It's here....the 2016 Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalogue

The day has finally arrived... you can now order from the 2016 Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalogue. There are so many lovely products in it with more than just Christmas covered. There are lots of sets that can be used for a variety of occasions. Contact me if you would like a catalogue. In the mean time you can look at the online version through the link on the right of my blog.

One bundle that I knew I 'needed' to have was the Santa's Sleigh stamp set and thinlits. I had lots of project in mind as soon as I saw them. I made this card as soon as my preorder arrived but wanted to keep it until today to show you. This bundle is perfect for 3D Christmas cards.

I think this bundle is perfect for a Double Z pop out card. It is super easy to make and you can read more about it here. It folds flat to fit into a standard envelope.

The thinlits are the perfect size for this card fold.

So that I didn't interfere with the design on the card front I have added a message panel on the card back.

Are you wondering how I did my watercolour background? It is super easy and although it is not a new technique it is one that I played around with to make it work better for me. It is really fun and I have more cards coming with this technique in the coming weeks. One way to get a similar effect is to use salt. I live in a very humid climate and the dried salt water starts to sweat and is not a good look! Using salt also means that the card will not be acid free and therefore should not be stored with others. So here is how to do an easier, less sweaty version.

Some extra tips:

• If you don't have a block big enough use acetate or window sheet. Just make sure that you cover an area slightly bigger than your watercolour paper.
• Use 300 gsm watercolour paper so that it lays flat after drying.
• If you don't have markers you can use an aqua painter to get ink from inkpad lids to apply to the stamp block.
• Make sure that you use colours that blend nicely when placed side by side.
• Some combinations might seem unlikely but work really well together. My night scene has Night of Navy, Dapper Denim and Tempting Turquoise.
• Once you have taken each print you will find that you still have some ink on the block. I keep smaller scraps on hand to mop it up and then use them on cards. What do you think of these 2 mop ups? The one on the left has Clear Wink of Stella and the right one has Gold.

Don't limit yourself to night scenes. This is just a simplified version of my first card. I have used some of the new copper foil paper on the sleigh.

Now back to those scraps. Perfect for a few quick cards.

Make sure you check out the new catalogue. Set aside a bit of time....and maybe make a coffee!
Product List

Santa's Sleigh Photopolymer Bundle [143499] $78.25	Santa's Sleigh Photopolymer Stamp Set [142057] $37.00	Santa's Sleigh Dies Thinlits [140278] $50.00	Clear Block F [118483] $29.00	Watercolor Paper [122959] $8.75	2016-2018 In Color Stampin' Write Markers [141393] $26.00	Many Marvelous Markers [131264] $190.00
Stampin' Spritzer [126185] $5.00	Dapper Denim A4 Cardstock [141419] $14.00	Night Of Navy A4 Card Stock [106577] $14.00	Crumb Cake A4 Card Stock [121685] $14.00	Silver Foil Sheets [132178] $7.00	Linen Thread [104199] $8.00	Aqua Painters [103954] $20.00
Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897] $11.50	Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pad [126952] $11.50	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [126953] $11.50	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad [126944] $11.50	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974] $11.50	Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad [126966] $11.50