A Xmas Look at KCC18

Today I have another look at KCC18 using these GORGEOUS Traditions of Christmas designer series papers (DSP) from Stampin' Up!  When I started these, Kendra's Card Challenge was currently on #19, but I chose to go back to #18 because I thought these papers would work extra well with it.  I guess you'll have to see if I'm right!  Note that many of the focals and embellishments were either die cut or fussy cut from a couple of the papers.

In addition to the papers, I'm using:

• Stamps/dies for focals: Christmas Greenery Bundle, Beautiful Season (discontinued set)
• Greeting Stamps: Jolly Holly, Greetings of the Season, and Beautiful Season (the last two are discontinued sets)
• Cardstock - Thick Basic White, Basic White, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Pool Party, Real Red, and Secret Sea. 
• Special - Gold Foil Sheets 
• Inks - Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Pool Party, Real Red, Secret Sea, Tuxedo Black Memento, and VersaMark for embossing. 
• Adhesives: Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Mini Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots  
• For Embellishing: Traditional Sparkling Sequins, 1/8" gold trim (discontinued)

When I use other items, I'll mention those in the card description.  Some of the stamps, dies, and embossing folders I used have been discontinued, but Stampin' Up! always has great new items you can choose from! Here's a quick look at the 18 cards I made from SIX 6" x 6" pieces of paper from this paper pack (plus some additional pieces cut from some of the papers for focals and embellishments.

And now for a closer look at each card:

More WCMD Challenge Cards

I just realized I never got the rest of my WCMD Challenge cards posted - probably because I had hoped to get more completed than I did.  Anyway, here they are.

Card #1 (above): For this card I was to use hydrangeas and pretzels as inspiration.  I used layering decorative masks, stamps, and dies (Thankful Garden bundle from Stampin' Up!) for my focal.  After adding it to a piece of Basic Beige cardstock, I die cut a second from scrap paper to use as a mask.  After placing the mask in place, I used a brown spray ink that I had in my stash to spray around the flower.  Then, I simply matted it on brown cardstock cut using the Textured Notes cutting dies, and added it to a Basic Beige card base.

Card #2: 

At this point, I was just scrounging in my stash to fin anything I could use to meet the challenges, and I'll only call out specifics if I remember them.  This was for a cut and create challenge.

This was another sketch challenge.

Card #4: 

This was for a Pop-Out Swing Card Challenge.

Card #5: 

And this was a Criss Cross Card challenge.  (Though I wish I had re-arranged the flowers so they weren't all on the left side! - definitely not my best!)

A 4 in One Sketch

Today I have 4 cards - similar but different.  The basic card was introduced by Jann McCollom in a Zoom meeting that I attended.  Before I get to that, though.  I just want to highlight how useful it is to have some basic shaped dies - especially if they create pretty edges as you use them!  For this reason, you'll see that I use the Textured Notes cutting dies A LOT!  Similarly, now that I have the Spotlight on Nature circular dies, I expect to use them a lot too - and I DID use them on the last card in this set.  I suggest that you look for these types of cutting dies as ones that you'll use over and over again!

Anyway, back to this set of cards.  They start with 4 coordinating pieces of patterned paper that are each 4 3/4" x 3 1/2".  Note that if there is a direction to them, you want them all going the same direction.  Other than that, you simply make two cuts for each of the 4 pieces. First, in portrait orientation, cut at 1 1/2".  Then turn each of those resulting pieces 90 degrees to landscape orientation and cut at 3".  You now have the four pieces you can see in each of these cards.  Mix and match them - mat them - add a focal and greeting. Voila'!  You have FOUR A2 sized cards!

I used the beautiful Seasons of Green and Gold papers (unfortunately discontinued now), but you could use anything - there are some gorgeous papers that are currently available - check them out here.  Mostly, I just combined them with coordinating cardstocks (Basic White, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Garden Green) and some Gold Foil paper. Then I added cutouts from the papers, a stamped focal, stamped or die cut greetings, and a few embellishments from my stash.

Here are the details:

Thanksgiving Scrapbook Pages

 

Today I have a couple of quick scrapbook pages.  I have created a Thanksgiving scrapbook in which I have single page memories from our Thanksgivings from the time we moved to our current home.  I like to have the album sitting out for folks to enjoy reminiscing.  But, I suddenly realized that I was 2 years behind (since we didn't host last year, I hadn't gotten it done!).  So, here I have a couple of quick scrapbook pages that bring us current.

 

2023:

 

It's hard for me to find a good place to get pictures of my work where the lighting is good.  The lighting wasn't great for these.  The background was a bit more brown and the matting a bit more orange than what it looks like.  

 

I used a corrugater on the large orange mat to add some texture.  The mat under the focal is a piece of the napkins used for that dinner.  Embellishments were from my stash.  I combined two documents from our Thanksgiving celebration into one to create what you see in the lower right corner.

 

2024:

The background is the same brownish cardstock used on the previous one.  I added a patterned paper from my stash and a few embellishments I found there too.  Quick & easy.