Merry & Bright Christmas Card!

Project design ©Sharon M. Reinhart 2013

Wow! We are at one month before Christmas! I am sure many of you are busy creating your Christmas greeting cards and some are even finished and yet others are just beginning. No matter what stage you are at I hope this card will bring you inspiration for a card, tag, scrapbook page, or gift bag décor.
The point of this creation aside from Christmas is to encourage you to make use of those products that you have purchased in the past and don't be afraid to combine them with new ones. Most magazines must stay with current product in their designs, as do I for projects that are being published, but what happens to those products that we all love and still have. Where is the inspiration for our most loved tools? For this design and more to come in the future I have decided to make use of some products that manufacturer may have discontinued but that many of us still have and want to use. After all we all have those favorites!
This card makes use of leftover scraps of paper for the banner/flag pieces, an embossing folder for the embossed dots, a Papertrey Ink stamp (love their stamps, and no I do not work for them), EK Success mini banner punch and a new SpellbindersTM die and an older favorite of mine. The new one, and still available is the Medallion 1 ShapeabilitiesTM  Die D-LitesTM  combined with one of my favorite snowflake die-template sets, the ShapeabilitiesTM Create A Flake 1. It is almost like they were made for each other - but couldn't be as one is current and one is not. The way the largest snowflake can be slipped underneath portions of the medallion is perfect! Perfect if you would like to have a removable ornament on your card or just simply perfect as a design element.
This is a simple card, yet I believe it to be elegant and effective at relaying the merriest of wishes! Keep tuned for another card using similar supplies but with an even frostier look!
Creatively Yours,
Sharon

Delicate Paper Snowflakes

These 26 paper snowflakes were created to honor the staff and students of Sandy Hook school. The PTA had put out a call for snowlfakes so that they could transform the new school that students of Sandy Hook will be attending in January into a Winter Wonderland. I believe they have accomplished their goal, as today when I went to the web site to retrieve the address to ship my snowflakes, they had a new note stating that with regret they had to close this project for further donations of snowflakes as they have been overwhelmed with donations. So, my little snowflakes will be donated instead here at home to a project involving children or schools. So, if you too are like myself, I encourage you to visit this site to find out other ways your snowflakes can be used to honor the community of people at Sandy Hook school and help others. http://www.ctpta.org/SANDY-HOOK-FUND.html

If you wish to create snowflakes like the ones shown above for your own creative projects -- ornaments, tags, gift packaging, or cards.  Here are some brief instructions:
1.  Cut out snowflake of choice by hand or using a punch or cutting system. The snowflakes shown here have been created using a Spellbinder'sTM template.
2.  Next cut a scallop shape, one that has an even number of scallops, this scallop circle is 1 3/8-inches. Tape metallic thread to back, wrap thread through the valley of one scallop, count 7 valleys to the right and wrap thread through this valley. Wrap thread around back of shape and to the right of the first wrap. Continue wrapping in this manner until two threads appear in each valley. Adhere thread to the back and trim. Place an adhesive rhinestone to the center. Adhere to one side of the snowflake. Complete an additional thread wrap scallop and adhere to the opposite side of the snowflake.
3.  Finish the snowflake by applying Stickles glitter glue randomly to the snowflake.

As a new year is quickly approaching I would like to take this time to wish you and yours all the best and may 2013 be filled with good health and happiness. Life is as delicate as snowflakes, and just like snowflakes, each persons life and path is different.  I do hope the common denominator will be kindness and compassion. Have a safe and happy New Year!
Creatively Yours,
Sharon