Gift of Christmas card

 Gift of Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas sets. I just love the swirl design and dove. The dove always reminds me of the Peace we receive from Jesus who's birthday is celebrated on Christmas Day.


This card's base is Sahara Sand that matches the Mocha Morning black flocked designer series paper that is used on this card. I LOVE Mocha Morning. If you haven't seen it in person, you are really missing out as it is absolutely gorgeous!!  I also stamped the swirl in Basic Black on the base card.

The Gift of Christmas was stamped in Versamark and embossed in gold on Brushed Gold cardstock which gives it an elegance. An additional dove was embossed, cut out and popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals. On the right edge is a strip of brushed gold that one edge was scalloped with the Scallop Edge border punch. White Taffeta ribbon was stretched across and a bow was made with the Fork Technique.

A tag was stamped and embossed with gold and punched with the large oval punch and added in the lower corner. The three fake brads were made and added in the top left. I love the fake brads because they don't cost extra in postage to mail.

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Thanksgiving Placeholder

Thanksgiving Placeholder

I am still waiting for the turkey to cook. We are having dinner at 5:30-ish. In the mean time I was looking for a table decoration to make and I finished it just in time.
My first step was to learn how to fold some homemade cloth napkins. I found a video on how to fold a fancy turkey fan looking fold.

Next I headed to my craft table. Using my Cricut electronic die cutting machine, a die cutting program (Make The Cut) and an SVG (scalable vector graphic) design I cut these stinkin’ cute turkey place cards. The design is by Michelle Currie at Designs on Cloud 9.

Bells and Boughs

Bells and Boughs

     Want to make this card?? It is one of the five cards we will make at my Dec. 2 Stamp A Stack at 6:30 pm. Check out my website for details:    www.joannorman.stampinup.net

     I love the way the holly berries are three dimensional. I used the Dazzling Details and popped them up.

Fall Wreath with Polished Stone

     I love this Fall wreath. First I took a full sheet of Glossy White. With a cotton ball soaked in alcohol, not the drinking kind, I then added to the ball,  pumpkin pie and pear pizzazz (my favorite green). On the glossy dab the gold refill. Then take the cotton ball and start by dabbing the gold and continuing all over the page. When dry, stamp with Black Stazon using the leaf set Autumn Harvest. Cut out the leaves. I also embossed in gold two acorns on Espresso. The base is a side from a cereal box that I first cut a 6" circle then a 5" circle inside using the Circle Scissors.

     The ribbon is the 1 1/4" old olive striped grosgrain that I used markers to color the stripes. I made a bow and added a Fire Rhinestone brad.

     Today I had so many plans to stamp after doing some cooking. Well, I was finishing making a Turtle Cheesecake and cleaning up the dishes when I put my hand in the dishwater and felt the slice of my ring finger. I pulled it out and got a paper towel to wrap to stop the bleeding.

      I got a bandaid and went to find Garey. He was busy replacing a light switch so I waited for a minute or two before saying I really need some help. He stopped and hlped me secure a bandaid tightly to stop the bleeding. The blood went quickly though that one so he took some first aid tape and wrapped it. Well then my finger turned blue. OOPs, too tight!!

      When he unwrapped it to loosen it so I had blood circulation, it went wild. Tha is when I decided I needed stitched. So he said he would take me, I told him he had to stay here to take the cheesecake out of the oven in 40 minutes.

     I drove myself up there to the Immediate Center to get my finger stitched. It only took three stitches but the doctor agreed that I needed stitches as it was deep and wouldn't quit bleeding. After leaving,l I went to Wally World and Kohl's. Then home to finish supper since I did get a rotisserie chicken at WW.

     I got a call at 6:15 pm to come back and forgot the Tetanus shot I forgot. I finally got home to crash so no stamping today. Boo Hoo. I can't get my finger wet for 24 hours. Tomoeeow I am to make 18 eggs for deviled eggs. MMMmmmm..may have to get Garey to help with peeling them. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Technique: Masking

Masking 1]   Stamp image on card stock. 2]   Stamp it again on a piece of scratch paper. 3]   Cut carefully around the scratch paper image, cutting just inside the lines; this will be your mask. 4]   Place the mask on top of the card stock image. 5]   Stamp another image over a portion of the mask to create layered, interacting images. 6]   Remove the mask to see the finished look.  7]   To stamp a partial image, use tape to cover the part of the stamp you don't want to appear, ink the stamp, remove the tape, and stamp the image. QUICK TIP To ensure that the mask stays in place, stamp image on a Post-It® note.

Christmas Lodge

This card is a bifold card that is 4 1/2" x 11" of Bravo Burgundy. It is scored at 5 1/2" and 7 3/4". The front 2 1/4" is ran through the Big Shot with the Multi-Pupose Platform on Tab 1 with the Petals-A-Plenty Textured Impressions folder.

The white is actually Shimmery White with tiny sparkles in the cardstock. The inside is stamped with the tree in Always Artichoke on the right and the Merry Christmas in Bravo Burgundy overlapping the tree.


The front Shimmery White is 1 3/4" x 4" and stamped with the Happy Holidays. The pine has Dazzling Details applied to it. Both Shimmery White pieces were sponged in Always Artichoke. The AA back is 2" x 4 1/4". I used Sticky Strip to hold the front piece on the embossed image. Inside on the other side of the 2 1/4" side is an ornament stamped in Bravo Burgundy from the Delightful Decorations set and punched with the ornament punch.

Sets: Christmas Lodge, Delightful Decorations
Cardstock: Bravo Burgundy, Always Artichoke, Shimmery White
Inks: Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy
Accessories: Dazzling Details, Sticky Strip, Ornament Punch, sponge, Big Shot, Multi-purpose Platform, Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions folder

Original design by Lee Ann Greff