A Look Back

It's been an interesting year.  A mix of wonderful things and tough things.  I didn't stamp as much as I hoped, but I still managed to do eighty-four posts regardless.  Maybe I'll break that hundred-post ceiling in 2017.  Who knows?  Before this year ended, I wanted to take a look back at some of my favorite cards made in 2016.  Click on the pictures to see the original posts.  :)

A lot of these cards were made during the summer, my most prolific time stamping this year.  I moved my studio in November to my boys' old room.  I'm still settling in to the new location and figuring out how best to make it work.  I love all the extra space.  Not to mention, it is fantastic to have my cardstock in the same room! 

It's been fun to look back at this year's creations.  Here's to a brand new year, new creations, and new experiences!

Ink It Up with Leigh Penner: Hip Reindeer Tag

Welcome back for the second December installment of Ink It Up!  Every second and fourth Wednesday, Leigh Penner and I post a project using uninked sets.  I am showing the last of this year's Christmas tags for my family.  It's actually the second design I created, but I wanted to save these for my Ink It Up post because I used three different new stamp sets.  Three!  They are from the Candy Cane Lane Stamp of Approval kit by Catherine Pooler Designs.  Not only that, I used Nuvo Crystal Drops for the first time.  I love them!  Gimme all the pretty colors, please.  :)

Isn't that darling?  I cut the two tag layers using Tag Sale #8 from Papertrey Ink in Pure Poppy and Kraft cardstock.  On the Pure Poppy base, I stamped the Peppermint Stick Background in VersaMark ink.  I did the same thing on the Kraft tag layer, but using a sentiment from Merry & Bright Boughs.  I like the subtle background it created.  I stamped the word "noel" from Hip Holiday on the bottom in black ink and then glued the layers together.

That adorable reindeer is from Hip Holiday.  I stamped him in Dark Chocolate ink on white cardstock and then cut it with the matching die.  I added his little nose using Red Berry Nuvo Crystal Drops.  That stuff totally holds dimension!  They are just as high and rounded as when I first squeezed it out.  Love!  I was so tempted to add drops of different colors to his antlers to mimic Christmas lights, but I ultimately decided to keep it simple.  That way the focus is on that cute red nose.  I popped up the reindeer with dimensionals and added him to the tag.  Lastly, I tied on some red and white baker's twine.

I'm really pleased with these tags.  I like the simplicity!  I have fun making the family tags every year and my kids love to guess whose is whose.  It's one of my favorite traditions now!  Be sure to pop over to Leigh's blog, To the Full, to see her post today.

Stamps:  Hip Holiday, Merry & Bright Boughs, Peppermint Stick Background (Catherine Pooler Designs)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento); VersaMark; Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  Kraft, Pure Poppy, White (Papertrey Ink)
Misc:  Hip Holiday dies (Catherine Pooler Designs); Tag Sale #8 die (Papertrey Ink); Red Berry Nuvo Crystal Drops

Penguin Tag

Here's another set of tags that I made for this year's gifts.  Two of my kids suggested a penguin, so I used this one from Punch Pals by Stampin' Up.  Other than the hand cutting, this is a quick design.

I cut a tag base using the Tag Sale #2 die by Papertrey Ink.  I also cut it out of patterned paper from the Winter Frost dsp stack and glued them together.  I cut another piece from white cardstock, first with the tag die, and then with the In the Meadow die by Papertrey Ink to get the snowy slope.  I covered it with Crystal glitter and glued it to the bottom of the tag.

I stamped the penguin on white cardstock and colored it with Stampin' Up markers.  I added glitter to the scarf using a glue pen.  After fussy-cutting the penguin, I adhered it to the snowy hill on the tag.  Using the Tag Sale #10 die, I cut banners from both white and Pool Party cardstock.  I stamped the sentiment from Winterberry with black ink, layered them together, and glued them to the tag.

As a final touch, I tied on some white satin ribbon.  The tags turned out darling!  My kids really loved this one.  I'll be back tomorrow to post the last tag design for this year.

 

Stamps:  Punch Pals (Stampin' Up); Winterberry (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink); Pool Party, Winter Frost dsp stack (Stampin' Up)
Markers:  Pool Party, Going Gray, Tangelo Twist (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  Tag Sale #2 die, Tag Sale #10 die (Papertrey Ink); Crystal fine glitter (Martha Stewart); white ribbon

Joy Wreath Tag

It's been a lovely Christmas weekend.  My college kids are home and we got to Skype with our missionary on Christmas day.  I'm popping in to post one of the tags I made for family gifts.  This one uses the Wondrous Wreath set by Stampin' Up.

I cut Kraft cardstock with the Tag Sale #4 die by Papertrey Ink and stamped the word "joy" in the center.  It's from the Merriest stamp set by Avery Elle.  I love the font in that set!  I stamped the wreath in Garden Green ink on white cardstock and then stamped the second leaf layer in the same ink.  I stamped the berries in Real Red ink. 

The dies for this wreath gave me fits!  It's easy to line up the main wreath die, but the center piece was a pain.  You can't see through it.  I only managed to cut one of the centers perfectly aligned.  I even tried cutting first and then stamping, but that didn't work well because the die edge impresses into the cardstock so the stamping wasn't even.  There are several discarded wreaths in my trash can.  Except for the die struggles, however, these tags were quick to make.

I stamped the bow in Real Red ink and cut it out with the matching die.  I added Ruby Slippers Nuvo Crystal Drops over the berries for dimension and a touch of glitter.  I love how it looks!  I popped the wreath up with foam tape, and once I tied on some red satin ribbon, the tags were done.  I'll post the other two tag sets this week, so stay tuned.  :)

Stamps:  Wondrous Wreath (Stampin' Up); Merriest (Avery Elle)
Ink:  Garden Green, Real Red (Stampin' Up); Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper:  White, Kraft (Papertrey Ink)
Misc:  Wonderful Wreath dies (Stampin' Up); Tag Sale #4 die (Papertrey Ink); Ruby Slippers (Nuvo Crystal Drops); red ribbon 

Ink It Up with Leigh Penner: Peace Nativity Tag

Welcome to the first Ink It Up post for December!  Leigh Penner and I post something twice a month, on the second and fourth Wednesdays, using uninked stamp sets.  My project today also includes a die that hadn't been used yet, along with a new color.  I needed to make a tag to include in my missionary son's Christmas package.  He specifically requested one even though he won't be home for the usual mystery tag tradition.  He's been gone a month now.  I couldn't let him down!  I miss that boy.

I cut the tag using Dark Indigo cardstock and the Tag Sale #4 die by Papertrey Ink.  It's my favorite tag die, so I use it a lot!  I cut the Nativity Border die by Taylored Expressions out of silver glitter paper first and then with the tag die so it would nest nicely.  After gluing it in place, I embossed the word "hope" from Spirit of Christmas by PrintWorks with white powder.  I stamped another sentiment from that set in Dark Indigo ink on a white Double-Ended Banner die cut.  Once I punched a hole in the end, I tied white ribbon through both pieces.  I used a bit of narrow silver ribbon to add a bow just above the tag.

Very simple, but I thought it was appropriate for my son while serving on his mission.  Our home life is adjusting to his absence, but it has been hard to let him go.  He's loving it, however, and that's all that matters!  I will be posting the rest of this year's tags once I get them finished.  Make sure you pop over to Leigh Penner's blog, To the Full, to see her Ink It Up post.

Stamps:  Spirit of Christmas (PrintWorks)
Ink:  Dark Indigo (Papertrey Ink); VersaMark
Paper:  White, Dark Indigo (Papertrey Ink); silver glimmer paper (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  Tag Sale #4 die, Double-Ended Banner die (Papertrey Ink); Nativity Border die (Taylored Expressions); white embossing powder (Filigree); white and silver ribbon

Here's another nativity tag that I created last year.  Click on the picture to see the original post.