Christmas Card ideas

Here's my third installment in Christmas card ideas from The Heartfelt Stampers Team!  Click HERE and HERE to see more!

Here's a beauty using Greeting Card Kits stamp set.  Love the use of the Lattice Bigz Die background!  And the ribbon treatment looks so nice – Whisper White Satin Ribbon tied with Always Artichoke Seam Binding Ribbon.

Everyone loves Snow Much Fun stamp set this year!  Here's another great example with this darling set.

Here's a stamp set that's an "oldie but goodie" – Holiday Lineup.  And it gets a fresh new look with some of the products from the Holiday Mini Catalog – Cherry Cobbler Quilted Satin Ribbon, Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper and Dazzling Details glitter glue to highlight some of the areas.

To order your Stampin' Up! products online 24/7 — click HERE!

More Christmas Card Swaps

Here's the next set of Christmas card swaps – some fun ideas for your own cards!

This beauty is from April and uses the Winter Post stamp set along with the sentiment from Four the Holidays.  Lots of "Big Shot-ing" going on – the background is oh, so pretty with the Petals-A-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder in the background; Top Note Die and Scallop Square Die add interest in layers and Sweet Buttons Embosslits Die is a great way to create a paper button that's low in cost, easy to mail and cute to boot!

Love this traditionally elegant Christmas card using Perfect Polka Dots Textured Embossing Folder for the background, beautiful Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon, Rhinestones and Snow Swirled stamp set.

Contempo Christmas stamp set gets a gorgeous backdrop of Silver Glimmer Paper and designer paper from the Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin' Kit found in the Holiday Mini Catalog.  There's also some Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon and a Mini Jingle Bell.

Don't Forget!
To sign up for the next Stamp Shoppe, either to attend or "on the go" – click HERE.

Christmas Card swaps

At our annual Oktoberfest Retreat Weekend, we exchanged Christmas Cards in a swap including 30 people!  It was so much fun to see lots of different ideas for our beautiful seasonal stamps.  Here are just a few of my favorites.

Here's a beauty by Nicole using the Holiday Mini catalog stamp set Bright Hopes.

What a truly clever card from Jackie using Holiday Happiness stamp set.  Ornaments are simply punched out of Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin' Kit designer paper from the Holiday Mini catalog and popped up on dimensionals.

My apologies to whomever designed this gorgeous card – can't remember who it was.  The border is Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder sponged with Cherry Cobbler ink.  Stamp set is Bells and Boughs from the Idea Book & Catalog, coupled with the Bird Builder Punch used with Red Glimmer Paper.

Stay tuned for more fabulous Christmas Card swaps!  I'll be posting many more!

Don't Forget!
New photos are up for November! – sign up for the next Stamp Shoppe, either to attend or "on the go" – click HERE.

More from Oktoberfest Retreat Weekend

I began posting about our Heartfelt Stampers' retreat weekend HERE.  Today, I'll show you some of the adorable gifts and goodies we all received for coming.

Here are some of the treats that everyone who attended received.  Everything was in keeping with the circus theme.

This was a little note card that accompanied a cookie made from Stampin' Up!'s new Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps – it was packaged in a cello bag with a pretty red bow on top, but I ate it!  Am I terrible?  I didn't even wait to snap a photo!

Here is our second pillow gift.  Notice the darling tag made from Under The Big Top stamp set.  And look at that gorgeous Red Glimmer Paper punched out for the bar bells!  It also uses a Mini Clothespin to keep the bag shut.  And inside was some ruffled ribbon.

I showed you a picture before of our amazing popcorn popper – well, here are the containers we used to dish it up!  The popcorn motif was created from the Cupcake Builder Punch, as well as a punch from Itty Bitty Punch Pack.  So clever!

And here's the card I received for my sales for the month of September.  Love this idea of creating a circus tent!  It's made by punching lots of card stock pieces from the Word Window Punch and another image from the Under the Big Top stamp set.

I bet you're wondering how YOU can join us for our next retreat!  There couldn't be a better time than right now! 

GET A FREE BIG SHOT OR $100 IN FREE PRODUCTS as a BONUS with the Stampin' Up! Starter Kit.  October only!  The $175 Starter Kit and Product Bonus are valued at $440 and shipping is FREE! That's a 60% savings!  Check out the details HERE!

AND be sure to call in to our conference call to find out all about purchasing the starter kit – call-in information is HERE.

More swaps from some talented gals

I'd like to share with you a couple more swaps I received from my team members at our July Stamp Fest.

First up is a fun swap from Laura S. showcasing the 2011-13 In Colors.  I love this simple but effective card using the Big Shot and the Tasteful Trims Die to do most of the work!  The image is from Happiest Birthday Wishes, a hostess-exclusive stamp set, and it's markered direct to rubber using the In Color Stampin' Write Markers.

Sad to say, I don't know who to give credit to for this beauty.  I love the color combo here – Tempting Turquoise, Real Red and Basic Black make such a statement!  There's lots of fun elements – designer paper, textured embossing folder, punches and a wonderful image from Sweets for the Sweet stamp set.  Sentiment is from Thank You Kindly.

This final one is the creative work of Sheila E.  She's used one of my favorite stamp sets, Simply Soft – a hostess-exclusive set – for the two-step stamping.  Tiny Pearls are in the centers of the flowers to dress them up, and the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch adds the perfect accent.  Oh, so pretty!

Don't Forget!
To order your Stampin' Up! products online 24/7 — click HERE!

Doily and Flowers

Here's a card I taught at my August workshops.  I had lots of design help from my friend Sharon V. – I modeled it after a swap I received from her and just changed up the colors.  The card starts off with Whisper White card stock with Hello, Doily background stamped in Soft Suede Classic Ink.  Next I created the pretty flower using Calypso Coral card stock and Fun Flowers die with the Big Shot.  The center is a punch from Boho Blossoms Punch.  I stacked them one on top of the other and adhered them using dimensionals.  The leave is cut from Old Olive card stock and the Leaves #2 die.  The sentiment was created using the Lots of Tags Sizzlits die in Soft Suede card stock.  I stamped the greeting using Petite Pairs and punched that out with the XL Oval Punch.  A few extra flowers punched from Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack fill in some negative space.  The decorative strip is created with punching some Blushing Bride card stock with the Scallop Trim Border Punch on both sides then a piece of designer paper from the Mocha Morning Specialty paper pack.  Basic Pearls complete the centers of all the flowers.  Do you notice some sparkle and shine?  I used a few drops of Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint in a small bottle of rubbing alcohol, shook it up really well and spritzed the flower.

Here's Sharon's original swap (minus the greeting – don't have a picture with it on!) using a bit different color scheme with Concord Crush, Always Artichoke and Pretty in Pink:

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 122845 Hello, Doily $17.95
Item No. 122495 Petite Pairs wood $28.95
Item No. 122497 Petite Pairs $20.95
Item No. 121812 Fun Flowers Bigz L Die $32.95
Item No. 114508 Lots of Tags Sizzlits DIe Set (4) $21.95
Item No. 113459 Leaves #2 Originals Die $15.95
Item No. 119859 XL Oval Punch $16.95
Item No. 119858 Boho Blossoms Punch $16.95
Item No. 118309 Itty Bitty Punch Pack $16.95
Item No. 118402 Scallop Trim Border Punch $15.95
Item No. 122366 Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Series Paper $12.95
Item No. 119247 Jewels Basic Pearls (150) $4.95
Item No. 116806 Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint $5.95

A few more swaps

Here are some more terrific swaps from my team mates!

Here's a terrific Christmas card if you don't want to go with the traditional red and green.  I love the clean, simple lines that black and white create.  Wonderful card from Julia H.  It uses the penguin from Zoo Review, a terrific animal stamp set you can use year round – especially nice for masculine cards!  The sentiment comes from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

Next is a card from Jackie B. using Up, Up & Away stamp set.  Don't you just love the popped up air balloon?  It's made by stamping once on the main card then three times on scrap Whisper White card stock, cutting out, folding in half then adhering them together.  So cute! 

Don't Forget!
Designer Paper sale ends August 31st – check out our Buy 3 Get One FREE sale HERE!
Summer Mini Catalog ends August 31st – order now by clicking HERE!

Updated “For Sale” Page and Swaps

I just updated my For Sale page with what I have left to sell AND I've slashed the prices!  Click HERE for some terrific deals on retired Stampin' Up! products!

Here are a couple of fantastic swaps I made during our all-day Stamp Fest:

The first card is designed by Sandy J.  I just love her clever idea to turn this card into a scene!  The trees come from the new Pennant Parade stamp set used with the coordinating Petite Pennants Builder Punch.  So fun!

This card was designed by Sandy's daughter, April.  I love that April used the Sweet Buttons Embosslits Die with the Big Shot to work as buttons for the cherries from the Button Buddies stamp set.  What a sweet idea!

Language of Friendship & Last Day to Register!

Here's a bright, beautiful card I received from my upline, Aly Schilling, to congratulate me on my sales and recruiting for the month of August.  I love the color combination she used!  When I first saw Language of Friendship stamp set in the new Idea Book & Catalog, it wasn't my favorite set.  But I've seen a few samples for the set now, and it's growing on me!  I love that it's designed to use with two punches – the Boho Blossoms Punch and the Bird Builder Punch.  And at just $15.95 for wood and $11.95 for clear, this little stamp set packs a punch!  And do you notice any brand new product from the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog?!  A beautiful new 3/8" quilted satin ribbon in Early Espresso is coming your way on September 1st!

LAST DAY TO REGISTER!

It's also the last day to register for either the August Christmas Card Stamp-A-Stack OR the Stamp-A-Stack Club!  More details and to register, click HERE!

Ornate Blossom

I received this beautiful congratulations card from my upline for top sales for the month of March!  I love this card for its simplicity and attention to detail.  The corner rounding adds such a nice touch, along with the pretty scalloped border at the bottom.  It's also a great color scheme – Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive and So Saffron.  The main image is a single stamp called Ornate Blossom which coordinates with Friends Never Fade and Greenhouse Gala Designer Paper.  The sentiment is from a great Level 2 Hostess stamp set Something to Celebrate.  Earn it free when either placing an order or hosting a workshop that totals at least $300.

Don't Forget!
Take advantage of the Spring is Blossoming promotion – click HERE for details!
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