Meanwhile, Back at the Farmhouse…

I tend to go overboard whenever Stampin’ Up!® offers country, farm, or apple stamps. I grew up in a rural area of the county on a farm, and our family grew apples. So, of course, I have to have as many of those themes as I can.

One of the new sets from the upcoming Stampin’ Up!® Holiday Catalog is Farmhouse Christmas. It kind of reminds me a little bit of the house I grew up in. There are lots of fun Christmas and winter stamps as well as a set of coordinating Farmhouse Framelits Dies. (And, yes, you can bundle them to save 10%.)

I wanted to play with an idea for a swap, so I pulled out the new stamps and dies.

I know. Pretty plain and simple, right? I stamped the tree in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, then colored it with the light Soft Suede Stampin’ Blend.

I used the Beautiful Blizzard Stamp Set to stamp the background snowflakes using Frost White Shimmer Paint. I was so excited to see this in the Holiday Catalog! I love using shimmer paints for a hint of sparkle. You can add it to a palette or a stamp pad made from felt. But if I’m only stamping a few times, I don’t want to waste any of my paint. I shake the bottle (make sure the lid is on tightly!), then use a Sponge Dauber to pick up ink from the lid and apply to the stamp.

The Beautiful Blizzard Stamp Set has a coordinating Blizzard Thinlits Die. You can die-cut an entire sheet of snowflakes with just one pass through the Big Shot. I used Sparkle Glimmer Paper for the snowflake.

Here’s the inside.

It’s another shadowbox card. These are so easy to make and so fun, because they fold flat to mail. I stamped the farmhouse in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, then die-cut and colored with Stampin’ Blends. I stamped and die-cut another tree and more snowflakes (in Smoky Slate this time). Then I added a few more die-cut sparkle snowflakes to the inside of the card. I bundled the Beautiful Blizzard Stamp Set and Blizzard Thinlits, again saving 10%.

The final bundle I used from the Holiday catalog is the Tags & Tidings Bundle. First, the Tags & Tidings Stamp stamps 16 images at one time. Then the Christmas Tags Thinlits Die die-cuts all 16 – again all at one time. So cool! It really speeds up the process. I used the Merry Christmas to You and Yours tag on my card using two silver Metallic Brads.

To create the shadowbox card, you’ll need one sheet of cardstock. I used Balmy Blue for my card. Cut the cardstock into two 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ pieces. Score one piece at 4-1/4″ to create a 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ card – just like we usually do. This will be your card base.

Cut 1/2″ off one edge (so one half of the card base will be 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ and the other will be 3-3/4″ x 5-1/2″). The short side will be the inside back of your card (on mine, it’s the part where I stamped snowflakes and added the three Sparkle snowflakes; the front has the fence and tree).

Score the second piece of cardstock at 1/2″, 4-1/4″, and 4/3-4″. Cut a very small sliver off the side opposite the 1/2″ flap. This will make it easier to put together when you’re on the final step.

On the 3-3/4″ x 5-1/2″ section (right beside the 1/2″ edge, die-cut or punch a window. This will pop up to show your card design when you open the card.

Decorate the inside back of the card (the piece that has one score and 1/2″ cut from the edge). You can also use Designer Series Paper to speed up the process! Add die-cuts and decorate the front of the card.

Use Tear & Tape Adhesive to cover the 1/2″ edge of the cardstock insert. Place that edge right in the fold of the card base, remove the adhesive backing, and close the card over the adhesive.

Fold on all scorelines and wrap the insert around to adhere to the back of the card. Be sure to keep the 1/2″ panel adhesive free or your card won’t pop up.

If you have questions, please let me know and I’ll try to be more clear! (I’m writing this as I play farmer’s wife who has to wake up the entire farmhouse at rooster’s crow, so I’m a little distracted! At least our game fits in with the blog, right?)

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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