Winter - Right as Rain

Crafting Warmth | Impression Obsession Plaid Thermos

Hello! As I mentioned HERE, I am looking to extend the use of my winter-themed supplies beyond the holidays. Today, I am sharing a card that features a charming plaid vintage thermos and cup, cut with the Impression Obsession Thermos die set. Send your “Warmest Wishes” with this versatile winter-themed card that transcends holiday cheer, celebrating the timeless beauty of coziness and connection.

We owned a plaid thermos that looked very similar to the one I crafted. You can read about the Thermos company HERE. I talk about my enthusiasm for creating cards with a hot beverage theme HERE.

To create the background, I cut white cardstock with the Reverse Confetti Plaid Lines – Small and Plaid Lines – Big cover plate dies. I rediscovered these two dies after writing a post on cover plate dies, which you can read HERE. I added the two die-cut pieces to a card base covered with Fun Stampers Journey Cranberry Bliss cardstock.
I cut the Thermos from plaid patterned paper and black chalkboard cardstock. I trimmed the Thermos body off a bit and adhered a black mug to its top. For the other mug, I trimmed off the round top.
I stamped the Pretty Pink Posh Sentiment Strips Christmas sentiment on to patterned paper (I do not know whose). I trimmed the panel and added a frame cut with the Revere Confetti Stitched Notes & Frames die set. I added the assembly to the card base.
I added the Thermos and mug to the card with foam adhesive and embellished with snowflakes cut from white glitter foam with the Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflakes die set.

Memory Box Christmas Plaid patterned paper, Fun Stampers Journey Cranberry Bliss cardstock, SU chalkboard cardstock, Reverse Confetti Plaid Lines – Small and Plaid Lines – Big cover plate dies, Revere Confetti Stitched Notes & Frames die set (frame)

Impression Obsession | Winter Mittens

Hello! Today, I am sharing a holiday-themed card featuring Impression Obsession stamp and die sets. Some of the supplies I have owned for years, and others I recently purchased.

To begin, I stamped the Nordic Stripes in white pigment ink on SU Basic Grey cardstock. (As I mentioned in this post on stamped backgrounds, I have been challenging myself to use my background stamps more often. I used the same background stamp on this card.) I used a 4 1/2″ square die to cut the stamped background and added it to a card base.
I cut a circle from patterned paper with a 3 1/2″ die. With the In & Out 11 sentiment set, I stamped the sentiment in black on white cardstock. I cut the sentiment with the 3 1/2″ circle die and then with a snow slope die (I used a die in the now-retired MFT Stamps Snow Drifts set).
I cut the mittens from red cardstock and white flocked cardstock with the Mittens set. I cut the snowflake with a die in the Small Snowflakes set from white glitter foam.
I added the circle assembly to the card with foam adhesive.
I added the mittens to the circle with foam adhesive and then added the snowflake to the mittens with glue.

These same elements could be used on a non-Christmas, winter-themed card. I wrote about extending the joy of the season with winter-themed cards that can be sent for occasions other than Christmas HERE.

Cardmaking with a Winter Theme

As cardmaking for Christmas will soon draw to a close, I am looking for ways to extend the joy of the season. I took a look back through my blog archive at a decade’s worth of cards to find winter-themed cards that can be sent for occasions other than Christmas – friendship, birthday, even valentines. In many cases, the same focal items used for Christmas cards can easily be used for winter-themed cards simply by changing the colors and/or the sentiment.

The appeal of winter-themed cards featuring activities like sledding, snowmen, winter animals and birds, and cozy cabins lies in their ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia and wonder. These focal items capture the essence of winter, emphasizing joy, togetherness, and the beauty of nature.

Throughout this post, I’ll be using cards from my blog archive as examples. Click on the card image to be taken to the original post. While the specific products used on these cards may no longer be available, the focus is on how the theme is represented on the card with a variety of holidays and occasions included. Note: As I updated information and links on the original posts, I also checked to see which retailers carried the older sets. Frantic Stamper, offering fantastic customer service, has a number of the older and retired items in stock.

Snowmen are a universal symbol of winter. People can relate to the image of a snowman (snowperson), making it a widely appreciated theme for winter cards. In addition to Christmas, I have used snowmen on friendship and Valentine’s Day cards.

Penguins are undeniably cute and endearing. Their waddling walk, distinctive black and white coloring, and charming features make them visually delightful.

Many people appreciate wildlife imagery, and foxes, with their bushy tails and distinctive coloring, represent a captivating aspect of winter fauna.

Featuring a polar bear on a birthday card adds a whimsical and adventurous element to the card.

The addition of scarves and/or hats to winter birds adds a cozy and festive touch, instantly conveying the warmth of friendship during the colder months.

Capture the spirit of winter sports for someone who appreciates the thrill of the slopes and the enchantment of a snow-covered mountain landscape.

A cabin in a snowy landscape symbolizes warmth and serenity. The motif can evoke feelings of nostalgia for winter holidays, family getaways, or the simple joys of a rustic lifestyle.

As I wrote this post, I recognized the potential for crafting even more holiday cards and winter-themed greetings using the same supplies.
I am eager to embrace this newfound inspiration. I sincerely hope that my creative exploration of winter-themed cards has sparked your imagination and kindled the inspiration to craft your own cards!

52 Christmas Card Throwdown | Winter Countryside

Looking for the Spellbinders Blog Hop post? Head HERE.

Hello! A few weeks ago, I won the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Theme Challenge. As the winner, I was invited to be a guest for the November Theme Challenge Winter Countryside.

The sight of a winter countryside evokes feelings of nostalgia with childhood memories of playing in the snow, building snowmen, and/or sledding. It offers a serene and idyllic backdrop creating a magical atmosphere that many people find irresistible!

To create the challenge card, I eagerly dug through my supplies. One of my favorite aspects of participating in card challenges – they provide an excuse to pull out favorite supplies and those that have never been used or used infrequently.

To begin, I stenciled and A2-size panel of Taylored Expressions Blue Corn cardstock with white paste through the Lawn Fawn Snow Flurries stencil. You can read more about stenciled backgrounds in my post HERE.
While the stenciled background dried, I cut the Memory Box Country Landscape (now retired) from Snowdrift cardstock. I used the Spellbinders Silent Night Make a Scene set to cut the red house and Santa and his reindeer. (The set is retired, however, I see that it is in stock at Frantic Stamper HERE. As I have mentioned before, Fran offers terrific customer service and has a large inventory.) I backed the houses with Blue Corn cardstock as I was depicting a nighttime scene.
With Hero Arts white powder, I heat-embossed the Essentials by Ellen Santa’s Flight set sentiment (released in 2015 and now-retired) on Pomegranate cardstock and cut it with a banner die.
I cut the frame from Snowdrift cardstock with the largest die in the MFT Stamps A2 Rectangle Frames set.
Once dry, I added the stenciled panel to the card base. I added the countryside landscape to the background, and then added the frame. Finally, Santa, the red house, and the sentiment were added.

I hope you are inspired to craft your own Winter Countryside card for the challenge!

Coffee-themed Winter Wishes

Hello! While visiting my blog archive for my post on cardmaking with the hot beverage theme, I decided to do a mash-up of two of the cards shown HERE and HERE. I eagerly delved into my supplies, reigniting my passion for crafting with these products.

To create the card, I used a number of now retired supplies. I’m calling this a “Shop Your Stash” post! I know there are a lot of shiny new products out there that I could easily buy. It is more of a challenge to use what I already own. The retired supplies are listed at the bottom. I have emboldened supplies that are currently available and included them in the LinkDeli list.

- Dry emboss a white cardstock square (4 1/2″) with a folder for subtle texture. (Note: I used the now-retired SU Subtle Dynamic Textured Impressions folder. The shim required is the base platform, the folder with the cardstock inside, and one cutting plate.) Add to card base.
- Stamp Lawn Fawn Kraft cardstock with the Hero Arts Candy Stripe Bold Prints background stamp in red pigment ink. Once dry, cut with the Lil’ Inker 4 1/4″ stitched square. Add to card base.
- Cut a 3″ circle from Waterfall cardstock and add white embossing paste through the Snowy Sky stencil. Set aside to dry.
- Stamp Hero Arts Winter Wishes sentiment in black on white cardstock. Cut with the 3″ circle die and again with a die in the MFT Snow Drifts set. (I bought this set of hills in November 2012; the set was one of my first ever die purchases.) Add sentiment hill to the stenciled circle and add assembly to the card.
- Cut mittens with dies in the My Favorite Things Warm & Fuzzy set from red cardstock and dry-emboss with the Taylored Expressions Cable Knit embossing folder. Cut to-go coffee cup with dies in the Mini Café All Day set. Assemble and accessorize with a snowflake cut with a Mini Snowflakes die from white glitter foam. Add cup and mittens to card.

Retired Supplies: My Favorite Things Warm & Fuzzy; My Favorite Things Snow Drifts; Lil’ Inker 4 1/4″ stitched square; Hero Arts Candy Stripe Bold Prints; Taylored Expressions Cable Knit embossing folder; Colorbox red pigment ink; Hero Arts Winter Wishes; SU Subtle Dynamic Textured Impressions embossing folder