Making Merry Monday #1

I'm joining in with Anita Meades' Making Merry Monday, a new Christmas card published every Monday - how cool is that! No last minute panics for me this year ... oh how I love to be organised :o) 

Christmas cards were the real eye opener for me with Stampin Up!  I have been making cards for about 15 years now; I make about 40 festive cards every year; not a big number but still enough to make me panic every November as I searched for inspiration, I like to make about four different designs (I like variety) and I like them to be different each year; so I generally don't use the same stamp sets.  

Last year I bought the Season of Joy set from the Spring Mini which is now in the main catalogue (and which I still love and will be breaking a habit of a lifetime and using again this year!), two packs of cardstock, two matching blender pens and one roll of ribbon - I then made so many different cards that I had trouble stopping at 40! 

That's when it clicked - Stampin Up was for me! - The stamp sets and papers just work together beautifully ... the cardstock colours, ribbons and inks all match ...it isn't rocket science (and my goodness when you are time poor we need all the help we can get don't we)  .... all the hard work of 'what goes with what' is done for you - no matter what I did with the set of stamps every card was coordinated and beautiful.   

They were the easiest and quickest 40 cards I had ever made and I received so many compliments that I decided I would trade in all my old stuff and stick with Stampin Up! - I've started with the trade-in (read 'sell on eBay' here) but I have to confess I've probably sold less than I've replaced with new goodies from SU - ssshhh don't tell my husband ... he'll never cotton on if we keep quiet about it!

So, as this is my favourite festive set I've started with Season of Joy first:

Recipe:

Stamp Sets: Season Of Joy, Many Merry Messages

Card Stock: Old Olive, Whisper White

Ink: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, VersaMark

Pattern Paper: I Wish scrapbooking kit

Ribbon: Old Olive 5/8" (1.6cm) Grosgrain Ribbon

Other: Heat and Stick Powder, Dazzling Diamonds

Really easy to do the 'sparkly' bit.  After stamping the image, just VersaMark the whole piece of white cardstock, dip into Heat and Stick powder and warm with heat tool, then sprinkle Dazzling Diamonds over the top, shake off excess and 'set' with heat tool once more.  The effect is amazing - a lot more sparkly in real life than in the photo - try it you'll like it!

I'll be doing some Stamp A Stack Christmas card classes starting in August and I think this will be one of the designs - if you want to come along and stamp a few of these for your family and friends just let me know.

Have a great Monday and happy stampin!

Love N

x