Another Medallion Card

I don't know about where you live, but here in Chicago, medallions are big -- very popular this year.  People are buying them in stained glass, as ornaments for Christmas trees...So I thought I would hop on the trend wagon and make a few medallion cards and give them to my Chicago friends while they're hot!

I made today's card for a friend whose birthday is on New Year's Eve.  I used a Queen Kat Designs stamp from the Chakra Collection by artist Crystal Moore.  It's called "Root".

I used a monochromatic color scheme, with bits of lace and a bow to embellish.  The sentiment is from another stamp company.  I like how, even though it will be given out after Christmas, my medallion almost looks like an ornament hanging in its frame.

Check out all of Crystal's medallions, as well as all the gorgeous stamps that QKD has to offer at the Shoppe.

Chakra Medallion "Root" by Crystal Moore

I love the beginning of the month.  It means that Queen Kat Designs has a new batch of stamps to release from its artists!  I made this gate-fold card using a December release stamp from the lovely and talented Crystal Moore, whose line of Chakra Medallions has captured the hearts of many a crafter.

Today's featured stamp is called "Root", and I wanted to make a special card to showcase her image, so I punched out a "frame" of sorts with a scallop circle punch, centered on the edges of each "gate" of my card.
I stamped "Root" with ink that coordinated with this winter patterned paper I had leftover in my Christmas craft box.

It all came together with some dark teal-colored card stock and a sentiment that comes from another QKD stamp set called Winter Deer.  A vintage button and a paper rose finish off my newest Christmas card.

For more of Crystal's fabulous stamps, check out the Shoppe.

Favors From the Queen

I love to come up with different kinds of favors to give to each guest.  One of the ideas knocking around in my head is to give each guest a cupcake to take home (or to eat if pumpkin pie, cheesecake and Christmas cookies aren't enough).  I found these cute squat Mason jars at a rummage sale and picked up a handful.

I thought that Crystal Moore's image, Solar Plexus, a Queen Kat Designs November release stamp, would be perfect to decorate my jar.  I decided to stamp the image onto a pastel green background, using VersaMark ink and red embossing powder.  The image really pops!

I attached it to the top and for this photo, placed candy inside the jar.  I might even go with the candy contents instead of the cupcake, because I have these wonderful bite-sized Mars chocolates left over from Halloween, and I thought "do I really need to add another baking project to my full day?" LOL

I added Christmas ribbon to the top screw-on lid, and just a single Christmas sticker, since I want all that candy to shine through to my guests.  Simple yet pretty, thanks to Crystal's Solar Plexus, and I can do them up well before the actual celebration, since chocolate lasts for six months, and it's in an airtight container.

QKD has released some beautiful stamps this month, and Christmas is coming!!  Get your wish list going for Santa (or hubby) to choose from now and check out the Shoppe!!

'tis the Season to Make Tags

Now that Halloween is over, my mind is churning with cards and tags and favors and projects for Christmas.  Today I wanted to use a new November-release QKD stamp from artist Crystal Moore called Solar Plexus.  I decided to make a Christmas tag.

I started with a wooden tag for the base and used distress inks in green and red.   I stamped Solar Plexus in black and colored in parts with red and green Spectrum Noir markers.
I chose a Tim Holtz' Ideology Word Band that reads: "Encourage your hopes, Not your fears" and wired it onto the tag.  I added a few Skittles, a vintage button and some greenery with a flower.  I decided that since it is a Christmas tag, it needed a little sparkle, so I used Stickle on parts of the stamped image.
I finished off my tag with a bit of lace on the bottom edge, and some fiber at the top.
I hope you check out more of Crystal's stamps at the QKD SHOPPE.