SIP Challenge 78 - Winter Holiday with Unity Stamps

Hello everyone!  Wow....this month is just flying by and it seems that I have no time to do anything for fun!! How is everyone doing with their holiday shopping? Anyone finished yet?  Since it's summer here we are off to the beach for a few days and will enjoy seeing Santa on the sand!!  Honestly, I do miss this time of year in NYC with all the decorations hanging in the streets, the Christmas windows at Saks, Lord & Taylor, Macy's....Christmas music everywhere, bells ringing and all the holiday fairs. But.....I do NOT miss the cold weather!  

This week over at the Stamp Ink Paper Challenge Blog they are having SIP Challenge No. 78 - Winter Holiday - 

And I made two Christmas cards out of one main image.  I know that the phrase "I Am More Than What You See" does not seem "Christmasy" and was not created for this.  What I am trying to get across here is that Christmas is "more than just what you see".  By using it with half of the "snowflake" with the word "believe", I hope that people will look beyond the decorations, etc. to see the real meaning of Christmas.  Sound corny??  Tell me the truth!!  LOL

I started by stamping the image from Magical Days (Unity Stamp Co.) on to a piece of white cardstock.  Then I carefully cut it in half.

Next I placed the second to largest Stitched Square die (Gina Marie) over the image, secured it with painter's tape, and die cut it.  Then I took this image and placed it (temporarily) on a piece of red cardstock, positioned the largest of the Stitched Square dies so that there would be a small border, removed the white cardstock, and then die cut the red cardstock.  

I did this with the other half of the image also so that I would get two cards out of this one image.

Next, using the largest die from the Pierced Rectangle STAX (MFT), I die cut a piece of white cardstock.    I stamped the phrase "I Am More" on to my stamp positioner.  Using the piece of red cardstock as a guide I figured out where I wanted to stamp the phrase and drew a light pencil line.  Then I went and stamped the image using black ink. I heat set the image and then erased the pencil line.  I did this so that the image would line up perfectly with the phrase. 

After I colored in my image, I adhered it to the piece of red cardstock, which I then adhered next to the phrase.  I then cut a piece of white fun foam, adhered this to the back of the cardstock with the images and then adhered this to the card front.  I also adhered some crystals to the image.

Here is the second card using the other side of the image.

You will have to tell me what you think of these cards.  I LOVE this phrase by Donna Downey.  And although this stamp is geared more towards a woman to be used with some of the other images on the site, I think this phrase pertains to ALL of us. We are ALL more than what we see at a first glance.  No?  Please, tell me what you think!  

I hope to have another card or two done before Christmas.  So, until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

Michael

The Easiest Christmas Card for Dog Lovers

Hello everyone and Happy Saturday!!  Just wanted to pop in and share with you guys a really really really simple Christmas card.  I am going to call this card "the easiest Christmas card to make for dog lovers" card.  LOL.  

I was actually searching for this stamp last week to enter into the CAS on Sunday challenge blog for their pet challenge. But I couldn't find it.  Then, yesterday, while cleaning out a drawer, guess what I found?  Yes...this stamp of Archie the Holiday Dog, which I picked up last year at Paper Source.  At least now I can enter this card into the CAS on Sunday Challenge #97, which is Christmas.  

I started by cutting a piece of white cardstock 4" x 5.25".  Then I stamped Archie on the card front in Onyx Black Versafine ink.  I then stamped the phrase "warm wishes" from Word Critters - Winter Birds set by Your Next Stamp, in Satin Red Versafine ink. 

I then cut a top folding A2 card out of textured white cardstock and adhered the piece to the card front.  I colored in the hat with Rambunctious Red Bic Marker, adhered 3 red sequins to the card front and then adhered some Polar White Flower Soft to the hat using matte medium and set it aside to dry.

That's it.  Quite easy if I say so myself.  And talk about clean and simple.  LOL. I hope you guys liked this quick and easy card.  I have the same image of Archie but without the Santa hat and will have to put some ideas together.  Enjoy the rest of your Saturday and weekend everyone!!  Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

Michael