Monday, July 23, 2018

{Special Post} Christmas in July with Karola + 25% Off on All Christmas-Themed Products + A Giveaway

Hey, STAMPlorations friends! We have a special post today -- courtesy of STAMPgirl Karola, who created a boatload of projects to help get you in the holiday/Christmas cardmaking mood. Plus we've got a Christmas in July sale starting today until July 31 and a giveaway found at the end of this post. 


    

      

    

Hello, fellow STAMPlorations fans. Karola here to start the countdown to Christmas. We crafters know how quickly and quietly Christmas will creep up on us, so we better be prepared! I have been inspired by the gorgeous STAMPlorations Christmas products and Christmas Typografia stamps to create projects which I hope will inspire you to start your Christmas crafting. I've created projects for each remaining month up to December, and as you will see, my projects go from more intricate ones to quick and easy designs. I hope you will find something that is suitable for you crafting schedule, whenever you decide to start your Christmas crafting projects.

JULY
There is almost half a year until C-day so we have time for intricate projects, like the box card at the top of this post. I created the Northern light skies using watercolours and used no line watercolouring on images from Homespun Christmas and Sketchy Yule Trees. The sentiment is heat embossed in white using the From Across the Miles Typografia stamp, and the snowy hills are die cut using Stitched Snow Hills.



Why not create another panel of Northern Lights while you have your watercolours out? Die cut your panel using the Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle die, add a wintery hillside landscape using the Stitched Winter Landscape die and heat emboss the Joyful Christmas Typografia stamp in white onto the gorgeous night sky.




AUGUST
No sight of tinsel in the shops yet, so there is still time for flashy projects. And while you are at it, use stamps to create matching gift wrap to go with your cards. I inked up stamps from Layered Holly using Distress Inks and sprayed with water before stamping for that watercolour-y look. I stamped various stamps from Mixed Media Grunge around the edges of the card and inked using Vintage Photo Distress ink. Last, I heat embossed Joyful Christmas Typografia in Copper onto vellum and tore and inked the edges for a grungey look.






SEPTEMBER
As we are still enjoying an Indian summer (we will be in September, won't we?) there is no need to panic about Christmas preparations. Now is a great time to create watercoloured cards. Just grab your favourite stamp set, stamp using a light colour and get creative. I used stamps from Jingle Bells and finished this simple card with a heat embossed sentiment from the same set. There is also plenty of time to create your own gift tags. I die cut the tag using Manila Tags dies and heat embossed bells in gold. I stamped Jingle All The Way onto vellum using Distress Oxides, and before the ink dried I sprinkled the sentiment with gold embossing powder which I heat set for a luxurious glittery look. I stamped, coloured and fussy cut the bells for a finishing touch.




OCTOBER
This is the time to use humour as a weapon against the threat of rapidly approaching Christmas. I stamped the hilarious llama from Llama Tell You and added antlers from Yuletide Deer. I used the antler stamps to create the background and stamped a sentiment from Layered Holly. I can't help but smile! For my second card, I stamped the quirky "build-him-yourself" snowman from Layered Snowman and the Build A Snowman Typografia sentiment for another fun card.






NOVEMBER
Shops are full of Christmas decorations - not long to go now. It's time for quick and easy cards to create designs which are easy to mass produce. My first card is inspired by That One Layer Mixed Media Girl, the wonderful Shery herself! I stamped Delight In The Joys Typografia and masked the bottom of the sentiment before stamping Poinsettia Row twice. A few quick brush strokes of watercolour complete this quick and easy card. For my other quick and easy card, I was inspired by the beautiful script used in the sentiments from Layered Holly which I stamped in Distress Oxide and added a layered die cut using Gift Builder 2. This design was so easy to make that I created multiple cards in one sitting.







DECEMBER
There is no need to panic - even if you haven't started your Christmas crafting yet, you can use this quick and easy design to create loads of cards quicker than you can say "Christmas Cleaning". Randomly stamp the cute Christmas trees from Sketchy Yule Trees in grey to create a fun background. Ink up your Merry Little Christmas Typografia stamp (or any one of the wonderful Christmas Typografia stamps) in ombre colours. I know some people don't like to ink up a stamp with multiple ink pads as the colours tend to contaminate the ink pads, but I've never had an issue as I start with the lightest colour and work my way to the darkest. I just use the edge of the ink pad, ensuring the stamp is completely covered before stamping. Then I quickly sprinkled some clear glitter embossing powder before the ink dried, and heat set it, creating a gorgeous shimmery sentiment. 




I'm well on my way with Christmas crafting - now it's your turn!

STAMPlorations products Karola used:


*****

Goodness, Karola sure knows how to do Christmas and rock our stamps and dies, doesn't she? Which among her projects today is your favorite? Share your answer by commenting on this post for a chance to win either a $15 gift certificate to the store OR your choice of any one of the (in-stock) products that Karola used in her projects. Commenting closes on Wednesday, August 1. We'll announce the two winners on August 10 in the July Winners post.

And before you go, we've got a Christmas in July sale from now until the end of the month.



Now's the perfect time to grab a few Christmas-themed stamps, stencils, and dies at 25% off in the CHRISTMAS IN JULY category!


use coupon code CHRISTMAS25
no minimum purchase
current shipping rates apply
get free shipping when your order meets the minimum for your country
code can be used up to 3 times per customer/mailing address
code cannot be combined with other codes

Premium Stamp Club subscribers: use coupon code PREMIUM together with your personal discount code in order to get 40% off (instead of 25%)!

32 comments:

  1. Awesome job, Karola! I am one who enjoys seeing Christmas in July! I have two favourites - I absolutely love the pop-up box card with the adorable little scenes, and my second favourite is the layered holly card with the vellum overlay and sentiment embossed in copper - gorgeous! Thanks for the wonderful inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  2. These Christmas projects are all so fun!
    I really love the Layered Holly card from
    August. We had a huge holly bush in our
    backyard at my childhood home. We used to
    cut small sprigs off and decorate our plates of
    Home made cookies for our neighbors.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! Awesome cards!!!
    My fav is July's box card!!! It's totally amazing!!!
    Love Karola's beautiful colouring technique!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Karola, I'm completely blown away by your array of cards, each one wonderful! I especially enjoyed the 'matching the card to the month' approach, moving us from those more intricate to those easily mas-produced! Favourites: can't choose just one. Adore them alllllll! Thank you for the inspiration! I need you to come to organizer my card-making *grin*
    ~carol

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love seeing Christmas crafts and cards all year long!! I start my cards right after the holiday for the next. lol But I do hate to see the stores full of Christmas things, which they are doing now. Ugh. Too early!! I love your pop up box card! I want to make them so much, but I haven't the needed dies yet.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What an amazing array of cards!!! I love the July pop up card, the September Jingle bells card & the November card using the gift builder.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What fantastic inspiration! The box card has to be the favourite

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the box
    card from July!
    Awesome bunch of
    cards.
    Carla from Utah

    ReplyDelete
  9. Incredible projects! My faves are the box from July and the snowmen all around the card from October. Although the tag from September is pretty nice too! Love the glitter on the sentiment!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wonderful collection of Christmas cards! Always love a box card. Love the bells set. x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey Christmas in July - I have been doing Christmas creations this week - oh my a favorite??? So hard to pick I will go with that first one - Card in a Box loving the funny deer too and the background - TFS and for showing us your lovely work! Awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a fun display of holiday cards. Love that sweet box card in July!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow!! So many gorgeous Christmas projects :) thanks for the wonderful inspiration!! Love them all but the first box card really stole my heart, its brilliant. The no line watercoloring is beautiful. I haven't made box cards before but I'm truly inspired to try it now. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  14. I just made my first card-in-a-box and wasn't
    sure if you should be able to see the dividers.
    Happy to see July and the dividers showing.
    And since I'm a little wonky and love wonky
    cards, October would be at top too. My son
    hunts so this would be a good card for him.
    thanks for sharing so many wonderful things.
    It's not fair to have to choose.
    txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. My favourite is the second one with the northern lights and the stitched hillside landscape - I adore it! All are absolutely fabulous though! Oodles of inspiration! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  16. So many beautiful cards but I think my favorite is the November one with the rows of poinsettias. A close second though is the llama made to look like a reindeer. That is so fun! I started my cards in the early part of the year and have been making some every month. I think I got a start on mine in February.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The explosion box is amazing but I really love the llama. Hugz

    ReplyDelete
  18. All your Christmas cards are so beautiful, creative and inspiring, Karola. Thank you so much for sharing. Hugs..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My favorite..In the meadow we can build a snowman! I have Shirley's layered snowman and just added the typography stamp to my wishlist:-) Thanks Karola for the inspiration:-) Hugs..

      Delete
  19. My favourite card is the second one with the northern lights - I always love these colours, they are magical. stunning inspirations, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I loved going month by month with Karola and seeing her beautiful projects for Christmas. My favorite one is that spectacular box card with all warm and cozy winter scenes and the bold text panel.

    ReplyDelete
  21. These are incredible! I love the first box card! So cool!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Such fabulous projects, Karola, and you have something to put in the mail! I love the Sketchy Christmas Trees with the Merry Little Christmas stamped in rainbow hues. So sweet!

    ReplyDelete
  23. What great Christmas cards! Thanks for the inspiration and chance to win. :D

    ReplyDelete
  24. I am inspired by all of Karola's creations, but I do love November's poinsettia card!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow so many really fun and beautiful cards to choose from! I love them all! But I guess if I have to choose just one my favorite would have to be the gorgeous #18 card with the amazing colorful row of Pionsettias on it!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wonderful display of Christmas cards Karola, my fav is the August Holly one, great colours and fabulous use of the vellum printed sentiment. So good to get a head start of the Christmas cards, thanks for the inspiration

    ReplyDelete
  27. Awesome projects -- all of them! It's hard to pick a favorite, but I think I like the August holly creation the best - that or the pop up box!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Great cards and great inspiration! Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wow, amazing cards Karola! Wonderfully creative and artistic. I love the playfulness and whimsy of the snowman card - so fun!

    ReplyDelete
  30. wow! amazing cards, my favorite has to be the galaxy background card.

    Alicia

    ReplyDelete