Moo-ry Christmas!

I have had this Penny Black stamp for a number of years and just touched it to ink this past weekend. I joined the Christmas Card Challenge at SCS a few years ago and it has been a great help to get me to finish my Christmas cards each year, usually with plenty of time to spare.

For those of you unfamiliar with this challenge, I'll 'splain: The idea is to determine how many Christmas cards you will need and commit to stamp about a 10th of them every month, starting in January, so you will finish them in October and have less hustle and bustle and hassle during the holidays. I usually need to stamp about 150 cards, so it's a huge undertaking. I used to stamp 100+ of the same card design until a couple of years ago when I grew bored with it and decided to make a minimum of 10 designs. Often, I will also stamp a Christmas card as one of the weekly color combo or sketch challenges and add it to my stash. To visit the Christmas Card Challenge forum at SCS, click here. You can join at any time, even though it's 1/2 way through the year.

I had fallen a bit behind in my challenge cards, so this past weekend, I sat down and completed about 50 cards and I have now finished 90 cards of the 150 I need for this year.



To make this cute card: Cut a 5.5" x 12" piece of red cardstock from a 12"x 12" sheet. Score across the strip at 2.5" from one end and 4" from the other. The larger fold will be at the top of the card and contains the cow image.

Next, I stamped a white panel with the Cow background from Cornish Heritage Farms using Black Palette Ink. My friend Chris Franco, a TAC demo got me hooked on this ink. It's my first time using it and I do like it, though I may have gotten a darker image using SU craft ink. This panel is cut 1/4" smaller than the lower flap of the card, so 5.25" x 2.25". The upper panel has Glorious Green as the first layer, measuring 3 7/8" x 5 3/8". The black layer is 1/8" smaller in each direction, and the white panel is 1/8" smaller than the black panel. I stamped the cow on the right side of the white panel also using Palette Ink.

After that, I pierced the corners for a touch of interest. The 5/8" polka dot organdy ribbon, red and black gingham, and gold cord are all from Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts. I tried and tried to find a stamp that says "Moo-ry Christmas", but after an unsuccessful search, I resorted to my computer and printer. I used a Wild West type of font and printed out enough copies for the cards I was making. I used my Nestabilities to cut out the 3 ovals. I centered the smallest oval over the sentiment and then cut it out and ran it back through to emboss it around the edges.

I adhered the cow image panel to the green panel, then wrapped the polka dot ribbon around the side and taped it on the back, then adhered both panels to the top of the card, and the cow print to the bottom. I adhered the 3 layers of the tag together and punched a 1/8" hole off center and tied the red & black gingham and gold cord to the tag. The tag is popped up on foam tape. Finally, I fastened the card shut with 1/2 of a velcro dot.

To see my other 3 card designs from this weekend, visit my gallery at Splitcoast Stampers by clicking here.

Tutorial For a Woven Ribbon Card

I have had many, many requests for directons for the woven card in our gallery for our polka dot ribbon contest. The fabulous card in question won the contest for best card and was made by Ann Lind. You can click here to go to the gallery which includes her card. Ann sent me detailed directions and I have followed them here with a few changes.

First, I decided to make a square card. My finished card is 5.5" x 5.5". First I cut a piece of white cardstock 4.5" x 4.5". You can see in the photo that I put a line of adhesive around the outer edges. I used my ATG, but mono or snail would work fine also.


Next, I started cutting strips of ribbon to start the weaving process. I chose Daffodil, Turquoise, and Azalea from Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts. Clicking here will take you to our organdy page. I chose these colors because they are close to Primary colors and will make green, purple, and orange where they cross. Ann suggested using white ribbon (or solid colors) as a base if you are going to be weaving with polka dot organdy ribbons. Begin sticking on the strips of ribbon, starting at the center.



Continue sticking on strips of ribbon until the majority of the card is covered. It doesn't show too well in the photo, but I found it worked best to leave a tiny bit of open space between the strips to allow the weave to lie nice and flat. At this point, Ann stitched down the ribbons to keep them in place.



Once you have placed all of the strips in one direction, begin weaving strips in the other direction in an over-under pattern. I found it easiest to pull up the end of each crossing strip as I wove the ribbons under them. I simply restuck the ribbons to the adhesive as I worked.


Continue weaving until the card is covered. After finishing to this point Ann stitched once again to hold down the second layer.


Cut strips of white cardstock 1/4" wide and 4.5" long. I used this step instead of the stitching steps Ann used. Cover the back of the strips with ATG or other adhesive. Stick them over the top of the ribbons to secure your weaving. This finished piece is 4.5" x 4.5".


Next, trim the excess ribbons from the edge of your piece using nice, sharp scissors.


Cut a piece of turquoise cardstock 5"x5" and center a Nestibility circle over the cardstock. Run the piece through your Cuttlebug or similar device. You could also cut a circle using the CM cutting system or any similar tools.


Cut a piece of cardstock 11" x 5.5". Score and fold in half, this will be your card base.


Adhere the woven piece to the card base, in the center.


Adhere the turquoise piece over the woven piece.


Cut a piece of Pixie Pink cardstock 4.75" x 4.75". I randomly stamped mine with the flowers from One of a Kind by Stampin' Up!. After stamping, cut a scalloped circle in the center using Nestabilities. I made the scalloped circle slightly larger than the circle cut out of the turquoise piece.


Adhere the pink piece over the remainder of the card.


To finish the card, I cut a scalloped oval out of white and a regular oval out of Pixie Pink. The sentiment is also from One of a Kind and stamped in Tempting Turquoise. I added three jaunty ribbon tails to the back of the tag and adhered to the card.

Thanks to Ann for sending in this great card and sharing the instructions. Enjoy making your own versions. Please feel free to submit your artwork to us at pinkhedgehgopapercrafts@gmail.com. We will make a special Woven Ribbon gallery to hold your creations.

Happy Stamping~~Heidi