A Victorian Inspired PPA Christmas


It’s time for the Pals Paper Arts challenge! This week we are hosting an Inspiration Challenge featuring this sketch:

Now you might be wondering what connects my card to the inspiration piece. First of all, the inspiration photo is of a vintage card…the Good Cheer stamp set that I used is vintage styled. Secondly, the inspiration photo is gold around the edges…my card is burnished with Gold Encore and uses Brushed Gold cardstock. Mistletoe is featured in the inspiration…my card has Stampin’ Up!s Little Leaves! My card wishes you a “Happy Christmas” as does the inspiration. So if you are thinking, “I don’t have a sled stamp…I can’t play @ PPA this week”, think again! You may be more inspired than you know!

The Stampin’ Schach Tips:
(Today’s card is all about the little Victorian inspired details.)

  • The Stampin’ Up Finial Press Embossing Folder screams “Victorian”! Brushed Gold card stock, as well as Always Artichoke, were embossed with this folder. To bring out the texture, the Always Artichoke piece was brayered with Encore Gold ink. To prevent smearing, it was treated with the Heat Tool.

  • Create your own Victorian sparkle with a super-shimmery snowflake! A piece of Stampin’ Up! White Vellum was coated with VersaMark ink. Next, Gold Embossing Powder was mixed with Gold Fine Galaxy Glitter, and sprinkled onto the vellum. After tapping to remove the excess, it was heated with the Heat Tool. The Jumbo Snowflake Punch was then used to punch out the snowflake. A Clear Rhinestone Brad affixes it to the card.

  • More razzle-dazzle is achieved by coating Always Artichoke “Little Leaves” with VersaMark and sprinkling with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder. Once again this is heated. The leaves are then snipped off with Paper Snips and attached to a second set of non-embossed leaves to add texture.

  • The St. Nick image is inked with Basic Brown, stamped onto Very Vanilla and lightly tinted with Blender Pens and inks. The edges are distressed with Gold Encore ink, and then embossed with Iridescent Ice. Sections of the image were then torn off, and the edges were distressed with Chocolate Chip ink.

  • Enhance the vintage feel with Glassy Glaze Enamel! It accentuates the tinting of the Good Cheer image and the crackling adds to the antique look! For a tutorial on how to create cracked glass Click Here.

  • A snippet of Rose Red 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon completes the look!
Although today’s techniques are not difficult, they are certainly time consuming! However, this card was designed to be given to a special person this Christmas, so it was certainly well worth the time I placed into it. Speaking of time, isn’t it time to head on over to the PPA to see what the other Design Team Pals have created for you? But first, let me know what you think about today’s card. I really do appreciate your comments. And, if you have any questions about the techniques used to create this card, don’t hesitate to email me! Until next time…

Please Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7!
Stamp Set: Good Cheer (115326); Inks: Chocolate Chip (100908), Encore Gold (101017), Creamy Caramel (103220), Close to Cocoa (103139), Rose Red (101778), Always Artichoke (105219), Whisper White (101731), Blush Blossom (102609), Pretty in Pink (101301), Bashful Blue (105209), VersaMark (102283); Paper: Very Vanilla (101650), Always Artichoke (105119), Brushed Gold (102935), White Vellum (101839); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Finial Press Embossing Folder (115963), Stampin’ Up! Little Leaves Sizzlit (114511), Jumbo Snowflake Punch (116628), Heat Tool (100005), Brayer (102395), Sponge Dauber (102892), Blender Pens (102845); Glitz and Glam: Clear Rhinestone Brads (113144), Rose Red 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon (111366), Glassy Glaze Enamel (100477), Iridescent Ice Stampin’ Emboss Powder (101930), Fine Galaxy Stampin’ Glitter (114286), Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109129)

In the Meadow

Welcome to the Christmas/Winter Holiday Hop! If you are arriving from Debbie Pierce’s Stampin’ Sunshine, I am Stop #13. If I am your first stop of the day, you are in for a real treat as you hop from blog to blog. Since the focus is on Winter, it seems logical to feature Snowmen and Snowflakes! One of my favorite winter icons is the snowman. I loved the old movie, “Frosty the Snowman”. I remembering crying when Frosty melted. However, these snowmen will not melt…unless they melt your heart. Welcome to my meadow, where I built not just one snowman, but two, using the Snow Buddies Hostess Level 2 Set. The second card which I will be featuring can be created in less than ten minutes, for last minute holiday card emergencies!

“In the Meadow Card”

This card is so much easier to create than one might think. All it takes is patience and a sharp pair of scissors. The inspiration for this card came from Splitcoast Sketch Challenge #256. Although it no longer resembles the sketch, it was indeed my initial starting point. I was cutting a mat for the horizontal piece, and ending up flipping it on top of my first piece. That’s when I thought “snowy hills”! So I promptly traced it onto Very Vanilla and formed my hills! The rest is history!

The Stampin’ Schach Tips:

  • The “hills” are distressed using Close to Cocoa ink and a Sponge Dauber. The “Real Red and Very Vanilla Dots” paper is from the Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin’ kit, and is just perfect for the country feel of this card.
  • The “Tree” is from the dormant set, “Branch Out”, which is still available for purchase. Of course, Paper Snips were used to cut around the branches.
  • Even a “country” card deserves its own special bling! What could be better than three buttons from the “Playground” collection threaded with Linen Thread? The buttons were adhered with their shiny “faces” down using Mini Glue Dots.
  • The Modern Label Punch was used to prepare the sentiment. “Warm Winter Wishes” was inked with Chocolate Chip ink and stamped onto Very Vanilla card stock. The edges were ink distressed with Chocolate Chip. The Modern Label Punch was then used two more times, with Chocolate Chip and Real Red card stocks. The Chocolate Chip label was split vertically and adhered to the ends of the sentiment, while the Real Red label was cut horizontally, and adhered to the sides.

“Simply Schach Snowflake Card”

Need a quick last minute card? This one will surely do the trick! It can be created in less than ten minutes, and does not require any stamping. A little Champagne Mist, Brushed Gold card stock, and Circle Ice Brad add glitz and glimmer to this fun to create card!

The Stampin’ Schach Tips:

  • Prepare a 5-1/4″ x 5-1/4″ card base from textured Very Vanilla card stock. This size allows it to slide easily into a Medium Square Envelope! Spritz with a mixture of Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint and rubbing alcohol.
  • Using the Big Shot and the Snowflake #2 die, create two snowflakes: one from Elegant Eggplant and one from Brushed Gold. Attach to the card base with a Circle Ice Brad.
  • Cut a strip of Brushed Gold card stock and adhere to the bottom of the card.
  • Using the Eyelet Border Punch, punch a border from Old Olive textured card stock and layer over the Brushed Gold so that you get a glimpse of gold.
  • Add a snippet of Elegant Eggplant 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon.
  • How easy is that?

Before heading out on the rest of the Hop, won’t you please leave me a comment and let me know what you think about today’s cards? I truly appreciate your comments, and your questions, too! And now for the next stop on your journey…Gina Shaw’s Cards by Gina.

Holiday Hopper Line-Up
1. Kris Kilcoyne (Kween Bee Kreations)
2. Carla Bazhenow(Carla’s Scraps)
3. Linda Callahan (Stampin‘ Seasons)
4. Melanie Collins(Oops a Daisy)
5. Mary Fish(Stampin‘ Pretty)
6. Tricia Gillam(Soul Stamper)
7. Jill Gregory(Stamping Heart)
8. Kim Lampone (Stamp, Scrap, Get Kreative)
9. Kalshelia Lloyd (Stampin‘ Fabulousity)
10. Regina Mangum (The Stampin‘ Bean)
11. Margaret Moody(Margaret Moody)
12. Debbie Pierce(Stampin‘ Sunshine)
13. Ann Schach (The Stampin‘ Schach)
14. Gina Shaw (Cards by Gina)
15. Lourdes Torres (Cozy Crafty Corner)

Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7!
Stamp Sets: Snow Buddies Hostess Level 2 Set (116505—Holiday Mini), The More the Merrier Hostess Level 3 (115322), Branch Out; Paper: Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin’ kit (115696), Real Red (102482), Chocolate Chip (102128), Very Vanilla (101650), Elegant Eggplant (105126), Brushed Gold (102935), Old Olive (100702); Ink: Chocolate Chip (100908); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Snowflake #2 die (113460), Eyelet Border Punch (113692), Modern Label Punch (116630), Paper Snips (103579); Glitz and Glam: Circle Ice Brad (109111), Elegant Eggplant 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon (109039), Playground Buttons (116313), Linen Thread (104199), Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (116806)

Getting Ready for the Hop

Just a quick reminder that Tuesday, December 1, marks the third segment of the Pals’ Holiday Hop. A group of talented Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators are ready to show off their paper crafting skills with inspirational ideas using Stampin’ Up! products for the upcoming Christmas/Winter holiday season!

Join us on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 5:00 AM CST as we showcase all that Stampin’ Up! has to offer – from rubber stamps, designer paper, embellishments, and much more! Mark your calendar now! You don’t want to miss out! For your advanced planning, the line-up is featured below!

Holiday Hopper Line-Up

1. Kris Kilcoyne (Kween Bee Kreations)
2. Carla Bazhenow(Carla’s Scraps)
3. Linda Callahan (Stampin‘ Seasons)
4. Melanie Collins(Oops a Daisy)
5. Mary Fish(Stampin‘ Pretty)
6. Tricia Gillam(Soul Stamper)
7. Jill Gregory(Stamping Heart)
8. Kim Lampone (Stamp, Scrap, Get Kreative)
9. Kalshelia Lloyd (Stampin‘ Fabulousity)
10. Regina Mangum (The Stampin‘ Bean)
11. Margaret Moody(Margaret Moody)
12. Debbie Pierce(Stampin‘ Sunshine)
13. Ann Schach (The Stampin‘ Schach)
14. Gina Shaw (Cards by Gina)
15. Lourdes Torres (Cozy Crafty Corner)