Welcome to the Pals September 2017 Blog Hop. Thank you so much for joining us today. This month our theme is “My Favorite Holiday”. Sit back and enjoy the view while the Pals treat you with projects for the upcoming Autumn and Winter holidays.
Whether you’re just starting the hop, or have come from a previous Pal’s blog, you’ll find the line-up toward the end of my post to help you move along.
My Favorite Holiday
My favorite season of the year is Autumn. Hands down. I love the crisp, cool air and the feeling of thanksgiving as the weather and colors change. Autumn holidays, though, are just the opening act to the biggest holiday of the year – Christmas. To celebrate Christmas for today’s blog hop, I made a z-fold card with a gorgeous bundle from the 2017 Holiday Catalog – Night in Bethlehem. Here’s my card:
How gorgeous are these dies? I love the scene this set creates. I shared this card with my local stamp club this weekend, and they loved making it as much as I loved sharing it.
Tips, Tricks and Reminders
- Night in Bethlehem. I adore the imagery and styling of the Night in Bethlehem bundle. It’s such a classic beauty (is there anything more classic than the story of Christmas?) with a modern feel to it. The sentiments are beautiful, and the dies are so easy to layer to create a beautiful project. Here’s a look at Night in Bethlehem:
Night in Bethlehem, Stampin’ Up!
The sentiments in this set, while lovely, were too big for the small space I had on the inside of my card, so I reached for another favorite, Star of Light. Could there be a more perfect sentiment? Here’s a look at this set:
Star of Light, Stampin’ Up!
- Z-Fold. Even though this appears to be an extraordinarily long card, it folds perfectly to fit in a standard envelope. The base of this card is 4″ x 11″ and is scored at 5-1/2″ and 2-3/4″ to create three panels. I tucked the sentiment (and coordinating signature when it’s time) on the inside panel such that the first and third panels come together seamlessly. Here’s how the card looks when it’s pulled from the envelope (please note that the cityscape is perfectly aligned from one panel to the other):
And here’s how the recipient will proudly showcase your beautiful card on their fireplace:
- Measurements & Instructions. I’m happy to share the measurements I used to create this card – in order to make sure everything fits exactly as it should.
- The base. The Crumb Cake base of this card measures 4″ x 11″. It’s scored at 5-1/2″ and 2-3/4″.
- The background. The background panels of Night of Navy are precisely measures such that the front panel is aligned with the fold of that panel and the the largest panel is aligned with the inside fold of the card. The front panel of Night of Navy is 2-11/16″x3-7/8″, and the larger panel of Night of Navy is 5-7/16″ x 3-7/8″.
- The dies. There are two edgelits dies in the Bethlehem Edgelits Dies. I cropped the larger die twice in Crumb Cake and the smaller die twice in Sahara Sand, creating two cityscapes. I added little dots of Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue all over the back of the Sahara Sand cityscape, centered it over the Crumb cake piece (lining up the two pieces along the bottom). I glued the cityscape on the back panel first, folded the cardstock over and then glued the second one on the front (only adding glue where necessary). With the back panel as a guide, it was easy to perfectly align the two before snipping along the folded edge. So easy!
Stamp Sets: Night in Bethlehem, Star of Light Papers: Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Sahara Sand, Thick Whisper White Inks: Archival Basic Black Accessories: Bethlehem Edgelits Dies, Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals
Thank you so much for hopping with the Stampin’ Pretty Pals today. Please take a minute to mark your calendar for our next hop on October 11, 2017 for “Wicked Folds”. Now hop along using the Blog Hop Line-up below. Don’t forget to leave us a comment. We’d love to hear what you have to say about our Favorite Holiday. Bye the way, what’s your favorite holiday?
Thanks for stopping by today!
Brian
Gorgeous card Brian! I like how you broke up the blue with the crumb cake in the middle. Beautiful!
Thanks so much, Dawn! I originally added a white panel but felt it was too bright. I’m so glad you like it.
Just beautiful . . . love how the card unfolds to an even wider look at Bethlehem.
Thanks, Mary! I enjoyed creating it, and the club LOVED making it. So glad you like it.
What a beautiful card! Thank you for sharing your talent and creativity. This card has truly inspired me.
Wow! Thanks so much, Karen! I’m happy you like it and am thrilled that it has inspired you. I really appreciate that.
So perfect!! Yes, I noticed right away how the city matches up in the middle- so cool!! Gorgeous card – perfect sentiment – well done!!!
Thanks so much, Elisha! This set is so easy to work – I only had to do a little bit of work with it. 🙂 I appreciate your comments!
Brian, your card is amazing and you are such an inspiration with all you do. Many thanks.
Awww…thanks so much! I really appreciate that. It’s my pleasure to share.
The two tone buildings against the Night of Navy are so pretty. And, a perfect fold card!
Thanks so much, Su! I really appreciate your kind comments.
Oh my gosh Brian, you are capable of many wonderful things and one of them is being a great ENABLER!!!!!
How can anyone resist this bundle, I ask??
I’m itching to get at least the dies but I must wait a bit, there is some remodeling going on right now on the last bathroom upstairs and we also need to repair a portion of our roof.
It’s going to be hard to wait to get this dies, I absolutely LOVE THEM!!!!!
Thank you for the inspiration.
XO
Maria.
Yay! I’m so happy, Maria! Thanks of these wonderful comments! I’m so happy you like this set – it’s really fun to work with. Once you are able to save up a little, you should grab them up, but definitely take care of your house first. 🙂 <3
WOW! Just WOW! What a beautiful card! Your directions make is sound so doable. We’ll see!
Our group made them on Sunday, so it’s totally doable. 🙂 I’m so glad you like it, Dianne! Thanks so much!
Love this Brian, thanks for the inspiration
Thanks so much, Rachael! <3
This is a beautiful card! I love both stamp sets. Anyone would love to receive it at Christmas! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Joann! If nothing else, the card makes a dramatic and beautiful showpiece for someone’s fireplace. I’m so glad you like it!
Stunning design for this set! Love the colors you used.
Thanks so much, Susan! I love blues at Christmas. The cityscape just felt right in these stone colors. I’m so glad you like it.
Such a beautiful card. How did you get the panels to line up so perfectly?
Thanks, Sheila! I use Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue – it gives me a little “wiggle room” to get everything lined up. Because these panels were lined up against folds, I also use the bottom part of my trimmer to get the edges perfectly aligned. Thanks so much for your comment!
Beautiful card, Brian! I just bought this set and I’m going to use this z-fold idea. It’s just perfect for this scene!
Thanks, Karen. I was happy with how easy it was to line up the buildings on the front and back panels. You’ll have fun with it. Thanks for your comments!
Wonderful card. Love the fold to showcase even more of your lovely work. You are making me want to get this set and give it a whirl. I would have to add a rhinestone to the star of course for a little special bling. I don’t have a fireplace or mantel but if you send it to me, it will take prominent space on my book shelf!
Thanks for your comments, Chris! I popped up Mary & Joseph and the shepherd with Mini Dimensionals and just glued down the star so it wouldn’t add any depth to that inside panel. Didn’t want the thing to pop open too much. So glad you like it.
I love this set…..and the card you made with it is gorgeous!
Thanks so much, Linda! It was fun to make. <3
Hi Brian,
I follow your blog because you’ve got a great, clean style that I like. I’ve saved many of your posts as ideas to CASE. This set did not catch my eye in the holiday catalog but I absolutely adore this card!! Your layout and color choices are gorgeous. The card has breadth and depth and classic beauty. What more can I say…WOW!!! Now I’ve got another set on my wish list?
WOW! Thanks, Anita! That is so nice. I’m so glad you like my style and that you love this card. Thank you so much for your kind words.
WOW! Breathtakingly gorgeous! Perfect fold to showcase this set! You are the King!
Oh, my! Thanks so much, Jeanie! I really appreciate that! 🙂
This is an awesome card!!Thanks so much for sharing
Thanks so much, Karen! I am so glad you like it. I’m happy to share!
Just got this set Brian, what a gorgeous card you’ve created with it.
Awww…thanks so much, Lynn! I really appreciate it. So glad you like it. You’ll have fun with the set.
Such a wow card..love it..thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks so much, Windy! I always love to hear from you. <3
How the heck did you get the Bethlehem on the front to match so absolutely perfectly with the Bethlehem on the inside??? Yes, I did read your instructions but still – gee, wow, fabulous, perfect, amazing – just like you Brian!
🙂 I glued the one on the back first and then positioned the one on the front directly over it. Easy! <3 Thanks, Grace!
An absolute stunner. I don’t have words to describe just how beautiful I think this card is. I LOVE it! An outstanding job Brian.
Thanks so much, Robbye! I’m so happy you like it. I love your comments.
There’s not a card more beautiful than this. What a generous person you are to share all the steps to recreating this card. I can not thank you enough.
Wow! What a comment to receive! Thanks! I am so happy that you like this card so much. I was excited to share it. I hope the measurements help you to create something beautiful and sweet.
This is a stunnig card.
Thanks so much, MargaretAnn! <3
What a beautiful card my friend , ♥️♥️
Hugs Frenchie
Thanks, Frenchie! You are so good to me. <3
Never would have taken the mat to the edge, perfect alignment, Love the colors and how you analyze to you get it spot on! By the way, favorite holiday is Mother’s Day of course…just kidding it’s Christmas! ???
Ha! Mine is really a toss up between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I just had this card to share and so Christmas won out. 🙂 Thanks for your comments!
Brian… this is simply stated and beautiful. Color choices are perfect!
Thanks so much, Rae! It’s a great set – so easy to work with. I appreciate it!
Well now I need this set! I really appreciate how the scene lines up folded or open. Love the card and all the nitty gritty measurements! Thank you 🙂
It’s a great set, Corinne! You DO need it. 🙂 Thanks so much for your kind words – I hope the measurements help. <3
This is incredible!
Thanks so much, Trish! I’m thrilled that you like it and appreciate your comment.
Simply beautiful… card of wonder, card of light. I adore this set and think it would be easily to mass-produce. Thanks for the inspiration!
“card of wonder…” haha. Thanks so much, Debi! I’m so glad you like it. It was certainly fun to make.
Absolutely beautiful, Brian. Thank you for sharing.
Awwww….thanks so much, Nancy! I really appreciate your comments. Thanks!
Love this card and I’m getting ready to CASE it. However, just wondering? The base is 4 1/4″ x 11″, not 4″ x 11″ ?? Seems odd that you would go with 4″ rather than the standard 4 1/4″.
Thanks, Mary! I trimmed off the extra 1/4″ so that it would fit better in the envelope. Most cards have one fold – because this one has two, it’s a bit bulkier and tighter in the envelope. I’m sure it will be fine with the 4-1/4″ measurement if you choose to make it that way. 🙂
Oh, thanks Brian. I didn’t think of that. Now I will have to check. LOL