The annual Paper Anthology Christmas Card Swap is always a lot of fun, as well as an amazing source of inspiration. Still working on your own cards? Here are some awesome ideas to spur you on! Cards are in displayed in alphabetical order because there’s no way anyone could choose a “favorite”! ♥ (PS: Want to participate in next year’s swap? Subscribe to the newsletter so you’ll see the sign up –and all other special events– the minute they’re announced!)
We absolutely *LOVE* seeing what our friends are making, and during the Paper Anthology 9th Anniversary Celebration we were treated to a huge helping of incredible eye candy! (Visit the PA FaceBook Page and scroll back a bit to see for yourself!) Michelle DeSaro made some especially inspiring cards; including this amazing cross-stitched Christmas! (Because YES, she really did stamp, diecut and hand stitch that entire jaw-dropping A2-sized Taylored Expressions Buffalo Plaid background!)
This stunning autumnal card has it all: beautiful coloring, just the right amount of inking, and fabulous composition. (Just look at those Sunny Studios Pretty Pumpkins perfectly placed in the “V” of the pennant!)
How lovely is the soft hand-drawn effect attained with Art Impressions’ Watercolor Clay Pot Set? And then the card is finished with elegant details like the punched and rounded corners.
You really need to look at this lovely Christmas card to see how many elements have been cleverly layered: a two-color wreath with sentiment stamped on top; layered onto a doily, with a velvet bow; all of which perfectly match the softly patterned paper and coordinating cardstock, with inked and faux stitched edges.
The mice from Lawn Fawn’s A Creature Was Stirring set are always adorable, but Michelle has made them even cuter by coloring them perfectly and then added plenty of diecut accessories to surround the window on this super-sweet shaker card.
This three card Class in a Kit is called Homespun Holidays and has a strong winter/seasonal theme, rather than focusing on a particular holiday. All of the stamping (the sentiments are Hero Arts’ Comfort and Joy Clear Stamps) and diecutting (including Sunny Studios’ Warm and Cozy set) has been done for you; and a detailed set of instructions, with individual photos of each card, is provided. You’ll need only basic cardmaking tools and a few adhesives to finish these three sweet and cozy cards. The hardest part might well be deciding which friends to send them to!
Behold the Tim Holtz Christmas Door, featuring EIGHT new Stampers Anonymous holiday sets! New arrivals include Snarky Cat Christmas, Holiday Scenes, Vintage Holidays and lots more, plus we have some lovely new TH holiday stencils. To make it easier to find all of the above quickly, there’s now a New In Store category, right up top in the online shop, so you can find the “latest and greatest” with just one click. Meanwhile, the Tiles for Miles Class in a Kit has been restocked (in a limited quantity), as has the super-popular Taylored Expressions Tool Tray, just in case you missed either of those the first time. Thanksgiving is next week, so Paper Anthology’s Kenvil store will be closed on Thursday; but open Black Friday 5-9pm and 10-5 on Small Business Saturday. (PS: there might be one or two in-store specials on Friday and Saturday… just sayin’…)
Nothing is more fun and inspiring than seeing what our friends are making, and the cards that were linked up during Paper Anthology’s 9th Anniversary festivities were full of amazing, clever ideas. We highly recommend scrolling through the challenge posts on the PA FaceBook Page, with an emphasis on the “Comments” sections, which is where the cards are posted. Louise Coviello made some especially lovely cards over the weekend, featuring ideas we definitely want to try! For example, her simple pinecone (above) is stamped crisply, using exactly the right colors; and the sentiment reminds us how impressed we were the first time we saw someone heat emboss in gold. The clear droplets are understated, but add texture and sophistication.
How cool is it that the shaker window makes up the entire front of this card? Louise stamped and embossed those pretty trees right on the acetate window, and used a unique and stunning hand painted background within.
This Christmas card is perfectly simple… and simply perfect! The Mandala/Snowflake image with ombre ink behind it stands out beautifully; a glittery sentiment and a few sequins finish it off nicely.
Another “Aha!” moment: Louise’s wreath images are embossed in WHITE and then watercolored… with a subtle greyish-blue accent that’s very eyecatching. A gold sentiment and glittery red Nuvo Drop berries… yes, please!
…at Paper Anthology! There are two beautiful new Class in a Kit selections available in-store and online. Plus, the uber-popular Impression Obsession Slim Scenes stamp line, which had sold out entirely, is back in stock including that gorgeous Norway Spruce and the Winter Greetings; and there are several brand new coordinating stamps– Santa with Sleigh, Night Sky with Moon, Sketched Trees— as well.
The newest Class in a Kit from Paper Anthology is the unique and lovely Christmas Cheer Waterfall Minibook featuring papers and embellishments from Photoplay’s beautiful new Christmas Cheer collection (which is also available as single sheets) and their Folio 3 Blank Book. With waterfall pages on the left, flip out pages on the right, and lots of pockets, there’s tons of room for photos and journaling. Makes a wonderful gift or a lovely keepsake for your own family! As always, the kit contains detailed instructions and photos, as well as all of the supplies you’ll need except adhesives and your basic tool kit.
On the holiday card front, Snowflake Symphony features Hero Arts’ beautiful two part die, Snowflake Medallion, which is included in the kit. As always, you’ll receive complete written instructions for all three cards and nice big photos of each. The kit contains all of the materials you’ll need: patterned papers are pre-cut, card bases are scored, all the stamping is done. You need only provide your basic tool kit and a few adhesives. Beautiful cards have never been easier!
Amazing new dies just keep arriving at Paper Anthology, and Dare 2B Artzy has some of the coolest! One of our faves is the Mailbox Die that really opens and is perfectly sized to hold… wait for it… a giftcard! Meanwhile the super-popular Wavy Slimline Framelit Dies are back in stock and we still have some of the Slimline Gears, Slimline Curve Borders (super useful for all sorts of landscapes!) Slimline Snowflakes and lots more! Be sure to check out the Dare 2B Artzy paper collections and stamps as well! (ps: How cool is Taylored Expressions’ Twinkle Twinkle Background behind the mailbox?!)
Just arrived at Paper Anthology, an amazing selection of Penny Black products to inspire your winter and holiday creations! Seasonal stamps such as Artful Evergreens, {Heart} Christmas, and Cozy Cabin; lovely dies like Holly Branches and Mirthful; beautiful and practical clear stamp sentiments like Christmas Moments, Christmas Feeling, Promise of Hope; winter foliage and snowflakes, cute characters in Jingle Friends, Sing Joy and Scarved Sweeties; gorgeous Script and Vintage Postcard “Slapstick” rubber cling stamps; super-useful Stitched Nested Frames, Stitches of Love, Graceful Stackers and more. There really is something to suit every taste!
Leave it to Lawn Fawn: not only did they make an adorable set called Car Critters, which features bears who drive; they also configured it to work with the Reveal Wheel system courtesy of a windshield-shaped Reveal Wheel Add-On Die. And then… they made a Christmas Add-On Stamp Set with super-cute reindeer at the wheel!
Lauren used the MISTI to position and stamp all of the images on one layer of card stock. First the car, then the deer, then the antlers. Each element was given a “basecoat” of its lightest color with Tombow Dual Brush Pens, and shading added with colored pencils. There are, of course, coordinating Christmas Car Critter Dies, but in this case the image was fussycut right at the outlines.
Lauren used older dies, punches and patterned paper to make a landscape, but there are lots of options for making a scene, like Dare 2B Artzy’s Curve Slimline Border Dies which has several styles of hills, plus clouds and more; Sunny Studios’ Comic Strip Everyday Die Set, Taylored Expressions’ Grassy Hills or Hero Arts’ Winter Pines. Or pair up with other Lawn Fawn sets, such as All the Clouds, Snow Globe Scenes, Meadow Backdrop. Alternatively, you could choose the low-maintenance option of landscape-inspired pattered paper like Dare 2B Artzy’s Snow Much Fun or Ciao Bella’s Northern Lights.
The newest Paper Anthology Class in a Kit is this stunning– but surprisingly easy to make– accordion album; featuring papers and embellishments from Graphic 45’s beautiful new holiday paper collection, “Christmas Time”. As always, the kit contains detailed written instructions; as well as all of the materials you’ll need… except adhesive and a trimmer! In fact, since it contains full sheets of all the papers, you’ll have leftovers to use on cards or other projects.
This lovely album also doubles as a piece of holiday decor. When open, the accordion design lets it stand by itself and look stunning on your mantle. When closed with its red ribbon tie, it would make a pretty accent on a table or bookshelf. Add your own holiday photos, or leave it as is!
This album would make a fabulous gift… IF you can stand to part with it? Luckily, the entire Christmas Time Paper Collection is also available as single sheets, and in an 8×8″ Paper Pad. There are coordinating Ephemera and Journal Cards, as well. There’s plenty of black chipboard in the store, too, so you can make additional copies!
