It can be hard to plan projects for blogs these days. I like to showcase products you can buy, and some of the Holiday products are selling out in the Year-End Closeout. Once the retiring items are gone, they are gone. To get around that concern, I reached for products that are not retiring with the end of Stampin’ Up!’s August – December 2020 Mini Catalog on January 4. I reached back into the Annual Catalog and for some not-retiring papers in the August – December Mini for today’s festive card. Here’s my card:
My card is inspired by the simple sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches. Here’s the banner for the challenge that inspired my card: Tips, Tricks and Reminders
- Annual Catalog Products. This card features the Toile Christmas stamp set and the coordinating Christmas Cardinal Dies – the bird, the leaves and the sentiment are stamped and/or cropped with these products. How gorgeous! Here’s a look at the Toile Christmas stamp set (LOVE those sentiments):And here’s a look at the coordinating Christmas Cardinal Dies that I used to crop the cardinal, to crop the sentiment and to crop the leaves that adorn this card: One more thing from the Annual Catalog – my bird is perched on a panel that’s cut with the Stitched Nested Labels Dies. I love these dies and have used them SO MUCH!
- Holiday Catalog. The paper that provides the foundation for my regal cardinal is pulled from Stampin’ Up!’s August – December 2020 Mini Catalog. I was happy to use it for today’s card because it’s not retiring. “Wait!” I can hear you say, “Brian, we all know that Designer Series Papers retire at the end of a catalog. How can you say that Heartwarming Hugs, a personal favorite from this catalog, is not retiring?!” That’s because it’s not. Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper will reappear in Stampin’ Up!’s Holiday Mini next year as a returning favorite. How wonderful is that?! Just look how beautifully these modern papers frame this classic cardinal: Here’s a look at the incredible colors and patterns in the Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper: Get them now so you will be ready to restock when they are available again next year.
- Color Combination. The colors I used on my card are pulled right from the Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper – Real Red, Pear Pizzazz and Mossy Meadow are amazing together. If you like this mix of red and greens as much as I do, I hope you’ll save this for future reference:
Stamp Sets: Toile Christmas Papers: Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper, Real Red, Pear Pizzazz, Mossy Meadow, Thick Whisper White Inks: Real Red, Stampin’ Blends (Real Red, Pumpkin Pie), Memento Tuxedo Black Accessories: Christmas Cardinal Dies, Stitched Nested Labels Dies, Stampin’ Dimensionals
I hope you’ll pop over to the Freshly Made Sketches site to see the cards by the design team members and to play along with this week’s challenge.
Thanks for stopping by today!
Brian
Year-End Closeout
Stampin’ Up! kicked off the year-end closeout on Tuesday – all of the retiring products are being sold until January 4 or until they sell out. AND many of them are discounted. YAY! For a recap of this sale, CLICK HERE. To shop this sale, CLICK HERE.
Clearance Rack Refresh
The Clearance Rack was also refreshed on Tuesday morning – lots of great products at amazing prices. If that sounds good to you, please pop over now as these items will only be available while supplies last.
Pumpkin in the Fungeon
Every month, I host a Zoom call with my Paper Pumpkin subscribers to share the new kit and some alternative ideas with it. It’s also a fun time for my customers to share what they’ve made. It’s great fun! To learn more, click on the image below:
If you’d like to learn a little bit about December’s Paper Pumpkin kit, CLICK HERE.
Placing an order today? Of course you are! If you are placing an order for $150 or more, I want you to enjoy all of the Host Rewards you have earned. If your order is less than $150, I’d love for you please add this Host Code – CG7UZWF9 – when prompted. Thank you!
So very striking! Love this card.
Beautiful card, Brian. I love the toile with the pretty cardinal and that DSP. As Lisa said, it is very striking! Enjoy your day!
What a handsome guy! We have a pair of cardinals that we see daily. Fabulous birds and the perfect anchor for your holiday card!
Brian, this card almost took my breath way! In our family, the cardinal has a very special meaning. Thank you♥️
Brian, this card is a winner from top to bottom and side to side. I have to say it is one of your cards that I said “Ohhh!” when I saw it. To me, the cardinal has very special meaning also. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Your card is PERFECT in every way.
What a fantastic job you did coloring the Cardinal. I originally thought that you had cut it out from some DSP that I didn’t remember. Cardinal’s are my favorite bird and the fact that they pair for life puts them in the same category as the amazing American Bald Eagle. We are blessed to have both in our area. What a fabulous card from a fabulous demonstrator.
Thank you Brian.
Brian, the combination of DSP is so perfect to frame this gorgeous Cardinal image!! These beautiful birds give me joy all year round, they come to the feeders and sometimes, they bring their babies around and feed them in front of my kitchen window, it’s amazing to see them so close.
Your card is gorgeous, I love the greenery your sweet bird is sitting on, and the sentiment, even though is in the forefront, doesn’t take anything from the main image.
Thank you for sharing.
Stay healthy and safe.
XO
Beautiful card. Great coloring on the cardinal. Don’t you love how you can get beautiful shading with just 2 blender pens?
I love how you have the cardinal perched on the greenery and the ribbon banner for the sentiment. Really lovely card!
Soooo elegant! Your coloring is perfect! Beautiful card!
OMG , MY FRIEND love love love your beautiful card , the colors your DSP, EVERYTHING about it and your presentation is also perfect,
Tfs ,
Hugs Frenchie ♥️
Love the bird- even with all his redness! Very classy card!
What a gorgeous card, Brian!! Stunning
Wow!!! This card is fabulous. You really did an amazing job coloring the cardinal. Just fabulous. You get the GOLD star for the day!
That card is awesome and looks fairly easy to make. I’m thinking it would also make a great winter birthday card. The cardinal is beautiful, coloring is perfect. Merry Christmas
Just beautiful! I love the modern vibe you gave this stamp set using this DSP. It really looks terrific!
Your cardinal looks so regal against the classic Christmas colors! Love the polka dots and stripes. Thanks for playing along with us at FMS!
I love this regal cardinal, and I always love the mix of stripes and polka dots. Fabulous card, Brian!
Nice to see some main catty products and this card is fabulous! Love the classic colors and something about a cardinal always makes me smile. So glad to see you this week at FMS!