Say it in Lights

Alright everyone, it's already happened--Jenny has BINGO!!!  That means it's time to reset your cards. (Have you been using blue ink?  Switch to red)  I put all the pieces back into the bowl, and the first piece for this new round of bingo is Santa's hat.  Mark your cards...and cross your fingers.  :)

On to today's card.  This one is really simple, and though I didn't think too much of it, it's been a big hit on Stampin' Connection, the demonstrator-only website where demos share creative and business ideas.  The beauty to this card is that it's really simple to make and to mass produce--I'd love to show you how.

All you need is paper, a Big Shot with the Stocking Accessories die, a Basic Black marker and then whatever stamp you'd like to use.  For this card, I used Perfect Plum, Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight and--my personal favorite--Red Glimmer paper and, with just a few cranks of the handle, had four Christmas tree lights.  I used my Basic Black marker to put a band across each of the lights.

Next up, I adhered the lights to my card and used the Basic Black marker again to string my lights on wire.  The final touch was my merry and bright holiday sentiment from Merry & Type, inked in Island Indigo and stamped in the corner.

It takes longer to write this out than it does to make the card!  You should try one for yourself.  :)

Happy Holidays!
~Melanie

Stamps: Merry & Type
Ink: Island Indigo, Basic Black
Paper: White Naturals, Perfect Plum, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Red Glimmer Paper
Extras: Big Shot, Stockings Accents die

Why Hello There Holidays

These ornaments just put me in the holiday spirit, and I'm loving the bold typeface of "Deck The Halls."  Even though I still have a stack of holiday cards that I never sent to my friends and family last year (how did that happen?!), I think this is going to be my holiday card this year.  I just love it too much to not mass produce it.  What do you think?

I'll give more details on how to make today's card down below, but there's extra excitement starting on our blog today--HOLIDAY BINGO!  I'm happy to say that the fun is back by popular demand, since I've been hearing from many of you, itching to get your hands on this year's bingo cards...and I imagine, this year's prizes!  You're in luck, because Kiran and I are happy to oblige.  (Wondering where your card is?  Check your mail...the last batch went out yesterday.)

Here's how it works.  Every day, check our blog for another great project from Stampin' Up!, and another bingo piece.  When you get five in a row (diagonal, horizontal or vertical), leave a comment saying "BINGO" (what else?) and we'll be in touch so you can claim your prize.  And then, the game starts right over again--and we'll keep on going until the new year rolls around.  This means that you should strategize how you'll mark your bingo card, since you'll be using it more than once.  (Maybe x's in the corner?  I recommend using different colored ink for each round)

Are you ready?  Today's bingo piece is the candle.  Mark your cards!

For today's holiday card, I started with Merry & Type (my #1 gotta-have-it set from the 2011-12 Idea Book and Catalog) and Cherry Cobbler embossing powder.  I knew that I wanted to make some magic with these two!  Since the woodcut/letterpress look of the ornaments and fonts made me think of Sherlock Holmes and those old newspapers, I decided to keep the base colors muted with a base piece of Crumb Cake that I die cut using my trusty Big Shot and the Top Note die.  I decided I loved the look of the embossing, so that was good to go.

Next, I needed a card base, and decided to go traditional for this card--red and green it is, in shades of Cherry Cobbler (that fantastic embossing powder) and Garden Green.  I stamped the sentiment in Garden Green ink on the Garden Greek paper for a tone on tone look, in keeping with my toned down idea for this holiday card.  The Stamp-a-majig helped me achieve perfect alignment for decking the halls four times.  I trimmed down the top note piece with my paper trimmer, and sponged the edges with Early Espresso ink for a little extra texture.

Now it's your turn to weigh in--should I send today's card as my holiday card this year, or a version of the sparkly medallion from last December?  Leave a comment with your vote and help me decide.  Thanks!

Happy Holidays!
~Melanie

Stamps: Merry & Type
Ink: VersaMark, Garden Green, Early Espresso (sponging)
Paper: Garden Green, Crumb Cake
Extras: Big Shot, Top Note die, Cherry Cobbler embossing powder