Here is an amazing tutorial by Maureen!!! She has created a beautiful Christmas gatefold card which could easily be altered for any occasion!!! Thank you Maureen!!!
4 1/4" x 11" piece of cardstock, scored and folded at 2 3/4" from each short end
2 pieces of patterned paper - 4" x 2 5/8" (I just took a piece that was 4" x 5 1/4"
and cut it in half so that the patterns would line up in the middle)(I used My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Christmas 6x6 paper pad)
1/8" hole punch
String/Twine of some sort (I used 2 18" strands of Timeless
Twine
Instructions:
1) Take the piece of cardstock and put adhesive as shown using the gift card as a guide. Make sure to leave the right side open!
2) Decorate as desired. For the trees, I stamped the tree image in dark chocolate ink 6 times: twice on cardstock and 4 times on different patterned papers. Next I cut the cardstock trees with the matching die.
Finally, I cut the tree tops out as shown below:
I adhered all the pieces together (the first small tree is mounted with
foam tape) and here's what the decorated card looks like:
3) Punch 1/8" hole near the middle of the bottom right edge of the card
and pull the twine through.
4) Insert the gift card into the pocket. As you push the card in, the
twine should be going inside the pocket as well. It may be a little
tight, so push carefully to not damage the card.
5) When the gift card is hidden completely in the pocket, tie a bow with
your twine.
6) Here's what the finished card looks like with the gift card pulled out:
You can also see that the top lifts up for you to write a message to the
recipient.
I hope you like this card and if you do make one, please link it up in
the comments so we can see it - thanks! ~Maureen
I just wanted to share this adorable winter card with you made by Carole - CUTE!!! I just love this little World Kid Tootega!!!
Our current challenge is a Winter/Holiday challenge and you have until January 3rd to enter your project.
Did you know that this is our final YNS challenge??? Yep, that's right! I've decided to start something new and exciting in 2012 so stay tuned for more information on this super FUN weekly event!
In the meantime we would LOVE to see all your fabulous YNS projects plus the prize is extra special!!! We've got a fabulous YNS stamp up for grabs along with some YNS bucks to spend on anything you want at the YNS Store!!!
Be sure to check out all the details and awesome YNS DT projects HERE!
Plus before you go...I just wanted to remind everyone about the super amazing special YNS Deal of the Week going on now until January 1st!!!
Simple & Serene Sarah would be my hubby and I'm the complete opposite. I would be the one like you running around like crazy and making sure that everything is working perfectly. But I still love him the way he is coz he cares for me. I wouldn't change him for anything.
Congrats Jennyfer! Be sure to email me to claim your prize!
Thank you to everyone who commented! I look forward to reading Carole's next CCC post on January 18th!
Today I've got a few fabulous cards our December guest designer Veronica created using the new Fancy Frame stamp set and die. I love how versatile this set is, you can use it for cards, tags, scrapbook pages, gift bags and so much more!!!
As a little holiday gift to you I'm offering 25% off all orders until Jan 1st - be sure to check out the YNS Deal of the Week for your discount code!!! YAY!!!
One of my favorite contemporary Christmas carols is Billy Squier (of 'The Stroke' fame - holla to all youths of the '80's in the hizzle)'s "Christmas Is the Time to Say 'I Love You'." Here's a fun fact to know and tell: that song 'dropped' in 1981, during the heyday of MTV, when Martha Quinn, J.J. Jackson and the rest of the original vee-jays showed music videos and nothing but music videos, 'round the clock. The Good Old Days, if you will. In December of 1981, I was twelve years old and in seventh grade. That was thirty years ago. I'll let you do math.
These days, when I sing (as I often do, to the chagrin of my children, the dog, and anyone within hearing distance) that song, I tend to change the lyrics to whatever I'm feeling or thinking at the moment. For example:
Christmas Is the Time to Say... I'm Tired
Christmas Is the Time to Say... Clean Your Room
Christmas Is the Time to Say... You're Naughty
Christmas Is the Time to Say... It's Bedtime
and so on. For the last couple of days, however, I've been observing my actions, gyrations, behaviors and what not. The tune that keeps popping into my head? "Christmas Is the Time to Say... I'm Crazy."
I don't know about you, but this time of the year brings out both the best and worst in me. The best because I honestly love the holiday season and truly endeavor to make it merry and bright. I decorate my house to the hilt, I try to select thoughtful gifts each recipient will love, I play Christmas music non-stop, I take in all the Christmas movies and TV specials with my boys (pretty much just my 7 year old, now, because my 15 year old is too cool), and so on. I want to create idyllic holiday memories that my family will cherish forever.
Alas, I must admit: it also brings out the worst. I could go into excruciating detail on this point, but in the interest of brevity, I'll leave it at this: I try to cram way too much into way too narrow of a time frame. Inevitably, I end up over-extended, exhausted, and disappointed.
Have you ever seen the movie, "Christmas Vacation"? I swear, I am Clark Griswold with a va-jay-jay. Reality can never match those romanticized visions of sugarplums, dancing in our heads.
To liken my Christmas fervor with fine literature, let me remind you of a classic:
For those of you who don't know the gist of this story, there's a boy and this mouse. The boy gives the mouse a cookie, which makes the mouse thirsty, so the boy must get him a glass of milk. Then, the mouse wants to look in the mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache, and when he looks in the mirror, he decides his fur needs a trim, so the boy needs to get him a pair of scissors, and so on. In every given moment, the mouse gets distracted and moves on to his next 'need' before wrapping up the previous endeavor. (SPOILER ALERT!) It eventually ends where it starts, with the mouse wanting a cookie, and then a glass of milk... And in the mouse's wake? An utterly torn-up house and an oh-so-exhausted little boy.
In my case, I'm both the boy and the mouse. Let me give you one example:
This past Friday night was basketball homecoming at my son, Truman's, high school. Truman is a freshman, and through a lot of hard work and dedication, he made the JV and varsity teams. He was also asked to be the male freshman homecoming attendant. My in-laws (mother, father, brother & his wife and kids) decided to come in for the game and spend the night.
My in-laws live several hours away from us and have not come up to our home in well over a year. They haven't stayed the night in probably 3 years or so. (They think it's much easier for the four of us to come down and see them. Don't get me started...)
Anyway, with it being the holidays, I felt like my home needed to be not only immaculate, but beautifully decorated. We were going to be leaving Saturday morning for our Christmas with DH's extended family, so I also needed to have all of the shopping for that side of the family done, and the gifts needed to be beautifully wrapped, with my signature big-fluffy-bows (each one takes at least 15 minutes to make. Don't pretend you paper crafters don't know what I'm talking about).
I had the upstairs interior of the house painted a few months ago (okay, so maybe it was about 24 months ago...), and I'd been a bit of a slacker about getting all of the pictures re-hung, and in the meantime, Truman had changed bedrooms. During that time, the 'new' guest room had become a bit of a junk room. Why? Because no one ever comes up to stay with us! So, I had to get the guest room all cleaned up, pictures hung on the walls, etc.
On Thursday afternoon, I went to a department store to find a couple of extra gifts for my Mother- and Sister-in-law (because I hated for them to open just one from us, even though their main gift was nice enough on its own). While there, I spied a couple of lamps that I thought would look great in the guest room (the old ones looked dated and cheap, I'd decided when I had set the room back up the day before). Then, what to my wondering eyes should appear? A chair that would be PERFECT for the guest room! And so on...
I get home and place the lamps and chairs in the guest room, when I notice a couple of stains on the carpet. They're curiously yellow. I bend down to sniff... and no, no, no!!! The unmistakeable stench of dog urine. Too busy to decide whether it was the work of Gretel (RIP, I had to put her to sleep a couple of weeks ago - that's a terrible, horrible, no-good story for another time) or Sweet Pea (or should it be 'Sweet Pee'?), I immediately think, "I've got to clean these carpets!" So I go to the local hardware store and rent a carpet cleaner at 6 p.m. at night, hoping and praying the carpet will be dry before the company arrives the next day.
As I'm cleaning the guest bedroom carpet, I think "Well, as long as I have the carpet cleaner, I should clean all of the carpet in the house..." and later, "Well, the upholstery of the living room furniture looks a little dirty, too..." You see where this is going, don't you?
Now that it's Sunday, the 18th, here's what I know: the gifts were plenty as they were, no one but me would have given a second thought to the lamps or the lack of a chair in the guest room, I could have probably done a good enough job on the carpet with a little spray carpet cleaner and a rag, and no one cared about my big-fluffy-bows as they tore into their presents.
One of these days, I'll learn my lesson. In fact, I think I'm going to start today. Instead of working myself into a lather trying to create a new card or item for today's CCC post (our 5th!), I'm going to show you a couple of early projects I made with Your Next Stamp images, which helped me fall in love with YNS.
This is the very first card I created with a YNS image. I did it for a JiFFy (Just For Fun) Challenge I do with a few of my stampy girlfriends monthly-ish, and one of them selected the adorable little monkey from the Monkey Gone Bananas set. I decided to make mine a Japanese Snow Monkey, a la
Next is one of my very favorite YNS images, ever. So much so, it's the image I selected for my YNS watermark: Happy Days Mermaid.
So, talk to me. Are you a Harried Holiday Hannah like me, or a Serene & Simple Sarah? Do you want to be different, or do you have any advice for the rest of us crazies? Leave a comment and let me know. One randomly-selected, lucky commenter will get her choice of either the Monkey Gone Bananas or Happy Days Mermaid. You have between now and midnight on Christmas Day (Dec. 25th) to post your comment, and Karen will announce the winner on the 26th.
Just for old time's sake...
Did you see all the original MTV vee-jays?! And Billy's sweater... oy!
I leave you with my best wishes for this season for you and yours, and for a New Year filled with peace, prosperity, and people you love. See you on January 18th, 2012, friends!
XO - Carole
PS - Can you think of another single blog post in which both terms 'vee-jay' and 'va-jay-jay' have been used?! SCORE!!! :)
Hi there! Jenny P, here. Today I have a fun tutorial to share with you! Our last release featured the cutest little set, Holiday Snow Globe, and it is absolutely perfect for making Shaker Cards! Shaker Cards basically have a 'window' and contain something behind the window that moves and shakes around!
There are a few different ways to make these kinds of cards, depending on what look you are trying to achieve. I am going to show you how to make a interactive snow globe to adhere to the front of a card.
Step 1: Gather your supplies.
You will need:
~Acetate (or overhead transparencies, clear plastic packaging material, window sheets, etc.)
~Cardstock to frame your window
~foam tape
~dies (as used in my example, but you can also free cut or use punches)
~filler (micro beads, glitter, buttons, sequins...whatever you want! Think outside the box! Basically anything that is small enough to move around in your window)
~premade cardbase
Step 2:
Choose dies to fit the size of your image and the window size that you would like. Here, I stamped the village from the snowglobe set and the base of the snowglobe. I am only using the base in this card, rather than the whole snow globe image. The larger die will be the overall size of the framed shaker and the smaller circle will be the inside window.
Step 3: Line up both sizes of dies, nesting them together, onto your cardstock window frame. Cut out.(Notice my lovely cutting plate?! lol! Dear Santa, Jenny desperately needs a new cutting plate in her stocking;)
Step 4: Cut out your stamped image using the largest of the circle dies. Remember that the outer edges of the image will be covered by the CS frame.
Step 5: Cut out a peice of acetate using the larger of the two circle dies. Colour image and decorate with glitter, rhinestones, etc. Apply glue (or double sided tape) to the backside of the CS frame. Adhere acetate circle to the back of the frame. *Remember that if you are using transparencies, one side is slightly 'tacky' and will show fingerprints, etc, so put that side facing the inside of the shaker and the shiny side towards the outside*. Colour and cut out globe base.
Step 6: Apply foam tape to the acetate, following along the path of the frame so that you won't see the tape behind the CS frame. I used Stampin' Ups shaker frame circles, but you can use any foam tape roll. Check out the YNS store foam tape (currently on sale!)
Step 7: Add your filler. I used clear micro beads. You need to be fairly conservative with this, as you don't want the image to be completely covered when the shaker is upright.
Step 8: Peel off the tape backing and adhere to the stamped image circle, keeping both the acetate circle and the stamped circle alined as perfectly as you can. Turn over and you have your shaker!
Step 9: Adhere shaker and globe base to decorated card front!
Here is another example of a shaker card that I made using Ellie Loves to Ski. I wanted this card to have an acetate front and back so that you could see nothing but air behind her;) This was also achieved better using an easel card design.
And another shaker card, using the same Holiday Snow Globe set, only fussy cutting the inside of the stamped globe out, rather than using circle dies.
I hope that you've enjoyed my photo tutorial and are inspired to have a go at making these fun little cards!
Congrats Ashley! Please email me (Karen) to claim your prize and get your winners blinkie!
Alrighty let's get started! Welcome to YNS Challenge #57- Winter/Christmas! Karen here, I'm assisting our fabulous hostess Jen del Muro with the challenge post today. I'm pleased to bring you this awesome and easy peasy holiday fun challenge!!! All you need to do is create a winter or holiday themed card or project featuring YNS stamps and/or dies.
Submit your entry below and your name will go into the draw for this awesome YNS Stamp PLUS a $10 YNS Gift Certificate!!!!
Before we get started I just thought I would go over the new rules, they're really easy to follow...
1. You must use a YNS Rubber or Digi Stamp or YNS Die Cut to play along
2. You may enter as many times as you like
3. You are welcome to combine your entry with other challenges
4. Have FUN! We want to see your awesome YNS creations!!!
One lucky winner will be chosen by random.org to win the adorable Merry Mouse Wreath cling stamp and the Winner Blinkie to proudly display on their blog! YIPPEE!!!
Please note that die to the holiday season this challenge will run the entire month of December so you've got lots of time to enter all your fabulous winter/holiday cards and projects!!!
Thank you for taking time from your busy holiday schedule to hop along and join in all our new release winter hop FUN!!! I LOVED all the wonderful DT projects and from your comments I can see that you also loved all the new stamps and projects! YAY!
We had 3 prizes of $10 YNS Bucks hidden amongst the DT blogs and Kerri was kind enough to pick our random winners so let's see who won!!!
I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend! If you haven't had a chance to hop along our new release winter fun blog hop please feel free to click HERE to join in all the FUN!!!
I've uploaded some awesome new deals so be sure to check out the YNS website and grab a deal plus I'll include a special gift with all orders from now until Dec 25th! YAY!
Here are some fabulous DT creations featuring this weeks deals...
Hello! I’m the lucky owner of Your Next Stamp and I’d like to thank you for visiting us! I live in Ontario, Canada and I am so grateful that I’m able to get inky, be creative everyday and still be at home with my son who brings a smile to my face and makes me laugh on a daily basis. Three years ago Your Next Stamp was just a dream, I feel so blessed everyday that I’ve been able to turn my dreams into reality. I love that we have this wonderful world of stamping and blogging and I’ve enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people and love seeing all your amazing YNS creations! Thank you for all your kind emails and support! I hope that YNS stamps bring a smile to your face and inspire you to stamp and create everyday! Happy Stamping!
Hello! My name is Kerri Michaud and I’m a stay at home mom to 3 kiddos ages 7, 5, and 2! We currently live in Apopka, Florida which is just outside of Orlando. I got into stamping about 2 years ago after I had my first Stampin’ Up party. I was instantly hooked LOL! Before then I had dabbled in scrapbooking, crocheting, sewing, quilting, jewelry making, and whatever other crafty whims that came my way. I think I have found my true passion in stamping and card making though! I also LOVE to make altered items and little gift boxes, etc. I am soooo excited and honored to be part of the Senior DT for Your Next Stamp! I ADORE these darling images and just love working with Karen and the rest of the DT!
Peggy Toole Senior Designer and Assistant DT Co-ordinator
Hi my name is Peggy Toole and I am a stay at home mom to 3 great boys who are 11, 12 and 15 and have a wonderful husband who is very understanding about my stamping obsession! We live in the Shuswap, part of the Northern Okanagan in beautiful British Columbia. I have been stamping seriously now for about 3 years and love this hobby and all the wonderful people I've been lucky enough to meet so far! I am thrilled to be part of the Your Next Stamp design team and to be working with such talented women.
Wendy Ramlakhan Senior Designer
What can I say, I’m still in shock I was asked to be a part of this fabulous team. A little bit about me…I’m a 39 year old Georgia girl living in Orlando, Florida with my beautiful family. I am living a dream come true all thanks to my wonderful husband who makes it possible for me to be a stay at home mom to our two children, Brooke (2 yrs old) and Nathan (3 yrs old). They are my favorite people in the whole world and it’s an honor to be their mother. Plus they are super cute!!! With two toddlers I’m very busy everyday playing monsters, having a tea party with a whale or splashing around in the pool. Oh I almost forgot... I do laundry and all that other boring domestic stuff too...sometimes! But I manage my time well so that most days I can have a little “me time” where I can sit down, create and do a little blogging too. I love the fact that I have now made so many friends from all over the world all because of a shared love of paper-crafting. I’m beyond thrilled to continue to design for Your Next Stamp and hope my creations will bring a smile or maybe some inspiration to others.
Dana Joy Designer
Hi, I'm Dana and I have been stamping for over 12 years and enjoy every minute of it. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for almost 18 years and I'm the proud mom of two wonderful children (ages 20 and 15). I started stamping after attending a home party for Stampin Up and I haven't stopped since. I love all kinds of challenges and love searching the internet for exciting new techniques. Right now I'm ga-ga over Copic Markers but I still enjoy using chalks, glitter, watercolors and other mediums. I can't wait to get started on the DT.
Jen del Muro Designer
I am a fan of all things paper crafting and stamping. I started stamping several years ago just as a little hobby. I'm pretty sure you already know how that story turns out, as we have all become masters of procurement in this industry!
I live in Texas with my husband, daughter and son. We share our home with a couple of loony dogs and a fat black cat. When I am not running around like crazy with any or all of them, I like to find a little peace and quiet in my stamp room. I have been {seriously} stamping and paper crafting for more than 5 years. I design/have designed for several companies and I enjoy getting my work published when I have the time. I love to share my work on my blog, www.iheart2stamp.com. I also teach classes at my local scrapbook store, Scrapper's Boutique.
Jen Roach Designer
My name is Jennifer and I live in Ontario, Canada with my husband and 3 year old daughter. I'm a scientist by day and a paper crafter by night ---or really just about any free time I have including my lunch breaks at work!!
I started out in paper crafting back in about 2002 when my Mom and I took a scrapbooking class together. A few years later I decided to give card making a try and it's been my passion ever since. I'm the world's slowest scrapbooker so the instant gratification of card making really won me over. Over the years I have used more and more stamping in my designs and I love learning and trying new techniques and styles.
I would probably define myself as a "scrappy stamper". I *LOVE* patterned paper and most of my cards have lots of it with added layered on embellishments and textures. My cards may not be easy to mail but boy are they pretty!!
Hi, I am Julie Elak, aka "The Last Minute Crafter". My days are kept busy working full time and running after my children. I use almost every free minute to craft, my purse is typically full of copics and a pari of scissors. I began stamping well over 10 years ago, but my love for paper crafting found renewed energy once I discovered the online community in 2009. I started a blog on a whim and am so happy I did. I have made many friendships and found so much support and encouragement on-line.
Kelli Hull Designer
Laura Nehring Designer
My name is Laura, and I am SO excited and honored to be joining the Your Next Stamp Team! I am a former preschool/kindergarten teacher, now stay at home mom to 3 energetic kiddos - 5 year old twin girls, and a 4 year old boy. I met my husband the year I graduated from highschool, and we've been together ever since. We are enjoying life in sunny southern California, where we were both born and raised.
I started scrapbooking in 2006 when I was pregnant with my girls, which led me to stamping and cardmaking a few years later. The point of no return was when I purchased my first Copic marker at a local scrapbook expo 2 years ago... now I'm hooked! I LOVE to color, and it's how I unwind at the end of a busy day! My card making style is fairly clean and simple... I like for the images to be the focus of my creations, so I don't do a lot of embellishing. In addition to Copics, I am also completely obsessed with Kraft Cardstock, and polka dots! I am really looking forward to being a part the YNS team!
Lisette Morris Designer
Hi there! My name is Lisette and I live in beautiful sunny Florida. I'm Mom to two beautiful girls and two fur babies. I have been stamping for over 6 years and always dabbled in the arts since I was a little girl. I have a passion for paper crafting and find time to color something everyday, but dabbled in just crocheting, oil painting, watercoloring and so on... My little girl once said to me that she doesn't want to grow up because she doesn't want to give up playing and coloring. I told her "Mommy plays everyday with paper and markers!" I am really excited to be joining this fabulous design team and getting started with Your Next Stamps!
Maureen Wong Designer
Stephanie Hargis Designer
I am 28 years old and have been paper crafting for a little over 5 years now. The first time I had ever heard of stamping was when my good friend invited me to a card party. I had no clue what she was referring to at first but decided to go and wouldn't you know, I was hooked for life! I am a wife to a wonderful husband and a mother to a beautiful little girl who is 2! We are also expecting our second child in July and we couldn't be more excited! :) I live in the beautiful mountains of Colorado and love to be out in them as much as possible! Aside from paper crafting, I also love to crochet and sew but creating cards is my number one obsession.
Susan Liles Susie-Q YNS Fun Tip Author
Suzanne Bier Designer
Hi! I’m Suzanne Bier and I’m overjoyed to be part of the YNS Design Team!
I recently moved to Northern Virginia with my husband, Scott, and our dachshund, Midnight (who is often my crafting companion)!
I’ve been crafting for as long as I can remember, and I love to create, fussy cut, and color! I began scrapbooking several years ago, and switched to stamping and card making shortly after! My favorite part of creating is bringing images to life by coloring them. I love adding all the subtle shades and details that make each image pop!
Although I’m a stay-at-home-crafter, I’ve previously worked in public relations and graphic design, which have come in pretty handy as I progress in my creative career!
We’ve had to move several times over the past few years due to my husband’s military career, but I’ve been lucky to have made so many wonderful friends through crafting, and that made each transition a little easier! Hopefully, this will be our last move for quite some time!
I hope my cards and projects will inspire you to create something fabulous!
Thanh Vo Designer
Hello there! I’m Thanh (pronounced “tan”). I live in the Metro Vancouver area of Canada in a suburban apartment. I'm so excited to be joining the YNS Design Team! I was the July 2012 Guest Designer and have fallen hard for the the images since. I work full-time during the day and can be found in my little craftin' haven at night either sipping a cup of tea or a yummy martini! I'm a Design member for other fabulous companies as well, if you would like to learn more about me, please visit my blog. Take care and I look forward to creating with you!
Veronica Zalis Designer
Hello! My name is Veronica Zalis and I live in Southeast Oklahoma. I am a stay-at-home mom of two beautiful little boys. I have been married to my best friend and biggest cheerleader for 9 years. I was invited to a neighborhood card swap in Texas in 2003, and I have been a cardmaker ever since. This past year I was thrilled to be chosen as "Stamping Royalty" by Paper Crafts Magazine, and have been published in print magazines over 55 times. I have made many wonderful crafty friends along the way and look forward to making many more!
Wendy McGaffey Designer
Hey Wendy McGaffey here with a lil about me.....I have been happily married for 27 years... I have 3 grown children and 3 furbabies and I love crafting...☺...I usually have several projects on the go from crocheting a stuffed teddy bear to sewing a memory quilt, but honestly I have to say that paper crafting and making cards is number one on my list...I started out scrapbooking but fell in LOVE with stamps and then became slightly addicted to coloring with Copics .....I am having a ton of fun on the YNS team and absolutely love creating with their products.
