Cmas Card Challenge - Dec - Santa/St.Nick

I have added St. Nick to the category which will allow vintage images and coloring to the category. You can stamp, die-cut, color print, watercolor, chalk, marker or emboss these jolly men onto a card. Here's the cards I made.

I started with a vintage St. Nick image which I color printed. I layered it onto off white cardstock coordinating with his robe and then burgundy cardstock matching his overcoat. I selected a Blue Bayou cardstock which matched the background.

Left: I embossed the top 2/3 of the card with a Cuttlebug folder. I placed a ribbon just below it and taped the ends to the inside of the card through a slit in the fold. Glued the St. Nick layer to the top left corner. Added a greeting stamped in white below and a MS punched snowflake on the right. Added a silver sparkly in the centre.
Right:I created a gatefold card. I stippled the outside edges of the card with Ruby Red ink. I stamped a small flourish in white ink to the left of the image. I glued the St. Nick layer to the left card flap.

I made 8 of these cards:

Total to date: 131

Cmas Card Challenge - Nov - Stocking/Ornament

I've expanded this category a bit. The options for this category is wide open.

I decided to make a ornament shaped card. It took a while to figure out the size and shape of the base card. I used a 4" circle to start and drew an ornament based on that. I traced my paper template onto the black cardstock. I cut out the black card with an exacto knife and cutting board placing the fold at the top. I distressed the edges of the card. I cut a 3.5" nestabilities scallop circle in white and embossed it with a holly folder. I added a poinsettia made from the Stampin Up five petal punchies. I put 3 brads in the centre. I used the Stampin Up! Tab punch to make the gold ornament holder at the top. I wanted the card to open flat so I added a gold eyelet to the top card only and put a small hole in the fold to allow my waxed thread to hang straight.

I made 4 of these. My total so far is: 93.

Cmas Card Challenge - Oct - Wreath

Christmas wreaths could be foliage, twig, or balls. They could be green, red, or metallic. They can be stamped, punched, or die cut. Of course, they can be made many other ways so use your imagination!

I chose origami as my technique and moss green as my color. I found a sample of this wreath in the Split Coast Stampers gallery. The directions provided made a wreath too large for a card. The original paper dimensions were 3"x5" and I brought mine down to 2"x4". They were quite time consuming to make but well worth it. I used giftwrap weight paper. Once complete I taped the back side with regular tape to keep it from coming apart. I then wrapped the wreath with a coordinating fiber and left a tail where I knotted it. I placed a layer of scrapbook paper in stripes of burgundy, moss green and gold on a cream card. I used double sided tape to adhere the wreath to the card. I found a satin ribbon which matched and placed it below the wreath across the card. I added a greeting using Stampin Up! nesting oval punches and foam tape. The greeting is stamped in a soft green.

I made 6 of these cards. My total so far is: 89.

Cmas Card Challenge - Sept - Stars

September's theme is stars. They can be bright, shiny, glittery; over a nativity, leading wisemen; single or in a bunch. They can be traditional colors such as gold, silver, copper, yellow, or not. Here's the card a designed for this challenge.

I found a pattern in Paper Creations Magazine - Winter 2008. The piece of striped scrapbook cardstock is 3.5X4". I traced the half star on the back with a score line down the centre. I cut out the half star and was able to open the star. Using a full sheet label I cut a piece large enough to cover the cut star. It helps if you have a split in the release paper somewhere on the star. I glued that piece of label, paper side down on the back of the striped paper with the edge following the centre and covering the cut star. You have to make sure you glue it down very well all over. I would recommend pressing it a bit. Then I cut the label through the cut cardstock. Now when the star is flipped forward you see the release paper. Turn paper over and remove the release paper from the rest. Add a piece of doublesided tape along the fold and lay the piece of paper over the star hole. I then removed the release paper from the star and applied MS Green Agate glitter to the sticky star.

This image shows how it matches the glitter in the card stock really well. I glued a strip of the same paper below the striped rectangle and stamped my greeting in chocolate. Then this whole rectangle was glued to a chocolate brown card.

I made 6 of these cards.

Total cards to date: 83

Cmas Card Challenge - Aug - Winter

I did change the category from Snowmen to Winter because I separated snowflakes from all the other winter images. This category includes snowmen, mittens, hot chocolate, sleds, ice skates, skiing, and a whole lot more. What will you use? Post your card link in a comment.

I started with a royal blue card. I ripped white cardstock for the snowbank, chalked it with a bit of blue, stamped the Pomegranate greeting and glued it to the bottom of the card. I stamped falling snow with White Craft Ink and embossed them with clear powder then added a few more with only white ink. The snowman is cut with the Cricut - Joy of the Season. I cut off his boots and hat. I used markers to color scarf, arms, broom, eyes and coal on his belly. I put a bit of orange cardstock under his head for his nose. I used a Zot to hold the red confetti star in the top right corner.



I made 5 of these.




Total Christmas Cards: 77

Cmas Card Challenge - July - Angels

This month's Christmas Card Challenge theme is angels. I guess there are several kinds of angels. There are the ones heralding the good news with a trumpet, those high in the sky who appeared to the shepherds, and those offering praise. I chose Angelica by Stampendous for my image. I stamped her in different colors then embossed with clear powder with a bit of glitter added. I used royal blue, chianti and eggplant inkpads. I added a layer of metallic then tied a ribbon around the spine. On the mauve one is punched a small hole about 1.5" from the top of the card then brought both ends to tie a knot over the piece stretched over the card front. I made 6 cards.
Total Christmas Cards: 67

Cmas Card Challenge - June - Poinsettias

My Christmas Challenge for June is poinsettias. You could punch poinsettias like I did in an earlier posting, designer paper is an option, and embossing.
I gold embossed a Magenta poinsettia stamp on white cardstock. Then watercolored the flowers and leaves. Trimmed the poinsettia layer very close to the frame. The cards are green and I have added red and gold layers and gold embossed greetings with gold brads. The greetings were brushed with a bit of watercolor to soften their look.
Cards made 6
Total cards = 45!

Cmas Card Challenge - May - Candles

Candles are part of the Christmas season representing light in the darkness. You could create candles with stripes of cardstock in seasonal colors with handcut flames, die cut them, press emboss and chalk them, stamp them, and of course much more! What technique are you going to use?
I chose gold embossing a stamped image which I watercolored. The image is by Hampton Art Stamps. I used several different colors and a couple of layouts. I applied a light wash over most of the cardstock then chose coordinating colors to highlight some of the elements in the image. Once dried and pressed I ripped the edges to reveal a white edge next to the light wash.
Left: I layered the stamped image on gold paper to coordinate with the gold embossing then added them to a coordinating card. I smudged the edges with a coordinating ink pad.
Right: I chose 3 pieces of cardstock in the same color family. Layered the white image on a light layer and punched the right edge with the MS Arches border punch. Then onto the middle layer and onto the dark card.
Made 7 of these.
Total Cards made: 33

Charmaines's Card: Good Job!
http://tweedcurtain.blogspot.com/2010/05/mojo-monday-137.html

Cmas Card Challenge - April - Nativity

Coming up with nativity images was a challenge. I have a small stamp of baby Jesus with a lamb. I think that the Holy Family, Bethlehem, wiseman, shepherds and nativity images would fit. I wondered "Where can I find these images?" I decided to recycle Christmas cards. I browsed through my collection and selected a few nativity related images.

Silhouettes - I used a QuicKutz die for the stable & holy family. I layered gold paper onto a red card then mounted the die cut on it. I added glitter to the star. On the blue one, I placed a layer of vellum stamped and glittered in the sky. I stamped the sentiment in black and embossed it with black detail powder.

Recycled cards - The orange card was stamped with a border stamp all around the edge. I cut the central image of hills, camels and Bethlehem from the old card and just glued it on. The young shepherd was cut from the old card then I punched the corners with a decorative punch. I took the back of the card and cut it a bit larger than the first and rounded the corners. The greeting was stamped onto a piece of the inside of the old card. It was great because all the pieces coordinated.
Recycled Cards 6 Silhouettes 2 = 8
Total Christmas cards: 20

Charmaine's Card http://tweedcurtain.blogspot.com/2010/04/nativity.html

Christmas Card Challenge - March - Gingerbread

Gingerbread can be men or women. They can be different colors. I like chocolate, but they could be tan, beige, and many various brown colors. Can they be red? Gingerbread houses work. Check out your stash for gingerbread stamps, die cuts, paper, brads. What types have I missed?

Here's my card for this Challenge.
I started with the striped gift wrap and found the other elements to match. I chose a red cardstock and the silver layer is again a nice heavy textured gift wrap. I die cut the gingerbread out of chocolate brown cardstock with Sizzix die. I layered a small piece of red behind the hearts on his belly. I added the the "icing" to his arms and legs with a Galaxy marker. I touched his eyes and mouth with a black markers as they are quite small. The small tag I cut with a Cuttlebug tag die then layered it onto the same cardstock red and trimmed it by hand. I stamped the snowflake with chocolate brown ink.

I made 6 of these cards to add to my stash.
Total Christmas Cards: 12.

Therese's card for this challenge. http://tmalakart.blogspot.com/2010/03/christmas-card-challenge-gingerbread.html
Send me a link to yours!

Cmas Card Challenge - February - Evergreens

Evergreens at Christmas - They can be decorated Christmas trees, plain pine trees with pointed or rounded boughs, simple triangles. They can be stamped, embossed, die cut, brads, printed paper, glittered, ribbon, paper pieced and more other presentations I've not listed here.

This is my card for February's Christmas Card Challenge.

I picked a dark forest green card. I chose a tan color for the background and ran it through the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder. The trees are the Sizzix medium Pine Tree die using the same paper as the card. I added a bit of snow to the trees with a white craft stamp pad. The moon is punched with a 1" circle punch. I tore a snowbank then stamped "Merry Christmas" from a small clear stamp set. I made 4 of these cards.
Total Christmas Cards - 6

Therese's card for this challenge.
http://tmalakart.blogspot.com/2010/02/challenges-christmas-cards.html

Send me a link to yours!

Cmas Card Challenge - January - Snowflakes

The options for snowflakes are endless. Check your supplies for brads, stamps, 3D, die cuts, embossed, printed paper and I'm sure a lot I've not listed. Dig deep and see what turns up.

Here's my card.
I cut my cardstock along the 11" then scored in half and used it with the fold on the left to make a landscape card. I have used the Cuttlebug Devine Swirl embossing folder on the top right hand corner. The greeting is color printed on white. I ripped the top edge and aligned it's top and bottom edge to where the embossing ended. I punched a one inch hole and wrapped coordinating angora type fiber around it and tied a bow. I then placed double sided tape on both ends of the white and placed on the front of the card. I placed the brad in the centre of the hole using a push pin to make the hole. I had to trimmed the card again to ensure even edges because the embossing changes your card stock a bit. Total Christmas Cards made: 2


Therese's card - http://tmalakart.blogspot.com/2010/01/challenges-christmas-card.html

My 2010 Christmas Card Challenge

I am challenging myself to make Christmas Cards all year long instead of cramming during my busiest time of the year. I also have several Christmas Card Classes scheduled this year so I will need some ideas for those. I have decided on a theme for each month.

Here's my list:

January - Snowflakes
Feb - Evergreen trees
Mar - Gingerbread
Apr - Nativity
May - Candles
Jun - Poinsettias
July - Angels
Aug - Winter (Snowmen,etc)
Sept - Stars
Oct - Wreaths
Nov - Stockings/Ornaments
Dec - Santa/St. Nick

Each month I will make several of the same card based on the theme for the month. I will post my card here. Do you want to join me? You can use this blog as inspiration if you want to get your cards made in good time this year. Click on the post to leave a comment. If you want to be reminded of the challenge become a follower of my blog then my post will arrive in your reading list every month.