It’s a Blue (and Very Vanilla) Christmas!

Aloha, all!

     That's "blue" as in that wonderful new Stampin' Up! color, Marina Mist, and the fantastic Designer Series Papers included with the Simply Scrappin' Kit, Christmas Cheer.   NOTE:  This post was originally part of the November 2010 SUDSOL blog tour.  For more information about this online group for Stampin' Up! demonstrators only, click here!

   

     One theme that you'll find in many of my 2010 Holiday Season greeting card projects is that I like them to have some kind of gift or keepsake as part of the project.  Part of today's card is a bookmark.  No, there's not a bookmark enclosed – a bookmark is actually part of the card!  Do you see that knot at the top of the ribbon?  It's "knot" tied to the card front – it's tied to the top of a third section of the card that can be detached and used as a bookmark!

     As with most of my projects like this, I have written a one-page tutorial to show you just how to cut, fold and perforate this card and get that ribbon positioned perfectly for both the card front and the bookmark.  BUT – this is a special blog post, and there are special ways to get this tutorial!  If you are a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, you can find the tutorial on the SUDSOL website by clicking here.  Even if you're not a member of SUDSOL, you can sign up for a free two-week membership that will give you plenty of time to learn all about us and starting enjoying our great group, as well as all the other patterns and projects on file in the SUDSOL Collection – including 245 of my own cards, gifts, sketches, scrap layouts and much much more!.  My other blog readers can receive a copy of this tutorial as part of my December Newsletter by subscribing to my e-mail Newsletter – just enter your e-mail address in the box just beneath the SUDSOL icon at the upper left. 

     Now a little about the colors and embellishments that are on this card.  I have to tell you that my focus is more on making cards and gifts than on making scrapbooks right now.  So I was reluctant to purchase the Simply Scrappin' Kit.  But that wonderful Marina Mist Designer Series Paper in the kit just kept calling to me.  So I gave in and bought the kit and used some of Marina Mist/ Very Vanilla sheet for this card.  Now that I see the other sheets in that set, I am so glad I bought it.  And of course there's plenty of beautiful textured 12" x 12" card stock:  Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla and Marina Mist.  The self-adhesive die cuts will also not go to waste as I will be taking them with me to a visit with my gorgeous little granddaughters – that's where we'll do some scrapbooking!

     The little snowflakes are new this season!  They are all from the Sizzix Decorative Strip Die Northern Frost from the Stampin' Up! 2010 Holiday Mini Catalog.  My first thought was to add Basic Pearls or Basic Rhinestones to them; but then I decided I really wanted to keep to the Marina Mist/Very Vanilla color theme.  The 5/16" Very Vanilla Jumbo Brads fit that bill perfectly!  The ribbon is the luscious Marina Mist 5/8" Satin Ribbon – it's really hard for me to keep my hands off that stuff!

     I decorated the bookmark itself as I did the card front.  But I tucked some of the edges of the little snowflakes behind the sentiment layer to protect them a bit.  I also used Sticky Strip on the bookmark layer throughout as I hope it will be getting a lot more use than the card!

     Have fun with your holiday paper crafting!