Frugal Friday – Featuring: Holiday Best

Hi All,

Welcome to another edition of  Frugal Friday where stamp sets under $20 are featured and links to inspiring examples are shared.   For a full list of all stamps and wheels under $20 see the right hand sidebar for  downloadable/printable lists  for the full catalog and the Holiday Mini ( mini has 19 stamp sets and wheels under $20).    

Wheel tip:  A few of you have asked why I include the wheels in the frugal stamp lists and my reasoning is this.   Many if not all wheels are in fact stamps!   The wheels can be used as is to create both backgrounds and focal images that can be cut out and layered as any other image would be.   Also the wheels can be unmounted and used as strip or border style stamps or cut up into smaller sections as individual unmounted stamps and used with an acrylic block or remounted with the appropriate cushioning material added to homemade or online purchased wood blocks.   One caveat to this.  Unmounting your wheels voids the Stampin’ Up warranty as SU considers this an untested/unapproved use.   However stamping bloggers around the web have reported no problems with this method of use.  And from my perspective the $6.50 or $8.50 you are risking is not a great amount to worry about for a worthwhile experiment.   About the same price point as many of our single stamps in the back of the catalog.   I’ve added a few links about unmounting wheels at the end of the links to this weeks featured stamp set.

Now on to our featured set – Holiday Best………

 

Holiday Best – Level 1 Hostess Set – #115364, Free with $150 order/workshop, Page   IBC    Set Quantity: 4

 Available in French and Spanish though the images are somewhat different and in the case of Trick or Treat SU couldn’t find a Spanish equivalent.

Stampin’ Up description:  Add some art deco style to your holiday greetings with our Holiday Best set. Holiday cards will be a snap to put together with these attractive embellished greetings, which makes this set an ideal addition to any stamp collection.

 

Order #116554 - Level 1 Hostess set - Holiday Best - French Version

   

#116730 - Level 1 Hostess set Holiday Best - Spanish Version

I have to say that the Merry Christmas Cardinal stamp is probably my favorite in this set.  While Stampin’ Up describes the style as Art Deco I find it reminiscent of designs I saw in Williamsburg and of other Colonial period elements and textile designs.   The flourishes of all these stamps add a certain level of elegance to any project even the fun and funky ones.  And all of the stamps from this set lend themselves to many treatments and techniques of one sort or another as well as the more traditional sorts of uses. 

The images cover a wide spectrum of popular Fall and Winter Holidays with the Give Thanks stamp being usable all year round and even the Cardinal can be used year round if you don’t ink the Merry Christmas and use another text stamp for the greeting.    Perfect for creating tags, ornaments or a featured greeting on a TriShutter card, box, bag or other 3D style project as well as the traditional card.  I can also see several of them stamped on tiles, on glass and other non paper surfaces.  

Perhaps it’s the flourishes but I keep envisioning these stamps used with vellum – either cardstock or paper versions.   Perfect for creating votive candle shields or surrounds such as you can find in these two talented stampers projects.  Though you will have to make adjustments for size I think they would work.

Rhonda Griffins shield/ lantern – http://thestampinbunny.blogspot.com/2009/09/votive-shieldlantern.html

Jan Tink’s Votive Candle surround – http://stampspaperscissors.typepad.com/stamps_paper_scissors/2009/10/movers-shapers-votive-cover-video-tutorial.html  

With Jan’s original size you could highlight pieces of the Holiday best stamps and if you took the idea and made it larger by connecting card fronts with hinges and the elongated version of the movers and shapers die I featured on this post you would be able to accomodate the longer Trick or Treat or Give Thanks or Valentines, etc.

I’ve also been toying with the idea of the Merry Christmas Cardinal stamp as a suspension element (probably vellum cardstock) inside  Scallop Square or Scallop Oval Frame die cuts using the Big Shot.  Or alternatively layered on top of a piece of lattice die cut that is in turn layered by (ie inside) a  pair of Scallop Square Frame pieces with the center cut out.  A bit convoluted but I think it could work.   Once my upcoming SAS is over I’ll have to hit the workroom and see what I can put together for you.

If you decide to go the Vellum route with any of these stamps you have two choices when it comes to Stampin’ Up Vellum.  I’ve added some product specs for both types you’ll find helpful when it comes to choosing which kind for what projects at the end of the post. 

Before moving on to the links here’s a Holiday Best ATC swap from SU’s 2009 Convention in Salt Lake City.  Created by Bonnie Bates, this is an ATC swap that uses the new Bride Paper, 1/4″ grosgrain ribbon and the Ticket Punch.  Small but beautifully layered all I need to do is add a hanger or thread and this will make a lovely ornament.

 

Stampin' Up! 2009 Convention Swap - ATC size and style - Created by Bonnie Bates

Links:

http://dostamping.typepad.com/dostamping_with_dawn/2009/09/2009-stampin-up-holiday-mini-ornament-punch-holiday-best.html

 http://www.stampinaddicts.com/holiday-best-petals-a-plenty.html

http://www.stampinaddicts.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=4363

http://heartsdelightcards.blogspot.com/2009/09/is-it-christmas-yet.html

 http://www.stampthat.com/blog/lovely-as-a-tree-thanksgiving-card/

http://www.stampinaddicts.com/cast-a-spell-holiday-best.html

http://www.stampinaddicts.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7614

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1410803?&cat=17475

 http://www.tiffanyscardtique.com/2009/09/kiss-challenge.html

http://www.mychicnscratch.com/2009/09/two-tags-a-halloween-card.html

http://www.mychicnscratch.com/2009/09/creative-contest-10.html

http://www.mychicnscratch.com/2009/08/halloween-treats.html

http://www.kreativejewels.com/my_weblog/2009/09/ppa7-sketch-challenge.html

http://heididavenport.blogspot.com/2009/09/petals-plenty-card-from-stampin-up.html

http://stampinbythesea.com/monday-inspiration-2 – only a partial use of the stamp but a very cool card none the less

http://www.papertreelane.com/?p=613

http://stampinwithliz.com/?p=399 – Love the tag on the sucker

http://hollewiktorek.typepad.com/holle_wiktorek/2009/07/designer-projects.html- bird in the birdhouse theme works!

http://www.stampinpress.com/2009/08/card-swaps-stampin-up-convention-2009.html

http://www.stampsnwhatnot.com/my_weblog/2009/07/okay-so-i-cant-wait-to-post-this-card-from-the-crypt-by-stampin-up.html

http://www.sandimaciver.com/sandi_maciver/science-projects/

http://www.stampinfabulous.com/2009/09/ppa9-inspiration-challenge.html

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1494811?&cat=17475 – Using the Finial Press folder from SU and the Autumn Traditions DSP would add a bit more SU to this design

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1487427?&cat=17475

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1475339?&cat=17475

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1466029?&cat=17475

http://creationsbypatti.blogspot.com/2009/09/lovin-holidays.html – scroll part way down to see the Holiday Best card

http://olivestamps.blogspot.com/2009/10/hauntingly-fun.html – CAS with Baroque Motifs

 

 SplitcoastStampers (SCS) Gallery:  http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=17475

 Stampin’ Addicts Gallery: http://www.stampinaddicts.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=3171

*****

 

Unmounting wheel links:

http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2009/07/28/tool-time-unmounting-wheels/ - Michelle Zindorf take on unmounted wheels

http://confessionsofaribbonaddict.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-turn-su-jumbo-wheel-into-set-of.html - Creating 13 new stamps from the Friendly Words Wheel

http://confessionsofaribbonaddict.blogspot.com/2009/03/more-fun-with-su-wheels.html

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=15287856 - what stampers on SCS are saying about this fun trick and more here – http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=15116675

http://www.stampinpretty.com/2008/09/the-mystery-of-wheels-unraveled.html

 *****

 

Vellum specs:

Vellum Card Stock (heavier weight) – item #101856, $6.50
■ 8-1/2″ x 11″
■ 20 per package
■ Translucent white
■ 43-lb. text weight
■ Beautiful when used with embossing
templates or where a stiffer vellum is needed for project stability.
■ Safe for scrapbooks
Vellum card stock is a beautiful paper for elegant projects such as wedding
announcements, shower invitations, holiday cards, and other special-occasion greetings. Since
it’s heavier than most vellum, you can emboss it with Classy Brass templates for a stunning
effect.

(Reminds me too of thin pieces of horn that in the colonial period was used in place of small windows and to cover alphabets (hornbooks))

Paper, Vellum – item #101839, $4.95
■ 8-1/2″ x 11″ (20 sheets per package)
■ 17-lb. text weight
■ Perfect as an overlay or a window
A great accent paper to use in card making.  Emboss an image on the
front, then color it with Stampin’ Write markers or Watercolor Wonder crayons from the
back for a muted, stained-glass look. Vellum adds a touch of elegance to your stamped
projects.
Quick Trick
You can use pads, markers, and Watercolor Wonder crayons directly on the vellum.

*****

Hopefully, you found a few good ideas and a boatload of inspiration in all of this material.  If you would like to order any of the materials or schedule a workshop so you can earn the Holiday Best set for free please contact me.

I hope you have some stamping planned for your weekend and also some time to cuddle up with the ones you love whether they be human, furred or feathered (can you tell I have birds on my brain – dangerous when you live with cats!  lol).

Hugs and blessings my friends – Jean