On this snowy eve of Christmas, I could not help but share one more holiday card. It was created for this week’s Pals Paper Arts challenge, a sketch designed by our own Margaret Moody. The “Dove” image is from the Gifts of Christmas set, while the sentiment, “Peace on Earth”, is from Four the Holidays. I created this card especially for you, my readers, and for my fellow Pals Design Team members, past and present. It is not a card that can be created in a matter of minutes, but it is a card that was created from my heart. May each and every one of you have a blessed holiday, filled with joy and happiness!

The Stampin‘ Schach Tips:

• “Dynamic Duo”! Bravo Burgundy and Brushed Gold card stock provide the foundation for this card, while Bridesmaid Designer Series Paper form the panels. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to selecting your designer papers!
• “Love the Dove”! The Dove image was inked with VersaMark and stamped onto White Vellum. It was then heat embossed using Gold Stampin‘ Emboss Powder. The image was inked a second time with VersaMark and stamped onto Brushed Gold card stock. It was also heat embossed with Gold Stampin‘ Emboss Powder. Using Paper Snips, I carefully trimmed around the image embossed on the vellum. Next, I snipped out the Brushed Gold Dove, and popped it onto its vellum counterpart using Stampin‘ Dimensionals.
• “Mat Magic”! To create the rectangular mat, Whisper White card stock was passed through the Big Shot with the Petals-a-Plenty Stampin‘ Up! Textured Impressions Folder. To enhance the flowers, Gold Encore was applied using a Brayer. After rounding the corners, the edges were distressed with a Sponge Dauber and Bravo Burgundy ink.
• “Oval Ovations”! The Very Vanilla and Brushed Gold ovals were cut in a snap by zipping the Ovals Originals Die through the Big Shot.
• “Bring the Bling“! Because I try to use Stampin‘ Up! products exclusively in my designs, I had to make my own gold pearls that adorn the Peace on Earth banner. I simply coated three Half-Pearls from the Pretties Kit with VersaMark ink, dipped them into Gold Stampin‘ Emboss Powder and heated with the Heat Tool! Mini-Glue Dots are the perfect adhesive for attaching my new “Gold Pearls”. A few snippets of Bravo Burgundy 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon and a Brushed Gold Jumbo Snowflake complete the look.

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When I first saw this “sweet” saying, I knew that I had to have the “Sweet Season” set! I loved its country appeal. However, I am sad to say that this is the first time that I have inked it up. Have any of you ever done this same thing…want a stamp set so badly, then never use it? Thank goodness I finally used it before Christmas! Since this card is heavily layered, I will hand deliver it to the lucky recipient. And, did you notice my first attempt at making a Scallop Trim Border Punch square? It really isn’t as difficult as one might think if the proportions are correct. (Luckily for all of us, Gretchen Barron calculated these proportions for us. Please Click Here for Gretchen’s excellent tutorial! Plus I have included directions below.) Working on this card made me hungry for gingerbread. I just love it with home-made chocolate sauce and a dollop of whipped cream! Mmmm! Guess what I will be baking tomorrow!

The Stampin‘ Schach Tips:

• It’s hip to be square! To create the Scallop Trim square, I began with a 3-13/16″ square of Ruby Red card stock. First, I punched all four corners using the Scallop Trim Corner Punch, making certain that the card stock was lined up with the edge of the cutting blade. This is trickier than one might think, and is best achieved while using the punch upside down in order to view what you are doing. After punching the corners, I lined up two of the scallop corners over the printed guide on the Scallop Trim Border Punch, and simply punched away! I repeated this step for each of the four sides.
• Layers, layers and more layers! The scalloped image from Sweet Season was stamped in Always Artichoke onto Always Artichoke card stock and punched out with the Scallop Circle Punch. It was then stamped a second time in Ruby Red onto Very Vanilla card stock and punched out with a 1-1/4″ Circle Punch. This was layered onto a 1-3/8″ Circle of Ruby Red. The edges of each element were distressed with a Sponge Dauber and Close to Cocoa ink prior to layering with Stampin‘ Dimensionals.
• Ink your stamps the “Write” way! Because I wanted to accent the different words of the sentiment in different colors, I simply used Stampin‘ Write Markers! Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red and Always Artichoke were my colors of choice.
• Accentuate the positive! An Always Artichoke “Fresh Favorites II” button, complete with a Linen Thread bow, is the perfect accent for the scalloped image and adds to the country charm of this card. The Chocolate Chip 1″ Double-Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon compliments the Chocolate Chip stripes of the Merry Moments Designer Series Paper.
• Piercing adds pzazz! Stampin‘ Up!s Paper Piercer is perfect for embellishing any card, while the Mat Pack Template makes placement fool-proof!

Practice makes perfect when it comes to punching the Scallop Trim squares. I am still trying to master the new punches, but what an impact they make on a card! Plus, I love the new flat, locking punch design. What a space saver! I am confident that you will love the new punches, too!

Just a reminder before I sign off for today. Don’t forget that there is still time to participate in the Pals Paper Arts “Winter Wonderland” challenge. I will be spending time tomorrow looking at more of your wonderful creations, and leaving my comments. And speaking of comments, won’t you please let me know what you think of today’s creation? Your comments and questions are very important to me! Remember that if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away! Until next time…

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Stamp Set: Sweet Season (116471); Inks: Always Artichoke (105219), Ruby Red (102259), Close to Cocoa (103139); Designer Series Paper: Merry Moments (115672); Card Stock: Ruby Red textured (108697 Earth Elements assorted), Always Artichoke (105119), Very Vanilla (101650); Tools: 1-1/4″ Circle Punch (104403), 1-3/8″ Circle Punch (104401), Scallop Circle Punch (109043), Scallop Trim Border Punch (118402—Sale-a-Bration Available January 5th), Scallop Trim Corner Punch (118870—Occasions Mini Available January 5th), Paper Piercer (116631), Mat Pack (105826), Sponge Dauber (102892), Stampin’ Write Markers: Chocolate Chip (100071), Ruby Red (100075), Always Artichoke (105113); Glitz and Glam: Linen Thread (104199), Chocolate Chip 1″ Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (111849), Fresh Favorites II Buttons (107422)