Paper Seedlings: SIX ORNAMENTS

To be perfectly honest, as I was leafing through the current Mini Catalog when it first came out, I wasn't all that impressed with the stamp set (and coordinating dies) on page 40. After all, I never have any intention of decorating or fancyfying (a word??) my envelopes for Christmas cards.

I am not of the "decorate your envelope" school. Not at all. I put my heart and soul into my cards, and once a card is done, that's it. The envelope just carries it to its destination and usually just gets tossed in the garbage anyway.

But, I must admit that I was quite taken with the stamp of the six ornaments that came in this set. So taken, in fact, that I ordered the set (Yes! Just for that one stamp! Have you ever done that?) and have played with it countless times during this pre-holiday season. If you are a reader of my blog, I'm sure it looks incredibly familiar to you. Right? Since I've used it many times in blog posts.

One of the cool things with a line art stamp like this one is that it lends itself to a plethora of techniques, making play so much fun.

In this card, I used it in a fairly traditional way, in that I stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then colored the ornaments in with my beloved Stampin' Blends.

Incorporating a snippet of one of the plaids from the Plaid Tidings Designer Series Paper on page 57 of the same catalog, complemented the colors I chose for my ornaments.

Adding the sentiment and two Stampin' Blends colored Basic Rhinestones to a precious label from the Ornate Labels set, then placed upon a folded piece of white Stampin' Up! ribbon . . . well, voila!

Read on for a tutorial on how to recreate this card.

SUPPLIES:

Whisper White cardstock (which is going to be replaced by Basic White cardstock!)

Plaid Tidings 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper (page 57 of the Mini Catalog)

Ornamental Envelopes stamp set (page 40, Mini Catalog)

Itty Bitty Christmas stamp set (page 62, Annual Catalog -- You GOTTA get this set!)

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Stampin' Blends in: Dark Mango Melody, Light Cherry Cobbler, and Light Call Me Clover

Ornate Frames dies (page 182, Annual Catalog)

Cutting/Embossing Machine

Basic Rhinestones colored with Dark Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blend

White Ribbon

Stampin' Dimensionals

INSTRUCTIONS:

Fold a 4 1/4" x 11" piece of Whisper White cardstock in half, creasing it well with a bone folder. NOTE: When I am making a horizontal card, I cut my cardstock this way because -- well, you know -- horizontal cards cut the other way eventually collapse flat when they are standing. This way it stands very well.

On a 2 1/4" x 4" piece of Whisper White cardstock, stamp the six ornaments in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. Color in the ornaments as you wish. I used Stampin' Blends in the aforementioned colors.

Take a coordinating piece of the Plaid Tidings DSP that measures 2 3/4" x 4", and, using Stampin' Dimensionals, adhere it to the right side of the card base. Butt the colored piece right up to the DSP, giving you equal margins all around.

On a scrap of Whisper White cardstock, stamp a seasonal sentiment. Die cut the sentiment with one of the dies from the Ornate Frames die set.

With a Dark Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blend, color two of the larger Basic Rhinestones. One thing that I have discovered when coloring rhinestones or pearls with the Blends is to NOT use the brush end. Doing so seems to do a number on the sharpness of the brush. Use the writing end instead just to preserve your Blends as much as possible.

Add the colored rhinestones on either side of the sentiment.

Take a 6" - 7" piece of white ribbon and fold it in half, adhering it folded to the back of the sentiment label.

Use Stampin' Dimensionals to attach the sentiment and ribbon to the Designer Series Paper side.