December Swaps 2024

Card Swap: (see above) Today I'll start with the card I made for the regular card swap.  The theme was WINTER and I think that snowy scene is definitely winter-like.  I like the pop of color the little fox makes.  He's a die cut from Karen Burniston (Forest Animals).  The paper is some from Stampin' Up - from the pack of 6 x 6 papers called Feels Like Frost.  As you can see, I used it to make a center step card.  The ribbon and bow are from my stash.  The greeting is one that was stamped/die cut using one of my mom's sets.

Materials Swap - Snowflakes - My Materials:

These papers are again from the Feels Like Frost set.  It is double sided with one side picture scenes like I used for the card swap, and the other side silver foiled designs like you see here.  To this I added, white card stock, silver card stock, Snowflake Foiled Fancies from HOTP, a sentiment from Hunkydory, and a length of silver ribbon from my stash.

My swap card uses pieces of both papers cut a bit wonky and arranged as you see here (I actually cut the papers as per a sketch template and will get 4 more cards from these pretty papers).  Before gluing the papers in place, I wrapped the ribbon around them near the bottom.  After gluing them in place, I added the largest snowflake - then the middle one on top of it with foam tape.  I added a ribbon bow in the lower right corner, on top of which I added the sentiment.  Finally, I added the smallest snowflake in the upper left corner.

Materials Swap - Snowflakes - Partner's Materials:

My partner sent me a light blue/white patterned paper, an A2 card blank, a piece of snowfall acetate, and two colors of card stock.  In addition, there were several die cut snowflakes, a sentiment, and a rhinestone type embellishment.  This is what I made from these materials:

It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but the front has an acetate-covered aperture - die cut with a hexagon die from Fun Stampers Journey.  I cut through all layers after gluing the darker aqua, and the patterned paper in place - with the darker aqua forming a very narrow mat for the patterned paper.  I cut the remaining patterned paper with nesting rectangular stitched dies from Fun Stampers Journey and double-stitched dies from Crafti Potential (Stitched Rectangles, Dots, and Stars) into frames to use inside the card.  Then I took the middle piece and fussy cut a mat for the sentiment from it.  I cut apart the leftover piece outside of the frames I had cut - and used these pieces to border the hexagon shape on the outside.  Before I could finish the outside of the card, though, I really had to work on the inside.

 

First, I used the rectangle to cover the edges of the acetate where I had glued it to the inside of the card.  I was careful to ensure that it wasn't seen from the outside of the card.  Then I positioned the large snowflake so that it could be seen centered in the acetate window I had created on the outside of the card.  Then I went back to the front of the card and added a couple layers of snowflakes that centered on the acetate over the large snowflake when the card was closed.  I once again opened the card and glued a snowflake to the inside of the acetate to cover the glue.  Finally, I tossed several other snowflakes around the outside of the card to finish it before returning to the inside.  I had wondered about using a smaller frame I had cut, but decided it didn't work well with the large snowflake.  I decided that a bit of the darker aqua near the bottom would be nice, though, so I used up my scraps to form the border that you see.

Card #2:

I had some pieces left over, so I embossed a card front (Darice - Snowflake Swirl embossing folder), added the remaining dark aqua piece (it had the center cut out for the sentiment's mat on the last card.  I die cut a snowflake (Paper Artist (HOTP) - Snowflakes) from the lighter aqua - one that would fit the hexagon piece I had cut from the previous card when making the aperture.  Then I pulled in one of my foiled fancies snowflakes to add to the center of that die cut.  I finished with a sentiment from Hunkydory (one of their Christmas sentiments books) and added a few snowflake Dazzles to finish things up.

Digi-Swap:

 

Both of these pretty papers were digital downloads.  After cutting them as you can see in the photo above, I added a strip of washi tape to form borders between the two papers.  I added a white ribbon bow from my stash.  Then created an embellished sentiment piece - using punches with black and white card stocks, a Dazzles sentiment (HOTP), and die cut music pieces (Music Panels cutting dies from Paper Discovery) - which I added with foam tape to the upper left corner of the card.

 

Then, I needed to use up the rest of the digi paper I had printed - that made 3 more cards:

 

Digi-Card #2:

 

As you can see, I used both papers again here - this time mostly the striped paper - and again divided with washi tape. I noticed that some packaging material that had come with the Snowflake Foiled Fancies from HOTP was a glossy black card stock - perfect for matting & such.  I used it to die cut the largest Splendid Circles cutting die from Spellbinders - then a smaller one out of white card stock.  To this, I added a Dazzles sentiment (HOTP) a couple more music elements from the Music Panels dies, and a couple of decorative gold stickers.  Finally, I used some layered black and gold Jewel Dazzles in the lower right corner.

 

Card #3:

 

This time I started with just the music print.  I didn't have quite enough to cover the entire card front, but wanted a black border anyway - which stretched my paper just enough!  I inked the edges of this paper before attaching it to the card front.  Both the black border and the mat behind the focal sentiment were again cut from the packaging material.  The sentiment focal is again created with Dazzles sentiments and the same music elements I've used before.  I also created an embellishment piece - punched from white card stock, inked along the edges and decorated with more music elements.  Finally, I added a black ribbon bow to complete the card. 

 

Card #4:

 

I just had a little bit of the striped paper left.  I decided to emboss the card front with a Sheet Music embossing folder from Darice.  I lightly inked the raised areas, then a fine-line black marker to go over the notes and symbols.  I used more of the black card stock to mat the striped paper - and the same to mat the sentiment (Sassy's LLC).  I finished it off with a black ribbon bow from my stash.