Christmas card punch class!

The first Christmas card punch class has passed, but there will be a second, different one, early in December. If you missed this one and didn't take advantage of the "to go" kit, you still have an opportunity to make really cute cards out of punched shapes!

I already showed you the first two cards during a sneak peek on this blog, Pinterest and Facebook.

I will start, however, with the third, unseen, card because it is new and it was the most simple!

Just by using two punched trees and a punched star we have a simple, fast Christmas card that is utterly delightful!

Paper: crumb cake and chocolate chip card stocks, Trim the Tree DSP paper stack (Holiday catalog), red glimmer paper

Punches: tree punch (Holiday catalog), star (from Itty Bitty Accents punch pack)

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Stamps: Sassy Salutations 

Other: linen thread, gold basic metal buttons (Holiday catalog)

NOTES: I punched three trees in total: two out of DSP and one out of chocolate chip card stock. Then I could just trim away the tree trunk and glue it to the back of the DSP trees (I snipped off the tree trunks on those)

The other option of course, is to glue one DSP tree directly to the cardstock tree, but my hands weren't steady enough to get them glued evenly:

Fold one of your DSP trees/triangles in half and glue directly to the center of the flat tree. I used my favorite liquid multipurpose glue, but even glue dots would work.

By doing this you can add dimension to the card and it will still fold flat when mailing/giving!

Tie it all up with some linen thread and the gold button. DONE!

Phew! That was a long explanation for a five minute card! LOL

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By the way does any one else's work area look like this, or is it just me?

Really!

I have a 10-foot countertop on which to work but I end up with about 6 inches of workspace! As I'm working on a card all of the supplies just get thrown around - crowding any available space!

There must be a name for this condition....

I already suffer from "stampers butt", so I know there's a name for this out there as well. If you know it, let me know and I will bring it up at my next therapy session and see if I can't be cured.

UGH!

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One of the things I like about a punch class is that I use up some of my scraps. It's easy to punch pieces out of small leftover pieces of cardstock from other cards and/or projects!

Another thing that I like is that I often use retired products. At this class I don't feel the need to use all current items because many of my customers already own the punches that I use, and unlike club, there is no purchase commitment.

With that in mind, I bring you the next two cards...

Card #2

It is an exact copy of the card created by demonstrator Michelle Suit.

Paper: Garden Green, Basic Black, and Baked Brown Sugar cardstocks, Season of Style DSP paper stack (retired), red glimmer paper

Punches: 1" circle and 3/4" circle punches, snowflake punch (retired), circle framelits for Big Shot

Ink: Whisper White pad (can also use StazOn white), Black marker, White chalk marker

Stamp: Merry Little Christmas (retired)

Other: sponge daubers, silver 1/8" ribbon

Card #3

I created a card after seeing a picture of this ornament on Pinterest:

It was posted by Mercedes Weber, a member of the SU Artisan design team, on her blog last year. But, from what I understand after reading the post, it actually was a creation by her (then) 7-year old daughter Cami, in an effort to sell them and earn money for donation. WHAT A THOUGHTFUL CHILD! And, CREATIVE!

I turned it into a card by adding a few current elements:

Paper: Crumb Cake, Real Red, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, and Basic Black cardstocks, Season of Style DSP paper stack (retired)

Punches: 1 3/8" circle, extra large oval, round tab punch (retired,) Festive Flurry framelits for Big Shot (retired), circle framelits for Big Shot, and Bitty Banner framelits for Big Shot

Ink: Basic Black, Whisper White (for sponging)

Stamp: greeting from White Christmas (Holiday catalog)

Other: Decorative Dots embossing folder,

Filigree Frame embossing folder (Holiday catalog), 

and frosted embellishments (retired)

**NOTE: For the scarf, I simply used the largest of the Bitty Banner framelits, cut it to fit his neck and used the leftover for the other piece of scarf.

Also, I lightly sponged white craft ink over the Filigree Frame-embossed card front.

For the greeting I simply "flagged" a long strip of white card stock and scored it twice on each side, adding Dimensionals under the main piece to make it pop up!

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I hope you find these explanations helpful whether you purchased the un-assembled card kit from me or you own all the punches and want to re-create these cards on your own.

To purchase any of these items please visit my website and click on "store" in the upper right-hand corner. http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/dandyspandy/

Hope to see you at the next Christmas card punched class! 

Date will be announced soon!

Christmas card punch class sneak peek!

I have two cards finished and I wanted to share them with you...

Isn't he cute?

I'm having a Christmas card punched class - here are the details:

Wednesday, November 5 at 6:30 PM

$8 for 3 cards + envelopes

Deadline to register is Tuesday at noon!

Can't make the class?

Try my "class to go"!

$10 for the kit (unassembled cards)

Same registration deadline as above.

Isn't he cuter?

Don't miss out on these cards!

After the class meets, I will post all the details for these two cards plus the third card!

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Enchiladas (with caramel drizzle)

Oh.... my.... Gee....

These were great!

So... fall has officially been welcomed in all of its capacities here at the George house... Cooler weather means that the heat has been turned on despite my husband's protests, endless falling leaves from the woods cover the long driveway and yard in hopes of someday maybe being raked, my Longaberger Fall Foliage dishes have replaced the red, white, and blue "summer" dishes (don't judge), and all sorts of  "fall-flavored" food and drinks are being prepared.

I do like some pumpkin flavored foods and drinks, but I'm not one of those people that have to have everything pumpkin-flavored come fall. I like to bake with a lot of apples at this time of year too...  squash... just baked goods, in general, I guess, and warm comfort foods. 

Fall is, after all, "sweater weather".... So, maybe my "sweaters" are made of extra pounds? I'll have to watch that...

Anyhoo, this recipe IS for the pumpkin lovers out there!

Sooo easy! Sooo delicious!

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Enchiladas

Yield: 9-12 servings

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup  canned pumpkin
1/2 cup  sugar
1/2 tsp.  pumpkin pie spice
2½ cups Cool Whip, thawed
18-24 Flour tortillas
6 tbsp. butter, melted
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
Caramel sauce

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in the whipped topping. 

**Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly between the tortillas. Roll each tortilla up and put on serving plates. In a small bowl, combine the butter, sugar and cinnamon. Brush the mixture over the over the rolled tortillas. Top with caramel sauce. 

** (this is the exact recipe that I found on Pinterest.  It comes from the website  http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/2013/10/pumpkin-spice-cheesecake-burritos-with.html?m=1

The only thing I changed is this:

Before filling tortillas: brush each tortilla with melted butter, cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place in a hot frying pan and cook, maybe, 30 seconds on each side.

Frying the tortillas first before filling makes them a little more firm, so they are not flopping around when you fill them or try to eat them. (an old Spanish teacher trick!)

YUM!

There you have it!

A no-bake, fancy-looking dessert for fall that every one will love!

You're welcome.

Christmas card 2/5/15 class

Today I'm trying to catch up on blog posting! I admit I have been remiss. I just looked at the last post date of 10/10 - holy cow! Two weeks have passed since I've posted  anything!

Of course, a lot has happened since then! I have had a 2/5/15 class and October stamp clubs. I have cooked many a delicious meal - I just haven't gotten around to sharing them yet.

So, this week I will more than likely bombard you with blog posts, since I have no stamp classes to prepare for this week!

Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes, I guess! LIFE HAPPENS. (really, it's just that hockey season for my younger son has begun...)

We will start with stamping... One of my favorite things!

Christmas Card 2/5/15 Class

I originally posted this picture of the first three cards: 

So, we'll take a look at those first and then the other two that I added after this picture was taken...

Card stock: Lost Lagoon, Whisper White, Soft Suede, Pear Pizazz

Ink: Lost Lagoon, Soft Suede, Pear Pizazz

Stamps: Cheerful Tags (Holiday catalog)

Other: Lost Lagoon ribbon, staple, rhinestones, Note Tag punch (Holiday catalog)

Card #2

Card stock: Whisper White

Ink: Basic Black, Crumb Cake

Stamps: Endless Wishes (Holiday catalog) 

...and the ever versatile Gorgeous Grunge

Other: linen thread, pearls, vintage faceted buttons

And strips of DSP: Modern Medley (retired) and Back to Black.

(Those of you who have received catalog coupons from me can get this Designer Series Paper at 1/2 off during the month of October! You will see it again in the October stamp club post!)

Card #3

Card stock:  Whisper White,  Island Indigo, MetallicSsilver

Ink: Garden Green, Island Indigo

Stamps: Festival of Trees with matching punch (Holiday catalog)

Other: Island Indigo baker's twine, star (from Itty-Bitty Accents punch pack), Polkadot embossing folder for Big Shot)

Card #4

Card stock: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White

Ink: Certainly Celery (retired), Wild Wasabi 

Stamps: Wondrous Wreath and matching framelits (Holiday catalog)

Other: rhinestones, Filigree Frame embossing folder for Big Shot

Card #5

A ready-made card from a "My Paper Pumpkin" kit!

Love these kits! Everything is cut for you, pre-scored, and planned out! All we really had to do on this card was stamp the greeting in Real Red ink. Even the little, stitched star banner was done for us! The original star banners were each 20 inches long!  I trimmed them down to just fit a card, and now I have lots of star banners to decorate packages at Christmas time!

To purchase any of the products spotlighted here please visit my website:

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/dandyspandy/

If you are interested in receiving a monthly subscription to "My Paper Pumpkin",  please visit the website at:

https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en/

I would be grateful if you chose me as your demonstrator!

The punchcard that didn't make the class...

I saw a similar card on Pinterest and had to try it! 

It is a beauty!

My intention was to create it for the fall punch class.

Believe me when I say, those of you who attended the class would have killed me if we made this!

There were so many tiny pieces... This card is definitely a "one timer" - going to someone very "card worthy"!

I have to hand it to Alexandra Bleicher over at http://alexscreativecorner.blogspot.com/2014/05/apple-of-my-eye.html?m=1

She originally created this apple basket - she obviously has the patience of a saint - and her punch art is spectacular!

The basket was made with the Decorative Label punch - just trimmed a bit. 

The basket handle was made with the Modern Label punch cut in half.  

Those pieces were sent through the Big Shot with an embossing folder, and then sponged.

Making the apples is the tedious part.

Each apple is made from one of the petals on the Pansy punch.

The brown apple stems are actually brown cherry stems, punched from the Cupcake Builder punch glued behind each apple. (Ay, ay, ay!)

The tiny leaves also come from the Cupcake Builder punch. They are candle flames, believe it or not!

Cute, cute, cute!

BUT, unless I had several pairs of tweezers and magnifying glasses for everyone, this card wasn't happening at punch class!

I wanted to share it with you anyway so that you can make one of your own!

JUST ONE!

Hahahaha

 (Just don't blame me when you go cross-eyed!)