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Let's Sparkle and Shine at Christmastime

by Brenda Noelke on Oct 02 2024

Hello, Picket Fence friends and happy Wednesday!! Brenda here with a festive Christmas card featuring the Cheerful Winter Gnomes Stamp Set and the A Snowy Breeze 6x8 Stencil!! I love using unconventional colors for holiday cards, and this is the perfect example!! I began by stamping one of the gnomes from the Cheerful Winter Gnomes Stamp Set onto white cardstock using PFS Black Hybrid Ink. I colored him with Copic markers, added highlights with a white gel pen, then used the Coordinating Die to cut him out. For the background, I blended Wilted Violet and Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide Inks onto a panel of white cardstock with blender brushes. I spread Seasonal Holiday Arctic Fox Paper Glaze Luxe through the A Snowy Breeze 6x8 Stencil onto the panel with a palette knife, then set it aside to dry. Once dry, I trimmed the panel slightly and adhered it to an A2 white card base. The arch was cut from vellum using a die in the Basic Die Cutting Die Set 1. The gnome was adhered to the vellum with foam tape. The sentiment, from the Signature Quotes: Christmastime Stamp Set, was white heat embossed onto black cardstock and cut out with the Coordinating Die. It was also adhered to the arch with foam tape, then liquid glue was added to the back of the vellum behind the die-cuts only and added to the front of the card. Snowflakes from the Jingle All the Way Sequin Mix were the perfect finishing touch. I just adore this little guy all decked out for the holidays!! Thank you so much for stopping by!! Have a wonderful Wednesday!! Brenda

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Slimline Santa's Sleigh

by Andrea Shell on Sep 25 2024

Hello! It's Andrea back to share a fun card featuring the new Reindeer at Play stamp set from Picket Fence Studios. The reindeer from the Reindeer at Play set are so adorable! I stamped the sleigh once and the reindeer four times in black. I colored the images with Copics, added highlights with a white gel pen, and diecut the images with the coordinating dies. To fit all of the images, I decided to create a slimline card. First, I diecut the frame from white cardstock with the Slim Line Stitched and Scalloped Rectangles Dies. Next, I blended a slimline panel of white cardstock with the following colors of distress inks: Mermaid Lagoon, Blueprint Sketch, Chipped Sapphire, and Black Soot. I added splatters of Liquid White Snowflake and Opaque White Paper Splatter to the background panel. After the splatter had dried, I attached the ink-blended panel to a white card. I adhered the scalloped frame with foam adhesive and also popped up my colored images. My sentiment is from the Winter Blooms Dies. I diecut the phrases from red glitter and white cardstocks and stacked the diecuts. I glued the sentiment to my card and finished with some snowflake sequins from the Jingle All the Way sequin mix. Thanks for stopping by! *Affiliate links used at no cost to you.

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Merry Christmas - A Wagon Full of Christmas Wishes

by Brenda Noelke on Sep 24 2024

Happy Tuesday, PFS friends!! I hope your week is off to a great start!! Brenda here with a Christmas card combining products from the newest September release with the wagon from the Autumn Bountiful Beauty Stamp Set from last month!! I began by stamping the wagon from Autumn Bountiful Beauty and the flowers from the Winter Blooms stamp sets onto white cardstock with PFS Black Hybrid Ink. I colored them with Copic markers, then used the Autumn Bountiful Beauty and Winter Blooms coordinating dies to cut them out. I added dots to the centers of the flowers with a gold gel pen. For the background, I die-cut the Simple Plaid Cover Plate Die from white cardstock and adhered it to a white card base. The wagon and floral die-cuts were adhered with liquid glue. Next, I die-cut the "merry" from the Merry Christmas Word Die Set one time from gold glitter cardstock and twice from heavyweight white cardstock. "Christmas" was cut once from red cardstock and two times from heavyweight white cardstock using the same die set. All the die-cut layers were adhered together, then adhered to the background using liquid glue. I added gems from the North Pole Gem Mix to the center of each wheel, as well as a trio to the upper right area of the background to complete the card. That does it for me today!! Thank you so much for stopping by!! Brenda

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Deck the Halls

by Andrea Shell on Sep 18 2024

Hi there! It's Andrea back with you sharing a Christmas card featuring Picket Fence Studios' September release. I love the Freckle Friends' line of stamps, and the newest one, Holly Jolly, is no exception! I colored that sweet girl and Christmas tree with Copics and cut them out with the coordinating dies. To create the window, I diecut an A2 panel of gray cardstock with the Basic Die Cutting Die Set 1 Dies. I used the same die to create the white frame. I backed the gray panel with clear acetate and glued the white frame inside the opening. For my background I used the new Christmas Tree Farm 6x8 Stencil. After placing a panel of pink cardstock onto the 5x6 Paper Inking Palette, I covered it with the stencil and applied pink ink with a Rainbow Pint-sized Paper Pouncer. Using the window panel as a placement guide, I glued the tree and girl to the stenciled panel. I adhered the stenciled panel to a white card and attached the window panel with strips of foam tape. To embellish the window, I used the greenery and bow from the Christmas Wishes Tags & Ornaments stamp set. I colored the bow with Copics and diecut the greenery and bow with the coordinating dies. I glued the foliage to the frame and popped up the bow with thin 3D foam squares. My sentiment is from the new Deck the Halls stamp set. I heat-embossed it in gold, cut it out with the coordinating dies, and attached it with foam. Thanks for stopping by! *Affiliate links used at no cost to you.

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Let's Have Some Christmas Fun

by Brenda Noelke on Sep 16 2024

Hello, crafty friends and happy new week!! Brenda here with a mini slimline Christmas card to share featuring the adorable Reindeer at Play Stamps & Coordinating Dies, as well as several other goodies from Saturday's September Release!! I began by stamping the reindeer from the darling Reindeer at Play Stamp Set onto white cardstock with PFS Black Hybrid Ink. I colored them with Copic markers, added highlights with a white gel pen, then cut them out with the Coordinating Dies. For the background, I spread Holly Leaf Green Paper Glaze Luxe through the Tree Farm Stencil onto a panel of white cardstock with a palette knife. Once it was dry, I trimmed the panel slightly smaller than mini slimline size and adhered it to a slimline panel of red cardstock. The "Christmastime" sentiment was die-cut from red cardstock one time and heavyweight white cardstock twice using the Christmastime He's the Reason for the Season Word Die Set. The layers were adhered together using liquid glue. The sub-sentiment is from the Reindeer at Play Stamp Set. It was stamped onto white cardstock with red ink and cut out with the Coordinating Die. All the die-cuts were arranged and adhered to the background with liquid glue. A couple of candy clay pieces from the Oh, What Fun Sequin Mix Plus added to each side of the sub-sentiment finishes off the card. How sweet are those little reindeer?!? Soooooo cute!! Thanks so much for spending part of your Monday with me!! Have a great week and I'll see you soon!! Brenda

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Love and Joy: Copic-colored Diecuts

by Andrea Shell on Sep 10 2024

Hello there! It's Andrea with you sharing a Christmas card created with fun dies from Picket Fence Studios. I just love Picket Fence Studios' line of Nibbles Dies! Today, I'm featuring the Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus Dies. Aren't they adorable?! I diecut the elements for Santa and Mrs. Claus from white, red and gold cardstocks. I colored the white and red diecuts with Copics, assembled the characters with liquid adhesive, and added highlights with a white gel pen. That cheerful background panel is from the Happy Gingham Fabulously Glossy A2 Card Fronts. To soften it a bit, I applied white gesso in the center (white acrylic paint would also work; I just had the gesso at hand). Once the gesso was dry, I trimmed down the panel and adhered it to a white cardbase. With the Slim Line Stitched and Scalloped Rectangles and Alpha Dies, I diecut two scalloped circles from white cardstock. I adhered the circles to my card with foam squares and popped up Santa and Mrs. Claus. Using the Layering Flora: Leaves & Twigs Dies, I diecut the foliage from two colors of green cardstock. I tucked the foliage under my characters and circles and added red clay beads for berries. For my sentiment I combined words from the Peaceful Christmas Flowers set with the "and" word die from the Slim Line Stitched and Scalloped Rectangles Dies. I gold heat-embossed the stamped sentiments and diecut them with the coordinating dies. I diecut "and" once from gold cardstock and three times from white and stacked the diecuts. I attached the embossed sentiments with foam tape and finished with a scattering of gold pearls. Thanks for stopping by! *Affiliate links used at no cost to you.

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Peace to You Holiday Card

by Colleen Balija on Sep 09 2024

Hi friends! It's a bit early, but I've got a beautiful Christmas card to share with you today using the new Peaceful Christmas Flowers stamp set! But then again, is it ever too early to start on holiday cards? I don't think so! The poinsettias in this stamp set are in 3 different sizes and are perfect to create a lovely background! I stamped all 3 of them onto a piece of 5.5x4.25 white cardstock, using gold embossing powder. Then I colored them with my alcohol markers in shades of rose and teal, which I found to be so peaceful and lovely! When I finished coloring, I added the sentiments from the stamp set with gold embossing powder as well. Next, I added liquid splatters in silver and Pink Flowers, which was a nice touch! The last step was to add a bit more interest to the card panel. I trimmed the finished card panel down to 3.75x5, die cut right through the center of it with a rectangular die, along with 2 more sheets of black cardstock. Then I put the pieces back together onto a white 5.5x4.25 card base, in this order: center card panel, black cardstock, outer card panel, black cardstock, white card base. The end result was a beautiful layout with that pop of black! I love this technique and it's so easy to do! I'm ahead of the game with my Christmas card stash! I will definitely be making more cards using this lovely stamp set! Thanks for stopping by today!

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Christmas Shaker Card: Copic-Colored Diecuts

by Andrea Shell on Aug 26 2024

Hi there! It's Andrea back to share a fun shaker card featuring new dies from Picket Fence Studios. Have you seen the Nibbles line of dies from Picket Fence Studios? They are so adorable! I'm featuring two of the newest Nibbles dies on this card: The Brave Bear and Santa. I love them! I diecut the various elements from white and colored cardstocks. Before assembling the characters, I added Copics to the pieces to create a bit of dimension. To keep the diecuts in place while I colored them, I used the 4"x4" Paper Inking Palette. For the shaker I diecut gray cardstock with the A2 Saying Hello Cover Plate Die. I backed the panel with clear acetate and strips cut from Extra Wide Foam (The extra thickness is perfect for shakers!). I created the polka dot background by stenciling white cardstock with the A Whole Lot of Polka Dots 6"x8" Stencil. I used a Pint-Sized Paper Pouncer to apply red ink through the stencil. The shaker pieces are from the Hi Santa! It's Me! mix. After placing the sequins onto my polka dot panel, I sealed them with the diecut panel. I attached my bear and Santa with foam squares and finished with a sentiment from the Peaceful Christmas Flowers stamp set, which I diecut with the coordinating dies. Thanks for stopping by! *Affiliate links used at no cost to you.

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Sending Joy - Peaceful Christmas Flowers

by Brenda Noelke on Aug 23 2024

Join Brenda on the blog today as she gets a head-start on her holiday cards with this Christmas card featuring the stunning Peaceful Christmas Flowers Stamp Set illustrated by Kelly Taylor!!

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The Christmas Chronicles: Brenda's Tales and Traditions from Missouri

by Brenda Noelke on Dec 11 2023

🎄✨ Welcome to The Christmas Chronicles, Volume 1 + Giveaway! 🌟✨ Hold onto your Santa hats, folks! 'The Christmas Chronicles' series is about to take you on an unforgettable journey, and Brenda is lighting the way!

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Christmas fun and a snowman

by Liz Vefall on Oct 24 2023

There are two cards in today's blog post. The first one showcases one of the Kelly Taylor illustrated stamps (I'm a fan!) with a fun background, and the second is a more plain card with a fully coloured panel featuring the new snowman stamp in the no-line colouring technique.

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Christmas Countdown: 10 Awesome Facts About Christmas!

by Jen Kray on Dec 23 2022

Hi friends and welcome to the penultimate blog post for our Christmas Countdown! With only TWO days left until Christmas Day I hope that all your presents are gift-wrapped, and the feast is about to get lit up! I adore everything about Christmas, and the quality time spent with family is the absolute best! For my post today I have a lovely card but before that, let's share 10 awesome facts about Christmas. 1. 'kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!' or 'Kentucky for Christmas!' KFC has been the ultimate Japanese Christmas food since December 1974, just four years after the first KFC store arrived in Japan. So how did it all begin? Okawara went to a Christmas party dressed as Santa Claus, and when the kids loved it, he was inspired to create the KFC Christmas specials. Today, millions of people in Japan visit KFC on Christmas Day. 2. 'Jingle Bells' was the first song played in space On the 16 December 1965, the song 'Jingle Bells' made history by becoming the first song to be played in space during NASA’s Gemini 6A space flight. 3. The Christmas Tree Tradition started in Germany It is believed Germany began the tradition of the Christmas tree. Additionally, tinsel, which was once made of actual silver, is traced to 1610 in Germany. 4. Thomas Nast is responsible for the modern Santa Clause The Coca-Cola company is often credited with creating the red coated modern image of Santa Claus we know and love today but this isn’t true. Most of his modern image was put together by Thomas Nast in the 1870s. 5. Yule Lads In Iceland, Yule Lads visit children on the 13 lights leading up to Christmas Day. The children will leave shoes under the window for 13 these mischievous trolls. If the child has been good, they’ll find sweets in their shoe but if they’ve been bad, the Yule lads will leave them a rotten potato! 6. The Christmas Wreath The Christmas wreath is representative of the crown of thorns that Jesus wore. Eventually, the colours of Christmas – red, green, and gold were added. Red is said to represent the blood of Jesus, green is supposed to symbolise life, and gold stands for royalty and light. And the evergreen foliage used to make Christmas wreaths symbolises the continuity of life and nature even in the darkest days of winters. 7. The term 'Xmas' simply means Christmas The use of the term ‘Xmas’ dates back to the 16th century. The ‘X’ in the word Xmas comes from the ancient Greek language. In Greek, Christ begins with the letter X. So, Xmas simply means Christmas. 8. Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December), and originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor. 9. Midnight Mass The practice of Midnight Mass has been a tradition followed for a long time by the Roman Catholic Church.Significance of this custom lies in the ‘personal importance of forgiving’. The Midnight Mass is a vigil mass that involves waiting joyfully for the arrival of the Savior, Jesus. Families get together to celebrate this joyous occasion every year. 10. Christmas Stockings Hanging stockings out comes from the Dutch custom of leaving shoes packed with food for St Nicholas’s donkeys. He would leave small gifts in return. Did you enjoy those fun facts? I love books, and acquiring knowledge in general but who doesn't want to learn cool things about one of the biggest holiday of the year. A2 Card - Welcome Winter Today, I have a card, which is a beautifully traditional wreath. The wreath is my favorite Christmas image and I hope that I've done it justice for you today. First, I stamped out the wreath onto an A2 piece of smooth white alcohol friendly card and colored with Copic Markers. Next, I stamped out two Cardinals and colored them with Copic Markers. Either fussy cut or die cut the Cardinals, and set aside. Stamp 'welcome winter' using gold embossing powder. Stamp out the second sentiment onto navy card, and gold heat emboss. Trim to size. Trim the card panel 5.25" x 4" and mount onto a nay card base. Assemble the Cardinals and sentiment, then add sequins to the front of the card to finish. Thank you so much for joining me today on the PFS Blog and I hope to see you soon. Have a wonderful Christmas, and a very happy New Year! Lots of love and hugs, Jen SHOPPING BASKET Some links I use are affiliated. This means that I make a small commission when you shop through them. But don't worry, this doesn't affect the cost to you. Thank you for support me as a small creator and as part of the PFS Design Team.