Bells and Boughs

Yesterday I had a workshop with six lovely ladies, showing them everything from stamping, heat embossing, dry embossing, sponging and coloring stamps with markers.  They all seemed to enjoy themselves and each went home with four beautiful cards.  This was the biggest workshop I've had so far and it went fairly smoothly.  I managed to learn a few things too which I'll use for future workshops.  Thanks to Frances, Melinda, Aileen, Stephanie, Lonnie and Barb for joining me in the art studio!!

Today I wanted to make a Christmas card similar to one I had seen on SCS last year.  I bought the Bells and Boughs stamp set about a year ago but didn't use it last Christmas.  I just love the holly stamp - so pretty.  Only SU! products used for this card (plus a tiny bit of stickles).

Hope you like.

"Bells & Boughs"

Stamps:  Bells & Boughs, Christmas Greetings (SU!)

Paper:  Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Always Artichoke; Re-inkers Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler; VersaMark (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Stamp-a-ma-jig, Aqua Painter, Rubber Brayer, rubber bands, gold embossing powder, heat tool, Mistletoe ribbon originals, ornament punch, sticky strips, glue dot and dimensionals

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Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig, I stamped the holly in Always Artichoke ink, three times across the top of the Whisper White cardstock and then heat set the ink.  I used Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler re-inkers and the Aqua Painter to color in the leaves and berries.  I added stickles to the berries to give them some sparkle.

Using the rubber brayer, I wound four elastic bands around the barrel and then inked the brayer with VersaMark.  I ran the brayer over Cherry Cobbler cardstock, in one direction only, and embossed with gold embossing powder and the heat tool.  After the cardstock cooled, I re-inked the brayer and ran it over the Cherry Cobbler cardstock in the other direction and embossed in gold.  I used this cardstock to punch out the ornament.

I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark onto a large piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock and then embossed in gold.

I mounted the main image (holly) onto the large Cherry Cobbler cardstock and tied a knot with the Mistletoe Ribbon Originals.  I used a glue dot to hold the knot in place at the front of the card

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I mounted the ornament onto the main image using dimensionals to add depth and then mounted the main image onto the card base of Old Olive.