Crafty Elves' Countdown To Christmas - February 2023 Edition

 

Hello everyone and welcome to the February 2023 Edition of The Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas.  If you are new here, the Countdown happens on the 25th of each month when some Crafty Elves - me (World of Michael Trent), Debra (Meticulosity), Lisa (BZScrapper), and Misty (The Jolly Fat Elf) - share some card ideas to help you during the year with your holiday cards.  

Last month's post was, I have to say, an AMAZING CARD but also a really long blog post.  So, this month, I thought I would keep it short and simple.  I used two stamps from Technique Junkies - Vintage Botanical Holly as my main image and two different sentiments from the Gifts of Christmas set.   The only other thing you need is embossing powder and a Versamark or clear embossing ink pad.

Card No. 1

• I made a top-folding A2 card using red cardstock.
• I cut two pieces of white cardstock using a stitched rectangle die measuring 4" x 5.25".  One I adhered on the inside of the card for a message.
• Using the other, I stamped Vintage Botanical Holly several times using Versamark Ink and then heat embossing with Green Foil embossing powder that I have in my stash (sorry, brand unknown).
• I splattered some red paint on the front, dried the paint with a heat tool, and adhered it to the card front.
• I stamped one of the sentiments from Gifts of Christmas on a piece of white cardstock, die cut it with a rectangle die, layered it on a piece of red cardstock, and, lastly, adhered this to the card front.

Card No. 2

• I made a top-folding A2 card using red cardstock.
• I cut two pieces of white cardstock using a stitched rectangle die measuring 4" x 5.25".  One I adhered on the inside of the card for a message.
• Using the other and leaving room for my sentiment, I stamped Vintage Botanical Holly twice using Versamark Ink and then heat embossed with a Forrest Green embossing powder in my stash.  
• I stamped one of the sentiments from Gifts of Christmas in the space I left for it and then adhered this to my card front.  

Now, before anyone says that the powder did not fully adhere or melt on one of the leaves, I saw that.  But, I also felt it worked on this card so I left it.  

I really like how these two cards turned out but I think Card No. 2, which is a much simpler and cleaner card, I like more.  But I love being able to use 1 or 2 stamps to get a few different cards made at the same time.  

Remember to go and check out what the other Crafty Elves have made for you this month.  All our links are below.    

Michael - World of Michael Trent 

Blog

Instagram

Facebook 

YouTube 

Debra - Meticulosity

Blog

Instagram

Facebook

Lisa - BZ Scrapper 

Blog

Instagram

Facebook

Misty - The Jolly Fat Elf

Facebook

Instagram  

YouTube 

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today.  I'd love to know what you think of these two cards.  Have a favorite?  Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil!

~Michael

**Special Announcement** - QKR Stampede Design Team

 

Hello all!  I wanted to pop in here and spread some good news.  A few weeks ago I was cleaning out a box and I found some rubber stamps that I bought years ago from QKR Stampede and Eureka Stamps.  I was talking about this to my friend Sue since she was my rubber stamp roadie when I lived in the states and, the next day, she tells me that QKR Stampede was looking to add people to their design team - but with a catch.  They would only be using digital stamps, which is right up my alley.

I applied...sent them the usual...blog, IG page, crafty resume and, this week they contacted me asking me if I would join their team.  

Of course, I said YES!  So I am now one of the newest members of the QKR Stampede Design Team.  I will make a card on the 1st and 15th of each month using digital stamps from either QKR or Eureka.  Of course, my card will be on the QKR Stampede Blog, I will have a blog post here, and I will have links to everything I used and a step-by-step if you wish to remake the card. 

https://www.stamponit.net/qkr-stampede

https://www.stamponit.net/eureka-stamps

And, a HUGE thanks to Sue!!  You know who you are.  

I am sure many of you are scratching your heads and wondering who QKR and Eureka are.  They are not one of the huge names in the industry.  The ones with thousands of followers and big names promoting their images.  But they are a really well-known Mom & Pop type of stamp company.  The kind of stamp company I love to make cards for.  The lesser-knowns.     

Long story short...the first place I ever saw a rubber stamp was in The Ink Pad in NYC - almost 20 years ago.  One year, Anna, the owner, hired a bus to take people to a rubber stamp show - probably in Massachusetts.  I had never been to one but, when I walked in and saw all those booths selling stamps...I knew I had entered heaven!  There weren't any really big names at that time.  Most, if not all, were small Mom and Pop brands - Stamp On It was one of those booths and they were selling QKR and Eureka images.  And that's how it all started.  

Anyway, I am super proud to be part of this team and hope you will follow their blog - QKR Stampede Blog - and come back to check out what I make on the 1st and 15th of each month.  Also, go check out their sites.  If you love digi stamps as much as I do, their images are about $2 each.  

Until the 1st of March...

Hugs from Brasil!

~Michael

Photography Themed Album for Ruy / Album in a Box / Your Book of Memories

 

Hello everyone.  The last 2-3 years have been crazy and I've made a lot of albums to keep me busy and my mind elsewhere.  About 2 years ago I made this photography-themed album for Ruy using the Album in a Box tutorial from Your Book of Memories and I paired it with digital papers from A Whimsical Adventure on Etsy and the digital version of the Mamma Razzi Collection from Bo Bunny, which I got on Snap Click Supply. 

Links to everything I used is at the end of this post, after the photos. 

I saw it this week and realized that I never shared this book - anywhere - so I'm doing this now.  I love this album a lot and want to make it again.  Soon.  Maybe.  This is such a cool book to make.  It actually goes together pretty quickly and I loved making it. 

You can see a walk-thru of this album over on my YouTube Channel by clicking below - 

Below are photos of the book but the video goes into more description than I can get in any photo.  

Your Book of Memories Main Page - 

https://yourbookofmemories.uscreen.io/

Album in a Box Tutorial - 

https://bit.ly/3HU62gC

A Whimsical Adventure on Etsy 

Vintage Camera Overlays/Paper Collection Bundle

https://bit.ly/3K5wVko

Snap Click Supply

Mama Razzi Collection 

I'd love to know what you think of the album, the video, and the papers used. Leave me a comment if you want. Also, remember to give this a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel.

Thanks!! Hugs from Brasil!

~Michael

Yes, It's A Holiday - Send A Card To A Friend Day

 

Hello everyone and welcome to a new "Yes, It's A Holiday" collaboration with my friends Debra (@djdavison814) and Lori (@mamakobs).  Today we are celebrating National Send A Card To A Friend Day.  I love getting a handmade card in the mail.  Knowing that a person took the time to sit down and make this card to send to me says a lot about that person.  I'm a bad person.  I make cards every week!  Do I ever send any?  No.  Well, today, that changes.  I have a few cards to send today and I cannot wait for the recipients to get them! 

According to National Today, the earliest cards are from the 15th century when Europeans adopted the idea of sending paper greeting cards.  Mass production started in the 1860s and Hallmark was founded in 1910, which is the largest and oldest manufacturer of cards in America.  

To make today's card...

I started with a sheet of decorative paper that had vintage postcards all over it.  It's from a Brasilian company called Arte Facil Artesanato but, sadly, it's been retired.  I also used the Slim Stitched Rectangle Die Set from Pink Fresh Studio and the All About You Die Set from Altenew.  

I die-cut the vintage pink cardstock using the largest of the dies from the Slim Stitched Rectangle Die set and I die-cut the decorative paper using the largest of the non-scalloped dies.   I also made my card base using white cardstock.  

I distressed the edges of both pieces using Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger) and adhered the vintage pink to the card front.  I cut a piece of fun foam, adhered it under the decorative paper, and then to the card front.  

Next, I die-cut the words "Miss You" and "Hey You" - because I didn't know which I wanted to use - using the same vintage pink cardstock and white cardstock.  Then I played around with the words and, ultimately, decided I liked both - so I made a 2nd card.  

Lastly, I adhered some Red Cosmos Enamel Dots from Altenew on the card front.  Some of the tones of the dots were perfect for this card.  

 Done.  Here are the final two cards up close.  

Done!  And I love them both.  I don't make many vintage-style cards but I really love how these turned out and I cannot wait to get these in the mail today.  

Don't forget to hop on over to Debra's and Lori's Instagram pages to see what they made to celebrate today.  Our Instagram pages are below.  Just click on our name and you will be transported to amazing cards and art.  And, while you are there, it would be great if you followed us too.  

Michael (@worldofmichaeltrent)

Debra (@djdavison814)

Lori (@mamakobs)

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today.  Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil. 

~Michael 

Paper Crafters Unite Against Racism IG Hop

 

Today I am one of the makers in the first Paper Crafters Unite Against Racism Instagram Hop of 2023 -  #papercraftersuniteagainstracism.  The hop continues tomorrow with new makers.

The goal of this hop is to raise awareness about:

- anti-racism;
- BLM (Black Lives Matter);
- to stand with and demonstrate solidarity with, sadly, so many causes...Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (APPI), the Jewish and Palestinian people, and other oppressed minorities.

Basically, be kind and respect others.  Even if you do not agree with them or their views.  They might not agree with yours either.    

For my notecards today, I went simple.  I used the Wave Form Cover Die from Altenew to cut 6 different colors from the Harvest Gathering Matstack from DCWV.  I wanted these colors to represent different skin tones in humanity.  Then I used one of each color to form the different card fronts.  Only 3 cards are shown here but I made 6.  

Next, I wanted some good quotes related to today's theme.  I went online and I found a great article, on Good Housekeeping, put together by Monique Valeris, called 

30 Insightful Quotes on Racism and the Power of Diversity in Society - Inspiring musing on the beauty of celebrating differences.

It dates back to 2020 but good quotes never age and I found some great ones.  I only used 3 so if you want to read the other 27 quotes, check out the link above. 

I printed 3 of them, used dies to cut them out, layered them on a piece of dark brown cardstock (another skin tone), and then adhered them to the card fronts. 

Done!  Below are the other makers participating in the hop - today and tomorrow.  They are all on Instagram and, if you have an account, I hope you will find the time to check the cards out, leave comments, and show support!  

As I am finishing up this post, I am thinking of all the people in the world that continue to face injustice because of their skin color, where they come from, what language they speak, and what religion, if any, they follow.  Whether they are gay, straight, trans, bi, American, Brasilian, Asian, Arabic, homeless, poor, a woman...the list goes on and on and I wish it would just end.  But, until then, I will continue to do what I can with my simple voice and my blog.  

Stay safe everyone.  I'd love to know what you think of my cards and this blog hop.  Please support me and the cause by leaving a comment below.  Positive or negative.  Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael