Just dies!

As I hinted last time: now for something completely different! Actually I spent much of today finishing off 25 IF cards, with inserts cut, folded, stamped and stuck, and my personal stamp on the back of each. I do have a few more waiting to be made, but if they stay in the box this year they'll be available for next year.....

I saw something similar to my new design several weeks ago on the JustRite blog, made as a Christmas tree ornament using the largest Spellbinder bauble die and with a stamped centre. I decided to adapt it for the long, narrow blanks I bought recently (they measure 8" x 3") and found the second largest die was a perfect fit. First I covered a card with pale blue snowflake paper but couldn't find anything lying around which was just the right shade for the scalloped circle; I know I must have something but I wanted to do a mock up quickly rather than spend a lot of time agonising. So the snowflakes were laid aside, I foraged in a file of decorative papers (instead of hunting all through the bits covering the floor) and came up with this red, which I bought very recently. The dies were fitted to odd scraps of green and silver mirri and as I laid them in place to judge the effect I remembered seeing a little poinsettia which I'd made to show a friend. More scavenging on the floor (please don't tell me I'm the only one who does this?!) brought it to light and thus the card was born! Into Production Line Mode: I covered 5 more in the rest of the red paper, die cut 5 baubles, 5 circles and 5 Labels #4 all from scraps of mirri card left over from making up the IF cards, and then, with the smaller Marianne dies, the required bits of 5 poinsettias which I'll put together tomorrow and stick onto the cards. Add insert sheets (stamped) and there we are, another half dozen cards added to the box.

Next Tuesday we are going to Germany for three days to visit the Christmas markets in Cologne and Rudesheim. I've wanted to go for years so am looking forward to it very much, but when we come back there will be a lot happening and I may not have time to make any more cards. Never mind, I've done quite a large proportion of those we shall be sending so feel quite satisfied (and I've just realised I have 6 birthday cards needed for December plus our son's on 2 January). I'm going to try to photograph them all together, just for the fun of it.....maybe they will be my blog header picture for the festive season.....watch this space!