Alcohol Ink with TILED BACKGROUND: 12 WEEKS OF CHRISTMAS CARD TUTORIALS week 7

Hello friends!
Today I have a tutorial on creating a tiled background with stamps.  Saturday I showed you how to get the background with alcohol inks on photo paper.  Today we will stamp a tree from Inspired Stamps FIR TREES (one of our first sets 4 years ago and still so popular!) onto the inked background.  Just use permanent ink, not dye based.  I cut into fourths:

AND added STICKLES to the tree for some snowy sparkle!
NExt... 

I glued to the purple BO BUNNY paper and the black cardstock, which created a window view!

I wanted to add one of my favorite snowmen from the Inspired Stamps: SNOWMEN set so I cut a piece of white paper same as the lower right window pane...

I saw about where I wanted my snowman to sit in the window, looking in at us...

Then I put the snowman onto the white piece of scrap paper that is the same size as the window pane, laid my snowman over, and cut out the extra parts of my snowman:

Then he sits perfectly looking in at us!!

I added another stamped image from the Inspired Stamps: SNOWMEN set and isn't he just HANDSOME sitting in there!!

The final card and inside:

I'll be back tomorrow with a cute and easy gift tag you may just consider making for your stamping friends!
Thanks for stopping by today!! 
Blessings,
Antoinette
www.etsy.com/shop/GodblessyourART   (free shipping on all US orders over $25 in November...come see all the Inspired Stamps (and this card will be up for sale too!)

Gift Card w/Ornaments TUTORIAL

Hello Friends!
Today I have a tutorial at the request of our winning commenter, Anne-Marie, to create Gift Card holders that could then be used as ornaments on the tree (love this idea!!). 

So let's get started!

First I cut the 'ornament' shapes using my Cricut machine and WINTER FROLIC cartridge at 5".  You can easily use a circle or any shape you like for these, just make sure your gift card fits the base shape:

 I grabbed a couple of 'gift card' size cards I had to use for this sample plus some Kraft Cardstock for the base, Kaiser Craft paper (DECEMBER 25th) and American Craft glitter tape (love this stuff!).  Of course there are 2 INSPIRED STAMPS used further down:

 Trace the ornament on the back of the patterned paper and cut out.  Adhere like this:

 Next I put on the cards to make sure I like how they fit ( just laid on, not adhered).  I added blue and green glitter tape to the top to match the cards:

 Then stamped and matted the verses I wanted to use:  Luke: 2:14 and Matthew 1:23 from the INSPIRED STAMPS STORE:  $3.99 Single Scripture Stamps section:

 The next part I had to figure out was how to adhere the gift cards to these ornaments without hurting the verses:  I used a clear bag with the adhesive bottom and cut out pieces to place over the part I wanted protected:

 I tried adding the year with the sharpie marker...not sure I like it, but it's on there now :o)  You could also sign your name or just leave it blank.  You could adhere acetate sheets or a transparency sheet over it if you prefer.

 You can see them above and below:

 I adhered the cards using REPOSITIONAL GLUE DOTS to the back of the gift cards so they can be taken off easily when you remove the card:

 Here's the finished ornaments with the gift card (above) and without (below):

 The 2nd one I made with gift card (above) and without it (below)L

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and make some of your own this year!  Gift cards are such popular gifts, this is like getting 2 in one!!

Tomorrow is DT THURSDAY so be sure to pop back over to see all the creations!
Blessings,
Antoinette

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 

Christmas Tag Bloghop and PRIZES for COMMENTS!!

Hello friends!
Today we have a Christmas Tag bloghop to inspire your Christmas tag making this year!  The Design Team has each created some GORGEOUS tags for you, and for those of you who hop through and come back and leave a comment here on this blog post by SUNDAY midnight, I will draw 'some' names for $10 gift certificates at the Inspired Stamps store!! (Depends on how many enter as to how many will win!)

Please feel free to copy our blog hop announcement photo above and share with your blogging friends!!  Remember, whenever there is a giveaway, if someone comes here and says you sent them...then their name is drawn as our winner, we thank YOU with a winning prize too!!

Here's my entry in the blog hop:

All stamps you see on the Blog Hop can be purchased at www.inspiredstamps.com  including this $3.99 stamp called Matthew 1:23! 

Ready to hop?  Ok, your first stop is to AMBER's BLOG.  If you get lost along the way just look to the sidebar of each person's blog for their Design Team names/links.  We're going alphabetically!

REMEMBER after Kary's blog, she'll send you back here to leave your comment on what you LOVED about this blog hop!!  There will be winners :o)
Enjoy,
Be the blessing!
~Antoinette
www.InspiredStamps.com (shipping orders the same day most orders are placed!  40% off coupon good through FRIDAY!)