Distress, Mask, and Resist Tutorials + FREE template

Hi everyone,

Are you all making Christmas cards yet? I started in July and will keep going all the way to the end of November. For the card I'm posting today I used dry embossing, masking, distressing, and resist techniques. Here it is.

SUPPLIES NEEDED

1. A 5.5"x 8.5" (card base), and a 4.25"x 5.5" (card front) pieces of white cardstock

2. Darice® 4.25 x 5.75 Embossing Folder: Side Design, Snowflakes and Scroll

3. Old-Fashioned Christmas Clear Stamp Set by Sweet N Sassy stamps

4. A 2" and a 1/3"circle punches or dies

5. O Holy Night Clear Stamp Set by Sweet N Sassy stamps

6. Distress Resist Spray

7.  Jewels Adhesive Rhinestones

8. Ranger Ink - Distress Ink Pad - dark blue

9. Silver cord

10. Silver cardstock for "ornament top" (Template below)

11. Sticky Thumb - Hot Glue Gun

12. Nuvo - Pure Sheen Glitter - Let it Snow 
13. Piece of acetate or transparency
14. Cutting/embossing machine
15. Double sided adhesive 4"x 5.25" piece of craft foam about 1/8in thick
16. Double side adhesive sheets
17. Xyron Creative Lite

STEPS TUTORIAL (pictures below)

1. Emboss and punch card front 

2. Stamp sentiment 

3. Using card front as a template and a pencil, draw a circle on card base where the "ornament" will be 

4. Cut a piece of cardstock to use as a template for snow banks. Sponge distress ink. Click here for video

5. Turn template around and sponge distress ink again. Click here for video

6. Secure 1st template in place, and  1/3" punched circle where the "moon" will be. Stamp first tree.

7. Lightely spray resist ink once where the sky will be

8. Secure template back in place (position in step #5) and sponge distress ink making sure the color is light close around the moon and darker away from it. Remove moon template and stamp second tree.

9. Adhere acetate (or transparency) in the back of whole on card front

10. Using double sided adhesive sheets, pass your craft foam through a Xyron Lite to make the foam sticky on both sides (or use glue on the one side the adhesive foam is not sticky). Punch a @"circle on it at the same spot where whole is on card front.

11. See picture below

12. Pour about 1tsp of glitter on the image on card base. 

13. Peel adhesive from craft foam and adhere it to the back of card front. Then peel the other side of adhesive and adhere card front on card base. 

14. Use template provided to draw top of "ornament" on silver cardstock. Cut the top, and glue it to the top of "ornament". Then, using hot glue, adhere a piece of silver cord between embossed swirl and "ornament." Make a little bow out of silver cord, and glue it to top of "ornament" at the end of piece of silver cord.
15. Embellish with rhinestones

The video shows these techniques (except for the resist) used on another card (picture below), but the techniques are exactly the same as the ones used for the card on post opening. 

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Winter in July CHRISTmas card

Hi there.  Did you know that I grew up in Brazil, and it's summer there in December? That's why I enjoy so much celebrating Christmas in July. When I do so,  I "travel back in time" and daydream about my childhood. So, I use the quiet time I have while making cards, to go back to sweet memories of Christmases by the swimming pool with my parents, sibilins, and lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. But the card I'm posting today is more like Christmas in America, especially in the northern states. See why:

 Supplies used
Paper: White cardstock, clear velum
Tools: Cutting/emossing machine, clouds embossing folder, stitched landscape, cloud and rabbit sledding dies (Lawn Fawn), colored pencils, heat gun, white embossing powder
Stamps: Large pine tree (Stampabilities), rabbit sledding (Lawn Fawn), small snow flakes, 'Let it snow' sentiment
Ink: Forrest green, clear embossing ink (Versamark), black 
Embellishments: white self-adhesive pearls

Thank you for stopping by, and letting me share some of my Christmas story with you.

May the Lord of the most wonderful season of the year bless you and yours, 

Vanías Reed  

Inspiring Glitter Snowflake Card

Hello everyone. Getting ready for Christmas? I just love this time of year. Everybody, or most of everybody, seems to be nicer, kinder to one another. They don't even cuss as much in traffic! LOL 
Today I found out what my Christmas/wedding anniversary gift will be. Yep, our anniversary IS in December, and I am very excited. As a matter of fact, my husband is in the store picking it up right now. What an inspiration. No wonder I sat here and wanted to write another post. Hehehehe. So here is an idea for you to make and get someone to smile as big as I am smiling right now.

Supplies used
Paper: Gray, dark blue, and glitter white cardstock for the outside, white cardstock for the inside of card
Tools: Cutting/embossing machine, snowflakes dies, heat gun, white embossing powder, white glitter pen
Stamp: Merry Christmas
Ink: Versamark
Embellishment: large pearl

Now you are probably asking, "What is she getting for Chirstmas?" or "What does the card have to do with the gift she's getting? ", etc.
Well, my amazing husband got me a Cricut Explore Air, and is picking up a nice computer to go with it today. So now I can cut way more than these two snowflakes, and create even more things that require a cutting machine. This was the very last card I made before I got the Cricut. Am I going to stop using my Sizzix or the dies? NO. Absolutely not. But it's nice to have other means of creations and execution, don't you think? - I bet you too are smiling now. ;)

Thank you for stopping by, and have a wonderfully blessed Christmas.

Vanías Reed    

 

Cute Christmas Card

Hi, what do you do when you feel you are out of inspiration? Your creativity is pretty much 'stuck'?  Have you ever felt like that? I have. Many times. First time I felt like that, I thought I wouldn't ever be able to create anything again. But then I realized that there is so much around me that can inspire my creativity. A good walk in a nature preserve helps a lot, but when I stop and 'smell the coffee' - as my husband tells me to (smile), I notice God's awesome creativity in everything: a child's laugh, an elderly lady, flowers, even coffee itself. There is so much color and beauty out there. Sometimes I find my inspiration just by going through things that I have at home. You would be amazed by the number of items we collect and forget about. Another way that helps me to get 'unstuck' is to take a look at other people's ideas. There are so many ladies who are very creative, and willing to share their ideas on the internet. The idea for the card I'm posting today came from one of the moments when I got 'unstuck' by watching a video about embossing diffusers, and finding a sheet of cute stickers that I have had for the longest time, and completely forgot about it.

Supplies used
Paper: Light blue and white cardstock
Tools: Cutting/ embossing machine, snowflakes embossing folder (the Paper Studios), oval embossing diffuser (Tim Holtz), oval frame embossing folder (Sizzix Textured Impressions), computer, printer, banner die.
Embellishments: clear gemstones, black tiny pearls, Christmas stickers, banner with printed sentiment

It is raining hard right now, which made me have an idea for a "Get Well" card for someone "under the weather". As you can see, you can get inspiration from pretty much anything, anywhere, or anyone.

Thank you for stopping by. God bless you, 

Vanías Reed   

Poinsettia Christmas Card

Yesterday, despite the heat and humidity, I decided to finally plant some flowers and new plants in our front yard. It looks so pretty. We had to choose special roses for the kind of weather we have, warm and humid most of the time that is. I would love to have some poinsettias, but they wouldn't survive. But I can always buy them around Christmas time, and make some paper ones for my cards, right? So here is a card with a sort of poinsettia made with a leaf paper punch.

 

Supplies used

Paper: Green, white, leaf green, and patterned cardstock

Tools: Cutting/embossing machine, diamond embossing folder (The Paper Studios), leaf punch (Ek Tools), precision scissors, round edge punch.

Embellishments: See through red ribbon, pearl sticker, 'Peace on Earth' vintage homemade sticker, paper poinsettia

This card is not difficult to make at all, and it can be used not only for Christmas, but for a winter birthday too - just change the sentiment.

Thank you for checking out my paper creations. I hope you have a wonderfully blessed weekend.

Vanías Reed   

 

Winter Scene Christmas Card

Today is one of those summer days with lots of rain. A day like this reminds me of Christmas in my country. I remember getting in stores to buy gifts for family members, and being 'stuck' there for a while because of the rain. I also remember being in a pool with my siblings and cousins on Christmas Day. Isn't it amazing how the weather can take us on a memory journey? Anyway today I'm posting a Christmas card that is the opposite of Christmas in Brazil. This card has everything to do with Christmas in the northern U.S. and other parts of the world where it snows in December.

Supplies used
Paper: Plain white and glitter white cardstock, gold scrapbook paper
Tools: Cutting/embossing machine, landscape stitched die, dryer sheet (it makes the glitter pop out), spray adhesive, snowflakes border punch, gold glitter gel pen, winter wonderland fine glitter
Stamps: merry Christmas, and evergreen forest
Ink: Black and evergreen 
Embellishments: squirrel sticker, snowflakes, pearls, star

  Thank you for stopping by. Celebrate the Real Reason for CHRISTtmas.

Vanías Reed  

'Grandma's House' Christmas Card

My son has been practicing the songs for both Christmas programs at church and the school he attends on Fridays - an umbrella for homeschool. In order to know well the songs he will sing, we listen to the CDs in our car wherever we go (I love listening to Christmas songs anyway). Yesterday, as we were listening to, and trying to sing along "Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go..." I thought of my husband's grandma and how much I miss her. Both my grandmothers passed when I was a child, so this very special lady became my grandma too. Christmas is so beautiful up there where she lives, actually, I don't think there is anything more beautiful than a White Christmas. It was inspired by Christmas at Grandma's that I made this card for a friend. 

Supplies needed for this card
Paper: Dark green, off white and red cardstock paper, hollies paper
Tools: Cutting/embossing machine (I used my Sizzix), decorated edge oval die, (Nestabillities), 1/8"circle punch (to make the corners on the label), permanent adhesive, colored pencils, winter wonderland glitter.
Stamp: Merry Christmas (Stampabilities), White Christmas,
Embellishments: red ribbon, snowflake button. 

Cherish the moments you have with people you love, make sure to tell them you love them, or write it down in card that you made. 

Thank you so much for checking my blog out. Check my etsy store too. 

God bless you and all the people in your life.

 Vanias Reed  

Gift Bag + Free Crochet Ornament Pattern

Wow! I haven't posted anything for a while. I'm sorry. My family and I just moved, and it's amazing how the whole process takes a long time. You pack, you find things that you didn't even remember you had, you move, you unpack, and you find more things you didn't even remember you had. LOL. Anyway, now we are in our new home, and I love it. Now I'm inspired again, and just in time for Christmas. So here this is my first post for our countdown with a free crochet pattern just for you.

Supplies needed
Paper: paper bag
Embellishments: border sticker, crochet snowflake, snowman button

Pattern for the Snowflake

Abbreviations

ch = chain

ch-3 sp = chain-3 space, the space formed when you worked 3 chain stitches in the previous round                                          

dc = double crochet

sc = single crochet  

beg = beginning

Make a magic ring

sl st = slip stitch

Round 1: Work 12 sc sts in ring. Join the work to the beg of the round with a sl st.
Round 2: Work 2 sc into each sc all the way around. You'll end up with a total of 24 sc sts. Sl st to join the work to the 1st sc worked in the round.
Round 3: [sl st in next sc, 1 sc in ea of next 2 sc, sl st in next sc] Work sequence in brackets 5 more times. You'll end up with a total of 12 sc sts in the round. Join with a sl st to first st in the round.
Round 4: [sl st in next sl st, sl st in next sc, ch 3, 2 dc in next sc, ch 3, sl st in next sl st.] Work sequence in brackets 5 more times for a total of 6.
Round 5: [skip all sl sts. Work 3 sc sts into the space formed underneath of the ch-3 in the previous round. ch 3, dc in next dc, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, dc in next dc, ch 3, 3 sc in next ch-3 sp.] Repeat sequence in brackets 5 more times, for a total of 6 times. At end of round, sl st to join the work to the 1st sc st worked at the beg of the round.

The snowflake can be used as an ornament. Just ch 8, sl st both beg and end of ch to the back of the snowflake.

This Christmas make something different to embellish your gift bags. 
Thank you for stopping by, and let's countdown to Christmas together.

Vanias Reed

Creamy Sweet Corn Bread

Here is another delicious recipe for these cold days.

Ingredients

1 cup fine corn meal

2 cups milk

1 can sweet condensed milk

1 can water (use the empty sweet condensed milk can)

 3 eggs

 2 tbsp butter

 1 tbsp vegetable oil

 1 1/2 cups sugar

 3oz grated parmesan cheese

 1 tsp baking powder

 1 pinch salt

Using a blender, blend milk, condensed milk and water. Add eggs, oil and butter. In a medium bowl mix corn meal, sugar, cheese, baking powder and salt. Add the dry mix to blender jar slowly. Blend everything a little more until well mixed. Spray PAM on a 9in x 13in baking pan and coat with corn meal. Bat at 350F for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Thank you for stopping by. Keep warm and God bless you.

 Vanias Reed  

Creamy Hot Chocolate

Now that I live in the south I love winter because it is not as severe as in the north. Today, for instance, we woke up to a temperature of 41 degrees. So nice and dry. Now what goes really well with a cold weather? Hot cocoa of course. So today, I'm posting a recipe for a delicious, creamy, rich hot chocolate that I tried when I went to a town on a mountain in Brazil. Enjoy.

  Creamy Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

½ cup table cream

½ cup milk

1 tbsp sweet condensed milk

3oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whipped cream and cinnamon (optional)

In a pan stir and heat table cream, milk and sweet condensed milk in medium heat until thick. Turn off heat and add the chocolate chips. Mix well until chocolate is completely melted. Put back on stove and, in medium heat, stir it until creamy. Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Variations: Use mint baking chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips for a minty taste.

Add 1tsp of honey if you like your hot cocoa sweeter.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Stay warm and have a blessed winter.

Vanias Reed