November and December Stamps and Dies
Hey there!
It's time to start planning your holiday cards!
I know. It's only the first week of November. That means you really only have 4 - 6 weeks to create the cards that you need to mail out. Sounds like a lot of time, right? Well, you know how time is -- it's slow when you're doing something you don't like and it flies when you are having fun. And, if you are like me, making cards and seasonal greetings is fun.
I've been planning my seasonal cards and projects for a while now. I looked at what I already had and ordered some fillers. I picked up the last of my holiday stamps and die cuts this past weekend so I'm ready to show you good folks what I'm going to use this year.
So let's haul, y'all!
I don't create a lot of Thanksgiving cards so I don't have that many Thanksgiving sentiments. I picked up a few things for some fall projects that I am planning and a few things that I felt I should just have in my collection.
My latest obsession is unmounted rubber stamps. I stumbled across them when I was looking for a "Place Photo Here" stamp for my flip books (peek at my Halloween Flip Book here) and I discovered an entire wall of unmounted stamps at my local scrapbook store. I fell in love! They fit easily in storage boxes and mount to your acrylic blocks very easily.
I decided to go with "Oh, don't get your pumpkins in a pile!" by Whipper Snapper Designs and "fall, leaves, bonfires, twigs & branches, moonshine, breeze, fall in love" by Impression Obsession. I love the word cloud feel of the fall words. I can use both of these on scrapbook layouts or cards or other projects.
Earlier this season I picked up a Spellbinders Sapphire die cut machine. It's small and works for the projects that I tend to do, so I look for smaller dies. For Thanksgiving I wanted to get the Lawn Fawn "Cutie Pie" die cut (that coordinates with the "Cutie Pie" stamp set) and the Impression Obsession small leaf set die. I plan on lots of projects with both of these sets. Some fall cards, yes, but some other fun things too so stay tuned for that!
I also added a mounted stamp - my pumpkin trio by Stampabilities. Again, Thanksgiving cards - yes, other projects - yes too. I plan on using this stamp to practice my coloring. The picture on top gives me a guide to go by when it comes to shadowing.
Now, we ALL have lots of stamps for the holidays. I do a lot of Christmas cards and so I have sentiments abound. Last season I picked up a few kits and a few individual wood blocked stamps. My favorite of all the sentiments are the two at the bottom. Very simply put, Merry Christmas and Warm Wishes This Christmas Season.
At the end of the season I picked up these two stamp sets for a steal. The Hampton Art set had 2 snow globes that will be amazing for shaker cards! There are also some hanging elements that I will get use out of. The Recollections set has some cute pieces as well. I can use the snowflakes, stars and holly on lots of cards and projects.
I'm a member of the Stamps of Life die kit club so every month (around the 8th of the month) I get a new stamp set and die. I am so excited to use this Gingerbread2 stamp and die set! Oh, the ideas I have for these goodies! There are so many bits and pieces to this stamp set that you could make so many different cards and never the same one twice.
The piece de résistance of my holiday stamp collection is my Altenew Bells and Bows stamp set. I have my drooling over this stamp set since I saw the YouTube video that Jennifer McGuire put up. I ran to my scrapbook store and ordered this set. I have played with the stamps and inks that I picked up as well and I am in love. LOTS of cards will have bells and bows on them.
I think I'm ready for the holidays.
