Christmas Countdown #6 - Yuletide Christmas

I've been really excited about this post for a while now because I get to show two things that I am totally in love with. The first is this awesome gift card holder. I would go through the step by step but it's already been done in this lovely tutorial I stumbled across.
http://destampincorner.blogspot.com/2009/09/top-note-gift-card-holder-tutorial.html

You may notice that I used a different stamps set to decorate.

I used:

* Yuletide Christmas stamp set

* Real Red, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla card stock

* Chocolate Chip ink, Chocolate Chip, Real Red and Old Olive markers

* Top Note Bigz Die

* Wide oval punch, scallop oval punch, antique brass jumbo eyelet, Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, stamping sponges

And the next thing I LOVE is this fun technique I found at splitcoaststampers called Retiform. I don't know what that word means, but if you'd like to see a tutorial, click here:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/retiform_grid_technique/

As you can see, I followed the tutorial pretty closely (I never used the second color) for the card on the left and then for the other card and the bookmark I just went nuts. It was soooo fun!

I used:

*Yuletide Christmas, Snow Swirled and Many Merry Messages (to add variety to the images) stamp sets

* Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Real Red card stock and Christmas Cocoa d.s.p

* Soft Suede ink, soft suede, Real Red and Old Olive Markers

* Real Red 5/8" Grosgrain, Linen Thread, Soft Suede 1/2" polka dot Grosgrain Ribbon

* Wide oval punch, scallop oval punch, Jumbo eyelets, stamping sponges

Isn't it fantastic? After I made this card I got to thinking, "hmmm, this is totally flat. I bet it would make a lovely bookmark," so...

Ta Da! Bookmark. Too bad I don't have any time to read anymore because I'm always stamping. Someday I'll use this bookmark. I know it!

These next two cards are pretty fun to make. I measured a piece of very vanilla, stamped the stocking/nutcracker on it, colored it in using blender pens and chalk (Stampin' Pastels) and then wadded it up as much as possible. Once it was sufficiently beat up I chalked the edges with some brown and then slapped the card together. I tried making two versions of the same idea so you can see how versatile this idea is, but as it turns out, I sort of hate one of these, but I'm not telling which one.

I used:

* Yuletide Christmas

* Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Very Vanilla card stock, Christmas Cocoa d.s.p.

* Chocolate Chip ink

* Blender pen, Stampin' Pastels, Real Red 5/8" Grosgrain ribbon, brads

And here is the 5 minute card that I made with this set. So quick and easy! No coloring, cutting, sponging, measuring...etc. Just stamp it, punch it and stick it together. (Ok, I did use markers on the greeting and I inked around the edges of the Vanilla and Olive card stock rectangles, but still, super easy.) Josh hates it, but I think the Nutcrackers are charming. I can just imagine them on the back of my Mother's piano staring out at all the gifts under the tree.

I used:

* Yuletide Christmas stamp set

* Real Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla card stock

* Chocolate Chip ink

* Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, and Real Red markers

* Wide oval punch, scallop oval punch, Sleigh Bells ribbon