Merry Melody | Susan Stamps

Hello everyone! Today is our last Stamp Off Challenge for a while. Buffy, Jackie and I have been doing our challenges for almost six years. It is hard to believe it has been that long. I have enjoyed every single one of our challenges but, as a group, we have decided to take a break from regularly scheduled bi-weekly challenges and just do them when time permits. I have to say that working with Buffy and Jackie has been one of the highlights of my stamping career. They are both so talented and I have learned so much from them. The good part is we will always be good friends. We just aren’t going to do a bi-weekly challenge.

In any case our challenge this week is to showcase our own Christmas cards.

Stampin Up Christmas Season

I decided to use the stamp set called Christmas Season for my card. This stamp set has coordinating dies called Seasonal Labels. This bundle is in the July – December Mini Catalog but I am happy to know that it is not retiring and will be available after that catalog is over. If you order it before January 4th, though, you can still get the 10% bundle discount. That will go away once this Mini Catalog ends. The things I love about this bundle are the pinecones and the different leaves in this set as well as all the different labels it includes.

To make this card I first embossed a 4″ x 5.25″ piece of Basic White card stock using the Merry Melody 3D embossing folder. I am so happy because this folder is also being carried over. Next I stamped the pinecones in Crumb Cake and Soft Suede ink and cut them out using the coordinating die. These stamps are two-step stamps which means it takes two or more stamps to make one image. Next I stamped the different leaves in Soft Succulent and Evening Evergreen ink and cut them out using the dies too. I layered them on the embossed piece of Basic White and then onto a Cherry Cobbler card base.

I do have to admit I had to change my original card a bit. When I first designed it I had stamp the sentiment (from the stamp set called Heartfelt Wishes which will retire on January 3rd) in Cherry Cobbler ink and then embossed it with the Merry Melody embossing folder. Then I began to mass produce my card and after I had embossed everything, I realized I had forgotten to stamp them first. There was no way I was going to throw out 60 embossed pieces of card stock so I change the design up a bit. I stamped the sentiment on a strip of Basic White card stock that I layered it on a strip of Cherry Cobbler card stock.

Lastly I added three Matte Decorative Dots around the images.

On another note, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year. Thanks for all your kind comments on our challenges. Each one made me smile.

Now let’s go see what Jackie and Buffy made for their Christmas cards. I am sure they are going to be gorgeous!

Product List

Christmas Season Bundle (English)

[156801]

$54.00

Heartfelt Wishes Cling Stamp Set (English)

[156541]

$21.00

Merry Melody 3 D Embossing Folder

[156392]

$10.00

Decorative Matte Dots

[156289]

$8.00

Hello everyone! Today is another Stamp Off Challenge. This time our challenge is called “Down On The Farm”. I looked through all my stamp sets and could not find one that had anything to do with a farm. Then I realized that one of the Sale-a-bration stamp sets is called Counting Sheep. Perfect! There are actually TWO Sale-a-bration items I used. One is the stamp set and the other is the coordinating dies called Sheep Dies. You can get both of these for free with a qualifying order. Even better!

Stampin Up Counting Sheep

To make this card I first stamped the sheep in Smoky Slate using Memento Black Ink. At this point I have to admit I had some help with an idea for this card. Diana Gibbs did a video showing how she used a gel pen and drew curls all over her sheep. I thought this was just adorable so I CASEd (Copy And Share Everything) her using her great gel pen idea. I also used her rosy cheek suggestion using a Flirty Flamingo Stampin’ Blends. Then I cut it out using the coordinating die from the Sheep Dies.

After this, one thing led to another. I decided that my sheep looked like she was performing so I decided she was singing. Therefore, I used the Merry Melody Embossing Folder for my background with Basic White card stock. This folder is in the 2021 July – December Mini Catalog. Then I decided she should be singing on top of the cute little fence that comes with the Sheep Dies so I cut that out using Cinnamon Cider card stock. The card still looked a little plain so I added the sun/moon behind her using a piece of Sweet Symmetry Designer Series Paper and backed it with a piece of Cinnamon Cider card stock using the Layering Circles Dies. I cut the clouds out in Basic White also using the Sheep Dies. Lastly I added the Flirty Flamingo flower to her with a Champagne Rhinestone. I popped the sheep and clouds up using a Dimensional.

The sentiment is from the Free As A Bird stamp set.

Now, let’s go see what Buffy and Jackie used for their farm.

Don’t forget you can get this cute Counting Sheep stamp set and Sheep Dies for free with a qualifying order during the month of September. Hurry because when they sell out, they will be gone for good.