score the second piece of cardstock at 1/2″, 4-1/4″, and 4/3-4″. Cut a very small sliver off the side opposite the 1/2″ flap. This will make it easier to put together when you’re on the final step.

On the 3-3/4″ x 5-1/2″ section (right beside the 1/2″ edge, die-cut or punch a window. This will pop up to show your card design when you open the card.

Decorate the inside back of the card (the piece that has one score and 1/2″ cut from the edge). You can also use Designer Series Paper to speed up the process! Add die-cuts and decorate the front of the card.

Use Tear & Tape Adhesive to cover the 1/2″ edge of the cardstock insert. Place that edge right in the fold of the card base, remove the adhesive backing, and close the card over the adhesive.

Fold on all scorelines and wrap the insert around to adhere to the back of the card. Be sure to keep the 1/2″ panel adhesive free or your card won’t pop up.

If you have questions, please let me know and I’ll try to be more clear! (I’m writing this as I play farmer’s wife who has to wake up the entire farmhouse at rooster’s crow, so I’m a little distracted! At least our game fits in with the blog, right?)

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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Farmhouse Christmas Sketch

Welcome to another Stamp-Off Friday with my friends Jackie and Susan and me. This week, we have a really fun sketch challenge.

I knew what I wanted to do with this sketch as soon as I saw it!

The Stampin’ Up!® Farmhouse Christmas Stamp Set and Farmhouse Framelits (bundled, of course, to save 10%) were perfect for this sketch. These are in the new 2018 Stampin’ Up!® Holiday Catalog. I love the farmhouse in this set. It can be used so many ways! Mostly, it will be used for thank you cards for Mike’s clients. And the framelits set has coordinating dies, as well as an adorable fence die and banners.

For my card, I created the snow slope by tearing Whisper White Cardstock at an angle. Then I backed it with a small piece of Sparkle Glimmer Paper.

I wanted to color the truck with Watercolor Pencils, so on Watercolor Paper, I stamped the truck in Jet Black StazOn. I sometimes have trouble getting a good image with Stazon and Watercolor Paper, but with the Stamparatus, I had a perfect outline.I used Balmy Blue, Night of Navy, Granny Apple Green, Garden Green, Basic Black, Crumb Cake, and Basic Gray to color, then blended with an Aqua Painter. As you can tell, I used a few pencils that are “retired.” I hope you took advantage of the Color Your Season promotion in August. The Watercolor Pencil Assortment 2 is amazing.

I stamped the trees on Soft Suede Cardstock using Early Espresso ink. I’m so happy the Shimmer Paint is back in the Holiday Catalog! I shook the Frost White bottle, then used a Sponge Dauber to pick up the paint from the lid and sponged on the snowflake splatter image in the Beautiful Blizzard Stamp Set (also in the Holiday Catalog). It gave just a hint of snow in the sky and a bit of sparkle on the fallen snow.

A note of caution: If you’re using the Shimmer Paint in a class, be sure the lid is closed before you shake it. Years ago, I was using Silver Shimmer Paint for a class, and the bottle got passed without the lid being tightened. The next guest shook it, the lid flew off, and Shimmer Paint went everywhere. It was an honest mistake, but a good lesson for me to pay more attention. Fortunately, most of the paint ended up on the table or floor, and it was easily cleaned up. No garments were harmed in the creating of the cards that day.

The final touches on my card are the snowflakes and sentiment. The Blizzard Thinlits Die that coordinates with the Beautiful Blizzard Stamp Set cuts a whole page of snowflakes of different sizes. (And, yes, of course, you can bundle them and save 10%.) I had cut some out of Sparkle Shimmer Paper when I first got the die and saved them for future projects. I had just enough left for this card. The sentiment (from Farmhouse Christmas) is stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento. And, of course, the beautiful Balmy Blue Cardstock seemed the perfect color for the card base.

Please check out Jackie’s and Susan’s blogs to see how they interpreted the sketch. It’s always the first thing I do on Stamp-Off Friday mornings, and I’m always delighted to see what they’ve done.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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The Card that Never Ends

When I was young, Shari Lewis and her puppet Lamb Chop were popular on TV. Imagine my surprise when she was back on TV with Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy, and Charlie Horse 30 years later when the boys were little. The closing song was The Song that Never Ends, and I always think of that when I talk about this card. You can hear the song here, but be warned: once it’s in your head, you can’t “unsing” it.

I saw a Never Ending Card at a Stampin’ Up!® Convention about 14 or 15 years ago (so it’s been around almost as long as the song). It seems to have made a comeback, so I decided on that technique/fold/style for our Stampin’ Up!® Demonstrator Team Meeting this month.

Here’s the front of my Never Ending Card.

When you open from the center, you get this.

Open from the center again, and you see this.

Then open the “doors” in the center for the final side.

If you open the center flaps one more time, you’ll be back at the beginning. How fun is that?

This card looks difficult, but it’s really simple. Deciding on the Designer Series Paper (DSP), stamps, and dies takes the longest. It helps if you purchase products from a suite from a Stampin’ Up!® catalog, because everything will coordinate. I didn’t think that far ahead when I was ordering my holiday supplies, I I had to mix and match. I used the Farmhouse Christmas and the Beautiful Blizzard Bundle (Beautiful Blizzard Stamp Set and Blizzard Thinlits Die) with the beautiful All Is Bright DSP. The ink colors are mostly Call Me Clover and Real Red, but there’s a little Smoky Slate (on the second side – with the snowflakes) and Crumb Cake (stamped off) for the front tree. Other images are stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento and colored with Stampin’ Blends.

I only used a few Sparkle Glimmer Paper snowflakes for my card. It was already pretty full from all the paper layers.

There’s a wonderful tutorial on splitcoaststampers.com (scs) for this card. There are printed instructions as well as a video. I changed the measurements a bit. The finished card on scs is 6″ x 6″, and I didn’t want one that large. I’ll post my instructions with measurements in the Pages section of my blog (under the header). I’ll post the link in my next post, and I’ll edit this one with the link as well. (Edited: You can see my instructions here.)

Give one of these cards a try. They are a lot of fun to create and for the recipient!

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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Plastic Wrap Christmas

I’ve been revisiting several old stamping techniques – first the Never Ending Card and now the Plastic Wrap Technique. This one is really fun – and super easy. (By the way – here’s the link to the instructions for my 5″ x 5″ Never Ending Card.)

Here’s my plastic wrap card.

Doesn’t that look like ice on your windshield in the winter morning? I love the Plastic Wrap Technique. Most importantly, you don’t need to buy anything special. I mean, we all have plastic wrap in our kitchens, right?

To make the background on this card, simple tear about a 3-4″ piece of plastic wrap from your container, then scrunch it up. Pounce it over the stamp pad, then pounce it on your cardstock. That’s it. So easy!

I used Balmy Blue Classic Ink first, then Night of Navy. I wanted a little frost, so I pounced again using Smoky Slate. Then I had a grand idea – use the Frost White Shimmer Paint from the Stampin’ Up!® Holiday Catalog. I dipped a little of the plastic wrap into the lid of the shimmer paint then pounced over the card. So gorgeous! You can’t see it in the photo, but there’s a lot of shimmer.

After the Shimmer Paint dried, I die-cut Merry from Night of Navy Cardstock using the Merry Christmas Thinlits Dies. Then I stamped Christmas on Whisper White Cardsotck in Night of Navy Ink using the Merry Christmas stamp in the Timeless Tidings Stamp Set from the Holiday Catalog. I used cellophane tape to cover merry on the stamp. Then I inked the stamp, removed the tape, and stamped onto the cardstock.

I used the larger label die from the Merry Christmas Thinlits Dies to die-cut the sentiment, then added it to the card with Stampin’ Dimensionals. The Merry die-cut was added with rolled up Mini Glue Dots. These gave a little dimension but still stayed hidden under the die-cut.

After I finished pouncing and stamping, I adhered the Whisper White layer to a Night of Navy card base. Inside is another Whisper White layer with a few Beautiful Blizzard snowflakes and a sentiment in Night of Navy. I love those blues for Christmas, don’t you?

If you have a minute, please send some prayers and/or positive thoughts out for my dog Max. I think he may have ruptured a blood vessel in his eye. He’s so pitiful right now. He’s on five different medications (which he hates, but he’s getting better at taking them) and has to wear a cone. He finally figured out how to sleep with it, though, so that’s good! It’s so hard when your pets are sick, because you can’t explain what’s happening.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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Stamp Off Vellum Challenge

Welcome back to another BS & J Stamp Off! This week, we’re using vellum.

I love vellum, because there are so many things you can do with it. The challenge for me was to choose which technique I wanted to use. It’s gorgeous when you run it through the Big Shot with an embossing folder. It’s also a great layer to use over a busy background with a sentiment or simple image. I decided to go with “Stained Glass,” because I wanted to use the new Cambridge Carols Stamp Set from the Stampin’ Up!® Holiday Catalog.

Don’t you love that scene? I stamped on Vellum with VersaMark, then embossed with Black Stampin’ Emboss Powder. I used Stampin’ Blends to color the image. Typically with the Stained Glass Technique, you use markers on the back of the image, so this isn’t technically stained glass. It’s more “stamping and coloring on vellum,” I guess, because I colored on the front.

I used a lot of Smoky Slate for the bridge and church roof. Sadly, the powder on the cross on the steeple got knocked off before I heated, so it’s not as obviously a church.

Because I wanted a little color for the snow, I did color that on the back with a Light Crumb Cake blend. The bridge bricks are Cajun Craze, and the trees behind the church…well, those trees gave me a fit. First I colored them with a Shaded Spruce Blend, but why would they be green in the middle of the winter? They don’t look like evergreens. I added a touch of Crumb Cake over the Spruce. And then I thought, well, maybe it’s kind of a mountain. So I covered the Crumb Cake with a little Highland Heather. I may very well have used something else too. I just kept adding color until I was happy with the results.

For a little fun touch, I used the Fine-Tip Glue Pen to paint some glue over the ice and a little on the snow. (Fun fact: The fine-tip glue pen glue is – as far as I can tell – just like our retired Crystal Effects, just in a different bottle with a fine-tip. So you can use it to add a glassy look as well as for ice or water.)

The sentiment is embossed with Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder. I cut the Whisper White Cardstock layer a little smaller than the vellum so I could wrap the vellum over the cardstock and adhere to the back.

I used the Seaside Textured Impressions Embossing Folder to emboss the front of the Basic Gray card front.

Now – please check out Jackie’s and Susan’s blogs. I can’t wait to see what they’ve done with vellum. Every week, I have an idea about what each will do, and I’m usually wrong. They go totally “out of the box” and out of their comfort zones each time.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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Christmas Kits to the Rescue

I don’t know about you, but I’m already playing “catch up” for the holidays – and they haven’t even started! I have a few Christmas cards made, thanks to having samples from my Stampin’ Up!® product classes. But I only have one stocking stuffer for each person and one or two gifts ready to go. I have nothing baked, no plans for food other than the basic “Christmas fare,” and no turkey in the freezer.

Fortunately, Stampin’ Up!® has my back! I shared the Shannon’s video from Stampin’ Up!® showing the Timeless Tidings Project Kit right before it became unavailable. It was much more popular than anyone imagined, and the number of backordered kits was so large, we had to take it out of the online store until we could catch up.

Good news! We caught up! If your kit was backordered, you should be seeing it soon. If you didn’t get a chance to order, it’s back in stock, so place your order today! Look at these beautiful cards.

Aren’t they gorgeous? I can’t wait for my kit to arrive. I also ordered the stamps, and, of course, I have the ink and adhesive as well. Order the kit, then we’ll plan a date to work on the kits together! (If you don’t live locally, feel free to visit the Shenandoah Valley! We can plan a girls’ weekend in the mountains and make all the cards and more!)

Another kit in the Stampin’ Up!® Holiday Catalog is the Sincerely Santa Project Kit. This kit includes everything you need to make six each of five tag designs for a total of 30 tags. And there’s an adorable 4″ x 4″ x 4-3/4″ box to keep them in. Or, you can make all the tags, use them on gifts, and give the tin away with some cookies or mini muffins or other goodies in it. Of course, you can also make the tags, put them in the box, and give the box of tags as a gift. However you use it, these tags will make everyone on your Christmas list feel special. I’m all for supporting local schools and groups who sell those “stick-on” tags before the holidays. I still have some from years and years and years ago. But a handmade tag is so much more personal and fun, especially these! Take a look.

So cute! And so many bells and ribbons (and doilies and twine and die-cut elements).

Watch the project kit videos with Brandi and Shannon to see how quickly and easily you can create these tags and cards.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy! Hope you have a lovely and stress-free day!

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Happy Fall

I think we skipped fall here in Virginia and went straight to winter. Maybe it just seems that way because we were in Florida for a little over a week. It was very hard to leave to come home Sunday morning; the weather was beautiful. It’s been chilly and wet here. It rained Monday. Tuesday wasn’t too bad. Today was chilly. Tomorrow – nothing has happened yet, but area schools are already closed because of the thread from Winter Storm Avery. (Maybe we are in the South after all.)

Avery is supposed to drop a few inches of snow and some ice here tomorrow. The snow isn’t bad, but ice scares us! It’s too unpredictable.

So in my attempt to bring back fall for a few more weeks, here’s a card using the Pleasant Pheasants Stamp Set from the Holiday Catalog (without pheasants).

This is a simple card for more avid crafters, and it’s really not difficult for casual or beginner stampers if it’s made in a class with everything cut and ready to go.

The Background

To create the background, cut a square of Watercolor Paper the size you need. I have no idea what size this is. I found a scrap and used that. Then I die-cut it with Stitched Shapes Framelits and Layering Square Framelits.

Use an Aqua Painter to thoroughly wet the paper. Then, pick up ink from Classic Stampin’ Pads with the Aqua Painter and create a wash over the paper. I used (top down) Crumb Cake, Mango Melody, and Tranquil Tide. I know they don’t look like those colors, but I used a lot of water.

We learned a bokeh technique at OnStage from our CEO Sara Douglas. Flick some water from the Aqua Painter onto the colored square, then use a paper towel to pick it up. It leaves lovely dots on the background piece.

The Image

After the background is totally dry, stamp the wheelbarrow image using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. You can leave it just like that and it will look lovely. I chose to color the image with some Stampin’ Blends. I used Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, and Old Olive for my card. The I added a little frost to the pumpkins (because it’s cold and icy here) with a Clear Wink of Stella Pen.

Finishing it up

I left the Crumb Cake card base plain, except for the row of leaves at the bottom. Adhere a layer of Wood Textures Designer Series Paper (DSP) to the middle of the card, then lay the Pumpkin Pie scalloped layer over it as a guide for stamping the leaves (don’t adhere yet). Stamp the leaves two times in Tranquil Tide, leaving a gap where the bottom of the square (or diamond, actually) will be.

Adhere the stamped layer to the scalloped Pumpkin Pie square/diamond, then adhere to the card over the DSP with Stampin’ Dimensionals. Add a little Grapefruit Grove 1/8″ Grosgrain Ribbon beneath the DSP and under the square layers. Of course, you can use any ribbon you’d like; Grapefruit Grove is what I had at hand.

Stamp the bucket of pumpkins from Pleasant Pheasants inside the card, and you’re finished!

This would be a fun card for a class (and my stampers may see it in the next class). If you have everything (including the squares) cut, it will be easy, especially if you use the Stamparatus.

Check Back Tomorrow

Check in tomorrow for a Friday Stamp Off with Susan, Jackie, and me. (Hint: It will be another fall/Thanksgiving card!) I’m excited about mine, because I used Big Shot Embossing Mats and a stamp that had never seen ink. Of the two (today’s and tomorrow’s), tomorrow’s was Mike’s favorite. So if you liked today’s card, you really want to see the challenge card!

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy! Have a lovely day.

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Silver Snowfall

Besides having a challenge to work on for the next month, we have a Make & Take at our local Stampin’ Up!® Demonstrator meetings. Rose was the Make & Take hostess this month, and she went over the top.

Rose is one of my newer team members, and she’s awesome. She just promoted to Silver last month, and is doing so well as a demonstrator. She explains everything very clearly when she’s presenting a project, and you just can’t mess up. The card she brought for us to make is so gorgeous. I love her Merry Merlot/Silver/Whisper White combination. Take a look.

Isn’t that just stunning? It’s so simple and elegant, but packs a huge “WOW” punch. You simply layer Silver Foil to a Merry Merlot card base, then add two snowflakes from the Snowfall Thinlits to the front of the card.

To complete the front of the card, tie a bow using the Merry Merlot & Copper 5/8″ Reversible Ribbon (from the Holiday Catalog) and attach it over the snowflakes with a Glue Dot. Easy. But wait, there’s more.

Look at the inside.

The greeting is stamped in Merry Merlot using the Merry Christmas to All Stamp Set from the Holiday Catalog. Add a few more snowflakes and you’re finished!

I think this is my favorite Christmas card this year. I like it so much, I may send it to myself! I’m not sure it qualifies for the #simplestamping designation, because it uses a few more products than a beginner crafter would have (Foil Sheets, Ribbon, Big Shot, and dies). But if you’re teaching a beginner class, this is perfect, because every stamper will feel successful after making this card.

Here’s the (kind of) bad news – These thinlits are part of the Snowflake Showcase Promotion this month, and when products are gone (or November 30 at midnight, whichever comes first), they’re gone forever. Some of the products in the promotion have already sold out, so order now so you don’t miss out on these beautiful snowflakes. The ribbon from the Holiday Catalog will also probably retire at the end of the catalog period (or when supplies run out). It may carry over, but embellishments typically retire at the end of the sales period. So if you want that gorgeous ribbon – and you know you do – order it today along with the Snowflake Showcase products.

By the way – if you’re thinking about joining my demonstrator team, now is a great time to do that. During Sale-a-bration beginning in January, you will have two options as a new demonstrator. You can order $175 worth of Stampin’ Up!® products for only $99 (no shipping!), or you can order $175 worth of Stampin’ Up!® products plus the exclusive Craft & Carry Tote for just $129. (That means you’re getting a $50 bag at a discount.)

How beautiful is that bag? But you don’t have to wait until Sale-a-bration in January to get it. If you join my team now, you can preorder the bag now through January 2, and you can also preorder products from the upcoming Occasions Catalog (and pre-earn Sale-a-bration products) beginning in December. It’s a win/win – you get lots of products now ($125 in products for $99 plus tax) AND you get to order the fabulous tote and products from the 2019 Occasions Catalog early AND you get to take advantage of the amazing Sale-a-bration benefits for demonstrators AND you get to start enjoying the 20% minimum discount on your purchases. AND you get to hang out with my team and me every month.

If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to leave me a comment or, if you’re in the Winchester, VA, area, attend one of our demo meetings (the second Thursday of the month). We love adding new crafters to our group!

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day.

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Yuletide Cheer

Happy Monday, Stamping friends! I still have five shoebox swaps to show you – and they’re awesome! But I got to spend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in my stamp room. Oh, the joy! Mike was showing property, and except for a mess on the dining room table (this always happens when we come home), the house looked pretty good. So I had no qualms about spending the time in my stamp room and ignoring the house. (How did I survive before Door Dash?)

I created a bunch of cards. I can’t even remember how many, but I had a ton of fun! As I was going through emails, I found a tutorial for a flip/easel card. It was so easy and so fun, I had to make one. I’m pretty sure I’ve made one of these before, but it was a good excuse to use some of my favorite Designer Series Paper (DSP) – the Feels Like Frost Specialty DSP.

Here’s my card front.

Yeah, kind of boring, right? But look what happens when you open it.

Woot! It’s a twisted fun fold!

This card is so easy to make. First, cut a 4-1/4″ x 8-1/2″ of Seaside Spray Cardstock for the base. Then score at 4-1/4″ to create a 4-1/4″ square card base. (This card will easily fit in a Medium Envelope, so you don’t need extra postage because it’s square.)

Next, score diagonally from the top right corner to the score line.

Cut one more 4-1/4″ x 4-1/4″ piece of Seaside Spray Cardstock for the front of the card. Next, cut three 4″ x 4″ pieces of Feels Like Frost DSP. Cut one in half diagonally, so you have two right triangles. Adhere one of the 4″ square DSP pieces to the inside of the card, and one on the extra Seaside Spray piece that will be the front. You can decide where you want to place the two triangular pieces. I placed one on the inside and one on the outside of the card, but it really is a matter of taste. You can even cut one more 4″ x 4″ piece, cut it in half, and then cover all the open Seaside Spray areas.

Die-cut two sets of the Frosted Frames foral pieces from Noble Peacock Foil Sheets, and one set from Silver Foil Sheets. Cut two sets of the floral filler from Sparkle Glimmer Paper.

Using the Stamparatus, stamp the Yuletide Cheer sentiment on Vellum Cardstock first in Night of Navy Classic Ink, then in Versamark Ink, making sure to clean the stamp between colors. Heat emboss with Clear Embossing Powder. This ensures that the ink won’t smear on the vellum before it dries. Plus it gives a little extra shimmer. Die-cut with the Frosted Frames frame die.

Repeat this embossing process on another piece of Vellum Cardstock with the wishing you a season… sentiment. Punch with the Everyday Label Punch. Punch another label from Whisper White Cardstock. Adhere the vellum over the Whisper White using Mini Glue Dots, then use Basic Rhinestone Jewels to cover the dots. Adhere the two vellum pieces to the card as shown, using Stampin’ Dimensionals. Hide the dimensionals on the top frame using embellishments. (I used brads which are apparently retired. But there are lots of current options that you can use.)

Note: I used two layers of Dimensionals for the “wishing you a season…” label so it would be tall enough to hold the card in place.

Fold the left triangle of the card base down, and adhere the front card piece (with the Sending you a little Yuletide Cheer sentiment) to the folded triangle. Remember, when you fold the card down, the front will be sideways! When you open it and prop it up, it will be a different orientation, so play with it a little before you adhere your card front to the base.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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Christmastime Is Here

Doesn’t this remind you of a song from A Charlie Brown Christmas? It’s one of my favorite Christmas movies (second only to White Christmas).

The Stampin’ Up!® Christmastime Is Here Suite makes me want to sing. This exclusive, limited-time collection of festive, floral coordinating products has everything you need to share love, joy, and creativity this holiday season.

Products from the Christmastime Is Here Suite will be available to purchase beginning November and are while supplies last only. Before I show you the entire suite, here’s a sneak peek card I created using the Christmastime Is Here Specialty Designer Series Paper and the Roses Dies.

Isn’t this lovely? I used one of the Roses Dies to cut the image from the DSP. I was so happy when I discovered the large die worked with the paper as well as the stamped image! And look at the gold on the DSP. So gorgeous!

Another DSP design is the background on the card. I used two different dies to create the “lattice work” from Poppy Parade Cardstock and the border from Gold Foil Cardstock.

The final diecut is the sentiment tag. I stamped Merry Christmas – from the Cup of Christmas Stamp Set in the Stampin’ Up!® Holiday Catalog – using Mossy Meadow Classic Ink on Soft Seafoam Cardstock, then die-cut using the tag die in the Roses Diecuts. So easy!

Here’s the Christmastime Is Here Suite.

You’ll be able to purchase the entire Christmastime Is Here Suite, the Christmas Rose Bundle (Christmas Rose Stamp Set and Roses Dies at a 10% savings), or any of the individual products – Christmas Rose Stamps, Christmastime Is Here Specialty DSP, Roses Dies, Gold Shimmer Ribbon, Gold Glitter Enamel Dots, or the Christmas Rose Bracelet – separately.

You can order any of the Christmastime Is Here products beginning November 1. Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss out!

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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Stamp Off Sketch Challenge

Welcome to another Stamp Off Friday Challenge! This week, it’s a sketch challenge.

How fun is that? My card is not at all what I had planned, but I like the way it turned out.

I used some “leftovers” from a class to create this frosty winter scene. First, I adhered the strips of the gorgeous Feels Like Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP) to a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Night of Navy Cardstock. Next, I stamped the bare trees from the Winter Woods Stamp Set on Purple Posy Cardstock using Highland Heather Classic Ink. I used my Stamparatus to stamp the trees so that I could stamp over them with VersaMark ink. I wanted them to look frosty, but I still wanted the Highland Heather Ink to show through, so I used Heat and Stick Powder, one of my favorite retired Stampin’ Up!® products. You use it like embossing powder, heating it just until it melts. It’s very sticky, so you can add glitter without having a mess after. So cool. After the powder melted, I added Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.

In retrospect, I could have used Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder mixed with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter. That would have worked just as well, and all products would be current. So let’s pretend I did that.

The sentiment is from the Cup of Christmas Stamp Set. I stamped the sentiment in Whisper White Craft Ink on Night of Navy Cardstock, then embossed with the gorgeous Whisper White Shimmer Stampin’ Emboss Powder.

Everything is layered to a Purple Posy card base.

Please check out what Jackie and Susan have created this week. And if you want to give the sketch a try, please send me your creation!! I’ll happily post it here.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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Thinking of You

I have a gorgeous card for you today. It was created by my friend Sandy for one of our demo team challenges. The challenge was to use something around the house to create a project. We always draw names for a winner of the challenge, and whoever wins gets all the entries. I won this time!! – so over the next few days, I’ll show you the rest of the cards.

All of the entries were amazing, and I was blown away by the creativity of these demonstrators! There was HVAC duct tape, tissue boxes, coffee cups, tags from clothing, and this.

How cool is this card? It uses my favorite designer series paper (DSP) from the Holiday Catalog – Feels Like Frost Specialty DSP. Apparently this DSP was a lot of people’s favorite, since it sold out very quickly. But, take heart if you missed it…You may see it again in the future.

This card is so elegant, but also very simple to create. First, cut the DSP at 4″ x 5-1/4″. Then cover the DSP with adhesive. I like to use a glue stick, because it gives you a little “wiggle room.” Place a used dryer sheet over the sticky DSP and smooth it out. Then either trim the excess or fold it to the back of the card. If you have a Silicone Craft Sheet, it’s much easier to make sure you completely cover the DSP with adhesive.

After you have the dryer sheet placed properly, sprinkle a little Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter over the front, then shake off the excess. The glitter will stick to the adhesive through the dryer sheet.

Finally, add the DSP to a Night of Navy card base, then add a sentiment.

I love using the dryer sheet on this DSP, because it’s like an extra layer of frost. But you can use it over any DSP or even a stamped image. Just be sure the ink is totally dry – and you may want to give it a shot with your heat tool to set the ink so it doesn’t smear when you add the adhesive.

Didn’t Sandy do a lovely job? I’m looking forward to showing you the rest of the cards, but first, I must finish my Christmas shopping. I thought I was finished until I started wrapping gifts. I realized that I had bought lots for Amelia, but the rest of the family came up very short.  That’s probably because Amelia and I walked through the toy department at WalMart, and we took pictures of everything she might like for Christmas. That gave me a lovely list to select from. Once kids grow up and stop giving Christmas wish lists, they’re much harder to buy for. (And, of course, their lists are much more expensive!)

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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