Wishing you a very Merry Christmas to you and yours!

It is hard to believe that there are just 9 days left until Christmas!  This is about the time I start cutting down my to do list and accepting not everything I want to do will get done.  I wish I could say I was all done with my Christmas cards unfortunately that is not the case and now I am thinking about what kind of New Years cards I can make.  

One more card made and ready to send!  I made this for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge #CCMC695.  I used the Be Jolly  Santa and colored him with Stampin' Blends.  The DSP patchwork in the background are pieces from the Heartwarming Hugs DSP.  Unfortunately the DSP is no longer available/sold out.  

This is the sketch for the challenge.  I love to mix and match the DSP patterns so this sketch was a fun one for me.  

Inside I added a sentiment from the Christmas to Remember stamp set.  This stamp set will be carried over but it will no longer be available as a bundle.  The tree is also part of the Be Jolly set and also colored with Stampin' Blends. 

Thank you for stopping by and may your to-do list be short!

Check out the Creativity Abounds Tutorial Bundle

Place a $50 order through my online store and receive this bundle (14 tutorials!!)  as a thank you.  You can also purchase the tutorial bundle for $15.00.  Please contact me (sharon@astheinkdries.com) if you would like to purchase the tutorial.

What is your favorite Christmas color combination?  That is the focus of this week's Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  I am a fan of lots of different color combinations for Christmas and in my mind most combination can work for Christmas.  That being said I am going old school and traditional for my card for the challenge.

I chose Real Red, Shaded Spruce, with a touch of Bumblebee.  I love the clean, richness of this combination.  I also used Sahara Sand and Basic White as my neutrals. 

This is the Merriest Moments bundle which includes the Merriest Moments stamp set and the Merriest Frames Hybrid Embossing folder and coordinating dies.  Love the embossing folder that coordinates with the dies and adds texture and elegance.  The stitched rectangle that nestles nicely into the frame adds even more texture and interest.  

The pretty Sahara Sand and Basic White patterned paper is from the Tidings of Christmas 6" x 6" DSP found in the 2021-22 Annual catalog.  The designs on one side of the paper skew Christmas but the flip sides have more all occasion designs, making this a versatile pack of paper in spite of the name of the paper pack. 

The sentiments in this stamp set are so lovely.  I like the words themselves which are made better by the font.  I also added berries and leaves to the inside of the card to dress things up a bit more.  

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to check out what color combinations the rest of the design team loves for Christmas,

Product List

Merriest Moments Bundle (English) [156783]	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [147084]	Shaded Spruce Classic Stampin' Pad [147088]	Bumblebee Classic Stampin' Pad [153116]
Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [102482]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Tidings Of Christmas 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [155718]

Welcome to the Creativity Abounds Blog Hop.  We are a group of international Stampin' Up! demonstrators who hop together monthly.  The Creativity Abounds Blog Hop goes live the third Wednesday of the month.  We  create monthly tutorial bundles-see below to see how you can receive then and also quarterly virtual stamp camps.  This month we are focusing on gift packaging on both the blog hop and the tutorial bundle.  Enjoy the hop and all the ways you can wrap it up!

Need a cute way to gift some chocolate?  This little box is an Acetate Card Box cut in half.  You can fit 9 Nuggets in it.  

• Real Red CS-5-1/4" x  4-3/8" scored at 2-7/8" and 3-1/2".  
• Gingerbread & Peppermint DSP 4-3/8" x 2-7/8" (this is for the back of the box)
• Gingerbread & Peppermint DSP 4-3/8" x 1-1/2" (decorate the front flap)  and additional strips to cover the Nuggets.
• Gingerbread & Peppermint DSP  snowflake or other design cut out using the Gingerbread Dies.
• Real Red Double Stitched Satin Ribbon 19"

1. Cut the Acetate Box in half.  Fold the tabs and close up on end of the box.
2. Adhere the 4-3/8" x 2-7/8" DSP to the outside of the box ( back/outside of the box).
3. Adhere the strip of DSP to the Real Red CS.  The strip will fit between the score lines.  
4. Apply Stampin' Seal + to the Real Red CS (below the 2nd score line on the same side as the strip of DSP.
5. Insert the Real Red CS into the box and secure.  This will cover up the adhesive showing from step 2).
6. Tie the ribbon around the flap and make a bow.
7. Attach the Snowflake to the flap using Stampin' Dimensionals.  Secure the ribbon down with a dimensional.
8. Wrap the Nuggets with 1" x 3-1/8" strips of DSP.

You can hide a gift card behind the nuggets.  Coffee and chocolates, what a great little gift!

You could also fill the little box up with tags.  

These tags were made using the Tailor Made Tags, Stitched Rectangle dies, Frosted Gingerbread stamp set, and the Gingerbread & Peppermint DSP.

I know there are many other little treats that would fit in this little package.  Be sure to let me know what you put in your box!

Now it is time to check out all the other stops in the hop!  

Thanks for stopping by!

I used a few items that are available on the Seasonal Sale (Nov. 16-18)  10% off Cardstock, 15% off Ink Pads (Stampin' Up! colors), 20% off Dies (Annual Catalog).

• Tailor Made Tags  (these are marked as low inventory so shop soon!)  
• Stitched Rectangles dies 
• Real Red Cardstock 

Place a $50 order through my online store and receive this bundle (14 tutorials!!)  as a thank you.  You can also purchase the tutorial bundle for $15.00.  Please contact me (sharon@astheinkdries.com) if you would like to purchase the tutorial.

Time for a new Festive Friday Challenge!  What is the Festive Friday Challenge?  The Festive Friday Challenge is the challenge that has an Inspo List aka Inspiration List that is inspired by a festivity.  This challenge the festivity  is National Cookie Day.  What a fantastic festivity!  I am always up for a good cookie!  

To play along with the challenge you need to pick 3 items from the Inspo List and use them on your project.   You can always use more than 3 items from the list.  Your project doesn't have to be based around the festivity but it can.  

I was surprised to find that I didn't have a cookie image among my stamp sets.  Cookies are among my favorite baked goods and I thought for sure I would have a cookie stamp somewhere.  I found cakes, cupcakes, and even figgy pudding but no cookies.  I chose from the Inspo List circle, brown, ivory, and swirls.  

The circle is the piece of wood that is the base of the tag.  The brown is the fabulous acorn made using the Christmas Season stamp set.  It is a 2 step stamp and I used Early Espresso and Soft Suede ink and cut it out using the Seasonal Labels Dies.   The ivory is represented by the Very Vanilla CS that all the images were stamped on.  Finally, the swirls are a little hard to see but they are in the background cut from white glitter paper.  The die is a retired Stampin' Up! die set,  Swirly Scribbles.  I was also going to also list cookies but since these are store bought shortbread cookies and the only thing I did was put them in a plastic sleeve, I decided it might not really count.   

Once the cookies are consumed the tag can be used as an ornament.  

For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the  Festive Friday Challenge Design team.

Ann Schach

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert you are here

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Stephanie Lanzalotto

Melva Peters

Jaydee

Diane Evans

Joanne James

Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome to the Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop!  We are an international group who have joined together for this blog hop.  Every month we hop on the 2nd Wednesday of the month .  We have a theme and it is always fun to see all the different projects.  This month our theme is My Favorite Month.

What is your favorite month?  This was surprisingly hard for me to answer.  Every month has its charms and also its pitfalls.  I could make a case for any month being my favorite but I couldn't think of a way to represent that on a card so I decided I would just pick a month.

Can you guess the month from my card?  Yes, that's easy...December!  December has an edge over the other months since well, Christmas!  December is also my husband's birth month and my son's so there is no shortage of things to celebrate.  

I used the Delivering Cheer stamp set and wanted her to hold a big birthday cake but was unable to find one that would work so I went with the cake from the Sweets & Treats stamp set.  I actually think it is a figgy pudding.  I have never had figgy pudding so I am not sure but it looks like the pictures I have seen.   

I stamped the women's legs and skirt and did some paper piecing for the skirt.  The black and  white check is from the Pattern Party DSP (Host Reward choice).  I stamped and colored the figgy pudding using Stampin' Blends.  I placed the figgy pudding on the plate which is actually the cake stand cut down in size.   I stamped a cut out her arms (sounds terrible!) and placed them around the pudding and the plate and adhered it to the skirt.  

I added a few Wonderful Snowflakes to the corners and adhered it to another design from the Pattern Party DSP.  The sentiment is from the Poinsettia Petals stamp set.   

Now it is time for you to see what month is Teri West's favorite.

Here are the links to all the stops on the hop.

Jan Clothier - NZ

Leonie Stuart - AU

Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU

Cheryll Miller - AU

Danielle Kassing - NL

Aurélie Fabre - FR

Mikaela Titheridge - UK

Tina Zinck - CA

Angie McKenzie - US

Wendy Lee - US

Chris Smith - US

Brenda Nelson - CA

Tricia Butts - US

Elaine de Montmorency - CA

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert - US

Teri West - US

Cheryl Hamilton - US

Thank you for stopping by and enjoy the hop!

Welcome to the Inspire, Create, Share Blog Hop.  This blog hop goes live on the second Tuesday of the month.  Every month there is a theme for the hop  and this month the theme is, Christmas Is Coming.   Enjoy the hop and I hope it will inspire you!

I love the Words of Cheer bundle.  It has  great sentiments,  a big focal image, and lovely dies including 2 word dies. The beautiful foliage arrangement is a great one to color.  I used Stampin' Blends in Real Red, Mossy Meadow, Pool Party, and Daffodil Delight.  The image was cut out using the dies and is on one of the Scalloped Contour dies.  Two designs from the  Heartwarming Hugs DSP were used for the front of the card.  The Heartwarming Hugs DSP is a returning favorite and is rich with  patterns that mix and match.  

This card style is one of my current favorites.  You start with a 8-1/2" x 11" piece of cardstock and score it in quarters (4-1/4 along the 8-1/2" side and 5-1/2" along the 11" side) and then cut it on the diagonal.  You get 2 card bases.  The 2 patterns of DSP are cut at 4" x 5-1/4" and then cut on the diagonal.  

Here is the 2nd card I made using the other half of the cardstock and the DSP.

Yes, it looks very similar except I positioned the foliage at the bottom corner instead of the top corner.  

I also glued the bottom edge of the right triangle to create a pocket.  This is a great place for a gift card or to insert a photo.  

Now it is time for you to check out what the talented Janey Backer has created fo you!

Thank you for stopping by and enjoy the hop!

Still playing with the Sparkle of the Season bundle.  On today's project I used 2 of the 3 wreath dies from the Seasonal Swirls dies.  

This project was made for the Festive Friday Challenge #FF0096.  The Festive Friday Challenge is the challenge with the Inspo List.  The challenge is to use 3 items from the Inspo List on your project.  The Inspo List is inspired by a festivity.  This challenge the festivity we are being inspired by is World Kindness Day.  I would like to believe that everyday is World Kindness Day.  Your project doesn't have to focus on the festivity but it can.  

I used 2 different wreath dies on this gift tag.  One to create the background and another for the actual wreath.  The Real Red flowers were cut using the Christmas Cheer Dies  and attached to the Old Olive and Mossy Meadow wreaths.  The sentiment is from the Classic Cloche stamp set and heat embossed in Silver embossing powder.  Can you guess what die I used to cut out the sentiment?  It looks like one of  the stitched rectangle dies but it isn't.  It is the handle die from the All Dressed Up dies.  

The handle die is 6" long.  It is easy to custom cut out the sentiment.  Stamp the sentiment, cut it with the die and then line it back up with the die and cut it to the correct size.   

For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the  Festive Friday Challenge Design team.

Ann Schach

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert you are here

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Stephanie Lanzalotto

Melva Peters

Jaydee

Diane Evans

Joanne James

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's cards show the more elegant side of the Frosted Gingerbread bundle.

I die cut about 8 Basic White snowflakes using the detailed snowflake die.  The snowflakes were randomly glued on a Basic White layer.  The layer between the snowflakes and the card base is Gold Foil.   The sentiment was heat embossed with Gold embossing powder. The label was cut using a die from the Pierced Blooms dies and attached using Stampin' Dimensionals.  Finally, I added some gold Metallic Pearls . 

I love the white and gold palette and how simple and elegant this looks.  

I liked the look so much I decided to try it using the detailed star die.  Instead of Gold foil I decided to use Real Red cardstock.  The same die from the Pierced Blooms dies was used for the sentiment with White embossing powder.  Red Rhinestones were added for a little bit of shine.

Do you like the Real Red and white or the gold and white?  I am leaning towards the gold and white.  I think this bundle is a lot more versatile than I originally thought.  Don't you agree?

Thanks for stopping by.   Let me know which one you like best.

Are you wondering what is going on and what the heck is Gingerbread  & Peppermint Week?  No,  I am not transitioning into a baking blog.  BTW I love to bake  because I love to eat baked goods and that is why I don't bake.  I am referring to the Gingerbread & Peppermint Suite, pages 8-10 of the  2021 July-December Mini Catalog.  I am experimenting  to see if focusing on one stamp set, bundle, and/or suite helps me be more efficient and creative.   

This card is note card  size (3-1/2" x 5") and yes, it is mailable.  

The sentiment panel pulls up when you open the card.  You can also attach a gift card with a glue dot where  the sentiment is.  

I just realized that I forgot to list the Delicate Baubles die which were also used.  Where?  The bow at the top of the ornament is from that die set.  The die is a bow with a long "string " and I cut off the string and used just the bow. 

The colors in the  Gingerbread & Peppermint DSP are Real Red, Old Olive, Early Espresso, and Cinnamon Cider, a pretty classic Christmas palette.  Some of the designs on the DSP can be cut out using the Gingerbread dies and/or fussy cut.  There are also lot of classic patterns like plaids, stripes, and dots, which make this DSP pack quit versatile.

Product List

Frosted Gingerbread Bundle (English) [156807]	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [147090]	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [147084]	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114]
Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119686]	Old Olive 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [100702]	Basic White 12 X12 (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Cardstock [159231]	Gingerbread & Peppermint 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [156313]
Layering Circles Dies [151770]	Wintry 3 D Embossing Folders [155433]	Stitched Rectangles Dies [151820]	Real Red 3/8" (1 Cm) Sheer Ribbon [153535]
Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels [146924]

Here you can see the sentiment panel and how it pulls up from the pocket (bottom half of card).  

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to come back for more ideas using the Gingerbread & Peppermint Suite or better yet subscribe to the blog feed (see how in the sidebar of the blog).  When you sign up you will get an email showing the blog post, so you will never miss a posting.