New At SU October Blog Hop Sketches Surfing Santa

Welcome to the New At SU October Blog Hop and this month we are showcasing sketches on page 16 of the September-December 2024 Mini Catalog using new products which can also be found in this catalog. Our wonderful Design Team will be sharing their projects and ideas to help inspire you to explore this amazing tool which can open up so many possibilities to help spark your creativity.

For my card design, I chose the above sketch to create the layout for my card design. I love the simple structure that it provides for my card and I chose to use the new Surfing Santa stamp set to create the focal design. As you will see from my finished card, this layout helps showcase this stepped up Christmas card perfectly to create a non-traditional holiday design.

Growing up in Australia, our Christmases were in the Summer, which mean hot days instead of the traditional White Christmas scenes that are often portrayed for the holidays. So when I saw the Surfing Santa stamp set in the September-December 2024 Mini Catalog, I just knew I had to get it to create Christmas cards that felt more like what I grew up with, to send to my family back home. I love how this sketch helped bring my card design to life and the bright, beautiful colors that reflect a Summer Christmas. 

Products Used:

Surfing Santa stamp set (item #164298)

Stylish Shapes Dies (item #159183)

Deckled Rectangles Dies (item #159173)

Nested Essentials Dies (item #161597)

So Swirly Embossing Folder (item #163791)

Azure Afternoon Cardstock (item #161719)

Balmy Blue Cardstock (item #146982)

Daffodil Delight Cardstock (item #119683)

Basic White Cardstock (item #159276)

Azure Afternoon Classic Ink Pad (item #161663)

Balmy Blue Classic Ink Pad (item #147105)

Daffodil Delight Classic Ink Pad (item #147094)

Memento Tuxedo Black Pad (item #132708)

Azure Afternoon Stampin' Blends Combo Pack (item #161672)

Balmy Blue Stampin' Blends Combo Pack (item #154830)

Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Combo Pack (item #154883)

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Combo Pack (item #154885)

Petal Pink Stampin' Blends Combo Pack (item #154893)

Poppy Parade Stampin' Blends Combo Pack (item #154958)

Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends Combo Pack (item #154904)

Color Lifter (item #144608)

Iridescent Foil Gems (item #162842)

Stampin' Dimensionals (item #104430)

Measurements:

Azure Afternoon Cardstock 

Card Base - 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" (Scored at 4 1/4")

Balmy Blue Cardstock 

Card Front - 5 1/4" x 4" Embossed with the So Swirly Embossing Folder

Daffodil Delight Cardstock

Large Banner die cut with the Nested Essentials Dies

Basic White Cardstock

Large Circle die cut with the Stylish Shapes Dies

Sentiment Label die cut with the Deckled Rectangles Dies

Surfing Santa image stamped and fussy cut 

To create this card, I chose to use bright colors that create the feeling of being at the beach during the holidays. I feel like Santa is kicking up his heels and relaxing after all his deliveries are over and he can enjoy the surf and the sand. The colors I chose include Azure Afternoon, Balmy Blue, Daffodil Delight and Basic White with pops of Poppy Parade and Granny Apple Green for a touch of the traditional Christmas colors. I stamped the focal image onto a piece of Basic White cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored the image with Stampin' Blends Markers. I then fussy cut the image out with Paper Snips. To create the waves, I stamped the wave image several times with Balmy Blue ink, without reinking, to create the different variations of color of the water. The Balmy Blue card front has been embossed using the So Swirly Embossing Folder to give it texture that makes me think of motion of the waves. 

For the banner, I used the Nested Essentials Dies and cut a piece of Daffodil Delight cardstock approx 2 1/4" x 4 1/4" and lined up the die so that it created an extended banner, the length of the strip, making sure not to cut through to the end from each side. I then stamped the cardstock with the sand image using Daffodil Delight Classic ink to add subtle texture to the banner. I attached the Balmy Blue card front to the Azure Afternoon card base and then added the Daffodil Delight cardstock banner to the card front, placing it slightly above halfway on the card front. For the sentiment, I stamped the image with Azure Afternoon Classic ink onto the Basic White sentiment label and then stamped the background with the sand image using Daffodil Delight Classic ink, using generational stamping to give it the look of a sandy beach. I attached the focal circle to the center of the Daffodil Delight Banner using Stampin' Dimensionals and added the surfing Santa to the center of the circle, also using Stampin' Dimensionals. I positioned the sentiment label below the circle using Stampin' Dimensionals. To complete the design, I added several Iridescent Foil Gems for a touch of bling. 

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog. I hope that my card design will inspire you to explore using the wonderful sketches in the new September-December 2024 Mini Catalog (page 16) to help you create your own beautiful projects. There are so many wonderful options to try. 

Please take the time to visit my fellow Design Team members by clicking on the links in the Roll Call List below. We would love it if you would leave us a comment and let us know how our projects have inspired you.

If you live in the U.S. and do not have a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, please contact me and I would be happy to help you with your creative projects. You may also visit my Online Store to place your order and have it shipped to you. 

Until Next Time

Happy Stamping,

Tricia Butts
Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

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