Saturday Sketch 810 - Toile Christmas vintage card

Did you ever have moments that are in stark contrast to each other?  That was my yesterday.  

My youngest daughter Alaina and I threw our kayaks into my mom's truck and spent several hours paddling around a local park.  It was incredibly relaxing floating in the water with the sun beating down, observing baby ducks, watching lily pads drift by, checking out the unusual birds, and having weird conversations.  I felt so in-the-moment alive and happy.  

And I thought, as I was paddling around, about how tomorrow morning is my grandmother's memorial service.  She passed June 18 at the age of 89 and had a very good life.  And I was fortunate to spend nearly every week of my 45 years with her.  And I thought about the photos I'd recently gone through to create a memory board for her service and how she was young once and alive and enjoying moments like I was experiencing out on the lake right then.  And now she's not here.  But she'd be the first to tell you how very, very good God was to her.  And I thought, too, how very, very good God is to me.  He was good in gifting me with my grandmother and He was good in gifting me with the kayaking on the lake with Alaina.  He will continue to be good.  Just look for it, right in the moment you are in.

It's Saturday Sketch time!  The sketch is brought to you by Splitcoaststampers (if you make a card using this sketch, please post it in the thread I've linked to.  We love to see them).  Read on to see what I made using this sketch.  There's also a video demo and written tutorial - watch to see how I made the Very Vanilla ribbon Real Red!

I love that giant cardinal from Toile Christmas.  There are dies to cut him out (Christmas Cardinal dies) but I used Paper Snips.  I find hand-cutting relaxing, but if you don't, by all means use the dies.  They also cut out the branches.

See how fluffy those branches are?  I wanted them to look natural and full, so I put Mini Glue Dots on the bottoms of the branches only and left the part with the leaves and berries unadhered.

To get the multi-colored look on the branches, use Stampin' Write markers to color directly on the red rubber of the stamp.  Gently breathe on it just before stamping it on the cardstock.  It's one of my favorite techniques!

And I LOVE this tip ♥ color your ribbon with the brush tip of any Stampin' Blend marker!!!  It's easy, fast, and not messy.  Plus, you can have ribbon in any color with just one spool!!

I used an Ornate Layers die to cut a Very Vanilla piece for the inside of the card, then stamped a sentiment and swirls from the Toile Christmas set.

Watch the video demo to see this card made

Save the written tutorial in your idea file or Pin to your Christmas boards.



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