Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza - Until Tomorrow!

Aloha, all!

I cannot believe it's already Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend! I've had a blast this weekend, starting with a great Thanksgiving Dinner, a workout at the gym on Friday, and a visit to my local scrapbook store for Small Business Saturday (yes, I succumbed to the sales she had!).

So this is my last chance to promote Stampin' Up!'s annual Online Extravaganza! Mostly I've promoted this in my November Newsletter, but I would be remiss in not showing off some of the fun products that are included in this sale. In fact, what I'm showing off today I myself bought as part of the sale. I wasn't ready to buy either product before this, but the sale pushed me over the edge. And am I glad it did! I wish now I'd introduced you to this whole project sooner.

It's the Stitched With Cheer Project Kit and the accompanying Stitched With Cheer Stamp Set.

If you've checked out the project kit in the Stampin' Up! 2016 Holiday Catalog, you might see a few changes in my layouts – but not many! I was determined not to make the exact card shown in the catalog and elsewhere online. But I didn't make as many changes as I'd thought I would. Before I go a bit into each individual card, I thought I'd pass on some of my thoughts about the kit as a whole.

The kit has SO MUCH STUFF! Yes, you can make all 18 cards that the catalog promises. But there are tons of pieces in the kit that you won't need to make the cards, and you'll be able to use for lots of other cards!
While the stamp set really does help add to the features on this card, I can easily see using other stamp sets to make these cards just as nice. So if you might be interested in buying just the kit – 40% off!!!! – you can make it without the stamp set. I won't have time to make the substitute cards before the Online Extravaganze is over – but I will do that in the next week or so to demonstrate if you'd let me know you'd like me to do that!
The sewing is SO SEW EASY! I was hesitant about something that required me to take needle in hand as I long ago gave up counted thread needlework as taking too much time to complete a project. But I'm going to be very happy sending these cards to my old counted thread buddies (yes, we go back to the original Delphi days, continued into AOL forums, and still keep in touch today!) No, they're not hand-stitched ornaments, but they're STITCHED!
When it came to the stitching, I made things easy on myself, and didn't back-stitch. I made a running stitch forward and then a running stitch backward. It worked just fine with all of the stitching. Don't know what I'm talking about? No worried – just follow the instruction book steps!

The first card I made was the one with the large plaid star. I made two changes:

First, I used my own 5/8" Burlap Ribbon for the back layer behind the star. I had originally thought to cut notches in the large burlap ribbon that came in the kit. But as I was getting the ribbon out, I found that it was wrapped tight to the point that there were creases across the ribbon, and I wanted. to. do. it. now! I didn't want to wait to spritz the ribbon with some water and lay it out to dry. And I don't know where my iron is (sigh).

Next, I'd already decided to use the Christmas Joy banner stamp in one of the other cards, so I used the Merry & Bright stamp for this card. I also am SO not stamping Holiday Sentiments in black (unless I'm using that fab black/vanilla snowflake pattern in another Designer Series Paper set!). So I used Emerald Envy Classic Ink for this stamp.

The next card was the Snowflake Card:

First, I was so not seeing the Kraft circle as one that went with this card front. Besides that, since the Holiday Catalog was published, we had a short time where we could order the Stitched Shapes Framelits. What the heck – why not use one of the circles from that set, and mat it with a colorful doily from the 2015-2017 In Color Doilies set – Watermelon Wonder, to be exact. Doesn't that go well with the Mint Macaron color of this card front?!

And then I was being told to stamp in Basic Black again – and I chose the Emerald Envy, which is the same color as the sparkles stamped around the card.

Third, I have a tip for the star stitching: Don't start/stop in one of the points. One of the things you'll want to do with all of the stitching is to tape down the ends at the start and finish. If you're up there in the point, there's really no place to tape. So start in one of the sides or at the bottom of a point.

Finally, I really do not like bumps as thick as the gold half-circles were going to make on the card front – I mail my cards, after all, and I want them to arrive in one piece without a ripped envelope. So I added some of the star-shaped sequins from the Brights Sequins Assortment. But you can certainly use the gold embellishments if you wish.

And last, we have the Christmas Tree Card:

First of all, both the instructions with the kit and the videos I've watched state to punch through the holes on this card and its trees before stitching. I did that with the first tree, but found that I was stitching as if my needle was looking for the holes. So I saved myself the trouble of poking out holes prior to stitching.

Next, I totally did not like the die-cut shape or the sentiment planned for this kit card. So I chose to use one of the extra (yes, there are extras!) banners and stamped Christmas Joy using Emerald Envy ink NOT black. Why not keep the holiday colors!?

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Here's all you really need to make this project (well, add some ink, adhesives, scissors and tape)