Merry Christmas 2019 (Kathy Berger)

Merry Christmas 2019

by Kathy Berger

This has been a very busy crazy year and I just haven't been able to work on the blog for Frantic Stamper (or my own blog, for that matter). I have been busy making kinetic cards for the monthly card kits from Frantic Stamper along with videos of the cards being made and detailed instructions for making the cards. It has consumed far more time than I expected! So with that, caring for my terminally ill kitty (she passed in July), and then dealing with kittens with resistant ringworm (daily vaccuming, laundry, and more bleach water than one could imagine) and just life in general, I just haven't had the time to edit blog posts. I apologize for dropping the ball. I will be trying to post regularly in 2020, sharing each month's cards from design team members along with links to their blog posts for each card.

As a bit of a start on better habits, here is a Christmas card I made using some great Frantic Stamper products.

This card is an open-front card based on a technique shared by Jennifer McGuire. The clouds were cut from two layers of cardstock and one layer of velum using the Stitched Cloud Builders. The velum cloud layer was sandwiched between the two layers of cardstock cloud. The same was done for the snowy hills, cut using the Stitched Scene Builders. I made a hinge on the left edges of the cloud and the snowy hill layers, and wrapped the hinged portion around a smoky blue piece of cardstock that was 4"x5 1/4" in size.

Next, I cut two copies of one of the Lil' Snowmen and four of the Small Oregon Fir. I added faux snow to two of the trees and colored one of the two snowmen, using a tiny scrap of cardstock behind the face and buttons. I then sandwiched the clouds and hills between the two copies of the snowmen (both with right side facing the outside front of the card) and between the two pairs of trees (again, with right side facing the outside front of the card). Finishing off the front, I added a Script Merry Christmas that I cut out of red cardstock.

I added another little hill shape to the card front and covered it with faux snow. I then layered the card to a 4 1/4"x5 1/2" piece of the same gray-blue cardstock that I embossed with a Swiss Dot embossing folder. I then backed the whole thing with a plain piece of the same gray-blue cardstock to give the back a smooth finish. I stamped a saying from a clear stamp set made by Stampendous on the inside of the card where it is hidden by the snowy hills when the card is closed.



I hope you have enjoyed today's card. I hope to post a few more times before the end of the year, and then more often in the new year!

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*** Materials for this project available at www.franticstamper.com.

FRA-Die-10725	FRA-Die-09492	FRA-Die-09249	FRA-Die-09794
FRA-Die-09403

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The More the Merrier (Michelle Leone)

The More the Merrier

by Michelle Leone



My motto for Holiday 2015? Yes, 'the more the merrier' would certainly apply. In an attempt to be better prepared (and actually mail my holiday cards before December 25th!) I am crafting away and adding to the Christmas card stash.

Lots of white and bright here! I've used the frame from the Elementals #1 die (such a great basic set), the beautiful Script Merry Christmas and the tiny trees from Snow Globe Base.  A bit of sparkle and a few CAS sentiments were the final additions!

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*** Materials for this project available at www.franticstamper.com.

FRA-Die-09306

FRA-Die-09249

FRA-Die-09668

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Woven Ribbons (Kathy Berger)

Woven Ribbons

by Kathy Berger



I know I have been sharing a lot of my own cards lately, and I promise that will stop soon. It is just that I have taken a brief hiatus from drawing dies (no, we aren't stopping production; I got ahead and was able to spend some time using the dies instead of just drawing them). I will be back into that full time very soon, and you won't see cards from me for a while.

Today I have two cards made with the Frantic Stamper woven ribbons die. This die is so versatile and fun to use! For each card I started out by cutting several different papers that all had similar color values (meaning the color intensity). This is a great way to use all those papers in a collection that you might not otherwise use or scraps left over from other projects.

For the "with love" card I just put all the papers into a single container because I fully intended to place the pieces randomly, but for the Christmas card I put each of the papers into a separate container because I intended to piece them in a pattern.

I then cut a neutral color of card-stock for each card to make the framework that I would piece into. I covered the fronts of each of the frames with Post-it Tape, and flipped them over. On the "with love" card, I just fit pieces into the frame like a puzzle, picking up a random piece and fitting it until all the frame was filled in.

On the Christmas card I had to work a little harder. I selected a color for each of the ribbon pieces on the card, and then had to search for the correct piece from that color's container of pieces. But both were fun, and somewhat relaxing to do!

Once the frames were filled in I glued a backing piece onto each of the frames, then added them to their respective card base. You will note that the "with love" card was used in portrait orientation while the Christmas card was done in landscape. Versatile die!

All that was left to do was add the decorative touches. I made pink flowers using the Petite Layering Flowers and the Petite Layering Leaves dies, and the Pointsetta with the Petite Pointsetta die. The Script Merry Christmas was just right for the Christmas card.

But when I cut the "with" and "love" using the Accessory Words #2 and #3, they just seemed "flat"; They really needed something to make them stand out from the page.

At first I thought I would add some pop by covering them with Glossy Accents, but I have trouble doing a good job with that and it takes a while to dry. I needed the card right away so I could send it to a really special friend who is having a rough time. So I put on my thinking cap. And I came up with a solution that I think is so wonderful that I just HAVE to share!

I made the letters shiny by covering my card stock with a bit of clear packaging tape before cutting! The letters still cut perfectly, but now they look like they have been enameled! The coating is perfect... no bubbles, no streaks, and absolutely even. I am going to be using this technique a lot in the future!

Here is a close-up of the words. I wish the shine showed more in this photo; you can see it a little, but believe me, in real life it is much less subtle and really beautiful!



Here is a close up of the Christmas card.


And one final look at both of the cards, from straight on. I sure hope you have enjoyed them!

 

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*** Materials for this project available at www.franticstamper.com.

FRA-Die-09192	FRA-Die-09194	FRA-Die-09433	FRA-Die-09467
FRA-Die-09662	FRA-Die-09284	FRA-Die-09249

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Merry Christmas (Lynn Mangan, Guest Designer)

Another month has passed and we are again back on the 25th with a Christmas card for you. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas

by Lynn


Hi there!  I'm very happy to be stopping by with another post as a guest designer at Frantic Stamper. You'll see pretty quickly that I'm a clean and simple girl at heart keeping my designs pretty clean with not a whole lot of layers.  I have a goal to make 15 Christmas cards a month but am very far behind!  So, I thought I'd take care of one of my design team posts with a Christmas card!  I die cut the sentiment from gold paper and adhered it to the black cardstock. I was a bit off center so I added a touch of patterned paper down the edge to ground the sentiment.  I find that adding a touch of striped, polka dot or chevron paper gives a little extra to a CAS design. To finish off the card I added a few sequins. Certainly wanted this fabulous sentiment to do the talking on this card!

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*** Materials for this project available at www.franticstamper.com.

FRA-Die-09249

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Merry Christmas, Deer Ones (Kathy Berger)

Merry Christmas, Deer Ones

by Kathy Berger


I am getting a more serious start on my Holiday cards and wanted to make a special one for a special aunt. I was inspired by a card by Pam Sim (pam-simcrafts.blogspot.com) and wanted to make a similar card.

With the exception of the lacy border die by Spellbinders, this card uses only Frantic Stamper dies, starting with the Horizontal Birch Panel. I tucked the kraft doe and buck into the woods, and then affixed the panel and the deer to a white glitter background (which appears a little pink because of the way the early morning light was reflecting).

That glittery panel was mounted to a lacy border, and then to a green panel, a bit of Christmas print with a gross-grain bow tied around it, another lacy border, and finally the card itself, which was made out of 120 lb. card-stock.

I finished the card off with a green script Merry Christmas and some green sprigs of holly with red berries and a couple of small cardinals.

I hope you have enjoyed my card. I had a wonderful time making it, creating a simple wintery scene for Christmas.

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*** Materials for this project available at www.franticstamper.com.
Frantic Stamper Products Used:

• Horizontal Birch Panel (FRA-Die-09225)
• Buck and Doe (FRA-Die-09227)
• Jolly Holly Sprigs (FRA-Die-09080)
• Cardinals (FRA-Die-09250)
• Script Merry Christmas (FRA-Die-09249)

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