Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Christmas in July!

Happy Tuesday Stamper friends!
It has become a popular thing to host Christmas card making classes in July. Why, you ask?  I guess because since it isn't Christmas, we have way more time to do some things like homemade cards. I wanted to share a fun idea today with you. Have you been thinking about trying some rubber stamping or paper crafting and you are overwhelmed, not really knowing where to start?  My best advice is to start with a specific project and get what you need for just that project, try it, see how you like it and then go from there!  I've got the perfect idea.. Christmas cards! Here's a sample:



Obviously, there are a kazillion choices out there for stamps, themes, etc. I decided to go with one stamp set, one background stamp,  3 colors of ink and paper and a little ribbon to dress it up. This card is small on supplies required and big on impact!  I just love it as it especially speaks to my "mountain-dwelling" soul. It incorporates a technique that is easy to do and gives a layered look and that is stamping over another stamp. I used the Sheet Music background stamp in a light Crumb Cake ink. I then stamped everything else on the top of it. I also shadow stamped my trees by inking up the stamp, stamping once, then shifting my hand slightly to the right and up and stamping again without reinking - another favorite technique!

We have a whole section in our Annual Catalog devoted to Christmas, pages 112-123 and our Holiday catalog with much, much more is coming out in September. I'll let you in on a little secret. While the end product in papercrafting is your ultimate goal, the process is the fun part!  It is so fun to stamp, create, design, arrange, etc. as you work your way to the end, whatever that may result in. It is great therapy to be doing something productive with your hands and stamping requires no pre-existing skills. You can learn to stamp from scratch with a very short learning curve and quickly be on your way to creating beauty that allowed you to relax, think, slow down in the process.  Think about a project for yourself... Maybe Christmas cards this year. Let me know if you want to get started and I'll help you with what you need to be on your way. It's a great adventure!

Meanwhile, it's July and it's hot!  Stay cool out there!
Sarah

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