12 Weeks of Christmas Card Tutorials WEEK 10: GIFT CARD card

Hello friends!

We are busy busy busy this time of year as I'm sure you are too!  Today I have the 10th week post of our Christmas Card Tutorials with a really simple and really practical Card to make:  One that holds the gift cards all the teenagers (and some a little beyond the teenage years!) look for under the tree!  I have tons of nieces and nephews I don't live near that I always send a gift card to and this card style is easy enough for me to make them quickly and in production method!
I took a sheet of off-white cardstock and cut it to 5.5"x 9 inches.  I folded one end up an inch (and forgot to take a photo, but you'll see it clearly when I show the finished card photos) then folded the card base in half.  Here's the card itself using Inspired Stamps (HIS LITTLE ONES: WINTER GIRL, MATTHEW 1:21, and a sentiment from PERFECT CHRISTMAS SENTIMENTS) :

 Front of the card after it's folded in half and I rounded the bottom corners.  I used Bo Bunny paper (LOVE this winter paper) that you can find in the online store POWDER MOUNTAIN COLLECTION:

Below is a shot of the inside of the card.  You'll see the one inch strip at the base that was folded up and glued on the sides of the fold to make the pocket.  I used  a sentiment from Inspired Stamps' PERFECT CHRISTMAS SENTIMENTS on that 1" strip, background stamped a tree from FIR TREES and stamped JOHN 14:6 over that so the verse would pop:

 Here's a close up of the top:

 In the bottom I took 2 glue dots and a piece of ribbon and made a little loop so the gift card can be easily removed.  I always put a glue dot to hold the gift card in place so it doesn't fall all over the place in the mail:

I hope this gave you a quick idea on making some easy gift card holders this year!  The DT is back Thursday and then Friday another of our Christmas Card tutorials will be shared!  Hard to believe only 9 weeks until Christmas then!!

Blessings,
Antoinette

www.inspiredstamps.com

Easter Cards + Winner announced from New Stamp Release Post!

 Hello Friends,

It is TIME to begin making those Easter cards!  There are two times a year, in particular, where we get to share Jesus with those we love through a 'holiday card' and it's usually well-received, even by the most resistant to Jesus and Scripture that we know:  Christmas and Easter.  It is a time to get Scripture into cards because we know that 'faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God', so join me in making cards with God's Word in them and sending them to those who love the Lord as encouragement and fellowship, and those who have yet to know Him!

I will start us off this week with a card I made that uses our brand new HYMN GIRLS: MARCH, who is holding a cross next to her heart.  I simply took some distress ink in tye dye and sponged the left and right side of her quickly to give her color (love these new Hymn Line stamps that are THAT easy to add color to and use!).  I also used Inspired Stamps: ELEGANT EASTER for the outside verse and the main sentiment inside.  I used BIND AND STITCH for a stitched look around the outside of the pieces.  I always add the Scripture that gives the gospel in a card to those who do not know Him...'for it is the power of God unto salvation' (Romans 1:16).  This stamp is one of the Single Scripture Stamps: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.  All of these stamps and more  can be found under the EASTER category on the online store by clicking here:
http://www.inspiredstamps.com/servlet/the-Easter/Categories

 In the piece at the inside top of my card I used Momento ink: London Fog and stamped one time on a piece of scratch paper and then the 2nd time without reinking to get the 'shadow' effect of the 3 crossed above the stamped Scripture (shown above)  I inked all my edges in this card with Distress Ink: Tye Dye.

 

This is the sentiment that comes on the ELEGANT EASTER stampset and I love using it!

Here are the other BEAUTIFUL Easter Cards made by the Design team this week:

 

Jamie starts us off with this beautiful Easter card using HYMN GIRLS: MARCH and one of our Single Scripture Stamps, John 14:6

Next up is Deneen, who used some beautiful patterned papers and then showed us how to add stamped embellishments to bring great color to it using elements from Spring Sketches and 1" Circle Sentiments:

 

Chere made a couple really lovely cards using HIS CROSS stamp set:

 

Belinda showed us HYMN GIRLS: MARCH also, with a very springy color choice!

 

And our newest design team artist, Shanta, used HIS CROSS stamp set as well for her Scripture in this lovely card:

 

Thank you all for your beautiful cards to inspire us to get started on our own and, the key being, mail them out :o)

We have drawn our winner from last week's new Stamp Release comments and the winner is...

Congratulations to Renee Atkinson who commented on our New Stamp Release Post and said she loves all the new Hymn Girls---so we are sending her one for free!  Email us with your mailing address by April 1st to CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!  You can either choose one of the Hymn Girls or we'll just surprise you!!

We will have the next installment of our 31 Days of March: Art Journaling Your Bible Study up later today!
Have a blessed day and be sure to stop by tomorrow for some exciting news!
Blessings,
Antoinette and the DT
www.inspiredstamps.com  (we are shipping most orders out SAME DAY they are placed!)

Inspired Stamps CHRISTMAS TAG BLOGHOP + 3 GIVEAWAYS!!

Hello FRIENDS and WELCOME TO THE CHRISTMAS IN JULY:  Christmas Tag Bloghop!!  We go LIVE at 8am Thursday morning!!

This is the STARTING and ENDING point for the blog,
 so if you have not seen any other tags in the bloghop...
YOU ARE STARTING...you want to go through all 7 blogs BEFORE you come back here to see my tag.   WHY?  Because you will want to remember which tag  you would most like to make one like...return here at the end of the bloghop, and comment about the hop, making sure you mention the tag you liked BEST (or you can name a couple if you HAVE to!)  

I will choose 3 comments that will each win a $10 store credit to the Inspired Stamps store!!  This post will remain at the top of the blog until after midnight Sunday, when the winners will be named.

 So, let's start the bloghop with your first HOP on over to the uber-talented, kary's blog here

IF YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH ALL THE BLOGS...
You have arrived at my post, which is your last journey in our hop.
Here is the tag I made for you:

Here's how I go about determining WHAT paper to use.  I gather papers OR I color my character first.  In this case, I colored my HLO: Winter Girl  character first and then organized papers that matched her:

(for some reason the photoediting program I used made her a greenish hue, but you can get the picture.  There are dark blue, light blue, and a lime green in her coloring, so I have those papers.  I also wanted a 'red' and this pinky red patterned paper went well with the others, so I chose it.

In order to put Scripture in front of an image, you want to stamp the image in a lighter color, or as I've done below with a deep purple, stamp it the first time then don't reink and stamp again to get a 'lighter version':

 You'll see the dark purple with the dark black is just a mess in the first one, but the 2nd generation stamped purple works well with this FRIENDSHIPS FLOWERS set.   I did this with the tree in my tag here;

I used the following INSPIRED STAMPS: HLO:Winter Girl, HLO: Christmas Girl (Merry Christmas sentiment), Fir Trees, and John 14:6.  You can find all these at www.inspiredstamps.com and you'll find a 25% off coupon code on the first page of the store to use on your total purchase!!

So now is GIVEAWAY time:  Did you go through the hop?  

Leave a comment here letting us know WHICH tag or tags you liked BEST and WHY?   

You have through Sunday midnight ET to enter ONE comment only.  Be sure to let your friends know to come through the bloghop and  leave a comment...if THEY win and mentioned you sent them from your blog, YOU will win too!!

Kary

Gabrielle
Jamie
Chere
Jenn
Belinda
Inspired Stamps Blog

Thanks for hopping with us!!  We had so much fun making these for you!

Blessings,

Antoinette and the DT

www.inspiredstamps.com

3 ways to use ONE stamp!! LOTS OF PROJECTS...

Have you ever had a stamp that you wish you could think of OTHER ideas on how to use it in your cards and projects?  Today the Inspired Stamps design team has taken on the task of using a SCRIPTURE stamp (most of these are single $3.99 stamps) in 3 different ways.  Gaby, whose beautiful sticky not holder project above is just one!  Here are more:
Gaby has 2 more with her verse:

Jenn

Belinda 

Anita

Jamie

 Chere

 Kary

 HOW BEAUTIFUL!!! 
Thanks design team, for a week of AMAZING ARTWORK!!
I'll be back soon with a big March announcement!!
Blessings,
Antoinette
www.inspiredstamps.com